Plumbr, the only Java performance monitoring solution with automated root cause detection, today released a new feature that detects slow database operations. When end-user sessions of an IT system (e.g. e-commerce site, online banking or self serve) are stalled by inefficient database connections, Plumbr now automatically detects the errors in source code. This eliminates the need for manual troubleshooting and allowes for immediate issue resolution.

“Having to detect slow queries manually is tedious and time consuming. Existing solutions don’t really provide all the necessary information at one go – engineers need to carry out impact analysis using an application performance monitoring tool, find the offending query with a database monitoring tool and then manually analyze Java source code to find the source of the database operation”, says Ivo Mägi, co—founder and Head of Product at Plumbr. “These hours could be much better spent on developing new features or improving the architecture of the application. Plumbr automatically aggregates the total impact of each slow query and highlights the part in Java source code that is responsible for the slow performance, reducing resolution time of such issues by 75%.”

Before today’s public release, the slow query detection feature was carefully tested in a private beta program that included more than 100 companies. In addition to fine tuning of Plumbr solution, the program also revealed interesting facts about the impact that slow queries have on the SLA of business critical applications. “Plumbr detected slow queries in 75% of the applications that participated in our private beta program. A third of these applications regularly stalled user transactions for 10 seconds and more because of inefficient queries” says Ivo Mägi.

As of today, the new feature will be available to all paying customers, as well as included in the product’s 14-day trial program.

Compared to other Java performance monitoring solutions Plumbr is the only one that automatically detects the root causes of performance issues. For example, Plumbr does not just alert that a Java app is running out of memory. It zooms engineers to the single line in source code that creates the problem.

Slow query detection is the fourth feature that Plumbr has launched since it was founded in 2011. Plumbr also detects memory leaks, inefficient Garbage Collection behavior, and locked threads – in each case locating the specific line of code or error in configuration that is causing the problem and providing step-by-step solution guidance. Plumbr customers monitor business critical Java applications globally and include NASA, Dell, HBO, VMware, EMC Corporation, and others.