I'm considering implementing a monitoring wall for my Sys/Network team. The goal is to keep an eye on various aspects such as online services (like Microsoft and other external apps that might go down), ISP links for network monitoring, server statuses (whether they're online or offline), and performance metrics for our ticketing systems. If you've set something like this up, what applications would you recommend to effectively manage this?
5 Answers
I think having a real-time monitoring wall would be awesome! Currently, I'm working with CheckMK, but the onboarding process can be quite slow because of the free version limitations.
Honestly, I tried a similar setup with 8 monitors showing the same info and found it to be a waste of time. What really helps is having a solid monitoring system that alerts you to actionable items. You can usually manage everything with one good system instead of a wall of screens. Just focus on building a dashboard for your KPIs. Most people don’t really watch those monitor walls anyway.
We have a WUG map displayed on a 55-inch TV, and it works great! The executives love it, so it's a win-win situation.
Setting up a monitoring wall could be more of a money trap than you'd expect. I would suggest focusing on making notifications via text or e-mail more useful and targeted instead. That tends to provide more value in the long run.
There are tons of tools out there! You might want to look into Checkmk, Prometheus with Grafana, or Zabbix. Each has its strengths, but yeah, testing them all can be a time-sucker! Maybe narrow it down to a couple that fit your needs and budget first.
Thanks for sharing your experience! That's really helpful.