Requirements for SolarWinds SAM

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Portions Copyright © ComponentOne, LLC 1991-2002. All Rights Reserved.
Portions of the following SolarWinds SAM Documentation is excerpted from:
IBM DeveloperWorks, © Copyright IBM Corporation 1994, 2012. Available at
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/
Microsoft TechNet, “TechNet Library”, © 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Available at
technet.microsoft.com.
Oracle Corporation, 2012 © 2010 Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved. Available at www.oracle.com
Portions of the component monitor information used in the AppInsight for SQL feature are provided courtesy of
the following sources:
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Portions of the following SolarWinds SAM Documentation is excerpted from:
Microsoft TechNet, “TechNet Library”, © 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Available at technet.microsoft.com
http://msdn.microsoft.com.
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IBM Corporation, Copyright © 2012 IBM Corporation. All rights reserved. Available at http://www.ibm.com
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Oracle Corporation, 2012 © 2010 Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved. Available at www.oracle.com
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Guide/JBossAS_Server.html.
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Citrix Corporation, “Citrix InfoCenter,” Copyright © 2012 Citrix Corporation. All rights reserved. Available at
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Inc. All rights reserved. Available at
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er%20process%20must%20wait%20for%20another%20%22&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CDoQFjAD&url=http
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Hewlett-Packard Company, Copyright © 2012 Hewlett-Packard Company. All rights reserved. Available at
http://www.hp.com
http://gurudatta-solaris.blogspot.com/2009/12/solaris-notes.html
Portions of the Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2-2012 R2 Failover Cluster documents are based on the
following source:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee461009.aspx.
Internet Systems Consortium, Copyright © 2012 Internet Systems Consortium. All rights reserved. Available at
http://www.isc.org
http://www.isc.org/software/dhcp
Portions of the Microsoft Routing and Remote Access 2008-2012 R2 and Microsoft Routing and Remote Access
2008-2012 R2 (Events) document are based on the following content:
http://tech-nic.is-a-geek.org/eventid-windows-2008r2/routing-and-remote-access-service-infrastructure/.
Portions of the Remote Desktop Services Licensing document were originally created by and are excerpted from
the following sources:
Microsoft Corp., Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Available at http://www.microsoft.com/enus/download/details.aspx?id=17657
Portions of the Barracuda Spam and Virus Firewall document is based on the following:
http://techlib.barracuda.com/display/BSFv51/How+to+Use+SNMP+Monitoring.
Portions of the Trend Micro documents are based on the following:
http://downloadcenter.trendmicro.com/index.php?regs=NABU&clk=latest&clkval=3802&lang_loc=1
http://docs.trendmicro.com/all/ent/officescan/v10.6/en-us/osce_10.6_sp2_ag.pdf
Portions of the SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services document, the SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services R2
document, the SQL Server 2012 reporting Services document, and the SQL Server 2008-2012 Reporting Services
(Events) document are based on the following sources:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms165307(v=sql.100).aspx
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc627471(v=sql.110).aspx
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms159650.aspx
Danga Interactive, Copyright © 2012 Danga Interactive. All rights reserved. Available at
http://www.php.net/manual/en/book.memcache.php.
MongoDB, Copyright © 2012 10gen, Inc. All rights reserved. Available at
http://www.mongodb.org/display/DOCS/serverStatus+Command.
O'Reilly Squid, Copyright © 2012 O'Reilly Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Available at
http://www.scribd.com/sivatcs/d/77305197-O-Reilly-Squid-the-Definitive-Guide.
Sybase, Copyright © 2012 Sybase, Inc. All rights reserved. Available at http://www.sypron.nl/mda.html,
http://infocenter.sybase.com/help/index.jsp?topic=/com.sybase.help.ase_15.0.sag1/html/sag1/sag1462.htm,
http://infocenter.sybase.com/help/index.jsp?topic=/com.sybase.dc20022_1251/html/monitoring/monitoring33.htm.
SAP Corporation, Copyright © 2012 SAP Corporation. All rights reserved. Available at
http://dcx.sybase.com/1101/en/dbadmin_en11/server-properties-perfapp.html and
http://dcx.sybase.com/1200/en/dbadmin/database-properties-perfapp.html#connpoolcachedcount-db-prop.
APC powerchute, Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Available at
http://danielthechskid.home.mchsi.com/appa6.htm.
Oracle Corporation, Copyright © 2012 Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved. Available at
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/1.5.0/docs/guide/management/overview.html and
http://docs.jboss.org/jbossas/docs/Server_Configuration_Guide/4/html/Additional_Services-Memory_and_Thread_
Monitoring.html.
http://docs.oracle.com/javase/1.5.0/docs/guide/management/overview.html.
TrendMicro, Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Available at
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CF4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2F
www.uv.es%2Fdistrisoft%2Fantivirus%2Fcas%2Fman_01_spnt_58_1060_
en.pdf&ei=tw4cUOeJKqrY2QXCgIGgDw&usg=AFQjCNGocyArGtBrtOWmt29IlqGYCQhxQQ
Server Manager for JD Edwards EnterpriseOne. Copyright © 2012 JD Edwards Corporation. All rights reserved.
Available at http://servermanager.blogspot.com/2008/01/server-manager-logging-part-3.html;
IBM, Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Available at
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/db2luw/v9/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.db2.udb.admin.doc/doc/r0011478.ht
m.
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Microsoft TechNet, “TechNet Library”, © 2010 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Available at
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb490957.aspx
Unidata, “Rocket software”, © 2010 Unidata. All rights reserved. Available at
http://www.rocketsoftware.com/u2/resources/technical-resources/unidata
Portions of this documentation are based on:
http://www.veeam.com/kb1518
http://forums.veeam.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13559
Veeam Backup & Replication PowerShell Guide.
Portions of this document were originally created by and are excerpted from the following sources:
SAAS Corporation, Copyright © 2012 SAAS Corporation. All rights reserved. Available at:
http://www.ssas-info.com/analysis-services-articles/58-ssas-2008/1113-analysis-services-2008-performance-
counters,
http://allcomputers.us/windows_server/microsoft-sql-server-2008-analysis-services---monitoring-usage.aspx,
http://allcomputers.us/windows_server/Microsoft-SQL-Server-2008-Analysis-Services---Monitoring-queryperformance.aspx,
http://www.grumpyolddba.co.uk/monitoring/Performance%20Counter%20Guidance%20-%20SSAS.htm,
http://allcomputers.us/windows_server/Microsoft-SQL-Server-2008-Analysis-Services---Monitoring-processingperformance.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh230807.aspx
http://www.ssas-info.com/analysis-services-articles/58-ssas-2008/1113-analysis-services-2008-performancecounters,
http://allcomputers.us/windows_server/microsoft-sql-server-2008-analysis-services---monitoring-usage.aspx,
http://allcomputers.us/windows_server/Microsoft-SQL-Server-2008-Analysis-Services---Monitoring-queryperformance.aspx,
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http://allcomputers.us/windows_server/Microsoft-SQL-Server-2008-Analysis-Services---Monitoring-processingperformance.aspx
MS IIS SMTP Server document are based on: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms804618.aspx.
Microsoft copyright 2013
BizTalk Server 2010-2013 is based on the following sources:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa559591(v=bts.70).aspx;
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa559893(v=bts.20).aspx.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee254010(v=bts.10).aspx.
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Portions of the Exchange Active Sync Connectivity document are provided courtesy of the following sources:
Test-ActiveSyncConnectivity:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb123540(v=exchg.150).aspx
Exchange 2013 templates are based on the following documents:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff367877.aspx.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff367871.aspx
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Portions of the Blackberry Enterprise Server 10 Statistic (SNMP) document are based on information found at:
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Portions of the Microsoft DirectAccess documents are based on:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh918442.aspx Microsoft, copyright 2013.
Potions the Oracle documents are based on the following and courtesy of Oracle, copyright 2013:
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http://docs.oracle.com/cd/B19306_01/server.102/b14237/dynviews_1019.htm
Portions of the Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2012 document are courtesy of Microsoft Corp.
Copyright 2013.
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http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb932169.aspx
Portions of the AppInsight for IIS document are courtesy of Microsoft Corp. Copyright 2013.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb742410.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms972959.aspx
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http://support.kaspersky.com/9297
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor, 2/24/2015, version 6.2
DJR
About SolarWinds
SolarWinds, Inc develops and markets an array of IT management, monitoring, and
discovery tools to meet the diverse requirements of today’s IT management and consulting
professionals. SolarWinds products continue to set benchmarks for quality and
performance and have positioned the company as the leader in IT management and
discovery technology. The SolarWinds customer base includes over 85 percent of the
Fortune 500 and customers from over 170 countries. Our global business partner
distributor network exceeds 100 distributors and resellers.
Contacting SolarWinds
You can contact SolarWinds in a number of ways, including the following:
Team
Contact Information
Sales
1.866.530.8100
http://www.solarwinds.com
Technical http://www.solarwinds.com/support, you need a customer account to access
Support the Customer Support area of the website.
User
Forums
http://www.thwack.com contains the community oriented user forums
Conventions
The documentation uses consistent conventions to help you identify items throughout the
printed and online library.
Convention
Specifying
Bold
Window items, including buttons and fields.
Italics
Book and CD titles, variable names, new terms
Fixed font
File and directory names, commands and code examples, text
typed by you
Straight brackets, as in
[value]
Optional command parameters
Curly braces, as in
{value}
Required command parameters
Logical OR, as in
value1|value2
Exclusive command parameters where only one of the options
can be specified
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Documentation
Library
The following documents are included in the Server & Application Monitor (SolarWinds SAM)
documentation library:
Document
Purpose
Administrator Guide
Provides detailed setup, configuration, and conceptual information
for SolarWinds SAM.
Evaluation Guide
Provides an introduction to SolarWinds Server & Application
Monitor features and instructions for installation and initial
configuration.
Page Help
Provides help for every window in the SolarWinds Server &
Application Monitor user interface
Quick Start Guide
Provides installation, setup, and common scenarios for which
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor provides a simple, yet
powerful, solution.
Release Notes
Provides late-breaking information, known issues, and updates. The
latest Release Notes can be found at www.solarwinds.com.
The following documents supplement the Server & Application Monitor documentation library
with information about SolarWinds Common Components:
Document
Purpose
Orion Common
Components
Administrator Guide
Provides detailed setup, configuration, and conceptual
information for the common components.
Orion Common
Provides help for every window in the Orion Common
Components Page Help Components user interface.
Release Notes
Provides late breaking information, known issues, and updates.
The latest Release Notes can be found at www.solarwinds.com.
Note: With this release, Orion products are based on a set of common features that are
shared by all of the Orion products. Therefore you need to consult the documentation listed
above for the Orion Common Components in order to find information about all of the
common features.
Table of Contents
About SolarWinds
8
Contacting SolarWinds
8
Conventions
8
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Documentation Library
9
Table of Contents
10
Chapter 1: Introduction
85
Changes in this Guide from SAM 6.1.1 to 6.2
85
Applications Defined
86
Template/Application Relationship
86
SAM Glossary of Terms
87
How Does SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Work?
89
Application Availability and Status
91
Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
Requirements for SolarWinds SAM
93
93
SolarWinds Server Software Requirements
93
SolarWinds Server Hardware Requirements
95
Requirements for Virtual Machines and Servers
96
Requirements for the Orion database Server (SQL Server)
97
Additional SolarWinds SAM Requirements
99
FIPS Support
FIPS Manager
99
100
Server Sizing
101
Scalability
102
SNMP Requirements for Monitored Devices
103
Enabling Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS)
103
Enabling IIS on Windows Server 2003
103
Enabling IIS on Windows Server 2008
106
Upgrading SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
110
Upgrading NPM and SolarWinds SAM on Your Current Server
111
Upgrading SAM to a New Server While Keeping NPM on Your Current Server
111
Moving SolarWinds SAM to a different server
112
General Requirements
112
Database Requirements
113
Stopping SAM Services
113
To stop SolarWinds SAM services:
Creating a Database Backup File with Database Manager
To backup your Orion database using Database Manager:
Creating a Database Backup File with SQL Server Management Studio
To backup your Orion database using SQL Server Management Studio:
Restoring a Database Backup File for SQL Express Server
To restore your database backup file on a server running SQL Express Server:
Restoring a Database Backup File for SQL Server 2008
To restore your database backup file on a server running SQL Server 2008:
Updating SolarWinds SAM to Use the New Database Server
To update SolarWinds SAM to use a new database:
Reassigning Nodes
To reassign items to the new polling engine:
Moving SolarWinds SAM Security Certificates to a New Server
To replicate the original certificate:
Migrating Licenses with License Manager
To deactivate currently installed licenses:
Installing License Manager
113
114
114
115
115
116
116
117
117
118
118
119
119
121
121
122
122
123
To install License Manager:
123
Using License Manager
123
To deactivate currently installed licenses:
123
Upgrading SolarWinds APM when SolarWinds Failover Engine is Installed
On the primary/active server:
124
124
On the primary Server (assuming a successful upgrade of secondary completed):125
Installing SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
126
Uninstalling SAM
131
Advanced Installation of SAM
132
To assign nodes to polling engines:
138
Activating Your License
138
To evaluate the software without a license:
138
To license the software on a server with Internet access:
139
To license the software on a server without Internet access:
139
Finishing SolarWinds SAM Installation
140
Follow the directions in the SolarWinds Configuration Wizard:
140
To configure Server & Application Monitor:
140
Excluding SolarWinds Data Directories from Anti-Virus Scanning
142
Exclude for Windows Server 2003:
142
Exclude for Windows Server 2008:
142
Running SolarWinds SAM
To run SolarWinds SAM:
143
143
Internet Explorer Security Settings
143
Licensing
143
To see the available component monitors remaining in your license:
Chapter 3: Common Tasks with SolarWinds SAM
147
149
Monitoring Web Site Performance
149
Deciding What to Monitor
150
Monitoring the Intranet Home Page
150
Monitoring the Corporate Home Page
151
Troubleshooting the HTTP Template
151
Monitoring IIS Application Pools
152
Deciding What to Monitor
153
What needs to be monitored:
153
Scanning for Applications Worth Monitoring
154
What needs to be monitored:
154
The administrator user name and passwords are:
154
Monitoring a Specific URL
To monitor a specific URL, follow the step outlined below:
Monitoring VMware Performance Counters
What needs to be monitored:
155
155
157
157
To create a new Application Monitor using the browsing method to select the 157
desired VMware performance counters:
Monitoring and Restarting Stopped Windows Services
What needs to be monitored:
Monitoring Large Directories
160
160
162
What needs to be monitored:
162
Troubleshooting the Large Directory Monitor
164
Chapter 4: Managing the Web Console
165
To manage the SolarWinds Web Console, navigate to the Settings page:
166
Refer to the sections that follow for details about the administrative commands
available in each category:
167
Discovery Central
168
Node & Group Management
168
Virtualization Settings
Accounts
Account List
Customize
169
169
169
170
Customize Menu Bars
170
Color Scheme
170
External Websites
170
Customized SAM Tabbed Sub-Views
170
Manage Alerts
171
Views
171
Manage Views
172
Add New View
172
Views by Device Type
172
Views by Application Type
172
Settings
172
Web Console Settings
172
Polling Settings
173
SAM Settings
173
SolarWinds Thresholds
173
Virtualization Thresholds
173
Details
173
Database Details
173
Polling Engines
174
Orion Core Details
174
License Details
174
Navigating the SolarWinds Web Console
174
Using Web Console Tabs
174
Using and Disabling Web Console Breadcrumbs
175
To disable web console breadcrumb navigation:
Managing Nodes from the Web Console
To manage the SolarWinds Web Console, navigate to the Settings page:
Unmanaging Nodes
To unmanage a node:
Adding Nodes for Monitoring
To add a device for monitoring in the SolarWinds Web Console:
Deleting Nodes from Monitoring
To delete a node from monitoring in the SolarWinds Web Console:
176
176
176
177
177
177
177
180
180
Deleting Applications or Volumes from Monitoring
181
Viewing Node Data in Tooltips
181
Editing Node Properties
182
To edit object properties in the SolarWinds Web Console:
Promoting a Node from ICMP to SNMP Monitoring
To promote an ICMP only node to SNMP:
Promoting a Node to WMI Monitoring
To promote a node to WMI:
Viewing Node Resources
To view a list of all resources present on a node:
Setting Node Management States
To set or change the management state of a node:
Unscheduled Node Polling and Rediscovery
To perform an unscheduled poll or rediscovery:
Unmanage Scheduling Utility
182
183
183
184
185
185
185
186
186
187
187
187
To schedule tasks to be stopped:
188
Monitoring Windows Server Memory
189
Scheduling a Node Maintenance Mode Time Period
189
Administrative Functions of the SolarWinds Web Console
Changing an Account Password
To change an account password:
189
189
190
Viewing Secure Data on the Web
190
Handling Counter Rollovers
190
To designate the type of counter used by SolarWinds SAM:
SolarWinds General Thresholds
191
191
SolarWinds General Threshold Types
191
Setting SolarWinds General Thresholds
193
To set SolarWinds SAM thresholds:
193
Customizing Views
Creating New Views
To create a new view:
Editing Views
193
194
194
195
To edit an existing view:
195
Configuring View Limitations
196
To enable a view limitation:
197
Copying Views
To copy a view:
Deleting Views
To delete an existing view:
Views by Device Type
197
198
198
198
198
To assign a view by device type:
198
Resource Configuration Examples
198
Selecting a Network Map
199
To add a network map to the web console:
199
Displaying a List of Objects on a Network Map
199
To display a list of network map objects:
199
Displaying a Custom List of Maps
200
To display a custom list of maps:
200
Displaying an Event Summary - Custom Period of Time
201
To display an event summary:
201
Specifying User-Defined Links
201
To enable a user-defined links resource:
201
Specifying Custom HTML or Text
202
To specify custom HTML or text:
202
Specifying a SolarWinds Report
203
To include a SolarWinds report:
203
Displaying a Custom List of Reports
203
To display a custom list of reports:
204
Filtering Nodes
204
To enable filtering on a node list:
204
Grouping Nodes
205
To enable grouping on a node list:
205
Customizing Web Console Menu Bars
206
To customize web console menu bars:
206
Changing the Web Console Color Scheme
208
To change the web console color scheme:
208
Changing the Web Console Site Logo
208
To change the web console banner:
208
Configuring the Available Product Updates View
To configure product updates:
Updating your SolarWinds Installation
To update your SolarWinds installation:
208
209
209
209
NOC View
209
Enabling NOC
210
Adding NOC views
Adding AppStack to a NOC View
210
212
Editing NOC views
214
Disabling NOC views
215
Customizing Charts in the SolarWinds Web Console
216
Chart Information:
216
Custom Chart Resource Title Bar Options
216
Edit Chart Title View
217
Exporting Views to PDF
218
To export a view to PDF:
Creating a Custom Summary View
To create or edit a custom summary view in the web console:
Creating and Editing External Website Views
To create or edit an external website view in the web console:
Custom Object Resources in the SolarWinds Web Console
Editing a Custom Object Resource
To edit a Custom Object resource:
218
218
218
219
219
220
220
220
Selecting Custom Objects and Resources
220
Available Custom Resources
221
Integrating SolarWinds Engineer’s Toolset
Configuring a Toolset Integration
To configure SolarWinds Toolset integration settings:
Adding Programs to a Toolset Integration Menu
To add a program to the SolarWinds Toolset Integration menu:
Web Console Configuration
Creating a Web Console Configuration Backup
To create a SolarWinds Web Console configuration backup:
Restoring a Web Console Configuration Backup
To restore a SolarWinds Web Console configuration backup:
Clearing a Web Console Configuration
To clear your SolarWinds Web Console configuration:
Logging in for the First Time as an Administrator
221
221
222
222
222
223
223
224
224
224
224
224
225
To log in to the SolarWinds Web Console:
225
Windows Authentication with Active Directory
225
To enable Active Directory Windows authentication to the web console:
225
Using the Web Console Notification Bar
226
Using the SolarWinds Web Console Message Center
227
To view and configure the Message Center:
Suppressing Events
Suppressing Events:
Using Node Filters
To apply a node filter:
227
227
228
228
228
Accessing Nodes Using HTTP, SSH, and Telnet
229
Using Integrated Remote Desktop
229
To launch Integrated Remote Desktop:
Using Audit Events
Adding the Audit Events resource:
Filtering Audit Events
230
230
231
231
To Filter Audit Events:
231
Editing Audit Events:
233
Chapter 5: SolarWinds SAM Charts and Resources
235
Application Availability Chart
235
Custom Chart
236
Custom Area Chart
239
Custom Bar Chart
239
Component Availability Chart
240
Custom Chart View
242
Printing Options
242
Chart Titles
242
Time Period
242
Sample Interval
243
Chart Size
243
Font Size
243
Data Export Options
243
Custom Line Chart
244
Custom Query Resource
244
Custom Table
245
Editing the Custom Table resource:
Custom Node Charts
246
247
Availability
247
CPU Load
248
Memory Usage
248
Packet Loss and Response Time
248
Custom Volume Charts
248
Event Log Message Details
249
Min/Max Average Chart
250
Adding the Chart:
250
Customizing the Chart
251
Zooming
251
Multiple Object Chart
252
Clicking Edit allows you to configure the characteristics of a selected multiple
objects chart:To add the Multiple Object Chart to your home page:
253
To configure the Multiple Object Chart:
253
Multiple Statistic Chart
Zooming
Multi Chart
Chapter 6: SolarWinds SAM Settings
Getting Started with SAM
254
254
256
259
260
Scan Nodes for Applications
260
Manually Assign Application Monitors
260
Component Monitor Wizard
260
Application Monitors
Manage Application Monitors
Application Monitor Templates
261
261
261
Manage Templates
261
Create a New Template
261
Component Monitors
261
Component Monitor Library
262
Manage Assigned Component Monitors
262
Manage Component Monitors within Templates
262
Application Detail Views
262
Views by Application Type
SAM Settings
262
262
Credentials Library
263
Data and Database Settings
263
Database Maintenance
263
To set the three Statistic Retention Intervals:
263
Polling Engine Mode
264
To set the Polling Engine Mode (v5.2 and earlier):
264
License Summary
SAM License Summary
thwack Community
264
264
264
Shared thwack Templates
265
SAM thwack Forum
265
Chapter 7: Discovering and Adding Nodes on a Network
Discovery Central
To access Discovery Central:
266
266
267
Virtualization Discovery
267
Application Discovery
267
Network Sonar Discovery
267
Discovering devices on your network from Discovery Central:
Using the Network Sonar Results Wizard
To select the results of a network discovery for monitoring in SAM:
268
274
274
Managing Scheduled Discovery Results
275
Using the Discovery Ignore List
276
To manage devices on the Discovery Ignore List:
Chapter 8: Application Discovery
276
278
To Access Application Discovery:
278
Select Nodes
278
Select Applications
278
Enter Credentials
279
Review and Start Scan
279
Add UX Monitors
280
Add Application Monitors
To add Application Monitors on the Add Application Monitors page:
Reading the Application Summary
280
280
281
Active Application Alerts
281
Application Health Overview
281
Applications with Problems
282
Last 25 Application Events
282
Thwack Latest Application Templates
283
Top 10 Components Monitored by Response Time
283
Top 10 Processes Monitored by CPU Load
283
Top 10 Processes Monitored by Physical Memory
283
Top 10 Processes Monitored by Virtual Memory
284
Top XX Monitored Processes by I/O Reads/Sec
284
Top XX Monitored Processes by I/O Writes/Sec
285
Top XX Monitored Processes by I/O Total Operations/Sec
286
Server Warranty Summary
287
Server Warranty Summary Alerts
Chapter 9: Managing Groups and Dependencies
To access the Manage Groups page:
Creating Groups
To create a new group:
Editing Groups
To edit properties of an existing group:
Managing Group Members
To add and remove the objects of an existing group:
Deleting Groups
To delete a group:
Managing the Display of Group Status
To configure the method used to determine the status of a selected group:
288
289
289
289
290
291
291
291
292
292
292
292
293
Managing Dependencies
294
Creating a Dependency
294
To create a dependency:
295
Editing a Dependency
To edit an existing dependency:
Deleting a Dependency
To delete an existing dependency:
Viewing Alerts on Child Objects
Chapter 10: Managing Accounts
Creating Accounts
To create a new user account:
Editing User Accounts
User Account Access Settings
To edit a user account:
296
296
297
297
297
298
298
298
299
300
301
Configuring Audible Web Alerts
302
To enable audible web alerts:
303
Setting Account Limitations
To set user account limitations:
303
303
Defining Pattern Limitations
305
Setting Default Account Menu Bars and Views
305
To set default menu bar and view options:
306
Configuring an Account Report Folder
To configure an account report folder:
307
308
Server & Application Monitor Settings
308
Orion General Settings
309
Integrated Virtual Infrastructure Monitor Settings
310
Chapter 11: Managing SolarWinds SAM Polling Engines
Viewing Polling Engine Status
To display the Polling Engine view:
Configuring Polling Engine Settings
To open the SolarWinds Polling Settings view:
SolarWinds Polling Settings
311
311
311
312
312
312
Polling Intervals
312
Polling Statistics Intervals
313
Network
313
Calculations & Thresholds
313
Calculating Node Availability
314
Node Status:
315
Percent Packet Loss:
315
Calculating a Baseline
315
Using the Polling Engine Load Balancer
316
To reassign nodes to a different polling engine:
316
Setting the Node Warning Level
317
Managing Packet Loss Reporting
317
To configure the Response Time Retry Count for your polling engine:
Chapter 12: Virtualization
VMware Monitoring
317
319
319
Virtual Machine Auto-Summary
320
Virtualization Alerting and Reporting
320
Requirements for Monitoring ESXi and ESX Servers
320
Enabling SNMP on VMware ESXi and ESX Servers
322
Enabling SNMP on VMware ESXi
322
To enable SNMP on VMware ESXi:
Enabling SNMP on ESX Server Version 3.5
To enable SNMP on ESX Server version 3.5:
Enabling SNMP on ESX Server Version 4.0
To enable SNMP on ESX Server version 4.0:
Creating ESX Server Credentials for SolarWinds SAM
To create ESX Server credentials for SolarWinds SAM:
Managing VMware Credentials in the Web Console
322
324
324
325
325
327
327
328
To update a VMware credential:
328
Adding Virtual Servers for Monitoring
328
Polling for VMware nodes Using the Network Sonar Wizard
328
Adding VMs from the Virtualization Assets Resource
328
Virtualization Summary
To view the Virtualization Summary:
Viewing ESX Host Details
329
329
329
Changing Polling Orders for ESX Servers
To poll a vCenter-managed ESX Host from the SolarWinds server:
Troubleshooting ESX Hardware Monitoring
Hyper-V Monitoring
330
330
330
331
Requirements for Monitoring Hyper-V Servers
331
Configuring Hyper-V Servers for Discovery
332
Modifying the Windows Firewall
333
Ensure the Core Networking rules are enabled
333
To allow core networking traffic through the Windows Firewall on Windows
2008 R2:
333
Enable the Windows Management Instrumentation (DCOM-In) rule
333
To allow WMI traffic through the Windows Firewall on Windows 2008 R2:
334
Create a new firewall rule to open the RPC ports
334
To open the RPC ports on Windows 2008 R2:
334
Enabling and Disabling Hyper-V Monitoring
334
List Resources Method:
335
Virtualization Summary Method:
335
Accessing Hyper-V Details
Virtualization Assets:
Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
Certificate Credentials Library
336
337
338
340
Adding a Certificate to the Library
340
Assigning Certificate Credentials
340
A.) When Assigning a Template to a Node:
341
B.) Editing a Template Directly:
341
Understanding the Credentials Library
341
To set up a user account on a SQL server
342
Adding Credentials to the Credentials Library
343
To add credentials from the Credential Library page:
Editing Credentials in the Credentials Library
To edit an existing credential from the Credential Library page:
Deleting Credentials from the Credentials Library
343
343
343
343
To delete an existing credential from the Credential Library page:
Using Quick Credentials
To create and assign credentials using Quick Credentials when editing a template or Application Monitor:
Managing Assigned Application Monitors
Editing an Assigned Application Monitor
To edit an individual application:
Unmanaging Assigned Application Monitors
To unmanage assigned Application Monitors:
Remanaging Assigned Application Monitors
To remanage assigned Application Monitors:
Deleting Assigned Application Monitors
To delete assigned Application Monitors:
Application Monitor Thresholds
Inheriting Thresholds
344
344
344
345
345
345
346
346
347
347
347
347
348
348
Threshold Adjustments at the Template Level
349
Threshold Adjustments at the Component Monitor Level
349
Automatic Calculation of Baseline Data
To Change the Amount of Data Used in Baseline Calculations:
349
350
Multi-value Scripts and Thresholds
350
Applying Baseline Thresholds at the Template Level
352
To Edit and Apply Baseline Thresholds for a Template:
Applying Baseline Thresholds at the Application Level
To Edit and Apply Baseline Thresholds for an Application:
Latest Baseline Details
To View the Latest Baseline Details Page:
Understanding Latest Baseline Details
352
353
354
355
355
356
Understanding the Occurrences Chart
357
Understanding the Metric Over Time Chart
358
Understanding the Latest Baseline Statistics Table
359
Understanding Baseline Details and Setting Thresholds
360
Understanding Sustained Thresholds
360
Working with Component Monitors
361
Viewing the Component Monitor Library
362
Managing Assigned Component Monitors
362
Creating a New Template with Assigned Component Monitors
362
To quickly create a new template with assigned component monitors:
362
Assigning Component Monitors to a Node
363
To quickly assign component monitors to a node:
363
Copying Assigned Component Monitors to an Assigned Application Monitor
364
To quickly copy component monitors to an assigned Application Monitor:
364
Copying Assigned Component Monitors to an Application Monitor Template
364
To quickly copy component monitors to an Application Monitor template:
364
Editing Assigned Application Monitors
365
To edit the assigned Application Monitor for a component monitor:
365
Deleting Assigned Application Monitors
365
To delete an assigned component monitor:
365
Managing Component Monitors within Templates
365
Listing the Component Monitors Defined in a Template
366
To quickly see the different component monitors within your templates:
366
Creating a New Template from Existing Component Monitors
366
To create a new template that contains copies of existing component monitors:366
Creating Assigned Application Monitors from Existing Component Monitors
366
To create assigned Application Monitors from existing component monitors:
366
Copying a Component Monitor
367
To copy a component monitor to a template or an assigned Application Monitor:
367
Choosing Component Monitors and Templates Based on Protocol
RPC vs. WMI
Web Service Monitoring
368
368
368
JSON
369
SOAP Monitor
370
Definitions:
370
About the SOAP MonitorCurrently, the SOAP monitor within SAM can return a 370
status of either Up or Down, or return a status of Warning or Critical based on
response time thresholds. This monitor also has the ability to search for the
presence of a string. You can test the SOAP monitor in Edit mode. If the test
poll throws a web exception (indicating that there was a problem on the target)
the response content is extracted and you will be able to view the message to
help identify the issue.
Configuring the SOAP Monitor
370
Loading WSDL FilesThe SOAP monitor within SAM currently supports the
WSDL schema, which must be exposed on a URL. Once the WSDL file is successfully loaded, the file will be parsed automatically and the fields, highlighted
below, will populate.
