Web based monitoring and log view tools

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AndyTr
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Joined: 2017/08/12 11:10:54

Web based monitoring and log view tools

Post by AndyTr » 2017/08/12 14:31:06

Hi,

I'm about to switch our web app over from a single Ubuntu VPS to 3 x CentOS VPS (for separate dev, prod app and prod DB servers). It may well grow from there with 2 x app servers and 2 or 3 x DB servers, if things go well.

So far I've done all monitoring via the very basic VPS monitoring function and CLI, but this tends to be clunky and/or time consuming. As such, I've been looking for a web-based tool that provides an administrator one stop shop for everything we may want to know about the health of CentOS, Apache, MySQL and PHP access/error log events of all three servers. Website or PHP application health monitoring would be a great bonus.

I've found third party services such as moss.sh, serverpilot.io and cloudstats.me - all of which are either too simplistic or expensive - and I've seen quite a few blog articles recommending Webmin. I did find a Stackoverflow thread where lots of people rated an open source tool beginning with 'Z', but the name escapes me now. While the ability to make system changes, restart services, etc., via a web front end would be nice, I have no problem doing tasks via CLI - its more about monitoring and visualisation of everything in one place.

Does anybody have any suggestions or recommendations for this purpose, please?

Thanks !

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TrevorH
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Re: Web based monitoring and log view tools

Post by TrevorH » 2017/08/12 15:10:25

Sounds like you want something like icinga2, zabbix. I use icinga2 - icinga1 was a fork of nagios, icinga2 is a rewrite and scales better though it doesn't sound like you need to monitor masses of things.
The future appears to be RHEL or Debian. I think I'm going Debian.
Info for USB installs on http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
CentOS 5 and 6 are deadest, do not use them.
Use the FAQ Luke

AndyTr
Posts: 2
Joined: 2017/08/12 11:10:54

Re: Web based monitoring and log view tools

Post by AndyTr » 2017/08/12 16:09:21

Zabbix ! Thank you - that was the one beginning with 'Z' that I couldn't remember !

Yes, some people in the same thread suggested Nagios, while many more batted them back and said it was a nightmare to setup, whereas Zabbix was a much easier ride.

If you don't mind me asking, what made you chose icinga2 over Zabbix? Did you consider any hosted solutions before settling on this?

Thanks !

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TrevorH
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Re: Web based monitoring and log view tools

Post by TrevorH » 2017/08/12 20:19:26

Because zabbix is horrible IMO. I've tried it twice - the first time I inherited a half-set up install and tried to use it and it ate the entirety of an 8GB, 4 core 2.4GHz machine and ran it at 100% and was still as slow as molasses. The second time, well, that one I did myself from scratch but can no longer remember why it didn't make the grade - I think it was just the sheer impossibility of getting it to actually monitor anything useful.

I'd not use nagios. Icinga is much better, especially if you use 2.
The future appears to be RHEL or Debian. I think I'm going Debian.
Info for USB installs on http://wiki.centos.org/HowTos/InstallFromUSBkey
CentOS 5 and 6 are deadest, do not use them.
Use the FAQ Luke

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