Fighting bugs in your LOB apps? Hearing about crashes after the fact? You need CALM (Common Application Lightweight Monitor)...

CALM - Common Application Lightweight Monitor

What’s CALM in a nutshell?

CALM (Complete Application Layer Monitoring) is an Application Status Monitoring System that monitors, logs, and reports exceptions and application failures for custom applications built using .NET. CALM’s feature set is designed for small to mid-sized businesses, to larger organizations needing a feature rich, affordable, and scalable custom application monitoring system.

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This note from the author, Steven Lowe, is what caught my eye;

"...

After 30 years of creating awesome projects for others, I just last year released a software product from my company Innovator LLC. It's an application status monitoring program that monitors custom .NET Apps called CALM. It's a simple but functional utility that does one thing and does it well. In my research, I haven't found another product just like it.

..."

But what kept it?

• The fact that this isn't some cloud thing, that it's meant to be run inside my firewall
• That it's really pretty simple, SQL Server back-end with a number of Windows Services (and web front end of course)
• That this really felt like something I'd have written, or that many LOB dev's have written.

Here's a snip from the CHM;

CALM is the Common Application Lightweight Monitor for .NET applications

CALM is intended to be as simple as possible to use while still being a complete solution. While it is relatively easy to trap unhandled exceptions and, for example, log them to a file, it is not so easy to make sure that someone reads the log file! Since bugs that no one reports rarely get fixed, CALM closes the reporting loop by logging unhandled exceptions to a database and notifying developers via email when they occur. To complete the picture and provide additional "peace of mind", calm monitors application sessions for abnormal termination, periodically tests critical hardware and services like databases and web sites, and supports desktop and web applications.

CALM Automatically Traps Unhandled Exceptions

Unhandled exceptions are automatically trapped and reported to the CALM database. The CALM Notification Service can then email the designated developer(s) to make them aware of the problem.

CALM Suppresses the Send-a-Debug-Report-to-Microsoft Dialog

CALM suppresses the send-a-debug-report-to-Microsoft dialog, and writes the exception information to the CALM database instead. This helps ensure that users are not confused and/or frustrated by a dialog that they most likely do not understand. It also helps ensure that when your application has an unhandled exception, this information is not lost!

CALM Continuously Monitors Applications

Every CALM application maintains a Session record in the CALM database, recording Start and Stop events, along with any Exception events that may occur. All applications, machines, tests, and sessions may be viewed through the CALM Web Monitor at any time. The CALM Web Monitor provides a "Big Board" overview of the status of your systems at a glance.

CALM Tests Critical Machines and Services

CALM provides a Testing service that periodically tests designated machines, database servers, and web sites to make sure that they are still functioning properly. Any test failure is reported to the designated developer(s) via email, and appears on the CALM Web Monitor.

CALM Notifies Developers via Email

The CALM Notification service periodically polls the CALM database (about once per minute by default) and notifies the developer(s) designated as responsible for each Application or Test via email.

CALM Flex-Points(tm) Can Be Easily and Safely Customized

CALM provides drag-and-drop components for additional notifications on a per- application basis (e.g. EMail, Event Log, Log File, Web Service, et al), and includes a base class so you can develop your own custom notifications if desired. A database-access class (CalmDbLayer) is provided for customized CALM database interactions. In addition, the CALM database provides pre- and post-operation stored procedures that are intended to be edited by developers that need additional processing. These procedures should survive future CALM upgrades intact, allowing your customizations (such as making an entry in your bug database, for example) to keep working even when new versions of CALM are installed.

CALM Provides a "Big Board" Web Interface

CALM provides a web-based monitor and administration site with a "Big Board" overview for machines, applications, tests, and sessions. This allows you to easily see at a glance the overall status of your software systems, with drill-down for details.

CALM Is Not Just for .NET Applications

Non-.NET applications can interface with the CALM database, creating Sessions and issuing Events

Price? Well you can buy it, but Steven's currently offering, for a limited time for early adopters, a free version too!

Download CALM for Free

Want to see CALM in action with no financial obligation?

No Problem. For a limited time, download CALM for free.

Your free download of CALM:

• Has full functionality.

• Provides continuous, real-time monitoring of custom .Net applications.

• Is monitoring your custom .NET Apps within minutes.

• Has no expiration date.

• Comes with 1 developer license.

Take advantage of this no-risk opportunity to ensure the longevity of your custom .NET Apps.

P.S. We’re only allowed 100 free downloads a day, so get CALM while you can!

This is a limited time offer for early adopters.

Did I grab a copy? Yep!

Did I install it? Yep!

Have I put it into an app at work yet? Nope, not yet. But when I get back from Build, I very likely will as I think this will help me respond to my user's app issues faster, easier and without worrying since it's all inside my Net.

(And doesn't love a TPS reference?  ;)