371
Manually Entering XML
373
Scripting Custom Component Monitors
374
Creating a Linux/Unix Script Monitor
375
To adapt an existing Perl script to a Linux/Unix Script component monitor in a
new template:
375
Linux/Unix Scripts
378
Example Scripts
378
Scripts Must Report Status Through Exit Codes
378
Scripts with Text Output
379
Creating a Windows Script Monitor
380
Field Descriptions
381
Creating a Windows Script Monitor
383
To adapt an existing Visual Basic script to a Windows Script Monitor in a new
template:
383
Macros for Script Arguments
384
Scripts Must Report Status Through Exit Codes
384
Scripts with Text Output
385
Example Scripts
385
Creating a Nagios Script Monitor
387
Return Codes
387
Field Descriptions
388
Creating a Windows PowerShell Monitor
390
What needs to be monitored:
390
Troubleshooting the Lsass.exe PowerShell Monitor
393
Using Application Monitor Templates
393
Scanning Nodes for Applications
393
To use the application discovery:
394
Select Nodes
394
Select Applications
394
Enter Credentials
395
Review & Start Scan
395
Add UX Monitors
395
Manually Assign Application Monitors
395
To assign a template using the wizard:
395
To assign a template through the Manage Application Monitor Templates
page:
396
Creating New Templates
397
Creating New Templates Using the Traditional Method:
397
Creating New Templates Using the Browsing Method:
397
Managing Templates
398
Creating Templates
399
To create an application template:
399
Assign to Node
399
To create an assigned Application Monitor by assigning template(s) to nodes: 399
Editing Templates
400
To edit an application template:
400
Multi-Edit Templates
400
Ordering Components
401
Copying Templates
402
To copy an application template:
402
Exporting and Importing Templates Locally or Using Thwack
402
To export a template:
402
To import a template from a file:
403
To import a template from thwack:
403
Deleting Templates
404
To delete a template:
404
Tagging Templates
404
To add tags:
405
To remove tags:
405
Understanding Component Monitors and Application Monitor Templates
405
Requirements for Component Monitors and Templates that use WMI
407
Monitoring External Nodes
411
Custom Application Monitor Template Example: Creating a SolarWinds SAM Template
411
To create a SolarWinds SAM application template:
412
Web Service Monitoring
414
JMX Component Monitor Wizard
414
To add a JMX component monitor, perform the following steps:
414
Available Data Transformations
415
Conversion Value
417
Chapter 14: Asset Inventory
419
Asset Inventory Requirements
420
Third Party Software Required for Asset Inventory Information
421
HP
421
HP/VMWare
421
Dell/VMWare
421
IBM
421
VMWare
421
Asset Inventory Data Collection
421
Enabling the Asset Inventory Dashboard
422
To Enable Asset Inventory data collection via the Add Node Wizard:
422
To Enable Asset Inventory data collection via the Management Resource:
422
Viewing the Asset Inventory Dashboard
Navigating to the Asset Inventory page:
423
424
Custom Asset Information
424
Drivers
425
Firmware
426
Graphics and Audio
426
Hard Drives
427
Hosted Virtual Machines
428
Logical Volumes
428
Memory
429
Network Interfaces
430
Operating System Updates Applied
430
Out of Band Management
431
Peripherals
431
Ports and USB Controllers
432
Processors
432
Removable Media
433
Software Inventory
433
Storage Controllers
434
System Information
434
General
435
Hardware
435
Operating System
436
Windows Update Information
436
Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
438
Template/Application Relationship
438
Changing between 32-bit and 64-bit polling methods:
AppInsight for SQL
AppInsight for SQL Requirements and Permissions
439
440
441
AppInsight for SQL Requirements
441
AppInsight for SQL Permissions
442
The following script will configure permissions for a SQL account:
443
AppInsight for SQL Licensing
443
Adding AppInsight for SQL to a Node
444
To Add AppInsight for SQL via the Management Resource:
Adding a Named Instance
446
446
AppInsight for SQL – Default Instances
446
Add a Node
447
Choose your Applications
448
Setting Properties
449
Editing the AppInsight for SQL Template
Editing the AppInsight for SQL Template:
Understanding the AppInsight for SQL Details View
Editing Resources
Navigating the AppInsight for SQL Details View
450
450
451
452
453
Navigating to the Database Details view:
455
Monitoring Clusters with AppInsight for SQL
456
AppInsight for SQL Alerts
459
AppInsight for SQL Details View (Summary Tab)
460
All Databases
461
Active Alerts
461
Application Availability
462
Zooming
463
Application Details
463
Buffer Manager
464
Cache
467
Connections
470
Disk
473
Latches and Locks
476
Memory
482
Pages
492
Processes and Services
498
Sessions
499
SQL Agent Job Status
502
SQL Errors
502
SQL Event Log Message Details
503
SQL Server
504
Top 10 Databases by Active User Connections
514
Top 10 Most Expensive Queries by CPU Time
515
AppInsight for SQL Details View (Queries Tab)
516
Most Expensive Queries
Database Details View
516
517
To navigate to the Database Details view:
517
Active User Connections
518
Connections
519
Database Availability
521
Zooming
522
Database Details
523
Database Disk I/O
524
Database Size by File
525
Log Flushes
526
Storage
530
Top 10 Clustered Indexes by Fragmentation
539
To change the thresholds for the Top Indexes for Database performance
counter:
540
Top 10 Most Expensive Queries by CPU Time
542
Top 10 Nonclustered Indexes by Fragmentation
543
Top 10 Tables by Size
545
Transaction Log Disk I/O
547
Transaction Log Size by File
548
Transactions
550
AppInsight for Exchange
554
AppInsight For Exchange Licensing
555
AppInsight for Exchange Requirements and Permissions
556
Quick Configuration and Navigation
558
Adding AppInsight for Exchange to a Node
558
Understanding the AppInsight for Exchange Details Views
563
Navigating the AppInsight for Exchange Details View
564
Advanced Manual Configuration
567
Changes that will be made to enable AppInsight for Exchange
568
Finding Exchange Credentials
569
Manually Configuring Exchange Server
571
Defining Exchange Credentials
571
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2008 R2:
572
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2012:
573
Create a Self-Signed Certificate:
574
WinRM 2.0
576
Create a Firewall Rule
576
Configuring IIS
578
For more information, see:
580
Finding Exchange URL Settings
581
To verify the PowerShell instance used by Exchange on a server, follow the
steps listed below:
581
PowerShell Permissions
584
Editing the AppInsight for Exchange Template
586
Attachment Extensions
587
AppInsight for Exchange Alerts
588
AppInsight for Exchange Details View
589
Active Alerts
590
Application Availability
590
Application Details
592
Calendar and Resource Booking
593
Critical Processes and Services
596
Exchange Event Log Message Details
603
Exchange Server
604
Information Store
609
Mailbox Database Copies
615
Mailbox Database Size and Space Used
618
Mailbox Database Status
619
Mail Database
624
Management
628
Replication
630
Replication Status Checks
634
Storage
637
Users By Mailbox Size
640
Users By % Mailbox Quota Used
642
Users By Messages Sent
644
AppInsight for Exchange Database Details View
646
To navigate to the Database Details view:
646
Active/Mounted Database Availability
646
Database Copies
648
Database Details
652
Database Disk I/O
660
Database File Size
661
Database I/O
662
Database Metrics
666
Events
669
Messages
671
Transaction Log Disk I/O
673
Transaction Log File Size
673
AppInsight for Exchange Mailbox Details View
674
Mailbox Details
674
Mailbox Synced Devices
676
Received Mail
676
Sent Mail
677
Total Mailbox and Attachments Sizes
678
Troubleshooting AppInsight for Exchange
680
Troubleshooting Permissions
680
Troubleshooting Exchange Performance Counters
683
Troubleshooting Error Codes in AppInsight for Exchange
686
Changing between 32-bit and 64-bit polling methods:
701
AppInsight for IIS
AppInsight for IIS Requirements and Permissions
AppInsight for IIS Requirements and Permissions
702
703
703
AppInsight For IIS Licensing
704
Understanding the AppInsight for IIS Details View
705
Editing Resources
706
AppInsight for IIS Alerts
707
Quick Configuration and Navigation
711
Adding AppInsight for IIS to a Node
711
Adding AppInsight for IIS via the Management Resource:
711
Editing the AppInsight for IIS Template
715
Editing the AppInsight for IISTemplate:
716
Navigating the AppInsight for IIS Details View
716
Navigating to the Website Details view:
718
Manually Configuring AppInsight for IIS
718
Installing PowerShell 2.0 and the WebAdministration Snapin
719
Downloading and Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Windows Server 2008:
719
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Windows Server 2008
719
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Windows Server 2008 R2
719
Set Execution Policy
721
Creating a Self-Signed Certificate
721
Creating a Firewall Rule
722
Updating WsMan Limits
722
Creating a WinRM Listener:
723
Finding IIS URL Settings
723
AppInsight for IIS Application Details View
725
Active Alerts
726
Application Availability
726
Application Details
728
Application Pools
728
Cache
730
Connections
733
IIS Average CPU and Memory Usage
735
IIS Average Network Traffic
737
Event Log Message Details
739
Management
739
Processes and Services
741
Sites
742
Top Page Requests by Average Server Execution Time
743
AppInsight for IIS Website Details View
745
Bindings
745
Connections
746
Files
749
Log Size by File
751
Management
751
Network I/O
752
Requests
753
Site Availability
756
Site Details
757
Site Size by Directory
758
SSL Certificate Expiration
758
Top Page Requests by Average Server Execution Time
759
Web Server Response Time
761
AppInsight for IIS Application Pool Details View
762
Application Pool Availability
763
Application Pool Details
764
Management
765
Worker Process Activation Service
765
Worker Process Cache
768
Worker Process Details
772
Worker Process Requests and Threads
773
Troubleshooting AppInsight for IIS
775
Access is denied when configuring AppInsight for IIS
776
Changing between 32-bit and 64-bit polling methods:
776
Credentials Test Failed
777
Polling fails due to a missing certificate.
778
IIS Polling Failed
779
Node Unreachable.
779
IIS Version Failed
780
WinRM Testing Failed
781
Error Code 1367
783
Error Code 1726
784
Error Code 16004
786
Error Code 16005
787
Error Code 16006
788
Error Code 16007
788
Error Code 16008
789
Error Code 16009
791
Error Code 16013
792
Error Code 16022
793
Error Code 16023
794
Error Code 16024
795
Error Code 16029
796
Error Code 16049
797
Error code 16090
798
Other Errors
800
An HTTPS listener currently exists on port 5986:
804
Create a Firewall Rule
805
Event IDs
806
Performance Counter Details View
815
Average Site Response Time
815
Performance Counters
816
Performance Counter Details
817
History Chart
818
Chapter 16: The AppStack Environment
820
Introduction to the AppStack Environment View
820
AppStack Categories and Data
825
Understanding AppStack
837
Understanding Status and Colors
Understanding Mixed Icons
Understanding Quick Links
838
838
839
Understanding Categories
Understanding the Category Status Summary
841
842
Understanding the Overview Bar:
842
Understanding Filtering Options
842
Understanding Filter Properties
843
Understanding Layouts
846
Understanding the AppStack Resource
848
Navigating AppStack
849
Using AppStack
850
Customizing the AppStack Environment View
852
Adding AppStack to a NOC View
854
Chapter 17: Agents
Agent Requirements
857
859
Accounts and Security Requirements:
860
Requirements for Remote Deployment from the Orion Server:Note: Other
remote or mass deployment methods do not have the same requirements.
861
Open Ports Requirements for Remote Deployment from the Orion Server:
861
Agent-Initiated (Active) Communication
861
Orion Server-Initiated (Passive) Communication
862
Agent Discovery
863
Add Agent via the Add Node Wizard
864
Windows Core Agent Installation
867
Deploying an Agent
868
Deploying Agent Software via Orion Server Push
868
Deploying the Agent Manually
872
Mass Deploying an Agent:
874
Packaging the Orion Agent for Deployment with Patch Manager
879
Gold Master Image
889
Agent Deployment in the Cloud
891
Manual Agent Deployment to Virtual Machines on Amazon Web Services:
891
Automated Agent Deployment to Virtual Machines on Amazon Web Services: 894
Automated Agent Deployment to Virtual Machines on Microsoft Azure:
897
Agent Settings
898
Managing Agents
901
Editing Agent Settings in the Control Panel
904
Agent Alerting
907
Certificates and the Agent
908
Changing the Agent Port
913
Changing Agent Modes
914
Keeping Track of Polling Methods
916
Connecting to a previously installed agent
919
Agent Performance Counters
919
Editing Agent Configuration
921
Changing between 32-bit and 64-bit polling methods:
Agent Alerting
922
923
Troubleshooting Agents and Deployment
924
Troubleshooting Server Push Deployment
925
Troubleshooting Manual Deployment
925
Troubleshooting Mass Deployment
926
Passive Agent: Connection Refused.
926
Passive Agent: Agent is not Running in Passive Mode.
927
Invalid Agent Version
927
Agent GUID is Different than the Requested ID.
927
Chapter 18: Alerting and Reporting
Alerting
928
928
Understanding Alerts
929
Managing Alerts
930
Managing Actions
931
Introduction to the Alert Wizard
933
Alert Properties
934
Trigger Conditions
935
Reset Condition
936
Time of Day
937
Trigger Actions
938
Reset Actions
940
Summary
942
Available Alerts
942
Adding Alerts
947
Adding Alert Actions
951
Sending an E-mail / Page
951
To configure an email/page action for an alert:
952
Playing a Sound
953
To configure a play sound action for an alert:
953
Logging an Alert to a File
954
To configure an alert log file for an alert:
954
Logging an Alert to the Windows Event Log
955
To configure alert logging to the Windows Event Log:
955
Logging an Alert to the NetPerfMon Event Log
956
To configure alert logging to the NetPerfMon Event Log:
956
Sending a Syslog Message
957
To configure an alert to send a Syslog message:
957
Executing an External Program
958
To configure an alert to execute an external program:
958
Executing a Visual Basic Script
959
To configure alerts to execute a Visual Basic (VB) script:
959
Emailing a Web Page
960
To configure an email web page action for an alert:
960
Using Text to Speech Output
961
To configure a text-to-speech output action for an advanced alert:
961
Sending a Windows Net Message
962
To configure SolarWinds to send a Windows Net message upon alert:
962
Sending an SNMP Trap
963
To configure SolarWinds to send an SNMP trap upon alert:
963
Restart IIS Site/Application Pool
964
Using Get or Post URL Functions
965
To configure SolarWinds to use GET or POST URL functions with alerts:
965
Dial Paging or SMS Service
966
Change Custom Property
966
To configure an email/page action for an alert:
966
Set Custom Status
967
To configure an email/page action for an alert:
967
Alert Details
968
Management
968
Alert Status Overview
969
Alert Definition Details
970
History of this Alert on this Object
972
Other Objects currently Experiencing the same Alert
972
Top 10 Objects by trigger count of this alert
973
Alert notes
974
Viewing Alerts in the SolarWinds Web Console
To view alerts in the Web Console:
Acknowledging Alerts in the Web Console
To acknowledge alerts using the SolarWinds Web Console:
Viewing Alerts from Mobile Devices
To view and acknowledge alerts from a mobile device:
Understanding Condition Groups
974
975
976
976
977
977
978
All Condition Group
978
Any Condition Group
978
None Condition Group
979
Not All Condition Group
979
SolarWinds SAM Alerts
979
Component Monitor Alerting Properties
980
Application Monitor Alerting properties
983
Application Monitor Variables for Alerts
983
Component Monitor Variables for Alerts
994
Web Console Based Reports
1009
Using Predefined Web Console Based Reports
1010
Predefined Server & Application Monitor Web Console Based Reports
1010
Application Reports
1010
Agent Reports
1012
Group Reports
1012
Hardware Health Reports
1013
Interface Reports
1014
Node Reports
1016
Creating and Editing Web Based Reports
1021
Edit Report Screen
1023
Report Width:
1023
Header Section:
1024
Logo
1024
Content Section:
1025
Page Layout
1025
Layout Columns
1027
For drop down Menu
1027
Edit Table
1028
Edit Resource Screen
1028
Table Layout
1029
Table Layout
1031
Table Layout (Column Details)
1031
Display Settings
1033
Creating a Scheduled Report
1033
Scheduling a Web-Based Report
1034
Creating a Web-Based Report Schedule
1034
Using an Existing Web-Based Report Schedule
1038
Adding a Custom Table to a Web-Based Report Column
Desktop Notification Tool
Chapter 19: Monitoring Quality of Experience
1038
1040
1044
Introduction
1045
Requirements
1045
Network Packet Analysis Sensor Requirements
1046
Server Packet Analysis Sensor Requirements
1046
Port Requirements
User Scenarios
1046
1047
Scenario: High Response Time
1047
Packet Analysis Sensor Licensing
1047
Viewing Packet Analysis Sensor Licensing Details
1047
Purchasing Additional Licenses
1048
Activating Additional Licenses
1048
Common Packet Analysis Sensor Deployment Scenarios
1049
Aggregation per application
1050
Aggregation with access to network (NPAS)
1051
Aggregation with access to application servers (SPAS)
1052
Aggregation per site
1053
Aggregation per site with access to network (NPAS)
1054
Aggregation per site with access to application servers (SPAS)
1055
Aggregation per computer
1056
Aggregation per computer with access to network (NPAS)
1057
Aggregation per computer with access to application servers (SPAS)
1058
Deploying a Network Sensor
1059
Deploying a Server Sensor
1060
Configuring Nodes and Applications to Monitor
1060
Monitoring QoE Applications
1061
Defining Custom HTTP Applications
1062
Advanced Sensor Configuration
1064
Configuring the Monitored Interface
1064
Configuring the Number of CPU Cores and Allocated Memory
1065
Packet Analysis Sensor Agents
1066
Quality of Experience Resources
1066
All Nodes with QoE Traffic
1066
Application Response Time (Time to First Byte)
1067
Application Response Time (Time to First Byte)
1068
Business Related vs. Social Traffic
1068
Changing an Application Productivity Rating
1069
Data Volume By Application
1069
Data Volume By Node
1070
Network Response Time (TCP Handshake) by Application
1071
Network Response Time (TCP Handshake) by Node
1072
QoE Applications/Nodes Exceeding Thresholds
1073
Configuring Response Time Thresholds
Quality of Experience Application Details
Managing QoE Applications
Quality of Experience Application Stats
Managing QoE Applications
1073
1074
1074
1075
1075
Top XX Application Response Time
1076
Top XX Data Volume
1077
Top XX Network Response Time (TCP Handshake)
1078
Top XX Transactions
1079
Traffic By Category
1080
Changing an Application Category
Traffic By Risk Level
1081
1082
Changing an Application Risk Level
1082
Transactions By Application
1083
Transactions By Node
Chapter 20: Monitoring Hardware Health
1084
1085
Hardware Items Monitored by SAM
1086
Hardware Monitoring and VMware
1086
Accessing Hardware Monitoring Agent Software
1087
Adding Server Hardware Monitoring
1088
Add Node Wizard
1088
Manually Add Hardware Monitoring
1088
Hardware Details
1089
Current Hardware Health Status
1090
Hardware Health Overview Chart
1091
Changing Threshold Values
1092
Hardware Health Chart
1095
Customizing the Hardware Health Chart
1096
Chapter 21: Viewing Performance and Status
1099
Understanding the SAM Application Summary
1099
Understanding SAM Application Details
1101
Understanding SolarWinds SAM Component Details
1102
Understanding SolarWinds SAM Component Settings
1104
Showing SolarWinds SAM Data in Node Details
1104
To enable SolarWinds SAM-specific resources:
Customizing SAM Application Summary Views
1104
1105
Pre-configured Summary Views
1105
Summary View Filtering Criteria
1106
To create a Filtered Applications Summary view based on the default SAM
Application Summary view:
1107
To add a summary view menu item to the menu bar in the Applications tab:
1107
Customizing Application Details Views
1108
Default Application Details View
1108
Custom Application Details View
1108
To customize an application details view for an assigned Application Monitor:
1108
Managing Custom Application Details Views
1109
To select a view for a template:
1109
To select a view for an application:
1109
Viewing Node and Application Data in Tooltips
1110
Node Tooltips
1110
Application Tooltips
1111
Monitoring Network Events in the Web Console
1111
Viewing Event Details in the Web Console
1111
To view event details in the Web Console:
1112
Acknowledging Events in the Web Console
1112
To acknowledge events in the Web Console:
Understanding Volume Details
To navigate to the Volume Details page:
Volume Details Resource
1112
1113
1113
1113
Volume Polling Details
1114
Total Disk IOPS
1114
Avg. Disk sec/Transfer
1115
Disk queue length
1117
Avg. Disk Space Used - Today
1118
Percent Disk Space Used - Today
1119
Volume Size
1120
Volume Thresholds and Planning
1121
Editing Capacity Planning Thresholds
1121
CPU Capacity Forecast Chart
1122
Memory Capacity Forecast Chart
1123
Node Resource Capacity Forecast
1125
Volume Capacity Forecast
1125
Top XX Capacity Problems
1126
Understanding Interface Details
1127
Interface Details Resource
1128
Percent Utilization
1128
Min/Max Average bps In/Out Chart
1129
Percent Utilization - Line Chart
1130
In/Out Errors and Discards
1132
Total Bytes Transferred
1133
Min/Max/Average Packets In/Out
1134
Chapter 22: Creating Account Limitations
Using the Account Limitation Builder
Creating an Account Limitation
To create an account limitation:
Deleting an Account Limitation
To delete an account limitation:
1137
1137
1137
1137
1138
1138
Chapter 23: Managing Processes, Services, Tasks, and Events in Real Time 1139
Real Time Process Explorer
Accessing the Real Time Process Explorer
Node Details page
1139
1140
1140
To navigate to the Node Details page:
1140
Application Details page
1141
To navigate to the Application Details page:
1141
Component Details page
1141
To navigate to the Component Details page:
1142
Monitoring Unmonitored Processes
To have SAM monitor a process that is not being monitored:
Using the Real Time Process Explorer
1142
1142
1142
To show all running processes:
1144
To show a set number of running processes:
1144
To pause polling:
1144
To end processes:
1144
To start polling:
1145
Real Time Process Explorer Alerts
1145
Real Time Process Information in Top XX Alerts
1145
Service Control Manager
Accessing the Service Control Manager
1148
1148
Application Details page
1148
To navigate to the Application Details page:
1149
Component Details page
1149
Node Details page
1149
To navigate to the Node Details page:
1150
Using the Service Control Manager
1150
Starting and Stopping a Service:
1151
Windows Scheduled Task Monitor
1152
Requirements for the Windows Scheduled Task Monitor
1152
Enabling the Windows Scheduled Task Monitor
1153
Accessing the Windows Scheduled Task Monitor
1155
Understanding the Windows Scheduled Task Monitor
1156
Alerting Using Windows Scheduled Task Monitor Macros
1157
1157
Windows Scheduled Task Monitor Returned Status Codes
1158
WTSM Status
Real Time Event Viewer
1161
1162
Accessing the Real Time Event Viewer
1163
To navigate to the Node Details page:
1163
To navigate to the Application Details page:
1163
To navigate to the Component Details page:
1164
Filtering Events
To Select a Log Type:
1164
1164
Reading Events
1166
Monitoring Events
1166
Component Monitor Wizard
1167
Chapter 24: Monitoring Syslog Messages
1168
Configuring the SolarWinds Syslog Port
1168
To configure the Syslog port:
Syslog Messages in the Web Console
1169
1169
Syslog Resources
1169
Viewing Syslog Messages in the Web Console
1170
To view Syslog messages in the Web Console:
Acknowledging Syslog Messages in the Web Console
To acknowledge Syslog messages in the SolarWinds Web Console:
Using the Syslog Viewer
Viewing and Acknowledging Current Messages
To view and acknowledge current Syslog messages:
Searching for Syslog Messages
To search the Syslog message list:
Syslog Server Settings
1170
1171
1171
1172
1172
1172
1172
1172
1173
To start and configure the Syslog Viewer:
1173
Configuring Syslog Viewer Filters and Alerts
1174
To configure Syslog Viewer filters and alerts:
1174
Available Syslog Alert Actions
1176
Forwarding Syslog Messages
1178
To configure the forward Syslog message action:
1178
Syslog Alert Variables
1178
Syslog Date/Time Variables
1178
Other Syslog Variables
1179
Syslog Message Priorities
1180
Syslog Facilities
1180
Syslog Severities
1181
Chapter 25: Monitoring SNMP Traps
1183
The SNMP Trap Protocol
1183
Viewing SNMP Traps in the Web Console
1183
To view SNMP traps in the Web Console:
Using the Trap Viewer
Viewing Current Traps
To view current trap messages:
Searching for Traps
To search the trap message list:
Trap Viewer Settings
1184
1184
1184
1184
1185
1185
1185
To start and configure the Trap Viewer:
1185
Configuring Trap Viewer Filters and Alerts
1186
To configure SolarWinds to send an SNMP trap upon alert:
1186
Available Trap Alert Actions
1187
Trap Alert Variables
1189
Trap Date/Time Variables
1189
Other Trap Variables
1191
Chapter 26: Managing the SolarWinds SAM Database
Using Database Manager
Adding a Server
To add a SQL server to Database Manager:
1192
1192
1193
1193
Creating Database Backups
1193
Restoring a Database
1193
To restore a database from backup:
1193
Compacting your Database
1194
Compacting Individual Tables
1194
Viewing Database Details
To view database details:
Viewing Table Details
1194
1194
1195
To view table details:
1196
Editing Database Fields
1196
To edit database fields with Database Manager:
Detaching a Database
To detach a database:
Using SQL Server Management Studio
To use SQL Server Management Studio to manage your database:
Database Maintenance
Running Database Maintenance
To run the Database Maintenance utility:
Migrating your Database
1196
1197
1197
1198
1198
1200
1200
1200
1201
Stopping SolarWinds Services
1201
To stop SolarWinds services:
1201
Migrating SolarWinds SAM
1201
To migrate SAM:
1202
Creating a Database Backup File with SQL Server Management Studio
1203
To backup your database using SQL Server Management Studio:
1203
To restore your database backup file on a server running SQL Server 2008: 1204
To update SAM to use a new database:
1205
Moving SAM to a New Server
1206
To replicate the original certificate:
1206
To export data from one Orion database and import it into another:
1207
Chapter 27: Creating Custom Properties
Creating a Custom Property
To create a property with Manage Custom Properties Editor:
Removing a Custom Property
To remove a custom property:
Importing and Exporting Custom Property Data
To import custom property data:
1209
1209
1210
1211
1211
1212
1212
To export custom property data:
Editing Custom Properties
1213
1214
To edit a custom property:
1214
To edit a custom property's value:
1214
Chapter 28: Additional Polling Engine and Web Console
Understanding How Polling Engines Work
1216
1216
SolarWinds SAM is Poller-Unaware By Default
1217
SolarWinds SAM Additional Polling Engines are Poller-Aware
1217
Requirements for Installing an Additional Polling Engine
1218
Installing an Additional Polling Engine
1219
To install the additional polling engine:
1220
To assign nodes to polling engines:
1220
Installing an Additional Web Console
1221
To install an additional Web Console:
1221
Copying the Default Reports
1221
Chapter 29: Orion Variables and Examples
1223
Variable Construction
1223
Variable Modifiers
1223
Orion Alert Variables
1224
General Alert Variables
1224
Date Time
1226
Group Variables
1227
SQL Query
1228
Status Values
1229
Node Variables
1230
Example Messages Using Variables
1235
Using Macro Formatters
1236
Syslog Alert Variables
1236
Syslog Date/Time Variables
1237
Other Syslog Variables
1238
Trap Alert Variables
Trap Date/Time Variables
1239
1239
Other Trap Variables
1240
Chapter 30: Status Icons and Identifiers
1242
Chapter 30: Interface Variables and Errors
1243
Interfaces
1243
Interface Traffic
1244
Interface Errors
1246
Chapter 31: SolarWinds Variables and Examples
1247
Variable Modifiers
1247
95th Percentile Calculations
1248
Regular Expression Pattern Matching
1249
Characters
1249
Character Classes or Character Sets [abc]
1249
Anchors
1251
Quantifiers
1252
Dot
1254
Word Boundaries
1254
Alternation
1254
Regular Expression Pattern Matching Examples
1255
Alert Engine Variables
1256
General
1256
Date/Time
1257
Group Variables
1258
SQL Query
1260
Status Variables
1261
Node Variables
1262
Volume Variables
1271
Hardware Specific Variables
1273
Hardware Status
1273
Node Hardware Type
1275
Node Hardware Sensor
1276
I/O Operations Macros
1277
Asset Inventory Alert Macros
1277
Example Messages Using Variables
Syslog Alert Variables
1279
1279
Syslog Date/Time Variables
1279
Other Syslog Variables
1281
Trap Alert Variables
1281
Other Trap Variables
1281
Trap Date/Time Variables
1282
Script Macros
1284
Node Custom Property Macros
1285
Application Custom Property Macros
1285
Baseline Threshold Macros
1285
Chapter 32: Network Atlas
1287
What is in a Map?
1287
Example Maps
1288
Installing Network Atlas
1289
Network Atlas Requirements
1289
Network Atlas Requirements
1289
Creating a Basic Map
1290
Starting Network Atlas
1290
To start Network Atlas:
Adding Map Objects
To add monitored objects to your map:
Connecting Map Objects Manually
To manually connect map objects:
Using Object Links to Represent Interface Status
To use object links to represent actual interface states:
1290
1291
1291
1292
1292
1292
1292
Interpreting Map Links
1292
Using Anchor Points to Reshape Map Links
1293
To use object link anchor points:
Adding a Background
1293
1293
Selecting a Background Color
1293
To set a map background color:
1293
Selecting a Background Texture
1293
To set a map background textures:
1293
Selecting a Background Image
1294
To select a background image:
1294
Clearing the Background
1295
Saving Maps
To save a map:
Opening Maps
To open a map:
1295
1295
1296
1296
Displaying Maps in the Web Console
1296
Map Resources in the Network Atlas Web Console
1296
Displaying Maps in the SolarWinds Web Console
1297
To display a saved map in the Home view of the SolarWinds Web Console: 1297
Displaying Maps in the SolarWinds EOC Web Console
1297
To display a saved map in the Home view of the SolarWinds EOC web con1297
sole:
Advanced Mapping Techniques
1298
Zooming In and Out of a Map
1298
Creating Nested Maps
1298
To create a nested map:
1300
Displaying Map Object Metrics
1300
To add the secondary status indicator:
1300
To change the thresholds of the metrics:
1300
Adding Independent Map Objects and Floating Labels
1301
To add an independent object:
1301
To add an independent label:
1301
Changing the Appearance of Map Objects
1301
To set the default representations of map objects:
1301
To change the representation of selected map objects:
1301
Pasting Custom Icons from the Windows Clipboard
1302
To paste a custom icon into Network Atlas:
1302
To delete a custom icon:
1303
Adding Custom Icons from Graphics Files
1303
To add custom icons from graphics files:
1304
To assign a custom icon to an object:
1304
Changing the Appearance of Links
To change the appearance of a link:
Changing the Appearance of Labels
1304
1304
1304
To move a label:
1304
To edit the text in a label:
1305
To change the appearance of a label:
1305
Linking Map Objects to URLs
To link a map object to a URL.
