In today’s digital landscape, the smooth operation of web applications is crucial to business success, and the performance and reliability of your server infrastructure cannot be overstated.

Server monitoring protects your applications against unexpected downtimes and performance bottlenecks, as well as valuable insights into the health, performance, and security of your infrastructure.

Dynatrace is a cutting-edge observability platform designed to provide real-time insights into the performance of your web applications and the underlying server infrastructure.

In this article, we’ll explore how to use Dynatrace to monitor your RunCloud servers, maximize uptime, and supercharge your web application’s performance.

Let’s get started!

Setting Up Dynatrace for RunCloud Servers

Prerequisites

Before you can start using Dynatrace to monitor your RunCloud servers, you’ll need to ensure you meet the following prerequisites:

  1. RunCloud Account: You should have an active RunCloud account with at least one server connected to it. If you haven’t set this up yet, visit the RunCloud docs for detailed instructions on getting started.
  2. SSH Access: Open your preferred SSH client or terminal. Use the SSH credentials associated with your RunCloud server to establish an SSH connection. Ensure that you have the required SSH access to execute commands on the server where you intend to install Dynatrace, and integrate it with your RunCloud-managed infrastructure. This access is essential for a successful Dynatrace installation and integration.
RunCloud ssh login

Once you have these prerequisites in place, you’re ready to move on to the installation process.

Dynatrace Installation

  1. Access the Dynatrace Dashboard: Log in to your Dynatrace account and to view the Dynatrace dashboard. In the dashboard, look for the “Start collecting data” option. Click on it to begin the setup process.
Dynatrace dashboard
  1. Choose One Agent: On the next screen, you’ll have the option to choose the type of agent you want to install. Select “One Agent“. On the next screen, click “Set up“.
  1. Generate PaaS Token: Since we’re working with a RunCloud server, choose the “Linux” option for the type of environment. After selecting the Linux option, you’ll be presented with instructions on how to generate a PaaS token. This token is essential for establishing the connection between Dynatrace and your RunCloud server. Click on the “Create Token” button to generate the PaaS token.
Dynatrace agent
  1. Execute Commands: Once you’ve generated the PaaS token, a set of commands will be provided. These commands need to be executed in your SSH terminal on your RunCloud server. These commands will install and configure the Dynatrace agent on your server.

Ensure that you follow each step carefully to complete the installation process successfully. Once the installation is complete, the Dynatrace agent will start collecting data from your server, and you will see your server in the Dynatrace dashboard.

Monitoring Real-time Server Health

After successfully installing the Dynatrace agent, you’ll need to wait for a few minutes to allow the data to populate in your Dynatrace dashboard. Once the data from your RunCloud server is connected and visible in Dynatrace, you can start taking advantage of the powerful features that Dynatrace offers.

Creating Custom Dashboards:

Custom dashboards in Dynatrace allow you to tailor the monitoring experience to your specific needs, helping you keep an eye on the most important metrics for your application. Follow these steps to create a custom dashboard:

  1. Create a New Dashboard: In your Dynatrace account, navigate to the Dashboard section. Click on the “+ Dashboard” button on the top left corner. Give your dashboard a meaningful name that reflects its purpose.
  2. Add Tiles: Within your dashboard, you can add tiles representing various metrics such as response times, error rates, CPU usage, memory utilization, and more. Click the “+” button on the top right part of the dashboard and select the metrics you want to monitor.
  1. Configure Tiles: Customize each tile by selecting the specific metric, filtering options, and visualization preferences. You can resize, move, and arrange the tiles to create an intuitive layout.
  2. Save Your Dashboard: Once you’re satisfied with your custom dashboard, save it. You can access this dashboard anytime to get a quick overview of the metrics that matter most to you.

Setting Up Service-Level Objectives (SLOs)

SLOs in Dynatrace help you define performance goals for your applications, and measure how well they meet those goals. To set up SLOs:

  1. Navigate to SLO Management: In the Dynatrace menu, find the “SLO” section (sometimes under “Settings” or a similar category).
  2. Create a New SLO: Click on “Create SLO” or a similar button to start creating a new Service-Level Objective.
  3. Define the SLO: Name your SLO, specify the application or service it applies to, set the target performance threshold (e.g., response time under 500ms), and choose the evaluation window (e.g., last 7 days).
  4. Save the SLO: Once you’ve configured your SLO, save it. Dynatrace will continuously monitor your application’s performance against the defined objectives.
  5. Review and Optimize: Regularly review the SLO performance data. If an SLO is frequently breached, consider optimizing your application or infrastructure to meet the defined objectives.

Key Metrics to Monitor

  1. CPU Utilization

Monitoring the CPU utilization of your servers is essential to understand their processing capacity and identify potential bottlenecks. This enables you to spot any spikes or consistently high usage that might indicate performance issues. By integrating Dynatrace with RunCloud, you can seamlessly access this critical metric, allowing you to make informed decisions about resource allocation – and ensure optimal server performance.

  1. Memory Usage

Memory is a finite resource, and efficient management is crucial to maintain stable server operation. Having real-time insights into memory consumption trends allows you to identify potential memory leaks or unusually high usage patterns. This ensures that you can proactively address memory-related issues before they impact application stability.

  1. Network Performance

Network connectivity is the lifeline of any web server. Monitoring network performance is vital to ensure smooth data transfer between servers and clients. Comprehensively tracking network performance metrics, such as latency, packet loss, and network throughput, allows you to detect network anomalies, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and optimize your application’s responsiveness to deliver a seamless user experience.

Final Thoughts

The old adage “prevention is better than cure” couldn’t be more applicable to server management. Dynatrace equips you with the ability to detect anomalies before they impact users, allowing you to resolve issues before they become critical.

The proactive monitoring approach ensures that you stay one step ahead, maintaining a smooth user experience and reducing downtime to an absolute minimum.

While Dynatrace supercharges your monitoring capabilities, RunCloud serves as an exceptional cloud management platform that simplifies server management, saving you time and effort. With RunCloud, you can effortlessly manage your servers, deploy applications, and enjoy a user-friendly interface that streamlines tasks. Start using RunCloud today!