Monitoring Excellence with Dynatrace

Introduction

At FuturWork, we partnered with AXA to enhance their application performance monitoring capabilities using Dynatrace. The project involved migrating from Dynatrace Managed (on-premise) to Dynatrace SaaS, while supporting application product teams and improving the quality of service.

Challenges

AXA faced several challenges during this transition:

• Migration Complexity: Moving from an on-premise solution to a SaaS model required comprehensive support and configuration.
• Skill Requirements: The project demanded advanced knowledge of Dynatrace, coding skills in Puppet and Python, and network knowledge.
• User Support and Training: Ensuring smooth onboarding and ongoing support for end users was critical.
• Integration Needs: Incorporating Elastic Stack for additional monitoring scopes and managing code with GitHub added complexity.
• Infrastructure as Code: Skills in infrastructure as code were desirable for automation needs.

Solution

To address these challenges, FuturWork implemented the following solutions:

1. Dynatrace Migration and Support:
   • Facilitated the migration from Dynatrace Managed to Dynatrace SaaS.
   • Provided comprehensive onboarding activities for Dynatrace, ensuring application product teams were fully supported.
   • Assisted the Dynatrace platform administrator in configuring the tool to meet AXA's specific needs.
   • Conducted operational activities on the Dynatrace monitoring platform to maintain optimal performance.
2. Training and User Support:
   • Developed and delivered detailed training materials for application monitoring.
   • Supported end users in effectively using Dynatrace, ensuring they could maximize the tool's capabilities.
3. Coding and Automation:
   • Improved Puppet code to meet automation needs.
   • Enhanced Python code to support Monitoring as a Service (MaaS) requirements.
   • Managed code repositories using GitHub for efficient collaboration and version control.
4. Network and Integration Support:
   • Provided network support to ensure connectivity for Dynatrace One Agents.
   • Offered expertise on Elastic Stack to complete monitoring scopes using the ELK solution.
   • Leveraged  infrastructure as code skills to streamline deployment and configuration processes.

Impact

The solutions provided by FuturWork had a significant impact on AXA's operations:

• Enhanced Monitoring: Improved application performance monitoring capabilities, leading to higher quality of service.
• Successful Migration: Smooth transition from on-premise to SaaS, ensuring minimal disruption and enhanced scalability.
• Empowered Teams: Comprehensive training and support enabled AXA's teams to effectively use Dynatrace and manage application performance.
• Streamlined Operations: Automation of monitoring processes and integration with the Elastic Stack optimized operational efficiency and responsiveness.

Tools and Frameworks

• Dynatrace: Advanced knowledge and application for monitoring solutions.
• GitHub: Effective code management and collaboration.
• Puppet and Python: Coding for automation and monitoring as a service.
• Elastic Stack (ELK): Additional expertise for log monitoring and analysis.
• Infrastructure as Code: Streamlining deployment and configuration processes.

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