1305
1305
Linking or Embedding Maps in Web Pages
1306
Customizing SolarWinds Web Console Tooltips
1306
To add additional information to map object tool tips:
1306
Example Custom SolarWinds Node Tooltip
1307
Advanced Map Layouts
1307
Displaying Grid Guides
1307
To display a grid:
1307
To customize the grid:
1308
Aligning Map Objects
1308
Distributing Map Objects
1308
Selecting Automatic Layout Styles
1309
To arrange map objects according to a layout style:
Map Properties
1310
1310
Setting the Map Up Status Threshold
1310
To set the percentage of map objects that determine Up status of a map:
1310
Overriding Account Limitations
1310
To hide nodes from users who have account limitations:
1311
To reveal nodes to all users:
1311
Network Atlas Settings
1311
Network Atlas Tooltip Variables
1312
Application Variables
1312
Application Component Monitor Variables
1313
Date and Time Variables
1314
General Variables
1315
Node Variables
1316
Volume Variables
1322
Wireless Variables
1323
Group Variables
1324
Chapter 33: Configuring Automatic Login
Using Windows Pass-through Security
To enable IIS NT security for Windows Pass-through Security:
1326
1326
1327
Passing Login Information Using URL Parameters
1328
Using the DirectLink Account
1329
To enable a DirectLink account for the SolarWinds Web Console:
Chapter 34: Component Monitor Types
DHCP User Experience Monitor
1329
1330
1331
Statistic
1331
Field Descriptions:
1331
Directory Size Monitor
1333
Statistic
1334
Field Descriptions:
1334
DNS Monitor - TCP
1335
Statistic
1335
Field Descriptions:
1335
DNS User Experience Monitor
1336
Statistic
1336
Field Descriptions:
1337
DNS Monitor - UDP
Statistic
Download Speed Monitor
1338
1338
1339
Statistic
1339
Field Descriptions:
1339
Exchange Web Services User Experience Monitor
1340
Field Descriptions:
1341
File Age Monitor
1342
Statistic
1342
Field Descriptions:
1342
File Count Monitor
1344
Statistic
1344
Field Descriptions:
1344
File Existence Monitor
1346
Statistic
1346
Field Descriptions:
1346
File Change Monitor
1347
Statistic
1347
Field Descriptions:
1347
File Size Monitor
1349
Statistic
1349
Field Descriptions:
1349
FTP User Experience Monitor
1350
To configure the FTP User Experience Monitor and generate a snapshot check1351
sum:
Statistic
1351
Field Descriptions:
1351
FTP Monitor
1353
Statistic
1353
Field Descriptions:
1353
HTTP Form Login Monitor
1354
Statistic
1354
Troubleshooting
1354
Field Descriptions:
1355
HTTP Monitor
1358
Statistic
1358
Field Descriptions:
1358
HTTPS Monitor
1361
Statistic
1361
Field Descriptions:
1361
IMAP4 Monitor
1365
Statistic
1365
Field Descriptions:
1365
IMAP4 User Experience Monitor
1366
Statistic
1366
Field Descriptions:
1366
JMX Monitor
Field Descriptions:
LDAP User Experience Monitor
1368
1368
1370
Statistic
1370
Field Descriptions:
1370
Linux/Unix Script Monitor
1372
Statistic
1372
Field Descriptions:
1372
MAPI User Experience Monitor
1374
Install the MAPI Client on Your SolarWinds SAM Server
1374
Statistic
1375
Notes:
1375
Field Descriptions:
1375
Nagios Script Monitor
Field Descriptions:
1377
1377
NNTP Monitor
1379
Statistic
1379
Field Descriptions:
1379
ODBC User Experience Monitor
1380
Statistic
1380
Install ODBC Drivers on the SolarWinds SAM Server.
1381
TCP Ports
1381
Field Descriptions:
1381
To create the SQL Server connection string:
1382
Oracle User Experience Monitor
1383
Statistic
1384
Install Oracle Client on the SolarWinds SAM Server.
1384
TCP Ports
1384
Field Descriptions:
1384
Performance Counter Monitor
1388
Statistic
1389
Field Descriptions:
1389
POP3 Monitor
1391
Statistic
1392
Field Descriptions:
1392
POP3 User Experience Monitor
1393
Statistic
1393
Field Descriptions:
1393
Process Monitor - SNMP
1394
Statistic
1395
Field Descriptions:
1395
Process Monitor - WMI
1396
Statistic
1396
Field Descriptions:
1396
RADIUS User Experience Monitor
1398
Statistic
1398
Field Descriptions:
1398
Service Status – SNMP
1399
Statistic
1399
Field Descriptions:
1399
SMTP Monitor
1400
Statistic
1401
Field Descriptions:
1401
SNMP Monitor
1402
Statistic
1402
Field Descriptions:
1402
SOAP Component Monitor
1403
Field Descriptions:
1404
SQL Server User Experience Monitor
1407
Statistic
1407
Field Descriptions:
1407
SSL Certificate Expiration Date Monitor
Field Descriptions:
TACACS+ User Experience Monitor
1409
1409
1411
Statistic
1411
Field Descriptions:
1411
TCP Port Monitor
1412
Statistic
1412
Field Descriptions:
1412
Tomcat Server Monitor
1413
Statistic
1413
Field Descriptions:
1414
VMware Performance Counter Monitor
1416
Statistic
1416
Field Description:
1417
Web Link Monitor
1420
Statistic
1420
Field Descriptions:
1420
Windows Event Log Monitor
1422
Statistic
1422
Field Descriptions:
1422
Windows PowerShell Monitor
1426
Statistic
1426
Field Descriptions:
1426
Windows Script Monitor
1428
Field Descriptions:
1429
Windows Service Monitor
1431
Statistic
1431
Field Descriptions
WMI Monitor
1431
1432
Statistic
1433
Field Descriptions:
1433
Chapter 35: Filter Syntax Reference
1435
To apply a resource filter:
1435
Filter Syntax
SQL or SWQL?
SWQL Filter Syntax Examples
1435
1435
1436
Wildcards
1436
Filtering by Custom Property
1436
Filtering by Built-in Properties
1436
Examples
1436
Filtering by Status
1436
SQL Filter Syntax Examples
1437
Wildcards
1437
Filtering by Custom Property
1437
Examples
1437
Filtering by Status
1437
SWQL Resource Matrix
EOC Filters
1438
1438
Alert Resource Filters
1438
Orion SAM Resource Filters
1438
Events Filters
1441
Inventory Filters
1441
EOC Filters
1441
IP SLA Filters
1443
NCM Filters
1445
NTA Filters
1446
Wireless Filters
1446
Summary Report Filters
1447
SysLog Filters
1448
Trap Filters
IVIM Filters
1448
1448
Virtualization Summary
1448
Datacenter Details
1449
Cluster Details
1449
SolarWinds SAM Filters
1450
SAM Resource Filters
1450
Configuring and Integrating
JMX
JConsole
To login to JConsole:
Adding a JMX Component Monitor to SAM
To add a JMX Monitor to a node using the wizard:
1453
1453
1454
1455
1456
1456
Configuring Java Applications Servers for JMX
1459
Configuring Java Virtual Machines for SNMP
1475
Configuring a Standalone Java Virtual Machine
1475
Configuring Apache Tomcat (tested on version 7.0)
1478
Configuring JBoss (tested on versions 5.0.1, 5.1, and 6.0)
1479
Configuring GlassFish (tested on version 3.1):
1481
Configuring IBM WebSphere (tested on version 7.0):
1481
Configuring Oracle WebLogic (tested on version 10.3.4.0)
1482
Enabling Java SNMP monitoring for Weblogic
MAPI
The MAPI User Experience Monitor in SAM
1485
1486
1487
What credentials should a user use?
1487
Why does the profile have to be able to log in to the SAM server?
1487
Install the MAPI Client on the SolarWinds SAM Server
Field Descriptions of the MAPI Monitor:
Troubleshooting MAPI
1487
1489
1490
MAPI Probe Diagnostic Checklist
1491
Install CDO or Outlook
1491
Check the MAPI profile
1491
Check probe settings
1491
Mailbox recommendations
1492
Advanced Troubleshooting
1492
SolarWinds.APM.MAPI.exe Command Line Arguments
1492
In SAM v5.0+:
1493
New in SAM 5.0+ (not listed in the configuration file):
1494
Oracle
1495
Physical and Logical Structures
1495
Storage
1495
Disk files
1495
Configuring SAM to Monitor an Oracle Database Server
1496
Prerequisites for Oracle Server Monitoring
1496
Installing ODP.Net
1496
Installing the Basic Lite Oracle Client
1502
Adding an Oracle Database Server to SAM
1505
Monitoring an Oracle Database on an Existing Node
1512
Getting the Required Settings
1516
Troubleshooting
1519
Oracle Client Driver and Server Compatibility
1520
SAM is Unable to Load the Oracle Client Driver
1520
Troubleshooting Steps:
1521
Using Process Explorer to Determine if SAM is Loading the Correct Oracle Cli1522
ent Library
Using Process Monitor to Determine Why the Oracle Client Fails
1524
Oracle User Experience Monitor is Unable to Connect to the Oracle Server
1527
Troubleshooting steps:
1528
Using the Oracle SQL*Plus Tool to Troubleshoot Connectivity Issues:
1529
Connecting to an Oracle Server Using Simple Syntax
1529
Connecting to the Oracle Server Using Full Oracle Connection Syntax
1530
Executing queries using SQL*Plus
1532
PowerShell
PowerShell and SAM: Configuration and Usage
1534
1535
Exchange 2010 Management Tools
1535
Installation of Exchange Management Tools:
1536
64-bit vs. 32-bit
1539
Platform Scenarios
1539
Troubleshooting PowerShell Snap-In Compatibility
1540
PowerShell Templates and Monitors
1542
PowerShell Code with SAM
1546
Scripts Must Report Status Through Exit Codes
1548
Scripts with Text Output
1549
Remote Execution vs. Local Execution
1550
Script:
1550
To save this script as a PowerShell (ps1) file:
1551
To open the PowerShell console:
1551
To run this command via remote execution:
1551
To run this command via local execution:
1551
Execute Scripts Remotely via Secure WinRM
1552
PowerShell 2.0 Remoting Requirements
1553
PowerShell 2.0 Remoting Configuration
1554
Configuration of the Remoting Server
1554
Create a Self-signed Certificate
1554
Create a WinRM HTTPS Listener
1562
Adding a Firewall Exception
1564
Remoting Client/SAM Computer Configuration
Transferring the Certificate:
1565
1568
Communicate with Remoting Host
1572
Setup Windows PowerShell Monitor in SAM
1574
LDAP
LDAP Key Terms and Components
1577
1577
Distinguished Names
1577
Search Root
1578
Search Filter
1578
Basic LDAP Syntax
1578
The LDAP User Experience Monitor
1580
Use the LDAP Monitor to test that:
1580
How this Monitor Works:
1581
Integrating the LDAP User Experience Monitor
1581
Prerequisites
1581
Fields Defined
1581
Credentials
1583
How To...
1585
How To Add and Manage Resources in a Page View
1585
How To Change the Width and Number of Columns in a Page View
1587
How To Disable Asset Inventory Data Collection
1587
How to Handle Microsoft Server Clusters in AppInsight for SQL
1587
AppInsight for SQL: Create an alert trigger based on how much available space is
occupied by actual data in the database.
1588
How to Remove an Application Template from Multiple Nodes
1588
How to Monitor Multiple Instances of Sqlservr.exe
1588
How to Restart a Windows Service with an Alert Action
1589
How to Wrap a VBScript Around an Executable File
1590
How to Control Whether Alerts are Repeated or Suppressed if a Condition Still
Exists
1590
How to Stop the Polling of all Applications Monitored by SAM.
1591
How To Use VB Script to Monitor Your SSL Expiration Date
1591
How to Monitor an Application Process Launched from a Specific Path.
1595
Troubleshooting
Slow Performance on Windows Server 2008
To Disable TCP Auto-tuning:
1597
1598
1599
Why do my SAM WMI Monitors Show Status Unknown?
1599
Working with Temporary Directories
1600
Moving the SQL Server Temporary Directory
1600
Redefining Windows System Temporary Directories
1600
To Redefine Default System Temporary Directories:
WMI Troubleshooting Flowchart for SolarWinds SAM
1601
1602
Testing Local WMI Services
1603
Test WMI on the Target Server
1603
Reset the WMI Counters
1606
To manually reset the WMI counters:
1606
Testing Remote WMI Connectivity
1606
Remotely Test WMI on the Target Server
1606
Verify Administrator Credentials
1609
Enable Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
1609
To enable the RPC service:
1609
Configure Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) and User Account
Control (UAC)
1609
Enabling DCOM
1610
To enable DCOM permissions for your Server & Application Monitor credentials:
Enabling Account Privileges in WMI
To enable namespace and sub-namespaces privileges:
Disabling Remote User Account Control for Workgroups
To disable remote UAC for a workgroup computer:
1610
1611
1611
1611
1612
Add a Windows Firewall Exception for Remote WMI Connections
1612
Do You Need an Additional Polling Engine?
1612
Verify SAM Component Configuration
1613
Service reporting, "Invalid Class"
1613
WMI is Still Not Working. Now What?
1614
Troubleshooting Hardware Health
1615
Hardware Prerequisite Checklist
1615
Hardware Troubleshooting Flowchart
1617
Troubleshooting an SNMP Node
1618
Using SNMPWalk.exe:
Troubleshooting a WMI Node
Using Wbemtest.exe to troubleshoot WMI:
Troubleshooting a VMWare Node
To determine if a node is polled through the vCenter or directly:
1619
1620
1620
1622
1623
Troubleshooting AppInsight for Exchange
1624
Troubleshooting Permissions
1624
Troubleshooting Exchange Performance Counters
1627
Troubleshooting Error Codes in AppInsight for Exchange
1630
Troubleshooting AppInsight for IIS
1645
Access is denied when configuring AppInsight for IIS
1647
Changing between 32-bit and 64-bit polling methods:
1647
Credentials Test Failed
1648
Polling fails due to a missing certificate.
1649
IIS Polling Failed
1649
Node Unreachable.
1650
IIS Version Failed
1651
WinRM Testing Failed
1652
Error Code 1367
1654
Error Code 1726
1655
Error Code 16004
1657
Error Code 16005
1658
Error Code 16006
1659
Error Code 16007
1659
Error Code 16008
1660
Error Code 16009
1662
Error Code 16013
1663
Error Code 16022
1664
Error Code 16023
1665
Error Code 16024
1666
Error Code 16029
1667
Error Code 16049
1668
Error code 16090
1669
Other Errors
1671
An HTTPS listener currently exists on port 5986:
1675
Create a Firewall Rule
1676
Event IDs
1677
Troubleshooting Agents
SAM Page Help
1686
1687
What Changes will be made?
1687
AppInsight for Exchange: Learn more
1688
Help me find these Credentials
1688
Manually Configuring AppInsight for IIS
1688
Inherit Credentials from Node
1689
AppStack: Hiding Up Objects
1689
How To Install PowerShell 2.0 on the Exchange Server
1689
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2008:
1689
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2012:
1690
Creating an Active Directory account with local administrative privileges.
Defining Exchange Credentials
1693
1693
Creating an Active Directory account with organization wide Exchange access
(View-Only-Organization Management and Mailbox Search Management
Role).
1694
Create a self-signed certificate.
1697
Create a Firewall Rule.
1698
1701
Setup PSLanguageMode for the PowerShell web site.
Prepare the PowerShell web site for configuration.
Configuring IIS
1701
1703
1703
Application Custom Properties
1705
Find Processes, Services and Performance Counters
1705
SolarWinds SAM Application Detail Reports
1705
Active Application Alerts
1706
Application Availability
1706
Application Details
1706
Last XX Application Events
1707
Application Dependencies
1707
Availability Statistics
1708
Custom Area Graph
1708
Custom Bar Graph
1708
Custom Line Graph
1709
Components
1709
Processes and Services
1709
Application Health Overview
1709
Application Summary Reports
1710
All Applications Tree
1711
Active Application Alerts
1711
Last 25 Application Events
1711
Applications With Problems
1712
Custom HTML Resource
1712
Down Applications
1712
Getting Started with SAM
1712
No Applications Defined
1712
thwack Community: Latest Application Monitor Templates
1712
Top XX Processes by CPU Load
1713
Top XX Processes by Physical Memory
1713
Top XX Components by Response Time
1714
Top XX Components by Statistic Data
1714
User Links Resource
1715
Top XX Processes by Virtual Memory
1715
What’s New in SolarWinds SAM
1716
SolarWinds SAM Charts
1716
Component Monitor Library
1716
Component Settings
1716
Configuration Settings for SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
1717
Add New Application Monitors
1717
Application Discovery
1718
Assigned Application Monitor
1718
Create or Edit Template
1718
Create Assigned Application
1719
Create Assigned Application Monitor
1719
Credentials Library
1719
Data and Database Settings
1720
Database Settings
1720
Poller Setting
1720
Licensing Summary
1721
Manage Application Monitor Templates
1721
Manage Assigned Application Monitors
1722
Manage Assigned Component Monitors
1723
Manage Component Monitors Within Templates
1723
Conversion Value
1723
Customize Chart
1723
Creating a Windows Script Monitor
1725
Field Descriptions
1725
Available Data Transformations
1726
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Page Help
1730
Component Detail Reports
1730
Component Statistics – Linear Gauges
1730
Min/Max Average CPU Load
1732
Min/Max Average Physical Memory
1732
Min/Max Average Response Time
1733
Min/Max Average Statistic Data
1734
Min/Max Average Virtual Memory
1734
Component Availability
1735
Component Details
1735
Last XX Component Events
1736
Multi Component Statistics – Linear Gauges
1736
Multi Component Statistics – Statistic Data
1737
Multiple Value Component Statistics – Radial Gauges
1738
Multiple Statistic Chart
1739
Multiple Value Component Statistics – Linear Gauges
1739
Component Statistics – Radial Gauges
1740
Event Log Message Details Resource
1741
Node Details
1741
Applications
1742
Top XX Components by Response Time
1742
Top XX Processes by CPU Load
1743
Top XX Processes by Physical Memory
1743
Top XX Processes by Virtual Memory
1744
Top XX Components by Statistic Data
1744
Node Related XX Syslog Messages
1745
Tags
1745
SAM thwack Forum
1745
Shared Application Monitor Templates on thwack
1745
Finding Templates to Import
1746
Importing a Template
1746
Views by Application Type
1746
Real-Time Process Explorer
1746
Triggered Alerts - Last 30 Days
1747
Group Details
1747
CPUs by Percent Load
1747
Virtual Assets
1747
Adding VMs from the Virtual Assets Resource
1747
Virtual Asset Summary
1748
Node is not Being Polled via Windows Credentials
1748
Server & Application Monitor Template Reference
Active Directory
1752
1752
Active Directory 2003-2008 Services and Counters
1753
Active Directory 2008 R2-2012 Services and Counters
1759
AIX
1764
AIX
Monitored Components:
AIX LPD
Apache
Apache
1765
1765
1770
1770
1771
Apache (Windows)
Below is an example using the Scripts Arguments field:${IP},8080
APC PowerChute Agent (Windows)
Monitored Components:
1774
1775
1776
1776
Barracuda Spam and Virus Firewall
1779
Bind
1782
Bind (Linux - v9.5 and earlier)
Note: Tested on CentOS 5.5 and Bind 9.3.6 version.
Bind (Linux - v9.6 and higher)
Note: Tested on CentOS 5.5 and Bind 9.9.2 version.
1783
1783
1785
1785
Note: All monitors, except SNMP Process Monitor: Named, has the Count
statistic as difference option enabled and will show the statistical difference
from the last SAM polling cycle.All monitors except SNMP Process Monitor:
Named, require the following arguments: perl ${SCRIPT} path_to_rndc
path_to_named.statswhere path_to_rndc - This is full path to the rndc command. By default: /usr/local/sbin/rndc. path_to_named.stats - This is full path
1785
to named.stat file, which is generated by the “rndc stats” command.
Below is an example using the Scripts Arguments field:perl ${SCRIPT} /usr/local/sbin/rndc /var/named/named.stats
1785
Monitored Components:
BizTalk
BizTalk Server 2010 Adapters Performance Counters
Monitored Components:
BizTalk Server 2010 Host Throttling Performance Counters
Monitored Components:
1785
1793
1794
1794
1798
1798
BizTalk Server 2010 Message Box and Orchestrations Performance Counters 1805
BizTalk Server 2010 Availability Status
1810
BizTalk Server 2010-2013 Adapters Performance Counters
1812
Monitored Components
BizTalk Server 2010-2013 Availability Status
This template allows you to check the status of BizTalk statistics: Host
Instances, Orchestrations, Send Ports and Send Port Group by using WMI
queries.
1812
1816
1816
Prerequisites: WMI access on target server.Credentials: Administrator on target server.
1816
Note: Before using this template you should provide the correct names of
instances/ports/orchestrations in the Query field. See notes for each particular
monitor.
1816
Monitored Components
1816
BizTalk Server 2010-2013 Host Throttling Performance Counters
Monitored Components
1818
1818
BizTalk Server 2010-2013 Message Box and Orchestrations Performance Counters
1824
Monitored Components
Blackberry
1825
1829
Blackberry Delivery Confirmation
1830
Customizing Script Variables
1830
Blackberry Enterprise Server
1832
Monitored Components:
1832
Blackberry Enterprise Server 10 Services (Windows)
1833
Blackberry Enterprise Server 10 Statistic (SNMP)
1837
Cisco
1841
Cisco CallManager
1842
CiscoSecure ACS (via SNMP)
1844
Monitored Components:
CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution
Monitored Components:
Citrix
Citrix XenApp 5.0 Core Counters
Monitored Components
Citrix XenApp 5.0 ICA Session Counters
Monitored Components:
1844
1845
1845
1850
1851
1851
1855
1855
Citrix XenApp 5.0 Presentation Server Counters
1861
Citrix XenApp 5.0 Services
1866
Citrix XenApp 6.0 Core Counters
1869
Citrix XenApp 6.0 ICA Session
1872
Monitored Components:
Citrix XenApp 6.0 Presentation Server
1872
1878
Citrix XenApp 6.0 Services
1883
Clam AV
1885
CUPS
1887
DHCP User Experience Monitor
1889
Directory Size
1890
Distributed File System (DFS)
1891
DNS User Experience
1899
Download Speed Monitor
1900
Installing the Microsoft Windows Character Generator Service
1900
Enabling the Unix/Linux Character Generator Service
1900
Errors in Application Event Log
1902
Exchange 2007 and 2010
1903
Basic versus Advanced Templates
1903
Typical Usage Scenario
1903
Exchange 2007-2010 Client Access Role Services and Counters (Basic)
1905
Exchange 2007-2010 Mailbox Role Services and Counters (Basic)
1907
Exchange 2007-2010 Edge Transport Role Services and Counters (Basic)
1911
Exchange 2007-2010 Unified Messaging Role Services and Counters (Basic) 1914
Exchange 2007-2010 Common Performance Counters
1916
Exchange 2007-2010 Statistics with PowerShell
1919
Exchange 2007-2010 Hub Transport Role Services and Counters (Basic)
1926
Exchange 2007-2010 Mailbox Send and Receive Statistics with PowerShell
1929
Exchange 2010 Client Access Role Counters (Advanced)
1932
Exchange 2010 Mailbox Role Counters (Advanced)
1934
Exchange 2010 Hub Transport Role Counters (Advanced)
1939
Exchange 2010 Edge Transport Role Counters (Advanced)
1943
Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging Role Counters (Advanced)
1947
Exchange 2010 OWA Form Login (PowerShell)
1949
Exchange 2007 Client Access Role Counters (Advanced)
1950
Exchange 2007 Mailbox Role Counters (Advanced)
1952
Exchange 2007 Hub Transport Role Counters (Advanced)
1958
Exchange Server 2000 and 2003
1962
Exchange 2007 Edge Transport Role Counters (Advanced)
1963
Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging Role Counters (Advanced)
1967
Exchange 2007 Outlook Web Access (OWA) Form Login
1969
Exchange 2010 Statistics with PowerShell
1970
Basic versus Advanced Templates
1987
Typical Usage Scenario
1987
Exchange 2013 Client Access Role Services and Counters (Basic)
1987
Basic versus Advanced Templates
1990
Typical Usage Scenario
1990
Exchange 2013 Client Access Role Counters (Advanced)
1990
Exchange Active Sync Connectivity
1995
Files
File Age Monitor
1998
1999
Statistic
1999
Field Descriptions:
1999
File Change Monitor
2001
Monitored Components:
2001
File Count
2002
File Count Script
2003
Monitored Components:
File Existence Monitor
Monitored Components:
File Size Monitor
Monitored Components:
FTP User Experience
Monitored Components:
2003
2004
2004
2005
2005
2006
2006
GlassFish (JMX)
2007
GoodLink Server for Microsoft Exchange
2011
Monitored Components
Generic Mail Server
Monitored Components:
Group Policy Object (System and Application Logs)
2011
2015
2015
2016
Monitored Components:
Helix
Helix Universal Media Server (Linux/Unix)
Monitored Components:
Helix Universal Media Server (Windows)
Monitored Components:
HP-UX
Monitored Components:
HTTP
HTTP
Monitored Components:
2016
2020
2021
2021
2032
2032
2043
2043
2046
2048
2048
HTTPS Monitor
2049
HTTP Form Login
2050
Monitored Components:
IBM
2050
2050
IBM DB2
2051
IBM DB2 HADR Health
2055
IBM Informix
2058
IBM WebSphere (JMX)
2074
IMAP4 Round Trip Email
2077
Monitored Components:
ISC DHCP Server (Linux)
2077
2078
Note: Tested on CentOS 5.5 and ISC DHCP 3.0.5 version.
2078
Monitored Components:
2078
Java Application Server (SNMP)
2080
JBoss (JMX)
2087
Kaspersky Security Center Antivirus
2092
JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Server Manager (Windows)
2095
Monitored Components:
2095
LDAP User Experience Monitor
2098
Linux
2098
Linux CPU Monitoring Perl
2099
Monitored Components:
2099
Linux Disk Monitoring Perl
2101
Monitored Components:
2101
Linux Memory Monitoring Perl
Monitored Components:
Linux Sendmail Monitoring Perl
Monitored Components:
Log Parser
Log Parser (PowerShell)
Configuring Windows Remote Management (WinRM)
Log Parser (Perl)
Lotus
2104
2104
2107
2107
2108
2110
2110
2113
2114
Lotus Domino Server Processes and Network Ports (Windows)
2115
Lotus Domino Server Processes and Network Ports (Linux)
2118
Lotus Domino Server Statistics
2121
MAPI Round Trip Email
Monitored Components:
2125
2125
Memcached
2126
Microsoft Direct Access
2130
Microsoft DirectAccess 2008 R2
Configuring Windows Remote Management (WinRM)
Microsoft DirectAccess 2012
Configuring Windows Remote Management (WinRM)
Microsoft DirectAccess 2012 (Health with PowerShell)
Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Statistics
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Events
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Forefront
Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 (Client)
Monitored Components:
2130
2137
2137
2144
2144
2145
2146
2146
2152
2152
2158
2159
2159
Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 (Server)
2163
Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010
2166
Monitored Components:
Microsoft IIS
Internet Information Services and Counters (IIS)
2166
2171
2172
Monitored Components:
2172
Microsoft IIS SMTP Server
2174
Microsoft Lync
Microsoft Lync Server (Edge Role)
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Lync Server (Front-End Role)
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Lync Server (Mediation Role)
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Lync Server 2013 (Front-End Role)
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Lync Server 2013 (Edge Role)
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Lync Server 2013 (Mediation Role)
2177
2179
2179
2184
2184
2190
2190
2192
2192
2199
2199
2205
Monitored Components:
2205
Microsoft Message Queuing
2206
Microsoft Message Queuing (Performance)
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Message Queuing Events
Monitored Components
Microsoft Network Policy
Microsoft Network Policy Server Events
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Network Policy Server RADIUS Proxy
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Network Policy Server RADIUS Server
Monitored Components:
2207
2207
2211
2211
2227
2228
2228
2234
2234
2237
2237
Microsoft Routing and Remote Access
2239
Microsoft Routing and Remote Access 2008-2012 R2
2239
Microsoft Routing and Remote Access 2008-2012 R2 (Events)
2244
Microsoft SharePoint
2246
SharePoint Server 2007
2247
SharePoint Server 2010
2250
SharePoint Services (WSS) 3.0
2253
SharePoint Server 2013
2255
Monitored Components:
2255
Service: SharePoint Search Host Controller
2255
Service: SharePoint Server Search 15
2255
Service: SharePoint Timer Service
2255
Service: SharePoint Tracing Service
2255
Service: SharePoint User Code Host
2256
Service: Document Conversions Launcher
2256
Service: Document Conversions Load Balancer
2256
Current Requests
2256
Request Wait Time
2256
Requests Queued
2256
Requests Rejected
2257
Worker Process Restarts
2257
Requests/Sec
2257
Cache API Trims
2257
Cache API Hit Ratio
2258
Sql Query Executing time
2258
Executing Sql Queries
2258
Responded Page Requests Rate
2258
Executing Time/Page Request
2258
Current Page Requests
2258
Rejected Page Requests Rate
2259
Incoming Page Requests Rate
2259
Active Threads
2259
Microsoft SQL
SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services
Monitored Components:
SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services
Monitored Components:
SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services
Monitored Components:
SQL Server Query
Monitored Components:
2259
2260
2260
2265
2265
2271
2271
2276
2276
SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services
2276
SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services R2
2280
SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services
2284
SQL Server 2008-2012 Reporting Services (Events)
2289
Microsoft System Center
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012
Monitored Components
Configuring Windows Remote Management (WinRM)
Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2012 (Agent)
Monitored Components
Configuring Windows Remote Management (WinRM)
Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2012 (Management Server)
Monitored Components
2292
2292
2292
2298
2298
2298
2300
2300
2300
Configuring Windows Remote Management (WinRM)
2306
Microsoft Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)
2306
Microsoft Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) Statistic
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) Events
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Windows
2307
2307
2309
2309
2316
Windows 2003 -2008 FTP Service
2317
Windows 2008 R2 - 2012 FTP Service
2319
Windows DHCP Server
2321
Windows DNS Server
2327
Windows Network Load Balancing
2331
Windows Print Services
2340
Windows Remote Desktop Services (Session Host Role)
2341
Windows Update Monitoring
2350
Configuring Windows Remote Management (WinRM)
Microsoft Windows Server
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Failover Cluster
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Failover Cluster
Monitored Components:
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Failover Cluster
Monitored Components:
Windows Server 2003 Domain Controller Security
2350
2352
2353
2353
2364
2364
2377
2377
2380
Configuring Windows Remote Management (WinRM)
2380
Monitored Components:
2380
Windows Server 2003-2012 Services and Counters
Monitored Components
2385
2385
Windows Server 2008 - 2012 Domain Controller Security
2388
Configuring Windows Remote Management (WinRM)
2388
Monitored Components
2389
Windows Server 2003-2012 Services And Counters
2395
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2-2012 R2 Failover Cluster
2398
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2-2012 R2 Failover Cluster (Advanced)
2411
Mongo
2412
MongoDB (Windows)
2413
MongoDB (Linux)
2417
MySQL
2422
Nagios Linux File & Directory Count Script
2432
Field Descriptions
Novell GroupWise
Novell GroupWise Post Office Agent (Windows)
2432
2435
2436
Novell GroupWise Message Transfer Agent (Windows)
2442
Novell GroupWise Post Office Agent (Unix)
2445
Novell GroupWise Message Transfer Agent (Unix)
2451
Office 365 User Statistics with PowerShell
2453
OpenLDAP
2456
Oracle
2459
Oracle Automatic Storage Management
Monitored Components
Oracle Database
Monitored Components:
Oracle WebLogic (JMX)
POP3 Round Trip Email
Monitored Components:
Postfix
Monitored Components:
2459
2459
2464
2464
2468
2475
2475
2476
2476
PostgreSQL
2480
Progress Database
2483
Progress Database (Linux and Unix)
2484
Arguments in Linux/Unix monitors:
2484
Monitored Components
2484
Progress Database (Linux and Unix sh script)
2489
Arguments in Linux/Unix monitors:
2489
Monitored Components:
2489
Remote Desktop Services Licensing
2493
RADIUS User Experience Monitor
2500
Server Clock Drift
2500
Server Clock Drift (PowerShell)
2501
Server Clock Drift (Perl)
2502
Solaris
2502
Solaris
2503
Solaris LPD
2508
Monitored Components:
2508
SolarWinds
Orion Server
2509
2510
Monitored Components:
2510
SolarWinds (Orion) Server
2515
Monitored Components:
2515
SolarWinds Failover Engine
2519
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer Database
2522
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer
2526
SolarWinds Web Performance Monitor (WPM) Player
2531
Monitored Components
Kiwi Syslog Server
Monitored Components:
Squid
2531
2534
2534
2536
Squid (Windows)
2537
Squid (Linux and Unix)
2545
SSL Certificate Expiration Date Monitor
2553
Streaming Media Services 2008
2554
Sybase
2558
Sybase ASE
2559
Sybase SQL Anywhere
2563
Symantec
Symantec Backup Exec Server
Monitored Components:
Symantec Backup Exec Remote Agent
2566
2568
2568
2575
Monitored Components:
2575
Symantec NetBackup Server
2577
Symantec NetBackup Client
2582
Symantec Endpoint Protection Server
2584
Monitored Components:
Symantec Endpoint Protection Client
2584
2586
Monitored Components:
2586
TACACS+ User Experience
2589
Terminal Licensing Server
Monitored Components
Tomcat Server
Monitored Components:
Trend Micro
2590
2590
2596
2596
2597
Trend Micro OfficeScan Client
2597
Trend Micro OfficeScan Server
2598
Trend Micro Server Protect (Windows)
2601
Monitored Components:
2601
UniData Database (Windows)
2604
Monitored Components
2604
Unix
2610
Unix CPU Monitoring Perl
2611
Monitored Components:
2611
Unix Disk Monitoring Perl
2614
Unix Memory Monitoring Perl
2616
Monitored Components:
2616
Veeam Backup and Replication Server
2619
VMWare
2621
VMware vCenter Server 5.5
2621
VMware ESX Host
2625
Web Link
2627
Websense Web Security
2627
Monitored Components
2627
Chapter 1:
Introduction
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SolarWinds SAM) allows you to create
and monitor your own custom collection of monitored components, providing an
open field of opportunity to the network engineer. It also allows you to create
flexible Application Monitor templates to combine process monitors, port
availability, and performance counters, allowing you to assess the status of every
aspect of your application and the health of the application as a whole.
