AppDynamics can be used for understanding where the bottlenecks are in your environment, and where your applications are struggling. For example, when you have major data collections, you can easily see in AppDynamics, when you have slow responses.
Technical Team Lead at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Effective slow response identification, stable, and responsive support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature in AppDynamics is the identifying of the slow responses. Additionally, it is easy to use."
- "The most valuable feature in AppDynamics is the identifying of the slow responses, and additionally, it is easy to use."
- "The scalable of this solution is relative."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature in AppDynamics is the identifying of the slow responses. Additionally, it is easy to use.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using AppDynamics for approximately six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
AppDynamics is a stable solution.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalable of this solution is relative. I have an issue with the fact that when having a hundred servers, for instance, that's a hundred licenses. Sometimes, from a cost perspective, you might need to decide which 50 do you want to monitor, and not monitor.
We have approximately 5,000 using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is great. After you have spent a certain amount with AppDynamics they provide you with dedicated support for your company.
How was the initial setup?
The installation was simple, and it took approximately one hour.
What about the implementation team?
The application owner can install it on their own if they follow the documentation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is an annual cost to use this solution. The licensing model could be improved by making it more cost-effective.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate AppDynamics a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Technical Team Lead at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Quick installation, good interface, and user-friendly
Pros and Cons
- "I have found some of the valuable features of AppDynamics Database Monitoring to be once the installation is complete, you are able to quickly start receiving metrics, which is great. The user interface is also very user-friendly."
- "Once the installation is complete, you are able to quickly start receiving metrics, which is great, and the user interface is also very user-friendly."
- "I have found it sometimes a bit difficult to trace the transaction all the way through to the application. I'm not sure if that problem is on the database side or on the application side, but that would be something that I would like to be improved. The traceability from the application to the database, sometimes, is a bit of a challenge. If you're using AppDynamics, with the Java agent, for instance, you need to be able to trace it through."
- "I have found it sometimes a bit difficult to trace the transaction all the way through to the application."
What is our primary use case?
We are currently using AppDynamics Database Monitoring on-premise but we are migrating to the cloud.
We are using AppDynamics Database Monitoring to understand where the long queries are, and how your applications are performing against the database. You can actually see whether it's a database issue or if it's an application issue. Additionally, you can run explain plans against it, to see which queries need to be optimized.
What is most valuable?
I have found some of the valuable features of AppDynamics Database Monitoring to be once the installation is complete, you are able to quickly start receiving metrics, which is great. The user interface is also very user-friendly.
What needs improvement?
I have found it sometimes a bit difficult to trace the transaction all the way through to the application. I'm not sure if that problem is on the database side or on the application side, but that would be something that I would like to be improved. The traceability from the application to the database, sometimes, is a bit of a challenge. If you're using AppDynamics, with the Java agent, for instance, you need to be able to trace it through.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using AppDynamics Database Monitoring for approximately six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is highly stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have more than 100 people using the solution in my organization. We have plans to increase the usage of the solution in the future.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is easy. It would take about an hour and a half maximum to do the installation because you need connectivity to the database itself. It was more a connectivity problem than it was an actual APM installation issue.
What about the implementation team?
I am able to do the installation myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is an annual cost for the use of this solution.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate AppDynamics Database Monitoring an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Manager- Projects at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Stable, scalable, and simple installation
Pros and Cons
- "AppDynamics has been stable."
- "AppDynamics is easier to install compared to other solutions."
- "The solution could be more user-friendly for diagnostic purposes. Anyone who is using the solution should be able to infer what that error is about, they should be able to troubleshoot it better."
- "The solution could be more user-friendly for diagnostic purposes."
What is our primary use case?
We use AppDynamics mainly for troubleshooting the database side. If there is any issue that is happening, we go through layer by layer from the start of the application, for example, the UI layer. We go all the way to the database layer to show where the exact problems are. Additionally, we use it for other monitoring and alerting purposes.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be more user-friendly for diagnostic purposes. Anyone who is using the solution should be able to infer what that error is about, they should be able to troubleshoot it better.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using AppDynamics for a year and a half.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
AppDynamics has been stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have found AppDynamics to be scalable.
