APM Proxy server deployment requirements

To enable end-user monitoring through browser instrumentation, you must install BMC Application Diagnostics with the APM Proxy. The APM Proxy must be able to receive the beacons that contain the end user metrics and attributes about application performance, which are sent from the end user's browser. The setup of your environment affects where you install the APM Proxy in your network and how you facilitate the successful delivery of beacons. This topic provides some guidelines to help you plan the installation of this BMC Application Diagnostics server component.

The Application Diagnostics JavaScript injection is supported by most web-based applications and browsers. HTML pages must contain the <head> element and the pages must be produced dynamically: JavaServer Pages (JSP) or Java servlets for Java application servers, ASP.NET applications for .NET application servers.

The APM Proxy can operate in an environment where both a load balancer and router lie between the beacon's origin (end user’s browser) and the beacon’s destination – the APM Proxy. To ensure that the beacon arrives at the APM Proxy unmodified, TCP-termination devices that lie between the origin and destination must support the following requirements:

The beacon is sent as an HTTP POST. The POST DATA, which is in the body of the request, must not be altered or truncated.
The HTTP payload of the beacon must never be modified. Any cookies, headers, or POST contents must not be stripped out.
The beacon must be redirected to the APM Proxy. The TCP ports used between the end user and the network terminating device are not important; however, the networking device needs to forward the beacon to the appropriate port on the APM Proxy. This port is set during installation of the APM Proxy.
Because the JavaScript injection on end user browsers requires the dynamic JavaScript insertion and the beacon to be sent in HTTPS, any interim networking equipment must be able to supply a signed certificate to enable the browser to trust the connection. The APM Proxy also support the installation of signed certificates.
When the APM Proxy is behind a load balancing server and not receiving connections directly from end user browsers, update the value of the APM Proxy callback.address property. The property value must be the host name or IP address of the load balancing server.
When monitoring a CDN-accelerated web application, the CDN's network must allow the beacon through without modification. However, the JavaScript file that calculates metrics and delivers the beacon can be cached.

APM Proxy server deployment requirements

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