Understanding Downtime Alerts from Monitoring Services

We understand how concerning it can be to receive downtime alerts from monitoring services such as 360 Monitoring or similar external monitoring tools. However, these alerts don’t always indicate server-wide downtime or issues with our service. This article explains possible causes of downtime alerts and provides recommendations for resolving them.

Why Downtime Alerts May Not Reflect Hosting Server Issues

1. Short Downtime Windows
   The free plan of 360 Monitoring includes checks only every 5 minutes. If the downtime reported was shorter than this interval (e.g., 1–2 minutes), it might have already been resolved by the time the monitoring service checked again. Such brief interruptions might be caused by:

   • Routine server maintenance.
   • Network latency between the monitoring service and the server.
   • Quick service restarts, for example following a software update or a configuration adjustment.

2. Site or Account-Specific Issues
   Downtime alerts can also occur due to issues specific to your hosting account or website, such as:

   • Exceeding Resource Limits: CPU, memory, or bandwidth limits being hit can make your site temporarily unavailable.
   • Insufficient Disk Space: If your hosting account runs out of space, the site or services (e.g., databases) may stop functioning.
   • Updates or Maintenance: Scheduled updates or changes to your website may result in short-term unavailability.
   • Code Errors: Bugs or errors in your site’s code can cause downtime.

3. Monitoring Service Connectivity Issues
   Sometimes, the issue lies with the monitoring service itself. Network instability or routing problems between the monitoring service and the server can trigger false downtime alerts.

How to Investigate Downtime Alerts

If you receive a downtime alert, we recommend taking the following steps before reporting the issue:

1. Check Your Hosting Account

   • Log in to your hosting control panel and verify the Disk Usage and Resource Usage (CPU, memory, and bandwidth).
   • Confirm there are no ongoing maintenance or update tasks.

2. Review Server Logs

   • Check your site’s error_log file for any recent errors that might have caused downtime. These logs often provide detailed information about issues with your website, such as:
     • PHP errors
     • Database connection problems
     • File permission issues
   • Checking for Site Errors in the "error_log" File and Web Server Logs

3. Verify with an Alternate Monitoring Service
   Use another external monitoring service with a shorter monitoring interval to cross-check the downtime.

4. Perform a Manual Check
   If possible, try accessing your website from one or multiple locations or devices to confirm whether the site is accessible.

Our Recommendations

• Understand Monitoring Limitations: If you’re using 360 Monitoring or another service with 5-minute intervals, remember that the reported downtime could be significantly shorter than indicated. For higher accuracy, consider upgrading to a plan with more frequent monitoring intervals.

• Prevent Site-Related Issues: Regularly monitor and manage your hosting account and website to ensure sufficient resources and no critical errors.

• Report Confirmed Issues: If you determine that the issue is server-wide and not site-specific, feel free to contact our support team. Include details such as the time of the downtime, the monitoring report(s), and any error messages encountered.

Need Help?

If you’re unsure how to interpret your monitoring service alerts or need assistance investigating potential downtime, our support team is here to help. However, please note that downtime caused by account-specific issues like resource limits or site updates falls under client management responsibilities. For further guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Updated by SP on 03/12/2024