General Information
- What is FusionReactor?
- What's the difference between FusionReactor and FusionAnalytics?
- How can I evaluate FusionReactor?
- What are the major features of FusionReactor?
- Who should use FusionReactor?
- What are the different editions of FusionReactor?
- Does FusionReactor run on J2EE application servers?
- Which web servers are supported?
- Which operating systems are supported?
- What is the FusionReactor Administrator?
- How can I find more help on FusionReactor?
- Which levels of support services do you offer for FusionReactor?
- Can I use FusionDebug with FusionReactor?
- Does FusionReactor work with BlueDragon?
- Does server CPU work on the Solaris platform?
- Does FusionReactor Enterprise allow fine-grained control (e.g. drill-down into requests, memory, etc.) of the other FR instances it manages, or is the Enterprise Dashboard the only data view of remote instances?
- Where do I find FusionReactor updates?
- What are the differentiating features between FusionReactor and the ColdFusion monitor?
- Which CF and FusionReactor log file information do I need in order to help me identify ColdFusion issues?
Licensing
- How is FusionReactor Licensed?
- Is FusionReactor priced per CPU?
- Can I monitor a Standard Edition of FusionReactor using the Enterprise Dashboard?
- What are the differences between FusionReactor Enterprise and Standard Editions?
- What are the advantages of purchasing FusionReactor Enterprise?
- Can I buy a FusionReactor Enterprise and FusionReactor Standard together?
- Does the edition of Adobe ColdFusion I have, effect which FusionReactor edition I should purchase?
- I have ColdFusion 9 - which version of FusionReactor is compatible?
- How is FusionReactor AIR Enterprise Dashboard licensed?
- Which editions of FusionReactor can I use with the FusionReactor AIR Enterprise Dashboard?
- Do you have to use the FusionReactor AIR Enterprise Dashboard to monitor your server?
- I have to move my server and FusionReactor says I have no more activations on my license key - what should I do?
Purchasing
- I require an official quote, so that I can purchase via a Purchase Order, what should I do?
- What is the FusionReactor End User License Agreement?
- Do you offer deals for hosting providers?
- What do you charge for upgrading old licenses?
- How do I receive information on reseller pricing?
Maintenance
- I hold a valid software maintenance version for FusionReactor. How do I receive notification of updates and upgrades?
- What are the benefits of purchasing FusionReactor with maintenance?
Installation
- Which installer should I download?
- I've installed FusionReactor 3.5, but would like to get back to my previous installation what should I do?
Upgrading
If you have a question which isn't covered on this page then please contact us.
General Information
What is FusionReactor?
FusionReactor is an application, database and server monitor - built for monitoring production environments running the latest web centric and Rich Internet Application (RIA) technologies, especially Adobe ColdFusion, Flex, Blaze DS and LiveCycle Data Services as well as 3rd party CFML engines (such as Railo, Blue Dragon and Smith). FusionReactor can also monitor applications that can run on any J2EE platform that meets the J2EE 1.3 specification or higher e.g. Tomcat, JBoss, Jetty, JRUN, WebSphere.
FusionReactor operates as a lightweight wrapper around the ColdFusion engine. For those familiar with the notion, it’s a servlet flter. Filters are very lightweight mechanisms that provide an opportunity to observe requests going into and responses coming out of the application server. Similarly, FusionReactor’s feature to track database requests is another lightweight wrapper for datasources that observes queries going into and results coming back from databases. These operations add very little overhead.
FusionReactor has a web-based interface, so the monitor display can run on virtually any platform, the monitoring engine itself can run on any platform that ColdFusion or other J2EE servers can run on. Goto the FusionReactor home page for more details and click here for a complete list of supported system requirements.
How can I evaluate FusionReactor?
We offer a 10-day free trial of FusionReactor Enterprise Edition. After 10 days, the Trial simply disables itself, without the need to uninstall it. Evaluators can turn the Trial into any full version by entering a valid license key into the FusionReactor Administrator without reinstalling the software.
