19 Server Monitoring Interview Questions and Answers

As a system administrator, you are responsible for the uptime and performance of your company’s servers. To do this, you need to have a strong understanding of server monitoring. During a job interview, you may be asked questions about your experience with server monitoring tools and techniques. Answering these questions confidently can help you land the job. In this article, we review some common server monitoring questions and how to answer them.

Server Monitoring Interview Questions and Answers

Here are 19 commonly asked Server Monitoring interview questions and answers to prepare you for your interview:

1. What do you understand by server monitoring?

Server monitoring is the process of tracking the performance and availability of servers. This can be done in a number of ways, but typically involves some combination of logging server activity, running performance tests, and checking server health status. By monitoring servers, you can identify issues before they cause problems for users, and ensure that servers are running optimally.

2. Can you explain what CPU, RAM, and network utilization metrics are? How can they help us in server monitoring?

CPU, RAM, and network utilization metrics help us understand how our server is performing and where any bottlenecks might be. By monitoring these metrics, we can see if our server is being overloaded in any particular area and take steps to alleviate the issue. For example, if we see that our CPU utilization is consistently high, we might need to add more servers or upgrade our existing ones. Alternatively, if we see that our network utilization is high but our CPU and RAM utilization is low, we might need to upgrade our network infrastructure.

3. Why is it important to monitor the performance of a server?

There are a few reasons why server performance monitoring is important. First, it can help identify potential issues before they cause problems. Second, it can help you track the effects of changes that you make to the server. Finally, it can provide valuable information that can be used to improve the overall performance of the server.

4. Is it possible for an agent-based tool to monitor a server without installing any software on that server? If yes, then how?

Yes, it is possible for an agent-based tool to monitor a server without installing any software on that server. This can be done by using a network monitoring agent that is installed on a separate server and configured to monitor the target server. The agent will use the network to communicate with the target server and collect data about its performance and activity.

5. What’s the difference between static and dynamic thresholds when doing server monitoring? What factors should be considered while deciding which threshold to use?

Static thresholds are set by the administrator and do not change automatically based on conditions. Dynamic thresholds, on the other hand, can be set to automatically adjust based on conditions.

When deciding which threshold to use, administrators should consider the type of data being monitored, the frequency of changes, and the desired level of accuracy.

6. Which tools or methods would you use to track disk usage in a Linux server?

One way to track disk usage in a Linux server is to use the “df” command. This command will show you the amount of free space on each mounted filesystem. You can also use the “du” command to show the amount of disk space used by each file and directory.

7. What are some common problems faced when collecting data from remote servers?

One common problem is that of data loss due to network outages or communication errors. Another is that of data corruption, which can occur if the data is not properly formatted or if it is incomplete. Finally, there is the issue of data security, which is important to consider when collecting data from remote servers.

8. How can open source tools like Nagios and ELK stack be used for effective server monitoring?

There are a number of open source tools available for server monitoring, but two of the most popular are Nagios and ELK stack. Nagios is a popular choice for monitoring because it is very comprehensive and can be customized to fit the needs of any organization. ELK stack is another popular option because it is easy to set up and use, and it provides a lot of features and flexibility.

9. How does packet loss affect server health?

Packet loss can have a significant impact on server health, as it can lead to data being corrupted or lost. This can in turn lead to decreased performance or even crashes. In addition, packet loss can also cause delays in communication, as data has to be resent.

10. Is there a limit to the number of servers that can be monitored using these tools?

There is no limit to the number of servers that can be monitored using these tools.

11. What are some other ways to collect monitoring data from a Windows Server?

In addition to the Windows Server Event Log, you can also use the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to collect data for monitoring purposes. WMI provides a wealth of information about the state of a Windows Server, and can be used to monitor things like CPU and memory usage, disk activity, and network traffic.

12. Are there different types of logs available on a Linux system? If yes, then can you name few of them?

Yes, there are different types of logs available on a Linux system. Some of them are:

– /var/log/messages: This is the general message log file where all system messages are logged.
– /var/log/secure: This file contains all messages related to authentication and authorization.
– /var/log/httpd/access_log: This file contains all the HTTP requests made to the web server.
– /var/log/httpd/error_log: This file contains all the error messages generated by the web server.

13. Is it possible to perform anomaly detection with these tools? If so, then how?

Yes, it is possible to perform anomaly detection with server monitoring tools. This can be done by setting up thresholds for various metrics and then having the tools generate alerts whenever those thresholds are exceeded. Anomaly detection can also be performed by looking for patterns in the data that deviate from what is expected.

14. Can we perform transaction tracking across multiple servers using these tools? If yes, then how?

Yes, we can use these tools to monitor transactions across multiple servers. By tracking the transactions, we can identify which server is the bottleneck and where the issue is.

15. What is the best way to ensure that all servers are being monitored properly?

The best way to ensure that all servers are being monitored properly is to have a centralized server monitoring system in place. This system should be able to monitor all servers from a single location and provide alerts if any problems are detected.

16. How long should log files be retained? Is there any advantage in storing them indefinitely?

There is no definitive answer to this question, as it will depend on the specific needs of the organization. However, in general, it is generally advisable to keep log files for at least a few months, if not indefinitely. The reason for this is that log files can be extremely useful in troubleshooting issues, investigating security breaches, and so on. Having a long history of log files can be very helpful in these situations.

17. Do this type of tools work effectively in cloud environments like AWS?

Yes, server monitoring tools can be just as effective in cloud environments as they are in traditional server environments. The key is to make sure that the tool you choose is able to monitor the specific metrics that are important to you in your cloud environment.

18. What are some popular open source tools that can be used to monitor performance of a web application?

Some popular open source tools that can be used to monitor performance of a web application are Nagios, Cacti, and Zabbix.

19. What are some advantages of moving your logging infrastructure to a centralized location?

There are several advantages to moving your logging infrastructure to a centralized location, such as improved performance and easier management. When your logging infrastructure is centralized, your logs are all in one place, which makes it easier to find and fix problems. Additionally, centralizing your logging infrastructure can improve performance because it reduces the amount of data that needs to be transferred between servers.