Observer (software)
Observer is a PHP/MySQL-based Network Monitoring System (NMS) which collects data from devices using SNMP and presents it via a web interface. It makes heavy use of the RRDtool (written by Tobi Oetiker) package. Observer has a number of simple core design goals driving its development: minimum interaction, maximum automation and maximum accessibility of information.
Observer integrates specific support for a number of vendor and platform specific features such as Dell OMSA on Linux platforms, Net-SNMP statistics as well as a number of Cisco-specific features such as Cisco Discovery Protocol, inventory tracking and VLAN tracking. The FreeBSD-based firewall, m0n0wall, was modified to allow Observer to identify and monitor it.
Observer uses the GeSHi, RANCID and JpGraph software packages to extend its features.
Observer has preliminary support for IPv6 as well as VRF and pseudowire tracking.
Origin
Observer was inspired by an internally-written monitoring system used by the author at Onyx Internet in the UK. The author subsequently wrote a 'clone' of the Onyx system whilst at Entanet International which replicated most of the basic features of the original but without the code quality. Observer was started as a Free Software project after the author left Entanet to produce a better designed implementation.
See also
- Network monitoring