Comprehensive guide to monitoring systemd services and their dependencies on Linux servers. Learn how to track service status, monitor dependencies, detect service failures, and set up automated service monitoring with Zuzia.app.

Last updated: 2026-01-11

Systemd Services and Dependencies Monitoring Guide

Systemd services and dependencies monitoring is essential for maintaining system reliability and ensuring critical services remain operational. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about monitoring systemd services, tracking dependencies, detecting service failures, and setting up automated service monitoring on Linux servers.

For related system monitoring topics, see Server Performance Monitoring Best Practices. For troubleshooting service issues, see Systemd Service Dependency Failures.

Why Systemd Services Monitoring Matters

Systemd services monitoring helps you ensure critical services remain running, detect service failures quickly, track service dependencies, prevent cascading failures, and maintain system reliability. Without proper service monitoring, service failures can go undetected, causing application downtime, data loss, and user impact.

Effective service monitoring enables you to:

Detect service failures immediately
Track service status and health
Monitor service dependencies
Prevent cascading service failures
Maintain service availability
Respond quickly to service issues

Understanding Systemd Services and Dependencies

Before diving into monitoring methods, it's important to understand systemd services and dependencies:

Systemd Service States

Active: Service is running and operational
Inactive: Service is stopped
Activating: Service is starting
Deactivating: Service is stopping
Failed: Service failed to start or crashed
Reloading: Service is reloading configuration

Service Dependencies

Requires: Service requires other services to be active
Wants: Service wants other services but can start without them
After: Service starts after other services
Before: Service starts before other services
Conflicts: Service conflicts with other services

Method 1: Check Service Status

Basic service status checking provides immediate service health information:

Check Individual Service Status

# Check service status
systemctl status service-name

# Check if service is active
systemctl is-active service-name

# Check if service is enabled
systemctl is-enabled service-name

# Check service status (brief)
systemctl status service-name --no-pager

List All Services

# List all services
systemctl list-units --type=service

# List active services
systemctl list-units --type=service --state=active

# List failed services
systemctl list-units --type=service --state=failed

# List inactive services
systemctl list-units --type=service --state=inactive

Check Service Status Summary

# Show service status summary
systemctl status

# Show failed services
systemctl --failed

# Show service status with details
systemctl list-units --type=service -l

Method 2: Monitor Service Dependencies

Understanding service dependencies helps prevent cascading failures:

View Service Dependencies

# Show service dependencies
systemctl list-dependencies service-name

# Show reverse dependencies (what depends on this service)
systemctl list-dependencies service-name --reverse

# Show service dependencies in tree format
systemctl list-dependencies service-name --all

# Show service requirements
systemctl show service-name -p Requires

Check Dependency Status

# Check if required services are running
systemctl list-dependencies service-name --state=active

# Check dependency status
systemctl show service-name -p Requires,Wants,After

# Verify all dependencies are satisfied
systemctl check service-name

Monitor Dependency Health

# Check all dependencies for a service
for dep in $(systemctl show service-name -p Requires --value); do
  systemctl is-active $dep && echo "$dep: active" || echo "$dep: inactive"
done

Method 3: Monitor Service Logs

Service logs provide detailed information about service behavior:

View Service Logs

# View service logs
journalctl -u service-name

# View recent service logs
journalctl -u service-name -n 50

# Follow service logs in real-time
journalctl -u service-name -f

# View service logs since specific time
journalctl -u service-name --since "1 hour ago"

Analyze Service Logs

# View service errors
journalctl -u service-name -p err

# View service warnings
journalctl -u service-name -p warning

# Search service logs
journalctl -u service-name | grep -i "error\|fail"

# View service logs with timestamps
journalctl -u service-name --since today

Method 4: Monitor Service Performance

Service performance monitoring helps detect performance issues:

Check Service Resource Usage

# View service process information
systemctl status service-name | grep -A 5 "Main PID"

# Check service memory usage
systemctl status service-name | grep Memory

# Monitor service CPU usage
top -p $(systemctl show service-name -p MainPID --value)

Track Service Metrics

# View service uptime
systemctl show service-name -p ActiveEnterTimestamp

# Check service restart count
systemctl show service-name -p NRestarts

# View service state change history
journalctl -u service-name | grep "Started\|Stopped"

Method 5: Automated Service Monitoring with Zuzia.app

While manual service checks work for troubleshooting, production Linux servers require automated service monitoring that continuously tracks service status, detects failures, and alerts you when services go down.

