As it's become tradition, Arctiq once again kicked off the year by attending the latest edition of Perform, Dynatrace's flagship conference, in Las Vegas with our clients.
During the event, Dynatrace showcased a range of new product features with the promise to reshape the observability landscape. I attended to get some insights into the latest offerings, and this blog will delve into my key takeaways. We'll explore the practical implications of these innovations and why they matter within the evolving world of observability. From generative AI to cost optimization and enhanced visualizations, join me as we unpack the best from this year's Dynatrace Perform.
Generative AI Features: Bridging Silos with Davis CoPilot
Generative AI features often meet skepticism, but Dynatrace's integration of Copilot is a game-changer. More than just a tool, Davis Copilot feels like a near-autonomous alternative to DQL (Dynatrace Query Language). This means you don't need expert Dynatrace knowledge to get the answers you seek, breaking down silos between Dev and Observability teams. Observability is now accessible to everyone – it's a major step towards a more unified and collaborative way of solving problems.
AI and Data Observability: Illuminating the Data Lifecycle
The integration of AI and data observability is a major leap forward. It offers unprecedented visibility into the entire data lifecycle – from how data is collected, to how it's processed and used in models. This eliminates blind spots, revealing the inner workings of what used to be a black box. Dynatrace is at the forefront of this, changing the way we understand data within observability. This deeper understanding will empower organizations to make better, data-driven decisions at every stage.
OpenPipeline: A Game-Changing Response to Observability Challenges
Dynatrace's OpenPipeline arrives in direct response to Datadog's acclaimed pipeline feature. It promises to streamline data ingestion, tackling the complexity and diversity of observability data. With OpenPipeline not yet generally available, only time will tell if it can match or surpass Datadog Pipelines in terms of feature set and ease of use. This is a strategic play focused on the heart of data ingestion. As the number of data sources multiplies, tools like OpenPipeline are essential for unlocking the full power of observability. The industry is rapidly evolving, and Dynatrace, armed with OpenPipeline, is positioned to shape the future of how observability data is handled and transformed into insights.
Discovery Mode OneAgent: Optimizing Costs and Enhancing Visibility
Dynatrace also introduced a new way of observing your infrastructure using a Discovery Mode OneAgent. At the conference, this has ignited discussions about cost optimization within Dynatrace for many participants. This new mode offers basic observability for non-critical infrastructure and workloads at a significantly reduced cost. By maintaining the visibility of these elements for root cause analysis, organizations can save money without sacrificing insight. This is a potential game-changer for the industry. Dynatrace's move towards cost-effective observability addresses real-world budget limitations while promoting a more holistic view of system health – even non-critical components can offer valuable clues.
Simplifying Observability with Dynatrace's Updated Visualizations
Dynatrace's new suite of data visualizations is a significant update that enhances the observability experience across the platform. These cutting-edge additions shine in the recently released Kubernetes and Infrastructure & Operations apps, delivering deeper insights into workload health and performance. If Dynatrace can match the visualization power of Grafana, it will dramatically simplify how users communicate the value of the platform. This focus on visual storytelling transforms complex data into an easily understood narrative, bridging the gap between technical experts and stakeholders across the organization.
Exploring Release Validation with Site Reliability Guardian (SRG) and Dynatrace AutomationEngine
While not a Perform 2024 announcement, I had the chance to explore in depth the new Dynatrace's Site Reliability Guardian (SRG) through training sessions. It holds great potential for transforming release validation. Working seamlessly with Dynatrace AutomationEngine, SRG goes beyond traditional testing by validating SLOs, security scores, and even business events – giving a clear pass/fail verdict. Within CI/CD pipelines, AutomationEngine orchestrates everything. It triggers SRG tests based on your pipeline events, and can even automatically halt the pipeline if tests fail. This powerful integration empowers teams to enforce quality standards at every stage of the release process, ensuring reliability from development to deployment.
OpenTelemetry: Small Improvements, Big Impact
OpenTelemetry may not be the focus of this conference, but the steady stream of small improvements that I saw will make a big difference. It's encouraging to see the industry rally around this project. These enhancements demonstrate a strong commitment to OpenTelemetry's evolution, which is essential for the future of observability. Dynatrace's involvement in this process ensures a more robust, interoperable ecosystem – giving organizations the flexibility and power to choose the instrumentation strategies that work best for them.
Conclusion: Dynatrace Perform 2024's Impact on Observability
Dynatrace Perform 2024 unveiled a range of innovations that build upon last year's Grail platform launch. These advancements aren't just conceptual; they offer tangible benefits for DevOps and Observability teams. By democratizing insights, streamlining data flow, automating release validation, and optimizing costs, Dynatrace is actively shaping the future of the field.
You can still experience every boundary-breaking mainstage session, product announcement, and breakout session from Dynatrace Perform 2024 on-demand here.
