Name: Network monitoring with Checkmk
Uploaded: 2022-04-12T10:18:33.000Z
Duration: 2 min 20 s
Description: With Checkmk you can start monitoring your networks end to end in just a few minutes. It comes with more than 1900 plugins to meet all of your needs. With Autodiscovery and rule-based monitoring, you can start monitoring your network devices at scale in just a matter of clicks. Find out more here: https://checkmk.com/product/network-monitoring

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### Infrastructure Monitoring
Users consistently highlight Checkmk's infrastructure monitoring as a standout feature, providing deep insights into network equipment, servers, and applications. The tool's ability to offer real-time data and customizable monitoring for specific applications has garnered positive feedback from users. Additionally, Checkmk's intuitive dashboards and ease of troubleshooting contribute to its reputation as a reliable infrastructure monitoring solution. Users appreciate the proactive monitoring capabilities that allow them to address issues swiftly, ensuring optimal performance of their IT systems.

### Server and Host Monitoring
Users generally praise Checkmk's robust server and host monitoring capabilities. They appreciate the ease of setting up monitoring for various systems and services, with many highlighting the extensive range of monitoring options available out of the box. Some users have noted that Checkmk's automatic detection of services and systems makes it straightforward to use and eliminates the need for manual configuration. Additionally, the platform's proactive monitoring approach allows for early issue identification and resolution, contributing to smoother operations and improved system performance.

### Application Performance
Users consistently praise Checkmk for its robust application performance monitoring capabilities. They highlight the software's ability to handle basic and advanced monitoring, including customized monitoring for specific applications. The organized dashboards provide real-time data from various IT infrastructure components, enabling users to troubleshoot quickly and ensure peak performance. Additionally, Checkmk's diverse monitoring capabilities have transformed how businesses operate by ensuring optimal application performance and seamless service provision.

### Network Management
Users generally praise Checkmk's robust network monitoring capabilities. The tool's ability to efficiently monitor a wide range of network devices, servers, and applications across diverse network zones has garnered positive feedback. Users appreciate the ease of monitoring database performance and network infrastructure, highlighting Checkmk's effectiveness in providing insights into network performance. Additionally, the tool's distributed monitoring and agent auto-update features have been commended for enhancing network management efficiency.

### Configuration Management
User consensus seems to be that Checkmk's configuration management capabilities receive mixed reviews. While some users appreciate the ease of configuration and the vast array of systems and services that can be monitored out of the box, others find the transition from traditional configuration methods challenging. The automatic detection of services and the flexibility in configuration are highlighted as positive aspects, yet some users express difficulties in navigating the numerous configuration windows. Despite the varying opinions, Checkmk's configuration management functionality appears to offer a balance between convenience and complexity, catering to a wide range of user preferences and requirements.

### SNMP and API Tools
User feedback on Checkmk's SNMP and API tools functionalities varies widely. While some users praise the ease of monitoring SNMP devices and the flexibility of the REST API for custom integrations, others express concerns about missing SNMP plugins and limited inventory views. The ability to automate tasks and save time through API configuration is highlighted as a significant benefit, although some users are eagerly awaiting enhancements in the upcoming 1.7 release to fully utilize the API capabilities. Despite some documentation limitations, users appreciate the extensibility of Checkmk through custom scripts and plugins, making it a versatile tool for monitoring diverse devices and applications.

### Plugin Integration
Users generally appreciate the extensive plugin capabilities Checkmk offers for easy integration and customization. The ability to easily add, configure, and create plugins is highlighted as a strong point by many reviewers. While some users mention a desire for more plugins or specific features, overall, the sentiment leans towards the positive side. The active community support and the ease of writing custom plugins are also mentioned as key advantages of Checkmk's plugin integration functionality.

### Custom Solutions and Extensions
Users consistently highlight the ease of extending Checkmk to suit their specific needs, with many appreciating the ability to create custom checks and plugins. The software's customizability and integration capabilities have been commended, allowing for tailored monitoring solutions that cater to diverse environments. Additionally, the availability of a robust API further enhances the platform's adaptability, enabling users to automate tasks and streamline monitoring processes efficiently.

### Community and Open Source Contributions
Users consistently praise Checkmk's community and open source contributions for providing a robust platform for collaboration and innovation. The active community support and the availability of a wide range of plugins are highlighted as key strengths, enabling users to customize their monitoring solutions effectively. While some users mention occasional delays in feature implementation due to resource constraints, the overall sentiment leans towards appreciation for the community-driven nature of Checkmk's development. The ability to easily create and share plugins within the community is seen as a significant advantage, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.

### Alert Systems and Notifications
Users consistently praise Checkmk's alert systems and immediate notifications for their ability to enhance reporting and facilitate quick issue resolution. The availability of immediate alerts has significantly reduced response times, allowing for timely interventions and improved cost control. Additionally, the integration of various notification providers like Slack, Mattermost, and SMS, along with the extensibility to write custom checks, has been well-received by users. However, some users have expressed a desire for additional integrations, such as Microsoft Teams, and features like two-factor authentication for enhanced security. Despite these minor concerns, the overall sentiment towards Checkmk's alert systems and notifications remains positive, with users valuing the platform's ability to provide instant alerts and proactive monitoring capabilities.

### Reporting and Dashboards
Users generally appreciate the reporting and dashboards functionality of Checkmk. While some users find the setup process for dashboards to be complex, others praise the organized and real-time data display capabilities of the dashboards. The software's ability to provide immediate alerts on downtimes and hardware issues, along with its enhanced reporting features, has been highlighted as a significant improvement for businesses. Despite some minor concerns about dashboard setup complexity, overall, users find the reporting and dashboards of Checkmk to be valuable assets in monitoring and managing IT infrastructure effectively.

