Network Monitoring
# Network Monitoring
This article details network monitoring configurations for our MediaWiki 1.40 servers. Effective network monitoring is crucial for maintaining server uptime, diagnosing performance issues, and ensuring a positive user experience. This guide will cover essential tools and configurations for newcomers to our server environment.
Why Monitor the Network?
Monitoring our network allows us to:
- Proactively identify and resolve issues before they impact users.
- Optimize network performance for faster page loads and smoother editing.
- Detect security threats and unauthorized access attempts.
- Gather data for capacity planning and future infrastructure upgrades.
- Troubleshoot problems efficiently when they do occur. See also Troubleshooting Guide.
- Nagios – Our primary monitoring system, providing alerts and historical data. See Nagios Configuration.
- tcpdump – A command-line packet analyzer for in-depth network traffic analysis. Refer to tcpdump Usage.
- iftop – Displays bandwidth usage by connection. Details are found at iftop Installation.
- netstat – Provides network statistics, listening ports, and routing tables. See netstat Commands.
- ping – A basic but useful tool for checking network connectivity. Review Ping Diagnostics.
- `-i eth0`: Specifies the interface to listen on.
- `-n`: Suppresses hostname and port resolution.
- `-s 0`: Captures the entire packet.
- Network Security
- Firewall Configuration
- DNS Management
- Load Balancing
- Server Documentation
- Incident Response Plan
- Telegram: @powervps Servers at a discounted price
Essential Monitoring Tools
We utilize a combination of tools for comprehensive network monitoring. These include:
Configuring Nagios for MediaWiki Servers
Nagios is configured to monitor key network metrics for each MediaWiki server. The following table outlines the primary checks performed:
| Metric | Description | Threshold (Warning/Critical) | Check Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ping | Checks if the server is reachable. | 100ms / 500ms | 1 minute |
| CPU Load | Monitors the system's CPU usage. | 80% / 95% | 5 minutes |
| Memory Usage | Tracks the amount of used memory. | 90% / 95% | 5 minutes |
| Disk Space | Monitors available disk space on critical partitions. | 10% / 5% | 15 minutes |
| HTTP Response Time | Checks the response time of the MediaWiki front-end. | 2 seconds / 5 seconds | 1 minute |
Nagios alerts are sent to the operations team via email and PagerDuty. Configuration files are located in `/etc/nagios/`. See Nagios Alerting. Custom checks can be added by editing the `commands.cfg` and `services.cfg` files. Always back up these files before making changes. Review Nagios Best Practices.
Analyzing Network Traffic with tcpdump
`tcpdump` allows us to capture and analyze network packets. This is invaluable for troubleshooting complex network issues.
Here’s a simplified example of capturing traffic on the eth0 interface:
```bash tcpdump -i eth0 -n -s 0 ```
Captured packets can be saved to a file for later analysis:
```bash tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture.pcap ```
Analysis can be done with tools like Wireshark. See tcpdump Filters for advanced filtering options.
Bandwidth Monitoring with iftop
`iftop` provides a real-time view of network bandwidth usage by connection. It's useful for identifying bandwidth-intensive processes or connections.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| `iftop -i eth0` | Displays bandwidth usage on the eth0 interface. |
| `iftop -n` | Shows numerical IP addresses instead of hostnames. |
| `iftop -B` | Displays bandwidth in bytes instead of bits. |
`iftop` requires root privileges to run. It's a lightweight tool that provides a quick overview of network activity. Review iftop Keybindings.
Server Network Specifications
The following table details the network specifications for our core MediaWiki servers:
| Server Name | IP Address | Interface | Network Mask | Gateway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wiki-db-01 | 192.168.1.10 | eth0 | 255.255.255.0 | 192.168.1.1 |
| wiki-web-01 | 192.168.1.20 | eth0 | 255.255.255.0 | 192.168.1.1 |
| wiki-cache-01 | 192.168.1.30 | eth0 | 255.255.255.0 | 192.168.1.1 |
These specifications are subject to change. Always consult the Server Inventory for the most up-to-date information.
Further Resources
Intel-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Core i7-6700K/7700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB | CPU Benchmark: 8046 |
| Core i7-8700 Server | 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 13124 |
| Core i9-9900K Server | 128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB | CPU Benchmark: 49969 |
| Core i9-13900 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i9-13900 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (64GB) | 64 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Server (128GB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD | |
| Core i5-13500 Workstation | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4000 |
AMD-Based Server Configurations
| Configuration | Specifications | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 5 3600 Server | 64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 17849 |
| Ryzen 7 7700 Server | 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2x1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 35224 |
| Ryzen 9 5950X Server | 128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 46045 |
| Ryzen 9 7950X Server | 128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 63561 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB) | 128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB) | 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/1TB) | 256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/4TB) | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe | CPU Benchmark: 48021 |
| EPYC 9454P Server | 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe |
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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️