We have 25 users using this solution in my organization.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have previously used HP OpenView and Dynatrace. The client wanted to move from Dynatrace to AppDynamics and this is why we are using AppDynamics.
How was the initial setup?
AppDynamics is easier to install compared to other solutions.
What about the implementation team?
We have our own IT team that can support the installation. We have partners that can assist with the installation if needed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a license to use this solution. However, the clients pay for the licenses we are the service provider.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate AppDynamics an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Systems Engineer at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees
The business transaction that stands between multiple applications is most valuable, but it needs better resiliency and a lot of capabilities and features
Pros and Cons
- "The business transaction that stands between multiple applications is proving to be most valuable."
- "The business transaction that stands between multiple applications is proving to be most valuable."
- "Its resiliency can be improved. We're told that the best we can do with an on-prem solution is to have a hot standby that requires a manual switchover. So, it is a do-it-yourself Ikea model of maintaining data consistency between two servers, without having low balance or failover considerations for an on-prem solution."
- "Its resiliency can be improved. We're told that the best we can do with an on-prem solution is to have a hot standby that requires a manual switchover."
What is our primary use case?
It is primarily on-premises. We've been evaluating cloud, and I've got one application that's using a cloud-based solution, but the bulk of it is on-premises.
What is most valuable?
The business transaction that stands between multiple applications is proving to be most valuable.
What needs improvement?
Its resiliency can be improved. We're told that the best we can do with an on-prem solution is to have a hot standby that requires a manual switchover. So, it is a do-it-yourself Ikea model of maintaining data consistency between two servers, without having low balance or failover considerations for an on-prem solution.
There are a lot of capabilities and features that I need on a day-to-day basis that just are not included in the product. I have seen these capabilities and features in multiple other solutions. For number one, it has to be FedRAMP certified. We've been working around that with security and everything else. So, we need a solution that is fully supported in a secure federal environment.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it heavily for about two and a half years.
How was the initial setup?
It was complex. There is nothing simple about this type of instrumentation.
What about the implementation team?
We had professional services from AppDynamics or Cisco for mostly on-prem expertise.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others to take a higher systems-level approach to understand exactly what is needed in the way of instrumentation and monitoring within your enterprise. You can have a point solution like AppDynamics, and this is the big picture of the entire data flow throughout the system.
I would rate AppDynamics a six out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Reliable features, simple client installation, and has good performance monitoring
Pros and Cons
- "Capacity planning is, in my opinion, the most useful."
- "AppDynamics will assist the company in managing its overall systems, capabilities, and performance."
- "While it is scalable, it could be better."
- "AppDynamics is stable in terms of product features, but the core is a major concern."
What is our primary use case?
AppDynamics is used for performance management. It monitors the application's performance on a monthly basis.
I assist in the configuration of AppDynamics, which is used to measure the performance of the application.
How has it helped my organization?
AppDynamics will assist the company in managing its overall systems, capabilities, and performance. It will also assist the company in projecting the system's capacity.
What is most valuable?
Capacity planning is, in my opinion, the most useful.
What needs improvement?
While it is scalable, it could be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
AppDynamics has been in place for a couple of years, but we only started using it this year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
AppDynamics is stable in terms of product features, but the core is a major concern.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
AppDynamics is a scalable product.
How are customer service and support?
I have not contacted technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easier for the client.
In our environment, we already have the standard procedure in place to set up AppDynamics, to make it simpler.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I was not involved with the procurement of AppDynamic, but I believe it's expensive.
What other advice do I have?
There are no minimum or maximum sizes; you can use AppDymaics regardless of your company's size. It is appropriate for small, medium, and large enterprises.
I would rate AppDynamics an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Service Delivery Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Scalable, good performance monitoring, and excellent for enterprise-level organizations
Pros and Cons
- "It's good for a larger scale deployment such as what my company is working on."
- "The product is good for the enterprise SAS application performance monitoring and is good for a larger scale deployment such as what my company is working on."
- "The initial setup could be easier."
