Global Probes¶

Overview¶

UptimeHunt's global probe network enables monitoring from multiple geographic locations worldwide. This distributed approach provides comprehensive visibility into service availability and performance from your users' perspectives.

What Are Probes?¶

Definition¶

Probes are distributed monitoring agents deployed in various geographic locations that execute monitoring checks on your services.

Key Characteristics:

Geographically distributed
Independently operated
Consistent check execution
Redundant verification
Global coverage

Probe Functionality¶

Each probe performs:

Receives check configuration from central system
Executes monitoring checks at scheduled intervals
Collects performance metrics
Reports results to central system
Provides location-specific data

Global Distribution¶

Geographic Coverage¶

Probes are strategically positioned across:

Continents:

North America
South America
Europe
Asia
Africa
Australia/Oceania

Benefits:

Worldwide service verification
Regional performance insights
Diverse network paths
Comprehensive coverage

Network Diversity¶

Probes connect through:

Multiple ISPs
Different network carriers
Varied routing paths
Diverse infrastructure

Advantages:

Detect ISP-specific issues
Identify routing problems
Validate multi-network accessibility
Comprehensive path testing

Multi-Location Monitoring¶

How It Works¶

When a check is scheduled:

System selects probe(s) for the check
Probe executes configured check
Results include probe location data
Multiple probes may check same service
Results aggregated for comprehensive view

Location-Specific Data¶

Each check result includes:

Geographic Information:

Probe city
Probe country
Regional identifier
ISP information

Network Data:

Source IP address
Network path characteristics
Routing information

Performance Metrics:

Location-specific response times
Regional availability status
Network latency from that location

Benefits of Global Monitoring¶

Detect Regional Outages¶

Problem Identification:

Service down in specific region
ISP routing failures
Geographic firewall rules
Regional network issues

Example Scenario:

Service Status:
- US Probe: Up (50ms)
- Europe Probe: Down (timeout)
- Asia Probe: Up (200ms)

Conclusion: European routing issue or regional block

Validate Global Accessibility¶

Use Cases:

International service availability
CDN performance verification
Multi-region deployment validation
Geographic redundancy testing

Benefits:

Ensure worldwide users can access service
Identify geographic restrictions
Validate CDN configuration
Monitor multi-region deployments

Identify Performance Variations¶

Regional Performance:

Different locations may experience:

Varying response times
Network latency differences
Routing efficiency variations
Geographic distance impacts

Analysis:

Response Times by Region:
- Same Continent: 20-50ms
- Nearby Continents: 100-150ms
- Distant Continents: 200-400ms

Helps identify:
- CDN effectiveness
- Server location optimization
- Regional performance issues

Reduce False Positives¶

Single Location Problem:

Monitoring from one location can report false outages due to:

Local network issues
ISP problems
Isolated routing failures

Multi-Location Solution:

Multiple probes provide:

Redundant verification
Consensus-based status
Reduced false alarms
Higher confidence in results

Example:

Scenario: Single probe reports service down

Multi-probe verification:
- Probe 1 (US): Down
- Probe 2 (EU): Up
- Probe 3 (Asia): Up

Conclusion: Likely local issue, not service outage

Probe Selection¶

Automatic Selection¶

Currently, probe selection is automatic:

System selects appropriate probes
Distribution across locations
Load balancing considerations
Optimal coverage

Future Capabilities¶

Planned features for probe management:

Probe Selection:

Choose specific probe locations
Create location groups
Prioritize certain regions
Exclude specific locations

Regional Focus:

Target specific markets
Monitor user-relevant regions
Optimize for business locations

Custom Distribution:

Weight certain locations higher
Balance between regions
Customize check distribution

Probe Locations¶

Current Probe Network¶

Probe locations are distributed across:

Regions:

Major metropolitan areas
Key internet exchange points
User population centers
Strategic geographic positions

Infrastructure:

Cloud provider regions
Data center locations
Network operator facilities

Location Information¶

View probe location data in:

