How to Monitor Your Web Server's Performance and Uptime?

Monitoring the performance and the uptime of a web server is very important, because slowdowns and downtime can turn away visitors from your website.

In this post, we will show you key metrics to monitor, some tools for monitoring web server performance and uptime, and best practices for web server monitoring.

Key metrics to monitor

There are many key metrics to monitor, like:

CPU usage - it represents the amount of processing power being utilized by the central processing unit (CPU) at a given time. A high CPU usage can indicate that the system is heavily loaded, which can lead to slower response times, application freezes or even system crashes. A low CPU usage may suggest that the system has excess processing capacity, which can be used to run additional tasks or applications. You can monitor CPU usage by using Task Manager (taskmgr.exe) or Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe) on Windows Server, or by using top, htop, mpstat or sar command on GNU/Linux.
Memory usage - it represents the amount of RAM being used by applications and operating system. High memory usage can lead to slower application response times, system freezes or even crashes in case the system runs out of available memory. Low memory usage may indicate that the system has excess memory capacity that could be better used. You can monitor memory usage by using Task Manager (taskmgr.exe) or Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe) on Windows Server, or by using top, htop or free command on GNU/Linux.
Disk usage - it represents the amount of space occupied by files, databases and applications on a web server's storage devices. If there isn't enough space in the disk, then the disk I/O (input/output) wait times increase; this in turn makes the applications slow or unresponsive. A server also suffers in its capacity to create temporary files, logs, or swap space, causing much worse performance and stability. You can monitor disk usage by using File Explorer (explorer.exe) on Windows Server, or by using df or du command on GNU/Linux.
I/O (input/output) usage - it represents the amount of data being transferred to or from a storage device, such as a hard drive, solid-state drive, or network storage. High I/O usage can lead to bottlenecks, slow response times, and even system crashes. You can monitor I/O usage by using Task Manager (taskmgr.exe) or Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe) on Windows Server, or by using iostat or sar command on GNU/Linux.
Network usage - it represents the amount of data being transmitted and received over a computer network. Too high network usage can lead to slow data transfer speeds, increased latency and poor web server performance. It can also lead to increased packet loss, which may result in data corruption and loss. You can monitor network usage by using Task Manager (taskmgr.exe) or Performance Monitor (perfmon.exe) on Windows Server, or by using netstat, iftop or ifstat command on GNU/Linux.
Response time - it refers to time it takes for a web server process a client request. Slow response times can lead to user frustration, higher bounce rates, and lower conversion rates. Research has shown that users tend to abandon a site if it takes more than 3 seconds to load, and even a 1-second delay in response time can result in a 7% reduction in conversions. You can monitor the response time of a web server by checking web server's logs, by using curl -o /dev/null -s -w "Response time: %{time_total} seconds\n" https://example.com command (replace https://example.com with desired website), or by checking the uptime monitor on Better Stack Uptime dashboard.
Error rate - it refers to amount of errors that occurred during requests per total amount of requests. High error rate can lead to user frustration, higher bounce rates, and lower conversion rates. You can monitor the error rate by checking web server's logs.

Tools for monitoring web server performance and uptime

`top` and `htop` commands

Both top and htop commands allow you to monitor system resource usage and processes in real time. These commands are available in Unix and GNU/Linux systems. While top is a more traditional and widely-available tool, htop is an enhanced, user-friendly alternative that provides additional features and functionality.

Key features of top and htop include:

Real-time monitoring of CPU, memory, and swap usage.
Display of running processes, along with their process IDs (PIDs), CPU and memory utilization, and runtime.
Ability to sort processes by various criteria, such as CPU usage or memory consumption.
Interactive interface for htop that allows for easy navigation, filtering, and process management.

To use top or htop for monitoring, follow these steps:

Open a terminal or command-line interface on your Unix or GNU/Linux system.
Type top or htop (depending on which tool you prefer) and press Enter.
The tool will display a summary of system resource usage, along with a list of running processes.
Use the available commands and shortcuts to sort, filter, or manage processes as needed. For example, in htop, you can use the F6 key to sort processes by different criteria or the F9 key to kill a process.

By using top or htop for monitoring, you can quickly identify resource-intensive processes, detect potential performance issues, and optimize your web server's performance and stability.

