Server Uptime history

[jacorob]

I've been with page-zone for a while now. I seem to recall way back when they provided the history of server uptime. I know they show real"ish" time status, but I don't see the history anymore.

Is it still available? If so, where? If not, anyone know why not?

Thanks,
Bob

[Sheila]

Bob:

I'm not positive, but I'm unaware of there being a history posted. Not sure why.

I can tell you I use a free service called Easy Monitor that's free. I have it setup for my reseller domain name and it emails me at my ISP email address (not connected to PZ) anytime the server is down and then again when it goes up. I've attached a screen capture of the history log. You can get better services from them if you pay.

Hope that helps.
Sheila

[jacorob]

Thanks, I actually already use them. I've been getting more reports from them a lot more frequently than I used to. Because of that I was hoping to look at the history for my server since easy monitor only gives the last 10 reports (I only use free service).

Incidentally - when you get notified by easy monitor do you receive the emails after the fact? I get the "server up" email before I receive the "server down" message? The service is really only good for knowing that a problem existed and how long it existed for. Perhaps it's a way to get people to sign up for a pay service. *shrug*

Bob

[edwurster]

Originally posted by jacorob
Incidentally - when you get notified by easy monitor do you receive the emails after the fact? I get the "server up" email before I receive the "server down" message? The service is really only good for knowing that a problem existed and how long it existed for. Perhaps it's a way to get people to sign up for a pay service. *shrug*

Bob

I checked the details for 4/21 for my easymonitor. The messages were sent in the correct order, and received in the correct order.

There may be a benefit for the pay service. If your clients want to see proof of uptime, or want to know what happened at a specific time, the pay service would come in handy.

[Sheila]

I think mine arrive in the appropriate order. Seems like they often arrive at the same time. I started using Easy Monitor back when server 4 was having a lot of down time. Since we got a new server it's been really good...until recently. I just sent a ticket asking why it seemed to be acting up again. Here's what I got back...

We are still watching the server closely around the clock to see what the problem was. I suspect (if anything) it is a bad block on the backup drive causing a problem. That is the only thing that stands out in our extensive diagnostics on the server. If not that then it is just a run of bad luck of users script locking up the server. This happens occasionally.

Sheila

[harveyc]

The server history used to be posted, but it was done away with. I don't know why. Last year someone questioned the server history stats and Jim had suggested that the poster sign up for Easy Monitor. That's when I first heard of the service and signed up as well. I also have noticed a lot more reports from Easy Monitor recently. Still not bad (couple of times a month on server 8 with outages of 15 minutes or so), but I think there was only one report for the first six months I used the service last year.

[TechWeasel]

I still use EasyMonitor as well but have noticed problems with some of their reporting over the past year.

Since their free service only polls every 15 minutes or so, a dropped packet is often reported as a 15 minute downtime untill the next polling cycle comes around (which can also often been significantly longer than 15 minutes).

There's also been a couple of instances of it recording long outages (as in days) when clearly the servers were fine. I don't need mission critical monitoring, so I've never evaluated their "pro" service, but depending on how factual you want your uptime %'s it might be worthwhile.

As for the old server uptime monitoring app, I seem to recall that there was an issue that without the monitoring app being corroborated by another machine somewhere geographically different from the data centre(s) there were accuracy problems.

[edwurster]

Since 7/5 I've received 60 reports from easymonitor - that covers three days. Prior to that I received 6 or less per month.

What is easymonitor checking? Their site doesn't say much. Does anyone know if they are pinging, tracert'ing, or whatever?

[ldesign]

I've started getting complaints from clients lately (on server 9), so I've been reading through the forum for more information on outages.

After reading this thread I thought I should mention a free tool that I use (not often enough lately, but now I am going to run it 24/7).

Karen's Power Tools - Net Monitor:
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptnetmon.asp

You run the monitor from your own PC.

You set the testing interval from seconds to days. (I have mine set to test every 5 minutes).

You can also put a "signature" (unique text) into a file on your server and choose to check that it is found in the file when you access it for the test.

Net Monitor keeps a log.

You can test multiple sites.

I use it in conjunction with Karen's Emailer II to send myself an email when a site goes down and when it comes back up.
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptmailer2.asp

This step is not necessary if you are at your computer as you can set the Net Monitor window to "Restore (take focus) and Beep" on failure.

Hope this helps,

Chuck

[edwurster]

Originally posted by ldesign
After reading this thread I thought I should mention a free tool that I use (not often enough lately, but now I am going to run it 24/7).

Karen's Power Tools - Net Monitor:
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptnetmon.asp

You run the monitor from your own PC.

You set the testing interval from seconds to days. (I have mine set to test every 5 minutes).

Great tip Chuck. I've used Net Monitor for about 24 hours, and it is more useful than easymonitor.

I'm on server ten. The amount of time it takes for a response is slower than expected at times. I've had only one failure noted by NM, but many more sent by EM, about 1-2 each hour.

EM's information must be based on shorter timeout. NM seems to be based on a 20-sec. timeout. EM's info is also difficult to interpret in that the stated time is 12 hours off now, but was accurate at some point in the past.