Availability Monitoring
Simple monitoring of Web server availability uses multiple geographic monitors to PING
the Web server to asses the network availability. ping simply tests whether you
can get a packet from and to a given host. Another commonly used network management
tool is traceroute. Advanced monitoring checks availability by protocols,
usually the protocols of the application service level defined in
5 layers of the Internet.
- HTTP/HTTPS checks URLs on a Web server (HTTP) and/or a secure web server
(HTTPS) for a valid response code using HEAD HTTP request method. GET request method
will retrieve the content of the pages and can validate links and images, as well as
detect unauthorized changes in Web pages using keyword comparison.
- FTP tests file transfer. Username and password are required to login FTP
server if it is not an anonymous FTP. Not all Web applications will use a FTP server,
- SMTP/POP3/IMAP establishes a connection with your SMTP server at the protocol
level and log into your POP3 server with the username and password.
Performance Monitoring
While availability monitoring by protocols can be accomplished in scripts, Performance
Monitoring likely employees sophisticated monitoring software.
- Page Response Time tests response time of static Web pages to evaluate
the Web server performance.
- Database Response tests database performance. Many ecommerce applications
are backed by enterprise-strength database servers, whether is Oracle or MS SQLServer. Performance of dynamic pages retrieving
The response time of dynamic pages which access database reflects the performance of
backend database servers.
- File Transfer Response tests how long it will take to download files from
the site or upload files to the site. Depends on the implementation of the site, file
transfer could use HTTP or FTP protocols.
Transaction Monitoring
A typical ecommerce transaction (for instance, credit card authentication) involves
the message exchanges among several external systems. Availability and performance of
internal servers do not guarantee the success of the transactions. Transaction
monitoring tests whether users can complete a transaction and how long it will take to
complete the transaction.
Related Topics
WebSite Monitoring Basics - Benefits, What to Monitor and Monitoring Options
Choosing a Site Monitoring Service Company
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