If you’re a regular user of web applications, the most irritating thing is to come across a page that isn’t loading fast enough or to see a 404 error where the page doesn’t respond at all. Most users just move on or report it to the server before closing the application. This is detrimental to potential business and financial transactions that may have occurred while giving websites a lousy reputation and tarnishing their name.
An easy and reliable way to fix this issue is with synthetic monitoring. In this method, a robot client application simulates a real-time user’s behavior and sends several automated transactions and server transcripts. With the help of constant monitoring, you can detect and rectify numerous issues such as slow loading pages, network instability, and down servers. Below are the types of synthetic monitoring to help you decide what works best for your application.
Various types of synthetic monitoring
While there are many types, synthetic monitoring falls into 3 main categories and they are as follows:
1. Availability monitoring
Also known as uptime monitoring, this is the most basic type that everyone is aware of. Not only does it monitor to see if the website is accessible but it also checks if everything is functioning and responding to requests.
Besides basic functions, some synthetic availability monitors also help with advanced ones like to see if a specific content is up, response time, and attempting to authenticate a user.
2. Web performance monitoring
More advanced than the one above, web performance monitoring also includes identifying and measuring performance indicators. These indicators include page load speed, checking web content, errors by third-party content, slow response times, and more. Not only is this type native to web monitoring, but also mobile monitoring and multi-browser monitoring.
3. Transaction monitoring
This type of website monitoring technique is where simulated tests monitor critical transactions like user registration and logging in, filling up contact forms, searches, adding things to cart and checkouts, and more.
With this tool, developers can measure the overall success rate and figure out how long it takes to complete a transaction.
Besides the main categories mentioned above, there are also two other synthetic monitoring tools you must be aware of.
4. Browser tests
Similar to transaction monitoring, browser tests help with stimulating user transactions such as making a purchase on a website.
5. API tests
There are many types of tests under this category such as HTTP, SSL, and DNS. Each performs a different set of functions including checking the uptime and responsiveness of web apps and specific workflow is functioning as expected.
Conclusion
Synthetic monitoring is a helpful way not only to check if your web page is up and running, but it also helps to detect problems at an early stage before the end-user checks it. We hope that with our detailed explanation of the importance of synthetic monitoring and its various types, you get one step closer to picking one suitable for your needs so that you can assure user satisfaction.