What are the major features of FusionReactor?
For a list of features in FusionReactor, please see the Feature Focus or What's New
Who should use FusionReactor?
FusionReactor is designed to empower developers, support engineers and system administrators. Depending on your technical role, you will benefit from using FusionReactor in different ways, such as using the Availability and Performance Management - to proactively monitor business applications or Root Cause Analysis - identify server issues and performance problems. As a leading application, database and server monitor, FusionReactor will improve stability, quality and performance of your web applications. Advanced features such as FusionReactor's enterprise dashboard, instance manager and crash protection make FusionReactor essential for production sites resulting in increased customer satisfaction through availability and stability. FusionReactor provides real benefits throughout the development, testing and production lifecycle, and will prove to have a rapid return on investment. By avoiding just one bug, hang or system crash, and you almost definitely have your investment back!
Click here to read about more reasons to buy.
What are the different editions of FusionReactor?
FusionReactor comes in TWO product editions.
FusionReactor Standard is for people who wish to monitor a single machine or who don't need the Enterprise Dashboard functionality.
FusionReactor Enterprise is more suited to multi-server environments. It gives you all the benefits of the Standard edition, plus the Enterprise Dashboard and the AIR Enterprise Dashboard. The Enterprise edition is suited to environments where you would like to see the 'health' of all of your servers from a single window and when you require more advanced Crash Protection features, such as the Enterprise Scripting.
Note when you install the Free TRIAL version, you have full access to the Enterprise Edition features. The TRIAL version is for evaluation purposes and runs for 10 days. After this time it will disable itself until you enter a valid license key.
(See Compare Editions for more details.)
Does FusionReactor run on J2EE application servers?
YES. FusionReactor is a Java application that can run on any J2EE platform that meets the J2EE 1.3 specification or higher e.g. Tomcat, JBoss, JRUN, WebSphere, WebLogic. View a complete list of supported platforms and operating systems on our system requirements page.
Which web servers are supported?
FusionReactor supports the same web servers as ColdFusion, including IIS, Apache, and Sun ONE (formerly iPlanet). View a complete list of supported web servers on our system requirements page.
Which operating systems are supported?
FusionReactor supports the following operating systems : Microsoft Windows, Solaris, Linux, and Mac OSX. View a complete list of supported operating systems on our system requirements page.
What is the FusionReactor Administrator?
The FusionReactor Administrator is a suite of server administration, monitoring, debugging and reporting tools. With the FusionReactor Administrator, users can visually monitor, configure and tune their monitored servers.
How can I find more help on FusionReactor?
We offer a wide range of resources and documentation on the FusionReactor product. Please refer to our support area which contains our Knowledge Base, links to Google groups as well as our online documentation.
Which levels of support services do you offer for FusionReactor?
Installation Support is available for free so you can get up and running. Additionaly, we offer a Quick Start Installation package - in this case one of our trained engineers will install & configure FusionReactor for you. This is the fastest, hassle-free way to get your server monitored with minimal impact to your users. We also offer Fusion Premium Support which is a paid support option and can be purchased on an incident by incident basis.
We also provide professional onsite and remote ColdFusion Consulting Services if you have serious CF problems which you need detail assistance with. Take a look at our Support Area for a complete overview.
Can I use FusionDebug with FusionReactor?
Yes, but you should disable Crash Protection within FusionReactor because VM deadlock can occur is FusionDebug attempts to perform operations on a thread currently suspended by Crash Protection. (If this occurs then you will need to restart your J2EE container.)
Does FusionReactor work with BlueDragon?
Yes, but only with the J2EE edition. You can use the automated installer to install FusionReactor on a BlueDragon/J2EE version installed on Tomcat, JBoss or JRun4. Currently you have to manually install FusionReactor if you have installed BlueDragon on other J2EE servers.
Does server CPU monitoring work on the Solaris platform?
