Server monitoring is automatic, round the clock checking of a Domino server's health, so faults are found and fixed before users notice them.
Server monitoring is automatic, round the clock checking of a server's health, so faults are found and fixed before users notice them. For HCL Domino it is about more than CPU and disk. Mail queues, replication, agents and certificates decide whether the platform works.
What is monitored on a Domino server?
- The server: uptime, CPU, memory, disk space and response time.
- Domino tasks: that router, replica, HTTP, agent manager and the other server tasks are running.
- Mail: queues, dead mail, connections to external mail servers, SPF and DKIM.
- Replication: that databases are in sync between servers and no copies are behind.
- Databases: corrupt NSF files, missing indexes, size.
- Security: expiry of TLS certificates and ID files, failed logins, changes in Domino Directory.
- Backup: that it runs, and that it can be restored.
Why does it matter?
Domino is so stable that people forget about it. That is the problem. The typical operational failure we see is a server that has run unattended for years, until the disk fills up, a certificate expires or a Windows update breaks something. Then the whole company is without mail and without the application the warehouse runs on. Monitoring catches most of those faults days before they become critical.
How we do it
We set up monitoring with Domino's own statistics combined with external tools that send alerts to us. Alerts are prioritised, so we react to what is urgent and gather the rest for fixed maintenance windows. You get a monthly report on the state of the platform and a list of what should be done.
Common questions
Can you monitor servers that sit with us?
Yes. Monitoring runs over secure remote access. The server does not need to move.
What happens when an alert comes at night?
Critical alerts are handled around the clock by agreement. Most can be solved remotely before the working day starts.
Is monitoring the same as support?
No. Monitoring catches faults on the server. Notes support helps the users. Most choose both in one agreement.
Our monitoring
Read about server monitoring and Notes support, where we take operational responsibility for your Domino platform.