Alcon, I'm looking for some software to monitor the number of users, bandwidth, and possibly the uptime for five servers. They all run Linux and are running mysql. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...
there is no 'best' monitoring tool, IMO. it may be best for me but that doesn't mean that it will be the best to you etc... anyhow, munin can monitor all that and can run as a node server and as a node client. it can also graph the resource usage of your servers. you may also want to take a look at nagios, zabbix, cacti, monitorx etc...
Okay, how about easiest to setup and use. I've looked at Icinga, but it looks more involved than I need. I need something simple and easy to use.. Thanks...
I personally use Monit on my VPS to let me know if a service dies or the memory & CPU start to spike. It also deals with restarting dead services which saves me from having to do it. Its really pretty easy to install and get up and running, here is a monit tutorial: http://www.codinglikeasir.com/install-setup-monit-server-monitoring/
A bunch of people mention Nagios which is a good option, and definitely the most popular open source monitoring software. You could also take a look at Zenoss, HypericHQ, and Groundwork. This article breaks down each of those options in a bit more depth. http://www.futurehosting.com/blog/open-source-server-monitoring-what-are-your-options/ Hope this comparison helps.