Build a PowerShell System Monitoring Dashboard in 30 Minutes

Your server is running slow. By the time someone notices and calls you, the damage is done: customers are complaining, sales are lost, and you're scrambling to diagnose what went wrong two hours ago.

What if you had a dashboard that showed CPU, memory, disk, and critical services in real-time—and automatically alerted you before things broke?

I'll show you how to build a professional system monitoring dashboard using only PowerShell. No expensive monitoring tools. No complicated setup. Just a script that runs on any Windows server or workstation and gives you the visibility you need.

What You'll Build

By the end of this tutorial, you'll have:

Real-time monitoring dashboard showing CPU, RAM, disk, and network usage
Service status tracking for critical services (SQL Server, IIS, etc.)
Automatic email alerts when thresholds are exceeded
HTML reports that can be emailed or viewed in a browser
Automated scheduling to run every 5 minutes

Time to build: 30-45 minutes Skill level: Intermediate PowerShell (I'll explain everything) Works on: Windows Server 2016+, Windows 10/11

Prerequisites

You'll need:

Windows machine with PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7+
Administrator privileges (for some system metrics)
SMTP email server access (Gmail, Office 365, or company server)
Basic PowerShell knowledge (variables, loops, functions)

Check your PowerShell version:

powershell

1$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

If you're below 5.1, update PowerShell or use Windows Management Framework 5.1.

Architecture Overview

Here's what we're building:

Prompt

┌──────────────────────────┐
│  System Metrics Module   │ ← Collect CPU, RAM, Disk data
└────────────┬─────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌──────────────────────────┐
│   Service Check Module   │ ← Check critical services
└────────────┬─────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌──────────────────────────┐
│   Threshold Checker      │ ← Compare against limits
└────────────┬─────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌──────────────────────────┐
│   HTML Report Generator  │ ← Create visual dashboard
└────────────┬─────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌──────────────────────────┐
│   Email Alert Sender     │ ← Send alerts if needed
└──────────────────────────┘

Step 1: Set Up Project Structure

Create a clean folder structure:

powershell

1# Create project folder
2New-Item -Path "C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor" -ItemType Directory -Force
3Set-Location "C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor"
4
5# Create subfolders
6New-Item -Path ".\Modules" -ItemType Directory -Force
7New-Item -Path ".\Reports" -ItemType Directory -Force
8New-Item -Path ".\Logs" -ItemType Directory -Force
9
10# Create main files
11New-Item -Path ".\config.ps1" -ItemType File -Force
12New-Item -Path ".\monitoring.ps1" -ItemType File -Force
13New-Item -Path ".\email-alert.ps1" -ItemType File -Force

Step 2: Create Configuration File

Create config.ps1 with your settings:

powershell

1# config.ps1 - Configuration settings
2
3# Email settings
4$EmailConfig = @{
5    SmtpServer = "smtp.gmail.com"
6    Port = 587
7    UseSsl = $true
8    From = "your-email@gmail.com"
9    To = @("admin@company.com", "ops-team@company.com")
10    Username = "your-email@gmail.com"
11    Password = "your-app-password"  # Use App Password for Gmail
12}
13
14# Monitoring thresholds
15$Thresholds = @{
16    CpuPercent = 80          # Alert if CPU > 80%
17    MemoryPercent = 85       # Alert if Memory > 85%
18    DiskSpacePercent = 90    # Alert if Disk > 90% full
19    DiskSpaceGB = 10         # Alert if < 10 GB free
20}
21
22# Critical services to monitor
23$CriticalServices = @(
24    "W3SVC",           # IIS
25    "MSSQLSERVER",     # SQL Server
26    "WinRM",           # Remote Management
27    "EventLog",        # Event Log service
28    "Spooler"          # Print Spooler
29)
30
31# Report settings
32$ReportPath = "C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor\Reports"
33$LogPath = "C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor\Logs"
34$RetentionDays = 7  # Keep reports for 7 days
35
36# Monitoring interval (for scheduled task)
37$MonitoringIntervalMinutes = 5
38
39Write-Host "✓ Configuration loaded" -ForegroundColor Green

Important: For Gmail, create an App Password instead of using your regular password.

Step 3: Build System Metrics Module

Create Modules\Get-SystemMetrics.ps1:

powershell

1# Get-SystemMetrics.ps1 - Collect system performance data
2
3function Get-SystemMetrics {
4    param (
5        [string]$ComputerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME
6    )
7    
8    Write-Host "Collecting system metrics..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
9    
10    $metrics = @{
11        ComputerName = $ComputerName
12        Timestamp = Get-Date
13        CPU = $null
14        Memory = $null
15        Disks = @()
16        Network = $null
17        Uptime = $null
18    }
19    
20    try {
21        # CPU Usage
22        $cpuSamples = Get-Counter '\Processor(_Total)\% Processor Time' -SampleInterval 1 -MaxSamples 3
23        $cpuAvg = ($cpuSamples.CounterSamples | Measure-Object -Property CookedValue -Average).Average
24        $metrics.CPU = @{
25            UsagePercent = [math]::Round($cpuAvg, 2)
26            Status = if ($cpuAvg -gt $Thresholds.CpuPercent) { "Critical" } 
27                     elseif ($cpuAvg -gt ($Thresholds.CpuPercent * 0.8)) { "Warning" } 
28                     else { "OK" }
29        }
30        
31        # Memory Usage
32        $os = Get-CimInstance Win32_OperatingSystem
33        $totalMemoryGB = [math]::Round($os.TotalVisibleMemorySize / 1MB, 2)
34        $freeMemoryGB = [math]::Round($os.FreePhysicalMemory / 1MB, 2)
35        $usedMemoryGB = $totalMemoryGB - $freeMemoryGB
36        $memoryPercent = [math]::Round(($usedMemoryGB / $totalMemoryGB) * 100, 2)
37        
38        $metrics.Memory = @{
39            TotalGB = $totalMemoryGB
40            UsedGB = $usedMemoryGB
41            FreeGB = $freeMemoryGB
42            UsagePercent = $memoryPercent
43            Status = if ($memoryPercent -gt $Thresholds.MemoryPercent) { "Critical" } 
44                     elseif ($memoryPercent -gt ($Thresholds.MemoryPercent * 0.8)) { "Warning" } 
45                     else { "OK" }
46        }
47        
48        # Disk Usage
49        $disks = Get-CimInstance Win32_LogicalDisk | Where-Object { $_.DriveType -eq 3 }
50        
51        foreach ($disk in $disks) {
52            $totalGB = [math]::Round($disk.Size / 1GB, 2)
53            $freeGB = [math]::Round($disk.FreeSpace / 1GB, 2)
54            $usedGB = $totalGB - $freeGB
55            $usedPercent = [math]::Round(($usedGB / $totalGB) * 100, 2)
56            
57            $diskStatus = if ($usedPercent -gt $Thresholds.DiskSpacePercent -or $freeGB -lt $Thresholds.DiskSpaceGB) { "Critical" } 
58                         elseif ($usedPercent -gt ($Thresholds.DiskSpacePercent * 0.8)) { "Warning" } 
59                         else { "OK" }
60            
61            $metrics.Disks += @{
62                DriveLetter = $disk.DeviceID
63                TotalGB = $totalGB
64                UsedGB = $usedGB
65                FreeGB = $freeGB
66                UsagePercent = $usedPercent
67                Status = $diskStatus
68            }
69        }
70        
71        # System Uptime
72        $uptime = (Get-Date) - $os.LastBootUpTime
73        $metrics.Uptime = @{
74            Days = $uptime.Days
75            Hours = $uptime.Hours
76            Minutes = $uptime.Minutes
77            TotalHours = [math]::Round($uptime.TotalHours, 1)
78        }
79        
80        # Network Statistics (optional - can be slow on some systems)
81        try {
82            $netAdapter = Get-NetAdapter | Where-Object Status -eq "Up" | Select-Object -First 1
83            if ($netAdapter) {
84                $netStats = Get-NetAdapterStatistics -Name $netAdapter.Name
85                $metrics.Network = @{
86                    AdapterName = $netAdapter.Name
87                    Status = $netAdapter.Status
88                    BytesSent = [math]::Round($netStats.SentBytes / 1GB, 2)
89                    BytesReceived = [math]::Round($netStats.ReceivedBytes / 1GB, 2)
90                }
91            }
92        } catch {
93            Write-Warning "Could not retrieve network statistics: $_"
94            $metrics.Network = @{ Status = "Unknown" }
95        }
96        
97        Write-Host "✓ System metrics collected" -ForegroundColor Green
98        return $metrics
99        
100    } catch {
101        Write-Error "Failed to collect system metrics: $_"
102        return $null
103    }
104}
105
106# Export function
107Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-SystemMetrics

