Release Notes: August 2023
2023-08-03
Drill Down from Dashboards to Specific Tests
Users now have the ability to drill down from any widget in a dashboard to a specific test view. This is supported for all Cloud and Enterprise Agent tests (except BGP), Endpoint Agent tests, and device data in the platform. For example, when users click on a dashboard widget identifying a spike in latency, a window will open listing all the affected tests; click a test and the test view will open in a new window demonstrating the latency spike for this particular test. This feature will make navigation inside the platform significantly easier and allow for quicker resolution time for our customers. Learn more about this feature in our Troubleshooting with Drill Down article.
New Auto-Detect for Endpoint Scheduled Tests and Improved Auto-Detect for ASTs
On August 16, 2023, we will release the auto-detect feature for Endpoint Scheduled Tests and update the auto-detect behavior for Automated Session Tests (ASTs).
As Endpoints roam from one network to another, they may find some of the test probes are blocked. To combat this, we have launched a new method for our automatic detection. At each network change event, the agent will attempt all three network probe methods - ICMP, TCP SACK, and TCP SYN. The agent will use the probe with the best result. If all probes are equal, the agent will default to TCP SACK.
This enhancement will allow customers to rely more on the auto-configuration and not worry about the changing network conditions a user experiences. Agents must be running an Endpoint Agent with version 1.158.1 or later. TCP tests rely on the extended network tests (formerly called TCP tests) installed. If the agent is missing the extended network tests installation, the agent will continue using ICMP for all tests.
Customers whose automated session tests are set to Auto-detect will automatically shift to this new method on August 16, 2023. Customers with scheduled tests may opt into this new method by changing their probe setting to Auto-detect on August 16.
Changing Allow List IP Addresses
In 90 days, ThousandEyes will discontinue support for certain IP addresses. The IP addresses that will no longer be supported are:
If you are currently allowlisting these IP addresses to receive alert notifications, you should continue to do so until October 31, 2023. However, to avoid a hard stop on your incoming ThousandEyes webhooks, we urge you to update your systems to also allow any or all of the following addresses based on your region:
US1 Region
EU1 Region
After October 31, we strongly advise you remove 52.52.142.26 and 52.52.36.83 from your allow list as we will no longer support them.
Updating All Webhook IDs to a 128-Bit Alphanumeric UUID
In approximately 90 days, all IDs for webhook integrations will transition from a numeric value to a string format. This change will be seen on all incoming webhooks across all fields, including but not limited to: Notification ID, Alert Rule ID, Test ID. If you are utilizing custom webhooks, you will need to update ID fields to be enclosed by quotation marks, for example from "id": {{id}} to "id": "{{id}}". This change will ensure your system can correctly receive and process the new string-based UUIDs. For those of you who deserialize any ID fields as a numeric, or if your webhook receiver cannot otherwise handle a 128-bit string value, we highly advise verifying your system's compatibility with this new format. If your current tool for accepting webhooks from ThousandEyes does not support the new UUID format, necessary adjustments or actions should be taken as soon as possible.
Updated Alert ID to a 128-Bit Alphanumeric UUID
As previously announced, in order to support the UUID format in v6 and v7 API endpoints, we have changed the data type of the alertID from integer to string. These changes have occurred in stages between July 31 and August 3, 2023. For details, see the v6 API reference and the v7 API reference.
2023-08-03 Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where the top-level timespan in our dashboards was not updating the widget timespans appropriately.
Resolved an issue where the Endpoint Agent settings in the UI and the associated API calls were incorrectly returning all Endpoint Agents in “View Deleted Agents”. Now, only recoverable agents deleted during the last seven days are returned.
Fixed a bug where the Endpoint Agent settings no longer showed the System Proxy option after another proxy was selected. The System Proxy option is now always visible as an option.
Cloud Agents Added
New Cloud Agents have been added in the locations listed below. For a full list of Cloud Agents, see ThousandEyes Cloud Agent Locations.
