We recently upgraded to Compuware APM v12 (dynaTrace RUM) from APM v11.x. The product was fairly straight forward to set up and once you have it running in an operational environment there is very little administration needed.
The real-user-monitoring (RUM) technology is very mature, easy to use, and integrates easily with the rest of the APM suite. The new APM v12 portal concept is outstanding, allowing 100% customization for the executive dashboard. The new methods for portlet design (i.e. publish and subscribe) are easy to learn, and you will be configuring some very useful dashboards by the end of the first day.
The one caveat when configuring new portlet subscriptions is that there is a soft memory leak on the client side when using Internet Explorer, so we use Firefox for configuration changes. It’s my understanding that this will be addressed in APM v12.1 released early 2013.
Upgrade Approach
Since our SLA reporting metrics are done with another tool there was no need for a database conversion. This allowed us to build the new environment and run it in parallel with the old, and then cut over once we had all of the traffic configured. For our existing Data Mining Interface (DMI) custom reports we used the export/import (XML file) feature which worked just fine.
3rd Party Integration
The new architecture is moving away from Vantage View being the point of integration for sending alarms so we configured the Central Analysis Server (CAS) for 3rd party integration via SNMP traps. One item to be aware of is that any new alarm definition created on the CAS will create a new MIB file that must be loaded on your SNMP trap receiver.
Existing User Transition
For existing dynaTrace RUM users Compuware has provided all of the old APM v11.x reporting capabilities under the “deprecated reports” tab within the Data Mining Interface (DMI). This is very helpful for the support teams in making the transition to the new APM v12 GUI.
Conclusion
The capabilities of the Real-user-monitoring (RUM) technology and ease of use for technical drill downs is exceptionally good. I’m very pleased with the attention that Compuware gives their customers and the support process. Their technical team is very knowledgeable and works to resolve issues quickly. I would add Compuware APM v12 (dynaTrace RUM) to any short list for evaluation.
APM Strategies:
Are you interested in joining a LinkedIn group dedicated to Application Performance Management (APM) focused on sharing thought leadership, strategies, and new concepts' Click here to join:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Application-Performance-Management-APM-Strategies-4712490/about