Changes in this Guide from SAM 6.1.1 to 6.2
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AppInsight for IIS section has been added
Agents chapter has been added
The AppStack Environment chapter has been added
NOC View section has been added
Requirements for SolarWinds SAM have been upgraded. SQL Server 2008
is the lowest version supported by SAM 6.2
Volume Thresholds and Planning section has been added
Win 32 based alerting has been removed
Web based alerting section added, found at Alerting
Orion Variables and Examples chapter has been added
Monitoring Quality of Experience chapter has been added
Interface Variables and Errors page has been added
Desktop Notification Tool page has been added
Changing Threshold Values for Hardware Health Monitoring has been
updated
Status Icons and Identifiers page has been updated
Requirements for Component Monitors and Templates that use WMI page
has been updated
Templates added include the following:
l Kaspersky Security Center Antivirus
l SolarWinds Failover Engine
l Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Statistics
l Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Events
l Clam AV
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Chapter 1: Introduction
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Blackberry Enterprise Server 10 Services (Windows)
Blackberry Enterprise Server 10 Statistic (SNMP)
Exchange Active Sync Connectivity
Office 365 User Statistics with PowerShell
SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services
SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services R2
SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services
SQL Server 2008-2012 Reporting Services (Events)
Barracuda Spam and Virus Firewall
VMware vCenter Server 5.5
Trend Micro OfficeScan Client
Trend Micro OfficeScan Server
Remote Desktop Services Licensing
Microsoft Routing and Remote Access 2008-2012 R2
Microsoft Routing and Remote Access 2008-2012 R2 (Events)
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2-2012 R2 Failover Cluster
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2-2012 R2 Failover Cluster
(Advanced)
Applications Defined
An application in SolarWinds SAM is considered a collection of component
monitors housed in a template. A component monitor is defined as a value
returned by a specific process, counter, status, or a value returned by a script.
With this received data, SolarWinds SAM can easily show you a myriad of vital
statistics concerning the health of your system.
Templates provide blueprints for the applications to be monitored. You can
quickly and easily customize numerous templates, using only the component
monitors you need for a specific environment. Take a look at the following
diagram:
Template/Application Relationship
The following illustration explains the Template and Application relationship and
is true for all templates, including AppInsight Aplications.
Here you can see that if you change something at the template level, the
applications based on that template will be affected. Conversely, if you change
something on the application level, only the individual application will be affected.
This inheritance relationship is beneficial if you need to make a great deal of
changes quickly. For example, rather than change one item on 100 applications
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SAM Glossary of Terms
that are based on a single template (which requires 100 changes), you can more
easily change the one item on the template. That one change in the template will
trickle down to all 100 applications that are based on the template.
SolarWinds SAM recognizes and answers the complexity of today’s business
applications with scalability, flexibility, and reliability.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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How Does SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Work?
SAM Glossary of Terms
Here is a list of fundamental terms with which you should be familiar. A tree-like
map is also provided to visualize how SAM operates.
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Chapter 1: Introduction
Component Monitor – A component monitor is the fundamental element of an
application. Component monitors return the current status or value of a monitored
service or process. All component monitors return at least one value or one status
condition.
Node - A node is considered to be any endpoint of a given network. For example,
any server or computer on a network is considered a node. Sometimes a node is
referred to as a device.
Application - An application in SolarWinds SAM is a collection of component
monitors.
Template - A template is the blueprint for an application. It is a collection of
component monitors designed to monitor a server or application. You can
customize numerous templates using only the component monitors you need for a
specific environment.
The type of information returned by the component monitor is based upon the type
of monitor being utilized. For example, one type of monitor can report the up or
down status of a service or process, another monitor can return the percentage of
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How Does SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Work?
free space of a volume. Another type of component monitor can return up to ten
values. Each monitor type, along with its parameters and returned values and/or
states, is unique.
Each node, along with its applications and component monitors, can be viewed
from the SolarWinds SAM web console as shown in the diagram below. The view
can be customized to suit your needs.
How Does SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Work?
Using UDP, TCP, SNMP, and WMI calls to your network framework and
application servers, SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor provides real time
feedback on your applications and trending through statistics stored in the Orion
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Chapter 1: Introduction
database. Keeping with the SolarWinds common components infrastructure, there
are no agents installed on your servers and no remote software to maintain. All
calls are made in real time and displayed on a Web Console accessible from any
supported browser.
As a standalone product, SAM's operations can be visualized with the following
flowchart:
Installed as a module in your family of SolarWinds products, SAM can be
visualized with the following flowchart:
90
Application Availability and Status
Application Availability and Status
On any given poll, an application’s availability is either 100% or 0% based on the
status of the application. Availability is 100% if the application status is available,
warning, or critical. For any other status on that poll, SAM marks the availability at
0%.
The status of an application is determined by the worst status of the individual
component monitors for that application. For example, if one component for an
application is down, then the application is marked as down. If one component is
in a warning state and the rest of the components are up, then the application is
given a warning status.
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Chapter 1: Introduction
With respect to how an application’s availability is calculated over time, SAM
aggregates the availability values to Hourly/Daily tables during database
maintenance, which is how the average is calculated. Availability for component
monitors is calculated in the same way.
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Chapter 2:
Requirements and Installation
Installing SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SolarWinds SAM) is a wizard
driven process. Resource and space requirements are reasonable, and most
deployments do not require hardware updates to your SolarWinds Server.
This chapter discusses:
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FIPS Support
Server Sizing
SNMP Requirements for Monitored Devices
Upgrading SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
Installing SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
Activating Your License
Finishing SolarWinds SAM Installation
Excluding SolarWinds Data Directories from Anti-Virus Scanning
Running SolarWinds SAM
Internet Explorer Security Settings
Licensing
Requirements for SolarWinds SAM
SolarWinds recommends installing your SolarWinds product on one server, and
installing the Orion database on its own SQL Server. Installations of multiple
SolarWinds SAM servers using the same database are not supported.
Note: Solarwinds does not support installing SAM on domain controllers.
SolarWinds Server Software Requirements
The following table lists minimum software requirements and recommendations
for your SolarWinds server.
Software
Requirements
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
Operating
System
Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2†, with
IIS in 32-bit mode, Windows 2012, Windows 2012 R2, or
Windows 2012 Datacenter edition. IIS must be installed.
SolarWinds recommends that SolarWinds administrators have
local administrator privileges to ensure full functionality of local
SolarWinds tools. Accounts limited to use of the SolarWinds
Web Console do not require administrator privileges.
Notes:
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Server
SolarWinds does not support production installations of
SolarWinds products on Windows XP, Windows Vista, or
Windows 7 systems.
If you are installing SolarWinds SAM on Windows Server
2003, confirm that your full computer name is no longer
than 15 characters in length. Windows Server 2003 trims
any characters beyond the fifteenth, and this may prevent
SolarWinds services from properly identifying your
SolarWinds server.
For more information, see Additional SolarWinds SAM
Requirements
Microsoft IIS, version 6.0 and higher, in 32-bit mode.
DNS specifications require that hostnames be composed of
alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9), the minus sign (-), and
periods (.). Underscore characters (_) are not allowed. For more
information, see RFC 952.
Warning: The following Windows accounts, as configured by
IIS 6.0 on Windows Server 2003 with their default security
settings, are required:
IUSR_<hostname>, as
a member of the Guests group ONLY.
IWAM_<hostname>, as
a member of the IIS_WPG group ONLY.
Disabling these accounts or changing any default settings of
these accounts may negatively affect the operation of your
SolarWinds installation. SolarWinds strongly recommends
against altering these accounts or their settings.
Note: SolarWinds neither recommends nor supports the
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SolarWinds Server Hardware Requirements
installation of any SolarWinds SAM product on the same server
or using the same database server as a Research in Motion
(RIM) Blackberry server.
.NET
Version 3.5 .NET Framework, 4.0 is recommended.
Framework
SNMP
Trap
Services
Windows operating system management and monitoring tools
component
Web
Console
Browser
Microsoft Internet Explorer version 7 or higher with Active
scripting,
Firefox 13.0 or higher (Toolset Integration is not supported on
Firefox), Google Chrome
SolarWinds Server Hardware Requirements
The following table lists minimum hardware requirements and recommendations
for your SolarWinds server.
Note: Hardware requirements are listed by SolarWinds license level.
Hardware
AL150 - AL500
AL700 – AL1500
ALX
CPU
Speed
2.4 GHz
Dual Core 3.0 GHz
Quad Core 3.0 GHz
Note: Dual processor, dual core is recommended.
Hard Drive 4 GB
10 GB
25 GB
Space
Note: A RAID 1 drive for server operating system, SolarWinds
installation, and tempdb files is recommended. The SolarWinds
installer needs 1GB on the drive where temporary Windows
system or user variables are stored. Per Windows standards, some
common files may need to be installed on the same drive as your
server operating system.
Memory
4 GB
6 GB
8 GB
Application 161/SNMP and 443/SNMP. VMware ESX/ESXi Servers are polled
Ports
on 443.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
17777/TCP open for SolarWinds module traffic
17778/ HTTPS open to access the SolarWinds Information Service
API
Requirements for Virtual Machines and Servers
SolarWinds installations on VMware Virtual Machines and Microsoft Virtual
Servers are fully supported if the following minimum configuration requirements
are met for each virtual machine.
Note: SolarWinds strongly recommends that you maintain your SQL Server
database on a separate physical server.
Virtual
SolarWinds Requirements by License Level
Machine
AL700 - AL1500
ALX
Configuration AL50 - AL500
CPU Speed
2.4 GHz
Dual Core 3.0 GHz
Quad Core 3.0
GHz
Allocated
Hard Drive
Space
4 GB
10 GB
25 GB
Memory
4 GB
Network
Interface
Each virtual machine on which SolarWinds is installed should
have its own, dedicated network interface card.
Note: Due to intense I/O requirements, SQL Server should be
hosted on a separate physical server configured as RAID 1+0.
RAID 5 is not recommended for the SQL Server hard drive.
6 GB
8 GB
Note: Since SolarWinds uses SNMP to monitor your network,
if you are unable to dedicate a network interface card to your
SolarWinds server, you may experience gaps in monitoring
data due to the low priority generally assigned to SNMP
traffic.
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Requirements for the Orion database Server (SQL Server)
Requirements for the Orion database Server (SQL Server)
The following table lists software and hardware requirements for your Orion
database server. SolarWinds license levels are provided as a reference.
Requirements AL50 AL500
SQL Server
AL700 AL1500
ALX
SolarWinds supports the following versions of SQL Server:
• SQL Server 2008 wihtout SP, with SP1, with SP2, or with
SP3
• SQL Server 2008 R2 without SP, with SP1, or with SP2
• SQL Server 2012 without SP or with SP1
• SQL Server 2014
Notes:
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installing your SQL Server and your SolarWinds server
or additional polling engine in different locations across
a WAN. For more information, see SolarWinds Knowledge Base article, “Can I install my SolarWinds server
or Additional Polling Engine and my Orion database
(SQL Server) in different locations across a WAN?”
Either mixed-mode or SQL authentication must be supported.
If you are managing your Orion database, SolarWinds
recommends you install the SQL Server Management
Studio component.
Use the following database SQL statement to check
your SQL Server version, service pack or release level,
and edition:
select SERVERPROPERTY ('productversion'),
SERVERPROPERTY ('productlevel'), SERVERPROPERTY
('edition')
CPU Speed
2.4 GHz
Dual Core
3.0 GHz
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Quad Core 3.0 GHz
Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
Hard Drive
Space
4 GB
Memory
4 GB
10 GB
25 GB
Note: Due to intense I/O requirements, a RAID 1+0 drive is
strongly recommended the SQL Server database and
SolarWinds data and log files. RAID 5 is not recommended
for the SQL Server hard drive. The SolarWinds installer
needs at least 1GB on the drive where temporary Windows
system or user variables are stored. Per Windows standards,
some common files may need to be installed on drive as your
server operating system.
6 GB
8 GB
Note: SolarWinds recommends additional RAM for
SolarWinds SAM installations utilizing more than 1,000
monitors. For optimal performance in larger ALX
environments, we recommend 8GB of RAM or greater.
Additional memory will improve both performance and
reliability.
Memory and
Additional
Pollers
Each additional poller requires 8GB of
additional RAM. For example, SAM plus 2
additional pollers would require 24GB of
RAM. 3 additional pollers would require
32GB of RAM, and so on.
PowerShell
SAM's PowerShell Script Monitor works
with PowerShell 1.0 and higher for local
execution.
Note: PowerShell 2.0 or higher is required for
remote execution.
The Configuration Wizard installs the following required x86 components if they
are not found on your Orion database server:
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Microsoft SQL Server Management Objects
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Additional SolarWinds SAM Requirements
Additional SolarWinds SAM Requirements
Enterprise-level SolarWinds SAM deployments with the potential for more than
1,000 monitors may need additional computing resources above the standards
required for SolarWinds common components:
Component Monitors Additional Requirements
Up to 1,000
No additional requirements
More than 1,000
8+ GB RAM
† Important: If you
are running Windows Server 2008, you must upgrade to
Windows Server 2008 R2. SolarWinds SAM does not support Windows Server
2008 due to known WMI issues.
FIPS Support
FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) defines security and
interoperability standards for computers used by the U.S. federal government.
To enable FIPS in the Local Security Policy on Windows:
1. Click Start > Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools,
and then double-click Local Security Policy.
2. Expand the Local Policies category in the left pane, and then click Security
Options.
3. Right-click System Cryptography: Use FIPS compliant algorithms for
encryption, hashing, and signing.
4. In the context menu that is displayed, click Properties.
5. In the Local Security Setting tab, click Enabled and then click OK.
Notes:
l FIPS can also be enabled as part of Group Policy.
l If using the FIPS Manager to enable/disable FIPS, you need to restart your
web browser to apply the new settings.
SolarWinds SAM installations on Windows Server 2008 R2 require a Microsoft
hotfix to realize the FIPS-compatibility features of this release. For more
information about this required Microsoft hotfix, see the article
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981119. As noted in the KB article, you need to
enable FIPS first before applying the Microsoft hotfix.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
If you use component monitors that have not passed FIPS testing, they may not
work properly when FIPS is enabled.
FIPS Manager
SolarWinds does provide a FIPS manager. The default location of this program is
C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion\SolarWinds.FipsManager.exe.
The FIPS Manager allows you to switch between both Windows and SolarWinds
FIPS compatible mode. (FIPS mode in Windows needs to be disabled manually if
needed).
The following SolarWinds SAM component monitors have passed FIPS testing:
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DHCP User Experience Monitor
Directory Size Monitor
DNS Monitor - TCP
DNS Monitor - UDP
DNS User Experience Monitor
Download Speed Monitor
File Age Monitor
File Count Monitor
File Existence Monitor
File Size Monitor
FTP Monitor
HTTP Form Login Monitor
HTTP Monitor
HTTPS Monitor
IMAP4 Monitor
IMAP4 User Experience Monitor
LDAP User Experience Monitor
Linux/Unix Script Monitor
MAPI User Experience Monitor
NNTP Monitor
ODBC User Experience Monitor
Oracle User Experience Monitor
Performance Counter Monitor
POP3 Monitor
POP3 User Experience Monitor
Process Monitor - SNMP– FIPS not supported when SNMP is SNMPv3 and
using MD5.
Process Monitor - WMI
SMTP Monitor
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Server Sizing
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MD5.
SQL Server User Experience Monitor
TCP Port Monitor
Tomcat Server Monitor
Web Link Monitor
Windows Event Log Monitor
Windows Script Monitor
Server Sizing
SolarWinds SAM is capable of monitoring networks of any size, ranging from
small corporate LANs to large enterprise and service provider networks. Most
SolarWinds SAM systems perform well on 3.0 GHz systems with 4 GB of RAM
using default polling engine settings. However, when monitoring larger networks,
you should give additional consideration to the hardware used and the system
configuration.
There are three primary variables that affect scalability. The most important
consideration is the number of monitored components. Monitoring more than
1,000 components may require fine tuning for optimal performance. The second
variable to consider is polling frequency. For instance, if you are collecting
statistics more frequently than the default, the system will have to work harder and
system requirements will increase. Finally, the number of simultaneous users
accessing SolarWinds SAM directly impacts system performance.
When planning a SolarWinds SAM installation, there are four main factors to keep
in mind with respect to polling capacity: CPU, memory, number of polling
engines, and polling engine settings. For minimum hardware recommendations,
see “Requirements for SolarWinds SAM” on page 93. For more information about
polling engines, see “Additional Polling Engine and Web Console” on page 1216.
Installing SolarWinds SAM and SQL Server on different servers is highly
recommended, particularly if you are planning on having more that 1,000
component monitors. This scenario offers several performance advantages as the
SolarWinds SAM server does not perform any database processing and it does
not have to share resources with SQL Server.
If you plan to monitor 10,000 or more components, SolarWinds recommends that
you install additional polling engines on separate servers to help distribute the
work load. For more information about sizing SolarWinds SAM to your network,
contact the SolarWinds sales team or visit www.solarwinds.com. For more
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
information about configuring additional pollers, see “Additional Polling Engine
and Web Console” on page 1216.
Scalability
Stackable
Pollers Available?
Yes. For SAM 6.2 and higher. Two polling engines can be
installed on a single server.
Poller Remotability Available?
Yes, for SAM versions 5.5 and higher
Note: Poller remotability is a feature that enables the local
storage, using MSMQ, of up to ~1 GB of polled data per
poller in the event that the connection between the polling
engine and the database is temporarily lost.
Primary Poller
Limits
~8-10k component monitors per polling engine.
Scalability
Options
One APE for every 8-10k component monitors.
25-50 concurrent Orion Web Console users.
Maximum of 50k component monitors per primary
SolarWinds SAM installation (i.e. 1 SAM server + 4 APEs).
You can use up to 14 additional polling engines.
For more information about licensing, see Why are you
licensing by monitors instead of by servers?
WAN and/or
Minimal monitoring traffic is sent between the primary SAM
Bandwidth
server and any APEs that are connected over a WAN. Most
Considerations traffic related to monitoring is between an APE and the
SolarWinds database. Bandwidth requirements depend on
the size of the relevant component monitor. Based on 67.5
kB / WMI poll and a 5 minute polling frequency, the estimate
is 1.2 Mbps for 700 component monitors. For more
information, see How do SNMP and WMI polling compare?
Note: WMI is best suited for environments where latency is
< 100ms.
Other Considerations
WMI Security Blog
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SNMP Requirements for Monitored Devices
SNMP Requirements for Monitored Devices
SolarWinds SAM can monitor the performance of any SNMPv1-, SNMPv2c-, or
SNMPv3-enabled device on your network. Consult your device documentation or
a technical representative of your device manufacturer to acquire specific
instructions for configuring SNMP on your device.
Notes:
l To properly monitor devices on your network, you must enable SNMP on all
devices that are capable of SNMP communications.
l Unix based devices should use the configuration of Net-SNMP version 5.5
or higher that is specific to the type of Unix-based operating system in use.
l SolarWinds SAM is capable of monitoring VMware ESX and ESXi Servers
versions 3.5 and higher with VMware Tools installed. For more information
about enabling SNMP and VMware Tools on your VMware device, consult
your VMware documentation or technical representative.
l If SNMPv2c is enabled on a device you want to monitor, by default,
SolarWinds SAM will attempt to use SNMPv2c to poll the device for performance information. If you only want SolarWinds SAM to poll using
SNMPv1, you must disable SNMPv2c on the device to be polled.
Enabling Microsoft Internet Information Services
(IIS)
To host the SolarWinds Web Console, Microsoft Internet Information Services
(IIS) must be installed and enabled on your SolarWinds SAM server. Windows
Server 2003 requires IIS version 6 while Windows Server 2008 requires IIS
version 7, as detailed in the following sections:
l
l
l
Enabling IIS on Windows Server 2003
Enabling IIS on Windows Server 2008
AppInsight for IIS Requirements and Permissions
Enabling IIS on Windows Server 2003
The following procedure enables IIS on Windows Server 2003.
To enable IIS on Windows Server 2003:
1. Click Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.
2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
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3. Confirm that Application Server is checked, and then click Details.
4. Confirm that Internet Information Services (IIS) is checked, and then click
Details.
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Enabling IIS on Windows Server 2003
5. Confirm that World Wide Web Service is checked, and then click Details.
6. Confirm that World Wide Web Service is checked, and then click OK.
7. Click OK on the Internet Information Services (IIS) window, and then click
OK on the Application Server window.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
8. Confirm Management and Monitoring Tools is checked and click Details.
9. Confirm that both Simple Network Management Protocol and WMI SNMP
Provider are checked, and then click OK.
10. Click Next, and then click Finish when the wizard completes.
Note: You may be prompted to install additional components, to provide
your Windows Operating System media, or to restart your computer.
Enabling IIS on Windows Server 2008
IIS is enabled automatically after the SAM installation and prior to the start of the
Configuration Wizard. If the Configuration Wizard detects that IIS is not installed
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Enabling IIS on Windows Server 2008
on Windows 2008, it installs IIS. The following manual procedure is provided for
Windows Server 2008 in case problems occur with the automatic IIS installation.
To enable IIS on Windows Server 2008:
1. Click Start > All Programs > Administrative Tools > Server Manager.
2. Click Roles.
3. Click Add Roles.
4. Click Next to start the Add Roles Wizard, and then check Web Server (IIS).
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
5. If you are prompted to add features required for Web Server (IIS), click
Add Required Features.
6. Click Next on the Select Server Roles window, and then click Next on the
Web Server (IIS) window.
7. Confirm that Common HTTP Features > Static Content is installed.
8. Check Application Development > ASP.NET.
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Enabling IIS on Windows Server 2008
9. Click Add Required Role Services.
10. Check both Security > Windows Authentication and Security > Basic
Authentication.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
11. Check Management Tools > IIS 6 Management Compatibility.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Click Next on the Select Role Services window.
Click Install on the Confirm Installation Selections window.
Click Close on the Installation Results window.
If you are currently enabling IIS as part of a SolarWinds SAM installation, restart the SolarWinds SAM installer.
Upgrading SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
If you have version 3.1 or lower of SolarWinds APM installed, you must first
upgrade to NPM 10 and then upgrade to APM 3.5 before you can upgrade to
SAM 5.X. For more information, click Upgrade Instructions in any SolarWinds
NPM group on the License Management page of the Customer Portal.
Note: SolarWinds recommends creating a backup of your database before
starting any SolarWinds upgrade or installation.
If you have version 3.5 or later of APM installed, you have an option for
upgrading to APM 4.X, or SAM 5.X:
Upgrading NPM and SolarWinds SAM on Your Current Server
Notes:
l
l
l
Upgrading from SAM 5.5 to 6.1 is supported.
Always upgrade NPM first, then you can upgrade to SAM
If installed together on the same server, SAM and SolarWinds NPM share
the same database.
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Upgrading NPM and SolarWinds SAM on Your Current Server
l
If installed on different servers, SAM and SolarWinds NPM each require
their own database. You cannot share one database between separate
SAM and SolarWinds NPM servers.
Upgrading NPM and SolarWinds SAM on Your Current Server
To upgrade both SolarWinds NPM and SolarWinds SAM on your current
SolarWinds server:
1. Upgrade SolarWinds NPM to version 10.3.
Note: For compatablitiy between specific versions of SolarWinds software,
refer to the following KB article: http://knowledgebase.solarwinds.com/kb/questions/1888/Compatibility+of+SolarWinds+Orion+Products+
2. Install SAM 5.X as described in the section “Installing SolarWinds Server &
Application Monitor ” on page 126.
Important: Always upgrade NPM on all SolarWinds servers first. After that is
complete, you can successfully upgrade. Failure to upgrade in the correct order
will result in the Configuration Wizard generating a Database Configuration
Failure error.
For more information, see “Installing SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor”
in the SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor Administrator Guide.
Upgrading SAM to a New Server While Keeping NPM on Your Current Server
To upgrade SAM to a new server:
1. Back up your current SolarWinds Server.
2. Shutdown SolarWinds NPM and SAM on your current SolarWinds Server.
3. Have your Database Administrator clone your Orion database to a different
name.
Note: To clone your Orion database, use the appropriate version of
Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio for your database. You can
download this from the Microsoft website if it is not already installed.
4. Uninstall SAM from your original SolarWinds Server.
a. Use Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel to remove
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor.
b. The Configuration Wizard should be run automatically as part of the
uninstallation. If it is not, execute it manually by clicking Start > All
Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Configuration and AutoDiscovery > Configuration Wizard.
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c. In the Configuration Wizard, select all components to be modified:
Database, Website, and Services, and then configure them appropriately for your original SolarWinds Server.
d. Ensure that you specify the original database.
e. Delete the SAM folder in the
<drive>:\INETPUB\SOLARWINDS\ORION directory, where <drive>
is the drive letter for the SAM Website Root Directory, for example:
C.
5. Copy the security certificate from the original server to the new server.
6. Install SAM on its new server as described in the section “Installing
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor ” on page 126, and in the Configuration Wizard specify the new cloned database.
For more information, see Installing SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
Moving SolarWinds SAM to a different server
Migrating SolarWinds SAM to a different server is a process that can take as little
as 30 minutes or as long as several hours, depending on the size of your Orion
database. Consider scheduling an appropriate maintenance window in which to
perform your migration. The process involves deactivating the licenses of your
products, stopping the services, migrating the products, and then uninstalling your
previous installation.
General Requirements
Moving your SolarWinds SAM implementation to a new server requires the
following:
l
l
l
Server hardware meeting minimum requirements for the new
SolarWinds SAM implementation.
Windows user account credentials that have been granted administrative
rights on both servers.
A license reset to register SolarWinds SAM on your new server. You will
need to install SolarWinds License Manager to manage the required license
migration.
Note: Maps and map objects created or edited in SolarWinds Network Atlas are
stored in the Orion database. If the database is successfully migrated, there is no
need to migrate any additional Network Atlas map files.
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Database Requirements
Database Requirements
Ensure that you comply with the following requirements before you attempt to
modify or back up your existing database:
l
l
l
l
l
l
SolarWinds SAM version 6.0 and higher requires SQL Server 2008 or
higher.
Install your new database server. The following procedures assume you are
moving your database from one physical server to another and that the management tool (Enterprise Manager, SQL Server Management Studio
Express, or SQL Server Management Studio) is installed on the new database server.
If you want to use a Microsoft SQL Server Express database, recognize that
the database store is limited to 4GB.
Know the sa password to both your existing Orion database server and your
new database server.
Know the credentials to an account with administrator rights on both your
existing Orion database server and your new database server.
Have a maintenance window during which you can safely shutdown your
SolarWinds SAM services. You need to stop data collection to ensure that
your backup file matches your last active database state.
Stopping SAM Services
It is important to stop the SolarWinds SAM services that are currently writing to the
database. This ensures that you do not have data inconsistencies when you bring
your new database server online.
To stop SolarWinds SAM services:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Advanced Features >
Orion Service Manager.
2. Expand Services.
3. Click each service, except the SQL Server service, and then click Stop.
Notes:
l If you have more than one Polling Engine, you will need to stop each
additional Polling Engine before continuing.
l Do not stop the SQL Service. The SQL Service needs to be running in
order to make the necessary changes to the database.
4. Click File > Exit.
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Creating a Database Backup File with Database Manager
Complete the following procedure if you want to use Database Manager.
To backup your Orion database using Database Manager:
1. Log on to the computer that hosts your current SolarWinds SAM server.
2. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Advanced Features >
Database Manager.
3. If your SQL Server is not listed in the left pane, add your server, as
shown in the following steps:
a. Click Add Server.
b. Select the name of the SQL instance from the SQL Server list. If
your server is not listed, type the name or IP address.
c. Select the appropriate authentication type, and then click Connect
to Database Server.
4. Locate and right-click your database in the Database Manager tree in the
left pane, and then click Backup Database.
5. Type a Description of the database backup, and then specify a Backup
Filename, including the path.
Note: Click the ellipsis to directly select the Backup Filename.
6. Select either of the following options:
l If you want to attach your new database backup to the end of
the selected backup file, select Append to the end of the
Backup File.
l If you want to overwrite the selected backup file, select Overwrite Backup File.
7. Click OK.
8. If you are moving the SQL database to the new SolarWinds SAM
server, copy the new backup file to a folder on the new server.
9. Install SolarWinds SAM on the new server, but DO NOT run the Configuration Wizard yet. Reboot the server if prompted, and then register the
software.
Note: A new license key is required, and you will need to install
SolarWinds License Manager to manage the required license migration.
10. On the new server, click Start > SolarWinds Orion > Advanced
Features > Database Manager.
11. If your SQL Server is not listed in the left pane, add your server, as
shown in the following steps:
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Creating a Database Backup File with SQL Server Management Studio
1. Click Add Server.
2. Select the name of the SQL instance from the SQL Server list. If
your server is not listed, type the name or IP address.
3. Select the appropriate authentication type, and then click Connect
to Database Server.
12. Locate and right-click on your server in the Database Manager tree in the
left pane, and then click Connect to Server.
13. If you moved the SQL database to the new server, perform the following
steps:
Note: Database Manager cannot create new folders. Therefore, specify a
path that already exists.
a. Click Database > Restore Database.
b. Click the ellipsis to Select the Database file to Restore.
c. If you want to verify the validity of the selected database, click
Verify.
d. Confirm or edit the name of the restored database in the Restore Database as the following Database name field.
e. If you want to restore the database as .MDF or .LOG files, provide appropriate filenames in the Restore Database in the following MDF and
LOG files fields.
f. Click OK.
14. Run the Configuration Wizard and specify the existing (or newly restored)
database on the Database setup section of the wizard. When prompted,
click Yes to use the existing database.
Note: Do not skip tabs or deviate from the tab order. Click Start, and then
click Continue to complete the wizard in order. Completing tabs out of
order may adversely affect the install process.
Creating a Database Backup File with SQL Server Management Studio
Complete the following procedure if your new database server uses SQL Server
2008.
To backup your Orion database using SQL Server Management Studio:
1. Log on to the new database server using an administrator account.
2. Click Start > All Programs > Microsoft SQL Server 2008 > SQL Server
Management Studio.
3. Specify the server name of the current Orion database server on the Connect to Server window.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
4. If you are using SQL Server Authentication, click SQL Server Authentication in the Authentication field, and then specify your credentials in the
User name and Password fields.
5. Click Connect.
6. In the pane on the left, expand the name of the server hosting the SQL
instance you are using for SolarWinds SAM, and then expand Databases.
7. Right-click the name of your Orion database, and then click Tasks > Back
Up.
8. In the Source area, select Full as the Backup type.
9. In the Backup set area, provide an appropriate Name and Description for
your database backup.
