Backend calls in AppDynamics are the interactions that an application component has with external components or services. These can include calls to databases, remote service calls, and interactions between different tiers of an application.

• A tier-to-tier request refers to any internal call that happens between different tiers (or nodes) within the same application. For example, a web tier calling an API service tier within the same application ecosystem.
• A remote services call is an external call from an application to a service that resides outside of the application's environment, like a call to an external web service, REST API, or a third-party service provider.

References:

• AppDynamics documentation on Backend Detection: https://docs.appdynamics.com/21.6/en/application-monitoring/identify-backends

Controller-level custom dashboards in AppDynamics have the flexibility to provide views that aggregate and compare data from different applications on the same Controller, as well as offer a customized view of applications, servers, and database performance data. This capability enables a holistic view of the IT environment, facilitating cross-application insights and the ability to correlate performance across different layers of the technology stack. Such dashboards are invaluable for understanding overarching trends, pinpointing systemic issues, and driving informed decision-making across multiple applications and infrastructure components.

References:

• AppDynamics documentation on Custom Dashboards: Provides detailed instructions on creating and customizing dashboards at the Controller level, including the aggregation and comparison of data from various sources.
• AppDynamics documentation on Controller UI: Explains the functionalities available within the Controller UI, including the creation of comprehensive dashboards that encompass application, server, and database metrics.

Creating a Transaction Group using the 'Create Group' action in AppDynamics allows for the aggregation of data from multiple transactions under a single group, facilitating a consolidated view of similar transactions. This differs from defining a Transaction Detection Rule, which typically focuses on identifying and categorizing individual transactions based on specific criteria. Transaction Groups do not change the names of incoming requests nor reduce the number of overall business transactions; instead, they provide a method for organizing and analyzing related transactions collectively, offering a streamlined approach compared to individually configuring Transaction Detection Rules for each transaction.

References:

• AppDynamics documentation on Business Transactions: Covers the concept of Transaction Groups and their role in organizing and analyzing transaction data, as well as the process for creating and managing Transaction Detection Rules.

When creating Information Points in AppDynamics, wildcards can be utilized to select multiple methods or classes, thereby broadening the scope of data collection. This feature is particularly useful for monitoring similar operations across different components of an application, enabling a more efficient and scalable approach to gathering custom metrics.

References:

• AppDynamics documentation on Information Points: Elaborates on the process of setting up Information Points, including the use of wildcards to capture metrics from multiple methods or classes.

When an Information Point is created in AppDynamics without adding custom data, it automatically collects three key performance indicators (KPIs): Response Time, Errors per Minute, and Calls per Minute. Response Time measures the time taken to complete a transaction or operation, providing insights into application performance. Errors per Minute tracks the number of errors occurring within the scope of the Information Point, helping identify problematic areas. Calls per Minute counts the number of times the specified operation or transaction is invoked, indicating its usage frequency and potential impact on application performance.

References:

• AppDynamics documentation on Information Points: Discusses the creation and configuration of Information Points, including the default metrics collected.