Step 4: Build Service Monitoring Module

Create Modules\Get-ServiceStatus.ps1:

powershell

1# Get-ServiceStatus.ps1 - Monitor critical services
2
3function Get-ServiceStatus {
4    param (
5        [string[]]$ServiceNames
6    )
7    
8    Write-Host "Checking service status..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
9    
10    $serviceResults = @()
11    
12    foreach ($serviceName in $ServiceNames) {
13        try {
14            $service = Get-Service -Name $serviceName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
15            
16            if ($service) {
17                $serviceResults += @{
18                    Name = $service.Name
19                    DisplayName = $service.DisplayName
20                    Status = $service.Status.ToString()
21                    StartType = $service.StartType.ToString()
22                    Health = if ($service.Status -eq 'Running') { "OK" } else { "Critical" }
23                }
24            } else {
25                $serviceResults += @{
26                    Name = $serviceName
27                    DisplayName = "Service Not Found"
28                    Status = "NotInstalled"
29                    StartType = "N/A"
30                    Health = "Warning"
31                }
32            }
33        } catch {
34            Write-Warning "Error checking service $serviceName: $_"
35            $serviceResults += @{
36                Name = $serviceName
37                DisplayName = "Error"
38                Status = "Unknown"
39                StartType = "N/A"
40                Health = "Critical"
41            }
42        }
43    }
44    
45    Write-Host "✓ Service status checked" -ForegroundColor Green
46    return $serviceResults
47}
48
49# Export function
50Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-ServiceStatus

Step 5: Create HTML Dashboard Generator

Create Modules\New-HtmlReport.ps1:

powershell

1# New-HtmlReport.ps1 - Generate HTML dashboard
2
3function New-HtmlReport {
4    param (
5        [hashtable]$SystemMetrics,
6        [array]$ServiceStatus,
7        [string]$OutputPath
8    )
9    
10    Write-Host "Generating HTML report..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
11    
12    # Helper function for status color
13    function Get-StatusColor {
14        param($Status)
15        switch ($Status) {
16            "OK" { return "#28a745" }      # Green
17            "Warning" { return "#ffc107" }  # Yellow
18            "Critical" { return "#dc3545" } # Red
19            default { return "#6c757d" }    # Gray
20        }
21    }
22    
23    # Build HTML
24    $html = @"
25<!DOCTYPE html>
26<html>
27<head>
28    <title>System Monitoring Dashboard - $($SystemMetrics.ComputerName)</title>
29    <style>
30        body {
31            font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
32            margin: 0;
33            padding: 20px;
34            background: #f4f6f9;
35        }
36        .header {
37            background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%);
38            color: white;
39            padding: 30px;
40            border-radius: 10px;
41            margin-bottom: 30px;
42            box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
43        }
44        .header h1 {
45            margin: 0;
46            font-size: 32px;
47        }
48        .header .timestamp {
49            opacity: 0.9;
50            margin-top: 10px;
51        }
52        .metrics-grid {
53            display: grid;
54            grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(280px, 1fr));
55            gap: 20px;
56            margin-bottom: 30px;
57        }
58        .metric-card {
59            background: white;
60            border-radius: 10px;
61            padding: 25px;
62            box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
63            border-left: 5px solid #667eea;
64        }
65        .metric-card h3 {
66            margin: 0 0 15px 0;
67            color: #333;
68            font-size: 16px;
69            text-transform: uppercase;
70            letter-spacing: 1px;
71        }
72        .metric-value {
73            font-size: 42px;
74            font-weight: bold;
75            margin: 15px 0;
76        }
77        .metric-detail {
78            color: #666;
79            font-size: 14px;
80            margin: 5px 0;
81        }
82        .status-badge {
83            display: inline-block;
84            padding: 5px 12px;
85            border-radius: 20px;
86            color: white;
87            font-size: 12px;
88            font-weight: bold;
89            text-transform: uppercase;
90        }
91        .progress-bar {
92            height: 20px;
93            background: #e9ecef;
94            border-radius: 10px;
95            overflow: hidden;
96            margin: 10px 0;
97        }
98        .progress-fill {
99            height: 100%;
100            transition: width 0.3s ease;
101            display: flex;
102            align-items: center;
103            justify-content: center;
104            color: white;
105            font-size: 12px;
106            font-weight: bold;
107        }
108        .section {
109            background: white;
110            border-radius: 10px;
111            padding: 25px;
112            margin-bottom: 20px;
113            box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
114        }
115        .section h2 {
116            margin: 0 0 20px 0;
117            color: #667eea;
118            border-bottom: 3px solid #667eea;
119            padding-bottom: 10px;
120        }
121        table {
122            width: 100%;
123            border-collapse: collapse;
124        }
125        th {
126            background: #f8f9fa;
127            padding: 12px;
128            text-align: left;
129            font-weight: 600;
130            color: #333;
131            border-bottom: 2px solid #dee2e6;
132        }
133        td {
134            padding: 12px;
135            border-bottom: 1px solid #dee2e6;
136        }
137        tr:hover {
138            background: #f8f9fa;
139        }
140        .footer {
141            text-align: center;
142            color: #666;
143            margin-top: 30px;
144            padding-top: 20px;
145            border-top: 1px solid #dee2e6;
146            font-size: 12px;
147        }
148    </style>
149</head>
150<body>
151    <div class="header">
152        <h1>🖥️ System Monitoring Dashboard</h1>
153        <div class="timestamp">Server: $($SystemMetrics.ComputerName) | Generated: $($SystemMetrics.Timestamp.ToString('yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss'))</div>
154        <div class="timestamp">Uptime: $($SystemMetrics.Uptime.Days) days, $($SystemMetrics.Uptime.Hours) hours, $($SystemMetrics.Uptime.Minutes) minutes</div>
155    </div>
156    
157    <div class="metrics-grid">
158        <!-- CPU Card -->
159        <div class="metric-card">
160            <h3>💻 CPU Usage</h3>
161            <div class="metric-value" style="color: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.CPU.Status)">
162                $($SystemMetrics.CPU.UsagePercent)%
163            </div>
164            <div class="progress-bar">
165                <div class="progress-fill" style="width: $($SystemMetrics.CPU.UsagePercent)%; background: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.CPU.Status)">
166                    $($SystemMetrics.CPU.UsagePercent)%
167                </div>
168            </div>
169            <span class="status-badge" style="background: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.CPU.Status)">$($SystemMetrics.CPU.Status)</span>
170        </div>
171        
172        <!-- Memory Card -->
173        <div class="metric-card">
174            <h3>🧠 Memory Usage</h3>
175            <div class="metric-value" style="color: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.Memory.Status)">
176                $($SystemMetrics.Memory.UsagePercent)%
177            </div>
178            <div class="progress-bar">
179                <div class="progress-fill" style="width: $($SystemMetrics.Memory.UsagePercent)%; background: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.Memory.Status)">
180                    $($SystemMetrics.Memory.UsagePercent)%
181                </div>
182            </div>
183            <div class="metric-detail">Used: $($SystemMetrics.Memory.UsedGB) GB / $($SystemMetrics.Memory.TotalGB) GB</div>
184            <span class="status-badge" style="background: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.Memory.Status)">$($SystemMetrics.Memory.Status)</span>
185        </div>
186"@
187
188    # Add disk cards
189    foreach ($disk in $SystemMetrics.Disks) {
190        $html += @"
191        
192        <div class="metric-card">
193            <h3>💾 Disk $($disk.DriveLetter)</h3>
194            <div class="metric-value" style="color: $(Get-StatusColor $disk.Status)">
195                $($disk.UsagePercent)%
196            </div>
197            <div class="progress-bar">
198                <div class="progress-fill" style="width: $($disk.UsagePercent)%; background: $(Get-StatusColor $disk.Status)">
199                    $($disk.UsagePercent)%
200                </div>
201            </div>
202            <div class="metric-detail">Free: $($disk.FreeGB) GB / $($disk.TotalGB) GB</div>
203            <span class="status-badge" style="background: $(Get-StatusColor $disk.Status)">$($disk.Status)</span>
204        </div>
205"@
206    }
207
208    $html += @"
209    </div>
210    
211    <div class="section">
212        <h2>⚙️ Critical Services Status</h2>
213        <table>
214            <thead>
215                <tr>
216                    <th>Service Name</th>
217                    <th>Display Name</th>
218                    <th>Status</th>
219                    <th>Start Type</th>
220                    <th>Health</th>
221                </tr>
222            </thead>
223            <tbody>
224"@
225
226    foreach ($service in $ServiceStatus) {
227        $html += @"
228                <tr>
229                    <td>$($service.Name)</td>
230                    <td>$($service.DisplayName)</td>
231                    <td>$($service.Status)</td>
232                    <td>$($service.StartType)</td>
233                    <td><span class="status-badge" style="background: $(Get-StatusColor $service.Health)">$($service.Health)</span></td>
234                </tr>
235"@
236    }
237
238    $html += @"
239            </tbody>
240        </table>
241    </div>
242    
243    <div class="footer">
244        <p>Automated System Monitoring | Powered by PowerShell</p>
245        <p>Threshold Settings: CPU > $($Thresholds.CpuPercent)% | Memory > $($Thresholds.MemoryPercent)% | Disk > $($Thresholds.DiskSpacePercent)%</p>
246    </div>
247</body>
248</html>
249"@
250
251    # Save HTML file
252    $html | Out-File -FilePath $OutputPath -Encoding UTF8
253    Write-Host "✓ HTML report generated: $OutputPath" -ForegroundColor Green
254    
255    return $OutputPath
256}
257
258# Export function
259Export-ModuleMember -Function New-HtmlReport

