Webserver Monitoring Software?

Flint · 03-28-2007, 02:44 PM

I support a web app that crashes... too often. I can bring it back up in about five minutes, but a customer (physician) has to get whitepaged, and call me, before I know about it.

I've tried to monitor the webserver with an app that pings it, and e-mails me if the server is down, but the problem is that the server isn't actually down when it goes down.

I need something more specific: does the login page come up when you go to the URL? Or better yet, can you actually log in to the login screen?

Any (free) suggestions?

Happy Monkey · 03-28-2007, 02:56 PM

I don't suppose the web app is an executable (i.e. not Java)?

If so, you could replace that executable with a script that runs the real one and then emails you. You wouldn't need to poll at all.

Otherwise, here's something that may work. I thought that some flavors of Unix had equivalent utilities, but I'm not sure.

Pie · 03-28-2007, 03:20 PM

What platform is this web app running on? If it's a version of Linux, you can try daemontools (yes, Bernstein is a bit of an ass), or gin up a one-off perl script to monitor the process id and restart it/email you if it dies.
If it's winblows, I got nuthin'.

mbpark · 03-28-2007, 04:58 PM

If this is a Windows box, you can easily download wget and write a small script to parse the output from that command in perl or python.

Run the script as a scheduled job every 5 minutes.

If the app is down, run an "iisreset" command.

If it's Linux/UNIX, you may need to download wget (esp. if you run HP-UX or Solaris), and then write a small script that checks the error status, and if it fails, run an "apachectl restart" or whatever command your webserver needs to restart.

That should help you out

. There's even VbScript to do this on the Internet if you look closely enough.

Thanks,

Mitch

SteveDallas · 03-28-2007, 06:59 PM

Yeah I've done that kind of thing with wget. Nagios will check the HTTP service built-in but that's probably overkill for just this one thing.

Flint · 03-29-2007, 12:39 PM

@All: Thanks. I think I'll play around with wget, see what I can cook up. Thanks again.

03-28-2007, 02:44 PM	#1
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Webserver Monitoring Software? I support a web app that crashes... too often. I can bring it back up in about five minutes, but a customer (physician) has to get whitepaged, and call me, before I know about it. I've tried to monitor the webserver with an app that pings it, and e-mails me if the server is down, but the problem is that the server isn't actually down when it goes down. I need something more specific: does the login page come up when you go to the URL? Or better yet, can you actually log in to the login screen? Any (free) suggestions? __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

03-28-2007, 02:56 PM	#2
Happy Monkey I think this line's mostly filler. Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DC Posts: 13,575	I don't suppose the web app is an executable (i.e. not Java)? If so, you could replace that executable with a script that runs the real one and then emails you. You wouldn't need to poll at all. Otherwise, here's something that may work. I thought that some flavors of Unix had equivalent utilities, but I'm not sure. __________________ _________________ \|...............\| We live in the nick of times. \| Len 17, Wid 3 \| \|_______________\| [pics]

03-28-2007, 03:20 PM	#3
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	What platform is this web app running on? If it's a version of Linux, you can try daemontools (yes, Bernstein is a bit of an ass), or gin up a one-off perl script to monitor the process id and restart it/email you if it dies. If it's winblows, I got nuthin'. __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

03-28-2007, 04:58 PM	#4
mbpark Lecturer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Carmel, Indiana Posts: 761	Here's a suggestion.... If this is a Windows box, you can easily download wget and write a small script to parse the output from that command in perl or python. Run the script as a scheduled job every 5 minutes. If the app is down, run an "iisreset" command. If it's Linux/UNIX, you may need to download wget (esp. if you run HP-UX or Solaris), and then write a small script that checks the error status, and if it fails, run an "apachectl restart" or whatever command your webserver needs to restart. That should help you out . There's even VbScript to do this on the Internet if you look closely enough. Thanks, Mitch

03-29-2007, 12:39 PM	#6
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	@All: Thanks. I think I'll play around with wget, see what I can cook up. Thanks again. __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

03-28-2007, 06:59 PM	#5
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	Yeah I've done that kind of thing with wget. Nagios will check the HTTP service built-in but that's probably overkill for just this one thing.

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