Service Details Page:

Probe locations section
Geographic map (planned)
Per-location results
Regional performance data

Check Results:

Each check result shows:

Probe location (city, country)
Source IP address
Regional identifier

How Probes Work¶

Architecture¶

Prober Components:

Scheduler: Manages check timing
Check Executor: Performs HTTP/PING checks
Result Collector: Gathers metrics
Reporter: Sends data to central system

Central System:

Configuration Service: Provides check configurations
Result Aggregator: Collects probe results
Data Storage: Stores check history
Status Calculator: Determines service status

Check Execution Process¶

HTTP Checks:

Probe retrieves service configuration
Constructs HTTP request with parameters
Executes request from probe location
Measures response time and status
Reports results with location data

PING Checks:

Probe retrieves target IP/domain
Performs ICMP echo requests
Measures RTT and packet loss
Reports results with location data

Configuration Distribution¶

Probes receive check configurations:

Update Process:

Service created/updated in system
Configuration distributed to probes
Probes update their check schedules
Checks executed from all probe locations

Update Timing:

Configuration updates propagate quickly
Probes refresh configuration regularly
Changes effective within minutes

Probe Performance¶

Reliability¶

Probes are designed for:

High Availability:

Redundant infrastructure
Automatic failover
Health monitoring
Quick recovery

Accuracy:

Precise timing
Accurate measurements
Consistent execution
Reliable reporting

Monitoring Probe Health¶

Probe health is continuously monitored:

Health Indicators:

Probe responsiveness
Check execution success
Result reporting
System connectivity

Issue Handling:

Automatic detection of probe issues
Probe removal from rotation if unhealthy
Automatic reintegration when recovered
No impact on monitoring coverage

Interpreting Multi-Location Results¶

Analyzing Results¶

All Locations Up:

Service fully operational
No geographic issues
Good global performance

All Locations Down:

Service outage confirmed
Not a regional issue
Immediate investigation needed

Mixed Results:

Possible regional issues
ISP or routing problems
Geographic restrictions
CDN configuration issues

Patterns to Investigate¶

Single Region Down:

Indicates:
- Regional network outage
- Geographic firewall rules
- ISP routing issues
- Regional infrastructure problems

Gradually Spreading Issues:

Indicates:
- Progressive service degradation
- Cascading failures
- Resource exhaustion
- Distributed attack

Performance Degradation:

Indicates:
- Increased load
- Network congestion
- Infrastructure stress
- Application issues

Best Practices¶

Global Service Deployment¶

For global services:

Deploy in multiple regions
Use CDN for content delivery
Monitor from relevant locations
Test all deployment regions

Performance Expectations¶

Set realistic expectations:

Same Region:: 10-50ms typical; Good CDN or regional deployment
Different Continent:: 100-400ms typical; Physics-limited (distance); Acceptable for global services

Regional Analysis¶

Regular review of regional performance:

Identify optimization opportunities
Detect emerging issues
Validate improvements
Plan infrastructure changes

Incident Investigation¶

During incidents:

Check results from all locations
Identify geographic patterns
Correlate with other data
Determine root cause

Future Enhancements¶

Planned Features¶

Probe Management:

Select specific probe locations
Create custom probe groups
Regional preferences
Probe exclusion rules

Visualization:

Interactive world map
Real-time probe status
Geographic heat maps
Performance overlays

Analytics:

Regional performance trends
Probe-specific metrics
Geographic correlation analysis
Automated anomaly detection

Customization:

Per-service probe selection
Location-based alerting
Regional performance SLAs
Custom probe schedules

Technical Details¶

Probe Authentication¶

Probes authenticate with:

Secure API tokens
Encrypted communication
Mutual authentication
Regular token rotation

Data Transmission¶

Results transmitted:

Encrypted channels (HTTPS)
Regular reporting intervals
Batch result submission
Failure retry mechanisms

Probe Updates¶

Probes receive updates for:

Software improvements
Security patches
Feature additions
Configuration changes