Monitor resource usage for your UniFi Controller: A step by step guide

Monitoring resource usage for your UniFi Controller is important for optimal performance and reliability of your network management system.

Whether you're running a self-hosted UniFi Controller or are on a cloud-hosted solution, understanding how to effectively monitor CPU, memory, and network usage helps prevent bottlenecks (it really does).

Especially if you are handling multiple networks and are looking for scalable deployments, UniFi monitoring is a must. Let's walk through some strategies and tools you can use to monitor the resource usage of your UniFi Controller.

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🚨 Before we get to the monitoring part, just a quick note: If you manage client networks on a self-hosted UniFi controller. Please stop. Sooner or later this will cause issues! It's fine for home users, but definitely not recommended for businesses. We've built a secure and reliable UniFi hosting solution that takes the hassle out of managing controllers. You can try it for free.

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Table of Contents

• Your hosting environment
• UniFi Controller statistics
• Implement third-party monitoring solutions
• Set Up alerts
• Review regularly
• Optimize controller settings
• Final thoughts

Your hosting environment

Self-Hosted Controllers: If your UniFi Controller is running on a local server or computer, the operating system you're using might already have some built-in resource monitoring tools. For Windows, Task Manager and Performance Monitor can provide insights into CPU and memory usage.

On Linux, tools like top, htop, and nmon offer detailed resource usage information.

Cloud-Hosted Controllers: If you are using a managed hosting provider, like UniHosted, 24/7 UniFi monitoring tools are built in already. We use tools that display metrics for CPU, memory, and network usage.

UniFi Controller statistics

The UniFi Controller itself offers some insights into network throughput and the performance of connected devices.

While it doesn't directly show the Controller's CPU and memory usage, understanding the load on your network can help infer the performance demands placed on the Controller.

Implement third-party monitoring solutions

If you are still on the DIY path and want some more comprehensive monitoring, consider integrating third-party monitoring tools for UniFi monitoring:

• SNMP Monitoring: Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) can be used to monitor network devices, including servers running the UniFi Controller. Tools like Zabbix, Nagios, or PRTG can track CPU, memory, disk, and network utilization over time.
• Syslog Server: Configuring your UniFi Controller to send system logs to a centralized syslog server can help capture events related to system performance and errors.
• Prometheus and Grafana: For a more advanced setup, Prometheus can collect metrics from your hosting environment, and Grafana can visualize those metrics in a dashboard, offering a powerful way to monitor resource usage over time.

Set Up alerts

Configure alerts within your UniFi monitoring tools to notify you when resource usage exceeds certain thresholds. This proactive approach can help you address potential issues before they impact network performance.

Review regularly

Make it a habit to regularly review the resource usage of your UniFi Controller. Identifying trends over time can help you plan for upgrades or adjustments to your hosting environment to accommodate growing network demands.

Optimize controller settings

If you notice high resource usage, consider optimizing your UniFi Controller settings. For example, adjusting the data retention settings for statistics and alerts can reduce database load, potentially lowering CPU and memory usage.

Final thoughts

Monitoring the resource usage of your UniFi Controller is key. It helps you maintaing an efficient network management system. By combining built-in tools, third-party solutions, and regular reviews, you can ensure that your Controller runs smoothly.

At UniHosted, we provide all this (even in our free plan). We all here for efficient network management. Our cloud-hosted UniFi Controller services facilitate optimal performance and reliability.

If you would like me to personally walk you through UniHosted, you can schedule a call with me here.