appswatch user guide
Post on 19-Oct-2014
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DESCRIPTION
Keep all your critical applications performing as expected - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. While conventional monitoring tools detect problems just one fifth of the time, and most IT departments learn about performance issues from end user calls to the help desk, it's time for a new approach to the ultimate performance monitoring challenge. AppsWatch measures availability and response times of ANY application from the perspective that matters most — that of the end user. With this affordable and accurate solution, you can keep a close eye on application performance, and identify and resolve any degradation in performance before it impacts your business. Protocol independent technology tests any application, any environment. Absolutely no scripting required. Get regular analysis and SLA reports. Troubleshoot problems in minutes, not days!TRANSCRIPT
Protocol Independent
Performance Monitoring
AppsWatch 7
User Guide
User Guide: AppsWatch
© 2012 NRG Global. All rights reserved.
Page 1
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION TO APPSWATCH ................................................................................................................. 5
APPSWATCH ARCHITECTURE ............................................................................................................................ 5
APPSWATCH COMPONENTS .............................................................................................................................. 6
BEFORE YOU INSTALL ...................................................................................................................................... 6
APPSWATCH INSTALLATION ........................................................................................................................ 6
1. INSTALL APPSWATCH BASE .......................................................................................................................... 7
2. INSTALL SCENARIOSTATION ........................................................................................................................ 13
3. INSTALL SCENARIOBUILDER ........................................................................................................................ 20
END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT .................................................................................................................... 25
TERMINOLOGY .............................................................................................................................................. 27
CREATE A SCENARIO USING SCENARIO BUILDER .................................................................................. 28
SEND SCENARIO TO THE APPSWATCH BASE .................................................................................................... 32
LAUNCH APPSWATCH ................................................................................................................................. 33
APPSWATCH BASE - DEFAULT VIEW ................................................................................................................ 34
SCENARIOSTATIONS .................................................................................................................................... 35
MANAGE SCENARIOSTATIONS ......................................................................................................................... 35
ADD NEW SCENARIOSTATION ......................................................................................................................... 35
ADDING MULTIPLE SCENARIO STATIONS .......................................................................................................... 37
MONITORS ..................................................................................................................................................... 39
APPLICATION MONITORS ............................................................................................................................ 39
ADD NEW APPLICATION MONITOR ................................................................................................................... 40
CHECK APPLICATION MONITOR STATUS .......................................................................................................... 43
EDIT APPLICATION MONITOR........................................................................................................................... 49
DELETE APPLICATION MONITOR ...................................................................................................................... 51
PAUSE/RESUME APPLICATION MONITOR .......................................................................................................... 52
Pause an Application Monitor .................................................................................................................... 52
Resume an Application Monitor ................................................................................................................. 54
GROUPS ......................................................................................................................................................... 55
MANAGE GROUPS .......................................................................................................................................... 55
Pause a Group .......................................................................................................................................... 56
Delete a Group .......................................................................................................................................... 56
Edit a Group .............................................................................................................................................. 56
Add New Group ........................................................................................................................................ 57
SERVICES ...................................................................................................................................................... 60
DASHBOARD STATUS PAGE ............................................................................................................................ 60
ADD A SERVICE .............................................................................................................................................. 60
User Guide: AppsWatch
© 2012 NRG Global. All rights reserved.
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FAILURES AND ALERTS ............................................................................................................................... 65
ACTIVE ALERTS ............................................................................................................................................. 65
FAILURE SCREENSHOTS ................................................................................................................................. 65
EVENTS .......................................................................................................................................................... 67
MANAGE EVENTS ........................................................................................................................................... 67
Delete an Event ........................................................................................................................................ 68
Edit an Event ............................................................................................................................................. 68
Add New Event ......................................................................................................................................... 68
Apply an Event .......................................................................................................................................... 71
REACTIONS ................................................................................................................................................... 72
MANAGE REACTIONS ...................................................................................................................................... 72
Delete a Reaction...................................................................................................................................... 73
Edit a Reaction .......................................................................................................................................... 73
Add New Reaction .................................................................................................................................... 73
Apply a Reaction to an Event .................................................................................................................... 78
REPORTS ....................................................................................................................................................... 79
CREATE REPORTS ......................................................................................................................................... 79
Management Reports ................................................................................................................................ 80
Top (n) Reports ......................................................................................................................................... 81
Response Time Reports ............................................................................................................................ 82
Alert Reports ............................................................................................................................................. 83
MY REPORTS ................................................................................................................................................. 85
Assign Reports .......................................................................................................................................... 85
Delete Reports .......................................................................................................................................... 86
SCHEDULE AUTOMATIC EMAIL REPORTS ......................................................................................................... 86
Delete a Scheduled Report ....................................................................................................................... 87
Edit a Scheduled Report ........................................................................................................................... 87
DASHBOARDS ............................................................................................................................................... 89
CREATE A DASHBOARD .................................................................................................................................. 89
EDIT DASHBOARDS ........................................................................................................................................ 92
DELETE A DASHBOARD ................................................................................................................................... 94
UNLINK A SERVICE FROM A DASHBOARD .......................................................................................................... 95
BACKEND MONITORS .................................................................................................................................. 97
SYSTEM MONITORS ........................................................................................................................................ 97
Add New System....................................................................................................................................... 97
Active Processes..................................................................................................................................... 102
Add File Size Monitor .............................................................................................................................. 103
Add Process Count Monitor .................................................................................................................... 105
Add Application Process Monitor ............................................................................................................. 107
Delete a System ...................................................................................................................................... 109
Pause a System ...................................................................................................................................... 109
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Clone a System ....................................................................................................................................... 111
TASKS .......................................................................................................................................................... 114
CREATE AN ACTIVE DIRECTORY TASK ........................................................................................................... 114
CREATE AN ADVANCED WEB SERVER TASK ................................................................................................... 116
CREATE A CUSTOM TASK ............................................................................................................................. 119
CREATE A DATABASE TASK........................................................................................................................... 121
CREATE A DNS SERVER TASK ...................................................................................................................... 124
CREATE AN FTP TASK .................................................................................................................................. 126
CREATE AN LDAP TASK ............................................................................................................................... 129
CREATE A MAIL SERVER TASK ...................................................................................................................... 131
CREATE A NETWORK FILE COPY TASK .......................................................................................................... 134
CREATE A TNS PING TASK ........................................................................................................................... 137
CREATE A URL SEQUENCE TASK .................................................................................................................. 139
CREATE A WEB SERVER TASK ..................................................................................................................... 143
MANAGE TASKS ........................................................................................................................................... 146
Edit a Task .............................................................................................................................................. 146
Delete a Task .......................................................................................................................................... 146
Pause a Task .......................................................................................................................................... 147
Resume a Task ....................................................................................................................................... 147
Run Now ................................................................................................................................................. 148
LOGS ............................................................................................................................................................ 149
LOGS OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................................... 149
LOGS AGENT INSTALLATION .......................................................................................................................... 149
LOGS CONFIGURATION ................................................................................................................................. 150
Add New Log Agent ................................................................................................................................ 150
Edit A Log Agent ..................................................................................................................................... 151
Delete a Log Agent ................................................................................................................................. 152
Add New Log Facility .............................................................................................................................. 153
Edit, Delete or Clone a Log facility .......................................................................................................... 154
LOG FILTERS ............................................................................................................................................... 155
LOG FILTERS CATEGORIES ........................................................................................................................... 157
SNMP ............................................................................................................................................................ 160
SNMP OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................ 160
SNMP SYSTEM............................................................................................................................................ 160
Add New SNMP System ......................................................................................................................... 160
Add OID to SNMP System ...................................................................................................................... 162
MIB Browser ........................................................................................................................................... 164
MANAGE SNMP ........................................................................................................................................... 165
Edit an SNMP system ............................................................................................................................. 165
Delete an SNMP System ......................................................................................................................... 166
Pause an SNMP System ......................................................................................................................... 166
Clone an SNMP System .......................................................................................................................... 166
Edit an SNMP OID .................................................................................................................................. 167
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Delete an SNMP OID .............................................................................................................................. 167
Pause an SNMP OID .............................................................................................................................. 167
NODES ......................................................................................................................................................... 168
NODES OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................................... 168
ADD NEW NODE ........................................................................................................................................... 168
AUTO DISCOVER NODES .............................................................................................................................. 170
IMPORT A LIST OF NODES ............................................................................................................................. 173
CSV FILE .................................................................................................................................................... 174
Create a CSV File Using Text Editor ....................................................................................................... 175
Create a CSV File Using Excel................................................................................................................ 175
MANAGE NODES .......................................................................................................................................... 176
Edit Node ................................................................................................................................................ 176
Delete Node ............................................................................................................................................ 177
Pause Node ............................................................................................................................................ 177
SETUP .......................................................................................................................................................... 178
GLOBAL OPTIONS ........................................................................................................................................ 178
HOSTS ........................................................................................................................................................ 179
Add New Host ......................................................................................................................................... 181
Edit Host ................................................................................................................................................. 182
Manage Host Monitors ............................................................................................................................ 182
Delete a Host .......................................................................................................................................... 184
PROFILES & OUTAGES.................................................................................................................................. 185
Add Monitoring Window Profile ............................................................................................................... 185
Add New Host Outage ............................................................................................................................ 186
Edit Host Outage ..................................................................................................................................... 188
Delete Host Outage ................................................................................................................................. 188
Add Object Monitoring Exclusion ............................................................................................................. 188
Edit Object Monitoring Exclusion ............................................................................................................. 190
Delete Object Monitoring Exclusion ......................................................................................................... 191
Add New Maintenance Hours .................................................................................................................. 191
Delete Maintenance Hours ...................................................................................................................... 192
USER MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................................................... 192
Add New User ......................................................................................................................................... 193
Edit User ................................................................................................................................................. 194
Delete User ............................................................................................................................................. 194
Add New User Group .............................................................................................................................. 194
Edit User Group ...................................................................................................................................... 196
Delete User Group .................................................................................................................................. 196
CHANGE PASSWORD .................................................................................................................................... 196
EXPORT MONITORING RESULTS .................................................................................................................... 196
SMTP SERVER CONFIGURATION .................................................................................................................. 199
PROXY SERVER CONFIGURATION .................................................................................................................. 200
User Guide: AppsWatch
© 2012 NRG Global. All rights reserved.
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INTRODUCTION TO APPSWATCH
AppsWatch is NRG Global’s application monitoring solution that tackles the ultimate performance monitoring
challenge: Measuring availability and response times of ANY application from the end-user’s perspective.
In minutes, AppsWatch reveals answers to questions that have been plaguing you for months, or even years!
Where are the slow points in my application?
When did performance degradation start?
Is there a trend to this behavior?
Which transaction in my application is slow?
What other activities are occurring during the slow period?
Are performance problems caused by network, server, application or database issues?
APPSWATCH ARCHITECTURE
AppsWatch accurately monitors response time from the user standpoint because robots on ScenarioStations
repeatedly generate scenarios exactly as a real user would. ScenarioStations are situated at your key
locations and report response times to the AppsWatch Base. Organized views of data for troubleshooting, SLA
reports, graphs, and alerting controls are available from the AppsWatch Base.
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© 2012 NRG Global. All rights reserved.
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APPSWATCH COMPONENTS
1. AppsWatch: the Base from which you monitor and control tests and gather results
2. ScenarioStation: the robot that executes and runs tests configured in the Base
3. ScenarioBuilder: the tool that creates the exact scenarios that real users perform
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
You have options when installing AppsWatch. It is a flexible solution that can be installed in a number of ways.
Please review the following before proceeding with your installation:
Method 1: Install the three components on one machine. If you select this method, make a note to
install ScenarioStation in “Dedicated” mode to ensure that the station locks/unlocks when scenarios
play/finish playing.
Method 2: Install AppsWatch and ScenarioBuilder on one machine and ScenarioStation on another. If
you select this method, the two machines must have identical specs (OS, default browser, color depth,
etc.). Ideally, this method is used on machines that are clones of each other.
Method 3: Install AppsWatch on one machine and ScenarioBuilder and ScenarioStation on another.
This method is the preferred multi-machine configuration as it ensures that Scenarios are created on
the desktop from which they will be played back.
Generally, it is preferable to install ScenarioStation on a PC rather than a server.
AppsWatch components can be installed on either Physical or Virtual machine(s).
For your first test, we recommend that you install the three AppsWatch components on one Microsoft Windows PC.
APPSWATCH INSTALLATION
Start by downloading the AppsWatch installation package from the Product Downloads page on the NRG
Global website. Save the appswatch_suite_setup.zip file to your Windows PC and extract the contents of the
file to a new folder. You will find a separate folder for AppsWatch, ScenarioStation and ScenarioBuilder.
Within each folder is a setup file for its respective component.
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1. INSTALL APPSWATCH BASE
Run the setup.exe file in the AppsWatch folder.
Click “Next” to advance to the “End User License Agreement” (EULA). (Note: If upgrading from an older version of AppsWatch, a window will open indicating that the “AppsWatch Installer has detected an older version (x.x.x.x) of AppsWatch installed on your system.” Choose “Upgrade” to proceed.)
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Review the terms of the EULA and click “I Agree” to continue.
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Select the destination folder for the AppsWatch program installation. Click “Next” to accept the default location or “Browse” to an alternate location, then click “Next.”
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The AppsWatch Base can be opened in a web browser. The “Web Server Port” setting determines the port through which AppsWatch’s web services are accessible.
Choose the default unless it is used by another application. You can check if a port is open in your network by issuing the telnet* command. If the port is open, you will see a blank screen after issuing the following command:
telnet [ipaddress][port]
where:
[ipaddress] is the IP address of the server to which you are trying to connect
[port] is the port number you are checking
If the port is open, you will see a blank screen, indicating that the port is open and available for AppsWatch.
* In Windows Vista and Windows 7 you may need to enable telnet first.
Enter port setting and click “Next” to initiate the AppsWatch installation process.
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Complete the AppsWatch SMTP Configuration screen.*
Enter the email address that you want email alerts sent to.
Enter the address of your SMTP server.
Enter the “from” email address – this is the address from which email alerts will be sent.
Click “Install” to initiate the installation process.
*The SMTP configuration is required. Enter data into these fields to the best of your knowledge. If necessary, you may edit SMTP Server Configuration after AppsWatch is installed.
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Click “Finish” to complete the AppsWatch installation.
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© 2012 NRG Global. All rights reserved.
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2. INSTALL SCENARIOSTATION
Run the setup.exe file in the ScenarioStation folder.
Click “Next” to advance to the “End User License Agreement” (EULA). (Note: If upgrading from an older version of ScenarioStation, a window will open indicating that “ScenarioStation version x.x.x.x is already installed on this environment. This installer currently doesn’t support upgrades, if you wish to continue, please uninstall the old version first and try again.” Click “OK” to close this window.)
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Review the terms of the EULA and click “I Agree” to continue.
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Select the destination folder for the ScenarioStation program installation. Click “Next” to accept the default
location or “Browse” to an alternate location, then click “Next.”
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Select “Standard” or “Dedicated” mode.*
*If ScenarioStation is installed in “Dedicated” mode, it can be switched to and from “Standard” mode after
installation; however, if installed in “Standard” mode, switching to “Dedicated” mode requires an uninstall and a
reinstall of the program.
Click “Next”.
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Enter the following ScenarioStation parameters:
AppsWatch Base Hostname / IP – the name or IP address of the server hosting the AppsWatch Base.
AppsWatch Base Port – this is the port that was assigned to the AppsWatch “Web Server Port” in the
AppsWatch installation.
ScenarioStation Port * – the port through which the ScenarioStation listens to the Base.
ScenarioStation Location – description field to help identify ScenarioStation
Check the “AppsWatch Base uses a secure web interface (SSL)” box if your web server uses the SSL
protocol.
