Overview

GFi Network Server Monitor Overview

Automated server and network monitoring made easy!

GFI Network Server Monitor is a network monitor that enables administrators to scan the network for failures or irregularities automatically.  With GFI Network Server Monitor, you can identify issues and fix unexpected conditions before your users (or managers) report them to you!

Maximise network and server uptime

GFI Network Server Monitor maximises network availability by monitoring all aspects of your servers (including UNIX/LINUX servers), workstations and devices (routers, etc).  When it detects a failure, GFI's network monitor can alert you by email, pager or SMS, as well as taking corrective action by, for example, rebooting the machine, restarting the service or running a script.

GFI Network Server Monitor is easy to set up and use, and is competitively priced.  You can set any amount of rules and customise each rule to suit your needs and network set-up.

Why choose GFI Network Server Monitor?

• Monitor your network and servers for software and hardware failures
• Out-of-the-box monitoring of Exchange, ISA, SQL and Web servers
• Monitor disk space, services, processes, etc.  on servers and workstations
• Easy to learn/use and easy to deploy – no client component/agent

Features

Enterprise class architecture

GFI Network Server Monitor consists of a network monitoring service (called the Network Monitor Engine) and a separate management interface (the Network Manager).  No agent software needs to be installed on the machines you wish to monitor.  The Network Monitor Engine is multi-threaded and can run 16 checks at a time.  This software architecture allows for high reliability and scalability to monitor both large and small networks.

Includes checks for Exchange 2000/2003, ISA server, IIS and others

Via the Quickstart wizard, you can quickly create a series of checks which monitor all the important services on your network, including Exchange Server, IIS and others.  Critical Exchange services and performance counters (Information Store, mailboxes, SMTP service, etc) are monitored.

Monitors terminal servers by actually logging in

GFI Network Server Monitor can check the status of a terminal server by actually performing a complete login and checking if the session is established correctly.  This monitoring method is superior to relying on the events that the terminal server generates (as Microsoft MOM does).

Monitor your database servers (SQL/ORACLE/ODBC)

GFI Network Server Monitor can check the availability of all leading database applications.  Out of the box, it can monitor Microsoft SQL Server via ADO and Oracle via SQL*NET.  Oracle servers can be monitored by a TNS ping check and by a logon/logoff.  Other databases such as Access, FoxPro, Paradox, SyBase, Informix, IBM DB2 and many more can be monitored via ODBC.

Monitor Linux servers

GFI Network Server Monitor includes extensive checks for monitoring Linux servers.  You can monitor CPU usage, printer availability, file existence, process running, folder size, file size, users and groups membership, disk partition check and disk space.  In addition, administrators can create any check by creating an SSH script.

Performs administrative steps to ensure that a service is running

GFI has developed specialized checks which mimic administrator operations to verify that services offered by various applications are running, for example, logon to a service, perform a task and logoff the service – without the need for any administrative intervention!  The monitoring functions that make use of such methodologies include: IMAP, POP3, SMTP Server and the email route check.  Through the active use of such services one can guarantee that all aspects of these services are running and functioning.

Takes corrective action automatically

After an unexpected condition has occurred, GFI Network Server Monitor can automatically correct the problem by restarting a service (or multiple services) upon failure; rebooting a server upon failure; or launching an executable, batch job or VBScript.

Built-in computer monitor functions

• CPU usage function – Ensure that a processor’s usage does not go beyond a certain level
• Directory size function – Ensure that a particular directory (for example, a user’s home directory) does not take up more than x amount of drive space
• Disk drive function – Monitor the physical status of the disk
• Disk space function – Check if sufficient disk space is available
• File existence function – Monitor the existence of a particular file; for example, results of scheduled batch jobs
• File size function – Monitor the size of particular files, for example, critical log files.  

