Managing Agents

Question 1

Agent-Controller Connection

Answer 1

1. The connection between the agent and Controller is a one-way connection initiated by the agent

Question 2

Information needed to connect to the controller

Answer 2

1. Controller host
2. Controller port
3. Account name
4. Global Account name
5. Account access key
6. SSL enabled

Question 3

Agent-Controller Communication Intervals

Answer 3

NB initiate connections to the Controller independently

1. The agent configuration channel queries the Controller for any new configuration changes, and downloads these changes when available, every 60 seconds.
2. The agent metric channel posts all new periodic metrics, including JMX, Windows performance counters, and business transaction metrics to the Controller every 60 seconds.
3. If there are new business transactions that have not been seen before by the agent, they are posted to the Controller for registration every 10 seconds.
4. If the agent has collected any new snapshots or events, they are posted to the Controller every 20 seconds.

Question 4

When planning agent installation consider:

Answer 4

1. Agent/controller compatibility
2. Network consideration
3. Access requirements
4. Agent license consideration

Question 5

Agent installation: Access required

Answer 5

1. User access
2. Authority to restart the application
3. Access log files
4. View and configure licences

Question 6

Options to secure Controller - Agent connection

Answer 6

1. HTTPS
2. Encrypting agent credentials
3. Preventing sensitive data collection

Question 7

Agent log file use case

Answer 7

Understand why:

1. Agent won’t start
2. No metrics appear in the controller
3. Specific Business Transaction is not appearing
4. Other agent configuration and application instrumentation issues

NB can zip and submit the entire log files to AppDynamics support for troubleshooting assistance

Question 8

Apache agents by installation type

Answer 8

1. Java Agent
2. .Net Agent
3. Node.js Agent
4. PHP Agent
5. Python Agent
6. Serverless APM for AWS Lambda
7. Apache Web Server Agent
8. C/C++ SDK
9. Go Language Agent
10. IBM Integration Bus Agent
11. Ruby Agent

Question 9

See agent properties:

Answer 9

Tiers&Nodes => Select node => view details => top navbar select agents => Agents

Question 10

Agent Info on the Node Tab => subtabs

Answer 10

1. App Server Agents
2. Machine Agent
3. Agent diagnostic stats (i.e. metrics uploaded)

Question 11

Agent Info: App Server Agent

Answer 11

1. Properties
2. Metadata
3. Agent operations (request agent log files)
4. Agent logging session (Start agent logging session)

Question 12

Request agent log files options

Answer 12

1. All logs in the directory
2. Output from a specific logger a a set level for a fixed duration
3. Thread Dump samples (either number to collect - 1 to 50) or collection interval (min 500 ms)

Question 13

Logging levels

Answer 13

1. All
2. Debug
3. Info
4. Warn
5. Error
6. Fatal
7. Trace

Question 14

Default agent install directory

Answer 14

/opt/sysmgmt/AppDynamics/Machine_Agent

Question 15

Controller and UI

Answer 15

1. central repository and analytics engine where all performance data is stored, baselined and analysed

Question 16

App Agents how work

Answer 16

automatically inject instrumentation in application byte code at runtime

Question 17

Machine agent gathers information

Answer 17

on operating system, such as:

1. CPU activity
2. memory usage
3. disk reads and writes
4. JVM metrics
5. CLR metrics

Question 18

When upgrading the agent to a newer major version than the Controller what should the Performance Analyst do?

Answer 18

Upgrade the Controller first, then the agent

Question 19

Delete App Agent

Answer 19

delete the agent and associated data but not the metrics

Question 20

Agent version compatibility between tiers

Answer 20

Oldest agents shell be on an originating tier