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Prerequisites

Before setting up remote server monitoring with Actvt, ensure your environment meets these requirements.

Server Requirements​

Operating System​

  • Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS or newer (Recommended)
  • Debian 10 or newer
  • CentOS 7/8 or Amazon Linux 2
  • Root or sudo access for installation and configuration

Hardware Specifications​

Minimum Requirements​

  • CPU: 1 core, any modern x64 processor
  • RAM: 512MB available memory
  • Storage: 100MB free space for Vector
  • Network: Public IP address or accessible endpoint

Network Requirements​

Domain Name​

  • Required: A domain name pointing to your server's public IP
  • DNS Configuration: A record resolving to server IP address
  • Examples: monitoring.yourdomain.com or server1.company.com
  • Free Options: Use services like Cloudflare, Namecheap, or DuckDNS

Port Access​

  • Port 22: SSH access for initial setup
  • Port 80: HTTP access for Let's Encrypt certificate verification
  • Port 4096: WebSocket server for Actvt connections
  • Firewall: Ability to configure firewall rules

Software Prerequisites​

On Your macOS System​

  • Actvt Application: Latest version installed
  • Internet Connection: For connecting to remote servers
  • TLS Support: macOS 11+ includes required TLS capabilities

On Remote Server (Will be installed)​

  • Vector: High-performance data pipeline (we'll install this)
  • SSL Certificates: Let's Encrypt or custom certificates (we'll set this up)
  • Firewall: UFW or equivalent (we'll configure this)

Optional GPU Monitoring (NVIDIA Only)​

If you want to monitor GPU metrics:

  • NVIDIA GPU: Any CUDA-compatible GPU
  • NVIDIA Drivers: Latest stable drivers installed
  • nvidia-smi: Command-line GPU monitoring tool (included with drivers)

Testing Prerequisites​

Verify Server Access​

# Test SSH connection
ssh [email protected]

# Check sudo access
sudo whoami
# Should return: root

# Verify internet connectivity
ping -c 4 google.com

# Check available disk space
df -h

Verify Domain Resolution​

# From your Mac, test domain resolution
nslookup your-domain.com

# Should return your server's IP address
ping your-domain.com

Check Port Availability​

# On server, check if port 4096 is free
sudo netstat -tlnp | grep 4096
# Should return no results (port is free)

# Test if we can bind to port 4096
sudo nc -l 4096 &
kill %1  # Kill the test process

GPU Prerequisites (Optional)​

# Verify NVIDIA GPU is detected
lspci | grep -i nvidia

# Test nvidia-smi command
nvidia-smi
# Should show GPU information

# Check CUDA version (optional)
nvcc --version

Security Considerations​

Server Security​

  • SSH Keys: Use SSH key authentication instead of passwords
  • Firewall: Keep unnecessary ports closed
  • Updates: Ensure server is running latest security updates
  • User Access: Use non-root user with sudo access

Network Security​

  • TLS Certificates: We'll set up proper SSL/TLS encryption
  • IP Restrictions: Consider restricting access to specific IP ranges
  • VPN Access: Use VPN if monitoring internal/private servers

Troubleshooting Prerequisites​

Common Issues​

"Domain doesn't resolve"

# Check DNS propagation
dig your-domain.com
# Wait up to 24 hours for DNS propagation

"Can't connect to server"

# Test connectivity
telnet your-domain.com 22
# Should connect to SSH

"Permission denied"

# Verify user is in sudo group
groups $USER
# Should include 'sudo'

"Port already in use"

# Find what's using port 4096
sudo lsof -i :4096
# Stop conflicting service if needed

Getting Help​

If you're missing prerequisites:

  1. Server Setup: Most cloud providers offer one-click Ubuntu server deployment
  2. Domain Names: Free options include DuckDNS, FreeDNS, or use cloud provider DNS
  3. SSH Access: Most cloud consoles provide web-based terminal access
  4. Firewall Issues: Cloud provider documentation typically covers security group setup

Next Steps​

Once you've verified all prerequisites:

  1. Install Vector - Set up the data pipeline
  2. Configure TLS - Set up secure connections
  3. Setup Firewall - Configure network access using provider-specific guides

Ready to continue? → Vector Setup Guide