Synthetic transaction configuration workflow

Gwen is a network administrator for PetRocks.com and she needs to plan, deploy, and configure synthetic transaction monitoring to check the performance when a user logs onto the website from a certain location. She needs to set up monitoring for the availability and accuracy of the web-based shopping cart application from different locations to see that the end-user experience is working according to the service-level agreement.

Gwen must perform the following tasks:

Install core monitoring components

The infrastructure for synthetic transaction monitoring is based on the core components for BMC Real End User Experience Monitoring. Gwen installs the following components:

• BMC Application Performance Management Console
• Real User Analyzer and Real User Collector, or Real User Monitor
• Performance Analytics Engine

Prepare for synthetic transaction monitoring

Gwen prepares the system for synthetic transaction monitoring by uploading the synthetic device configuration pack to the Real User Analyzer or Real User Monitor. The configuration pack prepares the system to filter and present synthetic data so that she can more quickly realize value from her monitored synthetic transactions. Gwen performs the following configuration tasks, according to the version of BMC Synthetic End User Experience Monitoring:

• Configure monitoring features for synthetic transaction, according to the version you have:

  • (2.5.00) Implementing Synthetic Device Configuration Pack: 2.5.00

  • (2.5.01) Implementing Synthetic Device Configuration Pack: 2.5.01

• Configure the confidentiality policy to view synthetic parameters, according to the version you have:

  • (2.5.00) URI query parameters
  • (2.5.01) POST parameters

Plan Agent Groups and install the TEA Agent

Gwen must identify the the exact host computers on which to install the BMC Synthetic Transaction Execution Adapter (TEA) Agents. Each Agent is associated with an Agent Group, which is a logical group (such as by geographical location or application type), that is used for load balancing and high availability.

From the TEA Agents, synthetic scripts run sequences of instructions that simulate user transactions.

Understand the script

Gwen examines the provided URLChecker script, which checks the availability, accuracy, and response time of the URL by downloading its page and embedded objects, and verifying the title and content. The script is wrapped by an Execution Plan, which determines the Agent Group, script definitions, run frequency, and blackout periods.

Configure a Business Service

Before configuring the Execution Plan, though, Gwen defines a Business Service, named “PetRocks Online Services,” in the BMC Application Performance Management Console. A Business Service groups several characteristics, providing a way to set up one general definition that can be applied to several scripts, which are wrapped in Execution Plans. Business Services also simplify later searches for details.

Configure an Execution Plan

In the BMC Application Performance Management Console, Gwen defines one or more Execution Plans, which are associated with the Business Service. The Execution Plans inherit settings from the associated Business Service. Through an Execution Plan, Gwen defines an Execution Plan, named “PetRocks Dealer Portal,” where she provides values for the parameters in the URLChecker script. The Execution Plan runs scripts over specified Agent Groups, which are logical groupings of TEA Agents.

Related topics

Synthetic transaction monitoring workflow

Viewing the results of synthetic transaction monitoring