Built in Internet service functions

• HTTP function – Checks availability of HTTP and HTTPS sites; passes credentials if required
• Website content checking – Checks website content by specifying a text pattern to check for
• FTP function – Checks availability of an FTP server/site
• ICMP ping function – Checks a remote host for availability
• IMAP server function – Checks that the IMAP service is functioning by logging into the service and checking the count of the emails contained in a specific folder on the IMAP server
• DNS server function – Checks DNS server by reading an 'A' record and verifying the result
• SMTP server function – Checks mail server by establishing a connection and handshaking to verify SMTP protocol is working correctly
• POP3 server function – Checks POP3 servers by establishing a connection and handshaking
• NNTP news server function – Checks connection and does a handshake
• SNMP function – Monitors specific variables on remote machines or devices via the SNMP GET message
• TCP port function – Checks if a port is responding and checks its response
• UDP function – Monitors UDP ports
• NTP timeserver function – Monitors status of timeservers.  
• Email route function – Checks the health of email services by actually sending test emails and verifying their delivery at destination.  This check is also useful for verifying performance of your mailing systems

Alert notification via email, pager or SMS

When it detects a failure, GFI Network Server Monitor can send alerts via SMS, pager, email or a network message.  SMS (text) messages are sent either through an SMS service provider (SMSC), or directly through a connected GSM phone/modem.  All notifications can be customised using variables.  Recipients can be configured globally for all rules.

View network status from anywhere in the world

You can check rule status from any location using GFI Network Server Monitor's remote web monitor.  The remote web monitor includes two types of web page views: One for a normal web browser and one optimised for viewing from a mobile phone or handheld device such as a BlackBerry or a Palm.  A small footprint web server is included, although the feature can also be operated in conjunction with IIS.

View network status from anywhere in the world

You can check rule status from any location using GFI Network Server Monitor's remote web monitor.  The remote web monitor includes two types of web page views: One for a normal web browser and one optimised for viewing from a mobile phone or handheld device such as a BlackBerry or a Palm.  A small footprint web server is included, although the feature can also be operated in conjunction with IIS.

Monitor remote event logs

GFI Network Server Monitor can scan Windows event logs on local or remote computers and look for specific event sources, categories, event IDs and patterns in the description of the event.  In addition, it can look for multiple events occurring in a specific time interval, for example, a McAfee or Norton virus alert posted in the last 30 minutes.

Monitor processes & services and CPU usage

GFI Network Server Monitor enables you to check critical processes and services on local and remote computers.  You can also monitor the CPU usage of a machine.  This way, you can ensure that virtually any application is running properly.

Custom network monitoring using VBscript and RSH

Although GFI Network Server Monitor includes an extensive set of default monitoring functions, you can build your own custom checks by writing a VBscript (Windows) or a RSH shell script (UNIX).  From VBscript, you can use WMI and ADSI.  WMI is an interface to a broad range of hardware/software/OS-related properties of a computer, allowing you to perform almost any check.  Using ADSI you can interface to Active Directory.  The GFI Network Server Monitor website lists a number of sample scripts that you can use as a basis, and others are continuously added to the site.

Monitor users, groups and other Active Directory information

Use GFI Network Server Monitor to monitor directory information.  For example, monitor group membership of the domain admins group.  You can also check user accounts (locked out, disabled, etc.), computer accounts, groups, group membership, organisational units, and so on.  A subset of NTDS (NT4-based SAM account database) and Novell NDS Directory Service can be queried too.

Reporting

GFI Network Server Monitor allows you to create reports that detail the availability of your network resources.  Create reports directly in HTML, or generate XML/CSV reports, which you can export to your favorite application.

Other features

• Configure maintenance periods to avoid alerts being sent during scheduled maintenance
• Advanced logging options to text file or event log
• Configure dependencies to avoid multiple alerts for error conditions dependent on each other
• Monitor network printer status.  
• Reporting – includes reports that detail the availability of your network resources; alternatively, use Crystal Reports to access the database and create your own reports
• Monitoring checks wizard that easily configures new checks for your present systems Accommodates employee shifts: GFI Network Server Monitor can notify different people depending on the time at which the check triggered.  

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