Check_postgres
A Nagios plugin for comprehensive monitoring and health checking of PostgreSQL databases.
What is Check_postgres?
check_postgres is a monitoring tool specifically designed for PostgreSQL databases, providing extensive health checks and performance metrics. It enables proactive monitoring of database status, connection counts, replication lag, and table bloat to maintain reliability and performance. The tool follows the Unix philosophy of doing one thing well—comprehensive PostgreSQL monitoring through a single, reliable script.
System administrators and DevOps teams responsible for maintaining PostgreSQL database reliability and performance, particularly those using Nagios monitoring systems.
Developers choose check_postgres for its deep PostgreSQL-specific monitoring capabilities and seamless Nagios integration with proper exit codes and output formatting. Its long-term maintenance since 2007 and active community support through mailing lists provide reliability for production environments.
Overview
Nagios check_postgres plugin for checking status of PostgreSQL databases
Use Cases
Best For
- Monitoring PostgreSQL database health and performance metrics like connection counts and replication lag in Nagios environments.
- Proactively detecting issues such as table bloat or replication delays in PostgreSQL clusters.
- Integrating PostgreSQL-specific checks into existing monitoring infrastructure with standardized plugin formats.
- System administrators needing a comprehensive, single-tool solution for PostgreSQL monitoring rather than multiple scripts.
- DevOps teams requiring reliable, long-term maintained monitoring tools for production PostgreSQL databases.
- Quick deployment of PostgreSQL monitoring via Nagios plugin installation without complex configuration.
Not Ideal For
- Teams using modern monitoring stacks like Prometheus or Grafana without Nagios integration
- Developers seeking a graphical dashboard for real-time PostgreSQL monitoring visualization
- Containerized environments where lightweight, stateless monitoring agents are preferred over Perl scripts
Pros & Cons
Pros
Checks over 50 specific metrics including replication lag, table bloat, and connection counts, as detailed in the comprehensive documentation and HTML reference.
Built as a Nagios plugin with proper exit codes and output formatting, enabling seamless integration, as shown in the quick installation method with symlinks.
Maintained since 2007 with regular updates and active community support through mailing lists, ensuring reliability for production environments.
Includes a complete man page and HTML version with detailed usage instructions, reducing setup time for administrators.
Cons
Requires a Perl environment and standard installation process (perl Makefile.PL, make, etc.), which can be complex in modern DevOps pipelines favoring containerized or binary tools.
Primarily designed for Nagios; adapting it for other monitoring systems like Zabbix or Prometheus requires additional scripting, as it lacks native support.
Operates solely via command-line, lacking built-in visualization, so users must integrate with external dashboards for graphical insights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
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postgres_exporterA PostgreSQL metric exporter for Prometheus
dexterThe automatic indexer for Postgres
pgwatch2PostgreSQL metrics monitor/dashboard
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