In this article, you will learn how server monitoring prevents costly downtime and makes user experience better by proactively detecting issues with the server. Here is a step-by-step guide that will help you on how to get started with Pinghome, along with best practices for effective server monitoring.
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In October 2021, Meta’s platforms - Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp - went offline for six hours, costing the company $100 million in lost ad revenue (read more). For businesses, server downtime isn’t just an inconvenience - it’s a direct hit to revenue, trust, and operations. But with effective server monitoring, these disruptions can be prevented.
The server is where you host all your digital assets, whether your mobile application, business websites, database, etc, making servers an important aspect of an online business.
Adequate server monitoring involves watching your server and sending an alert before any issue escalates. In this comprehensive article, you will learn
What is Server Monitoring?
Server monitoring is monitoring your server round the clock so you can be notified of server issues before they escalate. Examples of key metrics tracked in server monitoring are:
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1. Uptime and availability: Uptime monitors the availability of your server. A downtime occurs when the server is unavailable, and server monitoring notifies you in such cases for quick rectification. Learn more about uptime monitoring here.
2. CPU usage: The CPU usage must be optimal for good server functioning. Effective server monitoring notifies you of CPU spikes that can affect your server performance.
3. Disk and Memory usage: Excessive usage of the RAM and disk space can lead to a system crash. Monitoring both disk and memory usage ensures your server avoids crashes caused by resource exhaustion.
4. Network performance: Under network performance, other metrics like packet loss and bandwidth usage are tracked to ensure the optimum network performance.
5. Response time: Your applications and website loading speed depends on how fast your server responds to user requests. An effective monitoring system monitor your server response time to ensure a fast-loading speed.
For a full list of metrics and their relevance in server monitoring, visit our guide: What Is Server Monitoring and Why It Matters.
Other metrics monitored in server monitoring are error rates, temperature and power usage. Many scenarios can lead to downtime, such as hardware failure, software bugs and security breaches. Hence, an effective server monitoring system is needed to prevent major incidents.
Consequences of Downtime
The consequences of downtime can be dire, even if you are a small business. As a digital business owner, your shopping outlet is your IT infrastructure, whether a website or an application. If your IT infrastructure is unavailable, customers will not be able to access your business, which can lead to the following consequences:
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1. Loss in revenue: The Meta downtime in 2021 cost Meta $100 million in ad spend, British Airways downtime in 2017 cost 80 million euros in compensational and operational damages, while small businesses lose as much as $137 to $427 per minute of downtime. To prevent this loss that can happen in cases of unexpected downtime, server health and performance monitoring is key.
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2. Loss of customer Trust: A downtime, when repeated and prolonged, can make your customers will slowly lose their trust in your brand. If do not cater to the needs of your customers when they come, other businesses can cater to them and win their trust.
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3. Operational disruption: When there is downtime, the operations of the company are disrupted, and there is a delay in service delivery.
How Server Monitoring Prevents Downtime
Server monitoring helps to prevent downtime in the following ways:
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1. Early Detection: Server monitoring helps to prevent downtime by detecting potential issues, such as CPU spikes, slow loading times, and early rectification by the IT team before it escalates and leads to system failure.
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2. Proactive Incident Management: Server monitoring prompts IT teams to adopt a proactive approach to incident management. Monitoring your servers gives you real-time insights and allows you to solve issues proactively before they become full-blown. It also prompts you to have an incident management process for swift implementation in cases of eventual incidents.
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3. Real-time alerts: Real-time monitoring of your servers gives real-time alerts for any impending incidents. You can choose preferred communication channels where your alerts will be sent, such as Slack, Discord or even email, alerting the right personnel and causing swift and immediate action.
4. Automated responses: Real-time server monitoring also prompts you to have a documented and detailed incident management process, and a core part of incident management is automated responses. With automated responses, you can set the sequence of actions based on the issue. Pinghome allows you to set customizable and automated responses for proactive incident resolution.
5. Compliance with Service Level Agreement: Server monitoring also measures how well you are meeting agreed service levels.
6. SSL and Domain Monitoring: Part of server monitoring is ensuring you keep up with the security requirements, such as SSL certificates. As your SSL certificate expiration date draws near, a robust server monitoring software like Pinghome sends you reminders for renewal. Learn more about SSL and domain monitoring here.
To explore APIs for server monitoring implementation, check out our Public API Documentation Pinghome.
How Server Monitoring Affects User Experience
Server monitoring affects your customer user experience in the following ways:
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1. Set Clear Monitoring Goals: One of the foremost best practices for server monitoring is to set clear monitoring goals. Setting clear goals includes knowing which web application, website, or other infrastructure to prioritize when it comes to monitoring.
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2. Use a Robust Monitoring Tool: A robust server management tool like Pinghome monitors your IT infrastructure 24/7 and sends real-time alerts for immediate response. Pinghome also has incident management features such as an on-call schedule and automated responses to settle incidents proactively.
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3. Select Key Metrics for Monitoring: Set clear expectations based on which key metrics to monitor. There are system metrics such as system load, memory usage, and disk usage, as well as network metrics such as bandwidth utilization, packet loss, and latency. There are a host of other metrics, therefore, setting which ones are applicable and important for your business is crucial.
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4. Set up Real-time Alerts: With real-time alerts, you get notifications through your desired communication channels to address issues immediately. Configure your alerts by setting thresholds and differentiating between critical and non-critical alerts to prevent alert fatigue. Explore available integrations for real-time alerts here.
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5. Train Your IT Team: Train your IT team periodically on how to handle incidents like a pro. Everyone should know what they are handling and when an incident requires escalation.
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6. Conduct Regular System Health Checks: Periodically conduct system health checks and carry out regular server maintenance.
Getting Started With Pinghome
Pinghome is a comprehensive server monitoring tool that monitors your platforms around the clock and sends you real-time alerts for immediate attention, preventing escalation of issues that can lead to system failure.
Additionally, Pinghome has a mobile app (available on Google Play and App Store) that allows you to keep an eye on your server even on the go to avoid oversight. In cases of incidents, Pinghome has a series of features that automatically alert the right person to address it. For a detailed understanding of incident management processes, including logging, categorization, and recovery, refer to our guide: Leveraging Effective Incident Management to Minimize Downtime.
Downtime doesn’t wait - why should you? Start your free trial with Pinghome today to ensure your servers run smoothly, boost user satisfaction, and safeguard your revenue.
