CrossNodes: Mind the Ether with Network Monitors

"Available for most major operating systems, including Linux, Windows, Mac, and Netware, Big Brother monitors system and network services. While Big Brother is quite sophisticated and customizable, its reporting concept is simplicity itself: green is good, red is bad. Not only are specific items marked by green or red icons, the status page background color also changes to green or red.

"Big Brother operates in real time. It displays the information in both HTML and WML, for display on Web pages, and on WAP-enabled devices, such as wireless phones and PDAs. It uses standard client-server architecture, for networks or single machines. To monitor a single machine simply install the server and client components on the same machine. Use it to monitor CPU status, disk quotas, services, databases- it even comes with a hook for MRTG, Multi-Router Traffic Grapher, for monitoring bandwidth. One very nice use for BB is monitoring your Service Level Agreements- you'll see quickly if they are not being kept, and have the data to prove it.

"Out of the box, Big Brother supports a wide range of testing and reporting; it also supports creating additional plug-ins, written in the language of your choice. It supports email paging, alpha-numeric paging, or even write a custom module for the alert notification of your choice..."

Complete Story

Related Stories:

• Linux Journal: Your Network's Secret Life, Part 4(Aug 04, 2001)
• Linux Journal: Your Network's Secret Life, Part 3(Jul 05, 2001)
• Linux Journal: Your Network's Secret Life, Part 2(Jun 10, 2001)
• LinuxSecurity.com: Network Monitoring with Dsniff(May 30, 2001)