Using MSTest as a Site / Environment Monitoring Tool
We are currently using Hp SiteScope to monitor synthetic transactions in some of our web applications. This works very well, except for the licensing cost for each synthetic transaction, which makes it overwhelming to provide adequate coverage in our applications.
So an alternative would be to use SiteScope URL monitoring, which can basically call the URL and then provide some basic checks for specific strings. With this approach, I would like to create a page that either names a bunch of pages or tries to use the MSTest group to run tests.
In the end, I need a set of test cases that can be used across multiple environments to be used to validate production, uptime, status, etc.
Thanks, Matt
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Are you familiar with System Center Operations Manager 2007?
I'm just getting started but seems to do what you describe in your question.
We're looking at monitoring our datacenter and web application ... from a few things I've found on the internet, it will fit our need.
Update
Since then I have moved to Application Insights. A great overview can be found here, https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/app-insights-monitor-web-app-availability/
There are two methods you can use, a simple ping or a multi-stage synthetic user "experience" recording. You are basically acting as a user, and with IE and the Visual Studio Web Test project, you record the site navigation and upload this file to Azure.
For example, I log a login by moving a few pages and then I log out. As long as all these events take place in a timely manner, the site is in good working order.
If the tests fail, it will take too long to respond, for example I will receive an email warning me that something is not quite right.
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