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Monitors

By Charles
4 articles

Support Guide: Adding a New Monitor

Monitors are essential for tracking uptime, response times, and other critical metrics of your services. This guide walks you through the steps to create a new monitor and explains the various alert types and their configurations. Step-by-Step Instructions 1. Navigate to the Monitors Page - Go to the Monitors page, which displays all existing monitors. 2. Click on "Add Monitor" - Click the "New" or "Add Monitor" button to open the monitor configuration modal. 3. Fill Out the Add Monitor Form - Complete the fields in the modal: - Monitor Name: Choose a descriptive name to identify the monitor (e.g., "Website Home Page"). - Monitor Type: Select the type of monitor: - Website: Tracks the uptime and response times of a web page or API endpoint. - Server: Monitors server-specific metrics like CPU usage, memory, and more. - Blacklist: Checks if your domain or IP is listed on email blacklists. - URL or Address: Enter the URL, IP address, or domain name to monitor. - Check Interval: Set how frequently the monitor will perform checks (e.g., every minute, 5 minutes). - Alert Group: Assign the monitor to an alert group to define who will be notified if an issue occurs. 4. Configure Alerts (Optional) - Alerts notify you when specific conditions are met. Configure them as needed: - Thresholds: Define the condition (e.g., Response Time > 200ms, Uptime < 99%). - Duration: Set the number of minutes the condition must persist before triggering an alert. - Recipients: Notifications are sent to all users or integrations associated with the assigned alert group. 5. Save the Monitor - Once all fields are filled, click "Add" or "Save" to finalize the monitor setup. It will now appear in the Monitors table. Special Features of Monitor Types 1. Website Monitors - Tracks the uptime and response times of web pages or APIs. - Provides detailed response time graphs and historical uptime data. - Ideal for ensuring the availability of customer-facing websites or APIs. 2. SSL Monitors - Monitors if an SSL is about to expire - Alerts you if a change is detected. 3. Blacklist Monitors - Checks if your domain or IP address appears on email blacklists. - Does not include response time graphs, as results are binary (listed or not listed). - Useful for maintaining email deliverability and avoiding spam filters. Configuring Alerts Alerts are optional but highly recommended for critical monitors. Here are examples of common alert configurations: - Response Time Alert (for Website Monitors): - Trigger an alert if the response time exceeds a set threshold (e.g., 200ms) for 5 consecutive minutes. - Uptime Alert (for Website Monitors): - Trigger an alert if uptime drops below 99% for a specified time period. - CPU Usage Alert (for Server Monitors): - Trigger an alert if CPU usage exceeds 90% for 5 minutes. - Process Not Running Alert (for Server Monitors): - Ensure critical processes (e.g., nginx, apache2) are always running. - Important: When setting up this alert, ensure the Process List in the server configuration is set to "All." FAQs 1. What is the recommended check interval for monitors? - Use a 1-minute interval for critical services or applications and a 5-minute interval for less critical ones to balance accuracy and resource usage. 2. Why don’t I see graphs for my blacklist monitor? - Blacklist monitors provide binary results (listed or not listed) and do not generate graphs. 3. How do I set up alerts for process monitoring? - Ensure the server’s Process List is set to "All" when adding the server. Then, create an alert specifying the process name (e.g., nginx) under the monitor's alert settings. 4. Can I monitor multiple metrics for a single server or website? - Yes, you can create multiple monitors with different configurations to track various metrics for the same resource. 5. Why isn’t my monitor showing data? - Ensure the monitor’s URL or IP is accessible and correctly entered. For server monitors, confirm the agent is installed and running. Tips for Effective Monitoring - Use Descriptive Names: Clearly label monitors for easy identification (e.g., "Main Website - API" or "Database Server"). - Assign Alert Groups: Ensure monitors are grouped logically so the right people or integrations are notified. - Prioritize Critical Services: Set up alerts and shorter check intervals for the most important resources.

