Using the HTTP Server View

In the ThousandEyes platform, the HTTP Server View within Network & App Synthetics > Views is a dedicated interface for analyzing the results of HTTP Server Tests under Cloud and Enterprise Agents. This view provides a comprehensive visualization of metrics and performance data for HTTP/HTTPS endpoints (e.g., web servers, APIs), helping users assess availability, response times, and potential issues. The HTTP Server view leverages the ThousandEyes standard layout, documented here.

Example of the HTTP Server View

This example shows the result of an HTTP Server test:

Metrics for HTTP Server Tests

In the ThousandEyes platform, HTTP Server Tests under Network & App Synthetics are designed to monitor the availability and performance of HTTP/HTTPS endpoints (e.g., a web server or API). HTTP Server Tests collect metrics to assess the performance and accessibility of an HTTP/HTTPS endpoint. The metrics capture the entire request lifecycle, from DNS resolution to receiving the server’s response.

Metrics Plottable on the Timeline for HTTP Server Tests

• Availability (%): The percentage of successful HTTP requests, typically defined as requests returning a 2xx or 3xx status code, indicating the endpoint’s reliability.

• Response Time (ms): The total time to complete the HTTP request, also known as time-to-first-byte, measured from the start of the request (before DNS resolution) until the client receives the first byte of the response from the server. It includes DNS Time, Connect Time, SSL Negotiation Time (for HTTPS), and Wait Time.

• Throughput (MB/s): The data transfer rate, measured in megabytes per second, calculated as the Wire Size (bytes transferred) divided by the Receive Time (time from first byte to last byte of the response payload). It reflects the efficiency of data delivery from the server.

Overlay for HTTP Server Tests

Overlays facilitate comparative analysis by visualizing how availability, response time, and throughput trend over time, with the ability to highlight specific agents to identify regional or agent-specific issues, aiding in troubleshooting performance problems like slow responses or connectivity failures.

Using Timeline Overlays for the HTTP Server Layer

To show average availability, response time, or throughput for any single agent charted against the global average of the same metric, select Agents from the Overlay options above the timeline and select the agent. Deselect any agents you have selected from the Agents filter at the top.

Alternatively, you can also show the average availability, response time, or throughput for any agent charted against the average from multiple selected agents. Select the agents you'd like to average from the Agents filter at the top of the timeline screen and then select Agents from the Overlay options. Select the agent you'd like to compare against the group average.

HTTP Server Layer Details by Primary Metric

The HTTP Server layer is designed for troubleshooting issues like slow responses, server errors, or DNS failures. The tabs (Map, Table) present metrics in different formats tailored to the HTTP Server test.

Availability for HTTP Server Tests

The availability for a given agent should be 100% if the HTTP status code is 2xx or 3xx, and 0% otherwise. The average availability can take any value from 0% to 100%.

Timeline for HTTP Server Availability

Without an agent selected, the timeline shows a chart showing the average availability calculated from all agents globally. If more than one agent is selected, the chart shows the average availability calculated from all selected agents. The following image shows an example of a timeline for the availability metric where no agents are selected:

With an agent selected, the timeline shows a chart showing average availability for that agent. You can also select the agent from the Overlay options to compare it with the average availability from multiple agents. See Using Timeline Overlays.

Map for HTTP Server Availability

When no agent is selected or when multiple agents are selected, the computed averages area of the map shows a breakdown by error type.

When an agent is selected, the computed averages area of the map shows the status (a green or red square) and HTTP response code, as well as a popup to view the response headers from the target website. When you click the response headers, a dialog shows the content of the response.

When you click Details, a side panel shows TLS session information as well as request and/or response headers:

Table for HTTP Server Availability

The table view shows by-agent metrics for each of agents used in the test. This includes agent name, destination server url and IP, date and time that the data was captured, HTTP response code, redirect time, and error type/details, if applicable.

Response Time for HTTP Server Tests

Also known as time-to-first-byte, this is the time elapsed from the beginning of the request (before DNS request) until the client receives the first byte of the response from the server.

Timeline for HTTP Server Response Time

When no agents are selected or when multiple agents are selected, the timeline shows a chart with the response time calculated from all agents globally. The following image shows an example of a timeline for the response time metric:

With an agent selected, the timeline shows a chart showing average response time for that agent. You can also select the agent from the Overlay options to compare it with the average response time from multiple agents. See Using Timeline Overlays.

Map for HTTP Server Response Time

When no agents are selected or when multiple agents are selected, the computed averages area of the map view shows the response time from the selected agent, and a pie chart breaking down the response timing into DNS lookup connect, wait, and SSL negotiation times. If you hover over the chart, individual timing averages are displayed.

With an agent selected, the computed averages area of the map shows the response time from the selected agent, and a pie chart breaking down the response timing into DNS lookup connect, wait, and SSL negotiation times. If you hover over the chart, individual timing is displayed

Table for HTTP Server Response Time

When no agent is selected or multiple agents are selected, the table show a tabular view of by-agent metrics for each of the agents used in the test. This includes agent name, destination server url and IP, date and time that the data was captured, total response time, and the component times broken down by component (DNS time, connect time, SSL time, wait time).

Throughput for HTTP Server Tests

Throughput is the total wire size divided by the receive.

Timeline for HTTP Server Throughput

When no agents are selected, or multiple agents are selected, the timeline shows a chart with the throughput calculated from all agents globally. The following image shows an example of a timeline for the throughput metric:

With an agent selected, the timeline shows a chart showing average throughput for that agent. You can also select the agent from the Overlay options to compare it with the average throughput from multiple agents. See Using Timeline Overlays.

Map for HTTP Server Throughput

When no agents are selected or multiple agents are selected, the computed averages area of the map shows the average throughput (calculated globally), and a pie chart breaking down the fetch time into DNS lookup, connect, wait, SSL negotiation, and receive times. If you hover over a component of the pie chart, individual component timing is displayed.

In addition to the throughtput and the fetch time, the wire size - which is the total size of the object in the wire - is also shown.

With an agent selected, the computed averages area of the map view shows the average throughput, calculated for the agent, and a pie chart breaking down the fetch time into DNS lookup, connect, wait, SSL negotiation, and receive times. If you hover over a component of the pie chart, the individual component timing is displayed.

In addition to the throughput and the fetch time, the wire size - which is the total size of the object in the wire - is also shown.

Table for HTTP Server Throughput

When no agent is selected or multiple agents are selected, the table shows by-agent metrics for each of the agents used in the test. This includes agent name, destination server url and IP, date and time that the data was captured, throughput, wire size, and the component times broken down by component (DNS time, connect time, SSL time, wait time, receive time, and total time).

Table for HTTP Server Tests

The table for HTTP Server tests summarizes metrics for each agent running the test, showing the most recent test round which allows comparison across locations.

Key features of the table view:

• Each row represents an agent (e.g., “Paris Cloud Agent”), with columns for each metric.

• Sortable columns (e.g., sort by response time to find slow agents).

Map for HTTP Server Tests

The map for HTTP Server tests visualizes agent locations on a geographic map, overlaying performance metrics to highlight regional variations.

Key features of the Map view:

• Metrics are overlaid on agent pins (e.g., color-coded by response time, with red indicating delays).

• You can select a metric to display (e.g., show latency across all agents).

• Clicking an agent pin shows detailed metrics for that location.