December 2019 Summaries

The IBM i platform, formerly known as iSeries or AS/400, remains an integral part of many enterprise environments, and Dynatrace has announced the General Availability of its remote monitoring capabilities for IBM i hosts via the IBM i ActiveGate extension. This extension, built on the ActiveGate framework, enables Dynatrace’s AI-powered monitoring by remotely querying IBM i hosts every minute to gather performance metrics, properties, and events, which are then analyzed by the Davis AI causation engine to identify potential root causes of system degradation. Users can visualize host performance through automatically generated dashboards, infographics, and reports, simplifying the understanding of the IBM i infrastructure's interaction with other components. The IBM i ActiveGate extension requires Dynatrace 1.170 or above, ActiveGate 1.170 or above, and IBM i 7.2+ hosts, and it is designed for easy deployment with full support from Dynatrace. To begin using IBM i monitoring, users can quickly contact a Dynatrace ONE product specialist via the chat feature.

ActiveGate version 1.183 release notes detail updates and changes, including support for Chromium version 78, which maintains backward compatibility with version 73. The update process varies by operating system, with Linux users required to manually update and Windows users receiving the update bundled with the installer. Ubuntu 12.04 is no longer supported due to its end of Extended Security Maintenance, while Ubuntu 18.04 is now supported, excluding synthetic-enabled ActiveGates. A known issue warns against canceling the Windows ActiveGate update, as it may remove the current installation, but a workaround is provided. The release also resolves three issues, including improved monitoring of Azure Application Gateways, an enhanced service stop script for the plugin module, and a fixed race condition during manual updates.

Dynatrace has introduced enhancements to its user session queries, aiming to provide deeper insights into customer interactions with applications. These improvements include the LIKE function, which allows users to filter data based on specific patterns using wildcard characters, and the new user error table that facilitates the identification and replay of user session errors within specific segments. Additionally, the PERCENTILE function offers a more comprehensive view of application performance by evaluating how different percentiles of users experience the application, particularly in terms of response times. The FILTER function further allows for the analysis of aggregated data to quickly identify high-value applications, and basic mathematical operations can now be performed on certain fields to modify numerical values. These updates are designed to enhance the understanding of user experiences and improve application performance, with more features planned for future releases.

Accelerated delivery is crucial for enhancing user experience, which in turn positively impacts a company's revenue, as demonstrated by Zalando's increased revenue following a minor load time improvement. Dynatrace has adapted its Real User Monitoring and Synthetic Monitoring solutions to address the evolving needs of modern web applications, particularly Single Page Applications, by refining the Apdex performance metric. The latest enhancements to Dynatrace allow for customizable performance thresholds, moving away from the outdated fixed ratios, and provide comprehensive monitoring capabilities even for legacy browsers that lack modern performance APIs. These improvements enable companies to better manage user experience across various platforms, including mobile apps, by setting flexible performance targets. Dynatrace's Apdex analysis tools offer insights into user satisfaction through location-based, user action-based, and application-based contexts, as well as business reporting, ensuring that organizations can effectively track and optimize their digital performance.

OneAgent version 1.181 release notes detail various updates and support changes across multiple technologies and platforms. The release introduces support for Microsoft Azure Service Bus and MongoDB drivers for .NET and PHP, while marking the end of support for certain older technologies such as Node.js 11, PHP 5.6, and 32-bit versions of applications. Future versions of OneAgent will discontinue support for IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.0, and several operating systems including specific versions of Amazon Linux, Debian, and Windows, with specific end-of-support dates outlined. The update includes numerous resolved issues across different components, such as Java, .NET, PHP, and JavaScript, addressing bugs and improving functionality. Additionally, new features for Kubernetes, Cloud Foundry, and OpenShift platforms are highlighted, enhancing monitoring and error detection capabilities. The release also introduces early adopter technologies, including PHP MongoDB monitoring for Linux, providing deeper insights into MongoDB statements in PHP applications.

The Dynatrace Managed release version 1.182 introduces several new features, enhancements, and resolved issues aimed at optimizing user experience and system functionality. Key updates include the introduction of funnel charting to better understand user journeys through applications, one-click availability monitoring for web applications, and more flexible Apdex calculations to enhance user experience. Cluster ActiveGates now provide notifications when outdated, ensuring critical components remain updated, and future updates will include single-click update options. Additionally, JVM-based services have been updated for improved logging support, and other optimizations include quicker upgrade times and enhanced feedback for large LDAP deployments. The release also resolves several issues across components such as Real User Monitoring (RUM), Cluster management, Core UI, and Log Analytics, addressing problems like session replay, Azure dashboard inconsistencies, and plugin metrics visibility.