This week’s goal
Add basic monitoring without pretending the server is a space programme.
I wanted useful warning signs, not six dashboards and a chair that swivels dramatically.
What I actually did
I focused on simple checks:
- disk space
- uptime
- service status
- temperature
- backup logs
- whether Jellyfin is still reachable
That gave me enough visibility to spot obvious problems without creating a new hobby inside the hobby.
The useful thing was deciding what I would actually act on. A graph is only helpful if it tells me something I can fix.
What broke, or nearly did
I almost spent longer choosing a monitoring tool than the monitoring was likely to save me this year.
This is how infrastructure becomes interior design.
What I’m keeping
- Basic service checks
- Disk space visibility
- Temperature awareness
- Backup log checks
- No dashboard for the dashboard
SmallGrid takeaway
Monitoring should reduce surprises, not create a second job. Start with the checks that would actually change what you do next.