Types of Monitoring System
Categorizing Monitoring
Before we look at the various types of monitoring, let us define some categories for the monitoring types. There are three basic categories of monitoring; technical monitoring, functional monitoring and business process monitoring. These three categories have a very clear hierarchy. Assuming well-configured monitoring, a green light on a higher level indicates that all levels below it are performing well. If there are any red lights on a lower level, this is an indication that there is a low-impact problem. The opposite is not true. A green light on one of the lower levels does not guarantee anything about the performance of the upper levels of monitoring. It merely serves as a guiding light to indicate that a certain subsystem is performing well and is unlikely to be a contributor to a red light on a higher level.
Business Process Monitoring
Business process monitoring is the holy grail of systems management. All large vendors present their monitoring solution as a business process monitoring tool. If we look at the actual processes in organizations, we find that most of them include operations that are performed by humans, rather than by machines. They include people printing and faxing orders and vans of goods being driven from one place to another. Business process monitors tell us not only whether we can order goods, but also if they are being delivered to our customers. Such monitors keep track of long-running transactions and are happy to report on the proper operation of fax machines and the progress of delivery vans. Business process monitoring answers the questions of whether the business is performing well. The IT systems supporting that business are only a piece in the puzzle to answer that question. I find it odd that most so-called business process monitoring solutions confine themselves to monitoring only technical processes. I hardly ever see monitors that actually track the goods right to the customer’s doorstep. This may
Before we look at the various types of monitoring, let us define some categories for the monitoring types. There are three basic categories of monitoring; technical monitoring, functional monitoring and business process monitoring. These three categories have a very clear hierarchy. Assuming well-configured monitoring, a green light on a higher level indicates that all levels below it are performing well. If there are any red lights on a lower level, this is an indication that there is a low-impact problem. The opposite is not true. A green light on one of the lower levels does not guarantee anything about the performance of the upper levels of monitoring. It merely serves as a guiding light to indicate that a certain subsystem is performing well and is unlikely to be a contributor to a red light on a higher level.
Business Process Monitoring
Business process monitoring is the holy grail of systems management. All large vendors present their monitoring solution as a business process monitoring tool. If we look at the actual processes in organizations, we find that most of them include operations that are performed by humans, rather than by machines. They include people printing and faxing orders and vans of goods being driven from one place to another. Business process monitors tell us not only whether we can order goods, but also if they are being delivered to our customers. Such monitors keep track of long-running transactions and are happy to report on the proper operation of fax machines and the progress of delivery vans. Business process monitoring answers the questions of whether the business is performing well. The IT systems supporting that business are only a piece in the puzzle to answer that question. I find it odd that most so-called business process monitoring solutions confine themselves to monitoring only technical processes. I hardly ever see monitors that actually track the goods right to the customer’s doorstep. This may