PLEASE DO NOT PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS SOFTWARE WHILE IT IS A BETA VERSION

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ServerStat v.0.4.0.30 BETA
For Server Administrators
Freeware by A. Madeira
Portugal - 19/Nov/2003
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Note: This is the only help file available for this beta version.


. New in this version (0.4.0.30):

Added a Real Time Log files Viewer.



. Overview

ServerStat is a Windows software utility for server administrators. It checks the status (up or down) of the most common server types (POP3, SMTP, FTP, Telnet, HTTP, HTTPS and NNTP) in a time interval that you define. After each check it can generate HTML status reports, send alert e-mails to the server administrator if it founds a server down and automatically start its own internal HTTP or HTTPS Emergency Servers, if the main HTTP or HTTPS servers are down. A Real Time Logfiles Viewer is also included. Each feature is independent from the others so that you can use only what you need or use all of them.

ServerStat can run in the HTTP server machine or in any networked computer (except for launching the Emergency Servers). It uses internal TCP/IP clients in order to connect to the configured host servers, is mostly threaded, runs in the tray and is freeware.

Because it uses pure TCP/IP connections to check the servers, ServerStat is independent of the servers's software and does not have to run in the same computer of the servers that it is controlling. This way you can check your servers from anywhere in the Internet or from another networked computer.

[HTML REPORTS] - The HTML reports (two styles available) show if the servers are UP or DOWN and can be generated every 1 to 20 minutes. The reports also have an Announcements section where you can write your server hot news if you are going to make the reports available on the Internet or intranet. The program includes a simple Announcements editor with buttons to insert HTML tags.

[ALERT E-MAIL] - ServerStat can send an Alert e-mail to a configurable e-mail address when it finds a server down. The SMTP outgoing server is configurable and does not have to be (and shouldn't be) the same one that ServerStat is checking.

[EMERGENCY SERVERS (e-servers)] - ServerStat version 0.3 introduced the concept of "emergency servers" with the inclusion of the ServerStat internal HTTP and HTTPS Emergency Servers. These simple HTTP and HTTPS servers start themselves whenever the program detects that the main HTTP or HTTPS servers are down. The only thing these e-servers do is to provide a web response for HTTP or HTTPS requests sent to the main HTTP or HTTPS servers. With these options activated, your web visitors will not see the "Cannot find server" browser's error message anymore, instead they will se a self generated web page telling them what is going on. This page is configurable (you can design your own). Emergency servers are useful for backups and when the servers go down.

[REAL TIME LOG VIEWER] - For text type logfiles, this real-time log viewer allows viewing of servers activities while they are happening. Note: a stand alone Real Time Log Viewer program (RTLV) is also available here.


. Install and configure

ServerStat does not need any installation. So, put serverstat.exe and the other files of the zip package anywhere on the private side of your HTTP server (example: c:\ss) or anywhere in any computer if you don't want to publish the reports or launch the e-servers in your HTTP server machine. If you are going to publish the reports, create a directory on the public side of your server and copy there the 2 GIF files and the 2 CSS files. This folder will be the Output Path and has to be configured in the Output/Path program section. By default, the Output Path is the program's folder.

To configure ServerStat, you have to run it. Click twice on serverstat.exe and it will run in the tray. To access the program's configuration, click the ServerStat icon that is in the tray. If it is unregistered you will see first a Registration form. If you don't want to register (it's free!), just click the Continue button.

For now, configure the Hosts (your servers) and ports if necessary, or let these fields as they are if you are running ServerStat on the server machine. Uncheck the servers that you don't have or don't want to test in the Include column. Then go to the Output section and enter the correct Path (by default the reports go to the program's folder). Let the other settings as they are. DO NOT FORGET to press Save in order to save the settings.


. Run ServerStat in "Test Mode"

For testing only, you can now click "Test All" in order to see ServerStat testing if your servers are up or down, or you can test them one by one. If you don't want to test all the servers, unmark them in the Include column in the Hosts section. On the bottom of the window, little black windows will show which servers are UP and DOWN. To see the HTML report, go to the Output section and click "View HTML". The Report (the classic one) will then open on your default browser.

You can also test the Alert by e-mail feature and the HTTP and HTTPS internal Emergency servers:

- To test the Alert, configure the Alert section and click the button Test. If everything is correct, ServerStat will send you an e-mail.

- To test the internal HTTP e-server, be sure that you don't have another HTTP server listening on the same port you have configured to HTTP in ServerStat or change this port from 80 to, for example, 2080. Then point your browser to http://localhost:2080/anything and you'll see the page that will be displayed to your HTTP server visitors when your real HTTP server is down.

