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UptimeBeacon 1.0 is released 🎉
Getting Started

Getting Started

This guide will help you set up Sentinel Guard and start monitoring your application in just a few minutes.

Step 1: Create Your UptimeBeacon Account

  1. Visit UptimeBeacon.cloud  and sign up for an account
  2. Create a new project in your dashboard
  3. Navigate to the “API Keys” section
  4. Generate and copy your API credentials:
    • API Key
    • API Base URL
    • Monitor API Key (from your monitor configuration)

Step 2: Install Sentinel Guard

Install the library using your preferred package manager:

npm install @uptimebeacon/sentinel-guard

Step 3: Set Up Environment Variables

Create a .env file in your project root and add your credentials:

SENTINEL_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
SENTINEL_API_URL=https://api.uptimebeacon.cloud
SENTINEL_MONITOR_API_KEY=your-monitor-api-key-here

Never commit these credentials to version control. Add .env to your .gitignore file.

Step 4: Initialize Sentinel Guard

Create a new file or add to your existing application:

import { SentinelGuard } from "@uptimebeacon/sentinel-guard";
 
const sentinel = new SentinelGuard({
	apiKey: process.env.SENTINEL_API_KEY!,
	baseUrl: process.env.SENTINEL_API_URL!,
	monitorApiKey: process.env.SENTINEL_MONITOR_API_KEY!,
	timeout: 10000, // Optional: request timeout in milliseconds
});

Step 5: Start Monitoring

Begin automatic heartbeat monitoring:

// Start monitoring with a 30-second interval
sentinel.startMonitoring({
	interval: 30000,
	maxConsecutiveErrors: 5,
});
 
console.log("Monitoring started successfully");

Step 6: Add Graceful Shutdown

Ensure proper cleanup when your application shuts down:

process.on("SIGINT", () => {
	console.log("Shutting down monitoring...");
	sentinel.stopMonitoring();
	process.exit(0);
});
 
process.on("SIGTERM", () => {
	console.log("Shutting down monitoring...");
	sentinel.stopMonitoring();
	process.exit(0);
});

Complete Example

Here’s a complete minimal example:

import { SentinelGuard } from "@uptimebeacon/sentinel-guard";
 
const sentinel = new SentinelGuard({
	apiKey: process.env.SENTINEL_API_KEY!,
	baseUrl: process.env.SENTINEL_API_URL!,
	monitorApiKey: process.env.SENTINEL_MONITOR_API_KEY!,
});
 
// Start monitoring
sentinel.startMonitoring({
	interval: 30000,
	maxConsecutiveErrors: 5,
});
 
console.log("Application monitoring started");
 
// Graceful shutdown
process.on("SIGINT", () => {
	sentinel.stopMonitoring();
	process.exit(0);
});

Verification

After starting your application:

  1. Check your console for the “Application monitoring started” message
  2. Log in to your UptimeBeacon.cloud dashboard
  3. Navigate to your project’s monitoring section
  4. You should see heartbeat data appearing within 30 seconds

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

  1. Authentication Error: Verify your API credentials are correct
  2. Network Error: Check your internet connection and API URL
  3. No Data in Dashboard: Ensure your monitor API key is configured correctly

Common Patterns

Express.js Integration

import express from "express";
import { SentinelGuard } from "@uptimebeacon/sentinel-guard";
 
const app = express();
const sentinel = new SentinelGuard({
	apiKey: process.env.SENTINEL_API_KEY!,
	baseUrl: process.env.SENTINEL_API_URL!,
	monitorApiKey: process.env.SENTINEL_MONITOR_API_KEY!,
});
 
app.listen(3000, () => {
	console.log("Server running on port 3000");
 
	sentinel.startMonitoring({
		interval: 60000,
		maxConsecutiveErrors: 3,
	});
});

Background Service

import { SentinelGuard } from "@uptimebeacon/sentinel-guard";
 
class BackgroundService {
	private sentinel: SentinelGuard;
 
	constructor() {
		this.sentinel = new SentinelGuard({
			apiKey: process.env.SENTINEL_API_KEY!,
			baseUrl: process.env.SENTINEL_API_URL!,
			monitorApiKey: process.env.SENTINEL_MONITOR_API_KEY!,
		});
	}
 
	async start() {
		this.sentinel.startMonitoring({
			interval: 45000,
			maxConsecutiveErrors: 5,
		});
 
		console.log("Background service monitoring started");
	}
 
	async stop() {
		this.sentinel.stopMonitoring();
		console.log("Background service monitoring stopped");
	}
}

You’re now ready to monitor your application with Sentinel Guard. The library will automatically send heartbeats to UptimeBeacon.cloud, allowing you to track your application’s health and performance in real-time.

InstallationExamples