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FKM or Statetracker? Which to use and when?

FKM and Statetracker are two Geneos file monitoring plugins, each of which performs a specific set of functions but their features overlap and it is not always clear which to use and in what circumstances. This article attempts to address some of the common questions when choosing the right plugin for the job. Other file monitoring plugins, like FTM, are not considered as their functionality is clearer cut.

The general advice is to use FKM to watch for errors and other unwanted conditions in log files and to use Statetracker to watch for changes to specific parts of your monitored estate (connections and disconnections to an application).

FKM Copied

FKM (File Keyword Monitoring), is there to help monitor by exception by tracking both the contents and also the presence, age and ownership of files. It can follow files as they rollover and can monitor multiple files simultaneously. FKM can also treat groups of lines (multiline mode) as a single pattern space allowing the plugin to check multiline error messages such as long Java exceptions etc.

FKM also allows the user to acknowledge exceptions, open the file being monitored around any exceptions found or to watch the file for updates. The plugin also allows the user to set up logic to automatically clear exceptions if a different pattern occurs or if a fixed time has passed.

FKM is also one of the most complex plugins in terms of options and settings. Most users will never need to change the advanced settings but there are a number of important settings that you should familiarise yourself with so that later, if required, you can find the parameters to tune your setup for the best performance and functionality.

Statetracker Copied

Statetracker will also watch the contents of a file for patterns and change the state of a chosen data item using whatever configuration you choose - the clue is in the name. The plugin does not report the status of files except for error conditions in the samplingStatus field. Similarly to FKM it will follow rolled over files but it will only watch the latest file for each configured tracker.

The plugin allows the user to designate one or more patterns in the line as an ID to create dynamic states, templates, that can come and go depending on the context of the data being monitored. For example user names, network destinations, process instances and so on.

Feature comparison Copied

Both plugins can match and extract patterns from the log files they are watching and present them to the user as custom columns.

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