FSO AutoProfiler for APM Insight

The APM Insight AutoProfiler is a subagent installed and managed under the FSO (Full-Stack Observability) agent. It simplifies application performance monitoring by automatically detecting application processes running on the server. When you install the Applications Manager Full-Stack Agent with APM Insight enabled, the APM Insight AutoProfiler service is automatically installed.

This service downloads the APM agents and automatically instruments supported application processes with the appropriate agent. This eliminates the need to manually install, configure, or modify application code for language- or platform-specific APM Insight agents.

Note: APM Insight AutoProfiler is a component of the Full-Stack Observability (FSO) Agent and cannot be used as a standalone service. FSO Agent installation is mandatory before using AutoProfiler.

Use case

In production environments with multiple applications and frequent deployments, manually installing and managing language-specific APM agents is time-consuming and error-prone. New services often go live without proper monitoring, and updating monitoring configurations requires additional manual effort, impacting operational efficiency.

With the Applications Manager APM Insight AutoProfiler enabled, applications are automatically detected and instrumented. The appropriate APM agents are attached as new processes start, without manual setup. This enables teams to update rules and scale services without disrupting production workloads.

Supported APM agents and platforms

The AutoProfiler currently supports the following APM agents:

Note: For the latest version details, refer to the Linux release notes and Windows release notes.

Installation steps

Refer to the installation help document to learn the installation steps for the AutoProfiler.

Application discovery

Application Discovery automatically detects web application processes running on your host using the AutoProfiler and lists them for monitoring.

APM Insight process monitoring rules

APM Insight Process Monitoring Rules give you fine-grained control over the applications you want to monitor.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

1. Where can I view the application monitors running on my servers?

Navigate to Applications Manager > APM to view all the application monitors associated with your servers.

2. How can I disable the APM Insight AutoProfiler after installation if it is not needed?

Disabling the APM Insight AutoProfiler will prevent further auto-discovery and addition of applications. To disable the AutoProfiler, navigate to Settings > FSO Agent > click the three dots (⋮) next to the server > Disable APM Insight Monitoring. After disabling, restart the relevant application process to apply the changes.

3. Is it enough if the proxy settings are configured at the Full-Stack agent level?

Yes. Proxy settings configured at the FSO level are sufficient.

4. What happens to the APM Insight AutoProfiler when the Full-Stack agent is offline?

The APM Insight AutoProfiler service operates independently and continues to function even if the FSO Agent is offline. It only stops if the FSO Agent is uninstalled.

5. How long does the APM Insight AutoProfiler retain data?

AutoProfiler does not store trace data. Data retention applies only to APM agents that use DataExporter.

6. What happens if I uninstall APM Insight AutoProfiler? What happens to the APM agents installed by the AutoProfiler, and what happens to the respective monitors?

Uninstalling the APM AutoProfiler removes all APM agents and services that were installed through the AutoProfiler. This stops further application auto-discovery and automatic agent attachment. When the application is restarted, the agent will no longer be attached and the associated monitors will transition to a down state.

7. What happens if I already have some APM agents running on my server and I install the Full-Stack agent? Will the APM agents be automatically associated with the AutoProfiler?

Existing manually installed APM agents will continue to function normally, and data collection will continue as long as the application process is running. However, once the application process restarts, the APM Insight AutoProfiler will attach the new agent it manages, and new APM monitors will be created for the application.

It is recommended to uninstall any manually installed APM agents before installing the FSO with the AutoProfiler enabled to avoid duplicate instrumentation.

8. How to verify if the Applications Manager APM Insight AutoProfiler is up and running?

You can verify the AutoProfiler service status on your host machine:

• Windows: Open the Services window and ensure that the ManageEngine Applications Manager APM Auto Profiler service is listed and its status is Running.

• Linux: Run the following service command:

  systemctl status applicationsmanagerapmautoprofiler.service

  Also verify that the applicationsmanagerapmautoprofiler service is in the running state.

9. What to do if AutoProfiler is running but the APM monitor is not added in the Applications Manager console?

Restart the application process or reset the IIS server (for Windows IIS environments) from a fresh terminal. After the restart, once the application starts receiving traffic, the monitor will be added within a minute.

10. What to do if data collection is happening for the application process even after all the Applications Manager services (FSO, AutoProfiler, etc.) are removed?

Uninstalling the FSO Agent or disabling/uninstalling AutoProfiler does not automatically stop data collection. Data will continue to be collected as long as the monitored application is running. To stop data collection, restart the relevant application process.

11. Can it detect and auto-monitor newly added services or applications?

Yes. AutoProfiler automatically detects and monitors new applications that meet the APM Insight Process Monitoring Rules.

12. I skipped AutoProfiler during installation. Can I enable it later?

Yes. You can install AutoProfiler even if you did not enable it during the initial installation. For detailed instructions, refer to the installation help document.

Related articles

• APM Insight AutoProfiler agent security
• Full-Stack Observability (FSO) Agent