New Relic Query

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Agenda

01 Querying Events

02 Data Explorer & Query Builder - Starting queries

03 More - Advanced queries

04 Using NRQL for Alerts

05 Chart Challenge - Hands-on practice

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 Querying Events

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Event data in NRDB
• Event data is collected by agents (in NRDB) from across your stack
• Can include custom events
• Events are discrete (individual) and not regular (no schema required)

Dimensional data:
• Each event collects metadata (attributes) about the event that occurred

Example:
Event type: Transaction
Attributes: Transaction Type
Response Code
Request URI
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Duration
NRQL Syntax
Build your query around your chosen Event Type

SELECT function(attribute) FROM Event_Type WHERE condition FACET group by

Browser APM Synthetics Mobile

Infrastructure

PageView Transaction SyntheticCheck MobileRequest

SystemSampleSELECT count(*) FROM PageView FACET PageUrl
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NRQL example queries
Built around 3 event types

SELECT count(*) FROM PageView FACET PageUrl

SELECT average(duration) FROM Transaction FACET name

SELECT count(result) FROM SyntheticCheck WHERE result !='SUCCESS' FACET error

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Data Explorer
Explore & build queries easily with the Data Explorer

3 steps - Choose one of each:

1 Event

2 Plot

3 Dimension

You get a chart instantly. Experiment with different Chart types.

Notice the NRQL query built across the top.

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 5-7 mins
Lab: Data Explorer
Explore and build queries easily with the Data Explorer

1 Build these queries by selecting the following options.

● Event type: Transaction, Plot Count (*) Dimension Name

This shows throughput for different Transactions

● Event type: Transaction, Plot Count (*) Dimension AppName

This shows throughput for different Applications

○ Try a different visualisation (Bar chart, Pie Chart etc)

● Event type: Transaction, Plot Duration Max Dimension Name

This shows slowest Transactions

● Event type: PageView, Plot Duration Max Dimension PageUrl

This shows slowest Pages. Try a Bar chart and filter to a PageUrl by clicking one from below

2 Try the RAW Data option and explore the attributes for the PageView Event Type
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 Aggregate your data with
functions

SELECT count(*) FROM Transaction

Throughput for all applications

SELECT max(duration) FROM Transaction

Slowest transactions for all applications

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Group your data with Facet

Transactions grouped by name

SELECT count(*) FROM Transaction FACET name

Transactions grouped by response codes

SELECT count(*) FROM Transaction FACET httpResponseCode

Try some other FACETs….

What does LIMIT do after FACET clause?

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Get more specific: query part of your data
WHERE

Average duration for a specific application (appName)

SELECT average(duration) FROM Transaction WHERE appName = 'FoodMe'

Count the different response codes from your application (Transactions)

SELECT count(*) FROM Transaction WHERE httpResponseCode != '200'
FACET httpResponseCode

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 5 mins
Lab:
Lab: NRQL
NRQLQuery
QueryBuilder
Builder- NRQL Mode
- NRQL Mode
Explore the data with a query, then add some charts to a dashboard

1 Explore the data: Try this query in the Query builder and explore the results:
Choose TABLE view

● SELECT * FROM Transaction

2 Throughput for transactions by name: Aggregate with a ‘count all’ function, and group by ‘name’ using
the FACET clause

● SELECT count(*) FROM Transaction FACET Name

● Add this chart to your dashboard

3 Throughput for transactions by….. Try the same query but with different FACET clauses (eg. host,
httpresponse code etc)

● SELECT count(*) FROM Transaction FACET httpResponseCode

● Add this chart to your dashboard
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 5 mins
Lab: Starting Queries with FROM
Start queries with FROM for better help with attribute choices:

1 FROM ____________ SELECT ________________

Count all the PageViews on your site

2 FROM ____________ SELECT ______________ FACET _____________

Count all Pageviews grouped by country

3 FROM _____________ SELECT ____________WHERE ________ FACET ______

Select Max duration of Pageviews (slowest) from a specific country grouped by Page url
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Plot data over time with TIMESERIES
SINCE, UNTIL, COMPARE WITH, TIMESERIES

Average duration for a PageView over the past week

SELECT average(duration) FROM PageView SINCE 1 week AGO TIMESERIES

Compare (Trending)

SELECT average(duration) FROM PageView SINCE 1 week AGO COMPARE WITH 1 week AGO TIMESERIES

Control the bucket size

SELECT average(duration) FROM PageView SINCE 1 week AGO COMPARE WITH 1 week AGO TIMESERIES 2 day

—------------------------------------

Average duration for PageViews for a specific time frame

SELECT average(duration) FROM PageView SINCE 5 days AGO UNTIL 3 days ago TIMESERIES

How many unique visitors on my site right now (almost)

SELECT uniqueCount(session) FROM PageView SINCE 5 minutes AGO

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Expose more data from a single query with:
Multi-Function and Multi-Facet

Compare different performance data for different pages on your site (PageViews grouped by PageUrl)

