Integrating CA APM with CA Application Test

You can integrate CA LISA with CA APM to monitor, detect, triage, and diagnose application performance problems using synthetic transactions that are generated from load and regression tests from CA LISA in pre-production environments.
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You can integrate CA LISA with CA APM to monitor, detect, triage, and diagnose application performance problems using synthetic transactions that are generated from load and regression tests from CA LISA in pre-production environments.
Synthetic transactions represent real transaction performance that can be used to:
  • Monitor data in a test environment before the application has been released in a production environment. Monitoring synthetic data ensures that the application performs within the limits that are defined and certifies expected service level agreements, resource consumption, and baseline performance characteristics.
  • Detect and identify the root cause of application performance problems or bottlenecks early in the software development lifecycle, so that customers can deliver higher-quality applications to the production environment.
  • Create reports of application performance and resource usage levels in pre-production environments to use as guidance for production capacity planning.
  • Ensure metrics that are gathered provide visibility to the significant facets of the production applications monitored.
The following illustration describes the tasks that you perform as an administrator to integrate CA Application Test with CA APM:
Workflow Diagram - How to Integrate CA APM with CA LISA
Workflow Diagram - How to Integrate CA APM with CA LISA
Install CA Application Test
You can install CA Application Test using the following methods:
Manually Download and Extract CA Application Test Files
Download and extract CA Application Test files to integrate with CA APM.
Verify JRE is installed before installing the CA Application Test integration.
Follow these steps:
  1. Download CALISAIntegrationNoInstaller
    <VersionNumber>
    .windows.zip or CALISAIntegrationNoInstaller
    <VersionNumber>
    .unix.tar from the CA APM software download area on CA Support.
  2. Extract the distribution file contents to any directory that does not contain other agent distributions.
    The files are extracted to the directory specified.
Instrument CA APM to View Test Event Metrics and Data from CA Application Test
Instrument CA APM to view test event metrics and data from CA Application Test for the following CA Application Test processes:
  • CA Application Test Coordinator
  • CA Application Test Test Runner
  • CA Application Test Workstation
You can instrument additional CA Application Test processes. However, only minimal metrics that are related to CPU, memory usage, and agent and JVM identity are reported.
Follow these steps:
  1. Create a corresponding .vmoptions file with the same name as the available executable or shell script files for Windows or Linux processes and save it to the
    <CA_Application_Test_Home>
    \bin directory. For example, to instrument the CA Application Test Workstation, create a LISAWorkstation.vmoptions file in the <
    CA_Application_Test_Home
    >\bin directory.
    The following list shows the available executable or shell script file names and the processes that can be instrumented:
    • Coordinator processes--Create a corresponding file with the .vmoptions extension for CoordinatorServer.exe or CoordinatorServer.sh.
    • Registry processes--Create a corresponding file with the .vmoptions extension for the Registry.exe, Registry.sh, TestRegistry.exe, or TestRegistry.sh files.
    • Simulator processes--Create a corresponding file with the .vmoptions extension for the Detached_Simulator.exe, Detached_Simulator.sh, Simulator.exe, or Simulator.sh files.
    • TestRunner processes--Create a corresponding file with the .vmoptions extension for the TestRunner.exe or TestRunner.sh files.
    • Virtual Service Environment processes--Create a corresponding file with the .vmoptions extension for the VirtualServiceEnvironmentService.exe or VirtualServiceEnvironmentService.sh files.
    • Workstation processes--Create a corresponding file with the .vmoptions extension for the LISAWorkstation.exe or LISAWorkstation.sh files.
  2. (Optional) Create a corresponding .vmoptions file with the same name as the available executable or shell script files for Windows services and save it to the
    <CA_Application_Test_Home>
    \bin directory
    .
    The following list shows the executable file names and the services that can be instrumented:
    • Coordinator services--Create a corresponding file with the .vmoptions extension for the CoordinatorService.exe.
    • Simulator services--Create a corresponding file with the .vmoptions extension for the SimulatorService.exe file.
    • Registry services--Create a corresponding file with the .vmoptions extension for the TestRegistryService.exe file.
    • Virtual Service Environment services--Create a corresponding file with the .vmoptions for the extensionVirtualServiceEnvironmentService.exe file.
