With reference to our recent brief server outages, here's a server status check tool (in PHP) you can use to monitor your own sites. You can easily configure it to check any sites and ports you wish.)

Download: Wiccle Server Status Tool (ZIP, 1.63 KB)

If any of the server status checks returns a failure, you will receive an immediate e-mail notice. While the script will also work on your actual monitored server, if you get problems that affect the system more widely, having it set up at an external server is smart.

For the script to make sense as a monitoring tool, you should set up a cron job to run it at 10 minute intervals, or as often as you wish to. (Command: */10 * * * * /usr/bin/php /home/yoursite/public_html/server_status/index.php)

Other than this, the only configuration you need to do is at the beginning of the script. Use an off-domain e-mail address to make sure you will actually get those reports when the spit hits the fan.

The tool is licensed under our standard iWiccle open-source license.