WatchDog - A fault tolerant Server Monitoring Tool

Overview

WatchDog is a fault-tolerant server monitoring tool for server administrators with real-time insights into server health and performance. Its core functionality includes continuous CPU health log collection at one-second intervals. These logs are transferred to Elastic Cloud, where administrators can leverage Kibana for in-depth analytics and visualization of server loads. WatchDog also monitor's cpu health and usage and has a triggering mechanism that promptly notifies administrators via mails when server loads exceed predefined threshold values, ensuring proactive management of system performance.

Features

1. Continuous Monitoring :WatchDog excels in providing continuous monitoring of CPU health, offering administrators a granular view of server performance with one-second interval logs.

2. Elastic Cloud Integration :The integration with Elastic Cloud and Kibana enables administrators to perform comprehensive analytics and visualize server loads, facilitating informed decision-making.

3. Alerting Mechanism :WatchDog features a triggering mechanism that sends timely notifications to administrators when server loads surpass predefined thresholds. This approach allows for prompt intervention to maintain optimal system performance.

To build and run WatchDog from source, follow these steps:

Note: MUST HAVE INSTALLED Go Compiler and Protoc Compiler.

Ensure Apache Kafka and Zookeeper are running either natively or using Docker.

• Run Zookeeper:

docker run -p 2181:2181 zookeeper

• Run Kafka Server:

docker run -p 9092:9092 \
-e KAFKA_ZOOKEEPER_CONNECT=<PRIVATE_IP>:2181 \
-e KAFKA_ADVERTISED_LISTENERS=PLAINTEXT://<PRIVATE_IP>:9092 \
-e KAFKA_OFFSETS_TOPIC_REPLICATION_FACTOR=1 \
confluentinc/cp-kafka

Run the Mailing Microservice:

1. Build the Docker image:

docker build --build-arg EMAIL_SENDER_NAME="WatchDog" \
             --build-arg EMAIL_SENDER_ADDRESS=<[email protected]> \
             --build-arg EMAIL_SENDER_PASSWORD=<YourEmailPassword> \
             -t mailing-api-image .

2. Run the Docker container:

    docker run -p 6969:6969 \
               -e EMAIL_SENDER_NAME="WatchDog" \
               -e EMAIL_SENDER_ADDRESS=<[email protected]> \
               -e EMAIL_SENDER_PASSWORD=<YourEmailPassword> \
               mailing-api-image

Simplifying the Process with Bash Script

• For a more straightforward process, use the provided bash script:

#!/bin/bash

# Set your environment variables
export EMAIL_SENDER_ADDRESS="[email protected]"
export EMAIL_SENDER_PASSWORD="YourEmailPassword"

# Build the Docker image
docker build --build-arg EMAIL_SENDER_NAME="WatchDog" \
             --build-arg EMAIL_SENDER_ADDRESS=<[email protected]> \
             --build-arg EMAIL_SENDER_PASSWORD=<YourEmailPassword> \
             -t mailing-api-image .

# Run the Docker container
docker run -p 6969:6969 \
           -e EMAIL_SENDER_NAME="WatchDog" \
           -e EMAIL_SENDER_ADDRESS=<[email protected]> \
           -e EMAIL_SENDER_PASSWORD=<YourEmailPassword> \
           mailing-api-image

• Make the script executable:

chmod +x run-mailing-api.sh

• Run the script:

./run-mailing-api.sh

This script encapsulates the build and run steps, making it easy to execute the entire process with a single command.

Setting up Environment Variables

WatchDog provides a CLI tool that extracts crucial information such as Index Names of Log Nodes, API Keys, and SMTP Mail service configurations.

• Run the CLI Interface using :

go run cli/main.go

Running WatchDog Microservices

For starting the execution of WatchDog microservices, a convenient bash script (watchdog-console-runner.sh) has been provided. This script automates the startup process for the monitoring components. Follow the steps below to run the microservices:

1. Make the Bash Script Executable

chmod +x watchdog-console-runner.sh

2. Run the Bash Script

./watchdog-console-runner.sh

The watchdog-console-runner.sh script orchestrates the execution of WatchDog microservices in the background. These programs represent different components of WatchDog, such as frequent and critical consumers and producers.

By running the watchdog-console-runner.sh script, you initiate the WatchDog monitoring components, providing a way to set up the system for continuous monitoring.