Observability and monitoring are two fundamental techniques to ensure that an infrastructure's systems are functioning correctly. While many people use these terms interchangeably, they differ in their approach and purpose.

Monitoring vs Observability

Monitoring is a technique that involves collecting system metrics and logs to detect real-time problems and failures. Its goal is to ensure that the system is operating as expected, detect anomalies, and alert the operations team about issues that need to be addressed. For example, monitoring can help detect high CPU load or disk space shortage on a server.  

On the other hand, observability is a broader technique that focuses on understanding how the system works internally, enabling operators to investigate and resolve issues more quickly and efficiently. Observability involves gathering information about the system at various levels, from application logs to infrastructure metrics, allowing operators to understand how different parts of the system interact with each other. Observability is a more proactive approach as it helps identify potential problems before they become critical.  

Although observability and monitoring differ in their approach, they are complementary and work together to ensure that the system is functioning correctly. Observability helps identify potential problems, and monitoring helps detect them in real-time.

Emphasizing Improved Observability

One technique that can enhance observability is synthetic monitoring. Synthetic monitoring involves creating user simulations that test the system's functionality in real-time. These tests can help identify potential problems before they become critical. For example, synthetic monitoring can be used to monitor an e-commerce business process where items have been getting stuck in the shopping cart. The simulated test can identify the problem and alert the operations team before users start reporting it.  

Measuring to Manage

To measure observability, several aspects need to be evaluated, such as:

• Traceability: the ability to trace an event from end to end and understand where it occurred and how it affected the system.
• Visibility: the ability to monitor the system at different levels and identify potential points of failure.
• Alerts: the ability to generate clear and accurate alerts about critical issues.
• Action: the ability to act quickly to resolve detected problems.

Conclusion

Observability and monitoring are complementary techniques that work together to ensure that an infrastructure's systems are functioning correctly. Observability is a proactive approach that helps identify potential problems before they become critical, while monitoring helps detect real-time issues. Synthetic monitoring is an example of a technique that can enhance observability, allowing operators to identify problems before they become critical.

If you need to improve the observability or monitoring of your business, please contact us!

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