Monitoring servers is important to ensure that server performance remains optimal and there are no disruptions to the company. However, the practice of server monitoring can be very complicated and scattered. Keeping an eye on every point is an overwhelming task, even though the information on the server needs to be constantly monitored so that it continues to provide useful knowledge to the company.
To overcome this, there is now software that is able to do it automatically and efficiently. But what exactly is server monitoring and why is it important in a business? Check out the explanation below.
What is Server Monitoring?
Server monitoring involves keeping an eye on various metrics to ensure smooth server operations. Monitoring different metrics helps find and decipher bottlenecks easily. Behind every business-critical online service, there are generally multiple servers running it, both physical and virtual servers.
Physical servers are capable of running multiple machines at once and delivering multiple server functions. Examples are database servers, application servers, and web servers. Each server has its own important tasks that must work smoothly so that business is not hampered.
Why is Server Monitoring Important?
Server monitoring is essential to identify any performance issues that may occur, before they impact the end user, i.e. the consumer. In addition, server monitoring can help understand the use of server system resources. This allows business owners to better plan server capacity.
Monitoring the server will provide the needed information regarding the response rate and availability of the server. Both are important to ensure there is no disruption in the delivery of the company’s services to consumers.
Monitoring server metrics can also help get info on cybersecurity threats. This is especially important with web hosting as exposure on the web can lead to increased threats to the web server profile. If monitored continuously, the company’s servers will avoid cybersecurity threats.
How to Monitor Server Performance
The key to a successful server monitoring strategy is to identify areas of focus and create a baseline of performance. This method can correctly interpret the company’s server performance for alert purposes and obtain important information through reports. A server monitoring tool can help perform this task.
In addition, server monitoring tools are also able to help monitor the applications used, and even the entire infrastructure. Use the right server monitoring tool with features that can analyze all applications that contribute to the company’s IT system. That way, monitoring the entire extensive system becomes much easier.
Choose a server monitoring tool that can provide the functions below:
- Application performance monitoring
- Application management function
- Centralized logging tool
- Line-by-line code display
- Detailed issue tracking reports
- A series of real-time server monitoring functions
- Individual user monitoring function.
Important Areas to Monitor
There are several areas within the server that should be monitored. Here are some of them:
Physical Server Status
Applicable to on-site servers, which are physical servers in locations that require protection from environmental hazards and damage. In addition to keeping the server in a safe room, companies also need to place the server in a room that is the right temperature and has sufficient power supply.
The temperature in the room should not exceed the recommended level for efficient performance. If the temperature increases, the fans will have problems or other components will have to work harder. Power supply regulation should also be monitored to keep the server running smoothly without a hitch.
CPU & Memory
Whenever a server’s performance drops, the most common culprit is the server’s CPU usage and memory resources. If the server’s CPU utilization is unusually high or there are memory issues (little free space), the application performance will suffer.
It is recommended that every company knows what processes consume the most CPU and memory of the company’s server. This info is important to fix resource usage issues quickly. Metrics measured typically include CPU Process Count, CPU Thread Count, and CPU % Interrupt Time.
Server Uptime
Uptime should be available around the clock so that customers can access the server whenever they want. Server uptime measures the amount of time a system has been operational. This metric is useful for alerting if the system might reboot itself without realizing it.
If there is a difference between the expected server availability period and the server uptime figure, then the system has failed at least once. Confirm first whether all the scheduled tasks that are expected to run at the same time as the system failure time have been completed.
Page File Usage
Unused or inaccessible data will be stored in the Page File. Activities that exceed the Random Access Memory (RAM) limit of an operating system are also sent to the Page File for storage. If Page File usage is high, it means that the Page File system is not sufficient to meet the server’s needs.
Another important metric is Page Swapping. Whenever the server runs out of working memory, an area of disk space is reserved to store data temporarily, so more space is freed up. Page Swapping is not recommended because it generally means that the server has not reserved enough memory to run it.
Time Synchronization
Systems on the same network can share documents or communicate with each other at the same time. So imagine if the system time is not synchronized, the result is a very messy server work. Inaccurate timing can cause data to be overwritten or cause conflicts.
An even worse consequence is that out-of-sync time can cause programs to not function properly. Always monitor the system’s clock offset against a reference clock. Synchronized time will smoothen performance. If there is a problem, be sure to identify and find the source of the problem. After that, a solution can be found to resolve it.
Server monitoring should be done by every business to keep it running smoothly and safely from various cyber threats. Do not let consumers be disturbed, therefore preventive measures need to be taken. Use quality monitoring tools such as Netmonk Prime, whose monitoring solutions have been trusted by more than 1000+ companies.
Netmonk is a network monitoring application provider in Indonesia that is also capable of monitoring web/API and servers, in just 1 application. Netmonk Prime can help company performance become more concise and effective, operational activities are smoother. Let’s prove it and feel the ease of monitoring right now!