* Choose the default unless it is used by another application. You can check if a port is open in your network by issuing the telnet command.
Click “Install” to initiate the ScenarioStation installation process.
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Click “OK” to close “ScenarioStation successfully registered with AppsWatch Base” window.
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Click “Finish” to complete the ScenarioStation installation.
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3. INSTALL SCENARIOBUILDER
Run the setup.exe file in the ScenarioBuilder folder.
Click “Next” to advance to the “End User License Agreement” (EULA). (Note: If upgrading from an older version of ScenarioBuilder, a window will open indicating that “ScenarioBuilder version x.x is already installed on this environment. This installer currently doesn’t support upgrades, if you wish to continue, please uninstall the old version first and try again.” Click “OK” to close this window.)
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Review the terms of the EULA and click “I Agree” to continue.
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Select the destination folder for the ScenarioBuilder program installation. Click “Next” to accept the default
location or “Browse” to an alternate location, then click “Next.”
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Enter the IP address of the server hosting the AppsWatch Base in the “Base Hostname / IP” field.
Enter the “Base Port” address – use the same port that was assigned to the AppsWatch “Web Server Port” in
the AppsWatch installation.
Check the “Base uses a secure web interface (SSL)” box if your web server uses the SSL protocol.
Click “Install” to initiate the installation process.
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Click “Finish” to complete the ScenarioBuilder installation.
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END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
IMPORTANT -- PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS SOFTWARE PRODUCT: This End-User
license Agreement ("EULA") is a contract between (a) you (either an individual or the entity you represent) and
(b) NRG Global, Inc. ("NRG GLOBAL") that governs your use of the software product (“Software”).
RIGHTS IN THE SOFTWARE ARE OFFERED ONLY ON THE CONDITION THAT YOU AGREE TO ALL
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS EULA. BY INSTALLING, COPYING, DOWNLOADING, OR
OTHERWISE USING THE SOFTWARE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS EULA. IF YOU DO NOT
ACCEPT THIS EULA, YOU MUST DESTROY ALL COPIES OF THE SOFTWARE AND ACCOMPANYING
DOCUMENTATION WITHIN 1 DAY OF PURCHASE FOR A REFUND FROM NRG GLOBAL.
1. THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE. The Software may include, in addition to NRG GLOBAL proprietary software
(“NRG GLOBAL Software”), software under licenses from third parties (“Third Party Software” and “Third Party
License”). Any Third Party Software is licensed to you subject to the terms and conditions of the corresponding
Third Party License. Generally, the Third Party License is located in a file such as license.txt or read.me file;
you should contact NRG GLOBAL support if you cannot find any Third Party License.
2. LICENSE RIGHTS. You will have the following rights provided you comply with all terms and conditions of
this EULA: a. Use. NRG GLOBAL grants you a license to Use one copy of the NRG GLOBAL Software. "Use"
means installing, copying, storing, loading, executing, displaying, or otherwise using the NRG GLOBAL
Software. You may not modify the NRG GLOBAL Software or disable any licensing or control feature of the
NRG GLOBAL Software. Additional restrictions on Use may appear in the User Documentation. You may not
separate component parts of the NRG GLOBAL Software for Use. You do not have the right to distribute the
NRG GLOBAL Software. b. Copying. You may copy the NRG GLOBAL software for back-up and archival
purposes, provided any copy contains all the original software’s proprietary notices.
3. UPGRADES. To Use NRG GLOBAL Software provided by NRG GLOBAL as an upgrade, update, or
supplement (collectively “Upgrade”), you must first be licensed for the original NRG GLOBAL Software
identified by NRG GLOBAL as eligible for the Upgrade. To the extent the Upgrade supersedes the original
NRG GLOBAL Software, you may no longer use such NRG GLOBAL Software. This EULA applies to each
Upgrade unless NRG GLOBAL provides other terms with the Upgrade. In case of a conflict between this EULA
and such other terms, the other terms will prevail.
4. TRANSFER. a. Third Party Transfer. The initial end user of the NRG GLOBAL Software may make a one-
time transfer of the NRG GLOBAL Software to another end user. Any transfer will include all component parts,
media, User Documentation, this EULA, and if applicable, the Certificate of Authenticity. The transfer may not
be an indirect transfer, such as a consignment. Prior to the transfer, the end user receiving the transferred
Software will agree to this EULA. Upon transfer of the NRG GLOBAL Software, your license is automatically
terminated. b. Restrictions. You may not rent, lease or lend the NRG GLOBAL Software or Use the NRG
GLOBAL Software for commercial timesharing or bureau use. You may not sublicense, assign or otherwise
transfer the NRG GLOBAL Software except as expressly provided in this EULA.
5. PROPRIETARY RIGHTS. All ownership and intellectual property rights in the Software and User
Documentation are owned by NRG GLOBAL and/or its suppliers and are protected by law, including applicable
copyright, trade secret, patent, and trademark laws. You will not remove any product identification, copyright
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notice, or proprietary restriction from the Software.
6. LIMITATION ON REVERSE ENGINEERING. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the
NRG Global Software, except and only to the extent that the right to do so is allowed under applicable law.
7. CONSENT TO USE OF DATA. NRG Global and its affiliates may collect and use technical information you
provide in relation to (i) your Use of the Software or the NRG GLOBAL Product, or (ii) the provision of support
services related to the Software or the NRG GLOBAL Product. All such information will be subject to NRG
GLOBAL’s privacy policy. NRG GLOBAL will not use such information in a form that personally identifies you
except to the extent necessary to enhance your Use or provide support services.
8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. Under no circumstances shall NRG GLOBAL or its suppliers or resellers be
liable to licensee or any other person for any special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages, including
damages for loss of goodwill, lost profits, work stoppage, business interruption, personal injury, computer
failure, loss of privacy, or any and all commercial damages or losses, even if NRG GLOBAL or any supplier
has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Further, in no event shall NRG GLOBAL’s liability under
any provision of this agreement exceed the license fee paid to NRG GLOBAL. Some states or other
jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above
limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.
9. U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS AND COMPLIANCE WITH EXPORT LAWS. This software is
provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to
restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of The Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software
clause of DFARS 252.227-7013 or subparagraphs (c)(i) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software-
Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52.227-19, as applicable. You will comply with all laws, rules, and regulations (i)
applicable to the export or import of the Software, or (ii) restricting the Use of the Software.
10. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS. NRG Global and its suppliers reserve all rights not expressly granted to you
in this EULA.
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TERMINOLOGY
The following terms are commonly used in AppsWatch and are discussed in detail throughout this guide:
AppsWatch Base: The central console from which tests are organized, managed and monitored.
ScenarioStation: The station simulating real-user interactions against the application under test with a
specified frequency.
ScenarioBuilder: The tool used to create real life Scenarios replicating the actions of users.
Dashboard: A user-defined overview representing the performance of metrics organized into logical groups
called Services.
Monitor: A User-defined metric which measures response times for Systems, SNMP, Nodes, Applications,
Tasks, Logs, or Custom Metrics. Frequency and Profile are controlled by the associated Group.
Service: A logical, user-defined grouping of metrics comprised of Monitors and/or other Services. Alerts can
be set on any level of Service or metric
.
Group: A collection of Monitors that share the following characteristics: frequency, connect time-out, and
Profile.
Profile (aka Monitoring Window Profile): The property of a Group which establishes the monitoring schedule
(e.g. 24/7, Weekdays, Business Hours, etc.).
System: A computer defined primarily by its address and operating system (e.g. Windows, Linux, or Solaris).
Attributes of a System are connection method, login, password, Profile and description. Within a System are
various metrics (CPU, Memory, disk IO, etc.).
SNMP: Any Simple Network Management Protocol enabled device in your network can be monitored with
AppsWatch. Such devices include routers, switches, servers, workstations, printers, modem racks and more.
Attributes include device status, hardware environment (power supply, processor temperature, fan, etc.)
packets sent/received, uptimes, traffic errors, and more.
Nodes: AppsWatch can track availability and response times of Nodes such as servers, routers, switches, and
other vital network components as well as any TCP connect-based Application by opening ports and
performing pings.
Application: AppsWatch monitors any software Application from the end-user perspective.
Tasks: AppsWatch monitors availability and response time of your Applications from the application layer
perspective by executing user defined Tasks.
Logs: AppsWatch monitors logs from system, databases, applications and syslog.
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Event: An incident that registers with AppsWatch when a Service or Monitor reports a result that exceeds
specific user-defined conditions such as threshold and duration.
Reaction: A response triggered by an Event. Reactions include Email, Restart, SNMP Trap, or custom
responses.
Alert: A message shown on the Active Alerts page, and separate from Reactions or other messages. Alerts
are attached to Events and include the user-defined Alert Message as well as a severity or type (Down, Error,
Warning, or Information).
CREATE A SCENARIO USING SCENARIO BUILDER
Before launching AppsWatch, create a Scenario with ScenarioBuilder. AppsWatch uses Scenarios for
Application Monitors. The following Scenario will launch the Notepad application, type a message, and then
close the application.
1. Open ScenarioBuilder and click “New Scenario”.
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2. In the “Scenario Name” field enter Notepad_Test; choose “Blank” from the “How would you like to begin your
Scenario” section; click “OK”.
3. Double click on Begin Transaction (under Application) in the left pane to add it to your Scenario. In the right
Properties pane, enter the Transaction name: LaunchNotepad.
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4. Double click on Start Application (under Application) in the left pane to add it to the Scenario. In the right
Properties pane, type the application to be launched: notepad.exe
Note: Don’t forget to include the .exe extension
5. Double click on Window Actions (under Window). In the right properties pane, configure the Window Action
Name. Use the pull-down menu to select Wait Window. Enter the Window Name: Untitled – Notepad; enter
the Window Class Name: Notepad.
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6. Double click on Window Actions again. In the right properties pane, configure the Window Action Name.
Use the pull-down menu to select Maximize Window. Enter the Window Name: Untitled – Notepad; enter the
Window Class Name: Notepad.
7. Double click on End Transaction (under Application) in the left pane to add it to your scenario. In the right
Properties pane, use the pull-down menu in Transaction Name to select the transaction to end:
LaunchNotepad. This means that the test will record the amount of time for all the steps that occurred
between Begin Transaction and End Transaction. In this case, the test will give a measurement of the total
time taken to launch notepad and maximize the window.
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8. Double click on Type Text (under Keyboard). In the right properties pane, click on the Text field to open the
text window. Enter your desired text to be typed (i.e. Hello World) and click OK.
9. Double click on Close Application (under Application). In the right Properties pane, type the application to be
closed: notepad.exe. Check the Use Task Kill property to bypass the Notepad “Save” pop-up.
Here’s the final scenario:
SEND SCENARIO TO THE APPSWATCH BASE
In the “File” menu, click the “Send Scenario to Controller” option. You will see a dialog box indicating “Send
successful” upon completion.
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LAUNCH APPSWATCH
AppsWatch can be launched either by double-clicking the desktop shortcut;
Or by entering the hostname or ip address followed by the webserver port into the address bar of a browser;
Enter “User Name” and “Password” and click “Log In” button (“admin” is default User Name and Password);
The AppsWatch Base opens to the default view;
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APPSWATCH BASE - DEFAULT VIEW
In the AppsWatch Base default view, you’ll see the “Menu Bar” across the top of the page, the “Metrics Tree”
pane on the left side, and the “Active Tabs” window in the middle of the page. The “Active Tabs” window
shows the “Dashboard Status” of the last viewed dashboard. This “Dashboard Status” tab remains open
throughout your session. Subsequent pages viewed during your session will open in new tabs.
To view the status of a different Dashboard, in the “Metrics Tree” pane, click the “Dashboards” tab;
In the drop-down box, select the Dashboard you wish to view;
The selected Dashboard will populate the “Dashboard Status” tab in the “Active Tabs” window:
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SCENARIOSTATIONS
Upon installation, a ScenarioStation will “register” itself with the AppsWatch Base. To view currently registered
ScenarioStations, from the “Application Monitors” menu, click “Manage ScenarioStations”;
The “ScenarioStations” page opens in a new tab;
MANAGE SCENARIOSTATIONS
In the “Actions” field next to each ScenarioStation, there are seven icons:
Delete the ScenarioStation
Edit the properties of the ScenarioStation
Synchronize the ScenarioStation with the Base
Send Scenario to ScenarioStation (use when ScenarioStation is added after Scenarios have been sent
from ScenarioBuilder to AppsWatch Base).
Check ScenarioStation for access from the Base
Reboot computer hosting ScenarioStation
Pause (suspend all monitoring on) ScenarioStation
ADD NEW SCENARIOSTATION
From the “Application Monitors” menu, click on “Scenario Stations”;
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Click on at the bottom of the “Scenario Station” tab;
The “Station Form” opens;
Station Name: Specify a name for this station
Comm. Mode: The Base can handle a mix of policies and will communicate with each Station according to the
Station’s policy. Select the communication mode which applies to this station:
Base <- >Station = two-way, no restrictions, communication between Base and Station is open. In this
mode, the Station's Web Server port (8000 by default) must be reachable by AppsWatch Base (apply
firewall exceptions where necessary.
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Base -> Station = one-way, Base to Station only. The Station cannot reach the Base therefore all
communications are initiated by the Base (i.e. Station is located in a branch that does not have access
to AppsWatch Base). Station's Web Server port (8000 by default) must be reachable by AppsWatch
Base (apply firewall exceptions where necessary). The Base will deliver instructions to, and collect
results from the Station.
Station -> Base = one-way, Station to Base only. The Base cannot reach the Station therefore all
communications are initiated by the Station (i.e. ScenarioStation is installed on customer’s site, the
Base may not have access to the Station). Web Server port (8888 by default) must be reachable from
the Station, and must allow incoming connections from external hosts (apply firewall exceptions where
necessary). ScenarioStation will fetch instructions from the Base and deliver results to the Base.
Hostname / IP Address: Specify either the hostname or IP address of the computer hosting the Station.
Port: The port through which the ScenarioStation will listen to the Base. Choose the default unless it is used
by another application. You can check if a port is open in your network by issuing the telnet command.
Location: Optional description field to help identify this ScenarioStation.
Time Offset: Specify the time difference between the Station and the Base. For example, if the
ScenarioStation is located in a time zone 3 hours ahead of the Base’s time zone, enter “3” here. If no
difference in time zones, leave this at “0”.
Description: Optional description field to further identify this ScenarioStation.
Complete the “Station Form” and “Submit”. You will see the Station listed in the ScenarioStations page on the
AppsWatch Base:
ADDING MULTIPLE SCENARIO STATIONS
You can easily add multiple ScenarioStations depending upon the license you have for AppsWatch. Simply
follow the steps outlined above. After installing, use the “Send Scenarios” icon to distribute Scenarios to
the newly installed ScenarioStation. A dialog box will open. Choose the Scenario from the dropdown list then
click “Send”;
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A message pops up stating “Scenario successfully queued for sending”;
Click “OK” to complete the sending of the Scenario.
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MONITORS
Monitors are the mechanisms through which response times and metrics are measured. In AppsWatch, there
are two general Monitor types:
Application Monitor: Tracks the availability and measures response time of any application from the user's
perspective. ScenarioStations are used to create and play back Scenarios from specific locations. All data
from ScenarioStations is sent to the AppsWatch Base where Alerts are managed, reports are viewed, and this
information is integrated with the other Monitors.
Backend Monitor: Tracks the metrics related to the networks, servers, systems and resources supporting your
applications. There are several categories of Backend Monitor in AppsWatch:
Systems: These monitors are for OS performance, specifically, CPU, memory, disk, file systems,
processes, and services.
Tasks: AppsWatch will monitor availability and response time of your applications from the application
layer perspective by executing user defined tasks at specified intervals. Task types include: Database,
FTP, Web Server, Advanced Web Server, DNS server, Mail Server, LDAP server, Active Directory
server, Network File Copy, and Custom tests.
