Introducing the Database Sentinel

If you’ve ever had to troubleshoot a database performance issue, you know it can feel super stressful. Thats why I’v been building the Database sentinel. It’s a low-overhad monitorng and perofmrance analysis tool for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Cassandra and Redis serverse on Debin linux. I built it to be kind of an eys and ears that helps you proactively catch database problems.

Hybrid Agent Architecture:

• It’s built with a hybrid agent architecture. This means that we have a low latency Bash script that runs quick checks on the OS, looking for things like high CPU Context switches ofr disk I/O latnecy. If anything looks off, that script calls a more detailed Python script. This Python agent then focuses on a more detailed analysis on the database itself. This checks for things like slow queries, lock contention, and replication lag. All of this is then packaged up and sento a Prometheus endpoint.

SaltStack Integration:

• The real power of the Sentinel however, is in’t its automation. We’re Using SaltStack to turn manual repetivie tasks into a signle command. The tool automatically deploys the agent to all your database servers. configures OS-level optimizations and even manages your databse clsuters.

This means that you’re able to spend less time on tedius manual work and more time on the fun stuff, like building new features. The agent can even be configured to automatically pull the EXPLAIN ANALYZE plans for slow queries. I built this project to be an example of how automation can solve real-world problems. Its a strategic solution that helps you move from being a reactive troubleshooter to a proactive platform engineer.