RPM FAQ

About RPM // Billing & Subscription

What's RPM?

How does it work?

Billing and Subscription

About RPM

What's RPM?

New Relic RPM is an on-demand Web application performance management solution that lets you see inside a production Java, Ruby, or JRuby application deployed in a cloud or in a datacenter. RPM has an intuitive interface that eliminates the learning curve. RPM provides monitoring, troubleshooting, root cause diagnosis, plus pro-active planning tools such as capacity planning, scalability analysis, database usage analysis, Apdex scoring, and deployment history. Sign-up, installation and configuration take two minutes. RPM Lite is free. You will be delighted by the combination of simplicity, power and ease of use of RPM. Join the thousands of companies who use this revolutionary on-demand tool every day.

What is the difference between RPM and RPM Lite?

RPM Lite is a free, fully supported version of RPM designed to provide basic monitoring for startups, students and not-for-profits. RPM Lite can be used on as many applications or hosts as you like, and there is no time limit for its use. Upgrading to a paid RPM subscription improves on RPM Lite by providing longer, and more detailed data retention, and additional analysis tools such as Transaction Tracing, Error Detection, Automated Incident Detection, Scalability Analysis, Custom Dashboards and more.

Who needs a performance monitor by New Relic? How do I know if New Relic RPM can help me?

All software applications encounter performance issues which can be caused by unexpected app behavior under load, inefficient code, database response, or many other causes. RPM can alert you when your application is having problems fulfilling user requests and can give you the data you need to identify the root cause. The best way to know whether RPM can help you is to start using it. In just two minutes, you could be up and running. Get RPM Lite for FREE. Use it for as long as you like.

What is the Developer Mode feature of RPM?

Developer Mode is a feature of RPM available for Ruby applications. When RPM runs in Developer Mode, it collects performance information in-memory and presents that information as a collection of web pages inside your application. Developer Mode comes with all levels of RPM. Take a Tour

How does it work?

How do I install RPM in my application?

Installation takes about two minutes. After you subscribe you will get your license key and instructions. Rails Install Demo / Java Install Demo

  • Sign up for the RPM level right for you.
  • You will be shown your license key and installation instructions. Then you just download the Ruby and/or Java application monitor agent.
  • RPM instantly starts collecting your performance information and connects to the RPM Service. It automatically runs whenever your app runs in production.
  • The RPM agent reports aggregate performance data to the RPM service.
  • Login to http://rpm.newrelic.com to see performance data for your application as it runs in production.

How does the RPM Developer Mode feature work?

  • The New Relic RPM Rails plug-in installs with zero configuration.
  • Whenever you run your app in development, the New Relic Agent tracks the performance of every http request. It stores the last 100 http transactions in memory.
  • RPM presents this info as a collection of web pages within your application. Don't worry-these pages stay in development mode, for your eyes only! When your app is in development mode, the agent doesn't report data to NewRelic.com or anywhere else.
  • To view performance information, including detailed SQL statement analysis, go to http://localhost:3000/newrelic and start drilling down.
  • Try it as long as you like on your desktop. There's no expiration date.
  • When you're ready to take your app to production, don't forget to take RPM with you.
  • Take a Tour

How does RPM monitor my application in production?

In New Relic RPM, there are two primary components – The RPM Agent and the RPM Service. The Agent is a small software module that is deployed within your web application. Its purpose is to capture performance metric data and send that to the RPM Service. The RPM Service is hosted in our datacenter and its purpose is the aggregation, storage, correlation and display of your performance metric data. Using your browser, you connect to the RPM Service and can monitor application performance in real-time, spot problems, diagnose the cause and optimize your application.

Do you provide a way of analyzing the performance data collected from my application?

Yes, New Relic RPM provides drill-down analytic tools that let you quickly visualize your performance data in context.

What types of performance tools does RPM provide?

Check out our features page to see many features at your disposal.

What application platforms are supported by RPM?