`vmstat` command

vmstat is a command-line utility available in Unix and GNU/Linux systems, used for monitoring and analyzing system resource usage and performance. It provides information about CPU, memory, disk I/O, and other system activities, making it a valuable tool for tracking server performance and troubleshooting potential issues.

Key capabilities of vmstat include:

Displaying CPU usage statistics, such as user, system, idle, and wait times.
Reporting on memory usage, including total, used, and available memory, as well as swap space utilization.
Monitoring disk I/O activity, such as the number of reads and writes per second, and the average time spent on I/O operations.
Providing information on system interrupts, context switches, and forks.

To use vmstat for tracking server performance, follow these steps:

Open a terminal or command-line interface on your Unix-based system.
Type vmstat followed by the desired interval and count parameters. For example, vmstat 5 10 will display system statistics every 5 seconds for a total of 10 iterations.
Analyze the output to identify potential performance bottlenecks or resource-intensive processes. For instance, high CPU wait times may indicate disk I/O issues, while excessive context switches can point to a need for process or thread optimization.

By incorporating vmstat into your server monitoring toolkit, you can gain valuable insights into system resource usage and performance, helping you maintain a stable and responsive web server environment.

`iostat` command

iostat is a command-line utility available in Unix and GNU/Linux systems, used for monitoring and analyzing disk input/output (I/O) activity and performance. It provides information about the number of read and write operations, the amount of data transferred, and the response times of the system's storage devices, making it a valuable tool for monitoring disk usage and troubleshooting potential performance issues.

Key functions of iostat include:

Displaying disk I/O statistics for each storage device, such as the number of reads and writes per second, and the average time spent on I/O operations.
Reporting on CPU usage statistics, including user, system, idle, and wait times.
Monitoring network file system (NFS) activity, such as the number of operations and the amount of data transferred.
Providing the ability to customize the output by specifying specific devices, intervals, and data formats.

To use iostat for monitoring disk usage, follow these steps:

Open a terminal or command-line interface on your Unix-based system.
Type iostat followed by the desired interval and count parameters. For example, iostat -d 5 10 will display disk I/O statistics every 5 seconds for a total of 10 iterations.
Analyze the output to identify potential performance bottlenecks or resource-intensive processes. For instance, high disk utilization percentages or long average response times may indicate a need for storage optimization, such as adding more capacity or upgrading to faster storage devices.

By deploying iostat into your server monitoring toolkit, you can gain valuable insights into disk I/O activity and performance, helping you maintain a stable and responsive web server environment.

`ifstat` and `iftop` commands

ifstat and iftop are command-line utilities used for monitoring and analyzing network traffic and usage in Unix and GNU/Linux systems. While ifstat provides a simple and concise overview of network interface statistics, iftop offers a more detailed and interactive real-time display of network traffic.

Key attributes of ifstat and iftop include:

ifstat:
- Displays network interface statistics, such as the number of packets and bytes transmitted and received.
- Allows for customizing the output by specifying specific interfaces, intervals, and data formats.
iftop:
- Displays a real-time, interactive table of network traffic, including source and destination IP addresses, ports, and data transfer rates.
- Allows for sorting and filtering the traffic based on various criteria, such as data rate, source or destination IP, or port.
- Enables users to identify and monitor bandwidth-intensive processes, applications, or hosts.

To use ifstat and iftop for network usage monitoring, follow these steps:

Open a terminal or command-line interface on your Unix-based system.
For ifstat, type ifstat followed by the desired interval and count parameters. For example, ifstat 5 10 will display network interface statistics every 5 seconds for a total of 10 iterations.
For iftop, type iftop and press Enter. The tool will display a real-time, interactive table of network traffic.
Analyze the output to identify potential performance bottlenecks, bandwidth-intensive processes, or security issues. For instance, high network utilization percentages or unexpected traffic patterns may indicate a need for network optimization or further investigation into potential security threats.

By incorporating ifstat and iftop into your server monitoring toolkit, you can gain valuable insights into network traffic and usage, helping you maintain a stable, secure, and responsive web server environment.

Better Stack Uptime

Better Stack Uptime is a feature of Better Stack infrastructure monitoring platform that focuses on ensuring availability and reliability of websites, servers and other digital services. It offers a range of features and plans, including a free tier, making it an accessible and cost-effective solution for monitoring web server uptime.