No - currently Solaris does not support server CPU monitoring, only instance CPU monitoring is supported on the Solaris platform.
Does FusionReactor Enterprise allow fine-grained control (e.g. drill-down into requests, memory, etc.) of the other FR instances it manages, or is the Enterprise Dashboard the only data view of remote instances?
The Dashboard shows overview level data and allows you to drill into details by linking you directly to the individual reactors (single sign-on). Many customers install FusionReactor into Tomcat as a Monitoring Console for their CF/JRun servers.
Where do I find FusionReactor updates?
Information on FusionReactor updates can be found on the update page.
Which CF and FusionReactor log file information do I need in order to help me identify ColdFusion issues?
We provide a remote support model which is designed to help customers get a quick resolution to a range of CF / web application related problems. We often use the results and reporting information from FusionReactor to assist us in isolating specific problems. Click here for a comprehensive list of which details you need to troubleshoot.
What's the difference between FusionReactor and FusionAnalytics?
FusionReactor is a professional server monitor, it captures metrics (instrumentation) as the server is running and it is able to store many requests online for an immediate diagnostic view about the health of your server, but it is not able to provide information about long-term data - this keeps FusionReactor compact and ensures that overhead is kept to an absolute minimum. FusionAnalytics is a visual tool for analyzing the data which has been provided by FusionReactor. FusionAnalytics loads the extensive log file data captured by FusionReactor into the FusionAnalytics DB. It then provides numerous graphs, charts, tables and reports, to visualize the data. FusionAnalytics is all about "Making IT Better" and giving you the information and data to help you make better business decisions, improve application performance and quality of your applications as well as measure exactly how your applications are performing on a continuous day to day basis.
Licensing
How is FusionReactor Licensed?
Each physical or virtual server requires one FusionReactor license - all of the instances which are installed on that server are covered by the one FusionReactor license. So, if you have (say) 6 physical boxes, then you need 6 licenses. Note, that on a single box you may have multiple instances (ColdFusion, JRun, Tomcat, JBoss) installed on it, but you still only need 1 license for that (virtual or physical) server. Virtual Machines (VM's) are also classed as separate physical servers and therefore require a license.
If you would like to use the FusionReactor Enterprise Dashboard functionality to be able to monitor all the servers from a single window, then you will need to take the FusionReactor Enterprise Edition on all the servers you wish to monitor. Therefore if you would like to monitor 3 servers with the FusionReactor Enterprise Dashboard you will need 3 x FusionReactor Enterprise licenses.
Is FusionReactor priced per CPU?
No. All FusionReactor licenses cover the whole server, irrespective of how many CPU's the server contains.
Can I monitor a Standard Edition of FusionReactor using the Enterprise Dashboard?
It is NOT possible to monitor a FusionReactor Standard edition instance using the FusionReactor Enterprise Dashboard or the Enterprise AIR Dashboard. Only FusionReactor Enterprise editions can be monitored from the Enterprise Dashboard.
What are the differences between FusionReactor Enterprise and Standard Editions?
There are a number of features that are exclusive to FusionReactor Enterprise Edition: Enterprise Dashboard, AIR Enterprise Dashboard (which is also sold separately - but is inlcuded when you purchase a full Enterprise Edition license), Enterprise Scripting. See Compare Editions page for a complete list.
What are the advantages of purchasing FusionReactor Enterprise?
FusionReactor Enterprise edition offers you additional monitoring functionality and is the perfect choice if you would like to see the status of all of your monitored servers from a single Dashboard window. Features exclusive to the Enterprise Edition are: Enterprise Dashboard, AIR Enterprise Dashboard (sold separately), Enterprise Scripting.
- Enterprise Dashboard: gives you immediate visual cues to show you the health of your servers and also provides you with running statistics about each server.
- Enterprise Scripting: trigger a script when a server becomes unresponsive, and when it becomes responsive again. This mechanism can allow you to pro-actively attempt to restart a failed server or instance, integrate FusionReactor into an existing monitoring environment or provide custom logging or reporting.
