When your web application runs smoothly, it’s easy to forget the complex processes working under the hood. But when issues arise, they can often reveal hidden weaknesses in your monitoring approach. While stack trace application performance monitoring (APM) tools are excellent for tracking down errors within your code, relying solely on them may leave some gaps in understanding your app’s overall performance. Let’s explore why stack trace APM alone might not be enough and how supplementing it with synthetic monitoring can bring you closer to a truly comprehensive view of your web app’s health.
What is Stack Trace?
A “stack trace” is a report that details the active functions within an application at a given point in time. Stack traces are often generated when an application encounters an error, essentially “backtracking” through the call stack to show developers exactly where the error occurred and the chain of events leading to it. For example, if you’ve ever seen an error message in your development console with a list of functions, files, and line numbers, you’ve seen a stack trace in action.
Stack trace APM tools track these errors and display their paths, which can be incredibly useful for diagnosing internal code issues. But as helpful as they are, they’re just one part of the performance puzzle, primarily because they focus on the code itself rather than the broader operational context or external factors impacting user experience.
What is an Exception?
Exceptions are specific events that disrupt the normal flow of a program’s operations. In programming, they’re often handled using structures like try-catch blocks, which allow developers to “catch” issues that might otherwise halt the application. Common types of exceptions include NullPointerException, IndexOutOfBoundsException, or InvalidArgumentException—errors that are easy to miss but can have significant effects on functionality if not properly handled.
In the context of APM, monitoring exceptions is essential. Stack trace APM tools capture exceptions and track how often they occur, giving developers insights into code quality and potential problem areas. However, while stack trace APM captures these internal events effectively, it doesn’t always catch the operational impact of these exceptions, particularly in complex, multi-layered web applications.
How Third-party Code Influences Stack Backtrack
Many modern web applications rely on third-party code or external APIs for functionalities like payment processing, customer support chat, or authentication. These external components, while convenient, can create performance issues that stack trace APM can’t easily trace. If a third-party service is down or slow, it could affect your application’s performance in ways that a stack trace simply can’t capture, especially if there’s no error in your code to begin with.
These dependencies can generate unique challenges for APM tools. Because they may not result in an explicit exception, stack trace APM may not alert you to these issues, leaving your app’s end users to face the brunt of the performance dip. In such cases, adding synthetic monitoring to your toolset can be a game-changer, as it allows you to proactively monitor external dependencies and third-party services for potential performance impacts before they affect users.
Why Synthetic Monitoring is Essential for a complete Picture
Synthetic monitoring is a type of proactive testing that simulates user interactions with your application. Rather than waiting for an error to occur, synthetic monitoring runs scheduled tests to check the performance of different user paths and services, allowing you to catch issues before they affect real users. By running synthetic transactions, such as logging in, searching, or even processing payments, you get valuable insights into how your application behaves from a user’s perspective.
Dotcom-Monitor is an excellent tool for synthetic monitoring. It helps bridge the gap that stack trace APM leaves by running real-time tests across different geolocations, simulating varied user interactions, and testing the performance of third-party integrations. Dotcom-Monitor allows you to monitor critical user flows, ensuring that your app performs optimally at all times, regardless of backend exceptions or third-party dependency issues.
With Dotcom-Monitor’s comprehensive synthetic monitoring capabilities, you get the following benefits:
- Proactive Identification of Bottlenecks: Catch issues with critical user flows before they affect your users.
- Geographic Performance Insights: Understand how your application performs for users in different regions.
- Enhanced Monitoring of Third-Party Services: Detect problems caused by third-party services and APIs that might go unnoticed by stack trace APM.
Stack Trace APM and Synthetic Monitoring: A Powerful Combination
In an ideal setup, stack trace APM and synthetic monitoring work together, each covering the other’s blind spots. Stack trace APM keeps you informed about internal code issues, exceptions, and error frequencies, helping your developers improve and debug code. Synthetic monitoring, on the other hand, allows you to monitor user-facing performance proactively, ensuring a smooth experience for your users even when third-party services or external factors come into play.
So, while stack trace APM tools are indispensable, they are only one piece of the puzzle. Combining them with a robust synthetic monitoring tool like Dotcom-Monitor gives you a fuller view of your web application’s health, helping you ensure a reliable, high-quality experience for all users.
Conclusion
While stack trace APM is invaluable for diagnosing code-related errors, it falls short in capturing the complete user experience and understanding the impact of third-party dependencies. Supplementing APM with synthetic monitoring not only fills in these gaps but also equips you with a proactive approach to monitoring, enabling you to stay ahead of performance issues before they reach your users.
For a truly comprehensive monitoring strategy, consider pairing your APM tool with Dotcom-Monitor’s powerful synthetic monitoring capabilities. It’s a proactive step towards better performance and greater reliability in your web applications.
