modMonitor was created not as yet another statistics dashboard, but as a tool for diagnosing complex MODX projects based on their actual behavior.

The component could record request parameters, execution time, HTTP codes, PHP errors, and internal events. The modMonitor object was initialized along with MODX and could be used from different parts of the application, making it possible to link an observed issue to a specific request and execution location.

A practical example of this approach is tracking down an unexpected cache reset. Instead of manually sifting through the entire project, modMonitor made it possible to see during which request the event occurred and then pinpoint the exact cause—for example, a misconfigured cron job.

In 2017, an external workflow scheme was also demonstrated: MODX sent data to a separate Node.js service, and clients received updates via WebSockets, displaying them independently of MODX itself. That same publication specifically noted the importance of a unified data format, and that in the future, the source could be something other than just the MODX system. This was an early example of moving part of the functionality outside of MODX while preserving it as a source of events and data. Original publication: https://modx.pro/solutions/11055

modMonitor used modxSite for some of the statistics requests in the Manager, which clearly shows how individual components of the ecosystem began to rely on one another.

modMonitor is part of the general Fi1osof component ecosystem.