Logs: Monitors logs from Systems, Databases, Applications and Syslogs. With its simple user interface,
you can easily manage different log files of several applications and Operating Systems. Once you
specify the log events that are important to you, Logs agent will scan the log files and will alert you
about those key events.
SNMP: Monitors SNMP enabled devices or servers in your network. The purpose is to collect data on
such things as device status, hardware environment (power supply, processor temperature, fan, etc.)
packets sent/received, uptimes, traffic errors, and many others.
Nodes: Monitors availability/response time of servers, routers, switches, and other vital network
components as well as any TCP connect based applications. Opens application ports and performs
pings, gives availability and response time results.
Custom Metrics
APPLICATION MONITORS
This guide uses the Application Monitor to explain much of the ancillary functionality of AppsWatch (Alerts,
Reactions, Reports, etc.). Please note that this functionality applies to Backend Monitors as well. Backend
Monitors are explained in detail later in this document.
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ADD NEW APPLICATION MONITOR
From the “Application Monitors” menu, select “Add New Application”;
The “New Application” page opens in a new tab;
Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the frequency – how often the Scenario is executed
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(i.e. Every 5 minutes), and the profile – monitoring schedule (i.e. 24/7) associated with the Monitor.
Scenario Alias: Specify an Alias (name) for this Monitor
ScenarioStation: Select the ScenarioStation where this Scenario will be played.
Scenario: Select the Scenario which will be played.
Host/Server: Optional field used for advanced monitoring of System Outages
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Monitor,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
Description: Optional description field to further identify this Application Monitor
Complete the “New Monitor” parameters and “Submit”.
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Example “New Monitor” shown below. In this example, Notepad will run every 5 minutes on the
ScenarioStation called Scenario Station in LA. A warning Alert and an email Reaction will be triggered if the
Scenario’s response time exceeds two minutes:
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CHECK APPLICATION MONITOR STATUS
In the “Metrics Tree” pane on the left side of the AppsWatch Base, click the “Monitors” tab;
Select “Applications” from the drop down box to filter out all except the Application Monitors;
Click the Monitor to open its “Stats” page in a new tab;
Note: The color of the icon next to the Monitor indicates the status of the Monitor based on its last check:
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In the following example, the “Notepad” Scenario status is shown:
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To create a graph for a specific period, enter Start and End dates and times into the fields located above the
graph;
Click the “Reset” icon to update the graph per your selections:
Use the scroll arrows to step through and graph different time periods;
Export the current graph data to CSV file;
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Use the zoom icon to change the graph’s time increment from minutes, to hours, to days, to months;
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Change the graph style;
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To include Transactions in the graph, click the icon;
Click on any failure point on the graph to open a screenshot of the failure;
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Screenshot opens in a new browser window, displaying the screen that was open at the time of the failure:
EDIT APPLICATION MONITOR
In the “Monitors” tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select “Applications;
The “Metrics Tree” pane displays all available Groups>Application Monitors>Transactions. Expand the tree to drill down through the levels;
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Edit a Monitor by either of the following methods:
a) right click the Monitor to open the shortcut menu”; click “Edit”
Or:
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b) left click the Monitor to highlight it; click “Edit Monitor” from the “Application Monitors” menu;
The Monitor’s “Properties” page opens in a new tab. Modify the properties as required and click “Submit” to
save the changes.
DELETE APPLICATION MONITOR
In the “Monitors” tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select “Applications;
Delete a Monitor by either of the following methods:
a) right click the Monitor to open the shortcut menu”; click “Delete”
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Or:
b) left click the Monitor to highlight it; click “Delete Selected Monitor” from the “Application Monitors” menu;
“Confirm” window pops up;
Click “Yes” to complete the deletion of the Monitor.
PAUSE/RESUME APPLICATION MONITOR
Pausing an Application Monitor suspends the playback of its Scenario until the Monitor is resumed.
PAUSE AN APPLICATION MONITOR
In the “Monitors” tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select “Applications;
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Pause a Monitor by either of the following methods:
a) right click the Monitor to open the shortcut menu”; click “Pause Monitoring”
Or:
b) left click the Monitor to highlight it; click “Pause/Resume Monitors” from the “Application Monitors” menu;
“Success” window pops up; Click “OK”;
Paused Monitors appear in the “Metrics Tree” pane highlighted in blue, and in italics:
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RESUME AN APPLICATION MONITOR
Resume a Monitor by either of the following methods:
Right click the Monitor to open the shortcut menu”; click “Resume Monitoring”;
Or, left click the Monitor to highlight it; click “Pause/Resume Monitors” from the “Application Monitors” menu;
“Success” window pops up; Click “OK”;
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GROUPS
Groups establish the schedule (check Frequency and monitoring window Profile) for Monitors. There is no limit
to the number of Groups that can be created, and multiple Monitors may share a Group. An administrator may
assign a user as the owner of a Group and may specify the sharing privileges for a Group.
MANAGE GROUPS
Select “Groups List” from the “Groups” menu to open the Groups page in a new tab;
The page displays a list of currently configured Groups including their Check Frequency, Profile and Description;
Sort and manage columns by clicking the arrow next to a column heading. By default all columns are shown, but you can uncheck any columns you don't want to see. You can also sort any column in Ascending or Descending order;.
Search for a specific Group by using the Search field at the bottom of the screen. Type a keyword in the
search box and then click to find the group you're looking for, or click to display all defined groups;
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PAUSE A GROUP
Pause a Group to suspend all Monitors affiliated with that Group (Paused Groups appear in italics);
Resume monitoring for a paused Group;
DELETE A GROUP
Click the “Delete” icon next to the Group you wish to delete;
If a Group is in use it cannot be deleted;
EDIT A GROUP
To modify a Group’s properties (Group Name, Frequency, Profile and Description), click the “Edit” icon;
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ADD NEW GROUP
To add a new Group, select “Add New Group” from the “Groups” menu;
or click the “Add New Group” button at the bottom of the Groups page;
The “Add New Group” page opens in a new tab;
Group Name: Specify a name for this Group. Group names appear in drop lists when adding Monitors and
other watch objects, so use a name that is descriptive and representative of the Group ( i.e. Check_10min).
Frequency: This value establishes how often, in minutes, the Monitors that belong to this group will run.
Profile: This determines the window during which monitoring occurs (e.g. Business Hours). Profiles can be
used to prevent false Alerts and their subsequent Reactions. If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have to
Add Monitoring Window Profile.
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Custom Profile*: Expand this section to utilize a template for a customized frequency schedule (not available
for System Group). Note: a Custom Profile overrides the Frequency and Profile parameters above.
Description: Optional description field to help identify this Group.
Complete the “New Group” parameters and “Submit”.
Example “Group Form” shown below. This example shows the Check_5min Group which checks its
associated Monitors every 5 minutes during business hours.
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*Custom Profile parameters;
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SERVICES
A Service is a single Monitor or a logical combination of Monitors and/or other Services defined by the user.
Services provide a visual overview of the performance status of their children based on their Service Policy.
Services can be added to Dashboards for an intuitive representation of performance information.
DASHBOARD STATUS PAGE
The Dashboard Status page is the home page for AppsWatch. It displays the status of all Services within the
selected Dashboard.
Note: AppsWatch automatically creates an “All Services” Dashboard and automatically links all new Services to it.
ADD A SERVICE
From the “Services” menu*, select “Add new Service”;
*The “Services” menu is only visible when the Dashboards tab is selected in the “Metrics Tree” pane located on the far left of the Base.
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The New Service Form opens;
Service Alias: Specify a meaningful name that describes the purpose of your Service. For example, if this
Service contains webservices metrics you might name it Webservices.
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Service Policy: Specify the rule that determines how the Service’s status is inherited from its children.*
Choose “Highest Status” if you want your Service to reflect the most severe status of any of its children.
Choose “Lowest Status” if you want your Service to reflect the least severe status of any of its children.
There are six status levels available in AppsWatch
*Status is defined in the Monitor’s Event “Type” setting.
Example of how Service Policy works;
In the above example, the Service on the left – “File_Server” - has three System Monitors attached. If
the CPU on any of the three Monitors exceeds its Event threshold, the “File_Server” Service reports a
Service Status of “Down” (red) because the Service Policy is set to Highest Status. An example where
this might be used is if the three Monitors were on three virtual machines on one server. If the Disk
usage reaches a critical stage it would impact all three virtual machines. The Service on the right –
“DNS_Server” - has three Nodes Monitors attached. If one or two of the nodes goes down, the
“DNS_Server” Service will report as “Up” (green) because the Service Policy is set to Lowest Status.
The DNS servers rollover to the next available, so unless all three are down, this is not a critical issue,
thus the Lowest Status setting.
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Background: You can add a background image to a Service to help you visualize what the Service is
monitoring. The image is visible when drilling down from the Dashboard to the Service
Members: Link metrics to the Service by dragging from the left pane and dropping on the Service name in the
right pane. The left pane contains all of the metrics (Application Monitors, Backend Monitors and Services)
created by the administrator;
Filter list by choosing a metric type from the drop down box;
or enter keywords in filter field at the bottom of the left pane to view only desired metrics;
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Create nested Services by clicking the “Add New Service” icon in the Members pane.
Refresh the Members list by clicking the “Reload Service Tree” icon in the Members pane.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Monitor,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to
Create a New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2*: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Create a New Reaction. *These Reaction fields
overwrite the Reactions specified within the Event’s properties.
Description: Optional description field to further identify this Application Monitor
Complete the “New Monitor” parameters and “Submit”.
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FAILURES AND ALERTS
ACTIVE ALERTS
Alerts are used in conjunction with Events and are manifested as user-defined messages displayed on the
“Active Alerts” page;
A status “Type” accompanies the Alert. Following are the status types with their color codes:
Green: no alert
Blue: information alert
Yellow: warning alert
Orange: error alert
Red circle white arrow icon: down alert
Grey with black question mark: not found alert
FAILURE SCREENSHOTS
AppsWatch provides a gallery of screenshots showing images from actual desktops, captured at the time of
failures. From the “Failures and Alerts” menu, select “Failure Screenshots”;
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The “Failure Screenshots” page opens in a new tab;
Repeated failures are grouped together and counted. Scenario Transaction and Step along with a brief
description of the failure are indicated in the left pane of the page, with an accompanying screenshot in the
right pane.
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EVENTS
Events occur when the watch object (Monitor or Service) to which they are attached, returns a result that
meets user-defined conditions (i.g. exceeds a threshold for a duration). Events trigger Alerts and Reactions.
MANAGE EVENTS
From the “Events” menu, select “Events List”;
The “Event List” opens in a new tab;
Search for a specific Event by using the Search field at the bottom of the screen. Type a keyword in the
search box and click to find the Events you're looking for;
Click to clear the search box and return all Events.
Customize Event window columns by clicking the search arrow at the bottom of the Events screen;
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Or by mousing over and clicking the arrow beside any of the column headings at the top of the Events screen,
then choosing which columns to display. By default, all columns are shown, but you can uncheck any columns
you don't want to see or check columns you do want to see. You may also sort any column in ascending or
descending order.
DELETE AN EVENT
Click the “Delete” icon next to the Event;
EDIT AN EVENT
Click the “Edit” icon next to the Event. Event form opens;
ADD NEW EVENT
To add a new Event, select “Add New Event” from the “Events” menu;
or click the “Add New Event” button at the bottom of the Events page;
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The “Add New Event” form opens in a new tab;
Event Name: This name appears in drop lists when defining the events for a particular watch object.
Type: Specify whether this Event is for a Monitor or a Service.
Operator: The mathematical operator used to compare the retrieved value and the threshold
(>, <, >=, <=, +, -, =)
Threshold: Thresholds have different units, depending on the monitoring test performed. For example, Nodes
measures response time in seconds, while a Systems file test measures the size of the file in MB.
Duration: How many seconds the “broken” threshold state must persist before Reactions and Alerts are
triggered. For example, 1 means the state must persist for 1 minute before the Event is triggered. Enter 0 for
no duration (i.e. Event occurs immediately upon threshold being surpassed).
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Special note for Duration: Use the format d/f (d=duration; f=check frequency) to specify a check
frequency other than the frequency of the Monitor to which this Event is attached. For example, “3/1”
means the state must persist for 3 minutes, and will be checked every 1 minute.
Reaction #1 and Reaction #2: You can have up to two Reactions per Event. Reaction types are Email,
Restart, SNMP Trap or Custom Response
Alert message: This message will be shown on the Active Alerts page, and is separate from Reaction E-mail
or other messages. The Alert Message field contains the data you specify. Include variables to create
customized messages that include names and values specific to this Event. Select from the “Variable” drop
down list to incorporate variables into your message. Use as many variables as you desire in the message.
Variable: The following variables are available for use in your message:
ObjectAlias: Object monitored or Service alias. For example, SQLServer_master
GroupName: Object group alias. It is only populated for Nodes and Tasks type monitors. You can find this field in the Node or Task Edit form.
SystemAlias: The name of the System. It is only populated for Systems and SNMP type monitors.
Threshold: Value defined in “Threshold” field of this form.
ValueWatched: The value result of the test.
Duration: Value defined in “Duration” field of this form.
AlertState: Value defined in the “Execute On” field of the Reactions form.
AlertType: Value defined in the Event “Type” field of the watch object.
StartDate: Event's start date and time.
ServiceChildren: Used for Services objects. Service Children and their statuses.
LogMessage: Used for Logs, it displays the Log Message.
Description: Optional text to describe the Event.
Severity (optional): Used in conjunction with “Default For” value to establish this Event as the default for a type
of watch object (Monitor or Service). Next time you add that type of watch object, the “Event” section will be
pre-populated with this Severity type.
Default For (optional): Used in conjunction with “Severity” value to establish this Event as the default for a type
of watch object (Monitor or Service). Next time you add that type of watch object, the “Event” section will be
pre-populated with this Event.
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Complete the “New Event Form” parameters and “Submit”.
APPLY AN EVENT
You can apply an Event to multiple metrics or Services at once by clicking the icon next to the Event.
“Apply Event” Window Opens;
Select the type of metrics where the event will be applied.
Use the filter to see only specific metrics.
Select an Event Category (Down, Error, Warning, or
Information).
Select a Monitoring Window Profile
Select the metrics or Groups to which the Event is being applied (mouse left click + ctrl to select multiple
metrics or groups).
Click “Apply” to save your settings.
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REACTIONS
Reactions are applied to Events and are manifested either as Email, Restart, SNMP Trap or Custom
Response (a script). Reactions are triggered when Event thresholds are exceeded. Up to two Reactions can
be applied to each Event.
MANAGE REACTIONS
From the “Events” menu, select “Reactions List”;
The “Reactions” page opens in a new tab;
Search for a specific Reaction by using the Search field at the bottom of the screen. Type a keyword in the
search box and click to find the Reactions you're looking for;
Click to clear the search box and return all Reactions.
Customize Reaction window columns by clicking the search arrow at the bottom of the Reaction screen;
Or by mousing over and clicking the arrow beside any of the column headings at the top of the Reactions
screen, then choosing which columns to display. By default, all columns are shown, but you can uncheck any
columns you don't want to see or check columns you do want to see. You may also sort any column in
ascending or descending order.
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DELETE A REACTION
Click the “Delete” icon next to the Reaction;
EDIT A REACTION
Click the “Edit” icon next to the Reaction. Reaction form opens;
ADD NEW REACTION
To add a new Reaction, select “Add New Reaction” from the “Events” menu;
or click the “Add New Reaction” button at the bottom of the Reactions page;
The “Add New Reaction” form opens in a new tab;
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Reaction Type: Select the type of Reaction to be triggered when the Event's threshold is exceeded:
Restart
SNMP Trap
Custom Reaction (a script)
Execute on: Select the circumstances under which the Reaction is executed:
Event Start and Event End: When the Event is triggered and when the problem is fixed. For example, if
the web server goes down you will receive the reaction and when the web server comes back up you
will receive the reaction.
