Tests
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The ThousandEyes platform enables you to test networked assets that your organization owns, and test SaaS-based assets to which your organization subscribes. This article provides an overview of supported tests types as well as creating and managing tests.
For more information on working with Test Settings, see .
ThousandEyes collects data from various vantage points deployed around the internet and inside customer networks. For the most part, these vantage points are called "agents" (with the exception of routing layer tests). To learn more about agents, see . To learn more about Cloud and Enterprise Agents, see .
ThousandEyes tests are classified into categories based on layers of operation, as outlined below:
Layers
Tests
Routing
BGP
Network
Agent to Server, Agent to Agent
DNS
DNS Server, DNS Trace, DNSSEC
Web
HTTP Server, Page Load, Transaction, FTP Server, API
Voice
SIP Server, RTP Stream
For more information about the different test types, see .
Routing layer tests provide methods for collecting internet routing-related information. Routing layer tests measure metrics like routing path changes, reachability, and BGP updates.
Available tests include:
Available tests include:
Network layer tests can also include BGP Tests.
Available tests include:
This set of tests touches on various Web technologies starting from the most basic measurement of availability of web server all the way up to performing precision transactions on a target. Web tests target a web server, and measure availability, response time, throughput, redirects, and response codes (HTTP server) or time to load page objects (Page Load), including component count and providing a waterfall view of all page objects. Transaction tests perform a sequence of scripted actions from within an actual browser process, returning waterfall views of all the objects and pages loaded. FTP server tests target an FTP and measure availability, response time, throughput, and reply codes.
Available tests include:
Web layer tests can also include Agent-to-server and BGP tests.
Available test include:
Voice layer tests can also include Agent-to-server and BGP tests.
As a new ThousandEyes user logging in for the first time, an intial setup screen offers the option to select and deploy templates. This allows you to get a few monitors set up quickly so you can get familiar with the platform and to get the most out of ThousandEyes. This onboarding experience is available until you deploy your first test.
Optional: Select areas where you'd like more visibility. This gives us more insight into how our platform can help you meet your monitoring goals.
Select from a list of templates for services you'd like to monitor. You can select more than one.
To create a new test, navigate to Network & App Synthetics > Test Settings. Select the Start Monitoring button in the upper left corner of the Test Settings page. From the Start Monitoring page you can create a single test, build your own template for deploying tests and other monitoring resources, set up monitoring based on auto-detected recommendations, or set up tests and other monitoring resources using templates.
Under the Start with templates section, select one or more templates by clicking on them.
To find a specific template, you can use the Search box to filter available templates by name or certification type.
Templates can also be filtered by collections. Collections group templates by application or vendor.
Select any option under the Start with ThousandEyes based recommendations section. To see more recommendations, click the View all recommendations link to the far right.
To find a specific recommendation, after clicking the View all recommendations link, you can use the Search box to filter by integration or name.
The next step in the dialog shows the Global Settings tab.
Fill out the fields in the form.
Included tests are listed on the left. You can click the checkbox to the right of the test description to deselect any tests you don't want to create.
Click Review Package.
On the last screen of the Deploy Template dialog, review the components you are about to create. Click Confirm and Deploy.
Look for the confirmation message that your template is successfully deployed.
To configure tests manually, refer to the specific documentation for the test types listed below:
DNS Layer Tests
Network layer tests measures network performance and path between an agent and a target device. Video tutorials: and . Network layer tests measure metrics like loss, latency, jitter, MTU, and path trace.
DNS layer tests provide record validation and service performance metrics. DNS server tests run queries against target servers, while DNS Trace tests run queries against target DNS resource records. The tests measure resolution time and availability for the target. DNSSEC tests provide keychain verification in a bottom-up manner. Upon selecting a specific domain and the servers to be queried, agents will run DNS and network layer performance metrics for all targeted servers. DNS layer tests measure metrics like domain availability, resolution time, domain trace, and DNSSEC. For more information, see .
ThousandEyes also supports using for Web layer based tests. Watch to get up-to-speed with Web Layer tests quickly.
Voice Layer tests look at whether a connection can be established (SIP), as well as testing the exchange of packets after the connection is made (RTP). SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol and RTP is an acronym for Real-time Transport Protocol. These two actions enable Voice over IP connections. VoIP is a method for delivering voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. ThousandEyes provides a way to test the robustness and quality of these types of connections. Video tutorials: and .
A template is a suite of ThousandEyes resources designed for monitoring a target, based on the best practices for that particular type of target. To learn more about templates, see .
Continue to .
After you have deployed your first test, you can use the Start Monitoring button for a similar experience. For more information, see .
A template is a suite of ThousandEyes resources designed for monitoring a target, based on the best practices for that particular type of target. To learn more about templates, see .
To create a single test, select Start with a single test from the top of the page. This option allows you to manually configure a single test. For information on supported test types and how to configure them, see . For more detailed information on configuring a specific test type, refer to the relevant sub-section in .
Continue to .
The following examples use Associated Service Recommendations. For other types of recommendations, see .
Select the recommendations option you want, and follow the instructions on the screen. These may be different for each recommendations option. To find the appropriate documentation for your selected recommendation, see .
Continue to .
You can view your template's newly created test components by navigating to Network & App Synthetics > Test Settings > Tests. To make changes to your test settings, see .
To view your updated dashboard, navigate to Dashboards. To learn more about managing dashboards, see .
To configure alert notifications to receive alerts through third party tools, see .
User-defined templates allow you create a set of tests, alert rules, dashboards, and tags from a single template configuration file that you define. For more information, see .
Network Layer Tests:
Routing Layer Tests:
Web Layer Tests: and
Voice Layer Tests:
For more information on playing with test settings, see .
Transferring tests between Account Groups or Organizations: .
The test data can also be shared by a public link as described in .
ThousandEyes also offers alert notification when a configured event occurs. See .
explains how to permanently save events of interest.
