This article covers how to monitor your server performance on a HOSTDOG Cloud VPS or dedicated server — from command-line tools for real-time checks to monitoring solutions for long-term trend analysis.
HOSTDOG managed monitoring
All HOSTDOG Cloud VPS and dedicated server plans include 24/7 monitoring as part of the managed services Basic tier. Our team monitors:
- Server uptime — Immediate alert and investigation if your server goes offline
- Critical services — Web server, database, SSH, and other essential processes
- Hardware health — Disk health, RAID status (dedicated servers), and temperature
If an issue is detected, HOSTDOG's team investigates and resolves it proactively. With the Premium tier, you also receive performance tuning recommendations based on your server's usage patterns.
Command-line monitoring tools
For real-time performance checks, connect to your server via SSH and use these built-in tools:
CPU and process monitoring
# Real-time process overview
top
# More detailed, interactive view
htop # install with: apt install htop / dnf install htop
# CPU load averages
uptimeMemory usage
# Memory summary
free -h
# Detailed memory info
cat /proc/meminfoDisk usage and I/O
# Disk space usage
df -h
# Directory-level usage
du -sh /var/log/*
# Disk I/O statistics
iostat -x 1 5 # 5 samples, 1 second apartNetwork monitoring
# Active connections
ss -tuln
# Real-time network traffic
iftop # install with: apt install iftop / dnf install iftop
# Network statistics
vnstat # install with: apt install vnstat / dnf install vnstatKey metrics to watch
| Metric | Healthy range | Action if exceeded |
|---|---|---|
| CPU usage | Below 70% average | Scale VPS or optimise application |
| RAM usage | Below 80% of allocated | Add RAM or investigate memory leaks |
| Disk usage | Below 85% capacity | Clean logs, old backups; add storage |
| Load average | Below number of CPU cores | Identify resource-heavy processes |
| Disk I/O wait | Below 10% | Optimise database queries; check for excessive logging |
Long-term monitoring solutions
For tracking performance trends over time, consider setting up a dedicated monitoring solution:
- Netdata — Lightweight, real-time dashboard with zero-configuration setup. Install with a single command and access a web-based dashboard.
- Prometheus + Grafana — Industry-standard combination for collecting metrics and building custom dashboards. More setup required, but extremely powerful.
- External uptime monitors — Services like UptimeRobot or Pingdom can monitor your website's availability from outside your network, alerting you if your site becomes unreachable.
Long-term monitoring data helps you make informed decisions about when to scale your resources and identify patterns in resource usage.