March 30, 2015 at 09:30Non-standard use of site monitoring service
It is not uncommon for an inventor to scratch his head, realizing how to use his creation and comparing it with what was originally intended. Today we will focus on the unconventional use of the monitoring service. What other benefits can be derived from the functionality designed to check sites? The answer is limited only by the imagination of our customers.
One client set up monitoring ... a home water pump.
Of course, a pump equipped with a web interface most likely included its own special software with a bunch of features. Nevertheless, it turned out to be convenient to use the monitoring service in order to make sure that the pump is always “online”, and if not, then to find out exactly when it stopped working, which helps in finding the reason for the stop. Thus, he proved that everything that has access to the network and has a personal IP address can become an object of verification.
Another user of the HostTracker service uses it to monitor changes to the site's file system. Of course, there are other solutions - but our service does not require the installation of additional software, nor the butt with your hoster. The task was quite simple. On the client’s side, it was only necessary to insert a php script on your page, which, when the page loads, checks whether the site’s file system has changed in the last hour.
The principle of operation is this: once a picture of the system was taken from the standard version. Then the client, using the function of the monitoring system "Content Check", created a task that checks the page every hour (see the figure below). As a result, every hour the service downloads the page, and the script at this time compares the number and size of files with the standard. The result of working out the script should be the appearance on the page of the phrase “No changes”. If changes have occurred, then a message appears that the files have been changed, deleted or new ones appeared. This allows you to notice malicious changes in the system on time and eliminate them. In the event that the HostTracker has detected the absence of the phrase “No changes”, SMS will be sent to the client, notification will be sent via Skype or other specific methods, and he can respond to the incident in the shortest possible time.
It was initially clear that it is unlikely that the HostTracker will be used exclusively for monitoring web sites. Therefore, we carefully monitor the requests of our customers and how they use the service. For example, some clients used the keyword verification feature to monitor databases. But this required efforts on their part - it was necessary to create a page with a script that would make a selection from the database when the page was loaded, and would return a certain keyword. This prompted us to create a separate function - checking the database . Attempts by customers to check the availability of their sites in the DNS blacklist also contributed to the emergence of such a function . Many other features and improvements were made by us thanks to our users.
If you have special experience in using monitoring services, or just wishes for functionality - we are always grateful for your suggestions!
One client set up monitoring ... a home water pump.
Of course, a pump equipped with a web interface most likely included its own special software with a bunch of features. Nevertheless, it turned out to be convenient to use the monitoring service in order to make sure that the pump is always “online”, and if not, then to find out exactly when it stopped working, which helps in finding the reason for the stop. Thus, he proved that everything that has access to the network and has a personal IP address can become an object of verification.
Setting up task crowns - improving site security
Another user of the HostTracker service uses it to monitor changes to the site's file system. Of course, there are other solutions - but our service does not require the installation of additional software, nor the butt with your hoster. The task was quite simple. On the client’s side, it was only necessary to insert a php script on your page, which, when the page loads, checks whether the site’s file system has changed in the last hour.
The principle of operation is this: once a picture of the system was taken from the standard version. Then the client, using the function of the monitoring system "Content Check", created a task that checks the page every hour (see the figure below). As a result, every hour the service downloads the page, and the script at this time compares the number and size of files with the standard. The result of working out the script should be the appearance on the page of the phrase “No changes”. If changes have occurred, then a message appears that the files have been changed, deleted or new ones appeared. This allows you to notice malicious changes in the system on time and eliminate them. In the event that the HostTracker has detected the absence of the phrase “No changes”, SMS will be sent to the client, notification will be sent via Skype or other specific methods, and he can respond to the incident in the shortest possible time.
Customer Contribution to Service Development
It was initially clear that it is unlikely that the HostTracker will be used exclusively for monitoring web sites. Therefore, we carefully monitor the requests of our customers and how they use the service. For example, some clients used the keyword verification feature to monitor databases. But this required efforts on their part - it was necessary to create a page with a script that would make a selection from the database when the page was loaded, and would return a certain keyword. This prompted us to create a separate function - checking the database . Attempts by customers to check the availability of their sites in the DNS blacklist also contributed to the emergence of such a function . Many other features and improvements were made by us thanks to our users.
If you have special experience in using monitoring services, or just wishes for functionality - we are always grateful for your suggestions!