[mrtg] Re: PRTG versus MRTG

[PAUL WILLIAMSON]

>>> "Jim Witherell" <jwitherell at us.ibm.com> 03/16/04 05:57PM >>>
>
>I use MRTG for alot of things. In recent history, I've shown management
>some graphs of WAN link utilization and internet utilization in the past
>few months. PRTG does some things pretty well, but I like the routers2.cgi
>interface alot better, and was in the process of exploring some other ways
>to make the information better organized. PRTG doesn't really allow you to
>deviate much from its interface.
>
>Also, I've noticed a killer memory leak on both the version I originally
>used, and on the upgrade that I got. I have to shut it down and restart it
>twice a week to free up the memory. Setting it up and running it as a
>service doesn't allow you to access the application to make modifications
>unless you shut down the service and restart it as the application.
>
>In short, I actually have to convince management why I should be able to
>use MRTG. I think it's a superior package, and I don't like being told that
>I have to use a tool that is inferior. I figure if I can solve the pretty
>graph issue and state my case logically, I *might* be OK.
>
>Jim Witherell
>Cincinnati, Ohio

Jim,

Here are a few of my observations.

1.  MRTG is supported by MANY more people than PRTG.  
2.  MRTG has perl libraries.
3.  MRTG runs on almost any operating systems, not just Windows
4.  MRTG is easily reconfigurable for other resolutions of data
5.  MRTG has the ability to exectue external prgrams, not just grab snmp values
6.  MRTG has a clearly defined and well-supported upgrade path in RRDTool
7.  MRTG gets updated regularly
8.  MRTG is far more scalable (I am monitoring over 10,000 different targets, but PRTG documents it can only monitor between 50 - 100 elements)
9.  Where's the source?  Oh yeah, you don't get that...
10.  MRTG integrates into Big Brother, Nagios, and other NMS solutions quite easily
11.  Cisco uses MRTG for examples in some of its white papers


I'm getting tired of typing off the top of my head.  Pointy haired managers should manage, not 
make technical descisions.

Paul


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