Global Probes

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:

1. Receives check configuration from the central system
2. Executes monitoring checks at scheduled intervals
3. Collects performance metrics
4. Reports results to the central system
5. 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:

1. System selects probe(s) for the check
2. Probe executes configured check
3. Results include probe location data
4. Multiple probes may check the same service
5. Results aggregated for a 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:

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

Central System:

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

Check Execution Process

HTTP Checks:

1. Probe retrieves service configuration
2. Constructs HTTP request with parameters
3. Executes request from probe location
4. Measures response time and status
5. Reports results with location data

PING Checks:

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

Configuration Distribution

Probes receive check configurations:

Update Process:

1. Service created/updated in system
2. Configuration distributed to probes
3. Probes update their check schedules
4. 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:

1. Check results from all locations
2. Identify geographic patterns
3. Correlate with other data
4. 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

Update Process:

• Rolling updates
• No service interruption
• Automatic verification
• Rollback capabilities

Related Documentation

• Monitoring Capabilities
• Service Details
• HTTP Monitoring
• PING Monitoring