Analytics: Filter backend calls based on origin == mobile app

Background and context

The context of this idea is that Instana is monitoring a backend api + a mobile app which is using that backend api. In this scenario there is a risk of getting other sources of traffic (scraping bots, malicious actors, fraudsters) to the backend api, in which case there is a need to separate the traffic, and if possible block the unwanted traffic. As part of that work, the monitoring from Instana is truly helpful as it gives visibility to this problem.

Current capability in Instana

Already now it is possible to find the amount of mobile calls in the mobile monitoring analytics and compare it to the total received traffic in the backend monitoring analytics.

It is also possible to see from individual traces in mobile monitoring if there is an associated backend trace and view that (View backend trace button).

It is also possible to see associated mobile monitoring in a backend trace if such association exist, for example geographic information and user information if that has been configured.

Attached screenshots showing the current capabilities.

Wanted feature

The idea of this feature request is to extend the above functionality with a filter in the backend analytics section, where all calls in the backend can be filtered based on the origin is a mobile app (i.e. if it has an associated trace from the mobile sdk).

A filter could look something like this:

'Call: Origin' 'equals' 'Mobile App'