End user performance monitoring

iaind · 14 Apr 2009 at 14:53

In true corporate management style, the people responsible for our company performance indicators have decided that we need a KPI for the performance of the IT systems.

Now, I can churn out numbers and charts of CPU time, network activity etc etc ad nauseum but what they want me to magically give them is some sort of indication as to what the end user actually experiences. Oh, and preferably a single figure, maybe a percentage.

They dont care that we have multiple separate systems, with separate functions - if it takes them 20 seconds to search for an email, or excel hangs for 10 seconds they want it all aggregated into a single pointless figure.

We're a small network with about 100 users across 3 Citrix Xenapp server on 2003, so I looked at Edgesight, which from the advertising gumpf seems to do exactly what I want. However, on closer inspection, it just seems to be another (albeit quite clever) way of recording windows performance logs.

Has anyone come across a requirement such as this and know of any product that might even come close? I realise how stupid it is, but thats management for you...

mikeh501 · 14 Apr 2009 at 17:34

You could try Compuware Test Partner. Its not strictly for performance monitoring, as its an automated software testing tool. It allows you to build a "macro" which does what a user might do. This is built on a scripting language and you can record the results to a DB etc etc. Its meant for testing software, but could accomodate your need easily. You just then need to build some kind of reporting from the results it generates. It will work with any app, including internet based etc. We've used it in the past to simulate usage of software whilst exercising the server to see how load effects the user experience.

You could start by building use cases for your users (and include your users in the building of these). You mentioned a couple in your post "x secs to open mail", or "x secs to search" etc. Then you would apply a specified level like 4 seconds for each scenario etc. Now you have a benchmark in order to test against. Now run the automated test scenario every day (or more frequently) or whatever and see the results, and report the % difference your acheiving versus your agreed performance level.

oh and by the way. I dont think its stupid at all

Sounds like a decent "real" measure of how your infrastructure is perfoming from the users perspective.

edit: I think compuware may do a product which is more specific to your needs, but the same method applies.

iaind · 14 Apr 2009 at 17:41

Brilliant I'll take a look.

I only think it's stupid because there doesnt seem to be any reason for it, they just want a number they can give to the board. Think it would be interesting to get some stats, but I think a single percentage is daft - a percent of what exactly? :confused:

mikeh501 · 14 Apr 2009 at 18:23

iaind said:
Brilliant I'll take a look.

I only think it's stupid because there doesnt seem to be any reason for it, they just want a number they can give to the board. Think it would be interesting to get some stats, but I think a single percentage is daft - a percent of what exactly?

No probs. Just an FYI, it isnt cheap.

On the subject of KPI's then yeah i dont think distilling down the whole thing into a single KPI makes much sense. Maybe this is your opportunity to make this work for you? KPI's lead to performance management, and potentially performance related pay.... and maybe more spending as KPI's can be made to justify solutions to perceived issues... like performance... Food for thought

iaind · 14 Apr 2009 at 19:11

mikeh501 said:
No probs. Just an FYI, it isnt cheap.

On the subject of KPI's then yeah i dont think distilling down the whole thing into a single KPI makes much sense. Maybe this is your opportunity to make this work for you? KPI's lead to performance management, and potentially performance related pay.... and maybe more spending as KPI's can be made to justify solutions to perceived issues... like performance... Food for thought

Good points, although I cant imagine they'll want to spend a huge amount on it. We're a registered charity so we might be able to get a discount, but on a network of 100 users, I cant see them wanting to make a big investment

Basher · 16 Oct 2009 at 13:00

Threas re-vival time. Did you ever find anything suitable around this? We use Compuware (Client Vantage for this) and have supplied it as a solution to a lot of corporate enterprises. Would be interested to hear your thoughts.