DHIS2 hosting

We have deployed and maintained numerous DHIS2 instances over the last 10 years, and we know that every implementation is unique. Ideally we like to conduct several interviews with our clients to better understand the implementation needs, use cases, and to identify potential performance bottlenecks from the beginning. Also, we actively monitor the DHIS2 instances so we can always adapt the specs (increasing or decreasing to save costs) based on the real workload of the DHIS2 instances, analyzing peaks of server load, and also providing tailored recommendations for optimal configuration.

As data ownership is one of our pillars, under request we can also host the DHIS2 instances in our clients server infrastructure (cloud/on-premise).

SolidLines DHIS2 Hosting Plans

As every implementation is unique, the specs and features of the servers should also be unique. If you are interested in our services, we highly recommend that you contact us so we can provide you with a tailored cost estimate. We are always interested in learning about new use cases and how we can help you. For reference, we are listing below the most common types of DHIS2 instances that we have set up over the last 10 years.

PLAN	PURPOSE	SPECIFICATIONS	VARIABLES
SL-1	Development environments or Production environments with very low workload	2 CPU, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD	Less than 1 million TEIs, 150 users, 20 - 30 android users (no more than 10 concurrent users)
SL-2	Production environments with small - moderate database size	4 CPU, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD	Between 1-3 million TEIs, ~300 users, ~200-250 Android users (no more than 50 concurrent users)
SL-3	Production environments with moderate database size	8 CPU, 32 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD	Between 4-8 million TEIs, ~700 users, ~500 Android users (no more than 150 concurrent users)

Included with all hosting plans

System Monitoring

We offer 24 / 7 monitoring and support, meaning that if a DHIS2 instance goes down or there is a problem, we are there to help. We ensure that the systems are available, well-performing, and that users experience no unnecessary down-time.

Server administration

Daily backups, Security OS updates, Upgrade to DHIS2 patch releases, Upgrade Core DHIS2 WebApps

SSL and Disk Encryption

SSL certificates to ensure the highest level of encryption and security for modern web browsers. We provide disk encryption, keeping data safe in transit and at rest.

Help Desk

Through the Help Desk, users can open a help desk ticket to be promptly addressed by SolidLines team.

SolidLines DHIS2 Monitoring

Server monitoring is absolutely crucial for maintaining a healthy and performant IT infrastructure. Real-time alerts about server health enable rapid response to performance bottlenecks, security threats, or hardware failures, minimizing downtime and ensuring business continuity. It also facilitates capacity planning, enabling organizations to anticipate future resource needs and scale their infrastructure accordingly.

For monitoring servers, we are mainly using two tools: OpenSearch and Glowroot.

We have a centralized monitoring server (where OpenSearch is running) to track the behavior of every DHIS2 instance that we are managing. Some of the metrics monitored are:

System metrics like CPU/RAM/Disk Usage, Inbound/Outbound traffic…
Proxy metrics like active connections, request rates…
Web server metrics like memory, CPU, garbage collector, threads…
DHIS2 metrics like uptime, service status, analytics execution time, data/metadata summary historical evolution, user access…

OpenSearch provides robust alerting capabilities, empowering administrators to proactively monitor instances/services and take timely action. Its alerting module allows for the creation of monitors, which are continuous queries that run against your OpenSearch indices. When the conditions defined in a monitor are met (e.g., a certain error rate is exceeded, or a log volume drops unexpectedly), triggers are activated. These triggers then initiate actions, which can range from sending notifications via various channels like email, push notifications, SMS, to executing custom webhooks. This comprehensive alerting system helps ensure operational efficiency, security, and the overall health of your data by providing immediate insights into critical events and anomalies.

Glowroot has been strategically deployed across all our servers with DHIS2, providing comprehensive application performance monitoring (APM) capabilities.

Optionally we will provide full access to our clients so they can monitor these metrics in real time.

SolidLines DHIS2 Usage Analytics

In order to measure how the system is being used, and if the system is having an impact in terms of data quality, access and meaningful visualization, a DHIS2 usage analytics tool can be deployed. It uses the DHIS2 system logs as a source for analyzing end user behavior and engagement with the system that will be stored in a data warehouse. It is then possible to connect the data warehouse with any BI tool (like PowerBI, Tableau, superset, etc.) to perform complex calculations, generate custom metrics, and render advanced visualizations of DHIS2 system use.

DHIS2 Hosting