Event Start Only: When the Event is triggered. For example, if the web server goes down.
Event End Only: When the problem is fixed. For example, if the web server comes back up.
Reaction Name: This is a unique name given to the Reaction
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Description: Enter a meaningful description of this reaction.
Variable: The following variables are available for use in Email, Restart and Custom Reactions:
ObjectAlias: Object monitored or Service alias. For example, SQLServer_master
GroupName: Object group alias. It is only populated for Nodes and Tasks type monitors. Value
defined in the Node or Task form.
SystemAlias: The name of the System (Systems and SNMP monitors only).
Threshold: Value defined in Event form.
ValueWatched: The value result of the test.
Duration: Value defined in Event form.
AlertState: Value defined in the “Execute On” field of the Reactions form.
AlertType: Value defined in the Event “Type” field of the watch object.
StartDate: Event's start date and time.
LogMessage: Used for Logs, it displays the Log Message.
AlertMessage: Value defined in Events form.
AcknowledgedMessage: URL for acknowledging the Log message (Log monitors only)
AcknowledgeAll: URL for acknowledging all un-acknowledged messages for that particular Log monitor
(Log monitors only).
AcknowledgeAlert: URL for acknowledging the Alert via a regular PC.
AcknowledgeAlertPDA: URL for acknowledging the Alert via a PDA or other similar device. (Please
refer to PDA product documentation for details on this feature).
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Email Reactions:
Email Addresses: Enter addresses for desired email recipients. Separate multiple email addresses
with commas.
Users: Select from the AppsWatch Users list to add their email address to this Reaction.
Subject: Type text into the subject field. This is the subject line of the Email to be sent. To insert one
or more variables, select the variable from the drop down list on the right side of the Subject field. Do
this for each variable you wish to add.
Body: Type the message that will appear in the body of this Email. Insert variables as desired by
selecting the variable from the drop down list. Do this for each variable you wish to add.
Custom Reactions:
Path and Arguments: Type the commands to execute the script you would like to run. Select
variables from the drop list. The selected program or script must be on the same machine where
AppsWatch is installed.
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Restart Reaction:
Restart What?: Select from the drop down list - Service, Process, or Computer.
Host: Select the Service, Process or Computer host to restart.
Name: Leave blank if you would like this restart reaction to start, the same
service/process/computer that triggered the event. Otherwise, enter the name of the
Service/Process/Computer that you would like to restart. When restarting a process, provide full
path to the process binary, if it is not in the environment path.
note: The same option is only applicable, when this reaction is applied on a host/process/service
being monitored by Systems.
SNMP Trap:
SNMP Host: Type the Host IP of the machine that receives the trap. You need to have a trap receiver
program on the receiver machine.
Port: Type the Port number. This is the port number the trap receiver uses (default is 126 when left
blank).
Message: Type text in the message field. This is the text that the trap receiver will get when the
threshold is exceeded. Insert one or more alert variables by selecting the variable from the drop down
list on the right side of the message field.
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Complete the “New Reaction Form” parameters and “Submit”.
APPLY A REACTION TO AN EVENT
When adding or editing an Event, assign a Reaction to either Reaction#1 or Reaction#2. All Reactions that
have been defined will appear in the Reaction#1 and Reaction#2 drop lists on the Event form;
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REPORTS
AppsWatch offers a variety of reports covering the spectrum of statistical analyses necessary to monitor application performance. Reports can be viewed, created, saved and assigned by users with administrative rights.
CREATE REPORTS
From the “Reports” menu, select “Reports”;
The “Reports” page opens in a new tab;
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MANAGEMENT REPORTS
Click the report you wish to run from the “Management Reports” section;
“Report Form” pops up;
Report Name: Enter a name for your report
Report Date: Run the report for today's data, yesterday's data, or choose a date.
Groups/Systems/Monitors/Services (For Daily/Monthly/Yearly Report only): Drag and drop the Groups,
Systems, Monitors and Services you’d like to include in the report, from the left pane onto the “Selected
Members” icon in the right pane. Don't drag anything if you want your report to include all Groups, Systems,
Monitors and Services.
Dashboard (For SLA Report only): Select the Dashboard containing the Services on which you want to report..
Click “Run” to view the report. Report will launch in a new tab under the name you specified. From this tab
you may:
Print the report: Click the “PDF” button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Email the report: Click the “Email PDF” button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Export the report: Click the CSV button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Click “Save” to save the report in My Reports.
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Click “Close” to cancel the report without saving.
TOP (N) REPORTS
Click the report you wish to run from the “Top(n) Reports” section;
“Report Form” pops up;
Report Name: Enter a name for your report
Top (n): Select how many values to include in your report (i.e. Top 25)
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Groups/Systems/Monitors/Services: Drag and drop the Groups, Systems, Monitors and Services you’d like
to include in the report, from the left pane onto the “Selected Members” icon in the right pane. Don't drag
anything if you want your report to include all Groups, Systems, Monitors and Services.
Metric (For Highest [METRIC] during last.. only): Choose a metric on which to report from the drop down list.
Click “Run” to view the report. Report will launch in a new tab under the name you specified. From this tab
you may:
Print the report: Click the “PDF” button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Email the report: Click the “Email PDF” button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Export the report: Click the CSV button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Click “Save” to save the report in My Reports.
Click “Close” to cancel the report without saving.
RESPONSE TIME REPORTS
Click “Response Time Summary Report” from the “Response Time Reports” section;
“Report Form” pops up;
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Report Name: Enter a name for the report
Report Date: Select a date or a date range for the report. Choose a pre-defined value from the drop down
field. Pre-defined range values will automatically populate the “From” and “To” fields. Select “Choose” from
the drop down list to manually input a range.
From: Starting point of the date range.
To: Ending point of the date range.
Groups/Systems/Monitors/Services: Drag and drop the Groups, Systems, Monitors and Services you’d like
to include in the report, from the left pane onto the “Selected Members” icon in the right pane. Don't drag
anything if you want your report to include all Groups, Systems, Monitors and Services.
Click “Run” to view the report. Report will launch in a new tab under the name you specified. From this tab
you may:
Print the report: Click the “PDF” button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Email the report: Click the “Email PDF” button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Export the report: Click the CSV button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Click “Save” to save the report in My Reports.
Click “Close” to cancel the report without saving.
ALERT REPORTS
Click the report you wish to run from the “Alert Reports” section;
“Report Form” pops up;
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Report Name: Enter a name for the report
Report Date: Select a date or a date range for the report. Choose a pre-defined value from the drop down
field. Pre-defined range values will automatically populate the “From” and “To” fields. Select “Choose” from
the drop down list to manually input a range.
From: Starting point of the date range.
To: Ending point of the date range.
Groups/Systems/Monitors/Services (For By Monitor only): Drag and drop the Groups, Systems, Monitors
and Services you’d like to include in the report, from the left pane onto the “Selected Members” icon in the right
pane. Don't drag anything if you want your report to include all Groups, Systems, Monitors and Services.
Dashboard (For By Dashboard only): Select the Dashboard containing the Services on which you want to
report.
Click “Run” to view the report. Report will launch in a new tab under the name you specified. From this tab
you may:
Print the report: Click the “PDF” button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Email the report: Click the “Email PDF” button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Export the report: Click the CSV button at the bottom right corner of the screen;
Click “Save” to save the report in My Reports.
Click “Close” to cancel the report without saving.
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MY REPORTS
Saved reports are stored in “My Reports” and can be assigned to selected users.
ASSIGN REPORTS
From the “Reports” menu, select “Reports”;
The “My Reports” page opens in a new tab;
Click the icon next to the report you wish to assign to other users;
“Assign” form pops up;
Click the user(s) to whom you want to assign the report (use ctrl + left mouse click to select multiple users);
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Note: Users are created and managed in the User Management section of the Setup Menu.
Click “Assign” to complete the assignment. Selected users will see assigned reports in their My Reports tab.
DELETE REPORTS
Click the icon next to the report you wish to delete;
SCHEDULE AUTOMATIC EMAIL REPORTS
From the “Reports” menu, select “Schedule Email Reports”;
“Schedule Email Reports” page opens in a new tab;
The “Schedule Email Reports” page displays a table of the scheduled reports.
Add new Scheduled Report by clicking the button at the bottom of the screen.
Search for a specific report by using the search field at the bottom of the screen. Type a keyword in the search
box and click to find the reports you're looking for;
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Click to clear the search box and return all reports.
Customize Schedule Email Reports window columns by clicking the search arrow at the bottom of the
Schedule Email Reports screen;
Or by mousing over and clicking the arrow beside any of the column headings at the top of the Schedule
Email Reports screen, then choosing which columns to display. By default, all columns are shown, but you
can uncheck any columns you don't want to see or check columns you do want to see. You may also sort any
column in ascending or descending order.
DELETE A SCHEDULED REPORT
To delete a scheduled report, click the icon next to the report;
EDIT A SCHEDULED REPORT
To edit a Scheduled Report, click the icon next to the report. “Schedule Report Form” opens;
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Email Addresses: Enter the email addresses of the people receiving the scheduled reports, separate the email addresses by commas. Report: This dropdown is populated from the “My Reports” tab. Select the report you need to schedule for sending. Time: Enter the time that the email is to be sent.
Weekday: Enter the day of the week that the email is to be sent.
Day of Month: Enter the day of the month that the email is to be sent
Note: Optional text you enter to describe the scheduled report.
Complete the “Schedule Report Form” parameters and “Submit”.
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DASHBOARDS
Dashboards allow users to organize and present Services in a logical, customized view. The AppsWatch
Dashboard can display status of your key metrics at a single glance.
CREATE A DASHBOARD
From the “Dashboards” menu*, select “Add new Dashboard”;
*The “Dashboards” menu is only visible when the Dashboards tab is selected in the left “Metrics Tree” pane of the Base.
The New Dashboard page opens in a new tab;
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Dashboard Alias: Enter a unique, descriptive name.
Permissions: Select the accessibility rights to your Dashboard:
Everyone: All AppsWatch users can access the Dashboard
Administrators: Only users belong to “Administrators” User Group can access the Dashboard
Note: Users are created and managed in the “User Management” section of the Setup Menu.
Background: Select a select a stock image or upload an image from your system to use as a background for
your Dashboard.
Description: Optional text to describe this Dashboard.
Complete the “New Dashboard” parameters and “Submit”.
Some sample dashboards are shown below:
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EDIT DASHBOARDS
In the “Dashboards” tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select the Dashboard to edit;
From the “Dashboards” menu, select “Edit Dashboard”;
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The “Edit Dashboard” page opens in a new tab;
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Dashboard Alias: Enter a unique, descriptive name.
Permissions: Select the accessibility rights to your Dashboard:
Everyone: All AppsWatch users can access the Dashboard
Administrators: Only users belong to “Administrators” User Group can access the Dashboard
Note: Users are created and managed in the “User Management” section of the Setup Menu.
Background: Select a select a stock image or upload an image from your system to use as a background for
your Dashboard.
Description: Optional text to describe this Dashboard.
Make changes to the Dashboard and “Submit”.
DELETE A DASHBOARD
In the “Dashboards” tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select the Dashboard to delete;
From the “Dashboards” menu, select “Delete Dashboard”;
“Confirm” window pops up;
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Click “Yes” to finalize the deletion of the Dashboard.
UNLINK A SERVICE FROM A DASHBOARD
In the “Dashboards” tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select the Dashboard from which you want to unlink a Service;
Click the Service to unlink (use the filter to search by name or keyword);
Service window opens in a new tab;
From the “Dashboards” menu, select “Unlink from Dashboard”;
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“Confirm” window pops up;
Click “Yes” to finalize the unlinking of the Service from the Dashboard.
Note: Unlinking a Service from a Dashboard does not delete the Service.
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BACKEND MONITORS
AppsWatch can monitor the support components of your network, computer systems and applications, either
through pre-defined metrics that gauge usage of available capacity, or through various user-defined system
tests. Following are the categories of Backend Monitors available in AppsWatch:
System: These Monitors are for operating system performance. AppsWatch uses two types of System
Monitors:
Standard Performance Instances: CPU, memory, disk (Windows) or file system (Linux & Solaris),
processes, services and network. Metrics are pre-defined (not user-defined). Monitoring of these
performance metrics produces data regarding usage of available capacity.
User-defined Instances: File Size, Process Count, and Application. A file is tested (monitored) for File Size. Application and Process instances are similar; both test for a specified number of processes matching a specified description. The Application Instance is intended to monitor all of the processes of a particular application. The Process Instance is intended to monitor a single process.
Task: AppsWatch will monitor availability and response time of your applications from the application layer
perspective by executing user defined tasks at specified intervals. Task types include: Database, FTP, Web
Server, Advanced Web Server, DNS server, Mail Server, LDAP server, Active Directory server, Network File
Copy, and Custom tests.
Logs: Monitors logs from Systems, Databases, Applications and Syslogs. With its simple user interface, you
can easily manage different log files of several applications and Operating Systems. Once you specify the log
events that are important to you, Logs agent will scan the log files and will alert you about those key events.
SNMP: Monitors SNMP enabled devices or servers in your network. The purpose is to collect data on such
things as device status, hardware environment (power supply, processor temperature, fan, etc.) packets
sent/received, uptimes, traffic errors, and many others.
Nodes: Monitors availability/response time of servers, routers, switches, and other vital network components
as well as any TCP connect based applications. Opens application ports and performs pings, gives availability
and response time results.
Custom Metrics: Define a custom System and attach metrics.
SYSTEM MONITORS
In AppsWatch, a System is a computer defined primarily by its address and operating system (Windows, Linux,
or Solaris). Add a System to create a Backend “System” Monitor.
ADD NEW SYSTEM
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select “System”>”Add New System”;
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The “New System” form opens in a new tab;
System Type: Select the operating system type from the drop down box.
Connection Method: The method you will use to connect to this System. The options available depend on the
selection made for the “System Type”. Most of these connection methods are agent-less, however, for certain
system types, like Windows, an agent-based connection method is available. If you select an agent-based
connection method, then please ensure that the appropriate agent is already installed and running on the
target machine. For Oracle systems, please make sure that the appropriate client is installed on the machine
where AppsWatch is installed.
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Note: Use “Chroniker” Agent for Windows only if your WMI has problems.
Host name / IP: Enter the Hostname or Static IP address of the System. If the local system is being monitored
enter “localhost” or “127.0.0.1”. If the “Connection Method” is “Agent” and you are using non-default port, then
enter the system address as <hostname or ip address>:<port> (without the brackets). If you did not change
the default listening port (port: 9000) for the agent, you may enter just the server name or IP.
Login: Enter the login name. For Windows systems joined to domain, use: domain_name\username or
[email protected] (i.e. MYDOMAIN\john or [email protected]). For Windows systems not joined to
domain, use: hostname\username or username (i.e. 192.168.10.100\administrator or administrator). No Login
name is required for Windows if the host is “localhost” or “127.0.0.1”. For *nix systems the domain name is not
required.
Password: Enter the password for the username provided.
Connection Timeout: This is the amount of seconds AppsWatch will keep trying to connect to the System
before it “times out” and reports no connection.
System Alias: Enter a meaningful name for the system in this field.
Frequency: The check frequency for monitoring metrics for this System.
Profile: This determines the window during which monitoring occurs (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired
Profile is not listed, click here to Add Monitoring Window Profile. If this field is left blank, monitoring will occur
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Monitor Top Processes: Select “Yes” if you wish to monitor the top processes by CPU or memory usage
(available in all operating systems except Windows 2000 and prior). If 'Yes' is selected, top process will show
on graphs.
