# What to monitor on a server worksheet

Adapt this planning resource to your environment. Examples are illustrative, not completed checks. Do not record secrets.

- Service / scope:
- Accountable owner:
- Reviewer:
- Environment / version:
- Review date:
- Approval / change reference:
- Next review trigger:

## Start at the service boundary

- [ ] List the operations users depend on and how you can check them safely.
- Environment-specific action:
- Expected result / stop condition:
- Observed result and evidence:
- Owner / due date:

## Collect a small useful baseline

- [ ] Capture availability, request volume, errors and latency where the application exposes them.
- Environment-specific action:
- Expected result / stop condition:
- Observed result and evidence:
- Owner / due date:

## Attach a response to each alert

| Signal | Question | Response record | Your record | Owner | Evidence reference | Status / due date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Availability | Can the user operation complete? | Owner, dependency checks and escalation |  |  |  |  |
| Latency/errors | Is service quality degrading? | Time window and diagnostic evidence |  |  |  |  |
| Capacity | When will headroom be exhausted? | Growth rate and expansion lead time |  |  |  |  |
| Collection | Are metrics or checks missing? | Agent, credentials and monitoring health |  |  |  |  |

## Test the complete route

- [ ] Use a controlled test to verify collection, rule evaluation, delivery, acknowledgement and escalation.
- Environment-specific action:
- Expected result / stop condition:
- Observed result and evidence:
- Owner / due date:

## Closure

- Outcome: not started / pass / partial pass / fail
- Exceptions, owner and due date:
- Acceptance / approval:
- Follow-up and cleanup:

Source article: https://happysysadm.com/monitoring-rmm/server-monitoring-checklist/