Step 6: Create Email Alert System

Create email-alert.ps1:

powershell

1# email-alert.ps1 - Send email alerts
2
3function Send-MonitoringAlert {
4    param (
5        [hashtable]$EmailConfig,
6        [string]$HtmlReportPath,
7        [hashtable]$SystemMetrics,
8        [array]$ServiceStatus
9    )
10    
11    Write-Host "Checking if alerts are needed..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
12    
13    # Check if any metrics are in critical state
14    $criticalIssues = @()
15    
16    if ($SystemMetrics.CPU.Status -eq "Critical") {
17        $criticalIssues += "CPU usage is at $($SystemMetrics.CPU.UsagePercent)%"
18    }
19    
20    if ($SystemMetrics.Memory.Status -eq "Critical") {
21        $criticalIssues += "Memory usage is at $($SystemMetrics.Memory.UsagePercent)%"
22    }
23    
24    foreach ($disk in $SystemMetrics.Disks) {
25        if ($disk.Status -eq "Critical") {
26            $criticalIssues += "Disk $($disk.DriveLetter) is at $($disk.UsagePercent)% capacity ($($disk.FreeGB) GB free)"
27        }
28    }
29    
30    foreach ($service in $ServiceStatus) {
31        if ($service.Health -eq "Critical") {
32            $criticalIssues += "Service '$($service.DisplayName)' is $($service.Status)"
33        }
34    }
35    
36    if ($criticalIssues.Count -eq 0) {
37        Write-Host "✓ All systems normal - no alerts needed" -ForegroundColor Green
38        return
39    }
40    
41    # Build alert email
42    Write-Host "⚠️  Critical issues detected - sending alert..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
43    
44    $subject = "🚨 System Alert: $($SystemMetrics.ComputerName) - $($criticalIssues.Count) Critical Issues"
45    
46    $body = @"
47<html>
48<body style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
49    <h2 style="color: #dc3545;">System Alert: Critical Issues Detected</h2>
50    <p><strong>Server:</strong> $($SystemMetrics.ComputerName)</p>
51    <p><strong>Time:</strong> $($SystemMetrics.Timestamp.ToString('yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss'))</p>
52    <p><strong>Issue Count:</strong> $($criticalIssues.Count)</p>
53    
54    <h3>Critical Issues:</h3>
55    <ul>
56"@
57    
58    foreach ($issue in $criticalIssues) {
59        $body += "        <li style='color: #dc3545;'>$issue</li>`n"
60    }
61    
62    $body += @"
63    </ul>
64    
65    <p>Please see the attached detailed monitoring report.</p>
66    
67    <p style="color: #666; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 30px;">
68        This is an automated alert from the PowerShell System Monitoring Dashboard.
69    </p>
70</body>
71</html>
72"@
73    
74    try {
75        # Create secure password
76        $securePassword = ConvertTo-SecureString $EmailConfig.Password -AsPlainText -Force
77        $credential = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential($EmailConfig.Username, $securePassword)
78        
79        # Send email
80        $mailParams = @{
81            SmtpServer = $EmailConfig.SmtpServer
82            Port = $EmailConfig.Port
83            UseSsl = $EmailConfig.UseSsl
84            Credential = $credential
85            From = $EmailConfig.From
86            To = $EmailConfig.To
87            Subject = $subject
88            Body = $body
89            BodyAsHtml = $true
90            Attachments = $HtmlReportPath
91        }
92        
93        Send-MailMessage @mailParams
94        
95        Write-Host "✓ Alert email sent successfully" -ForegroundColor Green
96        
97    } catch {
98        Write-Error "Failed to send alert email: $_"
99    }
100}

Step 7: Create Main Monitoring Script

Create monitoring.ps1:

powershell

1# monitoring.ps1 - Main monitoring orchestration script
2
3# Load configuration
4. ".\config.ps1"
5
6# Import modules
7Import-Module ".\Modules\Get-SystemMetrics.ps1" -Force
8Import-Module ".\Modules\Get-ServiceStatus.ps1" -Force
9Import-Module ".\Modules\New-HtmlReport.ps1" -Force
10. ".\email-alert.ps1"
11
12Write-Host "`n========================================" -ForegroundColor Cyan
13Write-Host "  SYSTEM MONITORING DASHBOARD" -ForegroundColor Cyan
14Write-Host "========================================`n" -ForegroundColor Cyan
15
16try {
17    # Collect system metrics
18    $systemMetrics = Get-SystemMetrics
19    
20    if (-not $systemMetrics) {
21        throw "Failed to collect system metrics"
22    }
23    
24    # Check service status
25    $serviceStatus = Get-ServiceStatus -ServiceNames $CriticalServices
26    
27    # Generate HTML report
28    $timestamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd_HHmmss"
29    $reportFileName = "SystemMonitoring_$($env:COMPUTERNAME)_$timestamp.html"
30    $reportPath = Join-Path $ReportPath $reportFileName
31    
32    $htmlReport = New-HtmlReport -SystemMetrics $systemMetrics -ServiceStatus $serviceStatus -OutputPath $reportPath
33    
34    # Send alerts if needed
35    Send-MonitoringAlert -EmailConfig $EmailConfig -HtmlReportPath $htmlReport -SystemMetrics $systemMetrics -ServiceStatus $serviceStatus
36    
37    # Clean up old reports
38    Write-Host "`nCleaning up old reports..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
39    Get-ChildItem -Path $ReportPath -Filter "*.html" | 
40        Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-$RetentionDays) } | 
41        Remove-Item -Force
42    Write-Host "✓ Old reports removed" -ForegroundColor Green
43    
44    Write-Host "`n========================================" -ForegroundColor Green
45    Write-Host "  MONITORING COMPLETE" -ForegroundColor Green
46    Write-Host "========================================" -ForegroundColor Green
47    Write-Host "Report: $reportPath`n" -ForegroundColor White
48    
49} catch {
50    Write-Error "Monitoring failed: $_"
51    
52    # Log error
53    $errorLog = Join-Path $LogPath "error_$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd').log"
54    "$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss') - ERROR: $_" | Out-File -FilePath $errorLog -Append
55}

