cisco 500-420 practice test

Cisco AppDynamics Associate Performance Analyst

Last exam update: Nov 18 ,2025
Page 1 out of 5. Viewing questions 1-15 out of 64

Question 1

A Performance Analyst is experiencing difficulty with the transaction response time on a node. The
Performance Analyst attempts to create a health rule monitoring the business transactions'
performance on that node. Which set of data should the Performance Analyst select when creating
the health rule?

  • A. Node health
  • B. Service endpoints
  • C. Error Rates
  • D. Transaction performance
Mark Question:
Answer:

D


Explanation:
When a Performance Analyst is faced with issues related to transaction response times on a specific
node, focusing on the "Transaction performance" data is most relevant. This is because transaction
performance metrics provide direct insights into the business transactions' speed, response times,
and execution times, which are critical for identifying and troubleshooting performance issues. By
selecting "Transaction performance" when creating a health rule, the analyst can monitor specific
metrics such as average response time, slow transaction count, and very slow transaction count,
which are directly related to the performance of business transactions on the node in question.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Health Rules: This section explains how to create and configure
health rules to monitor application performance metrics, including transaction performance.
AppDynamics documentation on Business Transactions: Provides details on how AppDynamics
identifies and monitors business transactions, which are key to understanding application
performance.

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Question 2

Developers and operations personnel complain the Controller tracks many irrelevant Java classes and
methods. How does a Performance Analyst exclude this unhelpful information?

  • A. Configuration > Baselines and create a new dynamic baseline
  • B. Edit the mbeans-server.xml file to delete the irrelevant methods
  • C. Configuration > Instrumentation > Call Graph Settings and exclude irrelevant packages
  • D. Edit the controller-info.xml file to exclude irrelevant methods
Mark Question:
Answer:

C


Explanation:
To streamline the monitoring process and enhance the relevance of collected data, AppDynamics
allows Performance Analysts to exclude certain Java classes and methods from instrumentation. This
is done through the "Configuration > Instrumentation > Call Graph Settings" menu, where irrelevant
packages and classes can be specified for exclusion. This approach prevents the AppDynamics agent
from tracking unnecessary or irrelevant methods, thus reducing overhead and focusing on the most
critical aspects of application performance.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Call Graph Settings: This section details how to configure call graph
settings, including the exclusion of specific classes and methods from instrumentation, to optimize
performance monitoring.

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Question 3

Which three pieces of information are required when creating a new database collector? (Choose
three.)

  • A. Primary table name
  • B. Database hostname/IP address
  • C. System table name
  • D. Database Type
  • E. Port number
Mark Question:
Answer:

B, D


Explanation:
When creating a new database collector in AppDynamics, the essential pieces of information
required include the "Database hostname/IP address," "Database Type," and "Port number." These
details are crucial for establishing a connection to the database and ensuring accurate monitoring.
The hostname/IP address identifies the server where the database is hosted, the Database Type
specifies the database management system (e.g., MySQL, Oracle), and the Port number is necessary
for network communication with the database server.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Database Visibility: This section explains how to set up database
collectors, including the required information for successful configuration.

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Question 4

Which two Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) accurately provide insight into server level resource
consumption? (Choose two.)

  • A. Calls per Minute
  • B. Availability
  • C. Average Response Time
  • D. Application Restarts
  • E. CPU %Busy
  • F. Memory Used%
Mark Question:
Answer:

E, F


Explanation:
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as "CPU %Busy" and "Memory Used%" are critical for
providing insights into server-level resource consumption. "CPU %Busy" indicates the percentage of
time the CPU is actively working on processes, reflecting the server's processing workload. "Memory
Used%" shows the proportion of memory utilized, indicating how much of the server's RAM is being
consumed by applications and processes. These KPIs are essential for understanding and managing
server performance and resource allocation.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Server Monitoring: Includes information on monitoring server-level
metrics, including CPU and memory utilization, to assess resource consumption.

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Question 5

What are two options tor sharing snapshot details from the snapshot window? (Choose two.)

  • A. Custom Report
  • B. Custom Dashboard
  • C. Download PDF
  • D. Copy to Clipboard
  • E. Export
Mark Question:
Answer:

C, E


Explanation:
To share snapshot details from the snapshot window in AppDynamics, the options to "Download
PDF" and "Export" are typically used. "Download PDF" allows users to generate a PDF report of the
snapshot details, providing a convenient and portable format for sharing and review. The "Export"
option enables the extraction of snapshot data in various formats (e.g., CSV, XML), facilitating further
analysis or sharing with other tools and stakeholders.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Snapshots: This section covers how snapshots capture detailed
performance data for transactions, including how to share and export this information for
collaborative analysis.

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Question 6

In which two features of AppDynamics can Information Points metric data be used? (Choose two.)

