Performance, metrics, and statistics in transactionals systems – KPI (Key Performance Indicators)

In all transactional systems, in which is necessary to ensure the minimum response time and the lowest latency, it is a must to have performance indicators. These items are known as Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

What is this?

With these indicators, the person or department responsible for the behavior of the platform may know the status and obtain measurements about the system status and its health. Also, these indicators show if the system is working according to the service level agreement (SLA) established in the specifications of the solution and, thus, it allows understanding if the operation is working within the agreed parameters.

How can we get this kind of vital information?

So, now that we´ve explained what the KPI are, the problem is to identify test points in the platform and develop several processes for collection and storage of information. This information must be easily related to each other.

Once the test points are detected and correctly identified, we should work orderly to:

1. Find the best way to collect information
2. Get and define the storage that will be used as a repository
3. Post-processing methods of the collected data
4. Define which information will be stored in raw state
5. Find the correct way to link the information from different test points in order to obtain chronologically ordered records

When the points shown above are successfully completed and we have historical information on each indicator, the analysis allows us to:

1. Make early error detection
2. Know that the system has test points
3. Develop trend analysis and graphics
4. Anticipate problems
5. Have statistical information for postmortem reports or Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
6. Have up to date resource capacity reports in order to understand the need for new resources
7. Make growth forecast reports

With all the information gathered from the different points described above, we can assure the correct operation of the system that is being monitored.

Please, remember to leave your opinion in the section below. If you would like to know more about this topic, feel free to contact me at santiago.gonzalez@intraway.com.