We recognize that you may have Java or Ruby applications running on several different application servers and frameworks. RPM is able to provide important performance data from most commonly used application platforms including on Java: WebSphere, WebLogic, JBoss, Tomcat, Jetty, Glassfish, Struts, Spring. And for Ruby: Rails, Mongrel, Passenger, Unicorn, Sinatra, Rack, Merb, JRuby, LiteSpeed, and Thin. We add new support frequently.

Can RPM give me information about applications outside my web application?

RPM is able to tell you how much transaction time is being spent in external calls to other applications like web services. It can also isolate time spent in calls to your databases. Finally we provide considerable detail about background jobs that your application kicks off—like credit card authorization, email confirmations, etc.

Can RPM work on my applications in the Cloud?

Absolutely. RPM is the leading application management tool used by cloud customers. We have close working relationships with cloud infrastructure companies like Amazon and VMWare. You can also find RPM integrated into most cloud platforms such as RightScale, Engine Yard, Heroku, Gigaspaces, GoGrid, SpeedyRails, Stax and Webbynode.

Does RPM give me a way to see cluster-level performance data?

Yes, you can see performance by instance, by host, or by cluster. Our automatic application grouping capability allows you to logically combine data from many instances to see aggregate performance information from applications that span hosts.

How do I access my performance data?

First, make sure you've installed the New Relic RPM agent plug-In. To see your performance data in Developer Mode for Ruby apps, go to http://localhost:3000/newrelic and start drilling down. To see your performance data in production, log in to http://rpm.newrelic.com.

How long does New Relic store the performance data from my application?

It depends on your subscription level. We store your high-level performance data from 30 minutes for Lite users to 90 days for Gold users.

How can I see data for longer than 90 days?

RPM Enterprise Edition allows you to retain the performance data for an unlimited time so you can compare performance over long periods of time. RPM Enterprise allows you to use RPM on as many hosts as you like for one affordable monthly price. Contact our Sales team by sending an email to sales@newrelic.com.

How often does the RPM agent send data to its servers?

The RPM agent reports data asynchronously via http or https post once per minute.

How does RPM impact response time?

This is one of the most frequently asked RPM questions. Our testing shows that the RPM agent introduces minimal overhead. In production, response time for a typical controller action is impacted by less than 5 percent (usually as low as 2–3%). For you, this means you can run RPM 24x7. You're always connected to the information you need to fix performance problems and scale your application. If you encounter performance issues you believe may be caused by RPM, contact support.

Can I see SQL statement performance information?

With RPM paid subscriptions you can see a page listing all of your transactions and response times. You can drill down into the specific transactions to see exactly how they spent their time. In RPM Silver or Gold, Transaction Tracing automatically collects the specific slowest transactions from your application (without the user's private information.) You can drill down into these transactions to see exactly how they spent their time, right down to the individual SQL statement. For the slowest transactions, you can drill straight down to an EXPLAIN plan, which gives you information on the performance of your query, such as which indices were used.

What software do I need to run the RPM application monitor?

RPM monitors Ruby on Rails applications running 1.2x and 2.x on any major operating system. RPM monitors Ruby applications running Thin, Mongrel, Passenger (mod_rails), Litespeed, MERB, and JRuby/Glassfish.

For Java applications, your application must be on Java 1.5 or higher. RPM is supported for applications running on WebSphere, WebLogic, Jetty, Tomcat, and JBoss servers. Based on the compatibility of other servers to Java standards, you may find RPM is able to work, though we may have not completed testing to include it in this support list. Try it and let us know.

To view your account, RPM supports Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer (IE 7 or higher) browsers.

Can I host RPM entirely on my own servers?

No, RPM is a software-as-a-service product. We host the application on our servers so you can start digging into your performance data right away. No complex installations, servers, or other hassles required.

Do I have to change my application's source code to start using RPM?

No.

Can I use RPM if my application is hosted by a third party?

Yes, many of our customers use third-party hosting providers to run their applications. RPM is designed to work in a variety of settings including datacenters with dedicated or virtualized servers, public or private clouds, or third party hosting providers who use a combination of those infrastructure models.

Does New Relic have a program for re-sellers?

Yes, indeed. We have the New Relic Affiliate Program. This is designed for companies that develop and/or manage applications for clients. RPM is the ideal follow-on solution to help your customer maintain high levels of performance after the application is completed. See Affiliate Program page for information.

