PA Server Monitor vs Zipkin: What are the differences?

1. License type: PA Server Monitor offers a flexible licensing model based on the number of servers and devices monitored, while Zipkin is an open-source distributed tracing system. 2. Monitoring capabilities: PA Server Monitor provides comprehensive monitoring of servers, network devices, and applications with built-in alerting and reporting features, whereas Zipkin focuses specifically on tracing and monitoring the performance of distributed systems in real-time. 3. Scalability: PA Server Monitor is designed for small to large enterprises with the ability to scale up to monitor thousands of devices, servers, and applications, in contrast to Zipkin, which is more suited for distributed systems that need to trace requests across multiple services. 4. User interface: PA Server Monitor offers a user-friendly web interface for configuration and monitoring, along with customizable dashboards and reports, while Zipkin provides a simple and intuitive interface focused on displaying tracing data and dependencies between services. 5. Alerting and reporting: PA Server Monitor includes advanced alerting features such as email notifications, SNMP traps, and Windows Event Log integration, as well as detailed reporting capabilities, whereas Zipkin primarily focuses on gathering and visualizing tracing data without extensive alerting or reporting options. 6. Integration: PA Server Monitor offers integrations with popular third-party tools and services for enhanced monitoring capabilities, while Zipkin can be integrated with various logging and monitoring systems for deeper insights into distributed system performance.

In Summary, PA Server Monitor and Zipkin differ in terms of licensing, monitoring capabilities, scalability, user interface, alerting/reporting features, and integration options.