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Using Agent Monitors

Agent-based service monitors require either the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor Agent to be installed and running on the monitored system, or for Windows systems, metrics collection via WMI.

Agents or WMI enable you to collect very detailed data about a system, such as information about processes and low-level system statistics. The level of granularity of the information collected by agents is greater than that of the information collected by agentless monitors.

The monitors that require an agent are:

Note that the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor Agent service monitor specifically requires the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor Agent, and cannot be used with systems whose metrics are collected via WMI.

Using Agentless Monitors

Agentless monitors do not require the monitored system use WMI or the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor Agent. Your Monitoring Station communicates with the remote system to:

  • determine the status of the monitored service
  • collect information from the monitored service

The monitors that do not require an agent are:

 

Using Advanced Monitors

You can configure monitors to carry out service or performance checks that may be specific to your environment. Using advanced monitors, you can:

  • monitor any service that does not have an Uptime Infrastructure Monitor service monitor
  • monitor the performance of Elements in your environment
  • perform common database administration tasks

For more information, see Advanced Monitors. Contact Uptime Infrastructure Monitor Client Care for assistance with configuring advanced monitors.

Types of Advanced Monitors

There are three advanced monitors:

  • Custom

Monitors that return the status of a monitor and an automated message to clarify the returned status.

  • Custom with Retained Data

Monitors that return the following:

  • up to 10 values that you can capture and can evaluate
  • a return status
  • a message

You can also configure these monitors to save data to the database, which you can use to generate a Service Metrics report (see Service Monitor Metrics Report) or a Service Metrics graph.

  • External Check

Monitors that rely on an external event to trigger the capture of service information. External check monitors enable you to determine when to collect service data based on an external application event that you specify.

For more information on configuring and using advanced monitors, see Advanced Monitors.

Selecting a Monitor

To select a monitor, do the following:

  1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click Services.
  2. In the Services subpanel, click Add Service Monitor.
    The Add Service Monitor window appears.
  3. Select one of the monitors listed in the window, and then click Continue.

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Running Service Monitors

Uptime Infrastructure Monitor allows you to run a service monitor while viewing detail about that monitor. Running a service monitor is similar to testing except that the result of a run updates the status of that service monitor while testing does not. Note that running a service monitor does not occur immediately. When you click Run Service Monitor, Uptime Infrastructure Monitor adds the service monitor to the current queue and executes the request when available.

To run a service monitor, do the following:

  1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor toolbar, click Services.
  2. In the Services sub menu, click View Service Monitors.
    A list of available service monitors appears in the sub panel.
  3. Click the name of the service monitor that you want to run.
  4. Click the Run Service Monitor button.
    A pop-up window appears, containing the status of the monitor and a message related to the status. Uptime Infrastructure Monitor adds the service monitor to the current queue and executes the request when available.
  5. When finished, click the Close Window button.

Service Groups

Service groups are monitor templates that enable you to simultaneously apply a common service check to one or more hosts that you are monitoring. Defining and using service groups can simplify the setup and maintenance of common service checks that you want to perform across multiple hosts. When adding a host to Uptime Infrastructure Monitor, you assign a service group to it instead of manually adding service checks.

For more information, see Understanding Service Groups.

Creating Service Groups

To create a service group that can be applied to physical systems and network devices monitored by Uptime Infrastructure Monitor, do the following:

  1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click Services.
  2. In the Tree panel, click Add Service Group.
    The Add Service Group window appears.
  3. Acknowledge the creation of a “regular” service group by clicking Continue.
  4. On the second Add Service Group screen, enter a descriptive name for this group in the Name of Service Group field.
  5. Optionally, enter a description of the group in the Description field.
  6. Select one of the following options from the Available Services dropdown list.
    • All
      View all of the services that are available.
    • The name of a host
      If you are monitoring large number of systems, this option enables you to filter the services based on the hosts that you have added to Uptime Infrastructure Monitor.
  7. Select one or more services from the list, and then click Add.
  8. From the Available Element Groups list, select one or more existing groups to immediately associate with the service group, then click Add.
    Select the Include subgroups check box to ensure any nested groups are also included. (For more information, see Adding Nested Groups.)
  9. Select one of the following options from the Available Elements dropdown list:
    • All
      View all of the hosts that are added to Uptime Infrastructure Monitor.
    • The name of a group
      If you have grouped your hosts, use this option enables you to filter the hosts based on the groups that you have added to Uptime Infrastructure Monitor. The names of the hosts in the group appear below the dropdown list.
      If you have hosts that are not members of a specific group, select My Infrastructure from the dropdown list to view the ungrouped hosts. If you have not created groups, the dropdown list is not available and a list of hosts appears in the list.
      See Working with Groups for more information about grouping hosts.
  10. Select one or more hosts from the list to immediately associate with the service group, then click Add.
  11. Click Finish.

