Govplace Insights
Observability

When it comes to Application Performance Monitoring (APM) or Observability, we believe that telemetry should be used to create actionable insights. We don’t believe observability is passive, it’s an ongoing process. Too often, dashboards are created which have a plethora of metrics and telemetry data on them with no context to the business goals or mission success. When an alarm or error is identified in the telemetry it needs to have a clear indicator as to what effect this is having on those goals.

That’s why we believe in doing observability differently. We create solutions to provide actionable insights which are useful to engineers, technicians, administrators, as well as to the leaders and owners overseeing projects, initiatives, and missions.

Customized Solutions for The Federal Government

We understand that each federal agency has unique goals, challenges, and missions. A one-size-fits-all approach to observability simply won’t suffice. Our service is designed to be customizable, catering specifically to the needs of individual federal agencies. Whether it’s tailoring the metrics, establishing custom alarms, or integrating with existing IT infrastructure, we work closely with agencies to ensure that our Observability solution aligns perfectly with their objectives.

Telemetry with Purpose

Traditional approaches to observability often inundate IT leaders with an overwhelming amount of telemetry data, leading to confusion and inefficiency. Our Observability service takes a different path; we focus on utilizing telemetry with a clear purpose: to create actionable insights. This means cutting through the noise and presenting IT leaders with the most relevant information that directly impacts on their agency’s mission goals.

Context is Key

One of the most significant drawbacks of generic dashboards is the lack of context. IT leaders need to understand how deviations from acceptable limits impact their agency’s overall mission. For instance, if CPU usage on a set of servers exceeds the threshold, the immediate question is: how does this affect the mission? Which applications or data will be affected by this slowdown? Our Observability service ensures that every anomaly or error comes with clear indicators, offering IT leaders a direct understanding of its impact on their agency’s objectives.

Bridging the Gap

Observability should not be limited to engineers and technicians; it must extend its reach to administrators, project leaders, and agency owners. Our service aims to bridge this gap between IT and leadership by presenting insights that are comprehensible to all stakeholders. Whether it’s providing in-depth technical details for engineers or offering high-level summaries for leadership, our Observability service ensures that everyone has the necessary information to make well-informed decisions.

Real-Time, Ongoing Observability

Observability is not a one-time event; it’s an ongoing process. Our service embraces this concept and delivers real-time insights that enable federal IT leaders to proactively address issues before they escalate. By constantly monitoring critical metrics and telemetry data, our Observability service empowers leaders to make informed decisions and take corrective actions promptly.

A Proven Process

As mentioned in our Govplace Insights: Cloud Solutions article, our process closely relates to a DevSecOps process. DevSecOps has been a cultural shift which began decades ago and today has stood the test of time for organizations of all sizes, from the smallest to the largest. It aims to solve problems which exist in engineering, building, securing, maintaining, and improving technical environments. In a future blog we’ll step deeper into the detail behind this process, but to summarize: 