- "The initial setup is not easy or straightforward. It's quite complex."
What is most valuable?
The product is good for the enterprise SAS application performance monitoring. It's good for a larger scale deployment such as what my company is working on.
The solution is scalable.
What needs improvement?
The solution is complex.
We'd like the solution to offer more AI features.
The initial setup could be easier.
They need to improve the infrastructure and make it less complex. There are too many modules and components.
It would be helpful if the product had local support in our area.
For how long have I used the solution?
We acquired the solution last year after we did a bit of research on its capabilities. We've been using it for a few months so far.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so. It's a good product for large-scale projects and enterprises.
How are customer service and technical support?
We don't have AppDynamics local support in my area. We only have a partner in my region, which is not really AppDynamics. In terms of the whole implementation, the experience, I wonder if the experience is good enough. I suspect a direct connection with AppDynamics might be better. If they had a product team in my region we might be better off.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not easy or straightforward. It's quite complex. You really need to have local support.
What other advice do I have?
We are just a customer and an end-user. We don't have a business relationship with AppDynamics.
I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. We've been happy with its capabilities over the time we have used it.
I would recommend the solution, even with all of the complexity that it brings. However, I would advise new users or companies considering the product to make sure they have local support.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Director : Database Infrastructure and Site Reliability at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees
Straightforward to set up, good for building dashboards and is quite stable
Pros and Cons
- "The release management capabilities are great."
- "With AppDynamics, you can be able to tell whether they're having errors or whether they're having a slow response time."
- "The training on the dashboards that is provided could be a little bit better, as could the use cases. They should have some good examples out there. As it is right now, I had to scour YouTube to find some stuff."
- "At first, I thought it had a high learning curve. However, it's not so much. It's just different. It's different from all the other tools and it's just not as intuitive as it could be."
What is our primary use case?
The big problem we've always had is connecting the dots, so to speak. We've never been able to say that the application is having an issue before somebody calls us and tells us, and that's extremely embarrassing. Plus we're a little late to the table. With AppDynamics, you can be able to tell whether they're having errors or whether they're having a slow response time.
How has it helped my organization?
We're able to detect issues now before the customer calls us. Another thing that this helps us with is the fact that there are some conditions we see in the database, for instance, locking and blocking and high CPU, that we've always had been trying to correlate this high CPU and high blocking. We were always wondering: is that necessarily bad or is it just kind of a warning sign or what is that? With this product, we're able to correlate everything with what the application is saying and saying, "we've got blocking, we've got high errors, we've got high response time, therefore it's probably a database and therefore it's probably an issue." Before we had this product, we weren't able to do that.
What is most valuable?
This solution is great at alerting us to issues and letting us know if anything is correlated.
The release management capabilities are great. If you do a new release, you have to ask: how's will it perform? Is it going to have problems? Before it was hard to actually measure. Now we're able to precisely measure the performance and also the error rate. That's very helpful.
It's also helpful with building dashboards. You can build dashboards for different parts of the company, for the operations, for the application, for the infrastructure, all the above.
The initial setup is pretty straightforward.
The stability has been good.
What needs improvement?
At first, I thought it had a high learning curve. However, it's not so much. It's just different. It's different from all the other tools and it's just not as intuitive as it could be. I'm not sure how you fix that. For instance, the training on the dashboards that is provided could be a little bit better, as could the use cases. They should have some good examples out there. As it is right now, I had to scour YouTube to find some stuff.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for a few years. I started using it around 2015.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has been great. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It's very reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I'm relatively new at this company, and we're doing a POC on it right now. We have it on about 75 machines. In terms of scalability, my guess is the architecture will allow it, is t's in the cloud. It should scale. However, I really don't know here in the company where I use it. I know other companies have scaled thousands. I personally haven't experienced that myself, however.
As it is going well, we're likely to expand it. That said, we're still just in the POC phase.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty simple. It's not overly complex. Implementing it shouldn't be a problem.