Step 8: Test Your Dashboard

Run the monitoring script:

powershell

1cd C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor
2.\monitoring.ps1

You should see output like:

Prompt

========================================
  SYSTEM MONITORING DASHBOARD
========================================

Collecting system metrics...
✓ System metrics collected
Checking service status...
✓ Service status checked
Generating HTML report...
✓ HTML report generated: C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor\Reports\SystemMonitoring_SERVER01_2026-01-16_143052.html
Checking if alerts are needed...
✓ All systems normal - no alerts needed

Cleaning up old reports...
✓ Old reports removed

========================================
  MONITORING COMPLETE
========================================
Report: C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor\Reports\SystemMonitoring_SERVER01_2026-01-16_143052.html

Open the HTML report in your browser to see the beautiful dashboard!

Step 9: Automate with Scheduled Task

Create a scheduled task to run every 5 minutes:

powershell

1# Create scheduled task
2$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "PowerShell.exe" -Argument "-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor\monitoring.ps1"
3
4$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Once -At (Get-Date) -RepetitionInterval (New-TimeSpan -Minutes 5) -RepetitionDuration ([TimeSpan]::MaxValue)
5
6$principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId "SYSTEM" -LogonType ServiceAccount -RunLevel Highest
7
8$settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -AllowStartIfOnBatteries -DontStopIfGoingOnBatteries -StartWhenAvailable
9
10Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "SystemMonitoring" -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -Principal $principal -Settings $settings -Description "Automated system monitoring dashboard"
11
12Write-Host "✓ Scheduled task created: Runs every 5 minutes" -ForegroundColor Green

Verify the task:

powershell

1Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName "SystemMonitoring"

Advanced Enhancements

Enhancement 1: Monitor Remote Servers

Modify Get-SystemMetrics to support remote computers:

powershell

1function Get-SystemMetrics {
2    param (
3        [string]$ComputerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME,
4        [PSCredential]$Credential
5    )
6    
7    $sessionParams = @{
8        ComputerName = $ComputerName
9    }
10    
11    if ($Credential) {
12        $sessionParams.Credential = $Credential
13    }
14    
15    Invoke-Command @sessionParams -ScriptBlock {
16        # All the metrics collection code here...
17    }
18}

Then monitor multiple servers:

powershell

1$servers = @("SERVER01", "SERVER02", "SERVER03")
2
3foreach ($server in $servers) {
4    $metrics = Get-SystemMetrics -ComputerName $server
5    # Generate report for each server...
6}

Enhancement 2: Add Database Logging

Store metrics in a SQL database for historical analysis:

powershell

1function Save-MetricsToDatabase {
2    param (
3        [hashtable]$SystemMetrics
4    )
5    
6    $connectionString = "Server=SQL01;Database=Monitoring;Integrated Security=True"
7    $connection = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection($connectionString)
8    $connection.Open()
9    
10    $query = @"
11INSERT INTO SystemMetrics (Timestamp, ComputerName, CpuPercent, MemoryPercent, DiskSpaceGB)
12VALUES (@Timestamp, @ComputerName, @CpuPercent, @MemoryPercent, @DiskSpaceGB)
13"@
14    
15    $command = $connection.CreateCommand()
16    $command.CommandText = $query
17    $command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@Timestamp", $SystemMetrics.Timestamp)
18    $command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@ComputerName", $SystemMetrics.ComputerName)
19    $command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@CpuPercent", $SystemMetrics.CPU.UsagePercent)
20    $command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@MemoryPercent", $SystemMetrics.Memory.UsagePercent)
21    
22    $command.ExecuteNonQuery()
23    $connection.Close()
24}

Enhancement 3: Slack Integration

Send alerts to Slack instead of email:

powershell

1function Send-SlackAlert {
2    param (
3        [string]$WebhookUrl,
4        [hashtable]$SystemMetrics,
5        [array]$CriticalIssues
6    )
7    
8    $payload = @{
9        text = "🚨 *System Alert: $($SystemMetrics.ComputerName)*"
10        blocks = @(
11            @{
12                type = "section"
13                text = @{
14                    type = "mrkdwn"
15                    text = "*Critical Issues Detected:*`n" + ($CriticalIssues -join "`n")
16                }
17            }
18        )
19    } | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 10
20    
21    Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $WebhookUrl -Method Post -Body $payload -ContentType "application/json"
22}

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Permission denied errors

Solution: Run PowerShell as Administrator
Or: Adjust execution policy: Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Issue 2: Email sending fails

Gmail: Use App Password, not regular password
Office 365: May need to enable SMTP AUTH in admin center
Check firewall isn't blocking port 587

Issue 3: Scheduled task doesn't run

Verify task is enabled: Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName "SystemMonitoring"
Check task history in Task Scheduler GUI
Ensure script paths are absolute (not relative)

Issue 4: High CPU from monitoring script itself

Increase monitoring interval (10-15 minutes instead of 5)
Reduce number of CPU samples in Get-SystemMetrics
Skip network statistics collection (can be slow)

Real-World ROI

Before automation:

Manual checks: 15 minutes, 3x per day = 45 min/day
Incident response delay: 30-60 minutes (didn't know there was an issue)
Monthly time spent: 15+ hours

After automation:

Active monitoring time: 5 minutes/day reviewing dashboard
Incident response: Immediate (email alert when threshold exceeded)
Monthly time spent: 2.5 hours

Time saved: 12.5 hours per month = 150 hours per year

At $75/hour IT rate, that's $11,250 in reclaimed time annually.

Plus the value of preventing downtime before customers notice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this monitor Linux servers? This script is Windows-specific (PowerShell + WMI/CIM). For Linux, use similar concepts with Bash + SNMP or Python scripts. Or use PowerShell 7 on Linux with adapted commands.

How do I monitor SQL Server performance specifically? Add SQL-specific metrics using Invoke-Sqlcmd:

powershell

1Invoke-Sqlcmd -Query "SELECT * FROM sys.dm_os_performance_counters WHERE counter_name = 'Page life expectancy'"

Can I view the dashboard in real-time without opening files? Yes, host the HTML on IIS. Update a file called index.html with each run, and browse to http://servername/monitoring/.

What if I don't have an email server? Use a service like SendGrid (free tier available), or post to Slack/Teams webhooks, or write to a shared network folder that people can check.

How do I add custom metrics (like application-specific checks)? Extend Get-SystemMetrics with your own checks. For example, check if a specific process is running, or query your application's health endpoint.

Build a PowerShell System Monitoring Dashboard in 30 Minutes

Your server is running slow. By the time someone notices and calls you, the damage is done: customers are complaining, sales are lost, and you're scrambling to diagnose what went wrong two hours ago.

What if you had a dashboard that showed CPU, memory, disk, and critical services in real-time—and automatically alerted you before things broke?

