IBM Support

APM 8.1 Synthetic agent - no valid result in APM dashboard Transaction list

Troubleshooting


Problem

Using IBM Application Performance Management version 8.1 and the synthetic agent, the dashboard synthetic "transaction list" view shows incorrect results. it seems the transaction urls are not played back as expected.

Symptom

1) in APM dashboard "Transaction list" view,

"Last Run At" column results are blank, with no value

"Latest Status" = ?

"Unavailable (%)" = 100

"Runs" = 0

Example:

image-20200113163731-2

2) On the synthetic agent (SN) host machine, ksn_trace0.log log file shows the following error:

<date> - SEVERE - <host> - Thread-XX - com.ibm.csi.apm.synthetics.playback.selenium.SeleniumPlaybackService.start() - Error during test run - Unable to create new remote session. desired capabilities = Capabilities [{firefox_binary=/usr/bin/firefox, marionette=false, browserName=firefox, version=, platform=LINUX, firefox_profile=org.openqa.selenium.firefox.FirefoxProfile@7c4857bc}], required capabilities = Capabilities [{}]

Build info: version: '3.2.0', revision: '8c03df6b79', time: '2017-02-23 10:51:31 +0000'

System info: host: '<host>', ip: '<ip_address>', os.name: 'Linux', os.arch: 'amd64', os.version: '2.6.32-754.24.3.el6.x86_64', java.version: '1.8.0'

Driver info: driver.version: RemoteWebDriver

Cause

Possible cause is that the Mozilla Firefox (tm) application version installed on the synthetic agent host is not 'matching' the expected version by the agent.
Run the command
'cinfo -t' on SN agent host; it shows for example:

sn Monitoring Agent for Synthetic Playback lx8266 01.00.05.02  201803150411  20200110 1516  0     

You are currently running here with 8.1.4.0-IBM-APM-SYNTHETIC-PLAYBACK-AGENT-XLINUX-IF0002, see its readme:

https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg400003782

This readme says:

"Use the command 'firefox -version' to check the version. If it is not version ESR 52.x.0, update Firefox ESR to version 52.x.0. Versions other than ESR 52 are not supported. Only Firefox ESR flavor is supported with SN agent using 814 IF2"

Environment

Application Performance Management version 8.1
Synthetic playback agent

Diagnosing The Problem

See the symptom chapter.

Resolving The Problem

If the firefox version installed on the SN agent host is not matching what is requested in the SN agent Ifix readme associated to the current version of SN agent, upgrade or downgrade Firefox application to the required version.
At the time of publishing this article, latest Ifix available for the synthetic agent is :
8.1.4.0-IBM-APM-SYNTHETIC-PLAYBACK-AGENT-IF0010
see its readme:
and firefox version supported / required with it is:
68.2.0 ESR
Remark:
There is a dependency between this Synthetic Playback agent interim fix and the Cloud APM 8.1.4.0 Server Interim Fix 8 or a later interim fix. It is recommended that you install the latest Cloud APM server interim fix after you update your playback agents so that you can use Selenium .side scripts.

Document Location

Worldwide

[{"Business Unit":{"code":"BU053","label":"Cloud & Data Platform"},"Product":{"code":"SSVJUL","label":"IBM Application Performance Management"},"Component":"Synthetic agent","Platform":[{"code":"PF016","label":"Linux"}],"Version":"8.1","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB45","label":"Automation"}}]

Historical Number

TS003214526

Product Synonym

APM;

Document Information

Modified date:
13 January 2020

UID

ibm11171546

Page Feedback