Server Monitoring: Uptime always in view

The permanent accessibility of your own servers with fast response times is crucial for every commercial operator - but difficult to achieve without server monitoring. Hardware failures, outages of important nodes, cyber attacks like Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS), incorrect configurations, or software issues are just some of the reasons for short-term outages. It is therefore important for those affected to monitor the server and react promptly to problems.

This task is taken care of by server monitoring - it serves to monitor the websites and the server and immediately notify the operator of any issues. In addition to a simple uptime monitor, server monitoring provides additional information that can, for example, enable performance optimization.

How Server Monitoring Works

Server monitoring involves accessing the server at regular intervals (e.g. every 5 minutes) to check its functionality. Depending on the monitoring provider and the package booked, server monitoring includes various parameters, such as:

• Accessibility as an uptime monitor
• Server response time (Server Response Time, SRT)
• Server load
• Page load time
• Peak load and temporal distribution of load

Distributed servers perform monitoring from different locations to ensure an objective analysis and to detect local issues if necessary. If anomalies, errors, or site inaccessibility are detected during server monitoring, notifications are sent to the designated emergency contacts. Regular reports generated from server monitoring provide important insights for system optimization and help identify sporadic issues early on.

Note: It is not always necessary to monitor the entire server. For operators of web projects on a shared or cloud infrastructure, website monitoring tools can also be used to check their online presence for availability, performance, or functionality at any time.

Key Parameters for Server Monitoring

In order to create a versatile foundation for server monitoring, professional providers take into account numerous factors for analysis when monitoring a server. The results provide direct insights into the continuous availability, as well as factors such as popularity, bandwidth, and page loading speed. Some of the key parameters in server monitoring include:

• Server Response Time (SRT)
  The server response time indicates the duration between a request and the first response. It is crucial for loading time and therefore the number of visits.
• Bandwidth
  Every server has a limited bandwidth that is distributed across all connections. Monitoring determines the actual transfer rate for a single endpoint at different times.
• Monitoring of various services on the server
  In addition to monitoring, a comprehensive analysis includes other protocols such as DNS, FTP, and SSH, or IMAP, POP3, and SMTP for emails, whose reliability providers also monitor on a server.

Interfaces for Embedding Server Monitoring

Those monitoring a server understandably want to present the monitoring results in a clear and easily accessible way. For this purpose, all professional offerings have an Application Programming Interface (API) interface, through which external scripts can directly access the status and evaluation of server monitoring. These extensions have a variety of uses, including:

• Internal dashboard for statistical tracking of metrics such as traffic, visitor numbers, and usage
• Public status page with information about a project or company
• Troubleshooting and resolution on production systems and in test environments
• Uptime monitor and website monitoring by external servers
• Performance optimization during baseline and peak times
• Automated procedures that respond to critical events in real-time

The API enables a convenient, bidirectional exchange of data between the website and server monitoring. For maximum security against misuse, it uses reliable user identification methods such as individual keys within the framework of HTTP Basic Access Authentication. Communication is always encrypted for security.

Benefits of Continuous, Professional Server Monitoring

For several reasons, it is advisable to monitor your own server through monitoring.

In the event of a disruption, the server monitoring immediately informs the owner or a technical contact 24/7/365 so that it can be resolved promptly. Web hosting providers can quickly intervene if they have information about the disruption.

Transnational or intercontinental companies also need to monitor their servers to ensure excellent accessibility of their platforms from various locations. Server monitoring allows the analysis of access times from different locations, making it an important tool for location optimisation.

Comprehensive reports allow for a precise analysis of the IT infrastructure for weaknesses and facilitate optimisation for minimal access times and maximum performance. The provided information also gives important indicators for SEO and customer acquisition.

What characteristics should be considered for efficient server monitoring?

Several factors are crucial in choosing the most suitable server monitoring. Depending on the project and individual requirements, these factors should be weighted:

• Number of monitors: Monitors refer to the websites or servers they monitor. Complex projects require higher capacities.
• Check interval: How often does the website monitoring and uptime monitor check the target? Timeframes typically range from ten minutes to 30 seconds.
• Distributed locations: Internationally operating companies should consider connecting multiple locations worldwide.
• Notification: Contact in case of an emergency is often done via email. Other methods include SMS, phone, or smartphone apps.
• Data and analysis: What features does the website monitoring check and how are they analysed?

Overview of server monitoring providers

For large corporations such as Siemens, IBM, Microsoft, HP, or Volkswagen, external server monitoring is an indispensable tool for monitoring their IT infrastructure and servers. Some renowned providers include:

• Pingdom: Pingdom is an innovative company from Sweden that offers a range of tools for monitoring servers, in addition to pure uptime monitoring. Along with a comprehensive API, it provides website monitoring on factors such as workload, page speed, and user analysis.
• Livewatch.de: For those interested, Livewatch.de offers a free basic account that includes essential functions like uptime monitoring and notifications for outages. For comprehensive website monitoring, this German provider offers a subscription system with affordable prices.
• ServerGuard24: Founded in 2003, ServerGuard24 is one of the oldest and most experienced companies in website monitoring. Their portfolio goes beyond just uptime monitoring and includes extensive reports, apps, and flexible, individually configurable alarm systems.
• Uptrends: The IT specialist for server monitoring has offices in Germany, the USA, France, and the Netherlands, and uses over 200 locations for website monitoring. Uptrends offers its customers various packages and custom services to monitor servers, in addition to free accounts.

Conclusion: Server Monitoring is Essential in Commercial Environments

The downtime of a website results in direct financial loss and can have further negative consequences such as loss of customers and trust. Multiple or prolonged downtimes are also penalised by search engines like Google with a ranking downgrade, affecting Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The impacts quickly surpass the immediate loss and can lead to long-term negative consequences with high costs. Professional server monitoring minimises the risk of damage and should never be neglected.

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