Extend Dynatrace

Depending on the architecture of your deployment and the goals you want to achieve, you can choose among the following extension methods:

Dynatrace API

With the Dynatrace API, not only can you automate your monitoring tasks, you can also export different types of data to your third-party reporting and analysis tools. For more information, see Dynatrace API.

Dynatrace SDKs

OneAgent SDK

The Dynatrace OneAgent SDK enables you to instrument your applications manually to extend end-to-end visibility for frameworks and technologies for which there is no code module available. With the SDK, you get full access to all analysis and monitoring functionality, including auto-baselining and AI-based root cause analysis. For more information, see OneAgent SDK.

Dynatrace plugins

Dynatrace offers two types of plugins:

• OneAgent plugins Early Adopter
  With OneAgent plugins, you can extend OneAgent monitoring to any OneAgent-detected processes that expose an interface (for example, processes that are served over HTTP—databases, applications, and load balancers). Plugins run within a OneAgent and fully integrate new-technology monitoring into Dynatrace Smartscape and problem detection. You need some Python expertise to develop OneAgent plugins. For more information, see OneAgent plugins.

• ActiveGate plugins
  Early Adopter
  With ActiveGate Plugins, you can extend Dynatrace monitoring to any remote technology that exposes an interface, where OneAgent installation isn't an option. For example, PaaS technologies, network devices, or cloud technologies. ActiveGate Plugins (aka Remote Plugins) are executed on ActiveGate and can acquire metrics and topology from remote sources, fully integrating new-technology monitoring into Dynatrace Smartscape and problem detection. You need some Python expertise to develop ActiveGate plugins. For more information, see Introduction to ActiveGate plugins.

The Plugin SDK is a versatile solution that enables you to monitor any custom technology that exposes an interface. Develop and deploy your plugins. Dynatrace can seamlessly integrate your custom-technology monitoring data into relevant analysis views, taking full advantage of all your favorite Dynatrace features and AI-driven root cause analysis.

• If you can install OneAgent on a host, use OneAgent Plugins.
• If you need to monitor a remote technology where OneAgent installation isn't an option, use ActiveGate Plugins.
• If you simply want to monitor a Java application that exposes MBeans, use JMX Plugins.

Mobile SDKs for Android and iOS

Mobile SDKs for Android and iOS allow you to report additional details about the mobile user sessions in your apps. Through these SDKs, you can create custom user actions, measure web requests, report errors, and tag specific users. For more information, see OneAgent SDK for Android and OneAgent SDK for iOS.

Dynatrace OpenKit

If your business has digital touchpoints outside of your applications, you can use Dynatrace OpenKit to instrument them, whether or not they’re traditional rich client applications, smart IoT applications, or even Alexa skills. Dynatrace OpenKit is best suited for client/server applications that communicate via HTTP (for example, rich-client-applications, embedded devices, and terminals). For more information, see Dynatrace OpenKit.

JMX/PMI plugins

JMX technology (Java Management Extensions) is ideal for monitoring applications built using Java. With Dynatrace JMX monitoring plugins, you can monitor any metric in your JVM that is exposed via an MBean. For more information, see How do I monitor JMX metrics in my Java applications?.

Custom metric ingestion and analysis

A custom metric is defined as a new type of metric that offers a user-provided metric identifier and unit of measure. The semantics of custom metrics are defined by you and aren't included with the default OneAgent installation. Following the definition of a custom metric, the metric can be reported for multiple monitored components. To arrange for custom metric ingestion and analysis, contact Dynatrace Sales.