TNS Name (not pictured): This parameter is only used for Oracle “System Types” and can be found in the
TNSNames.Ora file (SQLPlus Client should be installed on the server where AppsWatch is installed).
Metrics: Click the “Fetch Metrics” button in the left pane of the Metrics section;
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If login credentials have been configured properly, available Metrics will populate the left pane. Following is a
list of available Metrics:
CPU Metrics: CPU usage of the System is monitored. Usage of each CPU is listed separately, as well as total CPU usage. In the case of a single CPU system, CPU0 and Total CPU are equivalent.
Disk and File System Metrics: Disk and File System Metrics are conceptually the same test. Disk is for Windows and checks for available disk space usage on logical drives. File System is for Linux and Solaris.
Memory Metrics: The physical memory of the System is monitored.
Network Metrics: Packets sent and received across the network are monitored.
Process Metrics: Any running process on the System is monitored.
Service Metrics: Any running Service on the System is monitored.
Expand folders to reveal individual metrics. Drag and drop the metrics you wish to monitor from the left pane
onto the “System” icon in the right pane.
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Alternate method: Select (left click) the metrics you wish to monitor in the left pane, then click “Accept Selected
Metrics” button to add them to right pane. Use ctrl+left click to select multiple metrics prior to clicking “Accept
Selected Metrics”.
Selected metrics appear in the right pane under the System;
Description: Optional description field to further identify this System.
Complete the “New System” parameters and “Submit”.
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ACTIVE PROCESSES
For a list of all processes currently active on a System, in the drop down box of the “Monitors” tab of the
“Metrics Tree” pane, select “Systems”;
Right click the System for which you want to view active processes and choose “Active Processes” from the
menu;
or left click the System to select it, then select “System”>”Active Processes” from the “Backend Monitors”
menu;
Active processes for the selected System will be displayed in a new tab.
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ADD FILE SIZE MONITOR
A file can be monitored for changes in size. To add a File Size Monitor, in the drop down box of the “Monitors”
tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select “Systems”;
Right click the System for which you want to add a File Size Monitor and choose “Add File Size monitor” from
the menu;
or left click the System to select it, then select “System”>”Add File Size Monitor” from the “Backend Monitors”
menu;
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“New File Size Monitor” form opens in a new tab;
Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the frequency – how often the file size is checked,
and the profile – monitoring schedule (i.e. 24/7) for the Monitor. To add a Group, select from
the drop-down list. Click here, for more on Adding New Group.
FILESIZE Alias: Specify an alias (name) for this Monitor
FILESIZE Instances: Provide the name (with path) of the file to monitor (i.e. C:logfile.log;
/home/user1/logmon.log)
Events: Add an Event to your Monitor
Description: Optional description field to help identify this Monitor.
Complete the “New File Size Monitor” parameters and “Submit”.
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ADD PROCESS COUNT MONITOR
The Process Count Monitor counts the number of processes sharing the same name. To add a Process Count Monitor, in the drop down box of the “Monitors” tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select “Systems”;
Right click the System for which you want to add a Process Count Monitor and choose “Add Process Count
monitor” from the menu;
or left click the System to select it, then select “System”>”Add Process Count Monitor” from the “Backend
Monitors” menu;
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“New Process Count Monitor” form opens in a new tab;
Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the frequency – how often the processes are
checked, and the profile – monitoring schedule (i.e. 24/7) for the Monitor. To add a Group, select
from the drop-down list. Click here, for more on Adding New Group.
PROCESS Alias: Specify an alias (name) for this Monitor
PROCESS Instances: Enter the exact name of the process you want to monitor. An asterisk can be used as a
wild card character (i.e. bin*httpd*; calc*)
Events: Add an Event to your Monitor
Description: Optional description field to help identify this Monitor.
Complete the “New Process Count Monitor” parameters and “Submit”.
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ADD APPLICATION PROCESS MONITOR
An Application Process Monitor counts the number of processes associated with an application and reports the CPU and memory consumption for those processes. To add an Application Process Monitor, in the drop down box of the “Monitors” tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select “Systems”;
Right click the System for which you want to add an Application Process Monitor and choose “Add App
Process monitor” from the menu;
or left click the System to select it, then select “System”>”Add App Process Monitor” from the “Backend
Monitors” menu;
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“New Application Process Monitor” form opens in a new tab;
Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the frequency – how often the process is checked,
and the profile – monitoring schedule (i.e. 24/7) for the Monitor. To add a Group, select from
the drop-down list. Click here, for more on Adding New Group.
APPLICATION Alias: Specify an alias (name) for this Monitor
APPLICATION Instances: Specify a comma separated list of processes belonging to the application. An
asterisk can be used as a wild card character (i.e. bin*http*d; calc*, calc.exe)
Events: Add an Event to your Monitor
Description: Optional description field to help identify this Monitor.
Complete the “New Application Process Monitor” parameters and “Submit”.
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DELETE A SYSTEM
In the drop down box of the “Monitors” tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select “Systems”;
Right click the System which you want to delete and select “Delete” from the menu;
“Confirm” window pops up;
Click “Yes” to confirm the deletion of the System.
PAUSE A SYSTEM
Pausing a System disables all monitoring associated with that System until the monitoring is resumed.
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In the drop down box of the “Monitors” tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select “Systems”;
Right click the System which you want to pause and select “Pause Monitoring” from the menu;
“Success” window pops up; Click “OK”;
Paused Systems appear in the “Metrics Tree” pane highlighted in blue, and in italics.
Right click a paused System and select “Resume Monitoring” to enable monitoring;
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“Success window pops up; Click “OK”;
CLONE A SYSTEM
Clone a System to duplicate it on any number of Hosts (ideal for creating duplicate monitoring from different locations).
In the drop down box of the “Monitors” tab of the “Metrics Tree” pane, select “Systems”;
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Right click the System which you want to clone and select “Clone” from the menu;
or left click the System to select it, then select “System”>”Clone System” from the “Backend Monitors” menu;
The “Clone System” select list containing all available hosts pops up;
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Select the host(s) to which you wish to clone this System (press ctrl + mouse left click to select multiple hosts from the list); Click “Clone”;
Note: If the desired host does not appear in the list, select one of the available hosts. Once cloned, you can edit the system and modify the host.
“Operation Successfully Completed!” message pops up;
Cloned Systems now appear in the “Metrics Tree” pane;
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TASKS
CREATE AN ACTIVE DIRECTORY TASK
Problem: Are users getting impatient because response time to access certain directories (Open LDAP,
Novell eDirectory, Sun Java System Directory) is slow?
Solution: Use AppsWatch’s Task Monitor to measure the response time it takes to retrieve results from a
Directory.
Creating an Active Directory Task involves the following steps:
1) Define an Active Directory Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to Active Directory Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>Active Directory Task. “New Active Director Task” form
opens in a new tab;
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Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. ActiveDir_o_query)
Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
Server Address: Enter the IP address or host name of the Active Directory Server (e.g. 10.0.0.323).
Search Base: Follow standard Active Directory search base syntax (e.g. o=nrgglobal,c=US).
LDAP User: Enter a valid LDAP user name.
Password: Enter the applicable password for the LDAP user.
Search Filter: Enter a Search Filter using standard Active Directory syntax (e.g. objectclass=*)
Enable SSL: Check the box to enable SSL. We recommend that you not use SSL unless necessary.
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New Active Directory Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created an Active Directory Task that will alert you when the Event threshold you’ve set
is exceeded. It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to monitor your
systems and networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the Event’s threshold
accordingly, or make changes to the Active Directory so that it operates under desired thresholds.
Now that you have a basic Active Directory test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are
collecting. You may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options.
Should you need further technical help on the topic of Active Directory monitoring with AppsWatch, please
contact NRG Global Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
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CREATE AN ADVANCED WEB SERVER TASK
Problem: Are you losing certain Data when information is being transferred over a webpage?
Solution: AppsWatch's Task Monitor will not only load a URL and get the server’s response code, but it will
monitor dynamic web pages that pass variables and data to the server.
Creating an Advanced Web Server Task involves the following steps:
1) Define an Advanced Web Server Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to Advanced Web Server Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>Advanced Web Server Task. “New Advanced Web Server
Task” form opens in a new tab;
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Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. advweb_login).
Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
URL: Enter the URL of the web-page (e.g. www.nrgglobal.com/mynrg/login.php)
Post Data: Enter the POST data that you want to submit when calling this URL. The format must be as follows:
key1=value1&key2=value2... (e.g. name=jsmith&pass=someone&action=execute)
Login: This is a login for Basic HTTP Authentication. Leave blank if Basic HTTP Authentication is not used.
Password: Enter the password for Basic HTTP Authentication.
Timeout: Enter the number of seconds to elapse before the connection attempt is aborted. Recommended
value is 15-30 seconds.
Use Proxy: Check the box to run the test via a Proxy Server. This is optional.
Response Code: Enter the acceptable HTTP response code received from the web server. Valid response
code operators are less than (<), greater than (>), and equal (=). (e.g. <300). If this field is left blank any
response code received from the web server will be considered as acceptable.
Match Content: Enter a match against the content (case sensitive) of the page. If the matched content is not
found on the webpage, the task returns a down event
Fetch All: Check "Fetch All Content" if you want to get all the images, css files or javascript files referenced in
the page and calculate the overall response time of the task by taking the respective response time of those
elements in consideration.
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
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Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New Advanced Web Server Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created an Advanced Web Server Task that will alert you when the Event threshold
you’ve set is exceeded. It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to
monitor your systems and networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the
Event’s threshold accordingly, or make changes to the Web Server so that it operates under desired
thresholds.
Now that you have an Advanced Web Server test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are
collecting. You may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options.
Should you need further technical help on the topic of Advanced Web Server monitoring with AppsWatch,
please contact NRG Global Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
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CREATE A CUSTOM TASK
Problem: Are there custom scripts failing or responding too slowly in your environment?
Solution: With AppsWatch’s Task Monitor, you can measure the response times of your scripts.
Creating a Custom Task involves the following steps:
1) Define a Custom Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to Custom Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>Custom Task. “New Custom Task” form opens in a new tab;
Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. delete_logfile)
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Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
Program Path: Enter path to the external program or script file (e.g. c:/Program Files/Scripts/deletelog.bat).
Monitor Results: Check this box to monitor the output from the command instead of the response time.
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New Custom Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created a Custom Task that will alert you when the Event threshold you’ve set is
exceeded. It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to monitor your
systems and networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the Event’s threshold
accordingly, or make changes to your scripts so that they operate under desired thresholds.
Now that you have a basic Custom Task test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are
collecting. You may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options.
Should you need further technical help on the topic of Custom Task monitoring with AppsWatch, please
contact NRG Global Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
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CREATE A DATABASE TASK
Problem: You don’t know if your databases (Oracle, mySQL, Informix, InterBase, Postgre SQL) are on or
offline. Queries are failing, but you don’t know when.
Solution: AppsWatch's Task Monitor will test exactly how long it takes to run an SQL query against your
database.
Creating a Database Task involves the following steps:
1) Define a Database Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to Database Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>Database Task. “New Database Task” form opens in a new
tab;
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Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. Oracle System Test)
Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
Database Type: Select the Database type from the drop down menu. (e.g. Microsoft SQL Server)
Host: Enter the host name or IP address for the database server (not needed for Oracle or ODBC).
Port: Enter the numerical port number for the database (not needed for Oracle or ODBC).
Database Name: Enter the instance name of the database (e.g. “Northwind). For Oracle, it should be the
TNS-Name. For ODBC, it should be the DNS.
Login and Password: Enter a valid user name and password for the database in the Login and Password
fields. This is for secure databases only. Make sure that you already have the proper permissions from the
machine AppsWatch is installed on to the database you are trying to run queries on.
Timeout: Enter a value, in seconds, to attempt to connect before the database is considered unavailable.
TNS Name (for Oracle only): Enter the TNS name of the database (e.g. “orcl”)
Conn. Method (for Oracle only): Use sqlplus or internal libraries. Make sure when using Oracle to have the
Oracle client installed and all environment variables set correctly.
Monitor Results: Monitor query results instead of response time. Check if you wish to monitor the return query
result or uncheck if you wish to monitor the query response time.
Query: Enter a query to execute. Basic syntax is required. Do NOT enter a semi-colon at the end (e.g.
SELECT TOP 10 * FROM [dbo].[Orders])
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
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Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New Database Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created an Database Task that will alert you when the Event threshold you’ve set is
exceeded. It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to monitor your
systems and networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the Event’s threshold
accordingly, or make changes to the database so that it operates under desired thresholds.
Now that you have a basic Database test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are collecting.
You may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options. Should you
need further technical help on the topic of Database monitoring with AppsWatch, please contact NRG Global
Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
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CREATE A DNS SERVER TASK
Problem: Your DNS is down, users cannot access the internet, and calls are flooding in overwhelming the
helpdesk!
Solution: AppsWatch’s Task Monitor can resolve a domain name or perform a reverse look up from an IP
address to ensure DNS is up and running.
Creating a DNS Server Task involves the following steps:
1) Define a DNS Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to DNS Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>DNS Task. “New DNS Task” form opens in a new tab;
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Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. NS1 DNS Server).
Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
DNS Server: Enter the DNS Server Address (e.g. 172.15.154.22).
Resolve Host: Enter the host to resolve (e.g. www.nrgglobal.com).
Query Type: Select the DNS Query type from the drop down list.
Match (optional): Enter the IP Address(es)/Host Name(s) to verify against the results returned by the DNS
server. Separate multiple values with a comma (e.g. 63.59.11.12 or 63.59.11.12,63.59.11.49).
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New DNS Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created a DNS Task that will alert you when the Event threshold you’ve set is exceeded.
It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to monitor your systems and
networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the Event’s threshold accordingly,
or make changes to the Web Server so that it operates under desired thresholds.
Now that you have a basic DNS test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are collecting. You
may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options. Should you need
further technical help on the topic of DNS Task monitoring with AppsWatch, please contact NRG Global
Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
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CREATE AN FTP TASK
Problem: Your servers are up, but how long is it actually taking to FTP into a server and download a file?
Solution: With AppsWatch's Task Monitor you can test an FTP server to measure how long it takes to access
files and download them via an FTP connection.
Creating an FTP Task involves the following steps:
1) Define an FTP Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to FTP Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>FTP Task. “New FTP Task” form opens in a new tab;
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Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. FTP_Readme.doc).
Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
FTP Host: Enter FTP host (e.g. ftp.nrgglobal.com)
FTP Port: Enter the port number (if left blank, value defaults to 21).
Secure: Check this box if you want to use Secure FTP Protocol (FTPS).
Verify Cert: Applicable only when using the FTPS protocol. Check if you want to verify the Secure FTP
Server's SSL certificate. If the verification fails then the test will also be classified as failed.
FTP Login and Password: Enter a valid user name and password for the FTP server in the Login and
Password fields. This is optional, as not all FTP servers or files are secure.
Timeout: Enter the number of seconds to elapse before the attempt to initialize is aborted. Recommended
value is 15-30.
File Path: Enter the file path. For Windows users, include what comes directly after the host name. (e.g.
/pub/readme.doc)
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New FTP Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created an FTP Task that will alert you when the Event threshold you’ve set is
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exceeded. It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to monitor your
systems and networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the Event’s threshold
accordingly, or make changes to the server so that it operates under desired thresholds.
Now that you have a basic FTP test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are collecting. You
may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options. Should you need
further technical help on the topic of FTP Task monitoring with AppsWatch, please contact NRG Global
Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
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CREATE AN LDAP TASK
Problem: Are users getting impatient because response time to access certain directories (Open LDAP, Novell
eDirectory, Sun Java System Directory) is slow?
Solution: Use AppsWatch’s Task Monitor to measure the response time it takes to retrieve results from a
Directory.
Creating an LDAP Task involves the following steps:
1) Define an LDAP Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to LDAP Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>LDAP Task. “New LDAP Task” form opens in a new tab;
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Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. Ldap_o_query).
Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
LDAP Server: Enter the IP address or host name of the LDAP Server (e.g. 10.0.1.26).
Search Base: Follow standard Active Directory search base syntax (e.g. o=nrgglobal,c=US).
LDAP User: Enter a valid user name.
Password: Enter the applicable password for the LDAP user.
Search Filter: Enter a Search Filter using standard Active Directory syntax (e.g. objectclass=*)
Enable SSL: Check the box to enable SSL. We recommend that you not use SSL unless necessary.
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New LDAP Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created an LDAP Task that will alert you when the Event threshold you’ve set is
exceeded. It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to monitor your
systems and networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the Event’s threshold
accordingly, or make changes to the LDAP Directory so that it operates under desired thresholds.
Now that you have a basic LDAP test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are collecting.
You may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options. Should you
need further technical help on the topic of LDAP monitoring with AppsWatch, please contact NRG Global
Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
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CREATE A MAIL SERVER TASK
Problem: Are users complaining that email (SMTP, IMAP, and POP3) is slow or totally down?
Solution: Stay one step ahead of the problem with AppsWatch's Tasks Monitor, automatically send an email,
clock the round trip time, check to see if the email arrives and delete it afterward!
Creating a Mail Server Task involves the following steps:
1) Define a Mail Server Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to Mail Server Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>Mail Server Task. “New Mail Server Task” form opens in a
new tab;
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Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. Name of server and the email address it is
checking).
Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
From Email: Enter the email address from which the test email will be sent (e.g.
To Email: Enter the email address to which the test email will be sent (e.g. [email protected]).
User Global SMTP: Check this box if you would like to use SMTP server defined in AppsWatch
“Setup”>”SMTP Server Configuration”. Leave unchecked to manually input the Sending Server Parameters
below.
Wait Time: Enter the time (in seconds) to wait to see if sent test email was received. The wait time should not
be less than 30 seconds. We recommend 60-80 second wait time.
Sending Server Parameters
Address: Enter the sending mail server host name or IP (e.g. mail.yoursmtpserver.com). If your SMTP server
uses a non-standard port, enter the host string as [host]:[port] (e.g. mail.example.com:987 or 10.0.0.177:67).
Secure Login: Check this box if your sending server requires secure login.
Username: Enter the sending mail server user name if it is a secure mail server.
Password: Enter the applicable password for the username provided above.
Receiving Server Parameters
Address: Enter the receiving mail server host name or IP (e.g. mail.example.com). If using a non-standard
port, enter the host string as [host]:[port] (e.g. 10.0.0.177:67).
Secure Login: Check this box if your receiving server requires secure login.
Username: Enter the user name on the receiving mail server side.
Password: Enter the applicable password for the user on the receiving mail server side.
Protocol: Select the receiving 0070rotocol from the drop down list (e.g. POP3 or IMAP).
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
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complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New Mail Server Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created a Mail Server Task that will alert you when the Event threshold you’ve set is
exceeded. It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to monitor your
systems and networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the Event’s threshold
accordingly, or make changes to the Mail Server so that it operates under desired thresholds.
Now that you have a basic Mail Server test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are
collecting. You may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options.
Should you need further technical help on the topic of Mail Server monitoring with AppsWatch, please contact
NRG Global Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
User Guide: AppsWatch
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CREATE A NETWORK FILE COPY TASK
Problem: Are users complaining that it’s taking too long for files to transfer over a network from a file server?
Solution: With AppsWatch’s Task Monitor create a test to measure how long it actually takes to copy/transfer
files over a network.
Creating a Network File Copy Task involves the following steps:
1) Define a Network File Copy Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to Network File Copy Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>Network File Copy Task. “New Network File Copy Task”
form opens in a new tab;
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Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. AppsWatch log copy).
Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
Source Path: Enter the source path/file_name of the file to copy over the network for the test (e.g.
\\172.15.155.173\nrg\hourlytasks.log)
Destination Path: Enter the destination path/file_name (e.g. c:\tasklogs\). Make sure you include a trailing
backslash (\) at the end.
Run As: Enter an authorized user name. Make sure that the user name you provide already has the proper
permissions to copy files from one server to another.
Password: Enter the applicable password for the “Run As” user provided above.
Timeout: Enter the number of seconds to elapse before the connection attempt is aborted. Recommended
value is 15-30 seconds.
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New New Network File Copy Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created a Network File Copy Task that will alert you when the Event threshold you’ve set
is exceeded. It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to monitor your
systems and networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the Event’s threshold
accordingly, or make changes to the network so that it operates under desired thresholds.
Now that you have a basic Network File Copy test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are
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collecting. You may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options.
Should you need further technical help on the topic of Network File Copy monitoring with AppsWatch, please
contact NRG Global Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
User Guide: AppsWatch
© 2012 NRG Global. All rights reserved.
Page 137
CREATE A TNS PING TASK
Creating a TNS Ping Task involves the following steps:
1) Define a TNS Ping Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to TNS Ping Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>TNS Ping Task. “New TNS Ping Task” form opens in a new
tab;
Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. ORCL TNS Ping).
Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
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Instance Name: Please specify the instance name of the Oracle database (e.g. ORCL).
TNSPING Path: Enter the full path to the TNS Ping Utility. If it is already in the Oracle environment path then
just type the program name (e.g. TNSPING.exe).
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New TNS Ping Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created a TNS Ping Task that will alert you when the Event threshold you’ve set is
exceeded. It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to monitor your
systems and networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the Event’s threshold
accordingly, or make changes to the Oracle database so that it operates under desired thresholds.
Now that you have a basic TNS Ping test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are collecting.
You may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options. Should you
need further technical help on the topic of TNS Ping monitoring with AppsWatch, please contact NRG Global
Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
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CREATE A URL SEQUENCE TASK
Problem: Are your e-commerce transactions completed appropriately? Are the users getting acceptable
response time from each web page of your site?
Solution: With AppsWatch’s Task Monitor you can monitor and test your critical business transactions that
span over multiple web pages and be alerted when problems occur before they affect your customers and
business.
Creating a URL Sequence Task involves the following steps:
1) Define a URL Sequence Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to URL Sequence Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>URL Sequence Task. “New URL Sequence Task” form
opens in a new tab;
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Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. NRG Web).
Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Sequence Steps: Click the “Add Step” button to set up the URL test that will be part of the URL
Sequence. The “Sequence Steps” page pops up;
Step Alias: Type a unique name in the Alias field (e.g. this specific web page name "NRG Home
Page"). All spaces and symbols are permitted.
URL: Type in a URL address of the page where data will be submitted (e.g. http://www.nrgglobal.com).
Post Data: Enter the POST data that you want to submit when calling this URL. The format must be as
follow: key1=value1&key2=value2... (e.g. name=jsmith&pass=someone&action=execute)
Login (optional): Enter a login in name for a basic HTTP authentication.
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Password (optional): Enter the applicable password for the login defined above.
Timeout: Enter the number of seconds to elapse before the test is considered a failure.
Recommended value is 15-30 seconds.
Use Proxy: Check this box if you want to execute this task via a proxy server specified in the admin
options.
Response Code: Enter the acceptable HTTP response code received from the web server. Valid
response code operators are less than (<), greater than (>), and equal (=). (e.g. <300). If this field is
left blank any response code received from the web server will be considered as acceptable.
Match Content: Enter a match against the content (case sensitive) of the page. If the matched content
is not found on the webpage, the task returns a down event
Click “Save” to Submit the form. Click “Reset” to clear the form. Click “Close” to close the form without
saving.
Once a step has been saved, it will appear in the “Sequence Steps” pane of the “New URL Sequence
Task” form. To add the next URL step, click on the "Add New Step" button and repeat the above
process.
You may edit a URL sequence step by clicking on the pencil edit tool to the left of the step.
You may delete the step by clicking on the trash delete tool to the left of the step.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New URL Sequence Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created a URL Sequence Task that will alert you when the Event threshold you’ve set is
exceeded. It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to monitor your
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systems and networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the Event’s threshold
accordingly, or make changes to the appropriate web pages so that they operate under desired thresholds.
Now that you have a basic URL Sequence test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are
collecting. You may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options.
Should you need further technical help on the topic of URL Sequence monitoring with AppsWatch, please
contact NRG Global Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
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CREATE A WEB SERVER TASK
Problem: Are web servers (Apache, Web Sphere) down? Are users not able to access your website due to
downtime?
Solution: Allow AppsWatch's Tasks Monitor to load a URL and get the server’s response code. The page
content matching feature will enable a more accurate response time monitoring of the web pages.
Creating a Web Server Task involves the following steps:
1) Define a Web Server Task
2) Define Alerts
a) Create Reactions
b) Create Events
c) Apply Events to Web Server Task
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Task>Web Server Task. “New Web Server Task” form opens in a
new tab;
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Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the monitoring frequency and profile.
Task Alias: Enter a unique name to identify this Task (e.g. advweb_login).
Monitor From (for AppsWatch Remote Location only): Select a location where the task will be executed.
URL: Enter the URL of the web-page (e.g. www.nrgglobal.com/mynrg/login.php)
Login: This is a login for Basic HTTP Authentication. Leave blank if Basic HTTP Authentication is not used.
Password: Enter the password for Basic HTTP Authentication.
Timeout: Enter the number of seconds to elapse before the connection attempt is aborted. Recommended
value is 15-30 seconds.
Use Proxy: Check the box to run the test via a Proxy Server. This is optional.
Response Code: Enter the acceptable HTTP response code received from the web server. Valid response
code operators are less than (<), greater than (>), and equal (=). (e.g. <300). If this field is left blank any
response code received from the web server will be considered as acceptable.
Match Content: Enter a match against the content (case sensitive) of the page. If the matched content is not
found on the webpage, the task returns a down event
Fetch All: Check "Fetch All Content" if you want to get all the images, css files or javascript files referenced in
the page and calculate the overall response time of the task by taking the respective response time of those
elements in consideration.
Host/Server: Enter the Host Server for this Task. Providing the Host Server for a Task Monitor is useful for
reporting, graphing and scheduling system-wide outages. This field can be left blank.
Events: Events trigger Alerts and Reactions when their conditions are met. To add an Event to your Task,
complete the following parameters. Click here for more about Events.
Type: Choose one of the following Alert types to be associated with this Event (ranked from least to
most severe): Informational; Warning; Error; Down
Event: Select an Event from the drop down box. If the desired Event is not listed, you will have to Add
New Event.
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile from the drop down list. This determines the window
during which Events will register (i.e. Business Hours). If the desired Profile is not listed, you will have
to Add Monitoring Window Profile.
Reaction 1 & Reaction 2: Select up to two Reactions to be triggered by this Event (i.e. Email me). If
the desired Reaction is not listed, you will have to Add New Reaction.
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Description: Add a description to help identify this Task.
Complete the “New Web Server Task” parameters and “Submit” (click “Reset” to clear the form).
Summary: You have created a Web Server Task that will alert you when the Event threshold you’ve set is
exceeded. It is recommended that you create as many Reactions and Events as you need to monitor your
systems and networks efficiently. If you find that you are receiving emails constantly, edit the Event’s threshold
accordingly, or make changes to the Web Server so that it operates under desired thresholds.
Now that you have a Web Server test setup you can graph, report and monitor the data you are collecting.
You may also edit the appropriate Scenario and/or Task to include profiles and other options. Should you
need further technical help on the topic of Web Server monitoring with AppsWatch, please contact NRG Global
Support at: 1-888-624-4447 or mailto:[email protected].
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MANAGE TASKS
EDIT A TASK
Right click on the Task and select Edit;
Task Properties form opens; modify any of the parameters and “Submit”.
DELETE A TASK
Right click the Task and select Delete;
“Confirm” window pops up; Click “Yes” to complete the deletion;
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PAUSE A TASK
Right click the Task and select Pause Monitoring;
“Success” window pops up; Click “OK”;
Paused Monitors appear in the “Metrics Tree” pane highlighted in blue, and in italics.
RESUME A TASK
Right click the Task and select Resume Monitoring;
“Success” window pops up;
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Click “OK”.
RUN NOW
Right click the Task to run and select “Run Now”;
“Executing Task” window pops up.
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LOGS
LOGS OVERVIEW
Logs Agent: A Logs agent is the agent that needs to be installed in each server that contains the log files to
be monitored. This agent scans the log files for the key events you specify and sends the results back to the
AppsWatch base.
Facility: A Facility is a set of one or more log files that you specify which share the following characteristics:
agent, scan frequency, filters, and events. You can define multiple Facilities per agent. An example of how a
Facility may be used is to group all the log files of a certain application.
Filters: A filter identifies the regular expression, a string pattern that the agent will use to scan the log files for
the key events that you determine. For example, the expression "error.*" will return any line in the log file that
contains the key word "error". If no regular expression is specified, then all lines from a log file will be matched
for this filter.
Events: Events are assigned to Facilities and will launch your predefined reactions when conditions you define
are met. An Event is primarily defined by its event (alert) level: Error, Warning or Information. For each alert
level, you specify a filter and up to two reactions that will be triggered when a log message containing that filter
is detected.
Template: A Template is the same as a filter, but it offers the flexibility to be applied to different Facilities.
LOGS AGENT INSTALLATION
For Windows Servers:
To run Logs, you need to install Logs agents in every Windows server containing the log files you want to
monitor. Logs agent will monitor and filter the log files then report your specific log messages back to
AppsWatch.
AppsWatch Suite comes with a local Logs Agent which can monitor Windows events and log files in the server
where AppsWatch is installed.
If you need more Windows agents, please refer to the following link to download the Logs agent that is
appropriate to your platform: http://www.nrgglobal.com/downloads/logwatch_agent_downloads.php
Follow the installer program. Specify the installation path and agent listener port when prompted.
For All other servers and network devices:
Logs will receive Syslog messages from all your other servers and syslog enabled devices. Therefore, you
need to enable Syslog in the devices containing the log files you want to monitor. For detailed instructions on
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how to setup Syslog configuration, please refer to "Configuring Syslog Enabled Devices” section below.
LOGS CONFIGURATION
After Logs Agents are installed, set up the log files to be monitored in the AppsWatch Logs Monitor by:
1. Adding the Logs agent to enable AppsWatch base to connect to the agent
2. Organizing your logs from all the agents into Facilities. A Facility is a set of one or more log files that
share the following characteristics: agent, scan frequency, filters, and events. You can define multiple
Facilities per agent. An example of how a Facility may be used is to group all the log files of a certain
application.
ADD NEW LOG AGENT
A Log Agent is the agent that needs to be installed in each server that contains the log files to be monitored.
This agent scans the log files for the key events you specify and sends the results back to the AppsWatch
server.
Note: An Agent must be installed on the machine where the logs will be monitored before adding to the
AppsWatch Base.
To add an Agent to AppsWatch, from the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Logs>Log Agents. Log Agent
window launches in a new tab;
Click on “Add New Agent” button ; “Agent Form” pops up;
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Agent Type: Select from the drop down list – Chroniker Agent; Syslog; Oracle Apps
Hostname: Enter the hostname of the machine where the Log Agent is installed or from where the Syslog
messages are going to be sent.
IP Address: Enter the IP address of the machine where the Log Agent is installed or from where the Syslog
messages are going to be sent.
Port: Enter the Log Agent listening port. The default is 9000.
Location: Select the location from where this Agent is accessible. If no location is specified, the default is
AppsWatch Base.
Complete the form and “Submit”. (Click “Reset” to clear the form; click “Close” to exit and close the form
without saving the Agent)
EDIT A LOG AGENT
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Logs>Log Agents. Log Agent window launches in a new tab and
displays a list of currently defined logs.
Search for a specific Agent by using the Search field at the bottom of the screen;
Type a keyword in the search box and then click to find the Agent you're looking for, or click to launch all
defined Agents.
