Server Monitoring

Prerequisites

Before getting started, make sure you have:

• Root or sudo access to your Linux servers
• AlertKick account set up (see Account Setup)
• Network access from your servers to AlertKick’s monitoring endpoints

Adding Your First Server

AlertKick uses an agent-based monitoring approach. Let’s add your first server:

Adding a Server

1. Navigate to Monitoring -> Add Server
2. Enter server details:
   • Server Name: A descriptive name (e.g., “Web Server 01”)
   • IP Address: Server’s IP address
   • Operating System: Linux distribution
   • Environment: Production, Staging, Development
3. Generate installation command for your server
4. Copy the installation script provided by AlertKick

Installing the Agent

On your Linux server, run the installation command:

# Example installation command (your actual command will be different)
curl -sSL https://install.alertkick.com/agent | sudo bash -s -- --token=YOUR_AGENT_TOKEN

The agent will:

• Install the AlertKick monitoring agent
• Configure automatic startup
• Begin collecting system metrics
• Establish secure communication with AlertKick

Configuring Linux Monitoring Profiles

Linux profiles define what checks to run on your servers. You can use predefined profiles or create custom ones.

Using Default Linux Profile

1. Navigate to Monitoring -> Profiles
2. Select “Default Linux Profile”
3. Review the included checks:
   • CPU Usage: Monitor processor utilization
   • Memory Usage: Track RAM consumption
   • Disk Space: Monitor disk usage
   • Network Connectivity: Check network interfaces
   • Service Status: Monitor critical services
   • System Load: Track system load averages

Creating Custom Linux Profiles

For specific server types, create custom profiles:

1. Click “Create New Profile”
2. Configure profile settings:
   • Profile Name: “Web Server Profile”
   • Description: “Monitoring for web servers”
3. Add custom checks:
   • Apache/Nginx Status: Monitor web server processes
   • Database Connections: Check database connectivity
   • SSL Certificate Expiry: Monitor certificate validity
   • Custom Scripts: Run your own monitoring scripts

Profile Assignment

1. Go to Monitoring -> Servers
2. Select your server
3. Assign profile: Choose “Default Linux Profile” or your custom profile
4. Configure check intervals: Set how often checks run (default: 5 minutes)

Testing Server Monitoring

Test Server Monitoring

1. Verify agent installation: Check that the agent is running on your server
2. Review monitoring data: Ensure metrics are being collected
3. Test alert generation: Trigger a test alert (e.g., high CPU usage)
4. Verify notifications: Check that alerts are sent to the right people
5. Test escalation: Ensure alerts escalate properly when not acknowledged

Monitoring Dashboard

Use the AlertKick dashboard to:

• View server status: See all your monitored servers
• Monitor active alerts: Track current issues and their status
• Review metrics: Check CPU, memory, disk usage trends
• Team performance: Monitor response times and alert resolution
• Generate reports: Create reports for stakeholders

Best Practices

Server Monitoring

1. Start with default profiles: Use predefined Linux profiles for common monitoring needs
2. Customize for your environment: Create specific profiles for different server types
3. Set appropriate thresholds: Configure alert thresholds based on your server capacity
4. Regular profile review: Update monitoring profiles as your infrastructure evolves

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Agent not connecting to AlertKick:

• Check network connectivity from server to AlertKick
• Verify agent token is correct
• Review firewall settings
• Check agent service status

No monitoring data appearing:

• Verify agent installation completed successfully
• Check agent logs for errors
• Ensure monitoring profile is assigned to server
• Review check intervals and thresholds

Alerts not being generated:

• Check alert thresholds in monitoring profiles
• Verify escalation policies are configured
• Review notification settings
• Test with manual alert generation

Next Steps

After setting up server monitoring:

1. Set up security monitoring - See eBPF Security Monitoring
2. Configure alerts and escalation - See Escalation Policies

Support

Need help with server monitoring? Contact our support team at support [at] alertkick [dot] com or check out our complete documentation.