Applications are the public-facing element of your IT systems. At the top of the stack, applications are vulnerable to performance problems with underlying services and hardware. The most immediate physical support to applications comes from servers, so the performance of servers and applications are closely linked.

Consider tools that keep a constant check on response times for applications and servers and monitor for underlying infrastructure issues.

Here is our list of the four best response time monitoring tools:

  • SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor EDITOR’S CHOICE A comprehensive applications monitor that includes server performance tracking. This tool includes root cause analysis support and capacity planning facilities. It installs on Windows Server. Start a 30-day free trial.
  • Sematext Synthetics (FREE TRIAL) A cloud-based package of active monitoring tools that provides a range of metrics, such as load times, and can even break down the response times of each component of a Web page’s delivery. Access 14-day free trial.
  • ManageEngine Applications Manager A monitor for both applications and server performance that can also identify network response time problems. It installs on Windows Server and Linux.
  • Pingdom A website availability and response time monitoring service that checks delivery performance to more than 100 locations around the globe.
  • Google PageSpeed Insights A free on-demand response time testing service that includes performance improvement advice.

What does response time mean?

“Response time” defines the length of time an application takes to show results to a user. This is closely related to “load time,” but is not exactly the same. While load time includes factors such as the time it takes software to start up on the user’s computer and web browser issues, response time is concerned with the speed of changes in the content shown by applications.

A “response” is an answer to a user request or action. This action relies on the performance of the application running on a server through to the availability of resources on the user’s device and all network services between those two points.

While response time is important when operating business software for use by in-house staff, the issue becomes business-critical in eCommerce applications. Slow response time in web pages can cause a visitor to a site to give up and go to a rival’s website. That immediately loses the business a potential customer, but it also has a knock-on effect on the competitive performance of the website. When users leave a site, it increases the “bounce rate” of the page that they were on and that is a factor that search engines use when ranking entries in their results pages.

Causes of slow response times

In some cases, the main cause of slow response times lies with the user’s device. In website scenarios, there is little the business can do to improve the performance of that device. However, simplifying the content of the site, deploying transmission optimizers, and using a content delivery network will squeeze as much extra speed out of the delivery system to improve page response times as far as possible.

Systems managers need to focus on the elements of response times that they can control and those monitoring in-house delivery of applications have control over more factors than those responsible for managing websites.

Important Response Time Metrics

There is no industry standard for what is an acceptable response time for applications. It just comes down to what the user community will bear and that factor varies from application to application. Response time is a bigger issue in interactive applications such as VoIP or video streaming than it is in most applications. Response time isn’t an important factor in email systems because people rarely expect an email to arrive instantly.

A key measurement when monitoring network response time performance is called “time to first byte” (TTFB). This identifies the delivery speed of a packet judged as the gap between the first byte of data leaving a server and its arrival time at the client device. This isolates the network element involved in response time and excludes factors such as server or endpoint performance issues.

Application response time takes other factors into account and extends beyond network performance to examine the speed of contributing applications, such as a database or a video player.

The error rate and lost packet count are important factors in response time because they indicate an effort that has to be repeated in order to deliver the response to the user. VoIP and video streaming have other important factors that need to be measured. The main metric in this category is “jitter,” which measures the variations in delivery times. Jitter is an important factor in real-time applications because an irregular delivery rate can cause sound or video to break up or pause periodically.

In short, response time goals vary according to the application being examined.

Tips on improving application response times

There are a number of very simple strategies that you should employ to improve application response times.

  • Monitor server resources
  • Gain stack visibility for root cause analysis
  • Set resource utilization threshold levels to buy time
  • Implement network traffic monitoring per application
  • Vary response time expectations per application
  • Prioritize real-time application traffic
  • Optimize supporting applications, such as databases and web servers
  • Upgrade hardware
  • Deploy caching systems for web content

There are three stages in the workflow to improve application response times

  • Acquire performance visibility – monitor all applications individually all the way down through the stack
  • Focus on poorly performing applications – not all applications will need your attention
  • Improve resource availability to critical applications – Allocate more resources to real-time applications and expand infrastructure where necessary

These three points seem obvious but it is surprising how many systems managers don’t follow them.

A key requirement for solving any IT issue is to avoid reactive, short-term solutions, which are commonly labeled “fire fighting.” Although there is always pressure to introduce quick fixes just to get to the end of the day, long-term analysis and planning offer more durable solutions.