10. If there is not already an appropriate backup location listed in the Destination area, click Add, and then specify and remember the destination path
and file name you provide. This is the location where your backup is stored.
Note: Remember, if your database is on a remote server, as recommended,
this backup file is also created on the remote database server. It is not created locally.
11. Click Options in the Select a page pane on the left.
12. In the Reliability area, check Verify backup when finished.
13. Click OK.
14. Copy the .bak file from your current Orion database server to your new database server.
Restoring a Database Backup File for SQL Express Server
Complete the following procedure if you are restoring your Orion database
backup file to a database server running SQL Express Server.
Note: Remember that SQL Express has a 4GB data store limitation. If at all
possible, consider using a production version of SQL Server.
To restore your database backup file on a server running SQL Express
Server:
1. Log on to the new database server using an administrator account.
2. Click Start > All Programs > Microsoft SQL Server 200X > SQL Server
Management Studio Express.
3. Click File > Connect Object Explorer.
4. Specify the name of the new Orion database server on the Connect to
Server window.
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Restoring a Database Backup File for SQL Server 2008
5. If you are using SQL Server Authentication, click SQL Server Authentication
in the Authentication field, and then specify your credentials in the User
name and Password fields.
6. Click Connect.
7. Click the name of your server to view an expanded list of objects associated
with your server.
8. Click Databases, and then click Restore Database.
9. Leave To database blank.
10. Click From device, and then browse (…) to the location of your .bak file.
11. Click Add, and then navigate to the .bak file and click OK.
12. Click OK on the Specify Backup window.
13. Check Restore.
14. Select the name of your database from the To database field. It will now be
populated with the correct name.
15. Click Options in the left Select a page pane, and then check Overwrite the
existing database.
16. Ensure you select a directory that already exists for the files listed in the
Restore As column.
17. Click OK.
18. Open and run the configuration wizard to update your SolarWinds SAM
installation.
Restoring a Database Backup File for SQL Server 2008
Complete the following procedure if you are restoring your Orion database
backup file to a database server running SQL Server 2008.
To restore your database backup file on a server running SQL Server 2008:
1. Log on to the new database server using an administrator account.
2. Click Start > All Programs > Microsoft SQL Server 2008 > SQL Server
Management Studio.
3. Click File > Connect Object Explorer.
4. Specify the name of the new Orion database server on the Connect to
Server window.
5. If you are using SQL Server Authentication, click SQL Server Authentication in the Authentication field, and then specify your credentials in the
User name and Password fields.
6. Click Connect.
7. Click the name of your server to view an expanded list of objects associated
with your server, and then right-click Databases.
8. Click Restore Database.
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9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
Leave To database blank.
Select From device, and then click Browse (…).
Confirm that File is selected as the Backup media.
Click Add.
Navigate to the .bak file, select it, and then click OK.
Click OK on the Specify Backup window.
In the Destination for restore area, select the name of your database from
the To database field.
Note: The To database is now populated with the correct name.
Check Restore next to the database backup you are restoring.
Click Options in the left Select a page pane.
Check Overwrite the existing database (WITH REPLACE).
For each Original File Name listed, complete the following steps to ensure a
successful restoration:
Log on to the new database server using an administrator account.
20. Select Leave the database ready to use by rolling uncommitted transactions…(RESTORE WITH RECOVERY), and then click OK.
21. Open and run the configuration wizard to update your SolarWinds SAM
installation.
Note: Due to the nature of security identifiers (SIDs) assigned to SQL
Server 2008 database accounts, SolarWinds recommends that you create
and use a new account for accessing your restored Orion database on the
Database Account window of the SolarWinds Configuration Wizard.
Updating SolarWinds SAM to Use the New Database Server
In general, SolarWinds recommends that you use SQL Server Authentication with
the sa login and password to ensure that SolarWinds SAM can always access
your SQL Server database, even when it is hosted remotely on a separate server.
To update SolarWinds SAM to use a new database:
1. Log on to your SolarWinds SAM server.
2. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Configuration and
Auto-Discovery > Configuration Wizard.
3. Check Database, and then click Next.
4. Specify your new database server in the SQL Server field.
5. If you want to use SQL authentication, check Use SQL Server Authentication, and then provide the appropriate credentials.
Note: SolarWinds recommends that you use the sa login and password for
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Reassigning Nodes
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
your database server to ensure that you are able to properly configure the
Orion database user account.
Click Next.
Select Use an existing database, select or type the Existing Database
name, and then click Next.
If you are prompted to use the existing database, click Yes.
Select Create a new account, and then provide a New Account name.
Notes:
l Creating a new account ensures that SolarWinds SAM has required
access to your migrated database.
l The New Account must be a member of the securityadmin server role.
l The sysadmin role and the sa user account are always members of
securityadmin.
Provide and confirm an account Password.
Click Next to start database configuration, and then click Finish to exit the
Configuration Wizard.
Reassigning Nodes
If a new name is used for the new SolarWinds SAM server, it is added to the
database as a new polling engine. All current nodes remain assigned to the old
polling engine name and must be reassigned to the new polling engine, as
shown in the following procedure.
To reassign items to the new polling engine:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Advanced Features >
Orion Service Manager.
2. Stop all SolarWinds services.
Notes:
l If you have more than one Polling Engine, you will need to stop each
additional Polling Engine before continuing.
l Do not stop the SQL Service. The SQL Service needs to be running in
order to make the necessary changes to the database.
3. Click File > Exit
4. Click Start > SolarWinds Orion > Database Utilities > Database
Manager.
5. Expand your SQL Server in the tree.
6. Expand the Orion database.
Note: By default, this database is named NetPerfMon.
7. Right-click on the Engines table, and then click Query Table.
8. Click Refresh to display the table entries.
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9. Select Read-Write (Results can be edited).
10. Replace the value in the ServerName field for the old polling engine with
the server name of the new polling engine. In the previous graphic, the
OLD-SERVER is renamed NEW-SERVER.
Note: It is not necessary to update the IP field. The next time the service is
started, SolarWinds SAM discovers the new IP address, and the IP field is
updated automatically.
11. Delete the newly added engine from the table (EngineID: 2 in this example)
by clicking on the blank area to the left of the row to select it. Right-click anywhere in the selected row, and then click Delete Selected Rows.
12. Click Yes when prompted to confirm deleting the row.
Note: The final result will display the new server name with the IP address
of the old server. The next time the service starts, the IP field will be updated
with the IP address of the new server.
13. Close Database Manager.
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Moving SolarWinds SAM Security Certificates to a New Server
Moving SolarWinds SAM Security Certificates to a New Server
SolarWinds SAM encrypts your sensitive data with a security certificate stored on
the original SolarWinds SAM server. To grant a new server access to this
encrypted data, you must copy the original security certificate to the new server.
Warning: If you do not replicate the original certificate, SolarWinds SAM on the
new server cannot access any credentials used by your component monitors, and
all of those component monitors will fail.
To replicate the original certificate:
1. Export the credential from the original server.
a. On the Start Menu, click Run, type MMC, and then click OK.
b. On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snapin, and then click Add.
c. Select Certificates and then click Add.
d. Select Computer account and then click Next.
e. Select Local computer and then click Finish.
f. Click Close.
g. Click OK.
h. Expand the Certificates (Local Computer) > Personal > Certificates
group.
i. Right-click SolarWinds Agent Provision (if present), and
SolarWinds-Orion, point to All Tasks on the shortcut menu, and then
click Export.
j. Click Next in the Certificate Export Wizard.
k. Select Yes, export the private key, click Next, and then click Next
again.
l. Type and confirm a password for this private key, and then click Next.
m. Specify the file name to which you want to save the certificate, click
Next, and then click Finish—the certificate is saved with a .pfx file
name extension.
2. Copy the .pfx certificate file to the new server.
3. Import the certificate to the new server.
a. On the Start Menu, click Run, type MMC, and then click OK.
b. On the File menu, click Add/Remove Snapin, and then click Add.
c. Select Certificates, and then click Add.
d. Select Computer account, and then click Next.
e. Select Local computer, and then click Finish.
f. Click Close.
g. Click OK.
h. Expand the Certificates (Local Computer) group.
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i. Expand the Personal group.
j. Expand the Certificates group.
k. If there is a SolarWinds SAM Engine item in the list, right-click
SolarWinds Agent Provision and SolarWinds-Orion and select
Delete from the shortcut menu.
l. Right-click the Certificates—Personal—Certificates node, point to All
Tasks in the shortcut menu, and then click Import.
m. Click Next in the Certificate Import Wizard.
n. Specify the .pfx certificate file you copied to the server and then click
Next.
o. Enter the password for the private key, check Mark this key as exportable, and then click Next.
p. Select Place all certificates in the following store, and then select
Personal as the Certificate Store.
q. Click Next and then click Finish.
Migrating Licenses with License Manager
You must run License Manager on the computer where the currently licensed
SolarWinds products are installed before you can migrate licenses to a new
installation. The following procedure deactivates currently installed licenses that
can then be transferred to a new installation.
To deactivate currently installed licenses:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > SolarWinds License Manager.
2. Check the products you want to deactivate on this computer.
3. Click Deactivate.
4. Specify your SolarWinds Customer ID and password when prompted, and
then click Deactivate.
Note: Deactivated licenses are now available to activate on a new computer.
When you have successfully deactivated your products, log on to the computer on
which you want to install your products, and then begin installation. When asked
to specify your licenses, provide the appropriate information. The license you
deactivated earlier is then assigned to the new installation.
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Installing License Manager
Installing License Manager
You will need to install License Manager on the computer from which you are
migrating currently licensed products.
Note: You must install License Manager on a computer with the correct time. If
the time on the computer is even slightly off, in either direction, from Greenwich
Mean Time (GMT), you cannot reset licenses without contacting SolarWinds
Customer Service. Time zone settings neither affect nor cause this issue.
To install License Manager:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > SolarWinds License Manager
Setup.
2. Click I Accept to accept the SolarWinds EULA.
3. If you are prompted to install the SolarWinds License Manager application,
click Install.
Using License Manager
You must run License Manager on the computer where the currently licensed
SolarWinds product is installed before you can migrate licenses to a new
installation. The following procedure deactivates currently installed licenses that
can then be transferred to a new installation.
To deactivate currently installed licenses:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > SolarWinds License Manager.
2. Check the products you want to deactivate on this computer.
3. Click Deactivate.
4. Specify your SolarWinds Customer ID and password when prompted, and
then click Deactivate.
Note: Deactivated licenses are now available to activate on a new computer.
When you have successfully deactivated your products, log on to the computer on
which you want to install your products, and then begin installation. When asked
to specify your licenses, provide the appropriate information. The license you
deactivated earlier is then assigned to the new installation.
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Upgrading SolarWinds APM when SolarWinds Failover Engine is
Installed
Prior to attempting this upgrade you should read the entire procedure.
On the primary/active server:
Note: If the secondary server is the active server, omit step 1 below.
1. Switch active server to secondary, shutdown Failover Engine on
primary server. Using the SolarWinds Orion Failover Manager, select the
secondary (passive) server and click Make Active. Wait for the secondary
server to become active. After that stop Stop Orion Failover Engine from context menu of tray icon.
2. Shutdown Orion Failover Engine on the secondary (active) server. Stop
Orion Failover Engine on the secondary (active) server leaving the protected applications running from context menu of tray icon.
On the secondary server:
1. Upgrade the desired SolarWinds product :
a. Install the SolarWinds Update by running the setup program.
b. If asked, reboot the server. After the reboot is complete, shutdown
the Failover Engine and proceed with the Configuration Wizard.
c. Verify that SolarWinds is operational.
2. If the upgrade procedure was successful, proceed to step 4.
3. If Upgrade on the secondary server fails:
a. Research the cause of the upgrade failure.
b. If the issue can be resolved, then it is safe to proceed with the
upgrade procedure. Otherwise, you can revert to a previous version.
c. To revert to a previous version:
i. Uninstall the upgraded components.
ii. On the secondary server, launch the SolarWinds Failover
Engine. Configure the Server wizard and click on the
Machine tab. Change the Current role to Secondary/passive.
iii. Reboot the server.
iv. SolarWinds Failover Engine will start and SolarWinds will be
stopped.
v. On the primary server, launch the SolarWinds Failover
Engine. Configure the Server wizard and click on the
Machine tab. Change the Current role to Primary/active.
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On the primary Server (assuming a successful upgrade of secondary completed):
vi. Restart SolarWinds Failover Engine on the primary server
and allow the system to synchronize.
vii. Start SolarWinds Failover Manager and check that the system completes the full system check.
Needs to be updated:
l
l
SQL is already updated, needs reverting.
SolarWinds is not able to uninstall/upgrade, needs repair of the previous
release.
4. Change the server role to Secondary/passive:
a. Start the Failover Engine in the context menu of the tray icon.
b. Stop the Failover Engine, including stopping all protected applications in the context menu of the tray icon.
c. Wait until all protected services are stopped.
d. Launch the Configure Server wizard and then click on the Machine
tab. Change the Current role to Secondary/passive.
e. Start the Failover Engine to enable the packet filter.
f. Shutdown Failover Engine.
On the primary Server (assuming a successful upgrade of secondary completed):
5. Perform upgrade on primary:
a. Disable Neverfail Packet Filter Driver on Public NIC
1. Open Properties of the Public Network Adapter.
l (e.g. in Network Connections window, accessible via
Control Panel, right click the Public Network Adapter
and select Properties)
2. Uncheck the Neverfail Packet Filter Driver item on the list
and close the window by clicking OK.
b. Install the SolarWinds Update by running the setup program.
c. If asked, reboot the server now. After the reboot is complete, shutdown Failover Engine and proceed with the Configuration Wizard.
d. Verify that SolarWinds is operational.
e. Enable the Neverfail Packet Filter Driver on Public NIC
1. Open Properties of the Public Network Adapter.
l (e.g. in Network Connections window, accessible via
Control Panel, right click the Public Network Adapter
and select Properties)
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
2. Check the Neverfail Packet Filter Driver item on the list and
close the window by clicking OK.
6. Resume the Failover Engine:
a. Start the Failover Engine on the Primary Server.
b. Launch the Failover Manager on the Primary Server and make the
Primary Server Active using the Make Active… button.
c. Start Failover Engine on the Secondary server.
d. Start Replication using the Start Replication… button in the Failover Manager.
7. License SolarWinds
a. If applicable, license the application(s) on the Active (Primary)
server.
8. If SolarWinds fails to start on the secondary server, follow the steps below:
1. Shutdown the Failover Engine.
2. Launch the Configure Server wizard and set the secondary server role to
passive.
3. Start the Failover Engine on the secondary server.
4. Start the Configure Server wizard on the primary server and set the server
role to active.
5. Start the Failover Engine on the primary server.
6. Launch the SolarWinds Orion Failover Manager and verify that the system
completes the Full System Check.
7. Investigate the cause of the SolarWinds failure on the secondary server.
Installing SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor offers an intuitive wizard to guide you
through installing and configuring the product. If you are performing a clean install
of SolarWinds SAM and also want to install SolarWinds NPM, you should install
SolarWinds NPM version 10.2.2 or higher. For more information, see “Installing
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor” in the SolarWinds Network
Performance Monitor Administrator Guide.
To install or upgrade SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor:
1. Using an account with local administrative privileges, log on to the
SolarWinds server on which you want to install SolarWinds SAM. To avoid
permissions issues, this account should not be a domain account, and
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Installing SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
it should not be subject to any local or group policy restrictions.
2. If you downloaded the product from the SolarWinds website, complete
the following steps:
Using an account with local administrative privileges, log on to the
SolarWinds server on which you want to install SolarWinds SAM. To avoid
permissions issues, this account should not be a domain account, and
it should not be subject to any local or group policy restrictions.
3. If you are prompted to install any required components, such as
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 or Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 AJAX Extensions, click Install and then complete the component installation.
Note: Downloading and installing Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 may take
a long time, depending on your existing system configuration.
4. Review the Welcome text, and then click Next.
5. If the InstallShield Wizard detects that Microsoft Internet Information
Services (IIS) is not installed, suspend installation, quit setup, and then
install Internet Information Services (IIS).
6. If you had to install Internet Information Services (IIS), launch the
SolarWinds evaluation executable again.
7. Accept the terms of the license agreement, and then click Next.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
8. Accept the default install location, or navigate to a different location, and
then click Next.
9. Select either the Express Install – Recommended option or the Advanced
Install option, and then click Next.
Important: The Express Install option is only available in the evaluation
version. The Full Install version does not include SQL server
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Installing SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
10. Click Next to start copying files. Installation begins.
11. After files are copied and installed, configuring begins automatically.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
12. Click Finish to exit the Configuration Wizard.
13. Type Admin in the User Name field, and then click LOGIN.
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Uninstalling SAM
14. The Network Sonar Wizard is displayed. Click Cancel and then confirm that
you want to cancel the network discovery by clicking OK.
Note: The wizard can be used to discover a set of nodes in your network.
You will use it later in this guide.
Uninstalling SAM
The following procedure fully uninstalls SAM and deletes the SAM database.
Notes:
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l
This is a general uninstall procedure, and it may differ slightly from version
to version.
This is the recommended procedure when installing daily builds for testing.
To fully uninstall SAM and remove the SAM database:
1. Click Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.
2. Click SolarWinds Orion Server and Application Monitor..., and then click
Remove.
3. Complete the SAM uninstall wizard.
4. In the Add or Remove Programs window, click SolarWinds Job
Engine..., and then click Remove.
5. Complete the uninstallation of the SolarWinds Job Engine.
6. In the Add or Remove Programs window, click SolarWinds Orion Information Service, and then click Remove.
7. Complete the uninstallation of the SolarWinds Orion Information Service.
8. Click Start > Run...
9. Type regedit, and then click OK.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
10. Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software.
11. Delete both the SolarWinds and the SolarWinds.net folders.
12. If you are uninstalling Orion SAM from a 64-bit computer, expand HKEY_
LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Wow6432Node, and then delete both the
SolarWinds and the SolarWinds.net folders.
13. Delete the SolarWinds folder from the Program Files folder on your main
volume. Typically, the Program Files folder is located at C:\Program
Files\.
14. Delete the SolarWinds folder from the Program Files\Common Files folder
on your main volume. Typically, the Common Files folder is located at
C:\Program Files\Common Files\.
15. Delete the SolarWinds website directory. Typically, the SolarWinds website
directory is located in C:\Inetpub\.
16. Delete the SolarWinds folder from the All Users\Application Data\ directory. Typically, this SolarWinds folder is located in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\.
17. Using your SQL Server tools, delete your Orion database. The Orion database is typically named NetPerfMon, and it can be found in the Databases
folder of your SQL Server management application.
18. Using your SQL Server tools, delete your Orion database user. The Orion
database user can be found by expanding Security > Logins in your SQL
Server management application.
Advanced Installation of SAM
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor offers an intuitive wizard to guide you
through installing and configuring the product.
To install or upgrade SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor:
l
l
l
Using an account with local administrative privileges, log on to the
SolarWinds server on which you want to install SolarWinds SAM. To
avoid permissions issues, this account should not be a domain
account, and it should not be subject to any local or group policy
restrictions.
If you downloaded the product from the SolarWinds website, complete
the following steps:
a. Navigate to the location of your downloaded .zip file, and then
extract the evaluation package to an appropriate location.
b. Launch the SolarWinds SAM evaluation executable.
If you are prompted to install any required components, such as
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 or Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 AJAX
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Advanced Installation of SAM
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Extensions, click Install and then complete the component installation.
Note: Downloading and installing Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 may take
a long time, depending on your existing system configuration.
Review the Welcome text, and then click Next.
If the InstallShield Wizard detects that Microsoft Internet Information
Services (IIS) is not installed, suspend installation, quit setup, and then
install Internet Information Services (IIS).
If you had to install Internet Information Services (IIS), launch the
SolarWinds evaluation executable again.
1. Accept the terms of the license agreement, and then click Next.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
2. Accept the default install location, or navigate to a different location, and then
click Next.
3. Select the Advanced Install option, and then click Next.
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Advanced Installation of SAM
4. SAM will begin installation, taking you through multiple installation screens.
Click Next as prompted to be taken to the Database Settings of the Configuration
Wizard,
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
5. Configure the database for your environment by selecting the appropriate SQL
Server database and Authentication information, and then click Next.
6. Select whether to Create a new database, or Use an existing database, and
then enter the information as needed, then click Next.
7. Select whether to Create a new account, or Use an existing account, and
then enter the account information, then click Next.
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Advanced Installation of SAM
l
If the Website Settings page is displayed, configure the IP Address, Port,
and Website Root Directory as appropriate and select whether you want to
enable automatic login, then click Next.
8. Ensure that all the services displayed in the Service Settings page are
checked, and then click Next.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
9. Review the Configuration wizard Summary page, and then click Next.
10. Click Finish to complete the Configuration Wizard.
Note: If you encounter any issues with the additional polling engine, rerun the
Configuration Wizard on the SolarWinds SAM server.
To assign nodes to polling engines:
You can assign nodes to the polling engines by selecting the desired Polling
Engine in the Add Node wizard.
You can also perform Poller Load Balancing using the Monitor Polling Engines
tool to assign nodes to polling engines. Click Start > All Programs >
SolarWinds > Advanced Features > Monitor Polling Engines. Then click
Servers > Poller Load Balancing to display a dialog where you can assign
nodes to particular polling engines. For more information, see “Understanding
How Polling Engines Work" on page 1216.
Activating Your License
After installing the software through the setup wizard, you are prompted to enter
the license activation key for your product. If you do not have an activation key,
the product runs in a time-limited evaluation mode.
To evaluate the software without a license:
1. Click Continue Evaluation.
138
To license the software on a server with Internet access:
To license the software on a server with Internet access:
1. Click Enter Licensing Information.
2. Select I have internet access and an activation key.
3. Click the http://www.solarwinds.com/customerportal link to access the customer portal on the SolarWinds web site.
4. Log on to the portal using your SolarWinds customer ID and password.
5. Click License Management on the left navigation bar.
6. Navigate to your product, choose an activation key from the Unregistered
Licenses section, and then copy the activation key.
7. If you cannot find an activation key in the Unregistered Licenses section, contact SolarWinds customer support.
8. Return to the Activate SAM window, and then enter the activation key in the
Activation Key field.
9. If you access Internet web sites through a proxy server, click I access
the internet through a proxy server, and enter the proxy address and port.
10. Click Next.
11. Enter your email address and other registration information, and then click
Next.
To license the software on a server without Internet access:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Click Enter Licensing Information
Select This server does not have internet access, and then click Next.
Click Copy Unique Machine ID.
Paste the copied data into a text editor document.
Transfer the document to a computer with Internet access.
On the computer with Internet access, complete the following steps:
Browse to http://www.solarwinds.com/customerportal/licensemanagement.aspx and then log on to
the portal with your SolarWinds customer ID and password.
Navigate to your product, and then click Manually Register License.
If the Manually Register License option is not available for your product,
contact SolarWinds customer support.
Provide the Machine ID from Step 5, and then download your license key
file.
Transfer the license key file to the server.
Return to the Activate SAM window, browse to the license key file, and then
click Next.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
Finishing SolarWinds SAM Installation
After activating your license, you are prompted to configure SolarWinds SAM.
Doing so configures the Orion database, web site, and services to work in your
specific environment.
Follow the directions in the SolarWinds Configuration Wizard:
Notes:
l Confirm that you have designated a SQL Server database instance for
SolarWinds SAM.
l Confirm that the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager is not open
while the Configuration Wizard is running.
During configuration, the SolarWinds polling engine will shut down temporarily
with the result that, if you are actively polling, you may lose some polling data.
SolarWinds recommends that you perform upgrades during off-peak hours of
network usage to minimize the impact of this temporary polling stoppage.
To configure Server & Application Monitor:
1. If the Configuration Wizard has not loaded automatically, click Start >
All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Configuration and AutoDiscovery > Configuration Wizard.
2. Click Next on the Welcome window of the Configuration Wizard.
3. If you are prompted to stop services, click Yes.
Note: To ensure that all updates and changes are installed correctly, it is
imperative that you stop all services.
4. Specify the SQL Server instance you want to use to store network data.
5. Provide the credentials, if necessary, that are required to log into the selected instance.
Notes:
l If you are using an existing database, the user account needs only
to be in the db_owner database role for the existing database.
l If you are using an existing SQL account, the user account needs
only to be in the db_owner database role for the SolarWinds SAM
database.
The selected instance must support mixed mode or SQL authentication with
strong passwords. A strong password must meet at least three of the following
four criteria:
l
l
Contains at least one uppercase letter.
Contains at least one lowercase letter.
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To configure Server & Application Monitor:
l
l
Contains at least one number.
Contains at least one non-alphanumeric character, e.g., #, %, or ^.
For more information about authentication with strong passwords, see
http://msdn.microsoft.com/ms143705.aspx.
If you are using SQL Express, specify your instance as (local) and use a
strong password. For more information about authentication with strong
passwords, see http://msdn.microsoft.com/ms143705.aspx. Due to its inherent limitations, SolarWinds recommends against the use of SQL Express in
production environments.
l If you are creating a new database, the user account must be a member of
the dbcreator server role. The sysadmin role and the sa user account are
always members of dbcreator.
l If you are creating a new SQL account for use with SolarWinds SAM, the
user account must be a member of the securityadmin server role.
Note: The sysadmin role and the sa user account are always members of
securityadmin.
6. Click Next.
7. If you are creating a new database, select Create a new database,
provide a name for the new database, and then click Next.
Note: SolarWinds recommends against using non-alphanumeric characters in database names.
8. If you are using an existing database, select Use an existing database,
type the database name or select it from the list, and then click Next.
9. If you want to create a new SQL account for the SolarWinds SAM
polling engine and web console to use for accessing the database,
select Create a new account, provide an account name and password,
confirm the account password, and then click Next.
10. If you want to use an existing SQL account for the SolarWinds SAM
polling engine and web console to use for accessing the database,
select the existing account, provide the appropriate password, and then
click Next.
11. If you need to specify a particular IP Address for the SolarWinds SAM
Web Console, provide the IP address of the host web server.
Note: SolarWinds recommends the default All Unassigned unless your
environment requires a specific IP address for your SolarWinds Web Console.
12. Specify both the port through which you want to access the web console
and the volume and folder in which you want to install the web console
files.
Note: If you specify any port other than 80, you must include that port in the
l
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
URL used to access the web console. For example, if you specify an IP
address of 192.168.0.3 and port 8080, the URL used to access the web
console is http://192.168.0.3:8080.
Click Next.
If you are prompted to create a new directory, click Yes.
If you are prompted to create a new website, click Yes.
Note: Choosing to overwrite the existing website will not result in the deletion of any custom SolarWinds SAM website settings you may have previously applied.
Confirm that all services you want to install are checked, and then click
Next.
Review the final configuration items, and then click Next.
Click Next on the Completing the SolarWinds Configuration Wizard dialog.
Click Finish when the SolarWinds Configuration Wizard completes.
Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
Note: By default, you can log in with User Name Admin and no password.
If you have not discovered your network devices and added them to
the Orion database, the Network Discovery Wizard starts.
Excluding SolarWinds Data Directories from AntiVirus Scanning
Anti-virus programs may lock files used by the SolarWinds Job Engine v2 during
scanning. This can cause the SolarWinds Job Engine v2 services to stop and
restart, causing delayed polling and gaps in data for a poll cycle.
SolarWinds recommends that you exclude certain SolarWinds data directories
(depending on your Windows platform) from your anti-virus scanning to improve
performance and stability:
Exclude for Windows Server 2003:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\SolarWinds
Exclude for Windows Server 2008:
C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds
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Running SolarWinds SAM
Running SolarWinds SAM
To run SolarWinds SAM:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Orion Web Console.
The SolarWinds Web Console is displayed. You can login by default by entering
the User name Admin and no password. Then click Login.
Internet Explorer Security Settings
If you are using Internet Explorer, SolarWinds recommends that you add the URL
of your SolarWinds website (http://FullSolarWindsServerName/), the URL of
SolarWinds support (http://support.solarwinds.com), and about:blank to the list of
trusted sites.
If you do not add these URLs to the list of trusted sites, you may see Internet
Explorer dialogs that contain messages similar to the following regarding
blocking website content:
l
l
Content from the website listed below is being blocked by the Internet
Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration.
To add the specified URLs to your trusted sites list, click the Add… button
in the Internet Explorer dialog.
For more information about adding sites to your trusted sites list, see the Microsoft
article, “Working with Internet Explorer Security Settings.”
Licensing
The SolarWinds SAM license you purchase is based on the number of allowed
assigned component monitors. A component monitor provides a statistic that you
want to monitor in SolarWinds SAM. You can have as many application templates
and assigned monitors as you need, as long as the number of assigned
component monitors does not exceed the license count.
If you have more assigned component monitors than allowed by your license, the
monitors that exceed your license limit are not activated, and their component
statuses are changed to "Not Licensed." You can either disable some assigned
component monitors to reduce your total assigned monitor count, or contact
SolarWinds about upgrading your SolarWinds SAM license.
How is SAM
Available License
Questions
143
Answers
Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
licensed?
Tiers
By the
number of
Component
Monitors
AL150 (Up to 150
Component Monitors)
AL300
AL700
AL1100
ALX (Unlimited
component monitors
with standard polling
throughput).
What is a
Component
Monitor?
The value
returned by a
component
monitor is a
measurement
of application
health and
availability
that needs to
be monitored.
It can be a
process, a
service, a
performance
counter, a
port, an URL,
a User
Experience
Monitor, a
Nagios script,
and so on.
An
application
typically
consumes
15-25
component
monitors.
The
Windows
Scheduled
Task Monitor
consumes
five (5)
component
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Licensing
monitors per
Windows
server.
AppInsight
for SQL
consumes 50
component
monitors per
database
instance.
AppInsight
for Exchange
consumes 50
component
monitors per
mailbox role
server.
AppInsight
for IIS
consumes 30
component
monitors per
monitored IIS
server.
Why Component
Monitors, and not
devices?
145
Monitorbased pricing
is flexible.
Monitorbased pricing
provides a
good
correlation of
price to
value.
Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
Is it always on
component
monitors?
Technically,
it is based on
highest
number of
Nodes,
Volumes,
and
Component
Monitors
(refer to NPM
licensing for
Node &
Volume
definition),
but in almost
every case,
Component
Monitors is
the highest
factor. There
may be some
instances
where
Volumes or
Nodes would
be the
highest
factor.
Asset Inventory data collection
Asset Inventory data collection does not count against your SAM component
monitor license.
Windows Scheduled Task Monitor
The WSTM consumes five (5) license units per node.
Agents
Agent software is free. You remain bound by the limits of the license you own
regardless of how you poll information, either via an agent or another protocol.
146
To see the available component monitors remaining in your license:
AppInsight for SQL
When using AppInsight for SQL, 50 component monitors will count against your
licensed number of component monitors, per SQL instance.
AppInsight for Exchange
When using AppInsight for Exchange, 50 component monitors will count against
your licensed number of component monitors, per Exchange Server.
AppInsight for IIS
When using AppInsight for IIS, 30 component monitors will count against your
licensed number of component monitors, per monitored IIS server
Important: The example below illustrates a situation where you would have 40
available component monitors available, but have surpassed your allowed
number of 300 monitors by 60. The discrepancy is caused by AppInsight
application implementations. AppInsight applications are licensed as 50 monitors
per application and cannot be partially licensed, as is the case with typical
applications.
Note: SolarWinds SAM licenses do not have to mirror the license count of any
other installed SolarWinds product. For example, you can install SolarWinds
SAM with a 150 component license on a SolarWinds NPM server with an
unlimited node license.
To see the available component monitors remaining in your license:
1. Log on to the SolarWinds Web Console with an administrator account.
2. Click Applications.
3. Click SAM Settings.
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Chapter 2: Requirements and Installation
4. Click SAM License Summary.
Note: As an alternative to the previous procedure, you can also click
License Details in the Settings page to view the used and available component monitors.