Can I buy an FusionReactor Enterprise and FusionReactor Standard together?
Yes. Say you have 3 servers and only need the Enterprise Dashboard functionality on one of them, then it's no problem to purchase one Enterprise and two Standard editions. Please note that you can ONLY monitor Enterprise Editions with the Enterprise Dashboard.
Does the edition of Adobe ColdFusion I have, effect which FusionReactor edition I should purchase?
No. You can purchase either the Enterprise or Standard Edition, regardless of which version of ColdFusion you currently wish to monitor.
I have ColdFusion 9 - which version of FusionReactor is compatible?
You need at least FusionReactor 3.5 or above to be able to support ColdFusion 9.
How is FusionReactor AIR Enterprise Dashboard licensed?
Each physical box (desktop, laptop etc.) requires one FusionReactor AIR Enterprise Dashboard license. So, if you have (say) 5 developers who would like to monitor their servers via the AIR Enterprise Dashboard, you would need 5 licenses. When you purchase a FusionReactor Enterprise Edition license, you will receive an AIR Enterprise Dashboard included in the price.
Which editions of FusionReactor can I use with the FusionReactor AIR Enterprise Dashboard?
The AIR Enterprise Dashboard ONLY works together with the Enterprise Edition of FusionReactor. If you have the Standard Edition and would like to upgrade - please contact sales.
Do you have to use the FusionReactor AIR Enterprise Dashboard to monitor your server?
No, this is an add-on tool which is platform independent and allows easy integration with your desktop client, so that you can receive server issue alerts on your desktop. The functionality which is available with the Enterprise Edition of FusionReactor is not affected.
I have to move my server and FusionReactor says I have no more activations on my license key - what should I do?
If you are moving servers and need your license key reactivated, please contact our sales team and include your FusionReactor serial number in your request and details of why you need your license reset.
Purchasing
I require an official quote, so that I can purchase via a Purchase Order, what should I do?
If you would like us to make you a quote, then please decide which edition and which maintenance options you would like, then contact sales.
What is the FusionReactor End User License Agreement?
The FusionReactor End User License Agreement ("EULA") is available online for you to read.
Do you offer deals for hosting providers?
Absolutely. Please Contact Sales for more information on hosting deals and receive our hosters info sheet.
What do you charge for upgrading old licenses?
Click here for details on upgrade pricing
How do I receive information on reseller pricing?
Please Contact Sales for more information on becoming a reseller and pricing options.
Maintenance
I hold a valid software maintenance version for FusionReactor. How do I receive notification of updates and upgrades?
1. Holders of current FusionReactor maintenance should receive an e-mail with appropriate instructions. If you did not receive an e-mail then it is likely we do not have your contact details. If you are in any doubt, please contact sales@fusion-reactor.com and include your FusionReactor serial number in your request.
What are the benefits of purchasing FusionReactor with maintenance?
Maintenance entitles you to free product upgrades over a one-year or two-year period. It is always more cost effective to purchase the maintenance rather than upgrading individual licenses. Typically we have 1 major release (requiring a maintenance contract) within a 12 month period. Click here for more information on maintenance options or here for our subscription policy.
Installation
Which installer should I download?
We have automatic install packages for Solaris, Linux and Windows as well as a manual install package. These files and associated instructions can be found on the Downloads page.
I've installed FusionReactor 3.5, but would like to get back to my previous installation what should I do?
To get back to your previous installation - just un-install FusionReactor 3.5
Upgrading
I already own a version of FusionReactor. What are my upgrade options?
It is always possible to purchase an upgrade to a newer version of FusionReactor. Click here for details on upgrade pricing and if you are ready to upgrade then please Contact Sales to receive details on purchasing.
If you cannot find what you are looking for please take a look in our FusionReactor Support section or check out the FusionReactor Google Discussion Group or look at the online documentation.
