Opyntel
Linux server

Linux server monitoring: all your Linux servers in one dashboard

A Linux server shows its own memory and disk when you log in and ask. Opyntel’s Linux server monitoring reports them all the time, alerts on them and shows every server at a glance, plus the other systems you run.

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Built in vs Opyntel

Linux server on its own, and Linux server with Opyntel

Feature by feature, the biggest gaps first: what Linux server gives you, and what you get in one dashboard with Opyntel.

Every server at a glance

On Linux server

Tools such as top give a real-time view of one running system, including its load average over 1, 5 and 15 minutes. You log in to each machine to run them.

With Opyntel

Opyntel lists every server in one table with memory, disk and load, down and degraded first, so you see it all at a glance. Your servers sit next to the other systems you run, whoever hosts them.

Memory

On Linux server

free shows used and free physical and swap memory on the machine where you run it, and can repeat every few seconds while you watch.

With Opyntel

The Opyntel agent reports memory all the time, with one docker run command and outbound HTTPS only: no inbound port, no shell access and no logs leave the server. Opyntel alerts when memory passes your threshold.

Disk

On Linux server

df shows the space available on each mounted file system at the moment you run it.

With Opyntel

Opyntel tracks disk fill level over time and alerts at 85% and 95%, and when a disk is on track to fill. Each alert notifies when it fires and again when it recovers, by email, Slack or SMS depending on your plan.

Containers

On Linux server

docker container stats streams live CPU, memory, network and block I/O for the running containers of the Docker daemon you point it at.

With Opyntel

The agent reports CPU, memory and restarts for every container on every server, and alerts when a container goes down. You see the containers of all your servers at a glance, without a terminal open.

History

On Linux server

free and df report the system at the moment you run them, and top gives a real-time view while it is open.

With Opyntel

Opyntel keeps memory, disk and load history for 30 days on the free plan, a year on Pro and unlimited on Enterprise, for every server in one place.

Setup

How to set up Linux server monitoring with Opyntel

Linux server monitoring in four steps: from Linux server to one dashboard with everything else you run.

  1. Install Docker on the server
    The Opyntel agent runs as one container, so each server needs Docker Engine. Docker’s own packages cover Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, RHEL and most other distributions.
    Install Docker Engine on your Linux server
  2. Sign in to Opyntel
    Open your Opyntel dashboard and add a source. Accounts start from the waitlist, so join it to get yours.
  3. Run the agent on the server
    Copy the docker run command from your dashboard and run it on each Linux server. It sends over outbound HTTPS only, opens no port and has no shell access.
  4. See your Linux servers in one dashboard
    Linux server monitoring lands next to the other platforms you run: every service and server sits in one dashboard, down and degraded first, with default alert rules on from the start.

Don’t see your platform? From your Opyntel account you can request an integration with more platforms. Until then, and tell us which one you run on.

FAQ

Linux server questions, answered

Short answers; some link to a guide that goes into detail.

Its main process exits and the restart policy brings it back; the exit code tells you why. Why a Docker container keeps restarting.

Start with df -h and du, then clean up Docker, logs and the journal. Linux disk full, step by step.

free -h shows it now; the available column is the one that matters. Opyntel alerts when memory passes your threshold. Check memory usage on Linux.

The average number of processes running or waiting over 1, 5 and 15 minutes; compare it with your core count. Opyntel shows load and CPU per server. Linux load average explained.

A process hit its file descriptor limit; raise it with LimitNOFILE or ulimit, then check for a leak. Opyntel alerts when open files pass your threshold. Fix too many open files on Linux.

Usually the PATH or environment differs from your shell, or the script is not executable. Opyntel alerts when a scheduled job fails or does not run. Fix a cron job not running.

sudo reboot or sudo systemctl reboot restarts it now, and sudo shutdown -r +5 gives logged-in users five minutes. Opyntel is read-only and never restarts anything, but it shows when a server came back.

The alerts your platform doesn’t send.

One dashboard for everything you run, with the alerts your platforms leave out. Read-only, nothing to install in your apps.

See how it works