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Sentry-go®
3Ds (UK) Limited
© 2000-2011 |
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Local vs Remote Monitoring |
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When you're looking to implement a monitoring solution, efficiency is key. The solution mustn’t overload your server & it mustn't cause
your existing systems to slow down ... yet it must also be capable of operating
in more hostile conditions, when problems are being encountered. It must also be
easy to configure and, as far as possible, be easy to understand, rather than
requiring a whole team of people to "monitor the monitor".
With Sentry-go from the outset, we have designed the system with issues such as
these in mind.
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Monitoring Overhead
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One of the most often asked questions is what overhead does running Sentry-go have ? The answer is
obviously dependent on what you're asking it to do, but in basic terms, the
monitoring service normally has little or no noticeable impact on your system.
Designed specifically to "sleep" when not required, monitoring components work
only when needed and for the length of the check being performed.
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The integrated web server provides web reporting directly from within the
monitor, meaning that no additional server configuration or software is
required, while the alerting engine processes alerts only when they are
triggered.
Network overhead is also minimised, thanks to the way local monitoring tasks are
configured.
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Local vs Remote Monitoring
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Sentry-go operates primarily on a "per server" basis. In other words it runs,
wherever possible,
locally on the server its monitoring. There are a number of reasons for this, but
the main ones are outlined below. |
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Minimal Network Overhead
Remote solutions implicitly require network access to perform their tasks, whereas a local
solution puts far less strain, if any, on the network.
With Sentry-go, only the checks that require network access use it, along with
alerting & web reporting etc. By minimising network traffic, less load is typically placed on your network
- especially important if your network is often under stress or uses slower
links such as a WAN.
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Security
Performing remote actions often means allowing a remote user or machine access
to your resources. This not only exposes a weakness in the configured user account, but
also means your firewall protection may be compromised. In a DMZ, access may be
forbidden meaning a remote solution cannot operate from outside the zone.
Local resources however, are just that ... local, allowing far greater flexibility without the inherent security risks.
Flexibility & control of the monitoring process
By running locally you have far greater flexibility and control over the
monitoring process, based purely on the state of the local server being
monitored.
External factors do not typically effect results or responses.
Automatic Responses
Local monitoring provides an ideal base for automatic responses,
which allow the monitor itself to take action when faults are detected without user intervention, or the need for more
complex remote control-style software.
No single point of failure
A central solution implicitly creates two points of failure – the
monitoring machine and the network connecting it to the servers you wish to
check. Running locally removes these limitations.
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Retaining Centralised Benefits
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Of course, there are also benefits in having a
centralised solution. When it comes to
the overall management of the monitoring system
and the alerts it might generate, operating centrally removes a lot of the
overhead. With Sentry-go, we've also taken
this into account.
Control tasks & access alerts from a single location |
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The Sentry-go Client Console provides an easy all-in-one client solution
to all your monitors. Once registered, each monitor can be accessed & configured
from your desktop. Alerts from each monitor can also be viewed as they occur,
giving you instant access to issues that arise and any action taken.
You can also alert to e-mail
queues (e.g. a support/monitoring user) and/or log details to a central file or
database.
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I can ensure the monitor itself is functioning from a single machine
The Client Console lists the status of each registered monitor, either local or
remote. If a monitor's status changes - maybe due to a network failure for
example, you'll be alerted to it.
The Enterprise Option allows status & alert information to be captured to a
central SQL Server database & further accessed through dedicated web reports.
This gives you an immediate enterprise view of the entire monitored environment
as well as spot trends in errors etc.
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I only have to configure my checks once
With Sentry-go, you have the flexibility
of either setting up unique
configurations on a per server basis, or creating a single configuration and replicating parts or all of it to other
monitors.
Configuration changes can be made locally, or remotely using client tools. Once
saved, settings can then either be exported/imported using the
Easy Access
Utility, or replicated across the network to one or more monitors using
Installation & Updates
With Sentry-go, we’ve made the installation
& setup process as quick & easy as possible. It would also be possible to
automate the Setup process if required.
Once installed, updates can be applied centrally using the
Remote Update Wizard. Simply upgrade a single monitor
& you can upgrade the others automatically based on the new files, quickly &
easily.
For more information on setting up Sentry-go monitoring, quickly & easily, see
our Sentry-go Getting Started Guide (PDF).
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