What distinguishes passive monitoring tools from active monitoring?

Passive monitoring tools are characterized by their reliance on alerts for status updates. This means they do not actively seek out data actively; instead, they wait for events or alerts to be triggered by the monitored systems. When a specific condition is met—such as a system error or performance threshold being breached—these tools generate notifications or alerts to inform system administrators or IT personnel about the event.

In contrast, active monitoring tools continuously probe systems and services, gathering data on their performance and health at regular intervals without waiting for alerts. Active monitoring typically provides real-time data and allows for preemptive measures to address potential issues before they escalate into larger problems.

This fundamental difference highlights why the option discussing the reliance on alerts succinctly describes the nature of passive monitoring tools without implying proactive or constant data gathering methods that are indicative of active monitoring solutions.