GFI Network Server Monitor – network server monitoring software

About GFI Network Server Monitor
GFI Network Server Monitor is a monitoring tool that allows administrators to monitor the network for failures or irregularities automatically. With GFI Network Server Monitor, administrators can identify issues and fix unexpected conditions before their users report them. GFI Network Server Monitor maximizes network availability by monitoring all aspects of a network’s servers (including UNIX/LINUX servers), workstations and devices (routers, etc). When it detects a failure, GFI Network Server Monitor can alert the administrator by email, pager or SMS, as well as taking corrective action by, for example, rebooting the machine, restarting the service or running a script. Any amount of rules can be configured and each can be customized to suit one’s needs and network set-up. GFI Network Server Monitor is easy to set up and use, and is competitively priced: Pricing begins at US$499 to monitor ten servers. Download the full-featured demo version from /SoftwareProducts/GFiNetworkServerMonitor/DownloadNetworkServerMonitor/tabid/93/Default.aspx.

Enterprise class architecture
GFI Network Server Monitor consists of a network monitoring service and a separate management interface. 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

Performance counter - Monitor any internal operating system counter, including counters used by SQL Server and MSMQ

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

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.

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 customized using variables. Recipients can be configured globally for all rules.

Support for SQL Server/MS Access as a database backend
GFI Network Server Monitor allows you to store monitoring data to either an SQL Server or MS Access database backend. SQL Server is more appropriate for users with higher monitoring level requirements as well as those who need to centralize the monitoring results of multiple GFI Network Server Monitor installations in one place (such as backups, remote accessing as well as report generation by third party tools such as Crystal Reports or MS Reporting Services).

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 optimized 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 performance 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 and any performance counter accessible through perfmon.msc. This way, you can ensure that virtually any application is running properly.

Custom network monitoring using VBscript and SSH
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 an SSH shell script (LINUX). From VBscript, you can use both 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.

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, organizational units, and so on.

Nested folder support
It is possible to organize folders in a nested folder format - this provides support for more complex monitoring needs such as that of consultants or enterprises with more granular server distribution.

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

Accommodates employee shifts: GFI Network Server Monitor can notify different people depending on the time at which the check triggered.

System Requirements

Windows 2000 (SP4 or higher), 2003 or XP Pro operating systems

Windows Script Host 5.5 or higher (included in Internet Explorer 6 and in Service Pack 2 of Internet Explorer 5.5; you can download it separately from http://www.microsoft.com/scripting/.

.NET Framework 1.1