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Windows Server Monitoring and other OS in extras

Hello All,

i'm searching for a while now a software that can "monitor" our customers server.
I search a solution with central management console and remote agent that will be widely installed. I should be free or a cheap (max 2000€ one shoot for 100/150 servers)
We already test some solution (Pandora FMS, Nagios) but the problem is that the communication is made from server to client and not from client to server.
This mean that we have to open port on router or install some kind of "proxy" on remote location.
WE DON'T want that and we still searching for a solution where that is the client who initiate the communication to the servers (htts, ssh or something else)

We need to monitor simple things like:
HDD free space
CPU CHarge
Free memory
TCP listening port
Event Log reading (wmi)

We would be happy if it could check some more things:
hdd smart monitoring
specific service check (hyper-v, DNS, Remote Desktop Service,...)

We prefer not us this technology:
snmp (all nodes can diagnose himself without it and report himself its state)
server to client communication (involving opening port on client side)
server to proxy to client

So with all this informations, does somone know a good solution free or paid?

Thanks for help!

jjjosef

~ Edited by Modulus_Twelve to remove advertising ~

sibliege

ASKER

Thanks, but it seems that it work only on windows event?

Any other solution with hardware probe?

Lee W, MVP

Good luck finding this. You're asking for software that MANY, MANY Managed Service Providers (MSPs) use... But that is NOT free and not necessarily cheap either - usually billed monthly. Now, the MSPs usually don't pay for it - the CLIENT pays for it. They're the ones that need the servers running as reliably as possible. For example, I use GFI Max. Each server is about $12 per month. I bill the my clients $50-250 per month (depending on client and monitoring config) to monitor their systems.

Spiceworks recently added an Agent, but I haven't looked into it yet. But in general, your options are LIMITED because most people recognize how important this is and accept/agree to pay a reasonable fee.

sibliege

ASKER

Leew, thanks for advice. I have heard about Spicework but many people say that it add some Ads on screen meaning it's generate unusefull network traffic...

I currently try GFI Cloud that seems to be good on the paper, but its test check seems very limited...

Lee W, MVP

GFI is constantly adding features and allows for extensive scripts.

Spiceworks Ads are on the console - not the client systems. And they're not terribly intrusive.

And there are many other tools you can try - but GFI's is the cheapest I've found. Just google RMM. (I'm an active participant in my local consultant user group and in the worldwide SMB Managed Services Mailing list and there isn't a product like the one you want (free/cheap) other than the ones I've mentioned and you already know about... and they have certain limitations - there is no perfect product - in general, you either spend thousands or tens of thousands building your own... or you buy someone elses and conform your business to it. It stinks, but that's reality as I've found it.

sibliege

ASKER

Thanks Leew, I agree with you. If you say that Spicework ADS are only ont the console, I will try it...
For GFI, i have installed it on a HP Proliant ML350 G5 and I found it very sad because I have remove on it a HDD from the RAID0+1 and get any notifications from GFI Cloud!

I will also try googling RMM

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Lee W, MVP

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Sebastian Talmon

You can use nagios with check_mk as Agent on the windows Servers

Have this here running with passive submit over http post (needs some extra work, but runs very good)

sibliege

ASKER

Finaly choosen Spiceworks and work flawlessly