Customize Log Agents Window columns by clicking on the Search arrow at the bottom of the Agents screen;
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Or by mousing over the column then clicking on the arrow beside any of the column at the top of the Log Agent
screen then choose columns. By default all columns are shown, you can uncheck any columns you don't want
to see or check any columns you want to see in your Log Agents page. You can also sort any column in
Ascending or Descending order.
Edit an Agent by clicking the Edit icon next to the Agent. The “Agent Form” pops up.
Edit the parameters and “Submit” to save changes.
DELETE A LOG AGENT
Delete a Log Agent by clicking the delete icon next to the Agent. “Confirm” window pops up;
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Click “Yes” to complete the deletion of the Agent.
ADD NEW LOG FACILITY
A Facility is a logical grouping of multiple log files on one agent. A Facility can have more than one log file,
and an agent can have more than one Facility. The purpose of a Facility is for simplicity in monitoring: so you
can view all log messages in one place, apply the same filters and reactions to all the logs in the Facility,
etc. An example of how a Facility may be used is to group all the log files of a certain application.
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Logs>Log Facility. “New Log Facility” form opens in a new tab;
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File Alias: Specify a name for the Facility
Agent: Select the agent from the drop-down list. If the Agent is running on Windows, you will see a list of
Windows events (Application, Security, and System). Select the ones you want to monitor.
Scan Frequency: Specify the frequency (how often) in seconds, the logs will be checked.
Windows Event Logs: Check the Windows Events Logs you wish to monitor:
Windows Application Events
Windows Security Events
Windows System Events
DNS Server Events
File Replication Events
Directory Service Events
Log Files: Click the Add Log File button. Specify the full path to the log file (e.g.
c:\tasklogs\logfile.log)
Filters: Selecting the appropriate filter from the drop-down list for each filter type. Filters identify the regular
expression, a string pattern that the agent will use to scan the log files for the key events that you determine.
Click here to add or edit a Log Filter.
Select the Reactions from the drop-down list you want to assign to each alert type. Reactions are enacted
when the filters they are assigned to are met. You can assign up to two Reactions to every filter (Error,
Warning, Information, and Display) in a facility. Reactions types include: Email, SNMP Trap, Restart or
Custom Reaction (a script).
Description: Add a meaningful description to this event.
EDIT, DELETE OR CLONE A LOG FACILITY
Right click the Facility and select the desired menu option;
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LOG FILTERS
The Log Filter identifies the regular expression, a string pattern that the agent will use to scan the log files for
the key events that you specify.
To create a new filter, from the “Backend Monitors” menu, select Logs>Log Filters. The Log Filters window
launches in a new tab;
Search for a specific Filter by using the Search field at the bottom of the screen;
Type a keyword in the search box and then click to find the Filter you're looking for, or click to return all
defined Filters.
Customize Log Filters Window columns by clicking on the Search arrow at the bottom of the Filters screen;
or by mousing over the column then clicking on the arrow beside any of the column at the top of the Log Filter
screen then choose columns. By default all columns are shown. You can uncheck any columns you don't
want to see or check any columns you want to see in your Log Filters page. You can also sort any column in
Ascending or Descending order.
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Edit Any Filter by clicking on the Edit icon . Log Filter Edit Window Opens:
Filter Alias: This name appears in drop lists when defining the Filters for a particular Log Facility.
Filter Category: Select the filter category from the drop-down list (Category is for user grouping convenience
only; the regular expression alone decides the behavior of the Log Filter).
Regular Expression: Enter the regular expression for this filter. Regular expression is a way to specify a set
of possible string patterns that you want to match in the log file. For example, the expression "error.*" will
return any line in the log file that contains the key word "error". Learn more about regular expressions in the
next section below: "Regular Expressions". If this field is left blank then all lines from the log file will be
matched for this filter.
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Description: Optional text to describe the Filter.
Click “Test Reg. Exp.” to test the Regular Expression. Test Regular Expression Form opens;
Regular Expression: Enter the regular expression. For example, if you want to match lines in your log
files containing the keyword “error”, enter “error.*”
Test String: Enter a test string to validate if the regular expression works correctly.
Click “Test” button to execute test; click “Reset” to clear form; click “Close” to close the form.
After testing and verifying regular expression, click “Submit” to save the Filter form; click “Reset” to clear the
form; click “Close” to close the form without saving.
Delete a filter by clicking on the delete icon next to the filter.
Add a new filter by clicking the Add New Filter button at the bottom of the “Log Filters
Categories” page. The Log “Filter Category Form” pops up. Complete the parameters as described above
and “Submit”.
LOG FILTERS CATEGORIES
A filter category helps you organize your filters into groups to easily manage the filters and get a better
presentation in the reports. To create a new Log Filters Category, from the “Backend Monitors” menu, select
Logs>Log Filters Categories. The Log Filters Categories window launches in a new tab;
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Search for a specific Filter Category by using the Search field at the bottom of the screen.
Type a keyword in the search box and then click to find the Filter Category you're looking for, or click to
return all defined Filter Categories.
Customize Log Filters Categories window columns by clicking on the Search arrow at the bottom of the Filters
Categories screen
Or by mouse over the column then clicking on the arrow beside any of the column at the top of the Log Filter
screen then choose columns. By default all columns are shown, you can uncheck any columns you don't want
to see or check any columns you want to see in your Log Filters Categories page. You can also sort any
column in Ascending or Descending order.
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Edit a Filter Category by clicking the Edit icon . “Filter Category Form” pops up;
Category Alias: This name appears in drop lists when defining the Filters for a particular Log Facility.
Description: Optional text to describe the Filter category.
Click “Submit” to save the form; click “Reset” to clear the form; click “Close” to close the form without saving.
Delete a filter category by clicking on the delete icon next to the filter category.
Add a new filter category by clicking the Add New Filter Category button at the bottom
of the “Log Filters” page. The Log “Filter Form” pops up. Complete the parameters as described above and
“Submit”.
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SNMP
SNMP OVERVIEW
SNMP System: An SNMP system is a collection of SNMP instances from a single device (routers or switches)
or server.
SNMP Instances: An SNMP Instance is the object identifier (OID) that contains the information to be
monitored plus the behaviors surrounding that OID.
SNMP Systems and Instances: Users can create SNMP Systems based on two key points for the SNMP
Instances: 1) the frequency they are checked 2) the host/ IP that the objects share.
SNMP SYSTEM
ADD NEW SNMP SYSTEM
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select “SNMP” > “Add New SNMP System”.
New SNMP Form is displayed;
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Alias: Specify a meaningful name that describes the purpose of your System.
Host: Specify host name or IP address of the SNMP device.
Community: It will most often be "public" but unique needs may require another type of community to be
specified.
Timeout: type a number in the Connection Time-out (seconds) field. This is how long the test should last
before it stops and is considered inactive.
Profile: Select a profile from the drop list. You can modify this list through Setup menu
Note: If you want the monitoring to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week (at the specified check frequency),
do not select a profile.
Frequency: Type the number for how often you wish the SNMP Objects within this group checked in the
Check Frequency (Minutes) field. Frequency: Depending on the type of the System, the status of the System
is measured.
Monitor From (if AppsWatch Remote Location used): Monitor from which network or city.
Description (optional): Enter detailed description about the SNMP group to help other users understand the
purpose of the group.
Click “Submit”. Once you submit the SNMP form, the alias host will show in the “Metrics Tree” pane.
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ADD OID TO SNMP SYSTEM
To create an SNMP Object, right click on the SNMP Monitor in the “Metrics Tree” pane and choose “Add OID”;
New OID Form is displayed:
SNMP OID: If you know the numerical OID enter it directly. If not, click the icon to launch the MIB Browser
to search for the OID.
Object Name: Enter a name for the object in the Object Name field. Use a unique name such as the actual
device name followed by the type of information being gathered. Example: "Router2_uptime".
Note: The threshold values, data conversion and all aspects of a specific SNMP Object are integrated with the
Object ID (OID). The OID dictates what kind of information will be monitored. For example, a switch could
have its uptime monitored, its downtime monitored and its description monitored but they would each need a
separate SNMP Object ID (and therefore three separate SNMP Objects created under the same SNMP
Group).
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Conversion: Select the Data Conversion from the drop down list, this is an optional field. This option allows
users to take the native format of the collected data and convert it into a more appropriate format.
Note: Certain types of information have different units of measurement. For example, some network switches
have their time monitored in seconds, while other network devices are monitored in minutes. Another example
is the difference of some devices being bytes while another is in kilobytes. Select "Other" if you do not see the
conversion you need from the drop list.
Conv. Factor: Enter the equation for operating on the data returned. Just enter your custom data conversion
formula. For example, users can type in the equation *1024 to multiply the native value returned by 1024. In
other cases, users may want to use /60 to divide the value by 60. The “Other” value provides a way for users
to create custom formulas to convert data into different formats.
Unit of Measure: Select a Unit of Measure from the drop down list. This option allows users to specify the unit
of measurement to be shown on reports or SNMP object listings:
Response time (ms)
True/False (Boolean)
Number of Success (nb)
Number of Failures (nb)
Number Timetick = 1/100 seconds since some epoch
Hour = 60 minutes
Minute = 60 seconds
Byte = 8 bits
Bit = 1
Megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes
Kilobyte (Kb) = 1000 bytes
Gigabyte (Gb) = 1 billion bytes
Percentage (%)
Packets (pkts)
Events: Events are assigned to watch objects and will trigger your predefined reactions when conditions you
define are met. An Event is primarily defined by its event (alert) level: Down, Error, Warning or Information.
Other important parameters in an event definition are thresholds and reactions. Select a predefined event from
the dropdown menu or create new event. You can resize the dropdown menu by clicking and dragging the
bottom right corner.
Description: Optional field to help identify this object.
Click “Submit” to save the new OID; click “Reset” to clear the form.
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MIB BROWSER
The MIB browser helps you search for, or upload an MIB (Management Information Base) file for use in your
SNMP Object. From the “New OID” form, click the icon to launch the browser;
A window pops up giving the user the option to (1) use an existing MIB file (in the left-pane), OR (2) upload an
MIB file obtained from product vendors (in the right-pane).
Note: The Optional MIB File section allows users to upload dependent MIB files that work only in conjunction
with base MIB files.
Use an Existing MIB File: From the left-pane’s pull-down menu, choose the correct MIB file from the drop-
down menu and drill-down to find the specific Object Identifier (OID) you want to monitor.
Upload an MIB File: Click on the Browse button and specify the location of the MIB file. Do the same for the
Optional MIB file. Once uploaded, the MIB file will become a choice on the Select a MIB File drop-down menu
on the left-pane.
Click “Submit” to upload the file or “Reset” clear the form and start over.
After the OID is selected, the right-pane window changes to allow users to test the OID using the “SNMP Get”
button, or to “Select this OID” to be monitored;
Once you’ve selected the appropriate OID, you will be sent back to the Add New SNMP Object window. SNMP
OID and Name will automatically populate.
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MANAGE SNMP
To view SNMP Monitors, click the “Monitors” tab in the “Metrics Tree” pane. Select “SNMP” from the drop
down list;
SNMP Groups and metrics will populate the “Metrics Tree” pane. Click on each OID or Group to view data and
graphs. Right click to open menu;
EDIT AN SNMP SYSTEM
Right click on the SNMP System and select “Edit”;
SNMP Properties form opens in a new tab. Modify any of the parameters then “Submit”.
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DELETE AN SNMP SYSTEM
Right click on the SNMP System and select “Delete”;
PAUSE AN SNMP SYSTEM
Right click on the SNMP System and select “Pause Monitoring”;
CLONE AN SNMP SYSTEM
Right click on the SNMP System and select “Clone”;
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EDIT AN SNMP OID
Right click on the SNMP OID and select “Edit”;
SNMP Properties form opens in a new tab. Modify any of the parameters then “Submit”.
DELETE AN SNMP OID
Right click on the SNMP OID and select “Delete”;
PAUSE AN SNMP OID
Right click on the SNMP OID and select “Pause Monitoring”;
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NODES
NODES OVERVIEW
Node: A node is an IP address (server, router, switch, etc.) or a TCP connect based application to be
monitored by Nodes.
Node Alias: Nodes are listed by an alias instead of the host or IP address to make the Nodes interface more
readable. You specify the unique node alias.
Node Group: A node group is a collection of nodes that share the following characteristics: group alias, check
frequency, connect time-out, and profile. An admin can assign a user as the owner of the group and also
specify the sharing privileges for the node group.
Reaction: An email, numerical page, SNMP trap or command to execute that is sent when tests exceed
monitoring parameters.
Status Map: A Status Map shows how the nodes are related to each other and displays the parent-child nodes
relationship.
Report: A Report is historical monitoring data in a tabular format.
ADD NEW NODE
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select “Nodes” > “Add New Node”;
“New Node” Form opens in a new tab;
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Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the check frequency and monitoring profile.
Node Alias: Enter a unique, descriptive name.
Host/IP: Enter a URL Address, Host Name or IP address in the format of www.yourbusiness.com,
your_server_name, or ###.###.#.#
Port: Enter the application port number if you are monitoring an application. Leave this field blank for a Ping
test.
Monitor From: If your nodes are on a different network than AppsWatch Base. You can still monitor those
nodes via AppsWatch Remote Location. With AppsWatch Remote Locations, you can now monitor the
response time of your critical servers and nodes FROM different locations. Each defined AppsWatch Remote
Location will report to AppsWatch Base so you can easily manage and compare the monitored data from a
central location. AppsWatch Remote Location needs to be installed in a different server from the one hosting
AppsWatch Base.
Events: Events are assigned to watch objects and will trigger your predefined reactions when conditions you
define are met. An Event is primarily defined by its event (alert) level: Down, Error, Warning or Information.
Other important parameters in an event definition are thresholds and reactions.
Description (optional): Enter a description for the Node.
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Click “Submit” to save the new Node or “Reset” to clear the form.
AUTO DISCOVER NODES
You can also create a group of Nodes all at once using Auto Discover. From the “Backend Monitors” menu,
select “Nodes” > “Auto Discover Nodes”;
“Auto Discover” Form opens in a new tab;
Starting IP Address: Enter the IP address of the lowest IP address in the range you want to scan.
Ending IP Address: Enter the IP address of the highest IP address in the range you want to scan.
Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the check frequency and monitoring profile.
Get Hostnames: Check if you want to see the hostnames instead of the IPs in the result page.
Click “Add/Delete Ports” button to modify the list of ports to scan for each IP address discovered within the
range.
“Add / Delete Ports” window pops up:
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Click “Add New Port” button to add a port to the range. “Add New Port” window pops
up;
Port: Enter port
Port Name: Enter port name
App. Name: Enter application name or category for this port
Description: Enter meaningful description of the port
Click “Add” to add port to range.
Click “Select Ports” to Scan ports against discovered IPs/hosts.
“Select Ports to Scan” window pops up;
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Check the ports that you need to monitor the discovered IPs/hosts against. Uncheck the ports that you
don't need to monitor the discovered IPs/hosts against
Click “Update”
Click “Reset” to clear the form.
Click “Logs” to view autodiscovery logs (Logs will show only if you ran autodiscovery at least one time).
Click “Start” to begin Discovering Nodes. A message pops up saying that “Auto discovery process has been
initiated...”
After few seconds, autodiscovery log displays progress;
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The log refreshes every few seconds or you can click on refresh to get real time status of autodiscovery
process
You can close the log window by clicking on close button and you can re-open it again from the link in
the auto discovery form.
To stop the auto discovery process, close the log window and then click on the link in the autodiscovery
form to stop the process.
Once autodiscovery process finishes, Dashboards tab displays and two dashboards are created: “Host
Dashboard” showing services per IP; and “Application Dashboard” showing services per Port.
IMPORT A LIST OF NODES
You may import a list of nodes from a CSV (comma separated values) file to use in AppsWatch. Click here for
details on how to Create a CSV File.
