What does Dynatrace consider to be an External Service?

Dynatrace defines an External Service as any service that your application interacts with but is not monitored directly by the OneAgent. This definition encompasses a wide range of services, including APIs and microservices that reside outside of the immediate application architecture but play a critical role in the application's performance and functionality.

Choosing this option indicates an understanding that external services may not be under direct observability by Dynatrace, hence they could be impacting the application's performance without being accounted for in the same manner as internal services. This distinction is crucial for thorough performance management and troubleshooting because it highlights the areas where visibility may be lacking, potentially leading to performance bottlenecks that can be overlooked.

In contrast, the other choices relate to aspects that do not fit the definition of an External Service. For example, user interface components are part of the application itself and do not qualify as external. Similarly, while third-party API calls are external services, the definition of external services is broader and includes any unmonitored service—not limited solely to third-party APIs. Lastly, services running on the same server are typically monitored by OneAgent and therefore would not be classified as external services. This emphasizes the critical nature of understanding what can impact application performance, regardless of monitoring status.