ABSTRACT
Data storage and retrieval are at the centre of today’s applications. Currently, no
organization can effectively carry on its activities without one form of database or the
other. Indeed, one of the key challenges of information technology organizations is how
to ensure quality and reliable database administration. Consequently, if the database and
the server that support the applications are unavailable it could lead to considerable costs
in terms of efficiency, loss of revenue as well as damage to reputations and goodwill.
The aim of this study is to compare three open-source database monitoring system tools
that are cost effective and able to notify the Database Administrator of any fault in the
system. They are Nagios, Zabbix, and Cacti. For the purpose of this study, an empirical
client-server architecture environment was created with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5
Operating system in a Local Area Network using a switch to which a MYSQL database
server, monitoring tool server and host computers were connected. The results showed
that the three monitoring tools studied were able to monitor database availability and
could send prompt notification to the Database Administrator via email, with varying
performances. Nagios was shown to be superior to the other tools as it was able to detect
and send notifications about database failure faster than others. While Nagio takes about
75 milliseconds to report Network failures, Cacti and Zabbix take about 102 and 145
milliseconds, in that order to report Network failures. In the same vein, Nagios reported
Database faults in 35 milliseconds while Cacti and Zabbix reported the same fault in 123
and 157 milliseconds respectively. Nagios was also shown to be able to handle 22
different services concurrently while Cacti and Zabbix could only handle 15 and 12
services at the same time.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page – – – – – – – – – – i
Approval – – – – – – – – – – ii
Certification – – – – – – – – – – iii
Declaration – – – – – – – – – – iv
Dedication – – – – – – – – – – v
Acknowledgement – – – – – – – – – vi
Abstract – – – – – – – – – – vii
Table of Content – – – – – – – – – viii
List of Tables and Figures – – – – – – – – xi
Chapter ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study – – – – – – – – 1
1.2 Aim and Objective – – – – – – – – 3
1.3 Statement of Problem – – – – – – – – 3
1.4 Scope of Study – – – – – – – – 4
1.5 Methodology – – – – – – – – – 4
1.6 Thesis Outline – – – – – – – – – 5
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Database Concept – – – – – – – – 6
2.2 Database Structures – – – – – – – – 7
2.2.1 Physical Database Structure – – – – – – – 7
2.2.2 Logical Database Structure – – – – – – – 9
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2.3 Database Model – – – – – – – – 10
2.3.1 Hierarchical Database Model – – – – – – – 10
2.3.2 Network Database Model – – – – – – – 12
2.3.3 Relational Database Model – – – – – – – 13
2.4 Database Operation – – – – – – – – 16
2.4.1 Structured Query Language SQL) – – – – – – 17
2.4.2 Structure of DBMS – – – – – – – – 19
2.4.3 Execution Process of DBMS – – – – – – – 21
2.5 Conceptual Issues – – – – – – – – 22
2.5.1 Database Availability/Unavailability – – – – – – 22
2.5.2 Downtime – – – – – – – – – 23
2.5.3 Causes of Database Unavailability – – – – – – 24
2.5.3.1 Planned Downtime – – – – – – – – 24
2.5.3.2 Unplanned Downtime – – – – – – – – 25
2.6 Related Researches – – – – – – – – 29
2.7 Nagios – – – – – – – – – – 41
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction – – – – – – – – – 45
3.2 Network Design – – – – – – – – 45
3.3 Software Installation – – – – – – – – 48
3.3.1 MySQL Server – – – – – – – – 48
3.3.2 Nagios 4.0.1 – – – – – – – – – 49
3.3.3 MySQL Health Check Plugin – – – – – – 51
3.4 Zabbix – – – – – – – – – – 52
x
3.4.1 Installation of Zabbix Monitoring Software in RHEL6.5 – – – 51
3.4.2 Adding New Host in Zabbix Server – – – – – – 52
3.5 Cacti – – – – – – – – – – 54
3.6 Configuration of the Monitoring Tools – – – – – 56
3.6.1 Changing the Nagios Default password – – – – – 58
3.6.2 Changing the Default Email Address – – – – – 58
3.6.3 Analysing Services Configured for Localhost Monitoring – – – 59
3.6.4 Configuration of Nagios Check Ping – – – – – – 60
3.6.5 Adding and Configuring Nagios to Monitor Host – – – – 62
3.6.6 Configuring Nagios to Monitor MySQL Sewer – – – – 68
3.6.7 Notification – – – – – – – – – 71
3.7 Summary – – – – – – – – – 72
CHAPTER FOUR TESTING AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
4.1 Application Testing – – – – – – – – 74
4.2 Test for Failure – – – – – – – – 74
4.3 Test Results – – – – – – – – – 75
4.4 Result Illustration – – – – – – – – 76
CHAPTER FIVE RESULTS ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
5.1 Introduction – – – – – – – – – 80
5.2 Result Analysis – – – – – – – – 80
5.3 Discussion – – – – – – – – – 81
5.4 Observations – – – – – – – – – 81
5.5 Summary – – – – – – – – – 82
CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6.1 Introduction – – – – – – – – – 83
6.2 Conclusion – – – – – – – – – 83
6.3 Limitations of the Work – – – – – – – 84
6.4 Recommendations – – – – – – – – 84
Reference –
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Data storage and retrieval are at the centre of today’s applications. Currently, no organization
can effectively carry on its activities without one form of database or the other. Without data
businesses would not have the ability to conduct transactions with customers [1]. Database is
designed to store and organize this data. An organization with well designed and managed
database competes favorably with its peers.
