How can you find the best IT infrastructure monitoring tools for cloud-based systems?

Ensure that the monitoring tool meets your organization's security and compliance requirements, particularly when monitoring sensitive or regulated data in the cloud. Look for features such as data encryption, access controls, audit trails, and compliance reporting to help you maintain a secure and compliant cloud environment.

1. The tool should be one that can be easily integrated and is scalable. 2. From a monitoring features standpoint, it should have the capability to monitor the individual components as well as app journeys or the way data flows. 3. The tool should be secure and robust.

Define your monitoring needs, including performance metrics, resource utilization, security, compliance, and cost management. Consider compatibility with your cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure) for seamless integration and data collection. Evaluate real-time monitoring capabilities, customizable dashboards, alerts, and reports for prompt issue detection. Prioritize scalability, flexibility, and support for dynamic and auto-scaling cloud environments. Focus on security features like threat detection, vulnerability assessment, log analysis, compliance reporting, and identity management. Look for automation, orchestration, and integration capabilities to streamline monitoring tasks and data correlation.

Define the "meaningful metrics" in terms of monitoring. If "that cluster" is smashing 99% usage all the time - and the user experience is fine, it's not ideal (no headroom) but your service is operating - but it works (and you're paying for those services). Trend analysis is the key. The specific tool doesn't really matter, you need the information presented well. ELK or Honeycomb or Grafana - all do the same stuff, it's about good data in, and meaningful output in such a way that it's clear to the relevant people (from 1st line support techs to CEOs). There is no right or wrong here, it's about presenting data in a way that satisfies the stakeholders who need to see it.

There are a wide range of considerations for when it comes to compatibility checking. The first one is obviously that is supports your cloud environment. Many will say that they work with “any” cloud environment, but be careful when assessing them as generic tools sometimes lack some of the more advanced monitoring options for specific clouds. Also check on the extent to which it works with the environment, and if it has connectors for all the different cloud services and not just a server monitor, but also can connect to say the DNS, DB, or other services. Finally, check how well it keeps up with the updates and changes to your cloud environment, as they can be rather active and dynamic with changes, and lose functionality if not updated.

There are two sides to scalability, both up and down. Many companies are more than willing to expand their services as you grow. However, what about if you shrink your infrastructure, how do they respond to that. Down the road you may move to a SaaS solution for part of your application infrastructure, and no longer need the same number of servers. Your organization may be seasonal with busy periods where you spin up additional resources, but quiet times where a drop can save money. Be aware of the policies surrounding that, as it is could be that while you can grow you become stuck at that level until a contract renewal. It is possible that the per-monitor price will increase as monitors decreases, since you are not getting bulk savings.

If your organization has some custom applications, check to see if there is the possibility of APIs or plugins that can be utilized to extend the functionality of the monitoring tool. It can be frustrating if you are locked in to a limited eco-system, and then your organization leverages a new service or application but cannot tie it into your existing tool. If you have some options for third-party integrations, then you could consider in-house development, see if the new vendor could provide a connector, or perhaps if your monitoring solution provider is active they may provide one in time. Companies whose tools provide integration options typically are more active in expanding their compatibility, or have strong user communities that do.