In terms of deployment and maintenance, the team is pretty much my team. It's a site reliability engineering team, and it's pretty small. The people who'll actually be maintaining it will not only be implementing, so to speak, but utilizing it and customizing it. That will ultimately also include a lot of other teams, like your operation, application, and infrastructure teams.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I can't speak to the exact cost of the solution. It's not a part of the product I handle.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise those considering the solution to be patient and stick with it. A lot of these tools are pretty simple, however, they're simply used. For instance, they measure CPU and network and memory and stuff like that. The graphics may be pretty flashy, however, it doesn't provide the hardcore data that AppDynamics does. That's why you need to kind of just relax and stay with it a bit and you'll be successful. If you're just looking for something flashy to give you back immediate results that you can use today or tomorrow, it's probably not the right fit.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
Systems Engineer at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Beneficial application analysis, highly scalable, and great ROI
Pros and Cons
- "I have found the main feature of the solution to be its ability to analyze an application's code to see where there are issues. Additionally, it is easy to use and configure."
- "You save time by using this solution allowing you to utilize that saved time towards developing new features for your customers versus trying to troubleshoot the ones that are not working properly."
- "There are too many installers available for this solution."
- "There are too many installers available for this solution."
What is our primary use case?
We have an application that we have made which is the core of our business. In many cases, new code comes out or there is older code that gets mixed with newer code and you will see slowdowns or problems that can happen. This solution gatherings all this different pertinent information about how long a particular piece of code sits in what stack of the application. When you have a slowdown or an issue is happening, you can look through the application processes step by step. You can find out where the application was lagging behind.
Most recently, we had a problem with some SQL queries that were not optimized in our application. It was taking approximately 30 seconds for the code to get a return. We were able to narrow down where the problem was by using this solution to find out what was taking a long time on that particular query, it turned out to be the DVAs. The DVAs were able to be fine-tuned to make the query a little bit more efficient because we were returning much more data than what was actually needed for that part. We were able to simplify it and it went from 30 seconds down half a second.
What is most valuable?
I have found the main feature of the solution to be its ability to analyze an application's code to see where there are issues. Additionally, it is easy to use and configure.
What needs improvement?
There are too many installers available for this solution. There is a separate installer for many things, for example, .net. There should be one installer for each operating system, such as Windows and Linux. They then can let you choose what options that you want for that particular operating system because trying to find all the different pieces separately is more complicated than it needs to be.
In an upcoming release, there could be better integration with the infrastructure. Currently, the solution is able to tell you where the problem is but it is not narrow enough. For example, it can show that the issue is in the data server and it took a certain time to process, but that does not necessarily narrow it down to the query where it actually was. You just know that the problem is within the database server. Sometimes it is very obvious it was the query, but other times it could be just that the server is light on resources. It would be beneficial if it could integrate more with some of the infrastructures to have the ability to correlate between the two to see whether the problem is actually with the code or it is a problem with the underlying infrastructure.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for approximately one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of this solution is fantastic. We have approximately 50 developers and six infrastructure engineers using this solution and our parent company has over 400 employees. I have found it to be a very good enterprise solution.
If we hire more staff I think there could be in increase usage of this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
The customer support is good. We have not had many big problems, the application just works. The solution has never taken down any of our servers. Other than calling support to figure out where a particular installer is and how to configure it properly, I have not needed to call them.
How was the initial setup?
The installation was straightforward. There were initial issues with licenses and we had to move some licenses around to give more to their lower environment systems to allow us to put all our information into one place. This took a while, they did not make this part very easy.
What about the implementation team?
Our parent company set up all the backend for this solution and I did all the client configurations on the actual servers.
What was our ROI?
You save time by using this solution allowing you to utilize that saved time towards developing new features for your customers versus trying to troubleshoot the ones that are not working properly. The return on investment is instant.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
There is a license required for each system that we use the solution on.
This solution is not the cheapest but it works well. You will end up doing more work with a cheaper solution than if you just spent the extra money on a better solution like this one.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others wanting to purchase this solution it is well worth the money. If you look at the quantity of time it takes you to track down a problem versus doing it the old-fashioned way, the amount of time saved by using a solution like this helps you move forward more quickly.
I rate AppDynamics a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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