Platform Engineering
Dynatrace AppEngine lets you build custom apps on top of the platform — React + TypeScript + DQL, running inside the Dynatrace environment.
AppEngine Architecture
Your App (React + TypeScript)
├── UI: Strato design system components
├── Data: DQL queries via SDK hooks
├── Backend: App functions (serverless TypeScript)
└── Integration: Intents for app-to-app communication
Building an App
npx dt-app create my-app # Scaffold (Node 24 required)
npx dt-app dev # Local dev server
npx dt-app build # Build for deployment
npx dt-app deploy # Deploy to environment
Key SDK Packages
Package What It Provides
────────────────────────────────────────── ──────────────────────────────
@dynatrace/strato-components/core AppRoot (entry point)
@dynatrace/strato-components/charts TimeseriesChart, conversion utils
@dynatrace/strato-components/tables DataTable
@dynatrace-sdk/react-hooks useDqlQuery, useAppFunction
@dynatrace-sdk/client-query queryExecutionClient (imperative)
@dynatrace-sdk/navigation sendIntent, IntentPayload
Querying DQL from Apps
import { useDqlQuery } from "@dynatrace-sdk/react-hooks";
const result = useDqlQuery({
body: { query: `fetch dt.entity.host | fields entity.name | limit 10` }
});
// result.data, result.isLoading, result.error
Intents: App-to-App Communication
import { IntentButton } from "@dynatrace/strato-components/buttons";
// Open a DQL query in Notebooks
<IntentButton payload={{ "dt.query": "fetch logs | filter loglevel == \"ERROR\"" }}>
Open in Notebooks
</IntentButton>
💡 AppEngine apps are ideal for custom dashboards, self-service portals, and team-specific tools that go beyond what standard dashboards can do.
App development is covered in depth in the Apps "DOOM to Dashboard" course (15 modules).
🛠 Try it: Run npx dt-app@latest create --environment-url https://YOUR-ENV.apps.dynatrace.com in your terminal. In 30 seconds you'll have a working Dynatrace app with React, DQL hooks, and Strato components — ready to customize.
AppEngine Functions
Two types: app functions (backend of a custom app, deployed together) and ad-hoc functions (standalone code invoked from Notebooks, Dashboards, Workflows, or API). Both run in Dynatrace JavaScript runtime (TypeScript).
EdgeConnect
Enables apps and workflows to securely call on-premises systems. Runs as a Docker container in your network, initiates outbound connection to AppEngine (no inbound firewall rules needed). Use for: internal APIs, on-prem ITSM, corporate databases.