Licensing Information:
l
l
l
l
When using your Customer ID and password, you can use your individual
profile information.
You can get your license information from the customer portal using the customer portal link: https://customerportal.solarwinds.com/ instead of support.solarwinds.com
If you do not know your CustomerID and/or password, navigate to
http://www.solarwinds.com/support/ticket/serviceticket.aspx and request the
desired information.
To get your activation key, navigate to the Customer Portal and click
License Management, then click the plus sign [+].
Deactivation
If you have deactivation information, you should step through the deactivation
process a second time. You no longer need your Customer ID and password and
will prompted multiple times to confirm that you are sure you want to deactivate
your product.
License Paths
The License Manager will only work for people under active maintenance and
can be downloaded from the customer portal. You can activate or deactivate your
products using the License Manager, as well as see all products you have
installed on that computer.
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Chapter 3:
Common Tasks with SolarWinds
SAM
The features and flexibility provided by Server & Application Monitor give highly
detailed insight into the performance quality of applications on your network. The
tasks presented in this chapter illustrate the value of Server & Application Monitor,
and how it can immediately offer you a significant return on your investment:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
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l
Monitoring Web Site Performance
Monitoring Microsoft Windows Performance
Monitoring IIS Application Pools
Scanning for Applications Worth Monitoring
Monitoring VMware Performance Counters
Monitoring and Restarting Stopped Windows Services
Creating a Custom Component Availability Report
Creating a Windows PowerShell Monitor
Monitoring Large Directories
Monitoring Web Site Performance
You are the website administrator for your company. You are responsible for the
Intranet web site accessed by the employees and the corporate web site
accessed by the customers. You want to make sure both your employees and
customers are able to access your web sites and that you are alerted to any
problems that would prevent them from doing so.
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Chapter 3: Common Tasks with SolarWinds SAM
Deciding What to Monitor
The Intranet server is in your server room. To make sure only employees can
access the Intranet web site, the web site is secured using basic HTTP
authentication (htpasswd) that requires them to log on using a user name and
password. You decide to monitor this server using the HTTP template and the
valid credentials: user name "admin" and password "password.”
The corporate web server is hosted and managed by a web hosting company.
You can monitor the web site with the HTTP Template, but because you do not
have direct control over the server hardware, you will add the server to the Orion
database as an external node.
Monitoring the Intranet Home Page
We need to add the Intranet web server to the Orion database, and then assign
the SolarWinds SAM HTTP template to the web server.
1. Log on to the SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Click Applications if not already selected.
3. Add the Intranet web server to the Orion database.
a. Click Add a Node.
b. Type the Hostname or IP Address of the Intranet web server.
c. Check the ICMP (Ping only) check box, select the appropriate
Polling Engine (if applicable), and then click Next.
d. In the Add Application Monitors page, click Next.
Note: If you wish to add an Application Monitor to the node, you
may do so either here or from the Application Settings as described
elsewhere in this guide.
e. In the Change Properties page, click OK, Add Node.
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Monitoring the Corporate Home Page
Assign the HTTP template to the Intranet web server node.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
Click Applications if not already selected.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manually Assign Application Monitors.
Select Web Server in the Show only list.
Select HTTP, and then click Next.
Expand the categories and locate your Intranet web server node, select
it, and then click Next.
Select <New Credential> in the Choose Credential list.
Type Intranet Admin in the Credential Name field.
Type admin in the User Name field.
Type password in the Password and Confirm Password fields.
Click Test.
If the test fails, see “Troubleshooting the HTTP Template.”
Click Assign Application Monitors.
Click Done.
Monitoring the Corporate Home Page
We need to add the corporate web server to the Orion database as an external
node, and then assign the HTTP template to the web server.
1. Log on to the SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Click Applications if not already selected.
3. Add the corporate web server to the Orion database as an external node.
a. Click Add a Node.
b. Type the Hostname or IP Address of the corporate web server.
c. Check the External check box, select the appropriate Polling Engine
(if applicable), and then click Next.
4. Assign the HTTP template to the corporate web server node.
a. Select Web Server in the Show only list.
b. Select HTTP.
c. Select Inherit credentials from template and then click Test.
d. If the test fails, see “Troubleshooting the HTTP Template.”
e. Click Next.
f. Enter the Name for your corporate web server.
g. Click OK, Add Node.
Troubleshooting the HTTP Template
If the web site requires a user name and password, verify that you are entering a
working user name and password.
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Chapter 3: Common Tasks with SolarWinds SAM
If the SolarWinds SAM server must connect to the Internet through a web proxy:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Click Assign Application Monitors even though the test failed.
Click Edit.
Click [+] to expand the HTTP Monitor component.
Click Override Template next to Use Proxy.
Check the Use Proxy check box.
Click Override Template next to Proxy Address.
Type the proxy address in the Proxy Address field using the syntax http://proxyaddress
8. Click Test All.
9. Click Submit.
10. Click Done.
Monitoring IIS Application Pools
You maintain a web server that hosts five different web sites through Internet
Information Services (IIS) 6.0 using application pools to separate each web site.
Everything was fine at first, but the average load time for the web pages has
doubled as business has grown, and you suspect it may be time to move at least
one of the web sites to a new server.
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Deciding What to Monitor
Internet Information Services 6.0 runs each application pool in a new instance of
wp3w.exe. Monitoring the five w3wp.exe instances individually will let you see
which web site is using the most system resources. You can then make a more
informed decision as to which web site you should move to the new server.
Note: w3wp.exe is running only if there are HTTP requests made to a server. To
keep w3wp.exe running if no HTTP requests are made to that server, add an
HTTP Monitor to the same application. The HTTP Monitor will then check the
same website and generate HTTP requests, thereby keeping w3wp.exe running.
What needs to be monitored:
Five instances of w3wp.exe, differentiated by application pool. SolarWinds SAM
can monitor them separately if you specify the application pool names in the
component monitors.
1. Log on to the SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Click Applications if not already selected.
3. Add the web server to the Orion database.
a. Click Add a Node.
b. Type the hostname or IP address of the Intranet web server.
c. Check the ICMP (Ping only) check box and then click Next.
d. In the Add Application Monitors page, click Next.
e. In the Change Properties page, Click OK, Add Node.
4. Find the wp3w.exe process on the web server.
a. Click Applications if not already selected.
b. Click SAM Settings.
c. Click Component Monitor Wizard.
d. Select Process Monitor – WMI as the monitor type, and then click
Next.
e. Click Browse, select the web server, and then click Select.
f. Enter WebServerAdmin in the Credential Name field.
g. Enter your administrator user name in the User Name field.
h. Enter your password in the Password and Confirm Password fields.
i. Click Next.
j. Wait for the process list to load.
k. Click the last page button to view the last page.
l. Check the check box next to w3wp.exe, and then click Next.
m. Change Monitor Name to Webpool1.
n. Enter webpool1 in the Command Line Filter field.
o. Change the CPU Warning Threshold to greater than 40.
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p. Change the CPU Critical Threshold to greater than 50.
q. Click Add Another Component.
r. Repeat steps d through q, changing the Monitor Name and Command
Line Filter fields appropriately for the four remaining webpool filters.
s. After creating the monitors for all five w3wp.exe instances, click Next.
t. Select New Application Monitor.
u. Type Web Server Application Pools as the Application Monitor
Name, and then click Next.
v. Select the web server node, and then click Next.
w. Review the list of component monitors to create, and then click OK,
Create.
Scanning for Applications Worth Monitoring
You already use SolarWinds SAM for monitoring applications critical to your own
job functions. Now, you want to discover and monitor other applications that are
hosted in your organization's network.
What needs to be monitored:
You decide to scan for Windows and IIS because you have the Windows
administrator password to access many computers on the network and you have
a hunch at least a few of them are running IIS.
All the computers in your network are already in the Orion database, so there is
no need to add them.
The administrator user name and passwords are:
User Name: WAREHOUSE\Administrator
Password: H0merSamps0n
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User Name: IT\Administrator
Password: FourLights
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Log on to the SolarWinds Web Console.
Click Applications if not already selected.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Scan Nodes for Applications.
Select nodes:
a. Click [+] to expand the node groups.
b. Select the nodes you want to scan, and then click Next.
Select applications to find.
a. Uncheck all applications except:
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l Windows Server 2003-2008.
b. Click Next.
Enter the credentials for the servers you are scanning:
a. Click Add Credential.
b. Type Warehouse Admin in the Credential Name field.
c. Type WAREHOUSE\Administrator in the User Name field.
d. Type H0merSamps0n in both the Password and Confirm Password
fields.
e. Click Submit.
f. Click Add Credential.
g. Type IT Admin in the Credential Name field.
h. Type IT\Administrator in the User Name field.
i. Type FourLights in the both the Password and Confirm Password
fields.
j. Click Submit.
k. Click Next.
Click Start Scan.
Click View SAM Summary Page.
Click View results (near the top of the page) after the SAM scan is complete.
Review the results of the scan.
Monitoring a Specific URL
To monitor a specific URL, follow the step outlined below:
1. Login to the Web Console and navigate to Settings.
2. Click Manage Nodes and then click Add Node.
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3. Enter the URL you want to monitor (eg: www.google.com) and select “No
Status: External Node,” as highlighted below:
4. Click Next and then select Web Pages from the drop-down menu.
5. Check Web Link and select Inherit credentials from Template. Click Test
and then click Next.
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Monitoring VMware Performance Counters
6. On the Change Properties page, review properties you wish to change and
then click, OK, Add Node.
7. Navigate to the Node Details page to review the results. To do this, click the
Home tab then drill down to your specific node in the All Nodes resource.
Monitoring VMware Performance Counters
You want to ensure the health of your VMware environment.
What needs to be monitored:
You want to create an Application Monitor that uses VMware performance
counters provided by the VMware wizard to monitor the health of various aspects
of your VMware environment.
To create a new Application Monitor using the browsing method to select
the desired VMware performance counters:
1.
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4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Component Monitor Wizard underneath Getting Started with SAM.
Select one of the following component monitor types, depending on
whether you want to browse for ESX or vCenter performance counters:
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VMware ESX Performance Counter MonitorVMware vCenter Performance Counter Monitor
6. Click Next.
7. Type the IP address of the VMware node you want to browse, or click
Browse, select the node from the list, and click SELECT.
8. If suitable credentials already exist, choose the credential from the
Choose Credential list.
9. If suitable credentials do not exist, choose <New Credential> from the
Choose Credential list, and then add the new credential by filling out the
credential details.
10. Click Next.
11. Select whether you want to monitor A single system or Multiple systems.
12. Choosing A single system will provide specific counters that apply to the
target system only.
Note: This option provides all available performance counters with
instances for the specified Entity Type. Since the performance counters
selected may contain instances, the Application Monitor or template created based on them cannot be considered as generic, and may only be
assigned to the specific target node you specified in step 7 above.
Choosing Multiple systems will provide more generic counters that can
be applied to multiple systems.
Note: This option provides only aggregate performance counters (without
instances). Therefore the Application Monitor or template created based on
them can be considered as generic and assigned to different ESX/vCenter
target hosts. In this case, monitors in the application or template created
will contain the special ${VMWARE_ENTITY_NAME} variable in the
Entity Name field of the monitor. When the monitor runs, this variable will
be resolved to the first available Entity on a target host with the desired
Entity Type (for example, the first Host System).
13. Select the desired VMware Entity Type to monitor:
l Cluster Compute Resource (only available if the VMware vCenter Performance Counter Monitor type is selected in step 5) – Data object that
aggregates the computation resources of its associated Host System
objects into one single computation resource for use by virtual machines.
The cluster services such as HA (High Availability), DRS (Distributed
Resource Scheduling), and EVC (Enhanced vMotion Compatibility),
enhance the usefulness of this single computation resource. This Entity
Type is specific to vCenter systems.
l Host System – Managed object type that provides access to a virtualization
host platform.
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To create a new Application Monitor using the browsing method to select the
Resource Pool – Represents a set of physical resources which may be a
single host, a subset of a host's resources, or resources spanning multiple
hosts. You can subdivide Resource pools by creating child resource pools.
In order to run, a virtual machine must be associated as a child of a resource
pool. In a parent/child hierarchy of resource pools and virtual machines, the
root resource pool is the single resource pool that has no parent pool.
l Virtual Machine – Managed object type for manipulating virtual machines,
including templates that can be repeatedly deployed as new virtual
machines. This object type provides methods for configuring and controlling
a virtual machine.
14. If you selected the A single system option in step 11, select the desired
VMware Entity to monitor.
15. Select the desired Performance Object (group) to monitor. For example, if
you want to monitor CPU counters, select CPU.
16. Select the check boxes next to the counters to monitor for the selected Performance Object.
Note: To select all the counters listed, select the check box next to
Counter.
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next to each one. To delete an item, click the red X next to the item and it
will be removed from the list.
17. If you want to select counters from an additional Performance Object,
select the next Performance object and then add the desired counters for it.
18. When you are finished selecting counters, click Next.
19. If you selected the A single system option in step 12, select the desired
counter instances to monitor:
a. Use the Group By drop down to display the counters for a particular Performance Object, or select All Counters.
b. Click the name of the desired counter to choose its instances.
c. Select the check box(es) next to the desired instance(s) to monitor.
Note: To select all the instances listed, select the check box next to
Instance Name.
The selected instances are then displayed in the Selected items list
with a red X next to each one. To delete an item, click the red X next to
the item and it will be removed from the list.
d. When you are finished selecting counter instances, click Next.
20. The Edit Properties page is displayed with the component monitors that
have been created for each of your selected counters or counters/instances.
Here you can modify settings such as the Monitor Name, which defaults to
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the counter name that was selected. This is only a descriptive label, and
can be modified as desired.
If you chose the Multiple systems option in step 11, you can see the
special ${VMWARE_ENTITY_NAME} variable in the Entity Name field of
the monitor. When the monitor runs, this variable will be resolved to the first
available Entity on a target host with the desired Entity Type (for example,
the first Host System).
You also need to configure your warning and critical thresholds for
response time and statistic.
21. When you are finished editing monitor properties, click Next.
22. The Add to Application Monitor or Template page is displayed with the
Component list collapsed. Click [+] next to Component list to expand the
list of counters or counters/instances to be added.
23. Select New Application Monitor. Then enter a name for the new Application Monitor, for example: VMware Disk and CPU Monitor.
You can change the name of the Application Monitor up to and including
step 26.
24. If you selected the Multiple systems option in step 11, expand the list of
nodes and select the nodes to monitor. Only VMware ESX and vCenter
nodes are displayed.
25. Click Next.
26. Click OK, Create.
27. Click View SAM Summary Page.
28. Your new VMware monitor appears in the tree view for the All Applications
resource. The polling results for the new monitor are updated after a few
minutes.
Monitoring and Restarting Stopped Windows Services
You want to ensure the health of your Windows server by monitoring the services
that are running. If any services are stopped, they should be restarted.
What needs to be monitored:
You want to create an Application Monitor that monitors Windows services. You
also want to create an alert that attempts to restart any services that are stopped
and sends an email.
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What needs to be monitored:
To create a new Application Monitor template using the browsing method to
select the desired Windows services and then assign it to the desired
nodes:
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Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Component Monitor Wizard underneath Getting Started with SAM.
Select the following component monitor type:
Windows Service Monitor
Click Next.
Type the IP address of the Windows node you want to browse, or click
Browse, select the node from the list, and click SELECT.
If suitable credentials already exist, choose the credential from the
Choose Credential list.
If suitable credentials do not exist, choose <New Credential> from the
Choose Credential list, and then add the new credential by filling out the
credential details.
Click Next.
Browse the list of services and check the boxes for the services to monitor.
Adjust thresholds as desired.
Click Next.
Ensure that New Application Monitor Template Name is selected and
then enter a name for your new template, for example CustomWindowsServices.
Click Next.
Select the boxes for the desired nodes to monitor and click Next.
Click OK, Create to create the assigned Application Monitor.
To create an alert that restarts any stopped Windows services and sends an
email:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Alerting, Reporting,
and Mapping > Advanced Alert Manager.
2. Click Configure Alerts.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the list in the Manage Alerts dialog, and check the
box for Restart a service.
4. If you would also like to send an e-mail notification for the service
restart:
a. Highlight Restart a service and click Edit.
b. Select the Trigger Actions tab and then click Add New Action.
c. Select Send an E-Mail / Page and click OK.
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d. Complete the e-mail info and click OK.
e. Click OK.
5. Click Done.
For more information about restarting Windows services with an alert action, see
“Restarting Windows Services with an Alert Action” on page 1.
Monitoring Large Directories
You already use the Directory Size monitor in SolarWinds SAM for monitoring
small and medium-sized directories. Now you need to monitor a very large
directory.
You discover the Directory Size monitor has problems monitoring the very large
directory, which contains hundreds or even thousands of files, because the
monitor timeout may lapse before the target computer can finish computing the file
sizes and sending the response.
In order to work around this issue, you decide to use the Windows Script monitor
instead to execute a Visual Basic script that uses the Scripting.FileSystemObject
to calculate the directory size.
What needs to be monitored:
You decide to monitor the very large directory using the Windows Script monitor,
because this method should be as fast as if you view the folder properties in
Windows Explorer to get the size and avoid the timeout issues.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Create a New Template underneath Application Monitor Templates.
Type a name for your template in the Template Name field, for example
Large Directory Monitor.
6. If you want to turn on extended debug information to assist Customer
Support, expand Advanced and then set Debug logging On and specify
the Number of log files to keep.
Here you can also select either 32bit or 64bit from the drop down list
entitled, Platform to run polling job on.
Note: Do not turn on Debug logging unless directed by Customer Support.
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What needs to be monitored:
7. Click Add Component Monitor.
8. Expand the Custom Component Monitors group, and then check Windows Script Monitor.
9. Click Submit.
10. Select credentials with appropriate permissions to run the script on the
SolarWinds SAM server, and that also has appropriate permissions to do
whatever else the script requires.
11. Copy the following Visual Basic script to get the directory size into the
Script Body field:
Dim folderPath
folderPath = WScript.Arguments(0)
Set fs=WScript.CreateObject ("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set folder= fs.GetFolder(folderPath)
WScript.Echo "Message: Folder " &folderPath & " is " & folder.Size
& " bytes large"
WScript.Echo "Statistic: " & folder.Size
The VB code does the following:
a. Reads the first argument passed to the script (the UNC pathname for
the directory to monitor) and stores it in folderPath.
b. Creates the Scripting.FileSystemObject and stores it in fs.
c. Gets the folder name from the saved command line argument and
stores it in folder.
d. Displays the message with the folder name and the folder size.
e. Displays the statistic (folder size in bytes).
Note: The script does no error checking, such as handling the case if
the folder does not exist.
12. Type the UNC pathname for the directory name to monitor into the Script
Arguments field.
You can use the token ${IP} and the IP address will be filled in with the IP
address of the target node to which the monitor is assigned when the Windows
Script monitor runs.
For example, if you type the following UNC pathname for the directory name in
the Script Arguments:
\\${IP}\c$\my_large_directory
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the VBscript will get the size of the directory c:\my_large_directory on the node
to which the Windows Script monitor is assigned.
13. Specify the critical and warning thresholds appropriately based on the
desired directory size.
14. Click Submit.
15. Create an assigned Application Monitor by assigning the Large Directory
Monitor template to the desired node to monitor.
a. Click the Applications tab.
b. Click SAM Settings.
c. Click Manually Assign Application Monitors underneath Getting Started with SAM.
d. Select All in the Show only list.
e. Click Large Directory Monitor and then Next.
f. Click Manually Assign Application Monitors underneath Getting Started with SAM.
g. Select All in the Show only list.
h. Click Large Directory Monitor and then click Next.
i. Browse to the desired node to monitor, select it, and then click Next.
j. Enter itadmin in the Credential Name field.
k. Enter your administrator user name in the User Name field.
l. Enter your password in the Password and Confirm Password fields.
m. Click Test.
n. If the test fails, see “Troubleshooting the Windows 2003-2008 Template..”
o. Click Assign Application Monitors, and then click Done.
Troubleshooting the Large Directory Monitor
Verify that you are entering the user name and password of an administrator-level
account. If you think you have entered an incorrect credential, correct the mistake
and then retest.
If you made a mistake with the spelling of the directory name, correct it and then
retest.
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Managing the Web Console
The SAM Web Console is an integral part of the SolarWinds family of products
that can be configured for viewing from virtually any computer connected to the
Internet. You can also customize the web console for multiple users and store
individually customized views as user profiles. Administrator functions are
accessed by clicking Settings in the top right of all SolarWinds Web Console
views.
The SolarWinds Web Console administrator manages the SolarWinds Website
using the commands listed in the various categories on the Settings page.
You can manage SolarWinds SAM nodes, groups, accounts, alerts, views, and
settings. You can also manage the navigation and look of SolarWinds SAM and
view information about available product updates. This guide is designed to
mirror the SAM interface, as shown below.
Note: If links appear not to work or misdirect you, clear your web cache which can
be done by clicking the Clear Web Cache button at the top right of the Settings
page, or by going through your browser's Options menu.
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To manage the SolarWinds Web Console, navigate to the Settings page:
1. Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Note: Initially, Admin is the default administrator user ID with a blank password. You can change the password later using the Account Manager. For
more information, see Managing Accounts.
2. Click Settings near the top right of the SolarWinds Web Console to display
the Settings page.
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Refer to the sections that follow for details about the administrative commands
Refer to the sections that follow for details about the administrative commands available in each category:
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Getting Started with SolarWinds
Discovery Central
Network Sonar Discovery
Add a Node
Node & Group Management
Manage Nodes
Virtualization Settings
Manage Dependencies
Manage Groups
Accounts
Manage Accounts
Account List
Customize
Customize Menu Bars
Color Scheme
External Websites
Manage Alerts
Manage Advanced Alerts
Product Updates
Available Product Updates
SolarWinds Product Team Blog
Views
Manage Views
Add New View
Views by Device Type
Views by Application Type
Settings
Web Console Settings
Polling Settings
SAM Settings
SolarWinds Thresholds
Virtualization Thresholds
Details
Database Details
Polling Engines
Orion Core Details
License Details
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Agent Settings
Discovery Central
Click Discovery Central on the Settings page to view a centralized overview of
the types and number of network objects you are monitoring with your currently
installed SolarWinds products.
Refer to “Discovering and Adding Nodes on a Network”.
Network Sonar Discovery
Click Network Sonar Discovery on the Settings page to discover a range of
nodes in your SolarWinds SAM.
For more information, refer to “Network Sonar Discovery”.
Add a Node
Click Add a Node on the Settings page to add a single device to your
SolarWinds SAM.
For more information, see "Adding Nodes for Monitoring".
Node & Group Management
The Node & Group Management category gives you access to the commands for
managing nodes, groups, and dependencies.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
Click Manage Nodes on the Settings page to add, view, and manage all
nodes and resources managed or monitored by your SolarWinds SAM
installation.
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Click Manage Dependencies on the Settings page to manage dependencies for your SolarWinds SAM.
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Click Manage Groups on the Settings page to manage groups for your
SolarWinds SAM.
Manage Nodes
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Click Manage Nodes on the Settings page to add, view, and manage all nodes
and resources managed or monitored by your SolarWinds SAM installation.
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Virtualization Settings
Virtualization Settings
Click Virtualization Settings on the Settings page to open the Virtualization
Settings view. Here you can view a list of currently monitored VMware ESX
Servers, VMware credentials, as well as Hyper-V information.
For more information, refer to “Virtualization”.
Manage Dependencies
Click Manage Dependencies on the Settings page to manage dependencies for
your SolarWinds SAM.
For more information, see "Managing Groups and Dependencies".
Manage Groups
Click Manage Groups on the Settings page to manage groups for your
SolarWinds SAM.
For more information, see "Managing Groups and Dependencies".
Accounts
The Accounts category gives you access to the commands for managing
accounts, permissions, and views.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Account List
Manage Accounts
Click Manage Accounts on the Settings page to manage user accounts,
permissions, and views.
For more information, see "Managing Accounts".
Account List
Click Account List on the Settings page to open the SolarWinds Website
Accounts view, providing an immediate overview of web console user account
settings.
You may use this view to make changes to multiple accounts simultaneously and
immediately by clicking to check or clear options. Clicking an Account user
name opens the Account Manager for the selected account.
For more information, see "Managing Accounts".
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Customize
The Customize category provides commands to customize the navigation and
appearance of your SolarWinds Web Console.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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External Websites
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Customize Menu Bars
Click Customize Menu Bars on the Settings page to configure the menu bars
seen by individual users.
Color Scheme
Click Color Scheme on the Settings page to select a default color scheme for
resource title bars.
For more information, see "Changing the Web Console Color Scheme".
External Websites
Click External Websites on the Settings page to designate any external website
as a SolarWinds Web Console view, appearing in the Views toolbar.
For more information, see "Creating and Editing External Website Views".
Customized SAM Tabbed Sub-Views
Sam allows you to add vertical tabs on any page in the web console, allowing
you to customize the data you view.
To enable SAM Sub-Views:
1. From the web console, click Customize Page in the upper-right hand
corner of the screen.
2. Check Enable Left Navigation.
3. The following screen appears:
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4. To add a tab, click Add tab.
At this point, you can customize each sub-view tab with its own resources just as
you would for any other view.
For more information see, "Editing Views".
Manage Alerts
The Manage Alerts category gives you access to the commands that allow you to
edit, disable, enable, or delete currently configured advanced alerts.
Refer to the following section for more information:
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Views
The Views category gives you access to the commands that allow you to manage
individual web console views as well as views for device and application types.
Refer to the following section for more information:
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Add New View
Views by Device Type
Views by Application Type
Customizing Views
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Manage Views
Click Manage Views on the Settings page to add, edit, copy, or remove individual
web console views.
For more information see “Customizing Views".
Add New View
Click Add New View on the Settings page to add a custom view with the
information you want to view.
For more information see “Customizing Views".
Views by Device Type
Click Views by Device Type on the Settings page to designate default views for
network nodes.
For more information, see "Views by Device Type".
Views by Application Type
Click Views by Application Type on the Settings page to specify a custom or a
default application details view for each application type.
For information, see “Views by Application Type”.
Settings
The Settings category gives you access to the commands that allow you to
manage configuration settings for the Web Console, polling, SAM, and
thresholds.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Polling Settings
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Web Console Settings
Click Web Console Settings on the Settings page to customize the function and
appearance of both the SolarWinds Web Console and the charts that are
displayed as resources in SolarWinds Web Console views.
For more information, see "Customizing Charts in the SolarWinds Web Console".
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Polling Settings
Polling Settings
Click Polling Settings on the Settings page to define the configuration of polling
intervals, timeouts, statistics calculations, and database retention settings for your
SolarWinds SAM polling engine.
For more information, see "SolarWinds Polling Settings".
SAM Settings
Click SAM Settings on the Settings page to configure SolarWinds SAM and its
templates and component monitors.
For more information refer to “SolarWinds SAM Settings”.
SolarWinds Thresholds
Click SolarWinds Thresholds on the Settings page to configure SolarWinds
SAM threshold settings.
For more information, see "SolarWinds General Thresholds".
Virtualization Thresholds
Click Virtualization Thresholds on the Settings page to configure SolarWinds
SAM virtual threshold settings for VMware and Hyper-V objects.
For more information, see "SolarWinds General Thresholds".
Details
The Details category gives you access to the commands that allow you to view
configuration details for the database, polling engines, licenses, and modules.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Polling Engines
Orion Core Details
License Details
Database Details
Click Database Details on the Settings page to display details about the SQL
Server database currently used. For more information, see "Data and Database
Settings".
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Polling Engines
Click Polling Engines on the Settings page to show the status and selected
configuration information for each currently operational polling engine. For more
information, see "Managing SolarWinds SAM Polling Engines".
Orion Core Details
Click Orion Core Details on the Settings page to display an information-only
page that displays details about your installation of the common components and
resources that all SolarWinds products share, including information about your
SolarWinds server, monitored object counts, and the version numbers of the
executables and DLLs required by any and all installed SolarWinds products.
License Details
Click License Details on the Settings page to display details about both your
SolarWinds SAM license and your monitored network.
This page also shows the version of the applications that you are running and the
versions of associated DLLs.
Navigating the SolarWinds Web Console
The SolarWinds Web Console offers two primary methods of navigation: top-level
web console tabs and view-level breadcrumbs. The following sections describe
how these navigation methods are used:
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Using Web Console Tabs
Using and Disabling Web Console Breadcrumbs
Using Web Console Tabs
In the case of a basic SolarWinds SAM installation, the SolarWinds Web Console
displays the following tabs:
Home
The Home tab provides a menu bar of links to views aiding you in general
network management and monitoring. Information, like events and Top 10
lists, and technologies, like alerts, used to generate the views linked from
the Home menu are generally available to all SolarWinds modules. By
default, the SolarWinds Summary Home view displays when you click
Home from any view in the web console.
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Using and Disabling Web Console Breadcrumbs
Applications
If you are viewing the SolarWinds Web Console on a server on which
SolarWinds SAM is installed, the Applications tab opens a menu of default
views for some of the many different types of applications SolarWinds SAM
can monitor. The SAM Summary Home view displays by default when you
click Home from any web console view.
Virtualization
The Virtualization tab provides access to specific views and resources that
are tailored for monitoring virtual devices.
Using and Disabling Web Console Breadcrumbs
As you navigate web console views, your location is recorded as a series of links,
or breadcrumbs, to the views you have opened. Each breadcrumb offers the
following navigation options:
Clicking a breadcrumb opens the corresponding view directly.
Clicking > next to a breadcrumb opens a clickable list of all other views at the
same navigation level in the web console. For example, if you are on a Node
Details view, clicking > displays a list of other monitored nodes.
Note: Only the first 50 monitored nodes, listed in alphanumeric order by IP
address, are displayed.
To customize the items in a breadcrumb drop down:
1. Click > at an appropriate level in a breadcrumb to open the drop down.
2. Click Customize this list.
3. Select a criterion from the menu, and then click Submit.
Note: All items in the customized list will be identical for the selected criterion.
Disabling Web Console Breadcrumbs
To ensure access is appropriately restricted for account-limited users, you may
want to disable breadcrumbs, as indicated in the following procedure.
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To disable web console breadcrumb navigation:
1. Log on to your SolarWinds server using an account with administrative
access.
2. Open web.config (default location C:\Inetpub\SolarWinds\) for editing.
3. In the <appsettings> section, locate the following setting:
<add key=”DisableBreadCrumbs” value=”false”/>
4. Change “false” to “true,” as follows:
<add key=”DisableBreadCrumbs” value=”true”/>
5. Save web.config.
Note: If you run the Configuration Wizard after editing this setting, your
changes may be overwritten.
Managing Nodes from the Web Console
The SolarWinds Web Console administrator manages the SolarWinds Website
using the commands listed in the various categories on the Settings page. From
the Web Console, the administrator can manage nodes, groups, accounts, alerts,
views, and settings. The administrator can also manage the look and feel of
SolarWinds SAM and view information about available product updates.
To manage the SolarWinds Web Console, navigate to the Settings page:
1. Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Note: Initially, Admin is the default administrator user ID with a blank password. You can change the password later using the Account Manager. For
more information, refer to “Managing Accounts".
2. Click Settings at the top right of the SolarWinds Web Console to display the
Settings page.
Note: The Node Management feature is accessible by clicking Manage
Nodes either in the header of any All Nodes resource or in the Node &
Group Management grouping of the Website Administration page. The All
Nodes resource is included on the SolarWinds Summary Home view by
default, but you can include it on any other web console view as well. Confirm that the All Nodes resource is available on an appropriate Web Console view before continuing. For more information about adding resources
to SolarWinds Web Console views, see “Editing Views”.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Unmanaging Nodes
Adding Nodes for Monitoring
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Unmanaging Nodes
l
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l
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l
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Deleting Nodes from Monitoring
Viewing Node Data in Tooltips
Editing Node Properties
Promoting a Node from ICMP to SNMP Monitoring
Viewing Node Resources
Setting Node Management States
Unscheduled Node Polling and Rediscovery
Monitoring Windows Server Memory
Scheduling a Node Maintenance Mode Time Period
Agents
Unmanaging Nodes
If you need to deactivate nodes for a period of time, you can do so by unmanaging
them. Changes you make to the managed or unmanaged status of a node takes
affect after the next polling cycle.
