Easy to Use Option for Web Monitoring

As bandwidth and hardware prices have fallen, the number of companies offering Web site monitoring has risen dramatically. But buyers beware; they’re not all created equal, and the difference among Web site monitoring services is more important than you may realize. To wit, when a one-percent difference in uptime can shave thousands of dollars from your Web hosting bill, it’s important to accurately monitor the performance of your site.

We chose to review a relative newcomer to the field of Web site monitoring—Just Uptime, launched in February of 2008. The service is a product of Just Develop It Ltd., maker of the popular Intellichat automated sales agent.

To get started with Just Uptime, we placed an order and were instantly given access to an intuitive, easy to use, and fast loading management interface. There are five key areas of functionality within the interface—a dashboard that provides a graphical performance overview; a detailed reports portal; a checks page through which to add or modify points of measurement; and a contacts page that allows the user to add or modify recipients of critical status messages.

The dashboard offers a flash-based bar graph with the most recent 30 days of data. It overlays average response time with overall uptime, listed as a percentage. Below the graph, the dashboard lists active points of measurement and the most recent account notifications. If you require access for multiple users, the dashboard offers an excellent design because it quickly and easily conveys the most important performance metrics. Within the dashboard, there is also an option to add additional points of measurement.

The most powerful feature of Just Uptime’s system is its points of measurement section. Called “checks,” points of measurement include Web checks (HTTP), network checks (TCP ports, pings, DNS, and UDP), and mail checks (SMTP, POP3, and IMAP). By adding a point of measurement, Just Uptime frequently monitors the uptime and response time of each—for example, the Web check we setup generated response time checks every two or three minutes. When our Web site went down, we received a text message. Another text message was sent to us as soon as Just Uptime detected our Web site performing normally.

Finally, Just Uptime offers a section for managing “contacts,” which are recipients of critical notifications. We found this feature to be particularly powerful, as it embraces the idea that a Web site monitoring service should report to more than just a single user. Just Uptime allows users to add an unlimited number of contacts to each account. It’s a great feature because in addition to Web site owners receiving downtime alerts, for example, top-level technicians can notified at the same time and fix the problem immediately.

As a whole, Just Uptime provides real value for Web site monitoring. It’s easy to use, rich in features, and offers an affordable price structure that makes it appealing to individuals and businesses alike. Despite its inherent room for improvement, Just Uptime is a strong choice for Web site monitoring and a welcome addition to the marketplace.