What You'll Build

By the end of this tutorial, you'll have:

Real-time monitoring dashboard showing CPU, RAM, disk, and network usage
Service status tracking for critical services (SQL Server, IIS, etc.)
Automatic email alerts when thresholds are exceeded
HTML reports that can be emailed or viewed in a browser
Automated scheduling to run every 5 minutes

Time to build: 30-45 minutes Skill level: Intermediate PowerShell (I'll explain everything) Works on: Windows Server 2016+, Windows 10/11

Prerequisites

You'll need:

Windows machine with PowerShell 5.1 or PowerShell 7+
Administrator privileges (for some system metrics)
SMTP email server access (Gmail, Office 365, or company server)
Basic PowerShell knowledge (variables, loops, functions)

Check your PowerShell version:

powershell

1$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

If you're below 5.1, update PowerShell or use Windows Management Framework 5.1.

Architecture Overview

Here's what we're building:

Prompt

┌──────────────────────────┐
│  System Metrics Module   │ ← Collect CPU, RAM, Disk data
└────────────┬─────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌──────────────────────────┐
│   Service Check Module   │ ← Check critical services
└────────────┬─────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌──────────────────────────┐
│   Threshold Checker      │ ← Compare against limits
└────────────┬─────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌──────────────────────────┐
│   HTML Report Generator  │ ← Create visual dashboard
└────────────┬─────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌──────────────────────────┐
│   Email Alert Sender     │ ← Send alerts if needed
└──────────────────────────┘

Step 1: Set Up Project Structure

Create a clean folder structure:

powershell

1# Create project folder
2New-Item -Path "C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor" -ItemType Directory -Force
3Set-Location "C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor"
4
5# Create subfolders
6New-Item -Path ".\Modules" -ItemType Directory -Force
7New-Item -Path ".\Reports" -ItemType Directory -Force
8New-Item -Path ".\Logs" -ItemType Directory -Force
9
10# Create main files
11New-Item -Path ".\config.ps1" -ItemType File -Force
12New-Item -Path ".\monitoring.ps1" -ItemType File -Force
13New-Item -Path ".\email-alert.ps1" -ItemType File -Force

Step 2: Create Configuration File

Create config.ps1 with your settings:

powershell

1# config.ps1 - Configuration settings
2
3# Email settings
4$EmailConfig = @{
5    SmtpServer = "smtp.gmail.com"
6    Port = 587
7    UseSsl = $true
8    From = "your-email@gmail.com"
9    To = @("admin@company.com", "ops-team@company.com")
10    Username = "your-email@gmail.com"
11    Password = "your-app-password"  # Use App Password for Gmail
12}
13
14# Monitoring thresholds
15$Thresholds = @{
16    CpuPercent = 80          # Alert if CPU > 80%
17    MemoryPercent = 85       # Alert if Memory > 85%
18    DiskSpacePercent = 90    # Alert if Disk > 90% full
19    DiskSpaceGB = 10         # Alert if < 10 GB free
20}
21
22# Critical services to monitor
23$CriticalServices = @(
24    "W3SVC",           # IIS
25    "MSSQLSERVER",     # SQL Server
26    "WinRM",           # Remote Management
27    "EventLog",        # Event Log service
28    "Spooler"          # Print Spooler
29)
30
31# Report settings
32$ReportPath = "C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor\Reports"
33$LogPath = "C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor\Logs"
34$RetentionDays = 7  # Keep reports for 7 days
35
36# Monitoring interval (for scheduled task)
37$MonitoringIntervalMinutes = 5
38
39Write-Host "✓ Configuration loaded" -ForegroundColor Green

Important: For Gmail, create an App Password instead of using your regular password.

Step 3: Build System Metrics Module

Create Modules\Get-SystemMetrics.ps1:

powershell

1# Get-SystemMetrics.ps1 - Collect system performance data
2
3function Get-SystemMetrics {
4    param (
5        [string]$ComputerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME
6    )
7    
8    Write-Host "Collecting system metrics..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
9    
10    $metrics = @{
11        ComputerName = $ComputerName
12        Timestamp = Get-Date
13        CPU = $null
14        Memory = $null
15        Disks = @()
16        Network = $null
17        Uptime = $null
18    }
19    
20    try {
21        # CPU Usage
22        $cpuSamples = Get-Counter '\Processor(_Total)\% Processor Time' -SampleInterval 1 -MaxSamples 3
23        $cpuAvg = ($cpuSamples.CounterSamples | Measure-Object -Property CookedValue -Average).Average
24        $metrics.CPU = @{
25            UsagePercent = [math]::Round($cpuAvg, 2)
26            Status = if ($cpuAvg -gt $Thresholds.CpuPercent) { "Critical" } 
27                     elseif ($cpuAvg -gt ($Thresholds.CpuPercent * 0.8)) { "Warning" } 
28                     else { "OK" }
29        }
30        
31        # Memory Usage
32        $os = Get-CimInstance Win32_OperatingSystem
33        $totalMemoryGB = [math]::Round($os.TotalVisibleMemorySize / 1MB, 2)
34        $freeMemoryGB = [math]::Round($os.FreePhysicalMemory / 1MB, 2)
35        $usedMemoryGB = $totalMemoryGB - $freeMemoryGB
36        $memoryPercent = [math]::Round(($usedMemoryGB / $totalMemoryGB) * 100, 2)
37        
38        $metrics.Memory = @{
39            TotalGB = $totalMemoryGB
40            UsedGB = $usedMemoryGB
41            FreeGB = $freeMemoryGB
42            UsagePercent = $memoryPercent
43            Status = if ($memoryPercent -gt $Thresholds.MemoryPercent) { "Critical" } 
44                     elseif ($memoryPercent -gt ($Thresholds.MemoryPercent * 0.8)) { "Warning" } 
45                     else { "OK" }
46        }
47        
48        # Disk Usage
49        $disks = Get-CimInstance Win32_LogicalDisk | Where-Object { $_.DriveType -eq 3 }
50        
51        foreach ($disk in $disks) {
52            $totalGB = [math]::Round($disk.Size / 1GB, 2)
53            $freeGB = [math]::Round($disk.FreeSpace / 1GB, 2)
54            $usedGB = $totalGB - $freeGB
55            $usedPercent = [math]::Round(($usedGB / $totalGB) * 100, 2)
56            
57            $diskStatus = if ($usedPercent -gt $Thresholds.DiskSpacePercent -or $freeGB -lt $Thresholds.DiskSpaceGB) { "Critical" } 
58                         elseif ($usedPercent -gt ($Thresholds.DiskSpacePercent * 0.8)) { "Warning" } 
59                         else { "OK" }
60            
61            $metrics.Disks += @{
62                DriveLetter = $disk.DeviceID
63                TotalGB = $totalGB
64                UsedGB = $usedGB
65                FreeGB = $freeGB
66                UsagePercent = $usedPercent
67                Status = $diskStatus
68            }
69        }
70        
71        # System Uptime
72        $uptime = (Get-Date) - $os.LastBootUpTime
73        $metrics.Uptime = @{
74            Days = $uptime.Days
75            Hours = $uptime.Hours
76            Minutes = $uptime.Minutes
77            TotalHours = [math]::Round($uptime.TotalHours, 1)
78        }
79        
80        # Network Statistics (optional - can be slow on some systems)
81        try {
82            $netAdapter = Get-NetAdapter | Where-Object Status -eq "Up" | Select-Object -First 1
83            if ($netAdapter) {
84                $netStats = Get-NetAdapterStatistics -Name $netAdapter.Name
85                $metrics.Network = @{
86                    AdapterName = $netAdapter.Name
87                    Status = $netAdapter.Status
88                    BytesSent = [math]::Round($netStats.SentBytes / 1GB, 2)
89                    BytesReceived = [math]::Round($netStats.ReceivedBytes / 1GB, 2)
90                }
91            }
92        } catch {
93            Write-Warning "Could not retrieve network statistics: $_"
94            $metrics.Network = @{ Status = "Unknown" }
95        }
96        
97        Write-Host "✓ System metrics collected" -ForegroundColor Green
98        return $metrics
99        
100    } catch {
101        Write-Error "Failed to collect system metrics: $_"
102        return $null
103    }
104}
105
106# Export function
107Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-SystemMetrics

