Multple server event log monitor?

[Number6]

Is there any free, or low cost software that will enable me to permanently monitor, in real time events generated by multiple windows servers?

 

What I'm envisioning is having a spare PC permanently monitoring and displaying realtime info so that at any time I can see at a glance if any server is experiencing issues.

 

Anything?

[Mcshammer_dj]

Server monitoring tools | Monitoring network software

[apaton]

I use Splunk works with Windows and *nix.

 

Andy

[Number6]

Thanks Mschammer, but that's more than I need. I really only want a scrolling realtime display of the event log.

[Number6]

I looked at Splunk, again, does more than I want or need.

[sandeep2504]

if you have a spare windows 2008 server you can set it up to forward event log entries to the server.

 

Centralized Auditing is here and it's FREE!

[Number6]

if you have a spare windows 2008 server you can set it up to forward event log entries to the server.

 

Centralized Auditing is here and it's FREE!

 

Now that's more like it!

 

That addresses the centralised logging.

 

Next bit is how can I configure the server, or some external third party software to display the forwarded events, refreshed in real time automatically?

[Domino]

That's really what you want?

 

Surely a monitoring solution that generates and email alert when specified events or errors occur would be much better?

 

In the chaff of event log events a serious error could be easily missed, just by losing focus for a minute - whereas a persistent warning wouldn't

[Mcshammer_dj]

That's really what you want?

 

Surely a monitoring solution that generates and email alert when specified events or errors occur would be much better?

 

In the chaff of event log events a serious error could be easily missed, just by losing focus for a minute - whereas a persistent warning wouldn't

 

we use a system that sets parameters within our monitoring solution and Emails the details to the correct team.

[Mcshammer_dj]

out of interest how many servers are you wanting to monitor?

[Number6]

That's really what you want?

 

Surely a monitoring solution that generates and email alert when specified events or errors occur would be much better?

 

In the chaff of event log events a serious error could be easily missed, just by losing focus for a minute - whereas a persistent warning wouldn't

 

What I'm hoping to achieve is to be able to subsequently filter the centralised log output so that only critical errors are displayed. I don't need to see the background noise of xyz print job completed successfully, only the abc DNS server service stopped type of error.

 

Email alerts are well and good but I'm looking more for a monitoring overview. A PC in my office that is permanently displaying white-cross-on-red-background errors in real time is my preferred solution, maybe in a split screen style displaying warnings on the left and errors on the right. That way I can see at a glance the general state of play and, if I'm not there and I get the inevitable phone call telling me that something's gone wrong I can ask someone to go into my office and read me the errors, or even photograph the screen and send it to me by mms. I'm not always in front of my email.

 

Just a wild thought really, on an otherwise slow day at the office.

[Number6]

out of interest how many servers are you wanting to monitor?

 

Four at one site and ten at the other. A mix of 2003, 2008 and even the odd NT and 2000 one.

[sandeep2504]

you can filter the subscriptions for event log forwarding to show only critical errors etc and also filter it down by event source; its really in depth.

 

i'm not sure how you would auto refresh the event log though.

 

i was planning to use it so we could identify potential problems before they happen.

[Number6]

you can filter the subscriptions for event log forwarding to show only critical errors etc and also filter it down by event source; its really in depth.

 

i'm not sure how you would auto refresh the event log though.

 

i was planning to use it so we could identify potential problems before they happen.

 

There has to be a way of doing it. Some sort of auto refresh, it's only a browser after all.

 

I'm more concerned about how to send the data elsewhere. 2008 can obviously collect and consolidate the data from elsewhere so, ergo there must be a way of forwarding it on somewhere else?

[ZeroHour]

SCOM is pretty pimp (microsoft made) and cheap enough under schools agreement.