Cisco Revolutionizes App Monitoring With Smart Agent

Cisco has introduced the Smart Agent for Cisco AppDynamics, revolutionizing agent lifecycle management and streamlining application instrumentation for comprehensive observability across the entire stack. This intelligent agent automation and management solution facilitate quicker onboarding of new applications. Users can effortlessly identify and upgrade outdated agents within minutes through a user-friendly centralized agent management interface.

In the evolving landscape of distributed, modular, and scalable applications, managing an increasing number of agents poses a challenge for technologists. Operations teams in various companies may grapple with tens of thousands of agents, while large enterprises might handle hundreds of thousands, depending on the scope and nature of observed applications. Due to the sheer volume of agents and the intricate process of updating them, organizations often lag in adopting the latest versions promptly. This results in the persistence of outdated, unsupported agents, lacking the latest features and exposing vulnerabilities addressed in recent releases.

To navigate this growing complexity, IT infrastructure and operations teams need robust insights. With Smart Agent for Cisco AppDynamics, customers can:

Simplify Installation and Upgrades

• Introduce a new UI-driven process that intelligently automates the installation and upgrade of agents, reducing the process to a few clicks.
• Enable the simultaneous upgrade of multiple agents, freeing up resources for a more focused approach to application performance management.

Accelerate Access to New Capabilities

• Facilitate push-button upgrades for maintaining compliance and regular agent updates.
• Ensure users have the latest versions, access to new functionalities, and a reduced risk of security vulnerabilities.

Obtain Rapid Application Performance Insights

• Automate the application instrumentation process with a single agent install that discovers and instruments all processes on the host.
• Enable auto-discovery and auto-deployment, allowing customers to collect data and visualize application topography within minutes.

Ronak Desai, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cisco AppDynamics and Full-Stack Observability, emphasizes Cisco’s commitment to using automation and intelligence to alleviate the complexities of technology environments, allowing IT teams to focus more on innovation.

Brad Johns, Manager of Solutions Architecture at Sabre, expresses anticipation for using Smart Agent for Cisco AppDynamics to simplify the process of keeping performance monitoring agents updated, particularly in large-scale applications.

Smart Agent for Cisco AppDynamics is now generally available, and customers can access more information on the Smart Agent webpage. The auto-deployment functionality is expected to be generally available in CYQ2 2024. Interested individuals can register for the Smart Agent for Cisco AppDynamics webinar on February 14 to delve deeper into its features and capabilities.