  3. Change the agent node name by adding a line that defines the Java com.wily.introscope.agent.agentName system property. For example, to name the node CA Application Test Workstation Agent, add the following line:
    -Dcom.wily.introscope.agent.agentName=CA Application Test Workstation Agent
  4. Add the following lines to the .vmoptions file:
    -javaagent:<Agent_HOME>/Agent.jar -Dcom.wily.introscope.agentProfile=<Agent_HOME>/core/config/IntroscopeAgent.profile
    Where
    <Agent_Home>
    is the path to a CA Application Test specific agent installation. Typically the
    <Agent_Home>
    path is an absolute path but it can be a path relative to the current directory in which the CA Application Test process runs.
  5. (Optional) Enter a separate line for each JVM command line option or system property you want to add.
  6. Restart the application server.
    The instrumentation settings are applied.
Using the Installer to Install CA Application Test
You can integrate CA Application Test with CA APM using the installer.
Follow these steps:
  1. Select the installer for your operating system:
    • CALISAIntegrationInstaller<
      VersionNumber
      >.unix.tar
    • CALISAIntegrationInstaller
      <VersionNumber>
      .windows.zip
  2. Execute the selected installer on the CA Application Test server.
    1. During the installation, specify the home directory of the CA Application Test installation and the directory to be used for the install.
    2. Select the CA Application Test processes to instrument.
    3. Specify the EM and port.
      The installer will create the necessary vmoptions file(s) in the <CA
      pplication
      Test_Home>\bin directory as described in Instrument CA APM to View Test Event Metrics and Data from CA Application Test.
  3. Select the CA APM Integration for CA Application Test as a monitoring option during the EM installation.
    The management module and typeviews display CA Application Test data.
    If you do not select the CA APM Integration for CA Application Test monitoring option when running the installer, you can manually perform this step by copying the files from the <
    EM_Home
    >\examples\CAAPMIntegrationForCALISA folder located in the EM install directory.
Configure CA Application Test Tracers
Configure CA Application Test tracers to customize the CA Application Test system components you want to monitor. CA Application Test tracers let you limit the number of metrics reported to CA APM by controlling the lowest level at which metrics are reported to these nodes:
  • Test Case
  • Simulator
  • Test Steps
The minimum level at which metrics are reported is at the Test Case node.
Follow these steps:
  1. Go to
    <CA_Application_Test_Home>
    \core\config and open the lisa.pbd configuration file to make the necessary configurations to meet your environment needs and save the file.
  2. Go to
    <CA_Application_Test_Home>
    \core\config and open the IntroscopeAgent.profile configuration file to make the necessary configurations to meet your environment needs and save the file.
  3. Restart the application server.
    The configuration settings are applied.
Verify the CA APM and CA Application Test Integration
You can verify the CA APM and CA Application Test Integration by invoking the CA Application Test processes and verifying the instrumented nodes exist in the Investigator tree.
Metrics invoked using CA Application Test tests and that appear under the <CA LISA> | Test Case node in the Investigator tree are reported to the Enterprise Manager only after a CA Application Test test has been run from the CA Application Test Coordinator, CA Application Test Test Runner, or CA Application Test Workstation.
Follow these steps:
  1. Run a test using the CA Application Test Workstation. For more information see the CA Application Test documentation set.
  2. Start the Enterprise Manager if it is not already running.
  3. Start the CA Application Test process if it is not already running.
    Restarting the CA Application Test process starts the agent.
  4. Launch the Workstation and open the Investigator.
  5. Locate data under the following node:
    SuperDomain | <Host_Name> | CA LISA | <CA LISA Workstation> | CA LISA | Test Case | <Test Case Name>
    • <
      Host_Name
      > is the node that houses the computer where the CA Application Test agent installed.
    • <
      CA Application Test_Workstation
      > is the node where the agent name specified in LISAWorkstation.vmoptions file. For more information about configuring this node, see Instrument CA APM to View Test Event Metrics and Data from CA Application Test.
    • <
      Test Case Name
      > is the name of the test case run in the first step of validation.
  6. Expand folders.
    Active metrics display under the configured nodes.
You can integrate CA Application Test with CA APM to monitor, detect, triage, and diagnose application performance problems using synthetic transactions that are generated from load and regression tests from CA Application Test in pre-production environments.