[WEB4LIB] Re: Automated Web server monitoring

[Richard Wiggins]

Our Operations staff uses a tool called What's Up Gold.  They tell me that..

"The services that we can monitor are the following: Echo, NNTP, Telnet, Imap4, SSL Server, FTP, POP3, Time, SNMP, HTTP Content Scan, Gopher, SMTP, HTTP, DNS, Radius Server."

For a server I'm responsible for, I had my ace student whip up a Perl thingie that makes sure HTTP dialogs are working on a couple of ports.  It sends email to various addresses including my cell phone/pager, which is tremendously handy.  

We trained the widget to notice when things go down and to re-notify at intervals, and to send a final note when things are back up.  I can provide the code if someone wants to run their own tool.  Of course, you need a separate, realiable server to run it on.  Runs on Unix.

There are commercial services that do this via the Web.  I was fond of Internetseer.com but have been disappointed in its service lately.  

Netcraft.com is a site that monitors thousands of sites and lets you know what server environment they run, plots a graph of uptime, etc.  Worth a look for sure.

/rich




------Original Message------
From: James Cayz <cayz at lib.de.us>
To: Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at webjunction.org>
Sent: February 23, 2001 2:35:47 PM GMT
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Re: Automated Web server monitoring


On Fri, 23 Feb 2001, Reference Librarian wrote:
>Is there an automated method for gathering data on Web site downtime or
>"busy signals?" We're searching for a way to know if our Web site becomes
>unavailable while we're not looking, whether through an unplanned outage or
>through inadequate server capability, and whether our site is hosted on our
>own network or by an outside provider. Please send pointers to products, Web
>sites, articles you've found helpful, and I can summarize to the list.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Melissa J. Brenneman
>Reference Librarian
>Knox County Public Library System
>500 West Church
>Knoxville, TN  37902                            865-215-8723

Melissa,

I use a product called Big Brother to monitor many things on my system,
such as http, smtp, connectivity, disk space, cpu load, and just recently,
added local weather forcasts.

It is fairly easy to use, and can be set up to check your system and their
subsystems at pre-defined intervals.  The title and background color of
its primary page (red, yellow, green, purple) gives you an instant
overview of all systems monitored, and zeroing in on a failing / failed /
missing system is 1 click away.  I have also installed a windows system
tray program that watches the main page, without having to have a web
browser open, which frees up a lot of my PC's resources.

You may think this is overkill, but the first time it reports on something
you don't typically all day long (eg, smtp server), you'll be happy!

The main program is available at bb4.com .
Enhancements are available at www.deadcat.net

I find this *extremely* useful.

James

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| James Cayz          Telecommunications / Network Technician IV           |
| Email:cayz at lib.de.us     Voice:302-739-4748 x130      Fax:302-739-6787   |
| Delaware Division of Libraries # 43 S. DuPont Hwy / Dover, DE 19901-7430 |
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Richard Wiggins
Consulting, Writing & Training on Internet Topics
http://www.netfact.com/rww  wiggins at mail.com
517-349-6919 (home office)  517-353-4955 (work)  
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