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What is DBAmon?

DBAmon is a free, GPL, Open-Source database monitoring tool. Although DBAmon does have a WWW-based interface, historical trend data collection and graphs, it is primarily a Background DBMS Monitoring Tool.

DBAmon has been in continuous use since it was first implemented in 1994 to meet a need to monitor heterogenous DBMS environments. As of 2008 DBAmon was monitoring approximately 715 Database instances (Oracle, Informix, MSSQL, SAP) for a large international corporation. DBAmon is written primarily in Perl language (~104,000 lines of Perl code). In 2010 it was ported to run the MASTER functionality on CYGWIN, but it was developed on HP-UX.

Click here to see which DBMS Metrics are monitored.

DBAmon continuously monitors multiple instances of:

It was designed many years ago on HP-9000 hardware (HP-UX Unix) but it does run on other operating systems (Sun, Linux, Cygwin on Windows©). It uses ssh to comminicate with TARGET (or "Monitored") servers which run MSSSQL, Informix or Oracle. The resulting DB Events are reported via:

DBAmon also automatically creates WWW-based reports of the status of all instances being monitored:


Sample WWW-Based Instance Summary


Sample WWW-Based Instance Details

It also samples various data from the instance being monitored and saves this data in the DBAmon Historical Data Repository
which is used to create graphs of various DB measures:


Sample WWW-Based MSSQL Page Life Expectancy Graph

DBAmon runs continuously monitoring every metric on every DB server (a monitored DB Server is also called a "TARGET" Server) (See What Is Monitored?). DBAmon runs on a UX server and monitors UX (Oracle and Informix) and Windows (Oracle and MSSQL) database instances. On the largest know installation of DBAmon, on a HP-UX© server it concurrently monitors over 700 Oracle, Informix and MSSQL database instances. It features easy to configure UX flat files where you specify DBAmon parameters and parameters describing the DB servers that you will be monitoring. Most neccessary customization can be done via supplied user exits (I'm showing my MVS background). The name DBAmon was originally used by a tool that was developed by Jack Parker of HP/Boise. The name DBAmon means Database & Application Monitor.


Environment: DBAmon MASTER Server (Central Monitoring Server)

The HP-UX-based-MASTER flavor of DBAmon currently runs on an HP-UX 9000 Series UX server (an N4400 8-way). It uses less than 30% of the total CPU capacity. It could easily run on a smaller server. There is no reason why the DBAmon Master would not run on another platform (Sun, AIX, Solaris, ...). The CYGWIN-based-MASTER flavor of DBAmon can run on any Windows server. It requires a working installation of Perl, which is FREE. On a CYGWIN installation, you may use MSSQL for the DBAmon repository. On UX (HP-UX, AIX, etc.) you must use an Oracle repository. If you are using an Oracle repository (HP-UX, AIX, Solaris, etc.), then you must install the DBD/DBI interface along with Perl. See Software Installation for details. On CYGWIN, the DBI interface is very easy to install (via "cpan").


Environment: TARGET DB Server (UX)

Pretty much the same as for the DBAmon Master Server, but DBD is not required. All of the DB Servers that we monitor are HP (the company that I work for). They run a combination of HP-UX 10.20 and 11.00, both 32 and 64 bit. Details: It requires a working installation of awk and Perl.


Environment: TARGET DB Server (Windows)

We currently monitor Windows servers running Oracle/Windows and MSSQL. You will have to install:


Architecture

See the DBAmon Architecture Diagram for an overview of how DBAmon works.

DBAmon is Agent-Less, meaning that it does not require a process to be running on a TARGET server (other than the SSH service).

It is really a little more complicated, but this is how it works:

DBAmon runs continuously. Every iteration DBAmon:


Why DBAmon?

DBAmon was developed in 1994 as a DB monitoring tool for Informix (in 1999 it was enhanced to also monitor Oracle and MSSQL). The reasons that we developed our own tool versus buying a 3rd-party tool were: Since 1994 it has grown in usage from our data center to where it is now used by many sites around the world. In 1999 Oracle and MSSQL monitoring was added. At one site, it now continuously monitors ~800 DB Instances of Oracle, MSSQL and Informix that reside on servers located worldwide. Granted, DBAmon does not have all of the bells and whistles of the more EXPENSIVE and sophisticated tools, but it works in a real-life production environment.


Disclaimer

DBAmon is not guaranteed to serve any purpose at all. There is no warranty expressed or implied. Your mileage will vary. Yada yada yada.


Installation

See DBAmon Software Installation (MASTER on UX) or DBAmon Software Installation (MASTER on CYGWIN) for the installation checklist.


DBMS Compatibility

DBAmon will monitor:

Informix

Oracle MSSQL


User Exits

DBAmon is coded so that even if it is installed at a remote site, no program source changes should be necessary. The Config File mentioned below is designed to supply all site/host specific information. Some additional customization can be done by coding User Exits (see below). If you find that you have to make source changes to DBAmon, please EMail DBAmon Q&A and I will consider incorporating those changes into the next release.


DBAmon Links

See DBAmon Index.


Sample DBAmon WWW Output

Event Log
Disk Usage Report
System Summary Report
DBAmon Graphical Output* (DBSpace Summary)
DBAmon Graphical Output* (TBLSpace Detail)
* - DBAmon creates the data that is used to build these graphs. I now also ship DBAmon with PLOTICUS code to dynamically create graphs. VERY COOL!


DBAmon Questions / Suggestions

EMail: DBAmon Q&A


Author / Site Information


This is site is personally owned and operated by Bill Border . I am an .

I am employed in Colorado Springs, Colorado as a Senior Oracle DBA. I have 30 years of IT experience, primarily as a DBA (Oracle,MSSQL,Informix,DB2,IDMS). Previously I worked as an Application Programmer (3 years), MVS Systems Programmer (10 years) and DB2 Systems Programmer (7 years). For more information, see My Resume.


Microsoft SQL Server© is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Windows© is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Oracle© is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
Informix© is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
SAP© is a registered trademark or SAP AG in Germany and in other countries.
HP© is a registered trademark or Hewlett-Packard Corporation in the United States and in other countries.

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