Step 4: Build Service Monitoring Module

Create Modules\Get-ServiceStatus.ps1:

powershell

1# Get-ServiceStatus.ps1 - Monitor critical services
2
3function Get-ServiceStatus {
4    param (
5        [string[]]$ServiceNames
6    )
7    
8    Write-Host "Checking service status..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
9    
10    $serviceResults = @()
11    
12    foreach ($serviceName in $ServiceNames) {
13        try {
14            $service = Get-Service -Name $serviceName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
15            
16            if ($service) {
17                $serviceResults += @{
18                    Name = $service.Name
19                    DisplayName = $service.DisplayName
20                    Status = $service.Status.ToString()
21                    StartType = $service.StartType.ToString()
22                    Health = if ($service.Status -eq 'Running') { "OK" } else { "Critical" }
23                }
24            } else {
25                $serviceResults += @{
26                    Name = $serviceName
27                    DisplayName = "Service Not Found"
28                    Status = "NotInstalled"
29                    StartType = "N/A"
30                    Health = "Warning"
31                }
32            }
33        } catch {
34            Write-Warning "Error checking service $serviceName: $_"
35            $serviceResults += @{
36                Name = $serviceName
37                DisplayName = "Error"
38                Status = "Unknown"
39                StartType = "N/A"
40                Health = "Critical"
41            }
42        }
43    }
44    
45    Write-Host "✓ Service status checked" -ForegroundColor Green
46    return $serviceResults
47}
48
49# Export function
50Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-ServiceStatus

Step 5: Create HTML Dashboard Generator

Create Modules\New-HtmlReport.ps1:

powershell

1# New-HtmlReport.ps1 - Generate HTML dashboard
2
3function New-HtmlReport {
4    param (
5        [hashtable]$SystemMetrics,
6        [array]$ServiceStatus,
7        [string]$OutputPath
8    )
9    
10    Write-Host "Generating HTML report..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
11    
12    # Helper function for status color
13    function Get-StatusColor {
14        param($Status)
15        switch ($Status) {
16            "OK" { return "#28a745" }      # Green
17            "Warning" { return "#ffc107" }  # Yellow
18            "Critical" { return "#dc3545" } # Red
19            default { return "#6c757d" }    # Gray
20        }
21    }
22    
23    # Build HTML
24    $html = @"
25<!DOCTYPE html>
26<html>
27<head>
28    <title>System Monitoring Dashboard - $($SystemMetrics.ComputerName)</title>
29    <style>
30        body {
31            font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
32            margin: 0;
33            padding: 20px;
34            background: #f4f6f9;
35        }
36        .header {
37            background: linear-gradient(135deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%);
38            color: white;
39            padding: 30px;
40            border-radius: 10px;
41            margin-bottom: 30px;
42            box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
43        }
44        .header h1 {
45            margin: 0;
46            font-size: 32px;
47        }
48        .header .timestamp {
49            opacity: 0.9;
50            margin-top: 10px;
51        }
52        .metrics-grid {
53            display: grid;
54            grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(280px, 1fr));
55            gap: 20px;
56            margin-bottom: 30px;
57        }
58        .metric-card {
59            background: white;
60            border-radius: 10px;
61            padding: 25px;
62            box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
63            border-left: 5px solid #667eea;
64        }
65        .metric-card h3 {
66            margin: 0 0 15px 0;
67            color: #333;
68            font-size: 16px;
69            text-transform: uppercase;
70            letter-spacing: 1px;
71        }
72        .metric-value {
73            font-size: 42px;
74            font-weight: bold;
75            margin: 15px 0;
76        }
77        .metric-detail {
78            color: #666;
79            font-size: 14px;
80            margin: 5px 0;
81        }
82        .status-badge {
83            display: inline-block;
84            padding: 5px 12px;
85            border-radius: 20px;
86            color: white;
87            font-size: 12px;
88            font-weight: bold;
89            text-transform: uppercase;
90        }
91        .progress-bar {
92            height: 20px;
93            background: #e9ecef;
94            border-radius: 10px;
95            overflow: hidden;
96            margin: 10px 0;
97        }
98        .progress-fill {
99            height: 100%;
100            transition: width 0.3s ease;
101            display: flex;
102            align-items: center;
103            justify-content: center;
104            color: white;
105            font-size: 12px;
106            font-weight: bold;
107        }
108        .section {
109            background: white;
110            border-radius: 10px;
111            padding: 25px;
112            margin-bottom: 20px;
113            box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);
114        }
115        .section h2 {
116            margin: 0 0 20px 0;
117            color: #667eea;
118            border-bottom: 3px solid #667eea;
119            padding-bottom: 10px;
120        }
121        table {
122            width: 100%;
123            border-collapse: collapse;
124        }
125        th {
126            background: #f8f9fa;
127            padding: 12px;
128            text-align: left;
129            font-weight: 600;
130            color: #333;
131            border-bottom: 2px solid #dee2e6;
132        }
133        td {
134            padding: 12px;
135            border-bottom: 1px solid #dee2e6;
136        }
137        tr:hover {
138            background: #f8f9fa;
139        }
140        .footer {
141            text-align: center;
142            color: #666;
143            margin-top: 30px;
144            padding-top: 20px;
145            border-top: 1px solid #dee2e6;
146            font-size: 12px;
147        }
148    </style>
149</head>
150<body>
151    <div class="header">
152        <h1>🖥️ System Monitoring Dashboard</h1>
153        <div class="timestamp">Server: $($SystemMetrics.ComputerName) | Generated: $($SystemMetrics.Timestamp.ToString('yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss'))</div>
154        <div class="timestamp">Uptime: $($SystemMetrics.Uptime.Days) days, $($SystemMetrics.Uptime.Hours) hours, $($SystemMetrics.Uptime.Minutes) minutes</div>
155    </div>
156    
157    <div class="metrics-grid">
158        <!-- CPU Card -->
159        <div class="metric-card">
160            <h3>💻 CPU Usage</h3>
161            <div class="metric-value" style="color: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.CPU.Status)">
162                $($SystemMetrics.CPU.UsagePercent)%
163            </div>
164            <div class="progress-bar">
165                <div class="progress-fill" style="width: $($SystemMetrics.CPU.UsagePercent)%; background: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.CPU.Status)">
166                    $($SystemMetrics.CPU.UsagePercent)%
167                </div>
168            </div>
169            <span class="status-badge" style="background: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.CPU.Status)">$($SystemMetrics.CPU.Status)</span>
170        </div>
171        
172        <!-- Memory Card -->
173        <div class="metric-card">
174            <h3>🧠 Memory Usage</h3>
175            <div class="metric-value" style="color: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.Memory.Status)">
176                $($SystemMetrics.Memory.UsagePercent)%
177            </div>
178            <div class="progress-bar">
179                <div class="progress-fill" style="width: $($SystemMetrics.Memory.UsagePercent)%; background: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.Memory.Status)">
180                    $($SystemMetrics.Memory.UsagePercent)%
181                </div>
182            </div>
183            <div class="metric-detail">Used: $($SystemMetrics.Memory.UsedGB) GB / $($SystemMetrics.Memory.TotalGB) GB</div>
184            <span class="status-badge" style="background: $(Get-StatusColor $SystemMetrics.Memory.Status)">$($SystemMetrics.Memory.Status)</span>
185        </div>
186"@
187
188    # Add disk cards
189    foreach ($disk in $SystemMetrics.Disks) {
190        $html += @"
191        
192        <div class="metric-card">
193            <h3>💾 Disk $($disk.DriveLetter)</h3>
194            <div class="metric-value" style="color: $(Get-StatusColor $disk.Status)">
195                $($disk.UsagePercent)%
196            </div>
197            <div class="progress-bar">
198                <div class="progress-fill" style="width: $($disk.UsagePercent)%; background: $(Get-StatusColor $disk.Status)">
199                    $($disk.UsagePercent)%
200                </div>
201            </div>
202            <div class="metric-detail">Free: $($disk.FreeGB) GB / $($disk.TotalGB) GB</div>
203            <span class="status-badge" style="background: $(Get-StatusColor $disk.Status)">$($disk.Status)</span>
204        </div>
205"@
206    }
207
208    $html += @"
209    </div>
210    
211    <div class="section">
212        <h2>⚙️ Critical Services Status</h2>
213        <table>
214            <thead>
215                <tr>
216                    <th>Service Name</th>
217                    <th>Display Name</th>
218                    <th>Status</th>
219                    <th>Start Type</th>
220                    <th>Health</th>
221                </tr>
222            </thead>
223            <tbody>
224"@
225
226    foreach ($service in $ServiceStatus) {
227        $html += @"
228                <tr>
229                    <td>$($service.Name)</td>
230                    <td>$($service.DisplayName)</td>
231                    <td>$($service.Status)</td>
232                    <td>$($service.StartType)</td>
233                    <td><span class="status-badge" style="background: $(Get-StatusColor $service.Health)">$($service.Health)</span></td>
234                </tr>
235"@
236    }
237
238    $html += @"
239            </tbody>
240        </table>
241    </div>
242    
243    <div class="footer">
244        <p>Automated System Monitoring | Powered by PowerShell</p>
245        <p>Threshold Settings: CPU > $($Thresholds.CpuPercent)% | Memory > $($Thresholds.MemoryPercent)% | Disk > $($Thresholds.DiskSpacePercent)%</p>
246    </div>
247</body>
248</html>
249"@
250
251    # Save HTML file
252    $html | Out-File -FilePath $OutputPath -Encoding UTF8
253    Write-Host "✓ HTML report generated: $OutputPath" -ForegroundColor Green
254    
255    return $OutputPath
256}
257
258# Export function
259Export-ModuleMember -Function New-HtmlReport