Last updated on Nov 23, 2024

Understanding the Monitors/Manage Page

The Monitors/Manage page is your primary interface for managing and analyzing your uptime and performance monitors. This guide will walk you through its features, how to use it effectively, and address common questions. Page Purpose and Overview The Monitors/Manage page is where you: - View and manage all active, paused, or specialized monitors (e.g., blacklist monitors). - Analyze performance data through interactive graphs and trends. - Configure notifications for different alert scenarios. - Access tools for testing notifications and managing your public status pages. Key Features of the Page 1. Monitor List - A table displaying all your monitors with key information: - Monitor Name: Identifies the service or resource being tracked. - Type: The category of the monitor (e.g., Website, Server, Blacklist). - Status: Shows whether the monitor is Active, Paused, or experiencing an issue (e.g., Down, Blacklisted). - Last Checked: The most recent time the monitor ran a check. - Response Time (if applicable): Displays the most recent response time (e.g., in milliseconds for HTTP monitors). - Notifications: Lists who will receive alerts and their notification type (e.g., Email, SMS, Slack). 2. Graphs and Data Visualizations - Interactive charts summarize key metrics: - Response Time Trends: A line graph showing average response times over a selected date range. - Uptime History: A pie chart or bar graph visualizing uptime percentages. - Data Aggregation: - To ensure fast loading and clear visuals, graphs display aggregated data points. These summaries preserve trends while avoiding clutter. 3. Date/Range Selector - Located at the top of the page, this tool allows you to filter data by time periods. - Predefined ranges (e.g., Last 24 Hours, Last 7 Days) and custom date ranges are supported. - All times are displayed in UTC to ensure consistency across global teams. 4. Notification Settings - Each monitor’s notification settings are fully customizable: - Who Gets Notified: View and edit recipients for alerts. - Notification Type: Configure methods such as Email, SMS, or third-party integrations like Slack or Microsoft Teams. - Send Test Notification: A handy tool to verify that alerts are being received correctly. 5. Pause/Resume Monitors - Temporarily pause monitoring for planned maintenance or other reasons. - Resume monitoring at any time to start collecting data again. 6. Public Status Pages - Easily create and manage public-facing status pages that display real-time information about your monitors. - Ideal for embedding on your website to keep customers informed about service uptime and outages. 7. Monitor Types - Website Monitors: Track uptime, response times, and availability. Includes graphs and performance metrics. - Server Monitors: Monitor resource usage (e.g., CPU, RAM, Disk). - Blacklist Monitors: Specifically check whether your domain or IP appears on email blacklists. These do not include graphs but display a list of blacklisting services and their status. Why Data Might Not Appear If you notice missing or incomplete data, here are possible reasons: - Monitor Type: Blacklist monitors don’t generate graphs, as they focus on status lists. - Monitor Status: Ensure the monitor is Active (not Paused). - Data Unavailable: No checks were performed during the selected date range. - Network Issues: Connectivity problems could prevent the system from retrieving data. FAQs 1. Why are timestamps displayed in UTC? - We use UTC to ensure consistency across teams working in different time zones. 2. Can I change who gets notifications? - Yes, you can edit recipients in the notification settings for each monitor. 3. How do I test if notifications are working? - Use the "Send Test Notification" feature in the notification settings. 4. Why doesn’t my blacklist monitor have graphs? - Blacklist monitors track the status of your domain or IP on various blacklists. Since these are binary results (listed or not listed), graphs aren’t applicable. 5. Can I embed the status page on my website? - Yes, public status pages are designed for easy embedding. Share your status link or use iframe code provided in the settings. 6. How are data points aggregated for graphs? - To optimize performance, we summarize data over intervals, preserving trends and key details while avoiding overwhelming visual clutter. 7. What happens if I pause a monitor? - The monitor stops collecting data and sending notifications but retains its history. Resume monitoring to restart checks. Tips for Getting the Most Out of This Page 1. Customize Notification Settings: - Tailor who gets notified and how for each monitor. Use test notifications to ensure proper setup. 2. Leverage Public Status Pages: - Keep customers informed during outages by embedding a status page on your site. 3. Regularly Review Monitors: - Ensure that all critical services are monitored and configured with the appropriate alert thresholds. 4. Analyze Trends: - Use response time trends and uptime graphs to identify potential issues before they escalate. 5. Pause Strategically: - Pause monitors during maintenance to avoid false positives or unnecessary notifications. If you have further questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to our support team. We’re here to help!

Last updated on Nov 23, 2024