Category: Suite Reviews

Reviews on Application or web suite developed using php would be in this section. I would need the support from volunteers in this regard.

Cacti and rrdtool – a boon to the SysAdmins

Cacti templates and scripts built with the idea of getting the sampling data off colocated servers where there is atleast a webserver + php running, and on acute cases where both are unavailable, I would prefer deploying a single instance of nano web.

Regrett that I got familiarized with the cacti system only a week back. And once a clean installation was ready and running, the bottle necks started. Running snmpd for monitoring cpu, disk and network was an overkill. Though the snmp helped when we could add our WiFi Access Points, Routers and Switches. Even the traffic from our ISP Load balancer (pfsense) could be added for monitoring. All this was excellent. We got bottle necked at one point though.

Most of our colocated servers were behind heavy firewalls, and or running in virtual box machines inside real hardwares. True that we could use a single snmpd with multiple community id to collect data. But I was just reluctant. Just out of curiosity, the last one week day and night, at home, at work over IRC I was after getting the insides of both cacti and rrdtool. Thanks to the developers of both, and to all those who have contributed towards it. I did find better cacti templates on google code. This was one good step. The MySQL templates are simply superb. Also there is a script in php which does do ssh to remote servers and collect data. Good enough, but needed the cacti host root user to have a public key published on all of our servers.
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ash.MVC – a simple PHP programming framework

ash.MVC is a simple PHP programming framework proposed by Ash. The basic approach of this framework is to adopt a middle-path approach between faster development cycle, and a robust and scalable application. Moreover, the schemes proposed in the framework stick to the line of simplicity all along.

While encountering this new framework, ash.MVC, one may wonder with various questions, like:

  1. Do we need a framework at the first place?
  2. Why do we need another framework when there are numerous ones available?
  3. Why do we use MVC design pattern for this framework?

All the above questions have been addressed in the FAQs page.

The framework revolves round the concept of MVC design pattern as expected. There are four elements: 1. web browser, 2. Controller, 3. Model, and 4. View. These four elements interact with one another to establish a data-flow that is initiated by HTTP Request from client browser, and is successfully terminated with the receipt of HTTP Response at the client browser.

SiteX – The Automated Personal Website

SiteX is a web tool that will enable you to start your own dynamic website in under 5 minutes. Driven by PHP and MySQL, SiteX is comprised of components common to most personal websites including a photo gallery, journal, calendar/events, guestbook, link manager, forum and web polls. Everything in SiteX is managed via your own personal administration panel. Additional pages can also be added by the user by preference through the easy WYSIWYG editor. SiteX utilizes an advanced control panel that lets the end-user completely customize the site down to the colors, text, pages, components, navigation, and advanced options.

See some of the sites hosted with saturn which were personalized by in house designers with the support from the respective maintainters.

From the features available in the above listed sites, as well as the design aspect, one can know well that SiteX is going to make the hits.

Visit the SiteX Home: https://sitex.bjsintay.com/