Taipei, Taiwan (FarEastone) (IPv6)
Paris, France (Free) (IPv6)
2023-08-07
Automatic DNS Lookups for Test Templates
Test templates now automatically perform the DNS lookup, instead of requiring them to be added manually. Users still have the option to add DNS servers manually.
2023-08-10
Certified and Partner Template Badges
Test Templates now show a badge icon for certified templates and partner templates.
2023-08-09 Bug Fixes
Fixed the invalid JSON error for page load tests with a fixed value for the httpInterval field.
2023-08-15
ThousandEyes Endpoint Agent Integration with Webex RoomOS Devices
We are currently deploying the Endpoint Agent client to RoomOS devices. The update to Control Hub and to devices will be completed for all devices (in the stable release track) by August 22, 2023. To learn how to enable Endpoint Agents on Webex RoomOS devices, see Integration with RoomOS.
Cisco Secure Client ThousandEyes Endpoint Agent Module
The Cisco Secure Client ThousandEyes Endpoint Agent module for Windows will be available on August 22, 2023. The macOS version will be available on September 11, 2023. For instructions on accessing and installing the module, see Secure Client Integration.
Updated Default Alert Rules for Cloud and Enterprise Agent Tests
As previously announced, we've revamped our default alert rules to reduce alert noise.
Organizations created after July 18, 2023, now have access to the new default alert rules. For existing organizations, ThousandEyes is rolling out this change over the course of the month.
When the new default alert rules are available to your organization, they display in the ThousandEyes platform UI as Default alert rules 2.0. Any new tests that you create will automatically be associated with Default Alert Rules 2.0. Existing tests, which already have the previous set of default alert rules, will remain unchanged.
Additionally, we've designated the severity level for all of these alerts as Minor.
Pause the Auto-Refresh on Dashboards
Our dashboards now have a pause option for auto-refreshing. To pause the automatic data refresh, click on the spinning timer located in the dashboard header. Alternatively, you can also pause the auto-refresh by opening the dashboard drill-down component or the widget configuration panel. To resume the auto-refresh, click on the spinning timer again or close either the widget configuration or dashboard drill-down components.
Endpoint Agents: Update to the Extended Network Tests Behavior for the Windows Installer
In December, 2022, we updated the Windows Installer to enable the Extended Network Tests feature by default and to include the NPCAP library. Previously, if this option was not selected, and the user had an allowed version of the NPCAP library installed, the agent would not leverage this. We have changed this behavior, and the agent will now utilize the pre-installed NPCAP library (if it is an allowed version). However, in the future, we will only upgrade versions of NPCAP that were originally installed by our installer.
2023-08-15 Bug Fixes
Resolved an issue wherein some Endpoint Agents didn't run the number of tests permitted by their license type. Now, all Endpoint Agents run the correct number of tests based on their assignments and license permissions.
Fixed an issue in the dashboard widgets that prevented users from applying the Endpoint Agent filter correctly. Previously, the filter box was broken, and the filter would not allow a downward scroll.
Fixed an issue in the dashboard widgets where filtered-out locations were incorrectly showing up in the widget results.
2023-08-18
Updates to Test Templates
DNS Server Input Is Now Optional
Previously, when a test template already included a DNS test, users still had to provide a DNS server, either manually or using the lookup button in the UI. This extra step added complexity to the test templates process and also created confusion for less experienced users. To ensure a streamlined experience, when a test template includes a DNS test, DNS server information is now looked up automatically. Users can still supply advanced DNS information through global settings.
De-Selecting Tests During Test Template Deployment
Users can now choose to omit some tests during test template deployment. Test templates can include tests that are recommended as a best practice. These tests may not be ideal for the given use case. In these situations, users can opt out of including tests that do not fit their deployment scenario. This prevents users from using more units that are necessary and also prevents users from creating extraneous tests that can add overhead. While this feature has already been supported in the API, users deploying test templates through the UI can now de-select any tests they don't wish to deploy.
Search for Test Templates by Name and Certification Level
Users can now search and filter available test templates by name and certification level.