  • A. Alerting
  • B. Analytics
  • C. Flow Maps
  • D. Custom Dashboards
Mark Question:
Answer:

A, D


Explanation:
Information Points in AppDynamics are custom metrics that track specific data within your
applications, such as method invocations or the value of method arguments. These metrics can be
utilized in various features of AppDynamics, most notably in "Alerting" and "Custom Dashboards."
Alerting allows you to set up notifications based on the thresholds set for Information Points,
ensuring that teams are promptly informed about significant changes or anomalies. Custom
Dashboards enable the visualization of Information Points metrics alongside other key performance
indicators, providing a comprehensive view of application health and performance tailored to
specific needs.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Information Points: Explains how to create and use Information
Points to monitor specific business-relevant metrics.
AppDynamics documentation on Alerting: Details the process of setting up health rules and alerts
based on various metrics, including those from Information Points.
AppDynamics documentation on Custom Dashboards: Guides on how to create dashboards that
incorporate a wide range of metrics, including Information Points, for customized monitoring.

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Question 7

An E-commerce application is built using microservices architecture design with several components.
In AppDynamics, how should the Transaction Detection rules be grouped logically?

  • A. Use Automatic Discovery
  • B. Use Scope
  • C. Use Transaction Group
  • D. Use Backend Detection
Mark Question:
Answer:

C


Explanation:
For an e-commerce application built using a microservices architecture, logically grouping
Transaction Detection rules can be effectively achieved through "Use Transaction Group." This
approach allows for the organization of business transactions into meaningful groups that reflect the
application's structure and the interactions between its microservices. By grouping transactions, it
becomes easier to monitor, analyze, and troubleshoot the application as a whole and its individual
components, enhancing the visibility and management of the application's performance.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Business Transactions: Provides insights on how to configure and
manage business transactions, including grouping and monitoring strategies.
AppDynamics documentation on Microservices Monitoring: Offers guidance on best practices for
monitoring applications designed with microservices architecture, including transaction grouping.

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Question 8

A Performance Analyst has noticed a significant decrease in an application's workload (calls/min) and
is trying to identify the root cause. Which option will give the Performance Analyst insight into the
behavior of the affected Business Transactions?

  • A. Review Business Transactions and enable Show Trends
  • B. In Metric Browser Plot Calls/min for the Application
  • C. Review Top Business Transactions by Load in the Application Dashboard
  • D. Review the Transaction Score for the Application
  • E. Review all elements in the Application Flow Map and identify variations in load
Mark Question:
Answer:

C


Explanation:
When a Performance Analyst observes a significant decrease in an application's workload (calls/min),
reviewing the "Top Business Transactions by Load" in the Application Dashboard can provide valuable
insights. This feature allows the analyst to quickly identify which business transactions have
experienced the most significant changes in load, potentially pinpointing the root cause of the
overall workload decrease. It offers a focused view of the application's performance, highlighting
areas that may require further investigation or immediate action.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Application Dashboard: Describes the features and capabilities of
the Application Dashboard, including how to view and analyze the top business transactions by load.
AppDynamics documentation on Business Transactions: Details the importance of monitoring
business transactions and how they can be used to understand application performance trends.

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Question 9

A Performance Analyst is reviewing Business Transactions with an Application team. The Application
team would like to increase the Application Business Transaction limit because they need to have
visibility into all the different transactions. What should the Performance Analyst do?

  • A. Do nothing since the limit is not important during configuration
  • B. Increase the limit to the requested value
  • C. Increase the limit half way between the current level and the requested value
  • D. Focus on the Business Transactions exceeding the limit and why
Mark Question:
Answer:

D


Explanation:
When an application team requests an increase in the Application Business Transaction limit for
visibility purposes, it's crucial for the Performance Analyst to focus on the transactions that are
currently exceeding the limit and understand why. This approach helps in identifying whether the
limit is being reached due to genuinely essential transactions or if there are redundant, irrelevant, or
improperly defined transactions contributing to the limit breach. By analyzing and rationalizing the
transactions, the analyst can ensure that only valuable transactions are monitored, optimizing
resource usage and maintaining effective observability without necessarily increasing the limit.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Business Transaction Limits: Discusses the implications of business
transaction limits and strategies for managing and optimizing these limits within AppDynamics.
AppDynamics Best Practices Guide: Offers recommendations for configuring and managing business
transactions, including handling limits and ensuring meaningful transaction monitoring.

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Question 10

Which two views can a Controller-level custom dashboard provide? (Choose two.)

  • A. Show a single view of only historical data.
  • B. Aggregate and compare data from only a single application on the same Controller
  • C. Aggregate and compare data from different applications on the same Controller
  • D. A customized view of applications, servers, and database performance data
Mark Question:
Answer:

CD


Explanation:
Controller-level custom dashboards in AppDynamics have the flexibility to provide views that
aggregate and compare data from different applications on the same Controller, as well as offer a
customized view of applications, servers, and database performance data. This capability enables a
holistic view of the IT environment, facilitating cross-application insights and the ability to correlate
performance across different layers of the technology stack. Such dashboards are invaluable for
understanding overarching trends, pinpointing systemic issues, and driving informed decision-
making across multiple applications and infrastructure components.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Custom Dashboards: Provides detailed instructions on creating and
customizing dashboards at the Controller level, including the aggregation and comparison of data
from various sources.
AppDynamics documentation on Controller UI: Explains the functionalities available within the
Controller UI, including the creation of comprehensive dashboards that encompass application,
server, and database metrics.

