T3 Monitoring: Professional TYPO3 Monitoring for Multi-Site Environments

Introduction  

Keeping an eye on multiple TYPO3 instances is challenging: Are all Core versions up to date? Are there security issues with extensions? Is the server configuration working correctly? T3 Monitoring by Georg Ringer offers the solution – a central monitoring platform that monitors all TYPO3 instances and automatically informs you about issues.

The extension is aimed at agencies, hosting providers, and IT departments that professionally manage multiple TYPO3 installations and want to proactively respond to security vulnerabilities and configuration problems.

Table of Contents  

Why T3 Monitoring?  

Challenges in TYPO3 Management  

For agencies with many TYPO3 projects:

• Manual checking of 20+ instances takes time and is prone to errors
• Security updates are overlooked or rolled out with delays
• Server configuration issues go unnoticed
• No central overview of the status of all projects

For hosting providers:

• Client instances must be proactively monitored
• SLA requirements demand fast response times
• Documentation and reporting for compliance
• Scalable solution for hundreds of instances

For IT departments:

• Enterprise requirements for monitoring and alerting
• Audit-proof documentation of the security status
• Automated reports for management
• Minimisation of downtime through preventative maintenance

The Solution: T3 Monitoring  

T3 Monitoring offers a central monitoring instance that oversees all your TYPO3 installations:

Features in Detail  

Core Monitoring  

T3 Monitoring continuously monitors the TYPO3 version of each client instance:

Feature Set:

• Version Tracking: Detection of outdated TYPO3 cores
• Security Alerts: Warning for known security vulnerabilities
• LTS Status: Distinction between LTS and non-LTS versions
• Update Recommendations: Clear pointers to recommended updates

Extension Security Monitoring  

The extension checks all installed extensions against the TYPO3 Extension Repository (TER) security database:

Checked Criteria:

• Security advisories for installed extensions
• Outdated extension versions
• End-of-Life extensions
• Recommended updates

Limitation:

• Only extensions from the TER are monitored
• Extensions installed via Composer without TER registration are not checked

Server Configuration & Environment  

T3 Monitoring checks various server and PHP configurations:

Monitored Parameters:

• PHP Version: Compatibility and support status
• SCRIPT_FILENAME: Detection of OPcache issues during deployments with symlinks
• Logging Configuration: Checking belogErrorReporting settings
• Email Configuration: SMTP accessibility and functionality
• Database Status: Connection and performance

Uptime Monitoring  

Basic availability checks for all registered clients:

How it works:

• Regular HTTP requests to client instances
• Timeout detection
• Status code validation
• DNS and SSL checks

Alert Configuration:

• Configurable error threshold (e.g. only after 3 failed attempts)
• Email notification for permanently unreachable instances
• Collection of all failed clients in one report

Reporting & Notifications  

Email Reports: Practical Examples  

T3 Monitoring generates different report types for different target audiences:

Client Report – Weekly Status

Each client instance can receive an individual report via email:

Monitoring report of your clients
=================================


Server1
-------------------------------------------------
https://www.server1.at
Insecure core:
Insecure extensions:
Extra dangers:
- SCRIPT_FILENAME contains current: The server configuration is not correct. PHPOpcache is caching the symlink switch when deploying. Please check the nginx configuration!


Shopo1
-------------------------------------------------

Failed Clients Report – Unreachable Instances

Separate report for unreachable clients:

Monitoring report of failed clients
===================================

The following clients could not be reached!

Server2: https://www.server2.at

Server3: https://www.server3.at

Configuration:

• Email recipients in Extension Configuration
• Error threshold configurable (e.g. only after 3 failed attempts)
• Frequency depending on the scheduler task

Admin Report – Global Overview

Summarising report for administrators covering all problematic clients:

Content:

• All instances with security issues
• Summary by criticality
• Statistics and trends
• Recommended actions

Frequency:

• Configurable via Scheduler
• Typically: daily or weekly

Installation & Setup  

Architecture  

T3 Monitoring consists of two components:

Step 1: Client Installation  

On every TYPO3 instance that should be monitored:

# Via Composer
composer require georgringer/t3monitoring-client

# Activate extension
./vendor/bin/typo3 extension:activate t3monitoring_client

Configuration:

• Define Secret Key (for API authentication)
• Enter it in the Extension Configuration
• Note down the access URL (e.g., https://example.com/t3monitoring-api)

Step 2: Master Installation  

Set up the central monitoring instance:

# Via Composer
composer require georgringer/t3monitoring

# Activate extension
./vendor/bin/typo3 extension:activate t3monitoring

Configuration:

1. Open Extension Configuration
2. Define email recipients for reports
3. Set error threshold (e.g., 3 failed attempts)

Step 3: Register Clients  

In the backend of the master installation:

1. T3 Monitoring → Clients → New
2. Enter client details:
   • Name
   • URL
   • API Secret
   • Email for client reports (optional)
3. Save and start the first synchronisation

Step 4: Set up Scheduler Tasks  

Three Symfony Console Commands for automation:

Scheduler Configuration:

# Import every 60 minutes
0 * * * * /path/to/typo3/console monitoring:importClients

# Client reports every Monday at 8:00
0 8 * * 1 /path/to/typo3/console reporting:client

# Admin report daily at 7:00
0 7 * * * /path/to/typo3/console reporting:admin --email=admin@example.com

Backend: Dashboard & Lists  

Dashboard Overview  

The T3 Monitoring backend offers various views:

Main functions:

• Client List: All registered instances with status
• Filter: By TYPO3 version, security status, uptime
• Search: Quick finding of specific clients
• Detail View: Complete information on each instance

Detail View per Client  

Available for each registered client:

Information:

• TYPO3 version and type (Classic/Composer)
• PHP version
• Installed extensions with versions
• Security status of each extension
• Server configuration
• Last synchronisation
• History

Actions:

• Manual update of data
• Edit client
• Reports preview

Integration: T3 Monitoring + TYPO3 Updater  

The combination of T3 Monitoring and TYPO3 Updater creates a continuous DevOps pipeline:

Workflow Integration  

Advantages of the Combination  

Pricing & Licensing  

T3 Monitoring is an open-source extension by Georg Ringer with optional commercial support:

License & Usage  

Open Source:

• GPL-2.0 License
• Freely available via TYPO3 Extension Repository
• Source code on GitHub
• Community support via GitHub Issues

Commercial Support: Georg Ringer offers professional support and custom development:

• Setup Support: Installation and configuration of your monitoring instance
• Custom Features: Adaptations to your specific requirements
• Priority Support: Direct communication in case of issues
• SLA Contracts: Guaranteed response times for enterprise clients

Donation Options  

Support the development:

• GitHub Sponsors: github.com/sponsors/georgringer
• Patreon: patreon.com/georgringer
• PayPal: paypal.me/GeorgRinger
• Amazon Wishlist: Wishlist

Technical Requirements  

System Requirements  

Supported TYPO3 Versions  

The extension supports various TYPO3 versions:

Current Version (3.0.2):

• TYPO3 12 LTS (12.4.0 - 12.4.99)

Legacy Versions:

• Version 2.0.0: TYPO3 8 LTS
• Version 1.0.x: TYPO3 7-8 LTS

Use Cases & Best Practices  

Agency with 20+ TYPO3 Projects  

Initial Situation:

• 25 TYPO3 instances with various hosting providers
• Manual checking takes 2-3 hours per week
• Security updates are sometimes overlooked
• No central documentation

Solution with T3 Monitoring:

• Time savings through automation: 85%
• Reduction of overlooked updates: 100%
• Improvement of security compliance: 95%
• Client satisfaction: 90%

Result:

• Weekly reports automatically via email
• Immediate alerts for critical security issues
• Documentation for compliance generated automatically
• Combination with TYPO3 Updater: updates largely automated

Hosting Provider with 100+ Clients  

Initial Situation:

• Various TYPO3 versions in use
• SLA commitments towards clients
• No proactive monitoring
• Reactive maintenance only when issues arise

Solution with T3 Monitoring:

1. Central master installation
2. All client instances registered as clients
3. Automatic daily checks
4. Clients receive weekly status reports
5. Admin team receives a prioritisation list

Result:

• Proactive maintenance instead of reactive problem-solving
• SLA fulfilment through automatic documentation
• Higher client satisfaction through transparent reports
• Scalable solution for further growth

Enterprise IT Department  

Initial Situation:

• 5 TYPO3 instances (intranet, external websites)
• Compliance requirements (ISO, GDPR)
• Audit proofs required
• Internal SLAs for security updates

Solution with T3 Monitoring:

• Integration into existing monitoring (e.g., Nagios/Zabbix via API)
• Automatic reports to the security team
• Audit trail through history
• Escalation process for critical issues

Result:

• Compliance proofs automated
• Reduced audit costs
• Faster response times for security issues
• Transparency for management

Limitations & Workarounds  

Known Limitations  

Extension Security only for TER extensions:

Workaround:

• Manual checking of important Packagist extensions via GitHub Security Advisories
• Integrate dependency scanning tools like Dependabot
• Develop custom monitoring for critical extensions

Server configuration checks limited:

• Not all server parameters are checked
• Complex setups (load balancers, CDN) only partially supported

Workaround:

• Supplement with dedicated server monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana)
• Custom checks via extension development

Conclusion & Recommendation  

T3 Monitoring is an indispensable extension for professional TYPO3 management:

When is T3 Monitoring worthwhile?  

Clear recommendation for:

• Agencies with 5+ TYPO3 projects
• Hosting providers with TYPO3 clients
• IT departments with compliance requirements
• Anyone who takes security seriously

Potentially oversized for:

• A single TYPO3 instance without critical requirements
• Very small projects with no security risk
• Teams without DevOps processes

Why we recommend T3 Monitoring  

Next Steps  

1. Test the extension:

• Set up master installation
• Register 2-3 test clients
• Evaluate reports

2. Production rollout:

• Add all TYPO3 instances as clients
• Configure scheduler tasks
• Set up email notifications

3. Optional: Integrate TYPO3 Updater

• Monitoring identifies updates
• Updater executes them semi-automatically
• Complete DevOps pipeline

Further Resources  

Links & Documentation  

Extension Repository:

• T3 Monitoring (Master)
• T3 Monitoring Client

Source Code:

• GitHub: t3monitoring
• GitHub: t3monitoring_client

Author & Support:

• Georg Ringer on GitHub
• Further extensions by Georg Ringer

Related Articles  

• TYPO3 Updater: Automated updates for multi-site environments
• TYPO3 & n8n: Process automation for modern workflows