RUM or synthetic monitoring: should you choose? The answer is clearly no. These two approaches complement each other perfectly to ensure the quality of your data and offer the best possible user experience
.In the world of web monitoring, two methodologies stand out:
- RUM (Real User Monitoring), which is based on data from real users,
- Synthetic monitoring, based on automated and predefined tests.
What are their respective strengths, their limitations, and why combining them is often the ideal solution? Let's dive into their specificities to better understand their complementarity.
RUM vs synthetic monitoring: what are the differences?
Real user traffic
- RUM: collection of data from real users. It reflects the real user experience and captures authentic information about their browsing .
- Synthetic: uses pre-recorded scenarios. This approach is proactive, verifying key paths at regular intervals, regardless of user activity.
The installation
- RUM: requires the addition of a tag on all pages of the site, similar to a web analysis tool.
- Synthetic: works without intervention on the site. It simulates users and only needs to be filtered from real data to avoid biasing the statistics .
Multi-browser coverage
- RUM: compatible with all browsers, capturing performance regardless of the tool used by your visitors.
- synthetic: tests are often limited to one or a few specific browsers.
The complete vision of the pages
- RUM: collects data on all pages, including the least visited ones or those that are not configured.
- Synthetic: accesses pages through scenarios and may require configuration to explore restricted areas such as connected spaces.
Real time
- RUM: offers a real-time vision of performance and user behavior.
- synthetic: performs tests at regular intervals, with alerts limited to test periods.
Reactive vs. Proactive
- RUM: Detects problems after they occur, which means that users may already be impacted.
- synthetic: allows you to check paths and data before they are put into production, to prevent errors.
Precision and technical analysis
- RUM: may lack precision on the exact triggering of events and offer a general view without in-depth technical details.
- synthetic: offers a detailed analysis, with the possibility of validating specific triggers at specific times.
The RUM has its limits...
Despite its power, the RUM
has some weaknesses:- No server-side monitoring: it does not allow you to track server-side triggers, an approach that is however becoming more and more common.
- Analysis complexity: ad blockers or denial of consent can create biases in the data collected .
- Privacy and consent: subject to privacy rules, the RUM cannot always collect data from users who have refused tracking .
⦠to which synthetic monitoring compensates.
In reality, RUM and synthetic monitoring are not in opposition: they are complementary.
- The RUM excels at analyzing performance in real conditions, shedding light on the problems that users encounter.
- Synthetic monitoring ensures the reliability of critical paths and data, even before users interact with your site or application.
By combining these two approaches, you get comprehensive coverage: proactive monitoring to anticipate errors and reactive analysis to resolve issues quickly.
