Denver Post Case Study

The Unrecognized Problem

Barb Baker, Senior Systems Administrator at the Denver Post, was not looking for an alternative to their server monitoring system. "The solution we had in place was one we had been using for several years. The cost had been approved by management for a long time. No one was complaining about a lack of functionality. So we just kept on using it."

That changed once DataMAPt installed their remote monitoring solution.

Correcting the Old System

For example, when a problem arose with a server monitored by the previous system, all the Technical Support staff and System Administrators really knew was there was a server down. Additional information had to be gathered from various sources before The Post could get a more complete picture of the root problem.

"DataMAPt's alerts provide much more detail," said Barb. "Not only did we know a server was down but we also knew where the problem was located (memory, disk, processes, etc)."

DataMAPt also provided additional benefits. Warning and Critical thresholds are now set to alert the Denver Post Team of potential problems allowing them to take proactive, preventative measures. Critical Databases are monitored which alert on many metrics including capacity problems and long running queries. The DataMAPt dashboard allows an unlimited number of Team members to view all systems on a single pane of glass giving them a 'one-stop' location to see the health of the system. DataMAPt is Cloud based and agentless, meaning The Post doesn't need to tie up servers or server resources with monitoring programs.

What's Next

Next up for The Post will be to start monitoring additional databases and virtual hosts. Possibly even some critical firewalls and routers. "We know there are more uses. Plus DataMAPt keeps meeting our requests for new features. We highly recommend this service."