Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Hosting Security and Technology : Paging an administrator

[vk101]

What is needed (in general terms, as I'm not referring to a specific product) to have certain administrative software products page an administrator under certain scenarios, such as failure of a hardware component? I've read about this functionality being possible in several scenarios, but am unsure of what is needed for it.

Similar to the concept of paging an administrator is sending a text message, which I'm also not sure about.

What is needed from a software, hardware, OS, etc perspective to get such functionality in your system?

[Chris_M]

You can use Nagios to setup all kinds of alerts and have it fire off emails when something goes wrong.

[vk101]

Right, but I'd imagine the needed hardware/software to make sure you can support paging and text messaging functionality in programs that provide it (e.g. Nagios, like you mentioned) is different than that of email.

[Domainitor]

We wrote our network monitor software. Paging admins or the engineer on call is a simple e-mail to their cell phone via the carrier. There's no special anything needed.... Contact your cell phone provider to get the e'ddress. For us it's just the 10-digit phone number @cingularme.com. It's probably similarly simple for your carrier.

[BMurtagh]

for verizon..it's @vtext.com

[vk101]

And here I was thinking I'd have to install a telephone modem and special software...

I've yet a lot to learn

[BMurtagh]

haha, just have the script email the admin's cell#@provider.com with the alert...and as an fyi, i know verizon's text message limit is 160 characters so just play within that range and you should be ok.