The tool you choose could determine your ability to handle your job efficiently. There are many tools available for the monitoring of systems and networks. Should something go down, have Zabbix play a sound file (say, a Star Trek red alert klaxon?). One unique Zabbix feature is the option to set audible alerts. You can even get commercial support for this outstanding open source product. Zabbix offers agent-less monitoring, collects nearly ANY kind of data you want to monitor, does availability and SLA reporting, and can monitor up to 10,000 devices. Zabbix ( Figure E) is as powerful as any other network monitoring tool, and it also offers user-defined views, zooming, and mapping on its Web-based console. You can even set up email, SMS, and printed paper alerts! Figure D Nagios 5: Zabbix In the end, the vast number of features Nagios offers is simply unmatched.
And even though the idea of manual configuration might turn some off, that setup actually makes Nagios one of the most flexible network monitors around. Although not the easiest tool to set up and configure (you have to manually edit configuration files), Nagios is incredibly powerful. Nagios ( Figure D) is considered by many to be the king of open source network monitoring systems. It also allows you to get social with fellow IT pros via the Spiceworks community, which is built right in. Spiceworks monitors (and autodiscovers) your systems, alerts you if something is down, and offers outstanding topographical tools.
Although you have to put up with some ads, the features and Web-based interface can’t be beat.
Spiceworks ( Figure C) is becoming one of the industry standard free network/system monitoring tools. Ganglia can scale to handle clusters with up to 2,000 nodes. Anyone who employs server clusters should have Ganglia monitoring that system. This monitor has been ported to many platforms and is used on thousands of clusters around the world. It gives you a quick and easy-to-read overview of your entire clustered system. Ganglia ( Figure B) is a “scalable distributed monitoring system” focused on clusters and grids. But to make up for that, you can set Observium up alongside a tool like Nagios for up/down alerts. The only downside is a lack of auto alerts.
It can monitor a huge number of processes and systems. With Observium, you’ll find detailed graphs and an incredibly easy-to-use interface. ” It focuses on Linux, UNIX, Cisco, Juniper, Brocade, Foundry, HP, and more. Observium ( Figure A) is “an autodiscovering PHP/MySQL/SNMP-based network monitoring. Note: This list is also available as a photo gallery. From this list of products you will certainly find one or more tools that will serve your needs. I want to introduce you to five system and/or network monitors that do more than you’d think they could do. But others are free and do just as much - and in some cases, more. Some of these products are costly and do quite a lot. Thankfully, plenty of tools are available to help you stay in the know about your systems. You have to know, at all times, the status of your systems so you can optimize performance and head off potential problems. If you’re a system or network administrator, you need monitoring tools. Among the wide array of network and system monitors, you'll find several that do what the pricier tools do - for free.