CFUnited Session Review: Application Server Analytics (ASA) by Patrick Quinn

by Doug Sims, CFUnited Correspondent
http://evenamonkey.com

Would this session be a huge advertisement for Webapper's ASA tools (SeeFusion), or would this session contain valuable information for the average ColdFusion developer? There was only one way to find out: I walked through the door.

Almost immediately, I realized I didn't really understand the differences between 'Web Analytics', 'Server Diagnostics' and 'Application Server Analytics'.

Web Analytics is the measurement of the behaviors of the visitors to your website. In a commercial context, this would be the measurement of which aspects of the website work towards the business objectives of a company.

Application Server Analytics, on the other hand, is the measurement of the behavior of the website/web application itself. In a production environment, this is the measurement of which aspects of a web application work for/against the developer's objectives.

It is also important to note that the Server Diagnostics that your server administrators may be monitoring (CPU load, network throughput, etc.) are also not considered ASA, though those diagnostics may indicate that there is an issue that needs to be further diagnosed (through ASA, of course).

There are six basic elements of ASA:

1. Run-Time Monitoring: 'What is happening on the server(s) right now' as far as request times, query activity, result codes, etc.?


2. Bottleneck Analysis: Where are the bottlenecks and are there any patterns to recurring bottlenecks?


3. Crash Diagnostics: Search for Patterns leading up to the crash. Is a particular variable or query causing the problem? Does the problem occur when a user performs specific actions in a specific order?


4. Stack Trace/Thread Dump Analysis: Again we are looking for patterns in any long-running requests or hung threads. These elements should be cross-referenced with other aspects of ASA to look for patterns.


5. Memory Utilization/ Garbage collection: When does garbage collection occur and what is the impact on the application? Does the application have a memory leak?


6. Log Analysis: We don't mean the ColdFusion or server logs, but the application server log (JRun metrics logging).

Patrick then went on to discuss several real world examples of issues his firm has solved using ASA techniques. He made it very clear that any of the above ASA techniques can be applied without Webapper's tools, but I am still going to recommend SeeFusion to my team, as it makes it much easier to connect the dots between the six elements of ASA, and to help roll-up a large amount of diagnostic data into a more usable format.

If you see a common theme in the information presented above, you have already caught on and are likely ready to look for patterns in your deployed applications... after all, ASA is all about discovering these recurring negative patterns at runtime, so they can be corrected.

Currently a Senior ColdFusion Developer for Harcourt Assessment in San Antonio, Doug Sims has developed enterprise level web application solutions for the heath care, education and broadcast industries. Besides delivering rich web applications and spending time with his family, he also has contributed music for the soundtracks of several independent films. His blog can be found at http://evenamonkey.com.

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