Applied observability is a concept that refers to the ability to monitor and gather meaningful data from a system or computer application in order to understand its
behavior, diagnose issues, improve performance, and make informed decisions. This concept is particularly relevant in the fields of software development, system engineering, and network and service administration.
Applied observability typically involves the use of specialized tools and technologies such as log files, metrics, tracing, and performance monitoring. These tools enable developers, system administrators, and operators to collect relevant data from a system in real-time or following specific events. This data can include information about customer requests, resource utilization, errors, and other critical aspects of the system or application.
Applied observability serves various purposes, including:
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Problem Diagnosis: To identify and resolve bugs, errors, or anomalies in the system.
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Performance Optimization: To pinpoint bottlenecks and enhance application performance.
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Resource Planning: To understand how system resources are used and plan resource allocation accordingly.
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User Experience Management: To gather user feedback and make improvements.
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Security: To detect suspicious behavior or cyberattacks.
In essence, applied observability is a fundamental concept for ensuring the proper functioning, maintainability, and reliability of complex systems, allowing stakeholders to gain a clear insight into the performance and behavior of an application or system at any given time.