We remotely monitor your systems. All of them.
We monitor every device which we manage and support. Not just the servers.
Our remote monitoring is 24/7, and is included with our managed IT support packages.
We remotely monitor your systems. All of them.
We monitor every device which we manage and support. Not just the servers.
Our remote monitoring is 24/7, and is included with our managed IT support packages.
This means that our monitoring, support, reporting and management is more complete, more accurate and more effective.
Our software is even compatible with Mac and Linux – not just Windows.
With your systems monitored, we can prevent downtime by fixing small issues before they become big problems.
As described above, this proactive monitoring means that you have fewer IT problems in general. 90% of potential IT issues are prevented before they become a problem.
Sometimes, computer problems can lead to hardware failure meaning the the problems escalate . Resolving small issues can prevent hardware failure.
We don’t mind giving you access to our main monitoring dashboard. We monitor your systems over multiple pieces of software, but the main dashboard provides the most information.
Here the client can view the health, performance, software, hardware, events, errors, updates and more. It’s also common for the client to use this dashboard for their own inventory / asset management.
Our monitoring software agent gets installed on all computers and server which we manage and support. A lot of companies only monitor your server, then have your own server perform some checks on the workstation computers.
This means that our monitoring, support, reporting and management is more complete, more accurate and more effective.
Our software is even compatible with Mac and Linux – not just Windows.
We can provide customised reports as defined by the client (or default monitoring reports) at intervals which the client prefers.
Our monitoring software doesn’t just check the Event Log and other simple things. See “Our Methods of Monitoring” for more information.
Our servers are based in Wolverhampton. – with backup servers in several difference locations.
This is done via our custom Agent Software.
• And SNMP (Simple Network Monitoring Protocol)
• And simple Ping heartbeat tracking (our servers send a “ping” out to yours, which should respond.
• Events (in the event logs),
• Errors (various types),
• Software (watches for users installing known bad software, files and folders,
• Security,
• Backups,
• Services,
• Printers,
• Software Updates,
• Performance,
• Hard-drive space,
And automatically uses other pieces of our custom software to test things like the health of your hard-drives – a feature of our monitoring unique to us.
With our remote monitoring you can get peace of mind knowing that our servers are working day and night keeping an eye on your servers, AND computers/workstations making sure that they are okay.
If a becomes known to us, a technician starts looking into it before you can manually raise a ticket.
We detect all sorts of potential problem causing issues. Depending on the severity of the issue, we remotely resolve the problem either in due course before it can become a problem – or for more severe issues, we resolve it straight away.
A lot of the time, the only way the client knows about the issue is that we tell them and/or it’s on our reports!
e.g. essential Windows and software services, as well as services we are asked to monitor.
Examples include:
• [Server] Active Directory
• [Server] Exchange (email)
• [Server] SQL Databases
• [Server] Windows Server Update Services
• [Server] Web Services
• [Workstations] Print Spooler (for printing!)
• [Workstations] Windows Updates
Many, many more!
Some processes are essential for Windows (or other operating systems or software) to function correctly. We monitor a default set of processes, as well as any additional processes which the client may require. We can monitor when they aren’t running, are running or are having trouble running.
Some common processes we monitor are:
• Explorer (in Windows, this is responsible for most of what you see!)
• Client/Server Processes
• Desktop Manager
• Windows Logon Processes
Ports can be seen as numbered access “doors” to devices – i.e 99% of web traffic communicates through port 80.
We can monitor ports of devices we manage, and even some ports of devices we don’t – by using the devices we manage to test ports on other devices!
Common ports we monitor include:
• 80, for standard web traffic
• 443, for standard secure web traffic
• 25, for standard email communication
• 91xx, common for printers
• 8530, the common port Windows Servers deliver updates to their clients through
1433. 1434, the common ports for SQL Servers to communicate on
Windows has a feature – the Event Log. It has multiple aspects; system, application, security and more. Windows and other software can write into the Event Log.
We monitor it.
We run our own defined rules. The rules include a default set depending on the device we’re monitoring, it’s software and requirements. We can add additional rules as per the client’s specification. Events can be errors (of varied severity), warnings, information or even successes.
Common events to monitor include:
• Anti-Virus update information
• Backup failure/success
• File or drive corruption
• Users trying to access files they shouldn’t
• Computer crashes
Software errors
Our servers can monitor specified folders and files unique to your systems, whether they’re on a server or workstation.
We monitor
• Whether the files/folders exist
• How old they are
• How big they are
We can automatically raise tickets accordingly (i.e. a file should or shouldn’t be there).
Our monitoring also includes the automatic routine execution of certain pieces of software which perform certain tests that the other tests don’t quite cover.
For example, we create extremely thorough customised anti-virus monitoring tests to monitor the health of the anti-virus, and how recent the updates are. Tickets are automatically raised if the anti-virus becomes out of date. (This would be in addition to any reports we get from your anti-virus directly, if we manage it).
Our software monitors the performance of both your servers and workstations.
We keep an eye on your hard-drive space, making sure that it’s not too full.
We watch how much RAM you’re using – and the PageFile. If you’re using too much too often there’s a good sign that the device is overworked or has a problem.
We watch your processor (CPU) usage. Too much usage over an extended time would show that your device is running slow, and there may be an issue (software issue or even a malicious undetected program).
Our systems deploy, run and monitor software configurations unique to us which monitor the hardware of your computer.
These include:
Hard-drive health reports based on the information stored on your hard-drive’s SMART storage. Access errors are stored by the drive itself there, and our software analyses it to assess the drive’s health.
We even keep an eye on the temperature of your systems.
It’s not a major feature, but it’s certainly handy – and many other service providers don’t offer it.
Our software tests your devices against lists of software known to be bad. These include software which aren’t directly worms or virii, but you don’t want them on your systems.
Some of these types of software are known as bloatware, spyware and scumware.
If our systems detect that a user has any installed, a ticket will be automatically raised.
Our systems directly monitor your Windows updates – and related software updates. Updates are configured as the client requires, and can be installed on demand or on routine.
Updates CAN be managed by a server, but our systems do it better!
As previously mentioned in the other sections, we monitor your anti-virus.
Common issues we raise tickets for are:
• Anti-virus not running
• Definitions out of date
• Detected malware/virii/worms
We use multiple methods to monitor this, some of what we’ve included above and some we haven’t. We also configure the anti-virus itself to email alerts, which automatically raise tickets.
As mentioned in a previous section, we monitor the success and failure of backups.
We use multiple methods to do this. We’ve described some of them above.
We also configure the backup software itself to send out email alerts, which automatically raise tickets on our system.
It’s only small, but we even monitor the dates that devices go out of warranty (if that information is made available to us).
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At Blackwood IT, we are experts in server and network installations and are proud to offer our clients a free estimate, review, and fixed quotation for the installation process. Our aim is to provide a seamless and stress-free experience, delivering prompt and efficient solutions to any IT issues you may face. With competitive pricing and unparalleled expertise, we are the go-to local IT consultant for businesses in Wolverhampton. Our focus is always on delivering exceptional customer service, ensuring that our clients receive a friendly, professional, and reliable experience.