Indeed, one of the major problems facing information technology organizations is how to ensure
quality and reliable database administration [1]. This includes fault mitigation to ensure
database availability, developing high performance database applications as well as
configuration and security issues. Ensuring continuous availability of database is critical for
most businesses and even home computer users. Programs and applications make little
difference if users and customers cannot access the resources that they depend upon to carry out
their job functions. Most business software applications employ database management system
as their backend data store.
Consequently, if the database and the server that support the applications are unavailable it
could lead to considerable costs in terms of efficiency, loss of revenue as well as damage to
reputations and goodwill [2]. For example, the loss that could be incurred if an organization like
a telecommunication company or airline reservation systems go down for one whole week
could be better imagined. The cost of service outage can be devastating. Unavailability of data
could disrupt the work flow system in an organization and cause loss of both profit and
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productivity. A data analysis firm, Forrester Research published a report stating that one-hour
outage for an online broker firm, e-trade, caused a loss of about 8 million dollars [2]. Similarly,
ten hours outage cost DELL about eighty-three million dollars; a 33-hour downtime also cost
Intel 275 million dollars [2]. These figures only represent loss of revenue and do not include
customer dissatisfaction or image of the company being damaged. Database downtime can also
lead to loss of human life, for example, in a hospital where computerized patient records must
be available at all times or a human life could be lost [3].Thus, database and their stored data are
at the heart of all applications, and their “health” and availability are critical.
In database management, availability refers to the situations in which a given resource can be
accessed by authorized users, i.e. applications, customers, and business users at the time they
are needed. In other words, database availability implies that database is available or accessible
to the database-applications and other end users. On the contrary, some researcher defined
unavailability as any condition in which the resources are inaccessible, which is the opposite of
availability. Indeed, two categories of availability problems were identified, which were
planned and unplanned downtime [1].
Planned downtime is the time for scheduled maintenance and upgrade during which a system
cannot be used for normal productive operations [5]. This time is used for a variety of purposes
so that a system can function optimally and reliably. On the other hand, unplanned downtime is
the time during which a system cannot be used for normal productive operations due to
unforeseen failure in hardware, software components or operator’s mistakes [5]. In view of fact
that administrators do not know when unplanned downtime could occur, users are not notified
of outages in advance. Unplanned downtime can be extremely costly to an organization. .
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1.2 Aim and Objectives
The overall objective of this study is to assess some open source monitoring tools ;( Nagios,
Zabbix and Cacti) with particular interest in those used in database monitoring which would
not only keep an eye on the availability of database server and services but would also send
notification alarms in case of failure promptly. In particular, the study attempts to:
1. Set-up an open-source database monitoring system tools that could detect faults and
send notifications to the Database Administrator/Database Technician.
2. Compare the relative effectiveness of three open source monitoring tools, Nagios,
Zabbix and Cacti with respect to their abilities in notifying the database technician of
any error or fault in the system
3. Provide options for mitigating database system failures (unplanned downtime).
1.3 Statement of Problem
In Nigeria, it has been observed that some users of database driven systems (ATM, online
payment system, banks, online forms such as JAMB and voters registration), have been
experiencing frequent failures when attempting to use such systems. Furthermore, it is also not
uncommon to find such failed systems unresolved over a length of time. This could be
attributed to slow response of systems managers such as database administrator who may not
have sufficient experience. In some cases, there may not be an early warning system to alert
them, on time, of possible system failures. The key questions that this study attempts to provide
answers to are:
1. What are the options available for mitigating database system failures, particularly,
unplanned downtime?
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2. Are there monitoring mechanisms that could provide early warning systems to database
users on impending server failures or detection of faults?
3. Are there mechanisms that could improve the meantime between failures (MTBF) in
database driven systems?
4. What are the relative effectiveness of identified open source monitoring tools in early
detection of faults and notification of same to database operators?
5. What are the possible ways of reducing costs associated with database server down time
in an organization?
1.4 Scope of Study
This study focuses on database failures associated with unplanned downtime. This is because
unplanned downtime is harmful to organizations and thus requires more resolution measures.
The monitoring technique will be limited to hardware and human factors (threats) that cause
unavailability of database server using MYSQL in particular. The issues concerning software
bugs that lead to database failure are not considered.
1.5 Methodology
For the purpose of this study, an empirical client-server architecture environment was created in
a Local Area Network using a switch to which a MYSQL database server on Window 7
Operating System, Nagios server, Cacti server and Zabbix server and host computers were
connected. The three system service monitoring tool (SSMT)-Nagios ,Zabbix and Cacti were
installed on a separate Red Hat Operating system each for external monitoring and reliability,
while the Host computers acted as client generating SQL statements.
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