It provides real-time monitoring of various aspects. These include:

Websites
Servers
APIs
Network protocols like HTTP, ping, POP3, IMAP, SMTP and DNS

The platform offers:

Fast incident verification from multiple locations to eliminate false alerts.
Accurate notifications when issues arise.
Recording of error messages from APIs.
Taking screenshots of websites during downtime for detailed incident analysis.

To get started with Better Stack Uptime:

Visit the Better Stack website and sign up for an account. You can choose the free tier or select a paid plan based on your requirements.
Once you have created an account and logged in, go to the Better Stack Uptime dashboard. Then go to Monitors -> Create monitor, and enter your URL or IP address in the "URL to monitor" text field
Choose the alerting options. These include: phone call, SMS, email, mobile app push notification, Slack, Microsoft Teams and other alerting integrations. If you chose a free tier, the only available alerting option is through email.
Choose the escalation options. If you have multiple users or teams using Better Stack Uptime, you might want to explore the on-call scheduling and alerting section. You can there learn more about how on-call works and how to set up escalation policies for your team. For single-user teams, simply leave the defaults.
Create your first monitor by clicking on "Create monitor". Better Stack Uptime will start monitoring your web server's uptime and send alerts if any downtime or issues are detected

After you have created your first monitor, you can check the Better Stack Uptime documentation.

By using Better Stack Uptime for uptime monitoring, you can ensure that your web server remains available and responsive, helping you maintain a positive user experience and minimize potential business disruptions.

Best practices for web server monitoring

Set up alerts

Configuring alerts for critical metrics is essential for proactive issue detection, timely incident response, and maintaining optimal server performance and availability. By setting up alerts, you can receive notifications when specific thresholds or conditions are met, allowing you to address potential problems before they escalate and impact your users or business operations.

Key reasons for configuring alerts for critical metrics include:

Proactive issue detection - alerts help you identify and diagnose performance or security issues in their early stages, enabling you to take corrective actions and prevent potential downtime or data breaches.
Timely incident response - alerts ensure that the right people are notified about incidents or issues as soon as they occur, allowing for faster response times and minimizing the impact on your users or business operations.
Optimal server performance - alerts enable you to monitor and maintain your web server's performance and resource usage, ensuring that it can handle the required workload and deliver a seamless user experience.
Capacity planning and scalability - alerts can provide insights into trends and patterns in your web server's resource usage, helping you plan for future capacity needs and scale your infrastructure accordingly.
Compliance and reporting - alerts can help you meet regulatory or internal compliance requirements by providing evidence of issue detection and response, as well as supporting your reporting and audit processes.

Regularly review logs

Regularly reviewing web server logs can provide valuable insights into server performance, security, and user behavior, helping you identify issues and trends, optimize your server environment, and improve the overall user experience.

Key benefits of web server log analysis include:

Performance monitoring and optimization - web server logs can help you identify performance bottlenecks, such as slow-loading pages, high-latency requests, or resource-intensive processes. By analyzing these logs, you can optimize your server configuration, application code, or content delivery to improve server performance and user experience.
Security and threat detection - web server logs can provide evidence of security incidents, such as unauthorized access attempts, brute-force attacks, or exploitation of known vulnerabilities. Analyzing these logs can help you detect, investigate, and respond to security threats, as well as implement appropriate countermeasures to prevent future incidents.
User behavior and engagement analysis - web server logs can reveal information about user behavior, such as popular pages, referral sources, or geographic locations. By analyzing this data, you can better understand your audience, tailor your content and marketing strategies, and improve user engagement and conversion rates.
Troubleshooting and issue resolution - web server logs can assist in diagnosing and resolving technical issues, such as server errors, misconfigurations, or compatibility problems. By analyzing the logs, you can pinpoint the root cause of the issue and apply the necessary fixes to restore server functionality and minimize user impact.
Compliance and reporting - web server logs can support your compliance and reporting requirements, such as demonstrating adherence to data privacy regulations or providing evidence of issue detection and resolution. Analyzing the logs can help you maintain a compliant and transparent server environment.

