New Relic Agent Agent Not Capturing External Services

What is New Relic Agent Agent Not Capturing External Services

Understanding New Relic Agent

New Relic Agent is a powerful tool designed to monitor applications, providing insights into performance, errors, and user interactions. It helps developers and operations teams to identify bottlenecks and optimize application performance. One of its key features is the ability to capture external service calls, which is crucial for understanding the full scope of application interactions.

Identifying the Symptom

In some cases, users may notice that the New Relic Agent is not capturing external service calls. This can manifest as missing data in the New Relic dashboard, where expected external service interactions are not logged or reported. This issue can hinder the ability to fully analyze application performance and diagnose issues related to external dependencies.

Exploring the Issue: NR-1043

The issue NR-1043 specifically refers to the agent's failure to capture external services. This problem can arise due to several reasons, including misconfiguration or unsupported libraries. Understanding the root cause is essential for effective troubleshooting and resolution.

Root Cause Analysis

The primary cause of this issue is often related to configuration settings within the New Relic Agent. If external service monitoring is not enabled, the agent will not track these interactions. Additionally, if the application is using HTTP libraries that are not supported by New Relic, the agent may fail to capture the calls.

Steps to Fix the Issue

To resolve the NR-1043 issue, follow these steps:

Step 1: Verify Configuration

Ensure that external service monitoring is enabled in your New Relic configuration file. This can typically be found in the newrelic.yml file. Look for the following setting and ensure it is set to true:

instrumentation: external_services: true

Step 2: Check Supported Libraries

Verify that your application is using HTTP libraries supported by New Relic. Commonly supported libraries include HTTPClient, Net::HTTP, and RestClient. If you are using a different library, consider switching to a supported one or check for any available plugins or updates that might add support.

Step 3: Update the Agent

Ensure that you are using the latest version of the New Relic Agent. Updates often include bug fixes and support for additional libraries. You can update the agent by running:

gem update newrelic_rpm

Step 4: Restart Your Application

After making configuration changes or updating the agent, restart your application to apply the changes. This ensures that the agent reloads with the new settings and begins capturing external service calls.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the NR-1043 issue and ensure that your New Relic Agent captures all external service interactions. For further assistance, refer to the New Relic documentation or contact New Relic support for more detailed guidance.