To unmanage a node:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Home tab.
Click Settings.
Click Manage Nodes.
Check the nodes you want to unmanage.
Click Unmanage and follow the prompts as needed.
Adding Nodes for Monitoring
The following procedure details the steps required to add a device for monitoring
in the SolarWinds Web Console.
To add a device for monitoring in the SolarWinds Web Console:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Manage Nodes in the Node & Group Management grouping of the
SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Click Add Node on the Node Management toolbar.
5. Provide the hostname or IP Address of the node you want to add in the
Hostname or IP Address field.
6. If the IP address of the node you are adding is dynamically assigned,
check Dynamic IP Address.
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7. If you only want to use ICMP to monitor node status, response time,
or packet loss for the added node, check ICMP (Ping only).
8. If you want to add an External node to monitor a hosted application
with SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor, select No Status:
External Node.
Note: The External status is reserved for nodes hosting applications that
are to be monitored with SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor.
SolarWinds SAM will not collect or monitor any data about a node itself, if it
is marked as External.
9. If you want to monitor Windows Servers using WMI and ICMP, select Windows Servers: WMI and ICMP.
10. If you want to monitor Windows Servers using an agent, select Windows
Servers: Agent.
11. If you are adding a VMware device, check Poll for VMware to ensure
that SolarWinds SAM acquires any data the VMware device provides to
SNMP polling requests, and then complete the following steps to provide
required vCenter or ESX Server credentials. For more information, see “Virtualization" on page 319.
a. Select an appropriate vCenter or ESX credential.
Notes:
l If you are creating a new credential, select <New Credential>.
l If you are editing an existing credential, select the credential
you want to edit.
l SolarWinds recommends against using non-alphanumeric characters in VMware credential names.
b. If you are creating a new credential, provide a Credential name.
c. Provide an appropriate User name and a Password, and then provide
the password again in the Confirm password field.
d. Click Test to confirm the VMware credentials you have provided.
11. If you want to use SNMP and ICMP to monitor the added node, complete the following steps:
a. Select the Most Devices and the SNMP Version for the added node.
Notes:
l SolarWinds uses SNMPv2c by default. If the device you are
adding supports or requires the enhanced security features of
SNMPv3, select SNMPv3.
l If SNMPv2c is enabled on a device you want SolarWinds SAM to
monitor, by default, SolarWinds SAM will attempt to use
SNMPv2c to poll for performance information. If you only want
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To add a device for monitoring in the SolarWinds Web Console:
12.
13.
l
l
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
SolarWinds SAM to poll using SNMPv1, you must disable
SNMPv2c on the device to be polled.
b. If you have installed multiple polling engines, select the Polling
Engine you want to use to collect statistics from the added node.
Note: This option may not be available if you are only using one polling
engine to collect information from your network.
c. If the SNMP port on the added node is not the SolarWinds default
of 161, provide the actual port number in the SNMP Port field.
d. If the added node supports 64bit counters and you want to use
them, check Allow 64bit counters.
Note: SolarWinds fully supports the use of 64-bit counters; however,
these high capacity counters can exhibit erratic behavior depending on
manufacturer implementation. If you notice peculiar results when using
these counters, use the Node Details view to disable the use of 64-bit
counters for the device and contact the hardware manufacturer.
If you want SolarWinds to use SNMPv2c to monitor the added node,
provide valid community strings for the added node.
Note: The Read/Write Community String is optional, but SolarWinds does
require the public Community String at a minimum, for node monitoring. If
you want to use read/write SNMPv3 credentials, complete the following
steps in the Read / Write SNMPv3 Credentials area.
If you want SolarWinds to use SNMPv3 to monitor the added node,
provide the following SNMP Credentials, Authentication, and Privacy/Encryption settings:
SNMPv3 Username, Context, Authentication Method, and Password.
Note: If this password is a key, check Password is a key.
SNMPv3 Privacy/Encryption Method and Password.
Note: If this password is a key, check Password is a key.
If you want to save the provided credentials as a Credential Set in the
Credential Set Library, provide a Name, and then click Save.
If you want to delete a currently saved credential set, select the set to
delete, and then click Save.
If you are using SNMP to communicate with your added node, click
Validate SNMP after entering all credentials to confirm your SNMP settings.
Click Next.
Check the objects for the added node that you want SolarWinds to monitor
or manage. The following options are available in the Selection toolbar:
l Clicking All selects all listed devices for monitoring.
l Clicking None clears any checked devices.
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Clicking All Volumes selects all listed volumes for monitoring.
After you have selected objects for monitoring, click Next.
If you want to edit the SNMP settings you provided earlier, change the
appropriate values in the SNMP area of the Change Properties page, and
then click Validate SNMP to confirm your new settings.
If you want to edit the default polling settings for your added node,
change the Node Status Polling or Collect Statistics Every values in the
Polling area of the Change Properties page, as appropriate.
Note: The Node Status Polling value refers to the number of seconds,
between the node status checks that SolarWinds performs on the added
node. The Collect Statistics Every value refers to the period of time
between updates SolarWinds makes to display statistics for the added
node.
If you have defined any custom properties for a monitored node,
provide appropriate values for the added node in the Custom Properties
area of the Change Properties page.
Note: The Custom Properties area is empty if you have not defined any
custom properties for monitored network objects.
Click OK, Add Node when you have completed properties configuration.
If you have successfully added the node, click OK on the dialog.
l
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
Deleting Nodes from Monitoring
The following procedure allows you to delete nodes from monitoring.
Warning: Deleting nodes from monitoring in the web console automatically stops
monitoring of all applications and volumes on the deleted nodes.
To delete a node from monitoring in the SolarWinds Web Console:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Manage Nodes in the Node & Group Management area of the
SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Locate the node to delete using either of the following methods:
l Use the search tool above the node list to search your Orion database
for the node you want to delete.
l Select an appropriate Group by: criterion, and then click the appropriate group including the node to delete.
5. Check the node to delete in the list, and then click Delete on the toolbar.
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Deleting Applications or Volumes from Monitoring
Deleting Applications or Volumes from Monitoring
You can select multiple applications on different nodes for simultaneous deletion.
The search tool above the node list can aid you in finding the proper device to
delete.
1. If you want to delete a monitored application or volume, use the following steps:
a. Locate the application to delete using either of the following methods:
l Use the search above the node list to search your Orion database
either for the object to delete or for its parent object to delete.
l Select a Group by: criteria, and then click the appropriate group
including the parent node of the object to delete.
b. If you have a list of node results, click [+] to expand the parent node
of the object you want to delete.
c. Check the object to delete, and then click Delete on the toolbar.
2. Click OK to confirm deletion.
Viewing Node Data in Tooltips
Node tooltips in SolarWinds SAM provide immediate status overviews of
monitored nodes. To get a quick overview of any monitored node in the web
console, hover over the device name. The information in the following tables
displays immediately.
Node Data
Node Status
Current status of the node. (Up, Down, Warning,
Unmanaged, or Unreachable)
IP Address
The IP address currently assigned to the selected node
Machine Type
The vendor icon and vendor description of the selected
node
Average
Response Time
The measured average response time of the selected node
as of the last node poll
Packet Loss
The percent of all transmitted packets that are lost by the
selected node as of the last node poll
CPU Load
The percent of available processing capacity on the
selected node that is currently used as of the last node poll
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Memory Used
The percent of available memory on the selected node that
is currently used as of the last node poll
Editing Node Properties
The following procedure provides the steps required to edit monitored object
properties using the Node Management utility of the SolarWinds Web Console.
To edit object properties in the SolarWinds Web Console:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings at the top right of the web console, and then click Manage
Nodes in the Node & Group Management grouping.
3. Locate the object to edit using either of the following methods:
l Use the search tool above the node list to search your Orion database for either the object you want to edit or the parent node of the
volume you want to edit.
l Select an appropriate Group by criteria, and then click the appropriate group including either the node to edit or the parent of the
object to edit.
4. If you want to edit the properties of a monitored node, check the node
you want to edit, and then click Edit Properties.
5. If you want to edit the properties of a monitored object, click [+] next to
the parent node of the object you want to edit, check the object you want to
edit, and then click Edit Properties.
6. If you are editing the SNMP properties of a node, click Test after providing new settings to confirm they are valid for the edited node.
7. If the selected node is a VMware ESX Server and you want to poll it for
data using the VMware API, confirm that Poll for VMware is checked.
8. If you want to poll for ESX data using an existing ESX credential,
select the appropriate credential from the VMware credentials drop down
menu.
9. If you want to poll for ESX data using a new ESX credential, complete
the following steps:
a. Select <New Credential> in the Choose Credential drop down menu,
and then provide a new credential name in the Credential Name field.
Note: SolarWinds recommends against using non-alphanumeric characters in VMware credential names.
b. Add the credential User name and Password, as necessary.
c. Confirm the password and then click Validate VMware to confirm the
credentials you have provided are valid for the edited node.
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Promoting a Node from ICMP to SNMP Monitoring
10. Edit additional device properties as needed, and then click Submit.
Promoting a Node from ICMP to SNMP Monitoring
After adding a node to the Orion database as an ICMP only node, you may need
to promote the node to SNMP to start collecting additional statistics. The Node
Management utility of the SolarWinds Web Console can easily promote your
node to SNMP without any loss of historical data.
Note: Once you promote a node from SNMP to WMI, you cannot go back to
polling via ICMP.
To promote an ICMP only node to SNMP:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console and then click Manage
Nodes in the Node & Group Management grouping of the SolarWinds
Website Administration page.
3. Locate the device to promote using either of the following methods:
l Use the search tool above the node list to search your Orion database for the node you want to promote.
l Select an appropriate Group by criteria, and then click the appropriate group including the node to promote.
4. Click Edit Properties, and then select Most Devices: SNMP and ICMP.
5. In the SNMP area, select the SNMP Version for the promoted node.
Note: SolarWinds uses SNMPv2c by default. If the promoted device supports or requires the enhanced security features of SNMPv3, select
SNMPv3.
6. If you have installed multiple polling engines, select the Polling Engine
you want to use to collect statistics from the added node.
Note: This option may not be available if you are only using one polling
engine to collect information from your network.
7. If the SNMP port on the added node is not the SolarWinds default of
161, provide the actual port number in the SNMP Port field.
8. If the added node supports 64 bit counters and you want to use them,
check Allow 64 bit counters.
Note: SolarWinds fully supports the use of 64-bit counters; however, these
high capacity counters can exhibit erratic behavior depending how they
are used. If you notice peculiar results when using these counters, use the
Edit Properties view to disable the use of 64-bit counters on the device in
question, and then contact the hardware manufacturer.
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9. If you want to use SNMPv2c to monitor the promoted node, provide
valid community strings for the added node.
Note: The Read/Write Community String is optional, but SolarWinds
does require the public Community String, at minimum, for node monitoring.
10. If you want to use SNMPv3 to monitor the promoted node, provide the
following SNMPv3 credential settings:
l SNMPv3 User name and Context
l SNMPv3 Authentication Method and Password/Key
l SNMPv3 Privacy/Encryption Method and Password/Key
Note: Read/Write SNMPv3 Credentials are optional, but the public
Community String is required, at a minimum, for node monitoring.
11. If you want to edit an existing SNMPv3 credential set, select the name
of your set from the Saved Credential Sets list, and then edit the stored
settings.
12. If you want save the provided SNMPv3 credentials as a credential set,
provide a Name for your new credential set, and then click Save.
13. Click Validate SNMP after entering all required credentials to confirm your
SNMP settings.
14. If you want to change the default polling settings for your promoted
node, edit the Node Status Polling or Collect Statistics Every values in
the Polling area, as appropriate.
Note: The Node Status Polling value refers to the period of time, in
seconds, between the node status checks SolarWinds performs on the promoted node. The Collect Statistics Every value refers to the period of
time between updates SolarWinds makes to displayed statistics for the promoted node.
15. If you have defined any custom properties for monitored nodes,
provide appropriate values for the promoted node in the Custom Properties.
16. Click Submit when you have completed properties configuration for your
promoted node.
17. If you have successfully added the node, click OK on the dialog.
Promoting a Node to WMI Monitoring
After adding a node to the Orion database as an ICMP or SNMP node, you may
need to promote the node to WMI to start collecting additional statistics. The Node
Management utility of the SolarWinds Web Console can easily promote your
node to WMI without any loss of historical data.
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To promote a node to WMI:
Note: Once you promote a node to WMI, you cannot go back to polling via ICMP.
Also, this option is only available in SAM 5.0 and above.
To promote a node to WMI:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console and then click Manage
Nodes in the Node & Group Management grouping of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
3. Locate the device to promote using either of the following methods:
4.
l Use the search tool above the node list to search your Orion database
for the node you want to promote.
l Select an appropriate Group by criteria, and then click the appropriate
group including the node to promote.
5. Click Edit Properties, and then select, Windows Servers: WMI and ICMP.
6. Select existing WMI credentials, or create new credentials.
7. Optionally, you can click the Test button for verification.
8. If you want to change the default polling settings for your promoted
node, edit the Node Status Polling or Collect Statistics Every values in
the Polling area, as appropriate.
Note: The Node Status Polling value refers to the period of time, in
seconds, between the node status checks SolarWinds performs on the promoted node. The Collect Statistics Every value refers to the period of time
between updates SolarWinds makes to displayed statistics for the promoted
node.
9. If you have defined any custom properties for monitored nodes,
provide appropriate values for the promoted node in the Custom Properties.
10. Click Submit when you have completed properties configuration for your
promoted node.
11. If you have successfully added the node, click OK on the dialog.
Viewing Node Resources
The List Resources feature of the SolarWinds Web Console Node Management
utility allows you to immediately see all monitored volumes and charts on a
selected node, as shown in the following procedure.
To view a list of all resources present on a node:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
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3. Click Manage Nodes in the Node & Group Management grouping of the
SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Locate the node to view using either of the following methods:
l Use the search tool above the node list to search your Orion database
for the node you want to view.
l Select an appropriate Group by criteria, and then click the appropriate
group including the node to view.
5. Check the node you want to view from the list, and then click List
Resources on the Node Management toolbar.
Setting Node Management States
Monitored devices are regularly polled for operational status. Collected statistics
are displayed in the SolarWinds Web Console. Using the Node Management
feature of the SolarWinds Web Console, the management status of monitored
nodes, is easily set or changed, allowing you to either temporarily suspend data
collection or resume polling and statistics collection, as necessary. The following
procedure sets or changes management states for monitored nodes in the
SolarWinds Web Console.
Note: Setting a node to an unmanaged state automatically suspends the
management on the selected node.
To set or change the management state of a node:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Manage Nodes in the Node & Group Management grouping of the
SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Locate the node to manage using either of the following methods:
l Use the search tool above the node list to search your Orion database
for the device you want to manage.
l Select an appropriate Group by criteria, and then click the appropriate
group including the node to manage.
5. Check the node to change, and then click Unmanage or Remanage, as
appropriate, for the selected node.
6. If you have selected Unmanage, provide start and end times and dates for
your management suspension, and then click OK.
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Unscheduled Node Polling and Rediscovery
Unscheduled Node Polling and Rediscovery
SolarWinds SAM polls devices for statistics and status regularly, according to the
polling settings available for configuration on the Polling Settings view in the
SolarWinds Web Console. For more information, see SolarWinds Polling
Settings. Sometimes, however, it may be necessary to conduct an unscheduled
poll or rediscovery of a monitored device. The Node Management utility gives you
this ability, as shown in the following procedure.
To perform an unscheduled poll or rediscovery:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Manage Nodes in the Node & Group Management grouping of the
SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Locate and check the node you want to poll or locate and check the node to
rediscover, using either of the following methods:
l Use the search tool above the node list to search your Orion database.
l Select an appropriate Group by criteria, and then click the appropriate
group including the node you want to poll or the node you want to
rediscover.
5. If you want to poll the selected node, click More Actions > Poll Now.
6. If you want to rediscover the selected node, click More Actions > Rediscover.
Note: When you click Poll Now, this reschedules a job to run "now" in the
job scheduler, meaning, if the job scheduler is already full, the job may not
execute immediately, but it will execute sooner than the next scheduled poll
cycle.
Depending upon how many components are in a given template, and the type of
component monitors that make up a template, it is not unusual for polling to take
several minutes for the process to fully complete. To see this behavior, click Edit
Application Monitor on the Application Details page and then click Test All.
Unmanage Scheduling Utility
Starting and stopping nodes, applications, and interfaces on a schedule is a task
best suited for the Unmanage Scheduling Utility. This can be found at Start >
SolarWinds Orion > Advanced Features > Unmanage Scheduling Utility.
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To schedule tasks to be stopped:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Select either New Task or open an existing task by clicking Edit Task.
Click Add Items.
Click on the Web tab.
Select the items you want to schedule to be stopped by checking the check
box next to the item name.
Click Add.
Select the length of time you would like the selected item to be stopped.
Click OK.
Optionally, you can click Save Task to save your selections for future use.
To view the details of a selected item's schedule, simply check its box and its
details will appear in the Task Item Properties pane on the right.
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Monitoring Windows Server Memory
From this view, you can change the settings of the item's schedule by selecting
an item and clicking Set Duration. Additionally, you can delete an item from the
unmanage schedule by selecting it and clicking Delete Checked Items.
Note: It is possible to create a conflict of schedules if you choose the same item
to be stopped using both the web console and the Unmanage Scheduling Utility
with different durations.
Monitoring Windows Server Memory
When SolarWinds SAM polls a Windows server for CPU load and memory
utilization, it pulls the amount of physical memory to define the 100% level, and
then it totals the amount of memory in use by each allocation to compute what
percentage of the physical memory is in use. This can result in memory utilization
readings over 100%, as many applications pre-allocate memory and swap before
it is actually needed. To work around this, you can also add physical memory as a
volume for these servers within SolarWinds. When monitored as a volume, the
values will be more in line with your expectations.
Scheduling a Node Maintenance Mode Time Period
When you need to perform maintenance on a node or its components, such as
upgrading firmware, installing new software, or updating security, you may want
to discontinue polling while the device is down for maintenance. Disabling
polling, or setting a node status as Unmanaged, while performing node
maintenance, maintains the accuracy of your data and prevents unnecessary alert
messages. For more information about disabling node polling to perform node
maintenance, see “Setting Node Management States” on page 186.
Administrative Functions of the SolarWinds Web
Console
The following sections describe the primary administrative functions performed by
a SolarWinds Web Console administrator.
l
l
l
Changing an Account Password
Viewing Secure Data on the Web
Handling Counter Rollovers
Changing an Account Password
SolarWinds Web Console administrators may change user account passwords at
any time, as shown in the following procedure.
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Note: In environments where security is a priority, SolarWinds recommends
against providing a view where users may change their own web console
account passwords.
To change an account password:
1. Log in to the web console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right corner of the web console.
3. Click Manage Accounts in the Accounts grouping of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Select the user account with the password you want to change, and then
click Change Password.
5. Complete the New Password and Confirm Password fields, and then click
Change Password.
6. Click Continue when the password is successfully changed.
Viewing Secure Data on the Web
In the interest of security, sensitive network information, such as community
strings, logins, and passwords, is not viewable in the web console. However, if
you have secured your network, you may check Allow Secure Data On Web
(advanced) in the Calculations & Thresholds area of the SolarWinds Polling
Settings page to allow the passage of community strings through the web
console.
Note: This setting does not affect the display of custom reports that you export to
the web. For more information see “Creating and Viewing Reports” on page 1.
Handling Counter Rollovers
The Counter Rollover setting configures SolarWinds SAM to properly handle
counter rollovers. SolarWinds SAM is capable of handling either 32-bit or 64-bit
counters, but, by default, SolarWinds SAM assumes counters are 32-bit. 32-bit
counters have a maximum value of 232, or 4,294,967,296, and 64-bit counters, if
they are supported by your network devices, have a maximum value of 264, or
18,446,744,073,709,551,616.
Note: The 32-bit counters option is designated as Method 1 in the Counter
Rollover field on the SolarWinds Polling Settings page.
The following procedure designates the type of counter used by SolarWinds
SAM.
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To designate the type of counter used by SolarWinds SAM:
To designate the type of counter used by SolarWinds SAM:
1. Log in to the web console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Polling Settings in the Settings grouping of the SolarWinds Website Administration
page.
3. If you are using 64bit counters, select Method 2 in the Counter Rollover
field in the Calculations & Thresholds area.
Notes:
l If Method 2 is selected, SolarWinds SAM will intentionally skip a poll if
a polled value is less than the previous polled value to permit counting
to 264.
l SolarWinds fully supports the use of 64-bit counters; however, these
64-bit counters can exhibit erratic behavior in some implementations.
If you notice peculiar results when using these counters, disable the
use of 64-bit counters for the problem device and contact the device
manufacturer.
4. If you are using of 32bit counters, select Method 1 in the Counter
Rollover field in the Calculations & Thresholds area.
Note: If Method 1 is selected, when a rollover is detected, the time between
polls is calculated as (232 – Last Polled Value) + Current Polled Value.
SolarWinds General Thresholds
Many of the resources available in the SolarWinds Web Console are capable of
displaying error and warning conditions for the devices on your network. Errors
and warnings display in the SolarWinds Web Console. SolarWinds SAM uses the
values provided on the thresholds pages to determine when and how to display
errors and warnings in the SolarWinds Web Console. The following sections
provide more information about threshold types and configuration:
l
l
SolarWinds General Threshold Types
Setting SolarWinds General Thresholds
SolarWinds General Threshold Types
The following device conditions may be configured as SolarWinds General
Thresholds:
CPU Load
Monitored network devices experiencing CPU loads higher than the value
set for the High Level display in High CPU Load reports and resources.
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Gauges for these devices also display as bold red. Monitored network
devices experiencing a CPU load higher than the value set for the Warning
Level, but lower than the value set for the High Level, display as red in
High CPU Load reports and resources. Gauges for these devices also
display as red.
Disk Usage
Monitored network devices experiencing a disk usage higher than the value
set for the High Level display as bold red in Disk Usage reports and
resources. Monitored network devices experiencing a disk usage higher
than the value set for the Warning Level, but lower than the value set for the
High Level, display as red in High Disk Usage reports and resources.
Percent Memory Used
Monitored network devices experiencing a percent memory usage higher
than the value set for the Error Level display in High Percent Utilization
reports and resources. Gauges for these devices also display as bold red.
Monitored network devices experiencing a percent memory usage higher
than the value set for the Warning Level, but lower than the value set for the
Error Level, display in High Percent Utilization reports and resources.
Gauges for these devices also display as red.
Percent Packet Loss
Monitored network devices experiencing a percent packet loss higher than
the value set for the Error Level display in High Percent Loss reports and
resources. Gauges for these devices also display as bold red. Monitored
network devices experiencing a percent packet loss higher than the value
set for the Warning Level, but lower than the value set for the Error Level,
display in High Percent Loss reports and resources. Gauges for these
devices also display as red.
SolarWinds SAM calculates percent packet loss using ICMP ping requests
made on the Default Poll Interval. SolarWinds pings monitored devices and
records the results of the ten most recent ping attempts. Percent packet loss
is expressed as the number of failed ping requests, X, divided by the
number of ping requests, 10. For more information about the Default Poll
Interval, see “SolarWinds Polling Settings” on page 312.
For example, if, at a given point in time, the last ten ping requests made of a
selected device resulted in 2 failures and 8 successes, the percent packet
loss for the selected device at the given time is reported as 2/10, or 20%.
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Setting SolarWinds General Thresholds
Response Time
Monitored devices experiencing response times longer than the value set
for the Error Level display in High Response Time reports and resources.
Gauges for these devices also display as bold red. Devices experiencing
response times longer than the value set for the Warning Level, but shorter
than the value set for the Error Level, also display in High Response Time
reports and resources. Gauges for these devices also display as red.
SolarWinds SAM calculates response time using ICMP ping requests made
on the Default Node Poll Interval. SolarWinds pings monitored devices and
records the results of the ten most recent ping attempts. Average Response
Time is expressed as the average response time of these last 10 ping
requests. If SolarWinds SAM does not receive a ping response within the
Default Poll Interval, SolarWinds SAM will attempt to ping the
nonresponsive device once every 10 seconds for the period designated as
the Warning Interval. For more information, see “SolarWinds Polling
Settings” on page 312.
Setting SolarWinds General Thresholds
The following procedure configures SolarWinds General Thresholds.
To set SolarWinds SAM thresholds:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click SolarWinds Thresholds in the Settings group of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
Note: For more information about SolarWinds General Thresholds, see
SolarWinds General Threshold Types.
4. Provide appropriate values for Error Level, High Level, or Warning Level
for selected thresholds.
Customizing Views
SolarWinds Web Console views are configurable presentations of network
information that can include maps, charts, summary lists, reports, events, and
links to other resources. Customized views can then be assigned to menu bars.
Note: In environments where security is a priority, SolarWinds recommends
against providing a view where users may change their own web console
account passwords.
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Refer to the following sections for more information:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Creating New Views
Editing Views
Configuring View Limitations
Copying Views
Deleting Views
Views by Device Type
Resource Configuration Examples
Customizing Web Console Menu Bars
Changing the Web Console Color Scheme
Changing the Web Console Site Logo
Configuring the Available Product Updates View
Updating your SolarWinds Installation
Customizing Charts in the SolarWinds Web Console
Custom Node Charts
Custom Volume Charts
Custom Chart View
Creating New Views
You can customize the SolarWinds Web Console for individual users by logging
in as an administrator and creating new views as shown in the following
procedure.
Note: In environments where security is a priority, SolarWinds recommends
against providing a view where users may change their own web console
account passwords.
To create a new view:
1. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
2. Click Manage Views in the Views group of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
3. Click Add.
4. Enter the Name of New View.
5. Select the Type of View.
Note: The Type of View selection affects how the view is made accessible
to users, and your choice may not be changed later. For more information,
see Views by Device Type.
6. Click Submit.
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Editing Views
After you have created a new view, the Customize Your View page opens. For
more information, see Editing Views.
Editing Views
The SolarWinds Web Console allows administrators to configure views for
individual users. The following steps are required to configure an existing view.
To edit an existing view:
1. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
2. Click Manage Views in the Views group of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
3. Select the view you want to customize from the list, and then click Edit.
4. If you want to change the column layout of your view, complete the following steps.
a. Click Edit to the right of the column widths.
b. Select the number of columns under Layout.
e. Provide the width, in pixels, of each column in the appropriate fields,
and then click Submit.
5. If you want to add a resource, repeat the following steps for
each resource:
a. Click [+] next to the column in which you want to add a resource.
b. Click [+] next to a resource group on the Add Resources page to
expand the resource group, displaying available resources.
c. Check all resources you want to add.
d. If you have completed the addition of resources to the selected
view, click Submit.
Notes:
l Resources already in your view will not be checked on this page
listing all web console resources. It is, therefore, possible to pick
duplicates of resources you are already viewing.
l Some resources may require additional configuration. For more
information, see “Resource Configuration Examples” on
page 198.
l Several options on the Add Resources page are added to the list
of resources for a page, but the actual configuration of a given
map, link, or code is not added until the page is previewed.
6. If you want to delete a resource from a column, select the resource, and
then click X next to the resource column to delete the selected resource.
7. If you want to copy a resource in a column, select the resource, and
then click next to the resource column to delete the selected resource.
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8. If you want to rearrange the order in which resources appear in your
view, select resources, and then use the arrow keys to rearrange them.
9. If you have finished configuring your view, click Preview.
Note: A preview of your custom web console displays in a new window. A
message may display in the place of some resources if information for the
resource has not been polled yet. For more information, see “Resource
Configuration Examples” on page 198.
10. Close the preview window.
11. When done, click Done.
Notes:
l For more information about adding a customized view to menu bars
as a custom item, see “Customizing Web Console Menu Bars” on
page 206.
l For more information about assigning your customized view as the
default view for a user, see “Editing User Accounts” on page 299.
Configuring View Limitations
As a security feature, the web console gives administrators the ability to apply
device-based view limitations. The following views and limitations are available:
Managed Views that
Support Limitations
Available Limitations
SAM Application Details
Single Network Node
System Contact Pattern
SAM Component Details
Group of Nodes
Single Machine Type
SAM Summary
Node Name Pattern
Single Hardware
Manufacturer
Cluster Details
System Name Pattern IP Address Pattern
Current Top 10 Lists
Group of Machine
Types
Group of Volumes
Custom Summary
Machine Type
Pattern
Single Group
Datacenter Details
Hardware
Manufacturer
Group of Groups
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To enable a view limitation:
ESX Host Details
Device Status
Group Name Pattern
Group Details
System Location
Application Name Pattern
Group Summary
System Location
Pattern
Group of Application
Names
Node Details
System Contact
Specific Applications
SolarWinds Summary
Home
Customize Problem
Areas
Virtual Center Details
Virtualization summary
Volume Details
The following procedure configures a view limitation:
To enable a view limitation:
1. Click Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Manage
Views in the Views group of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
2. Select the view to which you want to add a limitation, and the click Edit.
3. In the View Limitation area of the Customize View page, click Edit.
4. Select the type of view limitation you want to apply, and then click
Continue.
5. Provide or check appropriate strings or options to define the device types to
include or exclude from the selected view, and then click Submit.
Note: The asterisk (*) is a valid wildcard. Pattern limitations restrict views to
devices for which the corresponding fields include the provided string.
Copying Views
When you want to create multiple views based on the same device type, copying
views allows you to create one view, and then use that view as a template to
create other new views. The following steps copy an existing view.
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To copy a view:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
Click Manage Views in the Views group.
Select the view you want to copy, and then click Copy.
If you want to edit a copied view, follow the procedure in Editing Views.
Deleting Views
The following steps delete an existing view.
To delete an existing view:
1. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
2. Click Manage Views in the Views grouping of the SolarWinds Website
Administration page.
3. Select the view you want to delete, and then click Delete.
Views by Device Type
There are vast differences among network objects and the statistics they report,
but the SolarWinds Web Console can make it easier to view network data by
displaying object details by device type, giving you the ability to have a different
view for each unique type of device you have on your network, including routers,
firewalls, and servers. The following steps assign a view by any available device
type.
To assign a view by device type:
1. Click Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Views by
Device Type in the Views group of the SolarWinds Website Administration
page.
2. Select available Web Views for the different types of devices that
SolarWinds is currently monitoring or managing on your network.
3. Click Submit.
Resource Configuration Examples
Several resources that may be selected from the Add Resources page require
additional configuration. Included in this section are examples of these resources
and the steps that are required for their proper configuration.
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Selecting a Network Map
Selecting a Network Map
Network maps created with SolarWinds Network Atlas can give a quick overview
of your network, right from the main web console view.
Note: Clicking the resource title in the title bar menu displays the resource by
itself in a browser window.
The following procedure adds a network map to the SolarWinds Web Console.
To add a network map to the web console:
1. Create a new view or edit an existing view.
Note: For more information, see Customizing Views.
2. Select the view to which you want to add the map, and then click Edit.
3. Click [+] next to the view column in which you want to display the new map.
4. Click [+] next to Network Maps, check Network Map, and then click Submit.
5. Click Preview on the Customize Your View page.
6. Click Edit in the Network Map resource title bar.
7. If you do not want to use the default title provided, enter a new Title for
the title bar of the added map.
8. If you want a subtitle, enter a new Subtitle for the added map.
Note: Titles and subtitles may be entered as either text or HTML.
9. Select from the list of available maps.
10. Select the Scale at which you want to display the map.
Note: If you leave the Scale field blank, the map will display at full scale,
based on the size of the column in which the map displays.
11. Click Submit.
Displaying a List of Objects on a Network Map
When your web console view includes a network map, it can be helpful to
maintain a list of network objects that appear on the map. The following
procedure enables a resource listing network map objects.
