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features.shtml |
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Created by tdb1 30/10/2000 |
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Last edited 10/05/2001 |
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<title>Overview and Features</title> |
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<meta name="description" content="The i-scream Project is a central monitoring system for Unix, Linux and NT servers."> |
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<meta name="keywords" content="i-scream, project, central monitoring system, unix, linux, nt, server, alert"> |
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<meta name="generator" content="notepad on acid, aye."> |
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<title>CMS Features</title> |
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<h1 class="top">CMS Features</h1> |
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<h2>Problem Specification</h2> |
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<h3>Original Problem</h3> |
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<p> |
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This is the original specification given to us when we |
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started the project. The i-scream central monitoring |
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system meets this specification, and aims to extend it |
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further. This is, however, where it all began. |
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</p> |
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<center><h3>Key Features of The System</h3></center> |
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<h3>Centralised Machine Monitoring</h3> |
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<p> |
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The Computer Science department has a number of different machines |
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running a variety of different operating systems. One of the tasks |
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of the systems administrators is to make sure that the machines |
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don't run out of resources. This involves watching processor loads, |
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available disk space, swap space, etc. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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It isn't practicle to monitor a large number of machines by logging |
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on and running commands such as 'uptime' on the unix machines, or |
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by using performance monitor for NT servers. Thus this project is |
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to write monitoring software for each platform supported which |
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reports resource usage back to one centralized location. System |
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Administrators would then be able to monitor all machines from this |
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centralised location. |
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<p> |
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Once this basic functionality is implemented it could usefully be |
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expanded to include logging of resource usage to identify longterm |
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trends/problems, alerter services which can directly contact |
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sysadmins (or even the general public) to bring attention to problem |
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areas. Ideally it should be possible to run multiple instances of |
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the reporting tool (with all instances being updated in realtime) |
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and to to be able to run the reporting tool as both as stand alone |
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application and embeded in a web page. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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This project will require you to write code for the unix and Win32 |
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APIs using C and knowledge of how the underlying operating systems |
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manage resources. It will also require some network/distributed |
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systems code and a GUI front end for the reporting tool. It is |
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important for students undertaking this project to understand the |
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importance of writing efficient and small code as the end product |
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will really be most useful when machines start run out of processing |
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power/memory/disk. |
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</p> |
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<p> |
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John Cinnamond (email jc) whose idea this is, will provide technical |
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support for the project. |
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</p> |
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<h2>Features</h2> |
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<h3>Key Features of The System</h3> |
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<ul> |
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<li>A centrally stored, dynamically reloaded, system wide configuration system</li> |
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<li>A totally extendable monitoring system, nothing except the Host (which |
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<li>Large overhead monitor Helpdesk style displays for latest Alerting information</li> |
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</ul> |
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<center><h3>An Overview of the i-scream Central Monitoring System</h3></center> |
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<h3>An Overview of the i-scream Central Monitoring System</h3> |
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<p align="left"> |
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<p> |
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The i-scream system monitors status and performance information |
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obtained from machines feeding data into it and then displays |
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this information in a variety of ways. |
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This data is obtained through the running of small applications |
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on the reporting machines. These applications are known as |
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"Hosts". The i-scream system provides a range of hosts which are |
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to the server that they are still alive. |
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It is then fed into the i-scream server. The server then splits |
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the data two ways. First it places the data in a database system, |
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typically MySQL based, for later extraction and processing by the |
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as it flows through the system. |
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The final section of the system links the Local Client Monitors to |
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an alerting system. These Monitors can be configured to detect |
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changes in the data past threshold levels. When a threshold is |
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when a certain level is reached, certain alerting mechanisms fire |
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through whatever medium they are configured to send. |
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