The Heartbeat Test enables SREs to continuously validate service health and measure availability with high precision. Unlike standard probes, Heartbeat Tests run as frequently as every five seconds, offering granular visibility into availability and triggering alerts the moment an issue begins.
This capability is especially valuable for teams managing SLOs and SLAs, as the increased data frequency provides a more accurate picture of service performance and customer impact. By detecting availability degradations earlier, teams are better positioned to resolve issues promptly and meet uptime commitments.
*Heartbeat supports HTTP and API Script monitors, and can be run from Enterprise and select Cloud nodes. *
Heartbeat Test Configurations
Heartbeat tests are configured slightly differently than other tests since they exist within "Projects" which allow you to configure a common set of properties to be shared by all the tests in the project. Think of a Project like a folder specifically used for Heartbeat tests.
Below are the different test settings, advanced settings and metrics supported:
Heartbeat Test Properties | |
|---|---|
| Project Name | A name used to identify the project. |
| Description | Optional additional information about the test |
| Tests | The specific type of interaction performed by the test. Options include:
|
Advanced Settings | |
|---|---|
| HTTP Version | Determines the HTTP version used by the test. |
| Tracing | Collects server-side telemetry for end-to-end visibility. |
Supported Metrics
Since Heartbeat tests run modified versions of HTTP and API tests, the metrics are common between the respective test types.