Policy – Server Infrastructure Monitoring (Example)

Policy Name: Server Infrastructure Monitoring Policy

Effective Date: May 24, 2023

Last Revised: May 24, 2023

 

Policy Statement:

This policy outlines the standards and procedures for monitoring server infrastructure within our organization. It aims to ensure the continuous availability, performance, and security of servers, minimize server downtime, and facilitate timely and effective responses to server incidents.

 

Scope:

This policy applies to all servers owned or operated by the organization, including physical and virtual servers.

 

Policy Guidelines:

• Availability Monitoring: Servers should be continuously monitored for uptime. Any unexpected downtime should trigger an immediate alert to the IT department or designated IT staff.
• Performance Monitoring: Key server performance indicators, including CPU usage, memory usage, disk usage, and network I/O should be routinely logged and assessed. Any degradation in server performance should trigger an alert.
• Capacity Monitoring: Servers should be monitored for resource utilization. Alerts should be generated when predefined resource capacity thresholds are exceeded.
• Error and Anomaly Monitoring: All servers should be monitored for system and application error messages or any other anomalies. All such errors should be logged, and alerts should be generated based on the severity of the error.
• Security Monitoring: Servers should be monitored for signs of security incidents. This includes unauthorized access attempts, intrusion detection/prevention system (IDS/IPS) alerts, and other suspicious activities.
• Configuration Monitoring: Any changes to server configurations, including software installations or changes, should be logged and monitored. Any unauthorized changes should trigger an immediate alert.
• Backup and Recovery Monitoring: The completion and success of scheduled backups should be monitored and confirmed. Failures or errors in backup or recovery operations should trigger an alert.

 

Responsibilities:

1. The IT department or designated IT staff are responsible for monitoring servers as per this policy.
2. IT staff should respond promptly to all alerts generated by the monitoring system.
3. IT staff should perform periodic reviews of this policy to ensure it continues to align with organizational needs and industry best practices.

 

Review and Changes to the Policy:

This policy shall be reviewed at least annually or as required by changes in server infrastructure or business needs. All changes to this policy must be approved by the IT Director or designated authority.

 

Compliance:

Non-compliance with this policy can lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Any suspected non-compliance should be reported to the IT Director or designated authority immediately.

 

Exceptions:

Any exceptions to this policy must be approved in advance by the IT Director or designated authority. An exception request should include a valid business reason for the exception and any compensating controls that will be implemented to mitigate the associated risks.

 

Thresholds:

Setting specific thresholds for server infrastructure monitoring requires careful consideration, based on the specific requirements and capabilities of the organization’s infrastructure. Here are some general guideline thresholds that might be considered:

 

Availability Monitoring: Any server that becomes non-responsive or goes offline should immediately trigger an alert.

 

Performance Monitoring:

• CPU Usage: An alert should be generated if CPU utilization on a server consistently exceeds 80% for a sustained period (e.g., 5 minutes).
• Memory Usage: Similar to CPU usage, if memory utilization consistently exceeds 80% for a sustained period, an alert should be generated.
• Disk Usage: An alert should be triggered if disk usage exceeds 85%. High disk usage can significantly impact server performance.
• Network I/O: An alert should be generated if network input/output rates exceed a certain threshold that might indicate a performance issue or a potential security concern. This threshold depends on your typical network I/O rates and server capabilities.

 

Capacity Monitoring: Any resource reaching a usage of 80% consistently for an extended period (e.g., 15 minutes) should trigger an alert.

 

Error and Anomaly Monitoring: Any error message should be logged. Severity levels can be set for different types of errors. High-severity errors, such as hardware failures, should immediately trigger an alert.

 

Security Monitoring: Any suspected unauthorized access, unusual login patterns, or security incident should immediately trigger an alert.

 

Configuration Monitoring: Any unauthorized changes to server configurations should immediately trigger an alert.

 

Backup and Recovery Monitoring: Any failure or error in the backup or recovery operations should immediately trigger an alert.

 

Please note that these are general guidelines, and actual thresholds should be set based on your specific server infrastructure, server capabilities, business needs, and acceptable levels of risk. Regular review and adjustment of these thresholds is recommended to adapt to changes in your server environment and business requirements.