15 Ways You Need Proactive Monitoring
Updated March 28, 2019
Proactive customer monitoring enables managing hosting providers to directly tie into the information (watch key metrics) about services on client accounts – so that issues can be rectified quickly, minimizing website impact, eliminating the need for reactive support tickets and improving the entire user experience on a grand scale. Observing and checking progress constantly, proactive customer monitoring lets server managers keep track of services in the hosting environment – instantly.
What We Monitor Proactively
With more than a decade of managed hosting experience, KnownHost proactively tracks and monitors 15 different items to ensure your success:
CPU Usage
The brains behind your server, if a CPU has too much load, website requests get answered slowly and visitors get disappointed. When your proactive monitoring detects excessive CPU load, it’s something that needs attention – which is why the server team will immediately kick into action and sort that problem ASAP.
Memory (RAM) Usage
Running out of memory means web servers go catatonic. Without memory, databases melt down and requests queue up but never get filled.
SSHD
The sshd service is monitored – without it, you’d lose the ability to login via the terminal/command prompt.
Chkservd and Tailwatchd
The chkservd and tailwatchd processes are monitored to make sure they are running. Think of these as working in tandem to make sure all the rest of your services in cPanel are up and running. They’re able to restart processes that need a nudge to get running again.
DNS
We monitor BIND (named), MyDNS, NSD, and PowerDNS – all relate to converting web addresses like knownhost.com into numerical addresses the server will understand like 1.2.3.4.
ipaliases
Responsible for managing additional IP’s on your server, ipaliases is what makes it possible for additional IP’s to be mapped, tracked and usable. When it’s not running, only your base IP responds.
Webserver/httpd
The lifeblood of your web server is the web service, whether Apache (httpd) or Litespeed. Thanks to advanced flap detection, we know whether your web server is up or down as well as whether it’s been bouncing back and forth (flapping) between checks.
MySQL
While the webserver is the king of web services, the database, either MySQL or MariaDB, is the queen. We’ll keep an eye on your database processes, tracking and monitoring to assure it stays online, and your website keeps delivering content quickly.
SMTP
For many online businesses, email is critical. You’ve got to be able to send emails if you’re to succeed, which is why we monitor the SMTP service – the one responsible for sending email.
POP3
Just as sending email is essential, so is the ability to receive email, which comes in thanks to the POP3 service. Without it running, no email will arrive in your inbox.
IMAP
The alternative to POP3, IMAP is a great way to get email on multiple devices. If it goes down, your email becomes inaccessible.
Email Queue
Besides the email services running, our proactive monitoring means we run checks on email queues, keeping track of large emails queues that would often mean there’s some type of outbound spam in progress (signs of a hack), which in turn could ruin your sender score and thus wreck your online marketing.
Configserver Firewall (CSF) & Login Failure Daemon (LFD)
CSF and LFD are crucial to your firewall operation which is why we closely monitor those services.
How to Get Proactive Monitoring
New KnownHost customers can select proactive monitoring at checkout. It’s a small fee in exchange for 24x7x365 advance tracking and response to issues that may occur. We identify and rectify any issues quickly, so that you needn’t worry.
If you’re an existing customer and would like to add proactive monitoring, please use the contact sales link from the top navigation and we’ll get you sorted – no problem.