Custom solutions for system monitoring and control

Just Right

Article from Issue 182/2016
Author(s):

Off-the-rack monitoring tools often offer too many functions or fail to offer precisely what you need, but shell scripts let you create individual monitoring routines.

Trust is good, but keeping the thumb screws on is better: This is the principle by which IT services and functions are monitored. Although you can find many tools to accomplish this job, tailor-made monitoring doesn't actually need these giants. Simple shell scripts will take you where you need to go just as well.

Whether you need to monitor and control a web server, database system, network connections, users, fans, or computer temperatures, simple shell routines are typically reliable and fast. Once created, scripts can be modified for different distributions and scenarios.

Monitoring needs to be considered carefully, however: In the case of monitoring a web server, it is not just a question of checking that the service is running – the question lacks precision. Is the hardware running? To determine this, all you need is a simple ping. A positive response, however, by no means signifies that the web server daemon is working. To discover this, you need to query the process status locally on the server; that is,

[...]

Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Charly's Column

    HTTPing may be the perfect tool to check on the health of your web server.

  • systemd Tips

    Sure, you've heard about systemd, which is rapidly replacing the old System V init system as the go-to service management daemon for the Linux world. But what can you do with systemd really? We'll show you some tricks for improving security, managing processes, and analyzing boot times with systemd.

  • Advanced Shell Scripting

    Shell scripting is a versatile tool for managing and automating the modern IT infrastructure. This article reaches beyond the basics with some advanced techniques for tackling real-world challenges.

  • Linux Dash and Cockpit

    Linux Dash and Cockpit are small-scale solutions for monitoring a cloud-hosted virtual server from home.

  • Nagios Traffic Light

    A clever combination of Nagios and a doityourself traffic lights lets you know how your network is feeling.

comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News