Discover
Our proven process begins with design thinking. This allows our team to fully understand the challenges of an existing process, application, or environment as well as the needs of new ones. Discovery is asking questions, gathering data, and leveraging tools to enrich that data.
Observe
Observation is key to providing actionable insights. Production applications under load may require changes to their scalability. Data may see new access patterns. Unforeseen issues may arise. Environments may need tuning down. Observation is the way in which these optimizations can be identified and applied to any environment.
Verify
A final round of testing is performed again to ensure that any changes made between the previous round of testing and implementation are accounted for. Testing will also confirm that mission objectives are achieved as expected.
Implement
Portions of the environment are implemented on a rolling schedule based on the plan.
Test
The environment is tested automatically by tools and by any specified tests created in the planning phase.
Build
Our team begins building the environment to the specifications required by the plan. We leverage the Well Architected Framework and implement automation such as using a CI/CD pipeline for Infrastructure as Code.
Plan
We develop a comprehensive plan which includes stakeholder inputs, goals, metrics for success, tests, timelines, design, and implementation plans. The plan is developed to minimize the overall impact to the agency.
  • Discover – Our proven process begins with design thinking. This allows our team to fully understand the challenges of an existing process, application, or environment as well as the needs of new ones. Discovery is asking questions, gathering data, and leveraging tools to enrich that data.
  • Plan –
    We develop a comprehensive plan which includes stakeholder inputs, goals, metrics for success, tests, timelines, design, and implementation plans. The plan is developed to minimize the overall impact to the agency.
  • Build –
    Our team begins building the environment to the specifications required by the plan. We leverage the Well Architected Framework and implement automation such as using a CI/CD pipeline for Infrastructure as Code.
  • Test –
    The environment is tested automatically by tools and by any specified tests created in the planning phase.
  • Implement –
    Portions of the environment are implemented on a rolling schedule based on the plan.
  • Verify –
    A final round of testing is performed again to ensure that any changes made between the previous round of testing and implementation are accounted for. Testing will also confirm that mission objectives are achieved as expected.
  • Observe –
    Observation is key to providing actionable insights. Production applications under load may require changes to their scalability. Data may see new access patterns. Unforeseen issues may arise. Environments may need tuning down. Observation is the way in which these optimizations can be identified and applied to any environment.

What it Means to Choose Govplace

Long pedigree in working with federal agencies

  • Over 30 years of experience in the Public Sector
  • Advanced Partnership levels with leading Solution Providers

Observability Expertise

  • Creating Application Performance Monitoring (APM) environments
  • Troubleshooting resource constraints within applications
  • Identifying key metrics for scalability and resiliency

Solutions tied to compliance and regulation such as:

  • FedRamp 
  • CIS 
  • NIST CSF 
  • NIST 800-53 
  • HIPAA 
  • PCI DSS

Solutions built with modern frameworks such as:

  • Well Architected Framework 
  • Zero Trust 
  • DevSecOps

Solutions built using Infrastructure as Code (IAC)

  • Codifies the environment for consistency
  • Self-documents the environment for clear documentation
  • Increases the speed of deployments or changes
  • Eliminates configuration drift
  • Enables DevSecOps processes for peer review, static analysis, and best practice linting

Our Observability Offerings and Strategic Partners

Our offerings and certified engineers bring a high level of expertise in designing, deploying, and managing cutting-edge Performance Management solutions from top industry partners such as AppDynamics, Palo Alto Networks, Dynatrace, and many more. This allows us to efficiently collect and analyze data, translating it into valuable, actionable insights.

  • Application Performance Monitoring

  • Network Performance Monitoring

  • Performance Assessments

  • IT Operations Management Automation

  • DevSecOps Enablement

  • Data Visualization Services

  • Application Performance Monitoring

  • Network Performance Monitoring

  • Performance Assessments

  • IT Operations Management Automation

  • DevSecOps Enablement

  • Data Visualization Services

Observability is not just a buzzword; it’s a transformative approach to monitoring and managing IT systems within federal agencies. Our Observability service is committed to empowering federal IT leaders with actionable insights that drive efficiency, enhance decision-making, and ultimately ensure mission success. By revolutionizing how observability is approached, we aim to be the catalyst for positive change and progress in federal government IT operations.

Speak with The Team!

Reach out to schedule an appointment with one of our certified engineers to discuss your technical environment’s most pressing challenges.

CONTACT US

About Govplace

At Govplace, our approach to design and implement secure IT transformation solutions is driven by our dynamic, people-first culture, allowing us to deliver unparalleled end-user experiences and mission-focused impact for our Federal Government customers. We possess an expansive portfolio of contracting vehicles to deliver integrated product and service solutions. Guided by a deep understanding of government contracting and reputable expertise of leading technologies, solutions and strategic partnerships, our capabilities cover Security and Compliance, Cloud Solutions and Observability.

Media Contact
Gabriela Miranda
Marketing Manager
gmiranda@govplace.com