Without the right tools, managing performance can be tricky. IT infrastructures have become increasingly complex as new applications and networking technologies have been adopted. These changes have made it more difficult to gain crucial insight into performance, which has led to a proliferation of disparate, loosely integrated management data sources and tools, each solving only a piece of the performance management puzzle.

This guide discusses the best practice areas for application and network performance management, introducing features and capabilities to keep in mind when evaluating performance management tools. By examining alternatives against these factors, you can dramatically increase the potential for selecting a solution that will provide the critical business intelligence you need.