Step 6: Create Email Alert System

Create email-alert.ps1:

powershell

1# email-alert.ps1 - Send email alerts
2
3function Send-MonitoringAlert {
4    param (
5        [hashtable]$EmailConfig,
6        [string]$HtmlReportPath,
7        [hashtable]$SystemMetrics,
8        [array]$ServiceStatus
9    )
10    
11    Write-Host "Checking if alerts are needed..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
12    
13    # Check if any metrics are in critical state
14    $criticalIssues = @()
15    
16    if ($SystemMetrics.CPU.Status -eq "Critical") {
17        $criticalIssues += "CPU usage is at $($SystemMetrics.CPU.UsagePercent)%"
18    }
19    
20    if ($SystemMetrics.Memory.Status -eq "Critical") {
21        $criticalIssues += "Memory usage is at $($SystemMetrics.Memory.UsagePercent)%"
22    }
23    
24    foreach ($disk in $SystemMetrics.Disks) {
25        if ($disk.Status -eq "Critical") {
26            $criticalIssues += "Disk $($disk.DriveLetter) is at $($disk.UsagePercent)% capacity ($($disk.FreeGB) GB free)"
27        }
28    }
29    
30    foreach ($service in $ServiceStatus) {
31        if ($service.Health -eq "Critical") {
32            $criticalIssues += "Service '$($service.DisplayName)' is $($service.Status)"
33        }
34    }
35    
36    if ($criticalIssues.Count -eq 0) {
37        Write-Host "✓ All systems normal - no alerts needed" -ForegroundColor Green
38        return
39    }
40    
41    # Build alert email
42    Write-Host "⚠️  Critical issues detected - sending alert..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
43    
44    $subject = "🚨 System Alert: $($SystemMetrics.ComputerName) - $($criticalIssues.Count) Critical Issues"
45    
46    $body = @"
47<html>
48<body style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
49    <h2 style="color: #dc3545;">System Alert: Critical Issues Detected</h2>
50    <p><strong>Server:</strong> $($SystemMetrics.ComputerName)</p>
51    <p><strong>Time:</strong> $($SystemMetrics.Timestamp.ToString('yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss'))</p>
52    <p><strong>Issue Count:</strong> $($criticalIssues.Count)</p>
53    
54    <h3>Critical Issues:</h3>
55    <ul>
56"@
57    
58    foreach ($issue in $criticalIssues) {
59        $body += "        <li style='color: #dc3545;'>$issue</li>`n"
60    }
61    
62    $body += @"
63    </ul>
64    
65    <p>Please see the attached detailed monitoring report.</p>
66    
67    <p style="color: #666; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 30px;">
68        This is an automated alert from the PowerShell System Monitoring Dashboard.
69    </p>
70</body>
71</html>
72"@
73    
74    try {
75        # Create secure password
76        $securePassword = ConvertTo-SecureString $EmailConfig.Password -AsPlainText -Force
77        $credential = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential($EmailConfig.Username, $securePassword)
78        
79        # Send email
80        $mailParams = @{
81            SmtpServer = $EmailConfig.SmtpServer
82            Port = $EmailConfig.Port
83            UseSsl = $EmailConfig.UseSsl
84            Credential = $credential
85            From = $EmailConfig.From
86            To = $EmailConfig.To
87            Subject = $subject
88            Body = $body
89            BodyAsHtml = $true
90            Attachments = $HtmlReportPath
91        }
92        
93        Send-MailMessage @mailParams
94        
95        Write-Host "✓ Alert email sent successfully" -ForegroundColor Green
96        
97    } catch {
98        Write-Error "Failed to send alert email: $_"
99    }
100}

Step 7: Create Main Monitoring Script

Create monitoring.ps1:

powershell

1# monitoring.ps1 - Main monitoring orchestration script
2
3# Load configuration
4. ".\config.ps1"
5
6# Import modules
7Import-Module ".\Modules\Get-SystemMetrics.ps1" -Force
8Import-Module ".\Modules\Get-ServiceStatus.ps1" -Force
9Import-Module ".\Modules\New-HtmlReport.ps1" -Force
10. ".\email-alert.ps1"
11
12Write-Host "`n========================================" -ForegroundColor Cyan
13Write-Host "  SYSTEM MONITORING DASHBOARD" -ForegroundColor Cyan
14Write-Host "========================================`n" -ForegroundColor Cyan
15
16try {
17    # Collect system metrics
18    $systemMetrics = Get-SystemMetrics
19    
20    if (-not $systemMetrics) {
21        throw "Failed to collect system metrics"
22    }
23    
24    # Check service status
25    $serviceStatus = Get-ServiceStatus -ServiceNames $CriticalServices
26    
27    # Generate HTML report
28    $timestamp = Get-Date -Format "yyyy-MM-dd_HHmmss"
29    $reportFileName = "SystemMonitoring_$($env:COMPUTERNAME)_$timestamp.html"
30    $reportPath = Join-Path $ReportPath $reportFileName
31    
32    $htmlReport = New-HtmlReport -SystemMetrics $systemMetrics -ServiceStatus $serviceStatus -OutputPath $reportPath
33    
34    # Send alerts if needed
35    Send-MonitoringAlert -EmailConfig $EmailConfig -HtmlReportPath $htmlReport -SystemMetrics $systemMetrics -ServiceStatus $serviceStatus
36    
37    # Clean up old reports
38    Write-Host "`nCleaning up old reports..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
39    Get-ChildItem -Path $ReportPath -Filter "*.html" | 
40        Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-$RetentionDays) } | 
41        Remove-Item -Force
42    Write-Host "✓ Old reports removed" -ForegroundColor Green
43    
44    Write-Host "`n========================================" -ForegroundColor Green
45    Write-Host "  MONITORING COMPLETE" -ForegroundColor Green
46    Write-Host "========================================" -ForegroundColor Green
47    Write-Host "Report: $reportPath`n" -ForegroundColor White
48    
49} catch {
50    Write-Error "Monitoring failed: $_"
51    
52    # Log error
53    $errorLog = Join-Path $LogPath "error_$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd').log"
54    "$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss') - ERROR: $_" | Out-File -FilePath $errorLog -Append
55}

Step 8: Test Your Dashboard

Run the monitoring script:

powershell

1cd C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor
2.\monitoring.ps1

You should see output like:

Prompt

========================================
  SYSTEM MONITORING DASHBOARD
========================================

Collecting system metrics...
✓ System metrics collected
Checking service status...
✓ Service status checked
Generating HTML report...
✓ HTML report generated: C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor\Reports\SystemMonitoring_SERVER01_2026-01-16_143052.html
Checking if alerts are needed...
✓ All systems normal - no alerts needed

Cleaning up old reports...
✓ Old reports removed

========================================
  MONITORING COMPLETE
========================================
Report: C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor\Reports\SystemMonitoring_SERVER01_2026-01-16_143052.html

Open the HTML report in your browser to see the beautiful dashboard!