### Advanced Monitoring Features
Users generally appreciate Checkmk's diverse monitoring capabilities, ranging from basic to advanced monitoring, allowing for customized monitoring of specific applications. While some users find the advanced monitoring features to be robust and beneficial for their IT infrastructure management, others express a desire for more modern interfaces and customizable dashboards. The consensus seems to lean towards Checkmk's advanced monitoring features being a valuable asset, albeit with room for improvement to meet the evolving needs of businesses seeking enhanced monitoring capabilities.

### Linux and Windows Monitoring
Users generally praise Checkmk for its robust Linux and Windows monitoring capabilities. The feedback highlights the ease of use, even for those with limited Linux knowledge, and the intuitive GUI that allows for customizable monitoring templates tailored to specific environments. While some users initially found the configuration windows complex, they noted that familiarity with the system improved its effectiveness in meeting organizational goals. Additionally, Checkmk's ability to monitor a wide range of devices and systems, including Linux, Windows, and various applications, has been commended for providing valuable insights and proactive issue detection across diverse infrastructures.

Customization Options: Users appreciate the extensive customization options in CheckMK, allowing them to tailor the monitoring solution to their specific needs. Several reviewers have mentioned how they were able to create their own checks, graphs, and dashboards, making it a highly flexible tool.

Distributed Monitoring Approach: The distributed monitoring approach of CheckMK is well-received by users as it enables efficient monitoring across multiple locations or network segments. Many users find this feature particularly useful for managing large-scale networks and ensuring comprehensive coverage.

User-Friendly Interface: Reviewers find the user interface of CheckMK simple and easy to navigate, with well-organized dashboards that display real-time data. This intuitive design has been praised by several users who appreciate how it enhances their overall experience with the software.


Confusing and Difficult User Interface: Several users have found the user interface of Checkmk to be confusing and difficult to understand, especially when trying to write their own checks in Python. The overwhelming range of features offered by the system's interface adds to the confusion and can make it challenging for new users to navigate. Some users have also mentioned getting lost in multiple configuration windows, further adding to the difficulty.

Lack of Stability and Quality Assurance: Users have expressed frustration with minor releases introducing stability problems in Checkmk. This lack of stability requires users to invest time in troubleshooting issues themselves. Additionally, some users believe that there is a need for better quality assurance from Tribe29, as these issues should ideally be identified and resolved before release.

Need for Better Documentation: Some users have mentioned a desire for improved documentation for Checkmk. They feel that the available documentation on the website can sometimes be outdated or incomplete, making it difficult for them to effectively use the product. Having comprehensive and up-to-date documentation would greatly assist users in understanding how to utilize all the features and functionalities of Checkmk.

Check_MK is a powerful monitoring software that offers a range of use cases based on user experiences. Users find the graphical user interface GUI of the software to be very intuitive, making it easy to use even for those with limited knowledge of Linux. This enables users to monitor various aspects of their environment, such as services, queries, jobs, and customizable templates, providing flexibility in monitoring options.

The software is highly versatile and can be used to monitor a wide range of devices and applications, including networking devices, servers, power rails, UPSs, VOIP devices, and internal applications. With Check_MK, users can monitor their IT infrastructure 24/7, ensuring misconfigurations or issues are detected before they become major problems. The software offers a wide range of monitoring capabilities with numerous check plugins and the ability to write custom checks, allowing users to monitor almost anything they want.

Users appreciate the ability to integrate Check_MK with other tools and systems such as ServiceNow and management dashboards for enhanced visibility and notification capabilities. It is particularly useful for monitoring highly distributed IT infrastructures across multiple sites, enabling quick implementation of new monitoring solutions and standards. The software also helps in monitoring complex and heterogeneous IT environments, ensuring stability and performance.

Overall, users have had excellent experiences with Check_MK's technical support and user community, making it their preferred monitoring solution. The software provides visibility and insight into systems and applications, helping users make informed decisions and improve operations. It has revealed usage patterns that users were previously unaware of, enhancing the agility and operational performance of their IT infrastructure.

In summary, Check_MK is a reliable monitoring solution that provides extensive infrastructure monitoring capabilities. It allows users to monitor a wide range of devices and applications while offering flexibility through customizable templates. With its user-friendly interface and integration capabilities, it enables efficient monitoring of distributed and complex IT environments.

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tribe29 is the company developing Checkmk – an all-in-one IT monitoring software available both as an open-source and a commercial version. We provide software maintenance and support for our IT monitoring solution Checkmk.

tribe29

Network monitoring with Checkmk

With Checkmk you can start monitoring your networks end to end in just a few minutes. It comes with more than 1900 plugins to meet all of your needs. With Autodiscovery and rule-based monitoring, you can start monitoring your network devices at scale in just a matter of clicks. Find out more here: https://checkmk.com/product/network-monitoring

IT Infrastructure Monitoring features focus on automation, alerts, and visibility into the stack.

Automated resource discovery

The platform automatically discovers and starts monitoring devices and cloud services.

Network visibility

The platform enables users to visualize connections and dependencies between their devices and cloud services.

Customizable alerts

Users can create dynamic alert thresholds and configure which team member is alerted when.

Multi-system monitoring

Teams can monitor status and usage across a variety of devices and cloud services in one place.

Performance analysis and forecasting

The platform helps teams analyze current and historical performance and forecast future performance.