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# Lets expand on this into a dev plan and for starters we are going to use a shared server, with c-panel and node.js app install capabilities, also has database capabilities and domain and dns management:

Phase V–X: Observability, Testing \& Scale
V — Monitoring \& Alerting: Add Sentry for error tracking, Datadog or Grafana for performance monitoring, and uptime checks. This is currently listed as a production blocker in the project status

Phase V should give you **basic observability in one sprint**: Sentry for errors, a single metrics/trace target (Datadog *or* Grafana Cloud) for performance, plus health/uptime checks that external monitors can hit.[^1][^2][^3]

***

## 1. Error tracking with Sentry

**Backend (Node/Express on cPanel):**

- Add Sentry SDK:
    - `npm install @sentry/node @sentry/profiling-node`.[^4][^5][^3]
    - Initialize as early as possible in your app entry:

```js
const Sentry = require('@sentry/node');
const { nodeProfilingIntegration } = require('@sentry/profiling-node');

Sentry.init({
  dsn: process.env.SENTRY_DSN,
  tracesSampleRate: 0.2,      // start low
  profilesSampleRate: 0.0,    // maybe off initially
  environment: process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development',
});
```

    - Add middleware:

```js
app.use(Sentry.Handlers.requestHandler());
// ... your routes
Sentry.setupExpressErrorHandler(app);  // v8 style [][]
```

    - Add a `/debug-sentry` route in non-production to test error capture.[^3]

**Frontend (React):**

- Use Sentry browser SDK and wrap your app so you capture frontend errors too (optional in v1, but low effort).

This gives you stack traces, user context, and release tagging for both backend and frontend errors.[^5][^3]

***

## 2. Performance monitoring (Datadog *or* Grafana)

Given shared hosting, pick **one** to start:

### Option A: Datadog APM for Node

- You need:
    - A Datadog account and an Agent somewhere reachable by your Node app (may be tricky on pure shared hosting, but possible if host supports it or via an external agent).[^6][^7][^2]
- In Node:
    - `npm install dd-trace`.[^8][^2]
    - At the **very top** of your entry file:

```js
require('dd-trace').init({
  service: 'aiistech-app',
  env: process.env.NODE_ENV || 'production',
});
```

    - This auto-instruments HTTP, DB calls, etc., and sends traces to the Agent.[^2][^6]


### Option B: Grafana Cloud + Prometheus-style metrics

- Use a small Prometheus client in Node to expose `/metrics` and then have a Prometheus or Grafana Agent scrape and remote_write to Grafana Cloud.[^9][^10][^11]
- This may be more infra than you want on cPanel initially; Datadog (or similar APM SaaS) is usually simpler for Node apps.[^7][^2]

For Phase V, I’d start with **Sentry + simple Node health/metrics endpoints**, and only add APM if your host supports running the necessary agent.

***

## 3. Health and uptime checks

Implement robust health endpoints in Node so you can use any uptime service (UptimeRobot, BetterStack, StatusCake, etc.).

- Add a small health checker module like the pattern here:[^12][^1]
    - `GET /health/live` – liveness (process up, memory/uptime). Always 200 unless something is fundamentally wrong.[^1][^12]
    - `GET /health/ready` – readiness (can we handle traffic?). Runs checks for DB connection, critical dependencies; returns 200 if ready, 503 if not.[^1]
    - `GET /health` – combined JSON for debugging (not used by external monitors).[^12][^1]
- Use external uptime monitors to hit `/health/ready` every 30–60 seconds and alert you on failures.[^13][^14]

This pattern is standard and easy to implement even on shared hosting.[^12][^1]

***

## 4. Logging and basic metrics

Without heavy infra:

- Standardize logs:
    - Use structured logging (JSON) including `tenantId`, `requestId`, `route`, `latency`.
- Add minimal in-process counters:
    - Requests per route, error rates, request timings.
- If you later deploy a Prometheus/Grafana or Datadog Agent, you already have useful metrics to scrape or forward.[^10][^11][^2]

***

## 5. Milestones

1. **V1 – Sentry + health checks (blocker removal)**
    - Sentry wired into Node + (optionally) React.[^4][^5][^3]
    - `/health/live`, `/health/ready`, `/health` implemented.[^1][^12]
    - External uptime check configured.
2. **V2 – Basic performance view**
    - Either Datadog APM (`dd-trace`) if an Agent is feasible.[^6][^8][^2]
    - Or start exposing simple metrics endpoints in preparation for Grafana later.[^11][^10]
3. **V3 – Alerts and runbooks**
    - Sentry alerts on key errors.
    - Uptime alerts on `/health/ready`.
    - A short internal doc: “When X alert fires, check Y.”

Once V1 is done, the “no monitoring” production blocker is removed: you’ll have error visibility, health probes for uptime, and a path to deeper performance monitoring.

Would you rather integrate Datadog APM now (if your host supports its agent) or keep Phase V thin with Sentry + health checks and add APM later?
<span style="display:none">[^15][^16][^17][^18][^19]</span>

<div align="center">⁂</div>

[^1]: https://oneuptime.com/blog/post/2026-01-06-nodejs-health-checks-kubernetes/view

[^2]: https://www.datadoghq.com/blog/node-monitoring-apm/

[^3]: https://docs.sentry.io/platforms/javascript/guides/express__v7.x/

[^4]: https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-javascript/blob/develop/docs/v8-node.md

[^5]: https://dev.to/yusadolat/how-to-add-sentry-integration-to-your-nodejs-app-26eo

[^6]: https://github.com/DataDog/documentation/blob/master/content/en/tracing/trace_collection/library_config/nodejs.md

[^7]: https://gist.github.com/stevenc81/918207547ca22b8c86ff34e8e79e953a

[^8]: https://github.com/DataDog/dd-trace-js

[^9]: https://github.com/containrrr/watchtower/issues/993

[^10]: https://grafana.com/docs/learning-paths/prom-remote-write/configure-prom-remote-write/

[^11]: https://grafana.com/docs/learning-paths/prom-remote-write/

[^12]: https://blog.logrocket.com/how-to-implement-a-health-check-in-node-js/

[^13]: https://github.com/lukebertram/uptime-monitor

[^14]: https://github.com/fzaninotto/uptime

[^15]: https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-javascript/discussions/5698

[^16]: https://github.com/grafana/k6-docs/blob/main/src/data/markdown/docs/03 cloud/04 Integrations/07 Prometheus Remote Write.md

[^17]: https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-javascript/issues/11925

[^18]: https://docs.middleware.io/third-party-agents/datadog-agent/php-apm

[^19]: https://docs.datadoghq.com/security/application_security/setup/nodejs/docker/

