Synthetic monitoring is a technique used to test the performance, availability, and functionality of software applications, services, and systems. Instead of using actual human interactions to perform testing, it uses a simulated environment that allows for a large number of virtual users to interact with the application.
In this blog, we will discuss what synthetic monitoring is, how it works, how it differs from real user monitoring, why you should use, different types of synthetic monitoring, the advantages and disadvantages and some of the most common tools used.
What is synthetic monitoring?
This creates a simulated environment by using virtual users that simulate the behavior of real-world users. The goal of synthetic monitoring is to identify weaknesses and potential performance issues in the application or system under test before they become a problem in a production environment.
How does synthetic monitoring work?
It works by simulating user behavior, including interactions, load cycles, and other user actions. This process mimics the behavior of actual users, allowing the organization to test the application or system under real-world conditions.
Synthetic monitoring vs. Real user monitoring:
Synthetic monitoring and real user monitoring are similar in that they both test the performance of the application or system. However, where they differ is in the types of interactions being tested. Real user monitoring tests the system under real-world conditions, with actual users performing tasks and interacting with the application. Synthetic monitoring, on the other hand, simulates the behavior of real-world users, allowing the organization to test the application or system under idealized conditions. This way, the organization can identify potential issues and address them before they become a problem in a production environment.
Why use synthetic monitoring?
This can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
- Performance testing: It can simulate a large number of users and transactions, which can help identify potential performance bottlenecks and ensure that the application can handle unexpected traffic spikes.
- Availability testing: Synthetic monitoring can simulate different scenarios to test the application’s ability to stay online and respond to user requests. Also, can help identify potential availability issues and ensure that the application is always available to users.
- Security testing: Synthetic monitoring can simulate different attack scenarios to test the application’s ability to resist and recover from from security attacks. Synthetic monitoring can help identify potential security vulnerabilities and ensure that the application is secure.
- Functional testing: Synthetic monitoring can test the functionality of the application under different scenarios to identify potential issues and ensure that the application performs as expected.
Types of synthetic monitoring:
There are several types of synthetic monitoring that can be used to test the performance, availability, and functionality of software applications, services, and systems. Some of the most commonly used types of synthetic monitoring are:
- Load testing: Load testing simulates different user workloads to test the application’s performance and scalability. Load testing can help identify potential performance bottlenecks and determine the maximum number of concurrent users an application can support.
- Availability testing: Availability testing simulates different scenarios to test the application’s ability to stay online and respond to user requests. Availability testing can help identify potential availability issues and ensure that the application is always available to users.
- Security testing: Security testing simulates different attack scenarios to test the application’s ability to resist and recover from security attacks. Security testing can help identify potential security vulnerabilities and ensure that the application is secure.
- Performance testing: Performance testing tests the application’s response time and throughput under different scenarios to determine how well it performs. Performance testing can help identify performance bottlenecks and determine ways to improve the application’s performance.
Advantages & disadvantages of synthetic monitoring:
While there are several advantages, it also has some disadvantages that organizations need to consider. Some of the advantages include:
- Speeding up the testing process: This can simulate a large number of users and transactions, which can help identify potential issues and fix them quickly, reducing the cost and time of the testing process.
- Reducing the need for manual testing: This can simulate different scenarios and test different use cases, reducing the need for manual testing and improving the quality of the testing process.
- Reducing the risk of production issues: It can identify potential issues and fix them before the application goes into production, reducing the risk of production issues and improving the stability and reliability of the application.
However, it also has some disadvantages that organizations need to consider, including:
- Accuracy: Here monitoring can be less accurate than traditional testing methods, as it is a simulated environment that may not accurately replicate the behavior of real users.
- Scaling: This may not scale well to large-scale applications that require massive volumes of traffic or huge numbers of virtual users.
- Limited coverage: It may not always test every aspect of an application or system, which can lead to blind spots.
Synthetic monitoring tools:
There are several synthetic monitoring tools available that organizations can use to test the performance, availability, and functionality of software applications, services, and systems. Some of the most popular synthetic testing tools include:
Apache JMeter: Apache JMeter is an open-source performance testing tool that can simulate a large number of virtual users to test the performance of an application.
BlazeMeter: BlazeMeter is a cloud-based performance testing platform that can help organizations test the performance and scalability of their applications.
LoadRunner: LoadRunner is a performance testing tool developed by Micro Focus that can simulate a large number of users and transactions to test the performance of an application.
NeoLoad: NeoLoad is a performance testing tool developed by NeoSoft that can simulate a large number of users and transactions to test the performance of an application.
Image By pvproductions on Freepik