SELECT max(duration), average(duration) FROM PageView FACET PageUrl

Worst page load durations broken out by browser type, country code, city

SELECT max(duration) FROM PageView FACET userAgentName, countryCode, city

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 5 mins
Lab: Multi function/Facet Queries
Add these PageView queries to your dashboard:

1 SELECT ___________ FROM PageView FACET ___________ , ______________

Select a Count all function of Pageviews grouped by Device and CountryCode

2 SELECT _________(duration), average(__________) FROM _________ FACET pageUrl

Select average Pageview duration as well as average backend duration from the PageViews on

your site (Try a TABLE chart type)

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 5 mins
Lab: Query Builder
Pseudo code into queries

We want to answer the following PageView performance questions. Choose the Demotronv2
Account as the data source and add these charts to your dashboard:

1 What’s the worst (max) page load duration in my app called ‘WebPortal’ (appname) in the
past 24 hours ? _______________________________

How does my average page load duration over past 7 days compare with the 7 days
2 before
(The time specified by COMPARE WITH is relative to the time specified by SINCE or UNTIL)

3 Which cities (FACET) and pages (FACET PageUrl) are experiencing the worst page loads
in my app called ‘WebPortal’ over the past 24 hours ? _____________________________________
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 5 mins
Lab: More Event Types
Add some of these queries to your dashboard:
Mobile, MobileRequest, SyntheticCheck, SystemSample

1 Infrastructure: SystemSample
SELECT average(cpuPercent) FROM SystemSample FACET `entityName` limit 20
or
SELECT average(diskUsedPercent) from SystemSample facet entityName limit 20

2 Synthetics:: SyntheticCheck

or SELECT count(*) FROM SyntheticCheck FACET result

SELECT average(duration) FROM SyntheticCheck FACET monitorName

3 Mobile: Mobile, MobileRequest

or SELECT count(*) AS 'sessions' FROM Mobile SINCE 1 week ago

SELECT count(*) from MobileCrash SINCE 1 day ago facet deviceModel
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Writing NRQL Tips

1 Start with SELECT or FROM (any order)

2 Pick FROM your main EVENT type (from different data sources eg PageView, Transaction etc)

3 Use SPACE BAR or Up/Down arrows in lists or TAB to autocomplete parts of your query

4 Use COMMAS to add Multiple Columns or attributes from a data set

5 If you get Syntax Errors simplify the query and rebuild it step by step, or build it in Basic Mode
first then convert it

* Learn more at our docs site :

** Try the NRQL Lessons App in

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Dashboards

▪ Keep an eye on your most

critical performance metrics
quickly by adding them to a
custom dashboard.
▪ Build ANY dashboard you want
with ANY data you want – no
coding involved.
▪ Diagnose problems faster and
enhance collaboration across
teams

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Interactive Dashboards & Collaboration

Link FACETS to filter charts across a Dashboard (easier for users than using the filter bar)

Link a (‘general’) Dashboard to another (‘specific’) related Dashboard

EG. SELECT Count(*) FROM Transaction FACET name

Type: Bar

Link facets to

current dashboard

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 5 mins
Dashboard features
Find the ‘Buried dashboard’ in ‘Demotron V2’ and explore it:
Notice the needle is not correlated across all 3 Timeseries charts?
1 Try a ‘Drag zoom’ across one of the charts to synchronise them

2 Reset the charts to their individual time periods using TimePicker > Default

3 Use the Search box to filter to FACET attributes, or click on Filterable charts. Clear the Filter.

Brush zoom Consistent Facet Colours Correlated Needle

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 5 mins
Lab: Challenge yourself!
More Advanced Queries
Try adding these queries to your dashboard:

1 Show the 3 slowest transactions (LIMIT)

___________________________________________________________________

2 Compare active unique sessions on your site in the last 5 minutes with 30 minutes earlier
(uniqueCount(sessionID))
___________________________________________________________________

3 Show a chart of 500 response codes and any details

___________________________________________
4 Create a table of throughput through your applications (FACET) and make the app names
interactive filters ___________________________________________________________________
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 Advanced NRQL

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Histogram

SELECT histogram(attribute, ceiling [, number of buckets])

FROM Event_Type SINCE 1 hour ago

Example:

“Show me a Histogram of response times ranging up to 10 seconds over 20 buckets”

SELECT histogram(duration, 10, 20) FROM PageView SINCE 1 week ago

*Use histogram() with a FACET clause to generate a heatmap chart

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 5 mins
Lab: Histogram
1 Fill in the blanks _____________ and write the following query in a New Relic account

“Show me a Histogram of back-end response times ranging up to 2 seconds with 10 buckets”:

SELECT histogram(_________________, _______, _______) FROM _______________ SINCE 1 week

ago

2 Refine the settings of your histogram:

• Adjust the ceiling to a smaller value and increase the number of buckets to get smaller
steps
• When you’re happy with the distribution save your new Histogram chart

