[APP][Pro] VDB Systeem monitor

Apps
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Homey is an incredible system, and as system administrators, we were looking for a way to simplify our monitoring management even further. With advanced flows, you can create impressive automations, so we decided to develop a computer system monitoring solution. This system comprises three main components:

  1. Homey VDB System Monitor
  2. MQTT Server
  3. VDB System Monitor App

You can find the Homey app here: VDB Systeem monitor App for Homey | Homey

We have developed an .exe application for Windows systems and a Python script for Linux systems, compatible with Python 2.7.

Privacy, Security, and Data Protection

No data is logged or stored by this system; it relies entirely on a self-managed MQTT server, giving you complete control over your data. For security reasons, it is required to protect the MQTT server with a username and password. Do not use a public MQTT server, as the system includes commands to reboot and shut down computers remotely. For optimal security, consider using the MQTT server app available in the Homey store to manage your server securely.

Easy System Overview with Homey Dashboard Widget

We’ve also built a widget to display a quick overview of your systems directly on your Homey dashboard. This widget provides the computer name, uptime, and the online/offline status of each device, allowing you to monitor your systems at a glance.

Installation Details

During the installation of the .exe file, you will be prompted to enter the following details:

  • System name
  • MQTT Broker server
  • Username and password
  • Port number

In the Homey app, you’ll input the same server details. After installing both the Homey app and the client, and once they are connected to the MQTT server, you can add a new device in Homey. All systems that communicate with the MQTT server will automatically appear.

Community and Support

If you have any suggestions, tips, or bug reports, please leave them on this forum, and I will look into resolving them for you. We have tested this system with over 100 systems. Please note that using this app is at your own risk.

GitHub and Downloads

I will be publishing the app on GitHub later this week. The Windows installation runs as a service, while the Python script needs to be manually installed as a service. You may also need the Python modules requests and psutil.

The services can be downloaded here:

Example config.json File

An example configuration file (config.json) is as follows:

json

Code kopiëren

{
    "mqtt_broker": "broker.example.com",
    "mqtt_username": "username",
    "mqtt_password": "xxxxxxxxxx",
    "mqtt_port": 1883,
    "mqtt_topic": "monitor/system_info",
    "mqtt_notify_topic": "monitor/system_notify",
    "mqtt_command_topic": "monitor/system_command",
    "friendly_name": "Systemname",
    "interval_seconds": 30
}
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Any reason why you’re still using Python 2 (which has been deprecated for almost 5 years now)? None of my Linux servers come with it anymore.

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I am indeed aware that Python 2.7 is an outdated version. I wanted to keep the script as compatible as possible. I was also working on getting the script to run on Synology, Xpnology, and Linux routers. Sometimes older hardware does not receive software updates. Of course, I also prefer Python 3+, but when developing, if I can take older hardware into account and provide support, I do so. For the script itself, I didn’t have to make many adjustments, but I did ensure compatibility.

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