Step 9: Automate with Scheduled Task

Create a scheduled task to run every 5 minutes:

powershell

1# Create scheduled task
2$action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "PowerShell.exe" -Argument "-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File C:\Scripts\ServerMonitor\monitoring.ps1"
3
4$trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Once -At (Get-Date) -RepetitionInterval (New-TimeSpan -Minutes 5) -RepetitionDuration ([TimeSpan]::MaxValue)
5
6$principal = New-ScheduledTaskPrincipal -UserId "SYSTEM" -LogonType ServiceAccount -RunLevel Highest
7
8$settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -AllowStartIfOnBatteries -DontStopIfGoingOnBatteries -StartWhenAvailable
9
10Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "SystemMonitoring" -Action $action -Trigger $trigger -Principal $principal -Settings $settings -Description "Automated system monitoring dashboard"
11
12Write-Host "✓ Scheduled task created: Runs every 5 minutes" -ForegroundColor Green

Verify the task:

powershell

1Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName "SystemMonitoring"

Advanced Enhancements

Enhancement 1: Monitor Remote Servers

Modify Get-SystemMetrics to support remote computers:

powershell

1function Get-SystemMetrics {
2    param (
3        [string]$ComputerName = $env:COMPUTERNAME,
4        [PSCredential]$Credential
5    )
6    
7    $sessionParams = @{
8        ComputerName = $ComputerName
9    }
10    
11    if ($Credential) {
12        $sessionParams.Credential = $Credential
13    }
14    
15    Invoke-Command @sessionParams -ScriptBlock {
16        # All the metrics collection code here...
17    }
18}

Then monitor multiple servers:

powershell

1$servers = @("SERVER01", "SERVER02", "SERVER03")
2
3foreach ($server in $servers) {
4    $metrics = Get-SystemMetrics -ComputerName $server
5    # Generate report for each server...
6}

Enhancement 2: Add Database Logging

Store metrics in a SQL database for historical analysis:

powershell

1function Save-MetricsToDatabase {
2    param (
3        [hashtable]$SystemMetrics
4    )
5    
6    $connectionString = "Server=SQL01;Database=Monitoring;Integrated Security=True"
7    $connection = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection($connectionString)
8    $connection.Open()
9    
10    $query = @"
11INSERT INTO SystemMetrics (Timestamp, ComputerName, CpuPercent, MemoryPercent, DiskSpaceGB)
12VALUES (@Timestamp, @ComputerName, @CpuPercent, @MemoryPercent, @DiskSpaceGB)
13"@
14    
15    $command = $connection.CreateCommand()
16    $command.CommandText = $query
17    $command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@Timestamp", $SystemMetrics.Timestamp)
18    $command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@ComputerName", $SystemMetrics.ComputerName)
19    $command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@CpuPercent", $SystemMetrics.CPU.UsagePercent)
20    $command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@MemoryPercent", $SystemMetrics.Memory.UsagePercent)
21    
22    $command.ExecuteNonQuery()
23    $connection.Close()
24}

Enhancement 3: Slack Integration

Send alerts to Slack instead of email:

powershell

1function Send-SlackAlert {
2    param (
3        [string]$WebhookUrl,
4        [hashtable]$SystemMetrics,
5        [array]$CriticalIssues
6    )
7    
8    $payload = @{
9        text = "🚨 *System Alert: $($SystemMetrics.ComputerName)*"
10        blocks = @(
11            @{
12                type = "section"
13                text = @{
14                    type = "mrkdwn"
15                    text = "*Critical Issues Detected:*`n" + ($CriticalIssues -join "`n")
16                }
17            }
18        )
19    } | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 10
20    
21    Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $WebhookUrl -Method Post -Body $payload -ContentType "application/json"
22}

Troubleshooting

Issue 1: Permission denied errors

Solution: Run PowerShell as Administrator
Or: Adjust execution policy: Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Issue 2: Email sending fails

Gmail: Use App Password, not regular password
Office 365: May need to enable SMTP AUTH in admin center
Check firewall isn't blocking port 587

Issue 3: Scheduled task doesn't run

Verify task is enabled: Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName "SystemMonitoring"
Check task history in Task Scheduler GUI
Ensure script paths are absolute (not relative)

Issue 4: High CPU from monitoring script itself

Increase monitoring interval (10-15 minutes instead of 5)
Reduce number of CPU samples in Get-SystemMetrics
Skip network statistics collection (can be slow)

Real-World ROI

Before automation:

Manual checks: 15 minutes, 3x per day = 45 min/day
Incident response delay: 30-60 minutes (didn't know there was an issue)
Monthly time spent: 15+ hours

After automation:

Active monitoring time: 5 minutes/day reviewing dashboard
Incident response: Immediate (email alert when threshold exceeded)
Monthly time spent: 2.5 hours

Time saved: 12.5 hours per month = 150 hours per year

At $75/hour IT rate, that's $11,250 in reclaimed time annually.

Plus the value of preventing downtime before customers notice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I monitor SQL Server performance specifically? Add SQL-specific metrics using Invoke-Sqlcmd:

powershell

1Invoke-Sqlcmd -Query "SELECT * FROM sys.dm_os_performance_counters WHERE counter_name = 'Page life expectancy'"

Can I view the dashboard in real-time without opening files? Yes, host the HTML on IIS. Update a file called index.html with each run, and browse to http://servername/monitoring/.

What if I don't have an email server? Use a service like SendGrid (free tier available), or post to Slack/Teams webhooks, or write to a shared network folder that people can check.

Build a PowerShell System Monitoring Dashboard in 30 Minutes

What You'll Build

Prerequisites

Architecture Overview

Step 1: Set Up Project Structure

Step 2: Create Configuration File

Step 3: Build System Metrics Module

Step 4: Build Service Monitoring Module

Step 5: Create HTML Dashboard Generator

Step 6: Create Email Alert System

Step 7: Create Main Monitoring Script

Step 8: Test Your Dashboard

Step 9: Automate with Scheduled Task

Advanced Enhancements

Enhancement 1: Monitor Remote Servers

Enhancement 2: Add Database Logging

Enhancement 3: Slack Integration

Troubleshooting

Real-World ROI

Frequently Asked Questions

Share this article

Build a PowerShell System Monitoring Dashboard in 30 Minutes

What You'll Build

Prerequisites

Architecture Overview

Step 1: Set Up Project Structure

Step 2: Create Configuration File

Step 3: Build System Metrics Module

Step 4: Build Service Monitoring Module

Step 5: Create HTML Dashboard Generator

Step 6: Create Email Alert System

Step 7: Create Main Monitoring Script

Step 8: Test Your Dashboard

Step 9: Automate with Scheduled Task

Advanced Enhancements

Enhancement 1: Monitor Remote Servers

Enhancement 2: Add Database Logging

Enhancement 3: Slack Integration

Troubleshooting

Real-World ROI

Frequently Asked Questions

Share this article