Glossary A–ZLetter M
Monitoring
Monitoring is the continuous, automatic supervision of devices and services, so that faults are noticed before someone on site reports them.
It collects status data such as reachability, errors, storage space or temperature.
In the management software of a screen network, monitoring usually takes the form of a device list with traffic-light colours, the time of last contact, the software version and open issues. It is complemented by remote screenshots and playback logs. Alerting draws on monitoring: only when a condition crosses a threshold does a message go out.
Monitoring that nobody looks at is of little use, which is why it needs alerting with clear responsibilities. It measures what the device reports and does not catch every fault: a display that has been switched off or a screen that is covered often goes unnoticed technically. Only what is needed for operation should be collected, and measurements, like logs, need a retention period.