How the APM Any Language Agent Works?

[wahyu.sudrajat]

Hi All,

I would like to understand, how exactly the APM Any Language Agent based license works. From the Pricing FAQ, the APM license units are priced by agent and the APM Any Language allows us to switch between languages. These license are found at APM Pro, Advance and Peak edition. The explanation from License Entitlement & Restriction page, the APM Any Language is "One license unit from the following product types: AppDynamics for Java, .NET, Node.js, PHP, Python, Web Server, C++, Go, the rights to monitor 16 Value Units of IBM Mainframe capacity, or IBM Integration Bus.", while the Lite edition are includes the following units:

• 1 unit Java APM
• 1 unit .Net APM
• 1 unit PHP APM
• ... etc (as described at Lite & Pro edition documentation)

My question is, if we have 1 unit APM Any Language Agent, does it mean we will have 1 unit APM license foreach languages decribed above (like the Lite edition, 1 unit Java APM, 1 unit .Net APM, etc...) or we will only have 1 unit license (eligible to use) from the languages list?

Ilustration:

If the APM Any Language agent including the unit as similar as Lite edition description, to monitor 2 application (1 Java and 1 .Net application) we only need to buy 1 unit APM Any Language agent, however if we will only have 1 unit eligible to use, we need to have 2 unit APM Any Language (1 for Java and 1 for .Net).

Since we are allow to switch the languages if we use the APM Any Language, how exactly the process need to be done if we plan to switch the languages, for example if the customer decide to stop monitor a certain site (the old version of customer website; build on .Net) and decide to move to another site (the new version of customer website; build on Java)? Do we need to revoke the previous agent license before we use it to the new agent license?

Thank you for listening to me and l'm looking forward for the answers.

Best Regards,

Wahyu Sudrajat

[Brian.Wheeldon · Accepted solution]

Hi Wahyu,

The APM Any Language Agent works by allowing you to monitor one unit of any language concurrently.

It works with OR, not AND.

If you have a Java application with one JVM plus a .NET application running on one host, you need two "APM Any" licenses to monitor both applications at the same time.

AppDynamics licenses work a bit like a library where one license allows you to check out any book at any time. As long as you have that book (agent is reporting to the Controller), that license is in use and you can't take out any other books (instrument any other apps with that license). When you shut down the instrumented app server, that license is returned to the pool within five minutes (and you can check out another book).

Second Illustration:

Q: If the customer decide to stop monitor a certain site (the old version of customer website; build on .Net) and decide to move to another site (the new version of customer website; build on Java)? Do we need to revoke the previous agent license before we use it to the new agent license?

A: Yes. You would stop the .NET application and restart it uninstrumented. That will free up the license(s) so that they can be used to instrument the new (Java-based) application.

Regards,

[wahyu.sudrajat]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for your response. I do have several questions for you as follows:

1. You said, the license works with OR, not AND. Does it mean, if we have one unit APM Any Language license, the Controller will be show one pie chart, called APM Any Language, for example, and show the quota of 1 unit and maybe show what is the language currently monitored by AppDynamics instead of having several pie chart (for each languages as we have if we use Pro Trial) with the quota of 1 unit for each languages?
2. What make me a little bit confuse is, in the License Entitlement & Restrictions page, it said that Lite edition provide same features as Pro edition with a limitation applied, in that page it show that we will have one unit for each languages defined. So, I assume the Pro edition also will offer the same, we will have one unit for each languages, but in the Pricing & Packaging page it show that Pro edition offers APM Any Language license to give the flexibility to switch the languages. Does it mean, the APM Any Language license which works with OR (as you mentioned) only applied to Advance and Peak edition only?
3. Also, you mentioned if we have one Java application with one JVM plus a .Net application on one host, we need two "APM Any" to monitor, does it mean if those application deployed on different host, we can use only one APM Any Language?

Thank you in advance for your answers of the question above.

Best Regards,
Wahyu Sudrajat

[Brian.Wheeldon]

Hi Wahyu,

1. The current version of the Controller License screen shows a chart with license usage broken out with separate lines for each APM agent type, with a summary across all APM agents to the left, and a number for each agent type below. See screenshot attached.

2. The Lite edition allows you to validate one agent of each type. "The Controller permits the first agent of each type to register and use a license." The Pro edition works with OR, as described in License Entitlements and Restrictions.

3. Java agent licensing is per-JVM. .NET agent licensing is per-OS instance. So running a Java agent and a .NET agent concurrently will consume two Pro licenses, regardless of where they are deployed. 

Micro-service licenses are more economical, as described in License Entitlements and Restrictions.

Micro-service licenses can be used for "Docker Containers, all CloudFoundry-based providers, Redhat OpenShift, Heroku Dyno, Microsoft Azure App Services (including Azure WebApps, Azure WebJobs and Azure API Apps), Microsoft Azure Service Fabric, Microsoft Azure Containers, Amazon Elastic Beanstalk, Oracle PaaS (Java and Node.js only) and Bluemix Containers".

Regards,

[wahyu.sudrajat]

Hi Brian,

Overall, I think I get the idea for the license now. Generally, from Pro Edition toward Peak Edition, it works with OR. Just to make sure, my understanding are correct, I have following question:

Q: It is works with OR—I assume, it was refer to exclusive OR (XOR), only allow one of the two possibility either Java or .Net, for example—therefore, if the we use Pro Trial at first, we got 5 units for APM for Java, 5 units for .Net,... etc, along with 25 Machine Agent, then after it reach the expired time, it will become Lite Edition with only 1 unit for APM for Java, 1 unit for .Net,... etc. After a while, if we decide to purchase 1 unit of APM Any Language, we have to choose the only 1 application type to be monitor, for example, Java application, since it only has 1 unit of APM Any Language?

Q: Looking into the screen captured you've shared, the count of the summary usage units (left side) didn't match with the count units in the detail (bottom). From the graph, I don't think it represent Java agent as 45 unit, because it didn't seems to reach 1/4 of the portion of 40—60 on y-axis. Could you help to elaborate it?

Best Regards,
Wahyu Sudrajat