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Question 11

What AppDynamics Alert Action does a Performance Analyst need to select to post an AppDynamics
event to a third-party collaboration tool?

  • A. Make an HTTP Request
  • B. Take a thread dump
  • C. Create or Update a JIRA Ticket
  • D. Run a script or executable on problematic nodes
Mark Question:
Answer:

A


Explanation:
To post an AppDynamics event to a third-party collaboration tool, the Performance Analyst needs to
select the "Make an HTTP Request" alert action. This action allows AppDynamics to send an HTTP
request to a specified URL, which can be the endpoint provided by the third-party tool's API. This
integration capability enables the automatic posting of events, alerts, and notifications from
AppDynamics to collaboration tools, enhancing communication and response times to performance
issues.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Alert and Respond: Details the various alert actions available within
AppDynamics, including the ability to make HTTP requests to integrate with external systems.

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Question 12

Which item supplements business transaction and transaction analytics data with application data?

  • A. Demarcation collectors
  • B. Netflow data
  • C. Data collectors
  • D. Endpoint sensors
Mark Question:
Answer:

C


Explanation:
Data collectors in AppDynamics supplement business transaction and transaction analytics data with
application data by capturing additional information during transaction execution. This can include
method arguments, return values, and invocation context, which enriches the transaction data with
more detailed application-level insights. This capability is crucial for in-depth performance analysis
and troubleshooting, providing a more comprehensive view of application behavior.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Data Collectors: Explains how to configure data collectors to
capture and display detailed application data within business transactions.

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Question 13

A Business Transaction was registered and displayed on the Business Transaction Dashboard. It has
continuous load on it. After an hour the Business Transaction stopped being displayed in the Business
Transaction Dashboard. Which action stopped the display of the Business Transaction?

  • A. The Business Transaction Lock Down was enabled an hour ago.
  • B. The Business Transaction had been deleted an hour ago from the Business Transaction Dashboard.
  • C. The Business Transaction Custom Match Rule was deleted an hour ago.
  • D. The Business Transaction had been excluded an hour ago from the Business Transaction Dashboard.
Mark Question:
Answer:

C


Explanation:
If a Business Transaction stops being displayed on the Business Transaction Dashboard after
continuous load, it could be due to the deletion of the Business Transaction Custom Match Rule.
Custom Match Rules in AppDynamics are used to define custom business transactions based on
specific criteria. If such a rule is deleted, transactions that were previously identified and displayed
based on that rule may no longer be recognized as distinct business transactions, leading to their
disappearance from the dashboard.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Business Transactions: Provides insights on configuring and
managing business transactions, including the use of custom match rules.

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Question 14

Which two methods are used to plot Host CPU and GC Time Spent in a single view? (Choose two.)

  • A. Server tab under "Tiers and Nodes"
  • B. JMX tab under "Tiers and Nodes"
  • C. Memory tab under Tier and Nodes"
  • D. Metrics Browser
Mark Question:
Answer:

BD


Explanation:
To plot Host CPU and GC (Garbage Collection) Time Spent in a single view, the "JMX tab under 'Tiers
and Nodes'" and the "Metrics Browser" are the appropriate methods. The JMX tab provides access to
Java Management Extensions (JMX) metrics, including those related to GC time. The Metrics Browser
allows for the customization and aggregation of various metrics, including Host CPU usage and GC
metrics, enabling a combined view of these critical performance indicators.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Monitoring Tiers and Nodes: Discusses the JMX metrics available
for Java applications, including garbage collection details.
AppDynamics documentation on the Metrics Browser: Describes how to use the Metrics Browser to
view and analyze a wide range of performance metrics.

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Question 15

Which type of Data Collector will capture code data such as method arguments, variables, and return
values?

  • A. Method Invocation Data Collector
  • B. Servlet Container Collector
  • C. Transaction Data Collector
  • D. URI Data Collector
Mark Question:
Answer:

A


Explanation:
The "Method Invocation Data Collector" is specifically designed to capture code-level data such as
method arguments, variables, and return values. This type of data collector enables deep visibility
into the execution of methods within transactions, providing valuable insights into the application's
behavior and performance. This detailed level of monitoring is essential for diagnosing complex
issues and understanding the inner workings of business transactions.
Reference:
AppDynamics documentation on Data Collectors: Details the types of data collectors available,
including Method Invocation Data Collectors, and how they can be used to capture detailed code-
level data.

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