Server monitoring is the process of keeping track of the functioning of a server. It involves tracking various aspects such as CPU load, memory utilization, disk usage, applications running, and so on. Also, other factors like availability, reliability, and even the security of a server are monitored. In short, it is a preventive measure employed to provide system administrators data regarding the status and health of a server, thus helping them avert failures in the server infrastructure that could lead to downtimes or other issues.
Servers are located at different physical locations or on the cloud. Besides, it is shared by multiple users ranging from small businesses to large ones. So, to ensure that your business operations are always up and running, real-time monitoring of the servers is crucial. Further, server monitoring consists of various types including, uptime monitoring, performance monitoring, resource monitoring, error monitoring, security monitoring, etc. However, to perform server monitoring, tools are available that can either be set up locally or on the cloud.
Why Server Monitoring
Businesses rely on servers so much that they cannot afford server crashes, affecting workflow and sales. Moreover, there are other reasons why server monitoring is important, which are as follows.
Alerts about potential server failures
To resolve an issue, you need to know it at the right time. With server monitoring, you will be notified when the server crashes so that you can fix it as soon as it occurs and keep it running. Furthermore, its ability to predict failures that might happen in the future alerts the server administrator ahead of time, preventing such issues from happening.
Notifies of significant upgrades in advance
As your business grows, you might have to upgrade your resources since there are chances that the server might fail when the maximum usage limits are reached. However, server monitoring lets you know when the memory is at its limits, disk space attains its capacity, and so on. Thus, upgrades can be done at the right time, and downtimes can be eliminated.
Provides historical server data
Apart from providing real-time data, server monitoring gives information regarding the server’s performance in the past. It helps to know if a server’s functioning is improving or deteriorating. Besides, it lets you understand what led to a crash and whether it took place gradually or suddenly by analyzing previous statistics. As a result, it can be fixed with ease using the right strategy.
Increases productivity
The historical, predictive, and real-time data provided by server monitoring combined with timely alerts and notifications equips you with adequate information to correct issues at the right time the right way. So, the chances of your server going down or failing are reduced significantly, thus increasing productivity.
Enhances security
The security of your server is vital as it contains your databases and business information. Server monitoring frequently monitors the servers for any suspicious activities or malware and alerts the administrators if something is wrong. Ultimately, it enhances server security and secures your business.
Conclusively, server monitoring is essential to analyze the availability, accessibility, reliability, performance, and security of the servers and get the most out of it to grow your business. Yet, when choosing a server monitoring tool, look for the ones capable of real-time as well as predictive data. Further, make sure it supports a variety of server types and is easy to use.