- To test the internal HTTPS e-server, be sure that you don't have another HTTPS server listening on the same port that you have configured to HTTPS in ServerStat or change this port from 443 to, for example, 2090. Then point your browser to https://localhost:2090/anything and you'll see the secure page that will be displayed to your HTTPS server visitors when your real HTTPS server is down.

Please note that this HTTPS test will not work if the SSL files are not found in ServerStat's folder. For more information on how to install SSL/TLS in ServerStat, please read the documentation included in the SSLKIT.ZIP file.


. Run ServerStat in a "Production Server"

In a production server or if you want to test the other program features (alert by e-mail and e-servers) in "real life", ServerStat must be called with the parameter /a to start its internal Timer and initialize threads. Please note that *every time* you click the program's tray icon, the Timer is stopped and the program window is showed allowing you to change the configuration. To restart the timer and the program itself, close the program and run it again with the parameter /a . For everyday use, put it in your server start-up procedure or in Windows start-up.


. Timer and Announcements

The Timer default value is 3 minutes but you can change it from 1 to 20 minutes (when using the Alert by e-mail option, let the timer, at least, in the default value '3'). This is the interval to check the servers and, optionally, write the HTML reports and/or send alerts by e-mail when the program is called with the /a parameter and a server down was found. The Announcements text field accepts HTML tags and there are a few buttons to make this easy. When you save the settings the announcements text is saved in the file announce.txt located in the program's folder.


. Alert by e-mail

Please understand how this works: when ServerStat finds a server down, it checks if you have the 'Send Alert by e-mail' option checked in Yes, then it tries to send the alert using the settings you entered in the Alert section. After sending (or failing to send) an alert, ServerStat WILL NOT try to send any more alerts until it is restarted! This is to avoid sending a large number of e-mails to your mailbox. The consequence of this security measure is that you may receive an e-mail telling you that, for example, the SMTP server is Down. But if, some time later, your HTTP server goes down, you will not receive any e-mail alert telling you that.

So the rule is: when an alert is received, the problem in the server has to be solved or the ServerStat restarted (close and run it again with the /a parameter) or the problematic server unmarked in the Include options of the Hosts section so that you can continue to receive e-mail alerts. The Reports will continue to be generated if you have checked the Save HTML Reports in the Output settings and the same applies to the Emergency Servers . The alert function only works if running the program with the /a parameter but you can test the e-mail alert with the Test button.


. HTTP e-server

The way this e-server works is explained above and its use is optional. Besides, if you don't like the internal default e-server response sent to your web visitors when you real HTTP server is down, you can design your own emergency HTML file and save it as httpindex.htm in the ServerStat folder.

Please note: I am convinced that this HTTP e-server is safe (I'm using it!) but I can't give any warranty. It was designed to send always the same output whatever the request is. If you find any security bug, please let me know as soon as possible.


. HTTPS e-server (SSL/TLS)

The way this e-server works is explained above and its use is optional. ServerStat HTTPS e-server uses OpenSSL and you must configure it before you use it. Please read the explanation inside the SSLKIT.ZIP file. Besides, if you don't like the internal default e-server response sent to your web visitors when you real HTTPS server is down, you can design your own emergency HTML file and save it as httpsindex.htm in the ServerStat folder.

Please note: I am convinced that this HTTPS e-server is safe (I'm using it!) but I can't give any warranty. It was designed to send always the same output whatever the request is. If you find any security bug, please let me know as soon as possible.


. Real Time Log Viewer

With this live viewer you can watch any text style log file with a simple button click. You can configure up to 8 logfiles that the program will remember. Caution 1: Watching live logfiles is addictive! Caution 2: With very large logfiles in a very busy server don't let the viewer open and go away if you are running a beta version of this software.


. CSS and GIF files

The files included are examples only, you can use your own of course. The only condition is that the CSS are named srvstat.css (classic HTML output), srvstatf.css (funny HTML output) and icon_up.gif and icon_down.gif


. Warranties

ServerStat is running on my server for two months without problems so far, but I can't give any warranty. It was tested only under NT 4.0, 2K and 98 SE. If you are going to use ServerStat in a Public server, please send me the URL of the HTML report(s) so that I can notice if there is something to change in the software. Bug reports are very appreciated. Thank you.


. License

You can use but you can not publish or distribute ServerStat beta versions. Use of this software version is free for 60 days. After that you need a registration code which is also free but you have to request it sending a postcard to my partner Ana Hermida (she's a postcard collector!). For more information, please read the license text in the program.


. Downloads

For a while: http://secure.sintraweb.net/public/ss/
Later I'll put it in http://secure.sintraweb.net/public/soft/


. Thanks (many!)

To the servers's administrators who are testing ServerStat.


(c)2003 A. Madeira

//Portugal, Nov/2003

by A. Madeira (Portugal)