Why is the company called New Relic?

Here is a clue. Go to the company leadership page and make an anagram out of one of our executives' name. Voila!

Billing & Subscription

How do you price New Relic RPM?

RPM Lite is free. Paid subscribers get additional features with each subscription level. We have three billing plans which are fully described on this website. We also publish our discount schedule so there are no secrets or haggling

Can I download RPM before I buy it?

Be our guest. Use RPM Lite for free as long as you want to. It's yours to keep, with our compliments. Monitor application performance from development to production. Upgrade anytime to get even more features.

RPM Lite subscribers will receive an upgrade to RPM Gold for one week for free after they deploy the RPM agent in an application.

How do the RPM subscription plans work?

Annual Host Billing. (The Best Price) We charge your credit card each month for a year for a committed number of hosts. You can increase this host number at any time and charges will adjust with the next monthly bill. Your account will automatically renew at the end of the year unless you change your subscription. If you cancel service or downgrade to a lower level of service or fewer hosts during your commitment year, you will be charged a penalty equal to 3 months of service.

Monthly Host Billing. (The Shortest Commitment) We charge your credit card each month for a specified number of hosts. You can change this number at any time and your billing will adjust with your next monthly bill. You can cancel service or downgrade to a lower level of service without penalty. Your account will automatically renew each month unless you change your subscription.

On-Demand Billing. (The Greatest Flexibility) Not sure of the host count? Does the number of hosts vary during the month? Just running tests for a few days? This option is for you. You will be billed each month based on an hourly rate for the number of hosts connected to RPM service for any portion of an hour. For example, if your application connects 10 hosts for 4 days (10x96 hours=960) and then later in the month it connects 6 hosts for 24 hours (6x24=144), you will be billed for 1104 hours at the hourly rate of the RPM level you choose. If the hours used result in a charge equal to less than one host month, you will be billed a minimum charge equal to one host for a month (at the Annual Plan rate).

How does the free RPM Developer Mode plug-in work?

The free plug-in is, of course, free. You can use RPM Developer Mode on your local machine for as long as you like. Upgrade anytime when your app is production-ready by simply clicking the Upgrade link on your Developer Mode home page, or by visiting this page. RPM Lite is free to run in production for as long as you like. Unplugging RPM is easy, too. If you don't like it, you can unplug in seconds, without a trace. Plug in to Developer Mode »

I have more than 50 hosts. How do I get a price?

If your organization has more than 50 hosts, the prices just keep getting better! Contact our Sales team by sending an email to sales@newrelic.com. We also recommend you check out RPM Enterprise Edition, which allows unlimited hosts for one monthly price.

What is the RPM Enterprise Edition?

If your team manages a large number of applications on many hosts, RPM Enterprise Edition was designed for you. RPM Enterprise allows you to use RPM on as many hosts as you like for one affordable monthly price. This plan also allows you to retain the performance data for an unlimited time so you can compare performance over long periods of time. Contact our Sales team by sending an email to sales@newrelic.com.

My company does not use credit cards, how do I subscribe?

Credit cards are our preferred billing method. However in special circumstances we may establish a credit relationship and invoice your company. We reserve the right to charge administrative fees to these accounts. These fees are waived on Annual Plan subscriptions. Contact our sales group.

How do I upgrade?

You can upgrade anytime by visiting this website or by clicking the "Upgrade" button within the RPM Account page. If you forget and try to add more hosts than you pay for, we'll let you know. We'll take you to the easy upgrade page, where you can confirm what you need.

What if I want to cancel my service and get rid of the plug-in?

No problem. If you decide RPM isn't for you, simply cancel before your next billing period. You won't be charged for the next month of service. If you are on an Annual Billing Plan, there may be a penalty if your commitment has not been completed.

How easy is it to remove RPM from my application?

Unplugging is easy. Simply remove our agent from your application and RPM is removed.

I already have an RPM subscription and I have a question. Can you help?

Check our Troubleshooting Guide & Documentation. You can post a message on our support site, or email support@newrelic.com.