The starting point for planning lies with a baseline of current performance. So, your first requirement is to get an application performance monitoring tool.

Application performance monitoring

No matter what business sector you operate in and no matter what your infrastructure is, you need to start off your response time improvement project with a server and application monitoring tool. Make sure the software you buy is capable of managing your infrastructure model: on-site, multi-site, cloud, or hybrid.

There are tools that need to be installed as software on your own server and others that operate as a service from cloud servers. If you only run applications to users in the same building as your servers, then it doesn’t matter whether you choose software to install or a cloud service. However, if you are particularly concerned with website response times, an external service would be better.

The best response time monitoring tools

A good server and application monitor will be able to help you through the three phases of response time improvement. These tools will be able to monitor server resources and application metrics. They should also provide full-stack monitoring enabling you to identify the root cause of the problem. Many monitoring system providers divide the functions of a server and network monitoring between two or more products. However, a good server and application monitor should be able to identify whether network performance is the cause of poor response times even if it can’t provide network monitoring functions.

Finally, look for a monitoring tool that supports system analysis and capacity planning. If you are operating a website, a tool that includes synthetic modeling so that you can test your new infrastructure is also a great help.

1. SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (FREE TRIAL)

Our methodology for selecting response time monitoring software 

We reviewed the market for response time monitoring systems and analyzed tools based on the following criteria:

  • Application dependency mapping
  • Root cause analysis
  • Tests launched from multiple locations
  • Performance alerts
  • Performance grading, such as the traffic light classification
  • A free trial or a demo package for a risk-free assessment opportunity
  • Value for money from a tool that is able to monitor websites as well as on-site applications

With these selection criteria in mind, we identified candidate response time monitor tools that are worth trialing.

The SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is constantly active. The service works on a system of alerts, so managing technicians can assume that all applications are running satisfactorily unless otherwise notified. This is a great time saver because it removes the need to have a human resource constantly dedicated to application response time issues.

Key Features:

  • Performance of on-site and Web-based assets
  • Application dependency mapping
  • Root cause analysis
  • Operates across networks and the internet
  • Performance alerts

Alerts are triggered by thresholds that monitor a large number of metrics. For example, if CPU utilization goes above a certain percentage, an alert will trigger. Alerts are shown in the system dashboard and they can also be forwarded to key staff members by SMS or email.

This tool is able to monitor applications no matter where their hosts are located and that includes cloud servers. The dashboard includes an application dependency mapper, which shows the services that underpin each user-facing application.

Server statuses are also monitored, so it is possible to drill down and identify the root cause of a response time issue. The tool won’t go down to the network, but it does measure server network interface activity, which will enable you to identify response time impairment that is caused by a network issue.

The Server & Application Monitor installs on Windows Server. SolarWinds offers this tool on a 30-day free trial.

Pros:

  • Designed with large and enterprise networks in mind
  • Has some of the best alerting features that balance effectiveness with ease of use
  • Supports both SNMP monitoring as well as packet analysis, giving you more control over monitoring than similar tools
  • Uses drag and drop widgets to customize the look and feel of the dashboard
  • Robust reporting system with pre-configured compliance templates

Cons:

  • This is a feature-rich enterprise tool, small networks may find it overwhelming

2. Sematext Synthetic (FREE TRIAL)

EDITOR’S CHOICE

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is our top recommendation for response time monitoring and tuning because it provides constant service monitoring. Technicians get alerted when response time or any underlying factor deteriorates. This frees up staff from mundane performance watching duties for more immediate tasks without letting application performance issues slide. The tool also includes root cause analysis tools and capacity planning assistance.

Start 30-day Free Trial: solarwinds.com/server-application-monitor

OS: Windows Server 2016 or later)

Sematext Synthetics offers s range of active monitoring tools that will report on the response times of your Web pages and Web applications. The basic automated response time test that you can set on a schedule is the uptime monitor. This not only tells you whether your Web server is responding but also how long the reply took to get back. Of course, this test is more about connection speed than Web server performance but there are many other tests that you can perform and they all provide a response time element.

