I posted a while ago that since I got my Evo, it has changed my daily workflow. I quickly realized a lot of the stuff I do with my servers can easily be done through my phone just as quickly. These are my favorite apps to make dealing with my servers easier. If you have your own favorite apps, or suggestions, leave them in the comments!
ConnectBot, Free
It’s happened to all of us at one point or another. Some critical server goes down while you are at dinner or at a family function with no laptop at hand. What do you do!? ConnectBot is a great answer for running a few commands on a remote server though SSH. It has most of the features you could want for SSH on your phone: public keys, storing hosts, multiple sessions, using ports other than 22 for SSH, multiple terminal emulations, etc. It is the perfect tool when you just need to run a few quick commands. I wouldn’t recommend digging through complex problems, but it is great for quick fixes. If you are running the same commands often, then the next app will make life even easier.
Server Assistant, Free
Server Assistant is a great app for saving and running server macros. On the surface, it has a few great tools, like getting the status and load of a server, automatically launching a ConnectBot instance, but it’s really a coin toss whether to use this or ConnectBot. The real benefit of this app is the ability to save commands, and run them with a single click. I like to keep around restart commands for the daemons I’m running, and a few app-specific commands (WordPress, Django, etc). This can really be a lifesaver when you get a message that your web server mysteriously crashed while you’re at the theater. Only problem I can see is no way to use public keys.
Pingdom, Free (More than 1 host, $9.95/mo)
I originally signed up for Pingdom just to keep an eye on a server that was in active development. Since then, it has become a valuable tool, and every site that is important to me is monitored. The Pingdom Android app makes this whole process even easier. All you have to do is log in, choose the site you want stats on, and you’ll get an uptime report, downtime, and average latency. Also, Pingdom will email you (and optionally text you) whenever your server is detected to be down. The text messages aren’t all that useful (and cost money) if you have Pingdom email your Gmail account (which pushes automagically and quickly to your phone). Eventually you will probably will be so happy with the app, that you’ll want to upgrade you raccount, so you can keep tabs on all your sites. Additional sites are only $0.50 each per month, above the $10 a month, which isn’t too expensive. I’d rather get the alert right away, rather than waiting for a customer or reader to try and email me.
Other Apps
These are some apps that may interest you, though I don’t use them personally, so I can’t give much feedback.
FTP/SCP
Remote Desktop
- Wyse PocketCloud (Free/$15)
- Android-VNC-Viewer
Hopefully these apps make your life easier! Add a comment if you have another app that might make our lives easier!
About Josh Gachnang
