Observability vs Application Performance Monitoring

Observability vs Application Performance Monitoring

Observability and Application Performance Monitoring (APM) are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. In this post, we will explore the differences between the two and how they can be used together to provide a more comprehensive view of your application’s performance.

What is Observability?

Observability is the ability to understand the internal state of a system based on its external outputs. In other words, it is the ability to infer the internal state of a system based on its external behavior. Observability is a key concept in distributed systems, where it is often difficult to understand the behavior of a system based on its external outputs alone.

Observability is typically achieved through the use of monitoring tools that collect and analyze data from various sources, such as logs, metrics, and traces. These tools provide insights into the performance and behavior of a system, allowing operators to identify and troubleshoot issues quickly.

What is Application Performance Monitoring?

Application Performance Monitoring (APM) is a subset of observability that focuses on monitoring the performance of an application. APM tools collect data on various aspects of an application’s performance, such as response times, error rates, and resource utilization. This data is used to identify performance bottlenecks, troubleshoot issues, and optimize the performance of an application.

APM tools typically include features such as distributed tracing, which allows operators to trace requests as they move through a distributed system, and profiling, which allows operators to identify performance bottlenecks in an application’s code.

How are Observability and APM Related?

Observability and APM are closely related concepts that complement each other. Observability provides a high-level view of a system’s performance and behavior, while APM provides a more detailed view of an application’s performance. By combining observability and APM tools, operators can gain a comprehensive view of their application’s performance and behavior, allowing them to identify and troubleshoot issues quickly.

Different tools for Observability and APM

There are many tools available for observability and APM, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some popular observability tools include:

• Elasticsearch: A distributed search and analytics engine that can be used to collect and analyze logs, metrics, and traces.
• Prometheus: A monitoring system that collects metrics from various sources and stores them in a time-series database.
• Grafana: A visualization tool that can be used to create dashboards and alerts based on data collected by monitoring tools.

Conclusion

Observability and Application Performance Monitoring are two related concepts that are essential for monitoring the performance and behavior of distributed systems. By combining observability and APM tools, operators can gain a comprehensive view of their application’s performance and behavior, allowing them to identify and troubleshoot issues quickly.