Challenges Faced when Using Traditional RUM Tools

Some of the most common tools used for real user monitoring are as follows:

• Network Probes/Sniffers: These are hardware devices that can be deployed on the network, connected to span ports, and configured to snoop on traffic over the network to capture and analyze user experience metrics in real-time.
• Client Agent: This approach involves installing an agent on the client device and configuring that agent to track the requests and responses at the client.

Though network probes are capable of monitoring non-intrusively without adding to the load on the network or the client, deployment of the probes is a challenge as it will require the approval and assistance of networking experts. Moreover, the probes may not be able to obtain the full application context, as network transmissions are often encrypted. Using a client agent too is not without disadvantages. Installing and later maintaining the agent software on every client can prove to be a daunting task, particularly in environments characterized by hundreds of users connecting from numerous clients.

Owing to these limitations, neither of these tools qualify as ideal Real User Monitors.