How Zuzia.app Service Monitoring Works

Zuzia.app automatically monitors systemd services on your Linux server through scheduled command execution. The platform:

Checks service status every few minutes automatically
Monitors service dependencies and detects dependency failures
Tracks service restart counts and uptime
Sends alerts when services fail or become inactive
Stores all service data historically in the database
Provides AI-powered analysis (full package) to detect patterns
Monitors services across multiple servers simultaneously

You'll receive notifications via email, webhook, Slack, or other configured channels when service failures occur, allowing you to respond quickly before users are impacted.

Setting Up Service Monitoring in Zuzia.app

Add Scheduled Task for Service Status
- Command: systemctl list-units --type=service --state=failed
- Frequency: Every 5 minutes
- Alert when: Failed services detected
Configure Critical Service Monitoring
- Command: systemctl is-active critical-service
- Frequency: Every 2 minutes
- Alert when: Service is not active
Set Up Dependency Monitoring
- Command: systemctl list-dependencies service-name --state=active
- Frequency: Every 10 minutes
- Alert when: Dependencies are not active
Monitor Service Logs
- Command: journalctl -u service-name -n 20 -p err
- Frequency: Every 15 minutes
- Alert when: Errors detected in logs

Custom Service Monitoring Commands

Add these commands as scheduled tasks for comprehensive service monitoring:

# Check for failed services
systemctl list-units --type=service --state=failed

# Verify critical service is running
systemctl is-active nginx mysql postgresql

# Check service dependencies
systemctl list-dependencies nginx --state=active

# View service errors
journalctl -u nginx -n 20 -p err

Best Practices for Service Monitoring

1. Monitor Services Continuously

Don't wait for service failures:

Use Zuzia.app for continuous service monitoring
Set up alerts before services become critical
Review service status regularly (daily or weekly)
Monitor service dependencies proactively

2. Prioritize Critical Services

Focus monitoring on critical services:

Identify business-critical services
Set up more frequent monitoring for critical services
Configure immediate alerts for critical service failures
Monitor dependencies for critical services

3. Monitor Service Dependencies

Don't ignore service dependencies:

Monitor all required dependencies
Check dependency health regularly
Set up alerts for dependency failures
Document service dependency relationships

4. Track Service Trends

Monitor service behavior over time:

Track service restart counts
Monitor service uptime trends
Review service log patterns
Use AI analysis (full package) to identify issues

5. Respond Quickly to Service Failures

Have response procedures ready:

Define escalation procedures for service failures
Prepare service restart procedures
Test service recovery procedures regularly
Document service incident responses

Troubleshooting Service Issues

Step 1: Identify Service Failures

When service failures occur:

Check Service Status:
- View failed services: systemctl --failed
- Check service status: systemctl status service-name
- Review service logs: journalctl -u service-name
Investigate Failure Cause:
- Review service logs for errors
- Check service dependencies
- Verify system resources

Step 2: Check Service Dependencies

When services fail to start:

Verify Dependencies:
- Check required services: systemctl list-dependencies service-name
- Verify dependency status
- Ensure dependencies are running
Resolve Dependency Issues:
- Start required dependencies
- Fix dependency configuration
- Resolve dependency conflicts

Step 3: Restore Service Functionality

When services need to be restored:

Immediate Actions:
- Restart failed services: systemctl restart service-name
- Check service status after restart
- Verify service functionality
Long-Term Solutions:
- Fix underlying issues causing failures
- Update service configuration
- Improve service reliability

FAQ: Common Questions About Service Monitoring

How often should I check systemd services on my Linux server?

For production servers, continuous automated monitoring is essential. Zuzia.app checks service status every few minutes automatically, stores historical data, and alerts you when services fail. Manual checks are useful for troubleshooting, but automated monitoring ensures you don't miss service failures.

What services should I monitor?

Monitor all production services, especially business-critical services. Focus on services that affect user-facing applications, databases, web servers, and other critical infrastructure components.

Can Zuzia.app monitor service dependencies?

Yes, Zuzia.app can monitor service dependencies by checking dependency status, tracking dependency health, and alerting when dependencies fail. Use commands like systemctl list-dependencies to monitor dependencies.

How do I respond to service failure alerts?

When service failure alerts occur, immediately check service status, review service logs, verify dependencies, restart services if safe, and investigate root causes. Document all service incidents for future reference.

Should I monitor services on all servers?

Yes, monitor services on all production servers. Service failures can occur on any server, and comprehensive monitoring helps maintain service availability across your entire infrastructure.

Related guides
Related recipes
Related problems
- Systemd Service Dependency Failures
- Application Deployment Failures

Systemd Services and Dependencies Monitoring Guide