  • Cloud-based
  • Multiple test launch locations
  • Uptime monitoring
  • Page load speeds

You can choose which tests to run, how often they should launch, and where they are run from. Sematext offers eight test locations:

  • Virginia, USA
  • California, USA
  • São Paulo, Brazil
  • Dublin, Ireland
  • Frankfurt, Germany
  • Mumbai, India
  • Singapore
  • Sydney, Australia

You can choose whether you want text-based API-launched HTTP tests or full browser-based tests. It is even possible to choose which type of device the tests launch from, down to make and model.

The test results are stored on the Sematext cloud server and you choose with your plan how long that data is held. The cloud-hosted console displays the test results in lists and graphs and you can also create your own reports.

Test failure generates an alert, which you can decide to receive by email, Webhooks, or Slack message. It is also possible to set up your own alert triggers. Tests can track page loading, showing the load times of significant elements and events and it is also possible to test service availability, such as DNS responses.

Sematext offers two subscription plans that have prices dependent on your choice of data retention period and the number of dedicated monitoring devices. There is also a Pay-as-you-Go plan, which is a metered service. You can get a 14-day free trial of either of the subscription plans.

  • Test websites, APIs, and SSL certificates

  • schedule tests at your preferred frequency

  • Alerts for test failure

  • Cloud storage for test results

  • Control your choice of tests to keep costs down

Sematext Synthetics Access 14-day FREE Trial

3. ManageEngine Applications Manager

The ManageEngine Applications Manager is a close competitor to the SolarWinds tool. The key advantage that the Applications Manager has over the Server and Applications Monitor is that it is available for installation on a Linux server. So, if you don’t have Windows Server on your site, this tool would probably be your best option.

  • On-site tool
  • Application dependency mapper
  • Performance alerts
  • Route response times

The Applications Manager works on an alerting system and it covers server performance as well as application metrics. The tool shows application dependencies, detailing underlying performance all the way down to the server’s network interface.

This monitoring system is able to track on-site, remote, and cloud-based servers and the applications that they host. The tool also supports capacity planning and root cause analysis. Performance issues can be examined for troubled applications by launching end-to-end response time tracing and there is even a code analyzer that identifies inefficient programming.

The Applications Manager installs on Windows Server as well as Linux and you can get it on a 30-day free trial.

  • Offers on-premise and cloud deployment options, giving companies more choices for install

  • Can highlight inter-dependencies between applications to map out how performance issues can impact businesses operations

  • Offers log monitoring to track metrics like memory usage, disk IO, and cache status, providing a holistic view into your database health

  • Can automatically detect databases, server hardware, and devices in real-time

  • Can take time to fully explore all features and options available

4. Pingdom

Pingdom tests a website’s availability and response times from more than 100 locations around the world. Test frequency depends on the plan used. The service is paid for by subscription and offers synthetic modeling and real-user monitoring.

  • Designed for website response testing
  • Option of 100 launch locations
  • Availability and response times

The response time tests target a specific page or process, enabling you to tailor tests and drill down to examine which element in a page is slowing everything down. These test facilities are particularly useful during the development of a new page because they help you spot features that will make good response times difficult to achieve.

This is an online service that is accessed through any standard browser. You can get a 14-day free trial of Pingdom.

  • Can monitor externally from over 70 locations, making it a great option for monitoring applications and services that serve a global audience

  • Lives in the cloud, meaning no onboarding or complicated setup

  • Alerts can be sent to email, SMS, and even integrate into custom solutions via API

  • Uses root cause analysis to assist admins in fixing issues quickly

  • Could benefit from a longer trial time

5. Google PageSpeed Insights

PageSpeed Insights is a free online tool from Google that measures a range of load time and response time metrics for a web page. This is an on-demand tool, so it won’t be suitable for monitoring. However, it is an excellent analysis tool for ad-hoc investigations. Not only does the tool examine many different loading speeds but it also produces recommendations on how performance can be improved.

  • Online service
  • Traffic light performance grading
  • Tips for performance improvements

A great benefit of hitting a high score for a page’s load and response times through this tool is that it gives an analysis of a page as used by Google. There are many factors that go into Google’s page ranking system and performance is one of them. So, tuning a page according to the recommendations of PageSpeed Insights should also improve the page’s position in Google’s results pages.

  • Free online tool

  • Provides page speed score alongside technical metrics

  • Offers next steps to improve your response time and overall page speed

  • Must be run manually

  • Not a replacement for continuous monitoring