Creating VMware vSphere Service Groups

To create a service group used exclusively for VMware vCenter components, do the following:

  1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click Services.
  2. In the Tree panel, click Add Service Group.
    The Add Service Group window appears.
  3. Select the vSphere service group type, and click Continue.
  4. On the second Add Service Group screen, enter a descriptive name for this group in the Name of Service Group field.
  5. Optionally, enter a description of the group in the Description field.
  6. In the Select Master Services section, choose the existing service monitors that you would like to be in this vSphere service group.
  7. In the Select vCenter Server section, choose the monitored VMware vCenter to which the service group applies.
  8. Using the subsequent sections for each type of VMware vCenter component, indicate how extensively and dynamically the service group is applied:
    • none: the service group is not applied to the indicated VMware vCenter component
    • any discovered: the service group is unconditionally applied the VMware vCenter component type; this includes current existing components, as well as new ones that are detected through vSync
    • existing: the service group is only applied to the existing datacenters, clusters, ESX hosts, resource pools, vApps, or VMs; it is not applied to anything added to the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor inventory via vSync after configuration
      If you select existing VMware vCenter components, in the selection tool that appears, choose the components to which the service group applies.
  9. Click Finish.

Editing Service Groups

To edit a service group used for physical infrastructure assets, do the following:

  1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click Services.
  2. In the Tree panel, click View Service Groups.
  3. Click the Edit icon beside the name of the service group that you want to edit.
  4. To change the name and description of the group, do the following:
    • Enter a new name in the Name field.
    • Enter a new description of the service group in the Description field.
    • Click Save .
  5. To edit the services in the service group, do the following:
    • Add services by clicking on one or more services in the Available Master Services list, and then clicking Add.
    • Remove services by clicking on one or more services in the Selected Master Services list, and then clicking Remove.
    • Click Save.
  6. To edit the Element Groups assigned to the group, do the following:
    • Add Element Groups by clicking on one or more entries in the Available Element Groups list, and then clicking Add.
    • Modify whether an Element Group nested groups are included by selected or clearing the Include subgroups check box.
    • Remove systems by clicking on one or more entries in the Selected Element Groups list, and then clicking Remove.
    • Click Save.
  7. To edit the Elements in the group, do the following:
    • Add systems by clicking on one or more systems in the Available Elements list, and then clicking Add.
    • Remove systems by clicking on one or more systems in the Selected Elements list, and then clicking Remove.
    • Click Save.

Editing VMware vSphere Service Groups

To edit a service group used VMware vCenter components, do the following:

  1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click Services.
  2. In the Tree panel, click View Service Groups.
  3. Click the Edit icon beside the name of the service group that you want to edit.
  4. Change the relevant service group details:
    • In the Service Group section, enter a new name or description.
    • In the Select vCenter Server section, choose another VMware vCenter server whose components the service group applies.
    • In the relevant Select Member sections, modify how extensively or dynamically the service group is applied to the VMware vCenter:
      • none: the service group is not applied to the indicated VMware vCenter component
      • any discovered: the service group is unconditionally applied the VMware vCenter component type; this includes current existing components, as well as new ones that are detected through vSync
      • existing: the service group is only applied to the existing datacenters, clusters, ESX hosts, resource pools, vApps, or VMs; it not applied to anything added to the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor inventory via vSync after configuration
      • If you select existing VMware vCenter components, in the selection tool that appears, choose the components to which the service group applies.
  5. Click Finish.

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The Platform Performance Gatherer

The Platform Performance Gatherer is a host check that collects basic performance metrics -- for example, CPU performance and disk statistics -- from a system in order to determine whether that system is functioning.

After an Element is added to Uptime Infrastructure Monitor, you can modify some of its settings (e.g., how frequently, and under which conditions an alert is triggered). The specific settings you can modify depend on the type of Element.

Editing the Platform Performance Gatherer

To edit the Platform Performance Gatherer settings, the following:

  1. On the Global Scan dashboard or My Infrastructure panel, click the gear icon beside the name of an Element, then click View.

