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Monitoring and observability

Monitoring and observability are essential practices for ensuring the reliability and performance of clinical web applications (CWAs). Monitoring involves collecting and analyzing metrics to track the health and performance of your systems. Observability goes a step further, enabling you to understand the internal state of your applications by analyzing logs, traces, and metrics. Together, they help identify and resolve issues proactively, ensuring seamless operation and a better user experience.

Key Components of Monitoring​

  1. Metrics Collection: Gather data on system performance, such as CPU usage, memory consumption, and request latency.
  2. Log Analysis: Centralize and analyze logs to identify patterns, errors, and anomalies.
  3. Tracing: Track the flow of requests through distributed systems to pinpoint bottlenecks or failures.
  4. Alerting: Set up rules to notify teams of critical issues, ensuring timely responses.

Best Practices​

  • Proactive Monitoring: Implement alerts for critical infrastructure and application components to detect issues before they impact users.
  • Comprehensive Coverage: Monitor all layers, including infrastructure (e.g., databases, Kubernetes clusters) and application endpoints.
  • Self-Service Dashboards: Provide teams with real-time insights into system health and performance.
  • Collaboration: Define alerting rules and thresholds with stakeholders to ensure alignment with business needs.

Tools and Technologies​

  • Azure Monitor: For real-time performance monitoring and alerting.
  • Azure Application Insights: To monitor application performance and detect anomalies.
  • Azure Log Analytics: For centralized log management and analysis.
  • Kubernetes Insights: To monitor containerized workloads and cluster health.

Operational Highlights​

  • 24/7 Monitoring: Ensure continuous monitoring with on-call support during non-business hours.
  • Autoscaling: Enable dynamic scaling for critical components to handle varying workloads.
  • Incident Management: Integrate monitoring with ticketing systems for streamlined issue resolution.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)​

  • Availability Targets: Aim for 98% or higher availability, accounting for planned and unplanned downtimes.
  • Response Times: Monitor and optimize critical endpoint response times to meet user expectations.

By adhering to these principles and leveraging the right tools, teams can ensure robust monitoring and observability for their applications.