The 3 best system monitoring tools for Ubuntu
As the number of devices, servers, and services in your business or organization increases, it is time to monitor systems. Monitoring the system, in place or in the cloud, includes capability, operation, as well as server and application health. This process is designed to include all computing resources to find and solve problems in real-time before they happen.
If you are using Ubuntu, system monitoring tools will help detect any errors or broken services before they affect users. The most basic tool is System Monitor, an integrated utility available for Linux, which acts as Task Manager of Windows and provides basic activity monitoring information for running processes and the most resource-consuming factors.
However, there are sophisticated system monitoring tools that show more resource usage information for memory, CPU, disk, and network connection. Below shown are the 3 top system monitoring tools that can be used with Ubuntu.
1. Nagios
This system monitoring tool for Ubuntu provides complete features of monitoring servers and terminal – including service status and processes, operating system data, file system usage, etc.
Nagios is a powerful, reliable, expandable, and customizable software (although the configuration is complex). As a standard that has existed for a long time in the field of network and system monitoring, Nagios has brought great benefits such as fast detection of protocol errors and network loss, plus an increase in services, servers, and applications.
Two solutions available for monitoring systems are Nagios Core and Nagios XI.
Nagios Core
This is a free open source code version that monitors servers, applications, and services. Nagios Core goes with features such as a basic user interface with network map, SMS and email report, and basic report.
Nagios Core monitors important IT infrastructure components, from the system, server, application, service, and network protocol figures. Then, Nagios Core will send notifications via SMS, email, or custom script when important components have errors and restore, so the administrator is always informed about important events.
Available reports provide a historical file of events, deactivation, notifications and warning feedback for future review, plus advanced charts to plan upgrades before outdated systems are at risk of malfunction.
This is a powerful open-source code option to monitor the Ubuntu system, with great features like the web interface, multi-tenant capability (an unique version of the software application serving many customers) and structure, expandable through integration with internal or third-party applications and supplemental utilities as community developed.
It will take a little time to learn when you start, but an active community is always ready to help if you need assistance.
Nagios XI
This is a commercial variant of the Nagios per, which has a richer feature range and supports automatic configuration.
Nagios XI’s powerful features (more than Core offers) include the powerful Nagios Core 4 monitoring implement, which provides the highest level of server productivity monitoring. Nagios XI also includes configuration instructions to guide users through monitoring devices, services and applications, taking snapshots to save recent configurations and reverting to the old configuration if you wish.
You can customize the design, layout, and option based on each user by using the updated GUI, so customers and collaborators get the flexibility that they want. Nagios XI also has a feature of custom role assignments to ensure a safe environment.
Advantages of Nagios:
- Easy to use
- Provide free option and paid option (with a 60-day trial version)
- Monitor IT infrastructure totally, because all important infrastructure components are monitored
- Allow many users to access the web interface and see the related infrastructure status
- Quick configuration with just a few simple clicks
- Easy to set up and manage user accounts
- Extensive structure using add-ons
2. Glances
This is a multi-platform data center monitoring implement, running on GNU / Linux, macOS, Windows, and BSD operating systems. Glances are written in Python, using the psutil library to get information from the system, providing users with lots of content just in a flash.
You can use Glance to monitor load average, CPU, memory, I/O drive, network interface, connected device, use file system space, etc.
One of the key features of Glance is the ability to set thresholds in configuration files with 4 options, displayed in different colors: **OK (green), Careful (blue), Warning **(purple) and **Critical **(red). The thresholds are set at 50, 70 and 90, corresponding to **Careful, Warning and Critical. You can customize these files using the file “glances.conf” **found in the folder “/ etc / glances / “ .
See important information such as average CPU load, speed of reading/writing I/O disk, current disk usage level for attached devices, and top processes along with their CPU/memory usage.
The drawback of having all this information is that Glances tends to use a significant amount of CPU resources.
If you need help with Glances, use the wikis available on the website. You can also contact other developers and users on Twitter, chat features for developers, and group of users.
Advantages of Glances:
- Easy to install because it is available on Ubuntu store
- Display more information than other monitoring implements
- Web-based GUI for flexible monitoring
- Can monitor the system remotely
3. Htop
Htop is an interactive process evaluator and text mode application, executing to monitor system in real-time. Htop provides a complete view of running processes and their resource usage. This way, you can help the system get rid of any malfunctions.
This tool is based on **“ncurses” **and provides support for mouse operation. Like other implements, Htop uses colors to provide visual instructions for memory, processor, etc.
The flexible, neat, and easy-to-configure summary is displayed in two columns that allow users to see information about the system. However, some information such as CPU percentage of not executing tasks over time, users or system time, are not available.
Functional keys are available to configure the summary and add a list that displays data to one of two columns. In addition, there is a process of arranging elements such as memory/CPU, PID or user.
Note: Currently, Htop is a multi-platform implement. Since version 2.0 , Htop supports Linux, BSD and macOS.
Advantages of Htop:
- The summary is neat and easy to read
- Each user has a configuration file
- Save automatically all changes in the configuration file<