Monitor during peak times

Tracking web server performance during high-traffic periods is crucial for ensuring that your server can handle increased workloads, maintain optimal performance, and deliver a seamless user experience. High-traffic periods, such as seasonal peaks, marketing campaigns, or unexpected viral events, can put significant strain on your server resources, potentially leading to performance degradation, downtime, or even security issues.

Key reasons for tracking web server performance during high-traffic periods include:

Capacity planning and scalability - by monitoring server performance during high-traffic periods, you can gain insights into your server's resource usage, identify potential bottlenecks, and plan for future capacity needs. This information can help you scale your infrastructure effectively, ensuring that your server can accommodate increased workloads and maintain optimal performance.
Performance optimization and troubleshooting - monitoring server performance during high-traffic periods can help you identify and address performance issues, such as slow-loading pages, high-latency requests, or resource-intensive processes. By optimizing your server configuration, application code, or content delivery, you can improve server performance and user experience, even under increased workloads.
Security and threat detection - high-traffic periods can also increase the risk of security threats, such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, unauthorized access attempts, or exploitation of known vulnerabilities. By monitoring server performance and security events during these periods, you can detect, investigate, and respond to security threats, as well as implement appropriate countermeasures to prevent future incidents.
User experience and engagement - maintaining optimal server performance during high-traffic periods is essential for delivering a positive user experience and maximizing user engagement and conversion rates. By monitoring server performance and user behavior during these periods, you can identify trends and patterns, tailor your content and marketing strategies, and improve the overall user experience.

Test, test, and test!

Regular testing and performance benchmarking for a web server are essential practices for ensuring optimal server performance, identifying potential issues, and making informed decisions about server configuration, resource allocation, and infrastructure upgrades. By regularly testing and benchmarking your web server, you can maintain a stable, secure, and high-performing server environment, ultimately contributing to the success of your web applications and business operations.

Key benefits of regular testing and performance benchmarking for a web server include:

Performance optimization and troubleshooting - regular testing and benchmarking can help you identify performance bottlenecks, such as slow-loading pages, high-latency requests, or resource-intensive processes. By optimizing your server configuration, application code, or content delivery, you can improve server performance and user experience, even under increased workloads.
Capacity planning and scalability - regular testing and benchmarking can provide insights into your server's resource usage, performance trends, and limitations. This information can help you plan for future capacity needs, allocate resources more efficiently, and scale your infrastructure effectively, ensuring that your server can accommodate increased workloads and maintain optimal performance.
Security and compliance - regular testing and benchmarking can help you detect and address security vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, or compliance issues, such as outdated software, weak encryption, or data privacy violations. By maintaining a secure and compliant server environment, you can minimize the risk of security incidents, data breaches, or regulatory penalties.
Disaster recovery and business continuity - regular testing and benchmarking can help you validate and refine your disaster recovery and business continuity plans, ensuring that you can quickly and effectively restore server functionality and minimize user impact in case of unexpected disruptions, such as hardware failures, power outages, or natural disasters.
Informed decision-making and cost-effectiveness - regular testing and benchmarking can provide you with the data and insights you need to make informed decisions about server configuration, resource allocation, and infrastructure upgrades, such as migrating to the cloud, adopting new technologies, or investing in additional resources. By making data-driven decisions, you can optimize your server environment and minimize costs, ultimately contributing to the success of your web applications and business operations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, monitoring the performance and uptime of a web server is crucial to ensure a positive user experience and minimize potential business disruptions. By understanding key metrics such as CPU usage, memory usage, disk usage, I/O usage, network usage, response time, and error rate, you can effectively evaluate your web server's health and identify potential issues.

Leveraging tools like top, htop, vmstat, iostat, ifstat, and iftop for Unix and GNU/Linux systems, as well as Task Manager and Performance Monitor for Windows Server, can provide valuable insights into system resource usage and performance. Additionally, services like Better Stack Uptime offer comprehensive monitoring solutions to help you track your web server's uptime and receive alerts in case of downtime or other issues.

Adopting best practices for web server monitoring, such as setting up alerts for critical metrics, regularly reviewing logs, monitoring during high-traffic periods, and conducting regular testing and performance benchmarking, can significantly enhance your server's stability, security, and overall performance.

Investing time and resources in monitoring your web server will ultimately contribute to the success of your web applications and business operations, ensuring that your visitors and customers have a seamless and enjoyable experience.