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Monitor a server

A server in UptimeHawk is a hostname or IP address with one or more tests attached: a ping test, and port tests for the services it runs (web, mail, DNS, SSH, databases and so on). Each test is checked and reported on its own, so you can tell whether the whole machine is down or a single service has stopped.

Each test, including ping, uses one test from your plan. A server with ping, HTTP and SMTP tests uses three.

Which test to use

Section titled “Which test to use”
Test Use it for
Ping Whether the machine answers on the network at all
HTTP, HTTPS A web server on a port, without loading a specific page. To check a page, use a website test instead.
DNS A DNS server
FTP, SSH File transfer and remote login services
SMTP, POP3, IMAP Mail servers: sending, and the two ways of collecting mail
MYSQL A MySQL or MariaDB database server that accepts connections from the internet
SSL, TLS Services that use SSL or TLS encryption on their port
TCP Any other service: checks that the port accepts connections

Add a server

Section titled “Add a server”

  1. Open Monitoring and select Add a Test.

  2. Choose Monitor a new server/router and select Next.

  3. Enter a Name, the server’s Hostname/IP address, the Monitoring interval and, optionally, Notes to include in every alert. Use the hostname rather than the IP address where you can: the checks then also catch DNS problems, and it is the name your visitors use.

  4. Select Next. UptimeHawk lists the services it can check:

    The services table for a new server. Marker 1 is beside the Ping test, whose box is ticked, marker 2 beside the Service Name field of the HTTP test, marker 3 beside its Type list and Advanced Options link, and marker 4 beside its Port field.

  5. Tick each test you want marker 1. For each one you can change the Service Name marker 2 shown in alerts and reports, the Type marker 3 and the Port marker 4. The common ports are filled in for you; change them if your service listens on a different port.

  6. Select Next. The server and its tests are added straight away, and the confirmation page lists who will receive alerts for them.

The panel shows how many tests you have left above the table. Find the port number for your applications here, below the table, lists the usual ports for common services.

Add a test to an existing server

Section titled “Add a test to an existing server”

  1. Open Monitoring and select Add a Test.

  2. Choose Monitor an existing server/router, pick the server from the list and select Next.

  3. Tick the tests to add, adjust their names, types and ports, and select Next to finish.

You can also choose Add a Test from the server’s action list on Monitoring Overview.

Fine-tune a test

Section titled “Fine-tune a test”
  • Ping: choose Edit Test from the ping test’s action list to set the Number of packet to send and the Maximum allowed packet loss before the server counts as down.
  • HTTP and HTTPS: select Advanced Options marker 3 beside the type to choose the HTTP method, add request headers, set how many redirects to follow and turn on Verify HTTPS certificate.

Some firewalls and intrusion detection systems log the regular ping checks as a scan. The checks use the standard ping utility.

Monitor a database behind a firewall

Section titled “Monitor a database behind a firewall”

A database that only accepts local connections cannot be checked with a MYSQL test. Instead, put a small script on a website that connects to the database and prints a phrase such as Database is UP, then monitor the script with a website test that requires that phrase.

Section titled “Related”