Page Comparison

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I View Performance Information in the Web Interface

This is my PerformanceGuard web interface. I use it when I want to view performance data from my system. Here I'm comparing CPU usage on three of the computers that I look after.

When I use the web interface, it gets the information from my frontend and backend servers. Because PerformanceGuard stores data in several resolutions, I get the information fast. For example, if I want to view trend data from the last few days, PerformanceGuard doesn't have to sort through all the detailed data first.

I'm the administrator of my own PerformanceGuard system, so I've got the full set of user rights, which means that I can also use the web interface to set up and manage my system.

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Let's Recap ...

So, agents Image Added send data to my frontend server. My frontend server Image Added stores the detailed data about individual computers.

My frontend server sends a copy of the data to my backend server Image Added, which stores the data in less detailed resolutions.

I view data in the web interface Image Added. When I view detailed data, the web interface gets it from my frontend server. Less detailed data comes from my backend server. Detailed data takes up a lot of space, so my frontend server only keeps it for a few days. My backend server keeps its less detailed data for much longer.

Got it? Then let's look at three useful features that I've set up on my PerformanceGuard system ...

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I Use Reports to Keep People Informed

One of the things I've set up in the PerformanceGuard web interface is a report that my boss and I automatically get as a PDF in our mailboxes every Monday. The report outlines the past week's performance of the computers that I'm responsible for.

We also get another report on a monthly basis. That one shows whether performance on my computers lives up to Key Performance Indicators, and whether our service levels have gone up or down in the past months. My boss likes that report, because he gets all the information he needs as an executive summary.

You have great flexibility when it comes to reports: I've interviewed many PerformanceGuard customers. They especially liked the fact that they can set up a report template, and then use it to automatically generate reports that contain the same type of information, but for different departments or geographical locations.

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I Get Notified if Something Happens

Another thing I've set up in the PerformanceGuard web interface is e-mail notifications that I can read on my computer as well as on my smartphone.

Now I get notified instantly if something happens, for example if a process on one of the computers I look after uses too many resources or if one of our servers responds slowly.

Personally, I use the notifications reactively: When I get a notification, I fix the problem. However, many PerformanceGuard users I've spoken with use notifications proactively: They've set up notifications to get warned about potential problems, so they can look into them before they become real problems and begin to affect users.

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Dashboards Show Me System Status

When I'm in my office, I often look up at a large monitor on the wall opposite my desk.

The monitor displays my PerformanceGuard dashboards. I've set up the dashboards to show the status of my team's applications, servers and office locations (I have colleagues abroad). The dashboards give me excellent overviews of the entire team's IT performance at a glance.

Even in my small-scale setup I find the dashboards useful, but they're of course most often used by IT operations teams, helpdesks, support centers, etc.

This is how my PerformanceGuard system looks. What would yours look like?