windows server monitoring

Question

Can anyone recommend monitoring software for a windows environment?

We already have monitoring in the sense of resources and availability. I want to know who logged in and changed settings, added files etc.

We have outsourced IT and I want to be able to track down all the changes to the system.

I'm open to keyboard logging or session recording.

Open Source/Free is optimal, but we're willing to pay for a solution as well.

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Edit:

It looks like we don't have the Systems Admin skillset yet.

Answer 1

I think the solution you're looking for comes straight from MS: System Center Operations Manager. It's pretty slick, but might be more (system and budget wise) than you need.

Answer 2

Oh, definitely take a look at EventSentry, it should be able to do most everything you want and at a reasonable price. There is a "lite" free version as well, of course it is more limited. And of course you know that monitoring file changes can generate extremely large volumes of audit data and take a lot of overhead...

Answer 3

You may want to look at zabbix www.zabbix.com. Open source does the utilization/resource thing, but also has customizable agents and the ability to do event notification.

Answer 4

Just a few... favorites at the top...

http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/en/us/operations-manager.aspx

http://www.solarwinds.com/

http://www.whatsupgold.com/

http://www.nagios.org/

http://www.manageengine.com/datacenter-and-server-management.html