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Funnel
SELECT funnel(attribute, Step A, Step B)
Example:

SELECT funnel(session, WHERE pageUrl LIKE '%/' AS'Homepage',

WHERE pageUrl LIKE '%/browse/plans' AS 'Click Product',

Step A Label
WHERE pageUrl LIKE '%login.jsp' AS 'Login',

Step B Label

WHERE pageUrl LIKE '%/checkout' AS 'Confirm')

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FACET CASES
Break out your data by more complex conditions

SELECT ...
FACET CASES (WHERE attribute operator value, WHERE attribute operator value, ... )

Eg.
Group your PageView data into categories like < 1 second, from 1 to 10 secs, and > 10 seconds
SELECT count(*) FROM PageView
FACET CASES (WHERE duration < 1, WHERE duration > 1 and duration < 10, WHERE duration > 10)

Page Load Time by Category query

SELECT average(duration) FROM PageView FACET CASES( WHERE pageUrl like '%/index.html' AS 'Home Page',
WHERE pageUrl like '%/browse/%' AS 'Product Page', WHERE pageUrl like '%/shoppingcart' AS 'Cart Page', WHERE
pageUrl LIKE '%/checkout' AS 'Purchased')
TIMESERIES since 1 day ago

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Metrics vs. Events
Event: Immutable, timestamped record of
1 a discrete action
Eventn
● Ad-hoc queries (not known in advance)
..attribute 1 ● Retention: Generally short to medium term
..attribute 2 ● Find the needle in a haystack
..attribute 3
..attribute n

time tn

Count: 1000
Average: 536 Metric: Representation of data
Sum: 536,253
2 measured over interval of time
Min: 357 ● Well-defined and common KPIs defined in advance
Max: 6,986 ● Retention: 13 months (roll-ups), 30 days (raw data)
● Summarize info about the haystack
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The value of Event data changes over time

Use aggregated metrics rules to

reduce long-term storage costs
Events and increase query speed.

Value of
raw data Rules for querying Metric data type

Metrics
t
Time / retention costs
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Dashboards & NRQL
Use these ideas to continue your NRQL knowledge after this course:

1 Build charts around the Transaction

3 Build charts around the SystemSample
event type to find out about your event type to find out about your hosts:
backend applications
CPU, Memory, Disk free, Load average
What throughput do you have across your
applications, your hosts, what response codes you
are getting, how many 500s, average duration of
4 Build charts around the MobileRequest or
transactions grouped by name SyntheticCheck event type to find out
about mobile app crashes or ping check
Build charts around the PageView event
2 type to find out about:
failures:
Mobile Crashes, Synthetic check results or performance
Where your users are from, popular pageUrls, slow
pages, what devices and browsers are being used,
throughput trends (compare) by day/week
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Using NRQL in Alerts
Query results

• Queries must return a number.

• The alert condition works by evaluating that returned number against the thresholds you
set.

Threshold Types

Static Anomaly - Baseline

Some elements of NRQL used in
● simplest type ● self-adjusting charts don’t make sense in the
condition based streaming context of alerts.
● Create a condition on the past
based on the behavior of the
numeric value monitored
returned values
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 5-7 mins
Lab: NRQL Alerts
Explore x 2 ways to create NRQL Alerts in the NRU Training account:
You want to create these NRQL Alert condition for the Pet Clinic app:
Alert when the max duration of my Pageviews take longer than 7 seconds
Alert when the 95th percentile of firstContentPaint) of my Pageviews take longer than 7 seconds

1. Create the query in the Query builder (this is the signal feed for the alert)
2. Choose ‘Create alert’ and set the Threshold settings and create an alert for this

3. Go to the Browser summary page for Pet Clinic app

4. Choose ellipses… Create alert condition from the ‘User-centric page load times’ chart
5. Amend the query to:
SELECT percentile(firstContentfulPaint, 95) FROM PageViewTiming WHERE (appId = 35877322) EXTRAPOLATE

Check our docs site for more NRQL use case examples:
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 Est. 20 mins

Lab: Chart Challenge

Add these charts to a dashboard!
Use DemotronV2 account and WebPortal application:
• How many live visitors are on my site right now? • Show a distribution (histogram) of Transaction
response times
uniqueCount(session) AS 'Site Visitors'
histogram(duration, 0.5, 30)
• Application throughput grouped by Transaction Name
• Use the multiple functions to show how the front end
FACET name and back end performance compare right now (past
10 mins) ?
• Which response codes are we seeing?
average (duration), average(backendDuration)
FACET HttpResponseCode
• You have added a custom attribute to your
• Average response time grouped by Transaction Name Transaction event type in the WebPortal app to store
shopping cart total value:
FACET name
PurchasedCartGrandTotal
• Show percentile breakdowns of Transaction response
times • Show the total shopping cart value in the past 60 min
percentile(duration, 5, 50, 95) sum(PurchasedCartGrandTotal)
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Thank you.
[email protected]

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