Badges for Certified Templates and Partner Templates
Certification levels on test templates now have improved visibility with template badges that more clearly indicate if a template is certified, partner certified, or a regular user-defined template. This update is part of our new ThousandEyes Google Cloud Platform (GCP) monitoring, created in collaboration with Google Cloud Platform. For more information about our collaboration with Google Cloud Platform, see Get Network Monitoring Visibility Across Your Google Cloud Environments.
2023-08-21
WAN Insights Throughput Distribution Chart
WAN Insights has introduced a new chart showing throughput distribution titled Egress Traffic Distribution. You can find this chart on the Recommendation Detail modal. This chart visually represents the traffic distribution across each available interface (circuit) within your SD-WAN network.
Key Benefits
Policy Verification: Confirm that your configured SD-WAN network policy is actively in effect by viewing the traffic distribution across various interfaces.
Performance Monitoring: Identify and monitor traffic volume routed through poorly performing interfaces, enabling timely corrective actions.
Quality and Bandwidth Correlation: Empower your network teams to correlate quality drops on SD-WAN interfaces with throughput data. This is the first step in establishing bandwidth saturation as the root cause of performance issues.
2023-08-24
Updates to Test Templates
Test Templates in UI
ThousandEyes can now display user-defined templates in the Test Templates UI. Creation of user-defined templates is supported through the API. When a user creates a test template, all users within the same account group will have the option to select it when deploying a new test template. For more information about user-defined test templates, see User-Defined Test Templates.
Support Automatic DNS Lookups for Deploying Test Templates Using the API
When you deploy a test template using the API, DNS lookup for a DNS test now occurs automatically under the following conditions:
The
dnsServersfield is set to[].The
dnsServersfield is set to a user input (custom values that can be specified at deploy time).
Remove Error Icon for Skipped Tests in Test Template Deployment
A test with validation errors that is included in test template deployment shows an error icon next to the test name. However, when a test with validation errors is not selected for deployment, it was still showing an error icon next to the test name, which could be confusing. This update removes the error icon from appearing when a test is not selected for deployment.
2023-08-29
PagerDuty and Slack Integration Updates
The integrations with PagerDuty and Slack for alert notifications are now available on the Integrations page. Users can still create, edit, and assign these integrations to alert rules from the alert rule's Notifications tab. In the future, these integrations will be created and managed exclusively via the Integrations page. However, the ability to assign integrations to alert rules will still be accessible from the alert rule's Notifications tab.
Additional ThousandEyes for OpenTelemetry Test Support
Support has been added for the following test metrics:
RTP stream tests:
MOSS
Loss
Discards
Latency
SIP server tests:
Availability
Response Time
Total Time
Updated Default Alert Rules for Cloud and Enterprise Agent Tests
As previously announced, new default alert rules will roll out to all customers within the next 5 days. These alert rules will be displayed with a suffix "2.0" in the alert rule name. Any new tests that users create will automatically be associated with the new set of default alerts. Existing tests will continue to use the old set of default alert rules and will remain unaffected. This change will show up in the activity logs as updated by "ThousandEyes Support."
Cloud Agents Added
New Cloud Agents have been added in the locations listed below. For a full list of Cloud Agents, see ThousandEyes Cloud Agent Locations.
Amsterdam, Netherlands (Lumen)
Amsterdam, Netherlands (Lumen) (IPv6)
Manila, Philippines (PLDT/Smart)
London, England (Lumen)
London, England (Lumen) (IPv6)
2023-08-29 Bug Fixes
Resolved an issue that prevented some users from being added to an account group. This issue affected users whose email was first added to the external mailing list for alert notification purposes and was then added to a new or existing user.
Fixed an issue in the Time Series Stacked Bar Chart dashboard widget where the Page Load metric was not showing as a selectable option.
In a recent update to the Webex client, the location of the identifier used when integrating Control Hub with ThousandEyes for Webex meeting data was changed. As a result, some users could see the automated session test data for Webex meetings in the ThousandEyes UI, but could not see the corresponding network path data in Control Hub. The issue is resolved in Endpoint Agent client version 1.68.2.
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