  2. On the Element’s profile page, click the Services tab, then click Manage Services.
  3. Click the Edit icon for the Platform Performance Gatherer.
    The Edit Service Monitor window appears.
  4. Edit the settings for the Platform Performance Gatherer.
    While you can edit any setting, the settings that you are most likely to change, depending on the Element type, are as follows:
    • Port Number
      The number of the port on which the Platform Performance Gatherer is collecting data from a host.
      For most systems, this setting is labelled Agent Port Number. For systems running Net-SNMP this setting is labelled SNMP Port, and for Novell NRM (version 6.5) systems this setting is labelled Novell NRM Port Number.
    • User Name and Password
      For Novell NRM systems, the user name and password that are required to access the system.
    • Username
      The name that is required to connect to the instance of Net-SNMP v3.
    • Authentication Password
      The password that is required to connect to the instance of Net-SNMP v3.
    • Authentication Method
      The method by which encrypted information traveling between the Net-SNMP instance and Uptime Infrastructure Monitor is authenticated.
    • Privacy Password
      The password used to encrypt information traveling between the instance of Net-SNMP v3 and Uptime Infrastructure Monitor.
    • Privacy Type
      The method by which information traveling between the instance of Net-SNMP v3 and Uptime Infrastructure Monitor is encrypted.
    • Use SSL (HTTPS)
      Select this option if the Platform Performance Gatherer securely communicates with the host using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer).
    • Check Interval
      The frequency, in minutes, at which the host is checked.
      If the Check Interval is longer than the Alert Interval, the following message appears:
      Warning: The alert interval is less than the check interval. Uptime will only send alerts after performing checks
  5. Click Save.

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Scheduling Maintenance

Normally, Uptime Infrastructure Monitor notifies you that an Element or service is unavailable when systems or services are not online. During a maintenance period, the Monitoring Station assumes an Element cannot be contacted, thus does not generate any alerts for it.

Typically, maintenance is configured as a scheduled event, whether regular (e.g., a system back-up that occurs at a specific time each day or week), or planned (e.g., a system that is taken offline on a Friday night for an upgrade).

Additionally, in cases where work needs to be done on an Element outside of a pre-defined, scheduled period, maintenance status can be assigned to an Element ad hoc in the My Infrastructure panel. An Element group can also be put into temporary maintenance mode, affecting its Elements and subgroups. Any Elements added to, or removed from, the Element group during the temporary maintenance period inherit the appropriate state.

You can perform the following tasks:

Creating Scheduled Maintenance Profiles

You can schedule maintenance using profiles. A scheduled Maintenance Profile is a template that enables you to define maintenance periods, and then assign the profile to multiple systems. A profile is a recurring event - for example, a backup cycle that occurs every Monday between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.

To create scheduled Maintenance Profiles, do the following:

  1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click Services.
  2. In the Tree panel, click Add Maintenance Profiles.
  3. Enter a descriptive name for the profile in the Profile Name field.
  4. Enter time period expressions in the Definition field that together make up the maintenance window.
    See Time Period Definitions for information on the types of time period expressions that are valid in Uptime Infrastructure Monitor.
  5. Click Save.

Viewing Scheduled Maintenance Profiles

You can view scheduled Maintenance Profiles to ensure that they meet your needs and that they are applied to the appropriate hosts and services.

To view scheduled Maintenance Profiles, do the following:

  1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click Services.
  2. In the Tree panel, click View Maintenance Profiles.
  3. In the Services subpanel, click the name of the Maintenance Profile that you want to view.
    The scheduled Maintenance Profile appears in the Services subpanel, and contains the following information:
    • the name of the profile
    • the time period over which the profile is applied to a system or service
    • the names of the systems and services, if any, to which the profile is applied

Scheduling Maintenance for a Host

To schedule maintenance for a host, do the following:

  1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click Services.
  2. In the Tree panel, click Host Maintenance Windows.
  3. Click the Assign Maintenance to Host tab in the subpanel.
  4. In the Host Maintenance window, select the Maintenance Profile to use from the Maintenance profile dropdown list.
    If you have not created a Maintenance Profile, the message No profiles exist appears in the dropdown list.
  5. Select one or more systems from the Available Host list.
    The hosts that you select are the hosts to which the Maintenance Profile applies.
  6. Click Add, and then click Save.

Scheduling Maintenance for a Service

To schedule maintenance for a service, do the following:

  1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click Services.
  2. In the Tree panel, click Service Maintenance Windows.
  3. Click the Assign Maintenance to Service tab in the subpanel.
  4. In the Service Maintenance window, select a profile from the Maintenance profile dropdown list.
    If you have not created a Maintenance Profile, the message No profiles exist appears in the dropdown list.
  5. Optionally, from the dropdown list above the Available Service list, select a system that contains the services for which you want to schedule maintenance.
  6. From the Available Service list, select one or more services for which you want to schedule maintenance.
  7. Click Add, and then click Save.

Putting an Element or Group into Temporary Maintenance Mode

To put an Element or Element group into temporary maintenance mode, do the following:

  1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click My Infrastructure.
  2. Locate the Element or Element group whose status is to be temporarily changed to MAINT.
  3. Click the Element or group’s gear icon.
  4. In the pop-up menu, click Put into Temporary Maintenance.
    The Element or group’s status is immediately reflected on the Global Scan dashboard with an In Maintenance status icon.
    When work is complete, restore the Element or group status by using the Take Out of Temporary Maintenance command in My Infrastructure.