The concept of server monitoring is relatively straightforward at first glance. If you know that monitoring data in a digital system is about collecting and analyzing logs of data, then you know that analyzing requires you to evaluate the logs from that server. Windows server monitoring, and other processes focused on specific servers help you to ensure that the underlying technology responsible for running your applications and services are working properly. The data that you collect from these monitoring tools will depend on a number of factors, including what services you’re using. However, most of the time, you’ll focus on a few key performance indicators, such as network connectivity, application availability, and even uptime.
What Do These Monitoring Systems Look At?
In the past, the only way to properly evaluate the performance of your server would be to pay an expert to assess each individual set of files one at a time. However, this manual process is practically impossible in an environment where servers are collecting huge amounts of critical information every day. Now, most businesses prefer to use automated monitoring tools instead, relying on them to collect relevant data and convert it into actionable insights.
For instance, a monitoring system looking at a Windows file would examine things like the network share availability, log files, and events. You might also examine things like memory, disk performance metrics, and CPU performance too. Data from each of your KPIs (Key Performance indicators) can then be analyzed to minimize or prevent the outage or slowdown of your server over time. As you might imagine, the technology and processes that go into server monitoring become more complex as your IT infrastructure becomes more and more complicated, dispersed, and denser. Significantly larger quantities of information need advanced automation processes to sort through information at a rapid pace. The more intelligent your monitoring software is, the less time your IT experts need to spend on chasing down avoidable issues that occur within your network.
Is this Type of Monitoring Valuable?
While some companies avoid using automated tools because they’re concerned that they’ll need to pay out a monthly subscription for new software, most of these services actually pay for themselves. After all, the minimal cost of a new tool doesn’t compare to the huge cash losses that come from things like unexpected server downtime. If a server goes down for even a few minutes, the results can be everything from lost productivity, to reduced sales opportunities, and even penalties if you’re not meeting your SLA requirements. Reducing downtime with server evaluation means that you can reduce these costs, and even minimize operational costs by helping to organize your IT team better too.
Just like all kinds of monitoring, getting a behind the scenes look at your server and how you can keep it running smoothly is one of the most valuable ways that you can help your business grow. All you need to do is make sure that you’re investing in the right tools to reach your goals.