How to Install dbWatch to Monitor MySQL Performance in Linux

dbWatch is a powerful, multi-platform, fully-featured, and enterprise-grade SQL database monitoring and management tool that gives you full control over your database instances and system resources. It is highly scalable, secure, and designed for managing large database farms.

dbWatch Features

Here are some of its key features:

  • Supports several database systems including PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, MS SQL, Sybase, and more.
  • It has small footprints and low hardware resource requirements.
  • Supports monitoring many instances in a single unified view.
  • Allows you to sort, group, filter, and specify names to servers and groups to adjust what you view.
  • Supports monitoring performance, uptime, load, connections, disk space used, growth rates, tables scans, logical reads, cache hit ratios, and much more.
  • Allows for automation of all monitoring and routine maintenance tasks.
  • Allows for creating custom dashboards and reports for performance monitoring.
  • Enables you to perform SQL queries on any database server.
  • Enables you to easily switch from monitoring mode to database administration mode.
  • Also supports server consolidation through detailed reports and views.
  • Supports database server license reporting to help you prepare for and avoid audit surprises, for example, full Oracle database license reporting.
  • In terms of security, it supports encrypted connections and certificates, role-based access profiles, and supports Active Directory and Kerberos authentication systems, and lots of other features.

License Requirements

To use dbWatch, you need one of the following license types:

  • Test or Development license – no maintenance jobs or cluster support.
  • A regular license for a single node – intended for a production environment.
  • Regular license with cluster support – intended for production environment.

For large enterprise deployments, you can go for dbWatch Enterprise which is intended for high-level requirements. Besides, dbWatch Essentials and dbWatch Professional are also available for smaller environments, both ship with the same easy-to-use solution, but with fewer advanced features and at a lower price point.

Hardware Requirements

dbWatch minimum system requirements:

  • 8 GB RAM
  • 1 GB disk space
  • 2 cores minimum, recommend 4 cores

In this guide, we will show how to install the dbWatch package and deploy the dbWatch framework to monitor MySQL databases. For this guide, we will use the test or development license for the trial version of dbWatch.

Installing dbWatch – Database Monitoring in Linux

First, start by creating the directory in which the dbWatch files will be stored on the system, the default is /usr/local/dbWatch.

Then grab the latest version of the dbWatch package file with the wget command, extract it, make the script executable, and run it (remember to enter your password when prompted), as follows:

$ sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/dbWatch
$ wget -c https://download.dbWatch.com/download/LATEST/dbWatch_unix_12_8_8.sh.bz2 --no-check-certificate
$ bzip2 -d dbWatch_unix_12_8_8.sh.bz2 
$ sudo chmod +x dbWatch_unix_12_8_8.sh 
$ sudo ./dbWatch_unix_12_8_8.sh 

Once the dbWatch installer application shows up, click Next to proceed.

Run dbWatch Installation Script
Run dbWatch Installation Script

Click Next to move to the next step. Note that if you wish to upgrade an existing installation of dbWatch, check the option Upgrade existing installation.

Upgrade dbWatch Tool
Upgrade dbWatch Tool

Then set the port the dbWatch server will listen on or leave the default port which is 7099 and click Next.

dbWatch Port Number
dbWatch Port Number

Next, set the dbWatch server’s default admin user password.

dbWatch Admin Password
dbWatch Admin Password

Now enter the license key. If you wish to continue trying dbWatch (in this case it will run under a non-commercial license), click Next.

dbWatch License key
dbWatch License key

Next, read and accept the dbWatch license agreement as shown in the screenshot. And click Next to continue. In the step that follows, you can proceed with the actual installation of dbWatch package files on the system, by clicking Next.

dbWatch Agreement
dbWatch Agreement

Wait for the installation process to complete. Once it has, you will see the Congratulatory message as shown in the next screenshot. Click Next to proceed.

dbWatch Installation Completes
dbWatch Installation Completes

Start the dbWatch server by leaving the “Start dbWatch Monitor” option checked.

Start dbWatch Monitor
Start dbWatch Monitor

Next, configure a connection to the dbWatch database control center by logging in as the admin user. Enter the admin user password created previously and click Login.

dbWatch Configure Connection
dbWatch Configure Connection

Setup dbWatch to Monitor MySQL Database

After a successful login, a window will pop up for you to add a database instance. Select MySQL from the available database options, tick Add Database Instance and click Next.

dbWatch Add MySQL Database
dbWatch Add MySQL Database

Specify a name for the MySQL instance. Also, pick a grouping to which the instance belongs (available options are Production, Test, and Development). Then check the Monitoring option and click Next.

dbWatch Add MySQL Database Name
dbWatch Add MySQL Database Name

Next, connect to the MySQL database as an administrative user such as the default root user. Enter the database host, username, user’s password, and port. Then click Next to continue.

dbWatch MySQL Database Connection
dbWatch MySQL Database Connection

dbWatch requires a database to store its data (such as tasks and alerts about the database state and other related data). Enter the database to be used by dbWatch and set a username and password. You can leave the default values. Then click Next to enable the installer to create the specified database and user.

Create dbWatch Database
Create dbWatch Database

Next, select the tasks and alerts you wish to install and click Next.

Choose dbWatch Tasks and Alerts
Choose dbWatch Tasks and Alerts

At this point, you can now install the dbWatch engine on your MySQL database server by clicking Next.

Install dbWatch Engine to MySQL
Install dbWatch Engine to MySQL

Once the installation is complete. Click OK to start monitoring and managing your MySQL databases using dbWatch.

Install dbWatch Framework on MySQL
Install dbWatch Framework on MySQL
Monitor MySQL Database Using dbWatch
Monitor MySQL Database Using dbWatch

Congratulations! You have just successfully installed and set up the dbWatch database monitoring and management framework. For more information, check the dbWatch website.

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Aaron Kili
Aaron Kili is a Linux and F.O.S.S enthusiast, an upcoming Linux SysAdmin, web developer, and currently a content creator for TecMint who loves working with computers and strongly believes in sharing knowledge.

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