Note: The number of nodes that can be imported depends on the number of Watch Elements allowable by your
AppsWatch License
From the “Backend Monitors” menu, select “Nodes” > “Import Node List”;
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“Import Node List” opens in a new tab;
Group: Select a Group from the drop-down list to establish the check frequency and monitoring profile.
CSV File: Browse and Select the CSV file (plain text) containing the list of the Nodes to import into Nodes.
Separator: Select the character used for separation between the columns in the CSV file.
Timeout: Enter the timeout (in seconds) if the connection cannot be established with a node.
Error on License Restriction: When checked, the process is aborted if import of all the nodes contained in
the CSV file is not allowable due to number of watch elements allocated by the AppsWatch license. If
unchecked, starting from the beginning of the CSV file, the nodes will be imported until the watch element limit
is reached.
CSV FILE
To import nodes, create a CSV file meeting following specifications:
Columns (in the order listed): (1) Node Alias, (2) Node Hostname / IP, (3) Port (can be left blank -
however the column still needs to be in the file - see example below)
Separator – Separate columns with one of the following characters (no space after separator):
Ampersand [&], Comma [,], Hash sign [#], Semi-colon [;], Tab
Headers – File does not have a header row; first row contains values
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Size – File must not exceed 2MB in size
Note: The number of nodes that can be imported depends on the number of Watch Elements allowable by your
AppsWatch license.
CREATE A CSV FILE USING TEXT EDITOR
Open a text editing program (i.e. Notepad).
Use one of the allowed characters to separate the columns.
If no port is available, leave the section blank, but make sure to have the separator after node IP (i.e.
nrg77,10.0.0.77, ). At least one port must be defined or AppsWatch will not import the CSV file.
“Save” as a CSV file (in Notepad, use “Save As” option, and change “Save as type” to “All Files). Add the
extension .csv to the name of the file (i.e. nodeimport.csv).
CREATE A CSV FILE USING EXCEL
Open Microsoft Excel.
Use column A for Node Alias values, column B for Node Hostname/IP values, and column C for Port values.
Use one row for each record.
From "File" menu select "Save As". Choose “CSV (Comma delimited)” from the “Save as type” field.
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MANAGE NODES
To view Nodes, click the “Monitors” tab in the “Metrics Tree” pane. Select “Nodes” from the drop down list;
Nodes Groups and metrics will populate the “Metrics Tree” pane. Click on each Node or Group to view data
and graphs. Right click to open menu;
EDIT NODE
Right click on the Node and select “Edit”;
Node Properties form opens. Modify any of the parameters then click “Submit”.
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DELETE NODE
Right click on the Node and select “Delete”;
PAUSE NODE
Right click on the Node and select “Delete”;
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SETUP
GLOBAL OPTIONS
Use “Global Options” to establish the time frame for purging data by profile, and to set the precision of
measurements. Purging data will free up space on your systems.
From the “Setup” menu, select “Global Options”;
“Global Options” Form opens in a new tab;
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Business Hours: Select the Profile you want reflected in your reports.
Precision: Set the number of decimal places (rounding) of the recorded data. It is recommended that this
value not exceed 4.
Purge Realtime data after: This value establishes the number of days after which “Realtime” data is purged.
Purge Hourly data after: This value establishes the number of days after which “Hourly” data is purged.
Purge Daily data after: This value establishes the number of days after which “Daily” data is purged.
Purge Monthly data after: This value establishes the number of days after which “Monthly” data is purged.
Purge System Watch Process List after: This value establishes the number of the days after which the
“System Watch Process List” data will be purged. Recommended value is 1.
Purge LogWatch Messages after: This value establishes the number of days after which the “LogWatch
Message” data will be purged. Recommended value is 10.
Create LogWatch Dump Files: If you select “yes”, dump files will be created for the purged messages (make
sure you have enough disk space on the machine where the product is installed).
LogWatch Dump Files Location: Specify the path where you want the dump files to be stored.
Global Page Refresh Interval: Enter the Global Page Refresh” time in seconds. Recommended value is 300.
All web interface pages will automatically refresh in accordance with this value.
Show Setup Help Window: Choose whether the “Setup Help Window” will be displayed after logging into
AppsWatch.
Show Status Change Popups: Select “Yes” if you wish to see the popup window notifications on
Service/Monitor status changes.
Click “Submit” when finished updating, or “Reset” to clear the fields and enter new data.
HOSTS
In AppsWatch, Hosts provide a way to organize and manage collections of associated Monitors. For example,
with a “Host Outage”, you can create an exception to a Monitoring Window Profile that will apply to all Monitors
associated with a Host.
To edit or add a Host, from the “Setup” menu, select “Hosts”;
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“Hosts” page opens in a new tab;
If many Hosts are listed, you may search for a specific Host by using the search field at the bottom of the
screen;
Type a keyword in the search box and then click to find the Host you're looking for, or click to return all
defined Hosts.
Customize Hosts Window columns by clicking on the Search arrow at the bottom of the Filters screen;
or by mousing over the column then clicking on the arrow beside any of the column at the top of the Log Filter
screen then choose columns. By default all columns are shown. You can uncheck any columns you don't
want to see or check any columns you want to see in your Log Filters page. You can also sort any column in
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Ascending or Descending order.
ADD NEW HOST
Click the “Add New Host” button at the bottom of the “Hosts” page. The “Host Form” pops up;
Host Alias: Provide a name for this Host (this name appears in drop down lists when defining the Hosts for a
watch object).
Hostname/IP: Provide the hostname or IP address for the machine where the watch element resides.
Type: Specify the type of operating system of the machine where the watch element resides.
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Location: If remote location is used, this is the location of the watch object. The default is AppsWatch Base.
Add Hostname/IP Address: You may add additional host names or IP addresses associated with this
machine. This is necessary when the machine has more than one IP or Host.
Description: Add an optional description to help identify this Host.
“Submit” when finished to add the Host.
EDIT HOST
Edit a Host by clicking the Edit icon next to the Host. The “Host Form” pops up;
Edit the parameters and “Submit” the form to save changes.
MANAGE HOST MONITORS
Click the “Manage Monitors” icon next to a Host to view and manage the Monitors associated with that Host.
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The “Manage Host” pane opens;
Remove a Monitor from a Host by dragging and dropping it from the right pane to the left pane;
Add a Monitor to a Host by first selecting a Monitor type from the drop down box in the left pane;
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Then dragging and dropping it from the left pane to the right pane;
DELETE A HOST
Click the “Delete” icon next to a Host to delete the Host;
Click “Yes” to complete the deletion.
If a Host is in use (has Monitors associated with it), the “Delete” icon next to it will appear lighter . If you
attempt to delete a Host in use, you will receive the following message:
Remove the attached Monitors and then delete the Host.
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PROFILES & OUTAGES
AppsWatch includes features which allow you to customize monitoring to ensure that you get accurate results
and minimal false Alerts and subsequent Reactions.
ADD MONITORING WINDOW PROFILE
Profiles determine the window during which monitoring occurs (e.g. Business Hours). To add a Monitoring
Window Profile, from the “Setup” menu, click “Profiles and Outages” then “Monitoring Window Profiles”;
The “Monitoring Window Profile” page opens in a new tab, displaying a list of currently configured Profiles;
Click button at the bottom of the “Monitoring Window Profile” page;
“Profile Form” opens;
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Profile Name: Specify a name for this Profile. Profile names appear in drop lists when adding Groups, so use a name that is descriptive and representative of the Profile ( i.e. “24/7”).
Profile Intervals: Configure according to your desired monitoring schedule.
Complete the “Profile Form” parameters and “Submit”.
ADD NEW HOST OUTAGE
Add a “Host Outage” to suspend all Monitors associated with a Host for a specific period of time. From the
“Setup” menu, select “Profiles & Outages”>”Host Outages”;
The “Host Outage” page opens in a new tab;
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Click “Add New Outage” button at the bottom of the page. “Outage Form” pops up;
Monitored Objects: Choose the Host(s) to which you want the outage to apply.
From Date: Select the date on which the outage is to begin.
From Time: Select the time at which the outage is to begin.
To Date: Select the date on which the outage is to end.
To Time: Select the time at which the outage is to end.
Notes: Add optional notes to help identify the outage.
“Submit” to save changes and add the outage.
Notice that when multiple objects are created at once, each exclusion becomes an independent entry on the
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“Object Monitoring Exclusions” page.
EDIT HOST OUTAGE
Edit a Host Outage by clicking the Edit icon next to the outage. The “Outage Form” pops up;
Edit the parameters and “Submit” the form to save changes.
DELETE HOST OUTAGE
Click the “Delete” icon next to a Host Outage to delete the outage;
Click “Yes” to complete the deletion.
ADD OBJECT MONITORING EXCLUSION
You can create exclusions to suspend monitoring of specific objects at specific times. From the “Setup” menu,
select “Profiles & Outages”>”Object Monitoring Exclusions”;
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Object Monitoring Exclusions window opens in a new tab;
Click “Add New Exclusion” button at the bottom of the page. “Exclusion Form” pops up;
Monitored Objects: Choose the object(s) to which you want the exclusion to apply.
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Start Time: Select the time at which the exclusion is to begin.
Weekday*: Select a day of the week on which the exclusion is to occur.
Day of Month*: Select a day of the month on which the exclusion is to occur.
*Choose “Everyday” for either the “Weekday” or “Day of Month” value, whichever is not the method of
determining the occurance of the exclusion (e.g. “Weekday”=Sundays; “Day of Month”=Everyday).
Duration (Min): Specify the duration of the exclusion.
Notes: Add notes to help identify the exclusion.
“Submit” to save the exclusion.
Notice that when multiple objects are created at once, each exclusion becomes an independent entry on the
“Object Monitoring Exclusions” page.
EDIT OBJECT MONITORING EXCLUSION
Edit an Object Monitoring Exclusion by clicking the Edit icon next to the exclusion. The “Exclusion Form”
pops up;
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Edit the parameters and “Submit” the form to save changes.
DELETE OBJECT MONITORING EXCLUSION
Click the “Delete” icon next to an Object Monitoring Exclusion to delete the exclusion;
Click “Yes” to complete the deletion.
ADD NEW MAINTENANCE HOURS
Add “Maintenance Hours” to globally suspend monitoring for a specific period of time. From the “Setup” menu,
select “Profiles & Outages”>”Maintenance Hours”;
The “Maintenance Hours” page opens in a new tab;
Click “Add New Maintenance” button at the bottom of the page. “Maintenance Form” pops
up;
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Hour: Select the hour at which monitoring is to stop.
Minute: Select the minute at which monitoring is to stop.
Day*: Select the day of the month on which monitoring is to stop.
Month: Select the month on which monitoring is to stop.
Week Day*: Select a day of the week on which monitoring is to stop.
*Choose “Every” for either the “Day” or “Week Day” value, whichever is not the method of determining the
Maintenance Hours (e.g. “Day”=08; “Week Day”=Every or “Day”=Every; “Week Day”=Wed).
Duration (Min): Specify the duration of the stopage.
“Submit” to save the Maintenance Hours.
DELETE MAINTENANCE HOURS
Click the “Delete” icon next to the Scheduled Maintenance to delete the Maintenance Hours;
Click “Yes” to complete the deletion.
USER MANAGEMENT
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Create Users and User Groups to control access to Monitors and Reports. Users belonging to the
Administrators group have full access to all AppsWatch objects, reports and setup options. Users belonging to
any other group have selected access based on the limitations of their group.
From the “Setup” menu, select “User Management”>”Users”;
The “Users” page opens in a new tab;
ADD NEW USER
Click “Add New User” button at the bottom of the page. “User Form” pops up;
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Login: Specify a unique login for this user. Logins must begin with an alpha character and are case-sensitive.
User Name: Specify the full name of the user.
User Group: Select from the dropdown list (Administrators – full access; all others – selected access)
Profile: Select a Monitoring Window Profile for this user. Alerts that occur during the selected Profile Window
will be sent to this user.
Email Address: Provide the email address for this user.
Password: Enter a password for this user. Passwords are case-sensitive.
Password (*): Re-enter the password.
Active: Select status of user account. Setting this parameter to “No” prevents user from logging into their
account.
Click “Submit” to add the user.
EDIT USER
Edit a User account by clicking the Edit icon next to the user.
DELETE USER
Click the “Delete” icon next to a User to delete the account.
ADD NEW USER GROUP
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From the “Setup” menu, select “User Management”>”User Groups”;
The “User Groups” page opens in a new tab;
Click “Add New User Group” button at the bottom of the page. “User Group Form” pops
up;
Group Name: Specify a name for this User Group.
Description: Enter an optional description to help idendify this User Group.
Click “Submit” to add the User Group.
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EDIT USER GROUP
Edit a User Group by clicking the Edit icon next to the User Group.
DELETE USER GROUP
Click the “Delete” icon next to a User Group to delete the group.
CHANGE PASSWORD
Users in the Administrators group can change their password using this menu option;
EXPORT MONITORING RESULTS
AppsWatch allows you to export monitoring results for Applications, Nodes and Tasks to a CSV file. From the
“Setup” menu, select “Export Monitoring Results”;
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The “Export Monitoring Results” page opens in a new tab;
The “Export Monitoring Results” page reflects which type of Monitor you select from the drop down list in the
upper righthand corner;
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Object(s): Select the Scenarios/Transactions, Nodes, or Tasks for which you want to export results by
checking the appropriate boxes.
Date Format: Choose the desired date format for the exported data from the drop down list.
Time Format: Choose the desired time format for the exported data from the drop down list. Time data
available for exportation may be limited or unavailable depending on the “Precision” setting in the Global
Options.
Separator: Select the character for column separation to be used in the CSV file.
File Name: Enter the output file name for the exported CSV file.
Merge Date and Time: Check this box if you wish to merge date and time values into a single column (only
applicable when time data is available).
Include Column Names: Check this box if you wish the export file to contain column headings in the first row.
Export Type: Select how the exported data should be averaged (Hourly; Daily; Monthly; Realtime). For
example, if “Daily” is chosen, a daily average will be exported for each object. If “Realtime” is selected, a row
will be exported for each iteration or instance of an object.
Export Range: Specify the date range of data to export. If Export Type is “Hourly”, you have the option to
exclude time ranges from your exported file. If Export Type is “Daily” or “Monthly” you can include a Monitoring
Window Profile to further define the range.
Click “Export” button to submit the exportation request.
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SMTP SERVER CONFIGURATION
To edit SMTP Server Configuration, from the “Setup” menu, select “SMTP Server Configuration”;
The “SMTP Server Config.” page opens in a new tab. Unless previously edited, values contained on this page
are those that were entered during the AppsWatch installation;
SMTP Server: Enter the SMTP server address.
SMTP Login: Check this box if your SMTP server requires you to login.
Secure Login: Check this box if your SMTP server requires secure login.
SMTP User: Enter the SMTP server user name.
Password: Enter the applicable password for the SMTP user.
Send Mail From: Enter the email address from which mail will be sent.
Click “Submit” to save any changes to the SMTP Server Configuration.
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Click “Test Settings” button to test your configuration. “Test SMTP Settings” form pops up;
Expand the “Debug Output” section to view SMTP log messages.
Click “Test” to send a test email. If received at the “To” address, your SMTP Server Configuration is correct.
PROXY SERVER CONFIGURATION
To configure a Proxy server, from the “Setup” menu, select “Proxy Server Configuration”;
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“Proxy Server Config.” page opens in a new tab;
Proxy Server: Specify the host name or IP address of your proxy server.
Proxy Port: Specify the port used by your proxy server.
Proxy Type: Specify the proxy type (HTTP; SOCKS).
Proxy Login: Enter the login for the proxy server.
Password: Enter the applicable password for the login account.
Click “Submit” to complete and save the Proxy Server Configuration.