Note: Clicking the resource title displays the resource in a new browser window.
To display a list of network map objects:
1. Create a new view or edit an existing view.
Note: For more information, see “Customizing Views” on page 193.
2. Select the view to display the list of network map objects, and then click
Edit.
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3. Click [+] next to the view column in which you want to display the new list of
network map objects.
4. Click [+] next to Network Maps, check List of Objects on Network Map,
and then click Submit.
5. Click Preview on the Customize Your View page.
6. Click Edit in the title bar of the List of Objects on Network Map resource.
7. If you do not want to use the default title provided, enter a new Title for
the header of the objects list.
8. If you want a subtitle, enter a new Subtitle for the added objects list.
Note: Titles and subtitles may be entered as either text or HTML.
9. Select from the list of available maps for the objects that you want to populate your list, and then click Submit.
Displaying a Custom List of Maps
The web console allows you to populate a custom view with a list of available
network maps. Each map in your custom list, when clicked, opens in a new
window. The following procedure enables a custom network maps list resource.
Note: Clicking the resource title displays the resource in its own browser window.
To display a custom list of maps:
1. Create a new view or edit an existing view.
Note: For more information, see “Customizing Views” on page 193.
2. Select the view to which you want to add the custom list of network maps,
and then click Edit.
3. Click [+] next to the view column in which you want to display the custom
list of network maps.
4. Click [+] next to Network Maps.
5. Check Custom List of Maps, and then click Submit.
6. Click Preview on the Customize Your View page, and then click Edit in the
title bar of the Custom List of Maps resource.
7. If you do not want to use the default title provided, enter a new Title for
the header of the maps list.
8. If you want a subtitle, enter a new Subtitle for the custom list of maps.
Note: Titles and subtitles may be entered as either text or HTML.
9. Check the maps you want to include in your maps list.
10. Click Submit.
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Displaying an Event Summary - Custom Period of Time
Displaying an Event Summary - Custom Period of Time
You may want your web console view to display an event summary for a specified
period of time. The following procedure details the steps to include an event
summary in your web console.
Note: Clicking the resource title in the title bar menu displays the resource by
itself in a browser window.
To display an event summary:
1. Create a new view or edit an existing view.
Note: For more information about creating a new view or editing an existing
view, see “Customizing Views” on page 193.
2. Select the view to include the event summary, and then click Edit.
3. Click [+] next to the view column that will display the event summary.
4. Click [+] next to Events.
5. Check Event Summary – Custom Time Period, and then click Submit.
6. Click Preview on the Customize Your View page.
7. Click Edit in the title bar of the Event Summary resource.
8. If you do not want to use the default title provided, enter a new Title for
the header of the event summary.
Note: Titles may be entered as either text or HTML.
9. Select the time period for displaying events from Display Events for the following Time Period.
10. Click Submit.
Specifying User-Defined Links
The User-Defined Links option may be used to create quick access to external
websites or customized views. URLs of your customized views can be copied
from their preview pages and pasted in a User-Defined Links field. The following
steps enable user-defined links from within your web console.
Note: Clicking the resource title in the title bar menu displays the resource by
itself in a browser window.
To enable a user-defined links resource:
1. Create a new view or edit an existing view.
Note: For more information, see Customizing Views.
2. Select the view to which you want to add the user-defined links resource.
3. Click Edit.
4. Click [+] next to the view column to display the user-defined links resource.
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5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Click [+] next to Miscellaneous
Check User Defined Links.
Click Submit.
Click Preview on the Customize Your View page.
Click Edit in the title bar of the User Defined Links resource.
If you do not want to use the default title provided, enter a new Title for
the links list.
11. If you want a subtitle, enter a new Subtitle for the links list.
Note: Titles and subtitles may be entered as either text or HTML.
12. Enter the following information for each link you want to define:
Create a new view or edit an existing view.
Note: For more information, see Customizing Views.
13. Click Submit.
Specifying Custom HTML or Text
In situations where you have static information that you want to provide in the web
console, use the Custom HTML or Text option. The Custom HTML or Text
option may also be used to create quick access to your customized views. The
following procedure will create a static content area within your web console for
displaying text or HTML content.
Note: Clicking the resource title displays the resource in a new browser window.
To specify custom HTML or text:
1. Create a new view or edit an existing view.
Note: For more information, see Customizing Views.
2. Select the view to include the custom HTML or text.
3. Click Edit.
4. Click [+] next to the column to display the custom HTML or text.
5. Click [+] next to Miscellaneous, and then check Custom HTML or Text.
6. Click Submit.
7. Click Preview on the Customize Your View page.
8. Click Edit in the title bar of the Custom HTML or Text resource.
9. If you do not want to use the default title provided, enter a new Title for
the specified content area.
10. If you want a subtitle, enter a new Subtitle for the specified content area.
Note: Titles and subtitles may be entered as either text or HTML.
11. Enter content as either text or HTML into the Raw HTML field.
12. Click Submit.
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Specifying a SolarWinds Report
Specifying a SolarWinds Report
The web console is able to incorporate reports that you have created in
SolarWinds Report Writer into any view. The following procedure will take a
report that you have created with Report Writer and include it within a web
console view.
Note: Clicking the resource title in the title bar menu displays the resource by
itself in a browser window.
To include a SolarWinds report:
1. Create a new view or edit an existing view.
Note: For more information, see Customizing Views.
2. Select the view to which you want to add the report.
3. Click Edit.
4. Click [+] next to the view column in which you want to display the report.
5. Click [+] next to Report Writer.
6. Check Report from SolarWinds Report Writer.
7. Click Submit.
8. Click Preview on the Customize Your View page.
9. Click Edit in the title bar of the Report from SolarWinds Report Writer
resource.
10. If you do not want to use the default title provided, enter a new Title for
the included report.
11. If you want a subtitle, enter a new Subtitle for the included report.
Note: Titles and subtitles may be entered as either text or HTML.
12. Select a Report to include.
13. If you want to add a filter to the included report, enter an appropriate
query in the Filter Nodes field.
Note: Filter Nodes is an optional, advanced, web console feature that
requires some knowledge of SQL queries. Click [+] next to Show Filter
Examples to view a few example filters.
14. Click Submit.
Displaying a Custom List of Reports
The web console allows you to populate a custom view with a custom reports list.
When clicked from the list, each report opens in a new window. The following
procedure details the steps required to enable a custom list of network reports.
Note: Clicking the resource title displays the resource in a new browser window.
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To display a custom list of reports:
1. Create a new view or edit an existing view. For more information, see Customizing Views.
2. Select the view to which you want to add the custom list of reports, and then
click Edit.
3. Click [+] next to the column to display the custom list of reports.
4. Click [+] next to Report Writer.
5. Check Custom List of Reports, and then click Submit.
6. Click Preview on the Customize Your View page, and then click Edit in the
title bar of the Report from SolarWinds Report Writer resource.
7. If you do not want to use the default title provided, enter a new Title for
the header of the reports list.
8. If you want a subtitle, enter a new Subtitle for the custom list of reports.
Note: Titles and subtitles may be entered as either text or HTML.
9. Check the reports that you want to include in your custom list of reports.
10. Click Submit.
Filtering Nodes
Your SolarWinds Web Console can maintain a customizable node list for your
network. Node lists may be configured for specific views using SQL query filters.
The following steps set up node filtering for node lists included in web console
views.
Note: Clicking the resource title displays the resource in a new browser window.
To enable filtering on a node list:
1. Create a new view or edit an existing view.
Note: For more information, see Customizing Views.
2. Select the view to which you want to add the node list
3. Click Edit.
4. Click [+] next to the view column in which you want to display the node list.
5. Click [+] next to Node Lists.
6. Check All Nodes – Table, and then click Submit.
7. Click Preview on the Customize YourView page, and then
8. Click Edit in the title bar of the All Nodes – Table resource.
9. If you do not want to use the default title provided, enter a new Title for
the node list.
10. If you want a subtitle, enter a new Subtitle for the node list.
Note: Titles and subtitles may be entered as either text or HTML.
11. If you want to filter your node list by text or IP address range,
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Grouping Nodes
12. provide the text or IP address range by which you want to filter your node list
in the Filter Text field, as shown in the following examples:
l Type Home in the Filter Text field to list all nodes with “Home” in the
node name or as a location.
l Type 192.168.1.* in the Filter Text field to list all nodes in the
192.168.1.0-255 IP address range.
13. Select the property that is appropriate to the filter text provided above, as
shown in the following examples:
l If you typed Home in the Filter Text area, select Node Name or
Location to list nodes with “Home” in the node name or as a location.
l If you typed 192.168.1.*in the Filter Text area, select IP Address to
list only nodes in the 192.168.1.0-255 IP address range.
l If you want to apply a SQL filter to the node list, enter an appropriate query in the Filter Nodes (SQL) field.
Notes:
l Filter Nodes (SQL) is an optional, advanced, web console feature that requires some knowledge of SQL queries. Click [+] next
to Show Filter Examples to view a few example filters.
l By default, node list resources are designed to sort nodes alphabetically by node caption. This configuration cannot be overwritten using a SQL filter, so order by clauses included in SQL
filters are redundant and will result in Custom SQL filter formatting errors.
14. Click Submit.
Grouping Nodes
Your SolarWinds Web Console can maintain a customizable node list for your
network. Node lists may be configured for specific views with node grouping. The
following steps set up node grouping for node lists included in web console
views.
Note: Clicking the resource title in the title bar menu displays the resource by
itself in a browser window.
To enable grouping on a node list:
1. Create a new view or edit an existing view.
Note: For more information, see Customizing Views.
2. Select the view to which you want to add the node list, and then click Edit.
3. Click [+] next to the view column in which you want to display the node list.
4. Click [+] next to Node Lists.
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5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Check an appropriate node list, and then click Submit.
Click Preview on the Customize YourView page.
Click Edit in the title bar of the All Nodes – Tree (AJAX) resource.
If you do not want to use the default title provided, enter a new Title for
the node list.
If you want a subtitle, enter a new Subtitle for the node list.
Note: Titles and subtitles may be entered as either text or HTML.
Select up to three criteria, in specified levels, for Grouping Nodes within
your web console view.
If you want to apply a SQL filter to the node list, enter an appropriate
query in the Filter Nodes field.
Notes:
l Filter Nodes (SQL) is an optional, advanced, web console feature
that requires some knowledge of SQL queries. Click [+] next to Show
Filter Examples to view a few example filters.
l By default, node list resources are designed to sort nodes alphabetically by node caption. This configuration cannot be overwritten
using a SQL filter, so order by clauses included in SQL filters are
redundant and will result in Custom SQL filter formatting errors.
Click Submit.
Customizing Web Console Menu Bars
The menu bars displayed at the top of every page may be configured to display
various menu items. You can also define menu items and add them to custom
menu bars. For more information about customizing menu bars for individual
accounts, see “Editing User Accounts” on page 299.
The following procedure customizes a web console menu bar:
To customize web console menu bars:
1. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
2. Click Customize Menu Bars in the Customize grouping of the SolarWinds
Website Administration page.
3. If you want to modify an existing menu, click Edit beneath the menu bar
you want to modify, and then click and drag items between the Available
items list on the left and the Selected items list on the right until the Selected items list includes all the items you want to include in your edited
menu.
Note: Hover over any view title to read a description. Selected items dis-
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To customize web console menu bars:
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
play from left to right in the edited menu bar as they are listed from top to
bottom.
If you want to create a new menu bar, complete the following steps:
a. Click New Menu Bar, and then provide a Name for the New Menu
Bar.
b. Click and drag the buttons you want to include in your new menu bar
from the Available items list on the left to their correct relative locations
in the Selected items list on the right.
Note: Hover over any view title to read a view description. Selected
items display from left to right in the new menu bar as they are listed
from top to bottom.
If you want to add menu items, complete the following steps:
a. Click Edit under the menu bar to which you are adding the new item.
b. Click and drag the items you want to include in your new menu from the
Available items list on the left to their correct relative locations in the
Selected items list on the right.
Notes:
l Hover over any view title to read a view description. Selected
items display from left to right in the new menu bar as they are listed from top to bottom.
l If you check Reports from the Select Menu Items page, you must
also enable reports for the accounts that use the menu bar. For
more information, see “Configuring an Account Report Folder” on
page 307.
If you want to add a custom menu item, complete the following steps:
a. Click Edit under the menu bar to which you are adding the custom item.
b. Click Add.
c. Provide the Name, URL, and Description of your custom menu
item.
d. If you want the menu option to open in a new window, check
Open in a New Window.
e. Click OK.
If you want to delete a menu item, click and drag the item to delete from
the Selected items list on the right to the Available items list on the left.
Warning: Do not delete the Admin option from the Admin menu bar.
If you want to change the location of an item in your menu, click and
drag items to move them up and down in the Selected items list.
If you have finished editing your menu bar, click Submit.
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Changing the Web Console Color Scheme
The overall color scheme of the SolarWinds Web Console may be changed to
any of several color schemes that are viewable by all users, as shown in the
following procedure.
To change the web console color scheme:
1. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
2. Click Color Scheme in the Customize grouping.
3. Select the desired color scheme, and then click Submit.
Changing the Web Console Site Logo
The SolarWinds Web Console can be configured to display your logo instead of
the default SolarWinds banner across the top of every web console page. The
following steps change the default SolarWinds web console banner.
To change the web console banner:
1. Create an appropriately sized graphic to replace the SolarWinds logo.
Notes:
l The SolarWinds banner file is 271x48 pixels at 200 pixels/inch.
l The SolarWinds.com End User License Agreement prohibits the
modification, elimination, or replacement of either the SolarWinds.com logo and link on the menu bar or the SolarWinds copyright
line at the bottom of the page.
2. Place your graphic in the images directory.
Note: By default, it is in C:\Inetpub\SolarWinds\NetPerfMon\.
3. Log in to the web console as an administrator.
4. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
5. Click Web Console Settings in the Settings grouping of the SolarWinds
Website Administration page.
6. Type the new logo image name as a replacement for
SolarWinds.Logo.jpg in the Site Logo URL field.
Configuring the Available Product Updates View
The SolarWinds Web Console can automatically check for the availability of any
updates to your currently installed SolarWinds products. By default, the web
console regularly checks for product updates automatically, as indicated by the
dates and times reported as Last Check and Next Check, but you can click
Check Now at any time to see an up-to-the-minute update. If updates are
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To configure product updates:
available, a note is posted in the web console notification bar and updates are
listed in this view, where you can then select and download them as needed.
Note: For more information about downloading listed product updates, see
Updating your SolarWinds Installation.
To configure product updates:
1. Log in to the web console as an administrator, and then click Settings in the
top right corner of the web console.
2. Click Available Product Updates in the Product Updates grouping.
3. If you want to disable the automatic check for product updates, clear
Check for product updates, and then click Save Settings.
4. If you want to ensure that updates are listed for all currently installed
SolarWinds products, including SolarWinds NPM, SolarWinds SAM,
and all SolarWinds modules, check Show all updates.
5. Click Save Settings.
Updating your SolarWinds Installation
If your Product Updates view is configured to list SolarWinds updates, you can
download them directly from the Product Updates view.
To update your SolarWinds installation:
1. Log in to the web console as an administrator, and then click Settings in the
top right corner of the web console.
2. Click Available Product Updates in the Product Updates grouping.
3. Click Check Now to refresh the updates list.
4. If there are any updates you want to ignore, check the updates to ignore,
and then click Ignore Selected.
5. Check the updates you want to apply, and then click Download Selected.
6. Save and then execute downloaded installers. For more information, see
either the readme.txt file packaged with the downloaded update or review
related documentation available at www.solarwinds.com.
NOC View
SAM offers a Network Operations Center (NOC) view that hides console tools
while automatically rotating through custom views. NOC view mode enables you
to customize views for optimal display on large network operations center
screens. Once you click on an object in NOC view mode, you will be taken out of
NOC view mode and then taken to that object's details page.
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You can quickly turn on the NOC view from the web console by the link provided
in the upper right-hand corner of the web console, as shown:
While in the NOC view you can easily exit and edit the NOC view from the web
console by the menu provided in the upper right-hand corner of the web console,
as shown:
For more information, refer to the following sections:
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l
l
l
l
Enabling NOC
Adding NOC views
Editing NOC views
Disabling NOC views
Adding AppStack to a NOC View
Enabling NOC
NOC view mode enables you to customize web console views for optimal display
on large network operations center screens.
To enable NOC view mode for an existing view:
1. Click Customize Page in the top right of the view for which you want to
enable NOC view mode.
2. Check Enable NOC view mode.
3. Click Done.
Adding NOC views
Adding a NOC view:
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Adding NOC views
1. From the web console, click Customize Page in the upper right-hand
corner.
2. If not already done so, check Enable Left Navigation.
3. Click Add Tab.
4. Add a name for the tab in the field provided, then click Update. The new tab
appears in the column to the left.
5. If not already done so, check Enable NOC view mode.
6. Add the resources you want to each column by clicking the green [+], then
selecting resources from the pop-up dialog, as shown:
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7. When done, click Add Selected Resources.
8. Click Done & Go To NOC to save and view the newly created NOC view.
9. The newly added NOC view appears. The dots correspond to the different
tabs/screens created earlier in Step 3.
Adding AppStack to a NOC View
Viewing the AppStack Environment in a NOC view can only be achieved by first
adding a new NOC view, and then creating and applying an AppStack filter for
this new view. Once complete, the AppStack resource will become part of the
NOC view with the filter already applied.
To add the AppStack Resource to a NOC view, take the following steps:
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Adding AppStack to a NOC View
1. From the web console, click Customize Page in the upper right-hand
corner.
2. If not already done so, check Enable Left Navigation.
3. Click Add Tab.
4. Add a name for the tab in the field provided, then click Update. The new tab
appears in the column to the left.
5. Add the AppStack Environment resource to a column by clicking the
green [+], then selecting AppStack Environment from the pop-up dialog,
as shown:
6. Click Add Selected Resources.
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7. If not already done so, check Enable NOC view mode, then click Done.
8. Navigate to Home > Environment.
9. Filter your AppStack Environment according to you needs. When done,
click Apply Filter.
10. Save the Layout as AppStack Environment, which was added in Step 5.
11. View the NOC by navigating to Home > Show in NOC Mode.
For more information, see NOC View.
Editing NOC views
To Edit a NOC view:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > Created NOC Views, as
shown:
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Disabling NOC views
2. Check the view you want to edit, and then click Edit.
3. Make your changes, and then click Done & Go to NOC.
Disabling NOC views
To Disable a NOC view:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > Created NOC Views, as
shown:
2. Check the view you want to edit, and then click Disable NOC.
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3. Confirm the dialog to have your view removed from the list.
Customizing Charts in the SolarWinds Web Console
Clicking any chart opens the Custom Chart view in a new window, displaying the
selected chart with additional chart customization options. For more information
about the Custom Chart view, see “Custom Chart View”.
You can also configure any custom chart resource in the SolarWinds Web
Console directly from the resource title bar either by selecting from the drop down
menu of options or by clicking Edit to display the Edit Chart Title view, as
described in the following sections.
Chart Information:
l
l
If SAM is upgraded to version 6.0 or higher, legacy charts already assigned
to views will be upgraded.
Charts from earlier versions of SAM will be renamed to have the prefix
"Legacy" and must be added manually.
Custom Chart Resource Title Bar Options
The title bar menu of the custom chart resource provides the following options for
viewing chart data:
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View chart data over the Last 7 Days or over the Last 30 Days
Select Edit Chart to view and modify chart settings.
Note: This is the same as clicking Edit in the title bar.
View Chart Data as an HTML format document
View Chart Data in Excel to see chart data in an Excel™-compatible format
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Edit Chart Title View
Edit Chart Title View
Click Edit in the title bar of a custom chart resource to display the Edit Chart Title
view. This view provides the following options to configure your chart resource:
Select a Chart allows you to change the chart type displayed in the current
resource. Chart options are determined in accordance with the type of view
displaying the resource you are currently editing. For more information about
available node charts, see “Custom Node Charts” on page 247. For more
information about available volume charts, see “Custom Volume Charts”.
The Time Period for the selected chart may be any of the following:
Last Hour
Last 2 Hours
Last 24 Hours Today
Yesterday
Last 7 Days
This Month
Last 30 Days Last 3 Months This Year
Last Month
Last 12 Months
The Sample Interval for the selected chart may be any of the following:
Every Minute
Every 5 Minutes Every 10 Minutes Every 15 Minutes
Every 30 Minutes Every Hour
Every 2 Hours
Every 12 Hours
Every 7 Days
One a Day
Every 6 Hours
Notes:
l Each sample interval is represented on a chart by a single point or bar. Data
within a selected sample interval is summarized automatically.
l Due to limits of memory allocation, some combinations of time periods and
sample intervals require too many system resources to display, due to the
large number of polled data points. As a result, charts may not display if the
time period is too long or if the sample interval is too small.
The Trend Line option allows you to enable the trend line feature of SolarWinds
SAM charts. By enabling trend lines on SolarWinds SAM charts, you can see
potential future results as they are extrapolated from collected historical data.
Note: Due to the broad array of factors that can affect the performance of devices
on your network, trend lines provided on SolarWinds SAM charts are intended as
approximate predictions of future data only. For more information, see "95th
Percentile Calculations" on page 1248.
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Exporting Views to PDF
Many views in the SolarWinds Web Console may be exported directly to portable
document format (.pdf). Views that may be exported display Export to PDF in the
top right corner of the exportable view.
Note: The Export to PDF feature requires IIS Anonymous Access. Confirm that
the IUSR_SERVERNAME user is in the local Users group on your SolarWinds
server.
To export a view to PDF:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Open the web console view to export.
Click Export to PDF in the top right corner of the view.
If you are prompted to save the .pdf file, click Save.
Navigate to an appropriate location, provide an appropriate file name, and
then click Save.
Creating a Custom Summary View
The SolarWinds Custom Summary View enables you to create a fully customized
object-based view composed solely of resources you have selected. The
following procedure creates a custom summary view in the web console.
To create or edit a custom summary view in the web console:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click Home > Custom Summary.
Click Edit in any Custom Object Resource.
Provide a Title and Subtitle for the selected Custom Object Resource.
Click Select SolarWinds Object.
On the Select a network object window, use the Show only and Group by
selection fields, as appropriate, to filter the list of monitored objects.
6. Select the SolarWinds object on which you want to base the selected Custom Object resource, and then click Select SolarWinds object.
7. Select the type of information you want the custom resource to display
about the selected object, and then customize the resource, as indicated in
the following steps:
a. If you have selected an alerts resource, indicate whether or not you
want to display acknowledged alerts by checking or clearing Show
Acknowledged Alerts, as appropriate.
b. If you have selected a resource to which SQL filters may be
applied, edit available SQL filters as appropriate. For more information,
see “Using Node Filters” on page 228.
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Creating and Editing External Website Views
c. If you have selected a resource with an AutoHide option, select
Yes or No to enable or to disable the Auto-Hide feature, respectively. If
enabled, the resource is automatically hidden if and when related data
is not present in the Orion database.
d. If you have selected a sortable list resource, in the Sort By field select
the property by which you want the list sorted.
e. If you have selected a gaugestyle resource, select a gauge Style
and provide a Gauge Size.
f. If you have selected a chartstyle resource, select an appropriate
Time Period and Sample Interval, and then indicate whether or not
you want to show a Trend Line.
g. If you have selected a Universal Device Poller resource, select the
Universal Device Poller and Chart Format, and then configure all
other options as required for similar resource types.
8. Click Submit.
Note: For more information about customizing available resource types,
click Help in the header of any resource on the Custom Summary view,
and then click the corresponding resource type.
Creating and Editing External Website Views
With the external website view feature, any SolarWinds SAM administrator can
select any external website and designate it as a SolarWinds Web Console view,
as shown in the following procedure.
To create or edit an external website view in the web console:
1. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
2. Click External Websites in the Customize grouping of the SolarWinds
Website Administration page.
3. If you want to delete an existing external website, click Delete next to
the website you want to delete, and then click OK to confirm the deletion.
4. If you want to add a new external website, click Add.
5. If you want to edit an existing external website, click Edit next to the
name of the website you want to edit.
6. Provide a Menu Title for the external website to display in the Views toolbar.
7. If you want to include a heading within the view, provide an optional
Page Title to display within the view.
8. Provide the URL of the external website, in http://domain_name format.
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9. Select the Menu Bar to which you want to add the new external website
link.
Note: For more information about customizing menu bars, see “Customizing Web Console Menu Bars” on page 206.
10. Click OK.
11. Click Preview to view the external website as the web console will display
it.
Custom Object Resources in the SolarWinds Web
Console
The SolarWinds Web Console provides a Custom Object resource that enables
you to configure any of a wide array of resources to display performance data for
any specific monitored objects. The following sections provide more information
about editing a Custom Object resource, selecting monitored objects, and
configuring the data displayed in a Custom Object resource:
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Editing a Custom Object Resource
Selecting Custom Objects and Resources
Available Custom Resources
Editing a Custom Object Resource
The following procedure edits a Custom Object resource.
To edit a Custom Object resource:
1. Click Edit in the header of a Custom Object resource.
2. Edit the resource Title and Subtitle as appropriate.
3. Click Select SolarWinds Object to select an appropriate monitored object.
For more information, see “Selecting Custom Objects and Resources.”
4. If you have completed your edits, click Submit.
Selecting Custom Objects and Resources
The following procedure selects a network object for a selected Custom Object
resource.
To select a custom monitored object for a Custom Object resource:
1. Click Edit in the header of a Custom Object resource.
2. Click Select SolarWinds Object.
3. In the Show only: field, select the type of object you want to monitor in the
Custom Object resource.
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Available Custom Resources
4. In the Group by: field, select an appropriate object grouping criterion.
Note: Defined custom properties are listed for all grouping types.
5. Click the object to monitor in the list on the left, and then select it in the
main pane grouping criterion.
6. Click Select SolarWinds Object.
7. Select the desired resource type in the Select object resource field, and
then configure options as required. For more information about available
resources, see “Available Custom Resources.”
Available Custom Resources
A Custom Object resource may be configured to provide the same data as any of
a number of SolarWinds Web Console resources for a selected network object:
Notes:
l Resource availability is dependent on the SolarWinds products installed.
l For more information about any available custom resource, click Help in
the resource title to view the corresponding help topic.
Integrating SolarWinds Engineer’s Toolset
When you are browsing the SolarWinds Web Console from a computer that
already has a SolarWinds Toolset installed, SolarWinds SAM allows you to
launch Toolset tools directly from your web browser. Right-clicking any monitored
object listed in a SolarWinds Web Console running the Toolset Integration
displays a menu of available Toolset tools and functions. The following sections
detail the configuration of the available Toolset integration.
Note: For more information about the SolarWinds Engineer’s Toolset tools, see
www.solarwinds.com.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
l
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Configuring a Toolset Integration
Adding Programs to a Toolset Integration Menu
Configuring a Toolset Integration
The following procedure configures SolarWinds Toolset for integration within the
SolarWinds Web Console.
Note: The first time the Toolset tools are accessed, a security warning may be
displayed. Click Yes to allow the Toolset integration.
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To configure SolarWinds Toolset integration settings:
1. Right-click any monitored object displayed within the SolarWinds Web
Console.
2. Click Settings.
3. Click SNMP Community String.
Note: The first time you launch a tool requiring an SNMP community string
from the right-click menu, the SNMP Community String window displays.
4. If you want to delete any or all saved community strings, select the
strings that you want to delete, and then click Remove, or click Remove
All.
5. Click Menu Options, and then configure the right-click menu as follows:
a. If you want either to add menu items to the right-click menu or to
remove menu items from the right-click menu, move menu items
between the list of Available Menu Options on the left and Selected
Menu Options on the right by selecting items in either column and clicking the right and left arrows, as appropriate.
b. If you want to change the order of menu items, select items and then
click the up and down arrows next to the Selected Menu Options list.
c. If you want to add a separator between items, move the -----------menu option from the Available list to the Selected list, and then move
it to your preferred location within the Selected Menu Options list.
6. Click Automatic Menu Items.
7. Check either or both, if available, of the following options:
Automatically add sub-menu items to the “MIB Browser (Query MIB)”
menu option from the MIB Brower’s Bookmarks.Automatically add
sub-menu items to the “Real Time Interface Monitor” menu option
from the Real Time Interface Monitor saved report types.
Note: These options expand the list of available menu items by incorporating menu links to MIB browser bookmarks and Real Time Interface
Monitor saved reports, respectively.
Adding Programs to a Toolset Integration Menu
The following procedure provides the steps required to add any external scripts or
applications to the SolarWinds Toolset integration menu.
To add a program to the SolarWinds Toolset Integration menu:
1. If you want to add an external script to the Toolset Integration menu,
save the script in an appropriate location on the install volume of your
SolarWinds server (e.g. <InstallVolume>:\\Scripts\).
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Web Console Configuration
2. If you want to add an external application to the Toolset Integration
menu, install the application in an appropriate location on the install
volume of your SolarWinds server (e.g. <InstallVolume>:\\Application\).
3. Open SWToolset.MenuOptions, the Toolset Integration menu configuration file, in a text editor.
Note: By default, SWToolset.MenuOptions is located in the following
folder: <InstallVolume>:\\Program Files\SolarWinds\Common\.
4. Save a copy of SWToolset.MenuOptions as SWToolset_Old.MenuOptions.
5. Add the following line between the <MenuOptions></MenuOptions> tags
of the SWToolset.MenuOptions file:
<MenuOption Visible="TRUE" Title="ApplicationName" BeginGroupp="FALSE" HasSubMenu="FALSE" ExecStringg="<InstallVolume>:\\Application\ExecutableFile" Icon="" Extra=""
Parent="" Required="4"/>
Note: The string supplied for Title is the name for the added script or
application that will display in the menu. The string supplied for the
ExecString is the path to the script or application executable file.
6. Save the new SWToolset.MenuOptions to automatically update the Toolset Integration menu.
Web Console Configuration
SolarWinds SAM has the ability to create, restore and clear your web console
configuration
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Creating a Web Console Configuration Backup
Restoring a Web Console Configuration Backup
Creating a Web Console Configuration Backup
The following procedure uses the SolarWinds Web Configuration
Backup/Restore utility to create a backup of your SolarWinds Web Console
configuration.
Note: The SolarWinds Web Configuration Backup/Restore utility does not create
a backup of the Orion database. As a result, configuration backups do not retain
any of the network device data or statistics for any monitored network objects.
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To create a SolarWinds Web Console configuration backup:
1. Locate and run the OrionWebBackup.exe utility, typically located at C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion.
2. Click Create Backup.
3. Name your backup and click Save.
Restoring a Web Console Configuration Backup
The following procedure uses the SolarWinds Web Configuration
Backup/Restore utility to restore a saved backup of your SolarWinds Web
Console configuration.
Warning: Do not restore web console configurations from any version of
SolarWinds SAM prior to the version currently installed.
To restore a SolarWinds Web Console configuration backup:
1. Locate and run the OrionWebBackup.exe utility, typically located at C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion.
2. Select a Backup file from the list.
3. Choose either Merge or Overwrite for the restoration process.
4. Click Restore Backup.
Clearing a Web Console Configuration
The following procedure clears an existing SolarWinds Web Console
configuration.
Warning: Clearing a web console configuration deletes all existing user
accounts, account and view settings, and menu bar customizations. SolarWinds
recommends you create a backup of your current SolarWinds Web Console
configuration before you clear it to confirm that no issues arise as a result of the
deletion of your web console customizations.
To clear your SolarWinds Web Console configuration:
1. Locate and run the OrionWebBackup.exe utility, typically located at C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion.
2. Click File > Clear Web Configuration.
3. Click Yes to confirm the deletion of your current web console configuration.
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Logging in for the First Time as an Administrator
Logging in for the First Time as an Administrator
When you launch the SolarWinds Web Console, you are presented with a login
view requiring both a User Name and a Password.
To log in to the SolarWinds Web Console:
1. Launch the SolarWinds Web Console
l Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Orion Web Console.
l Or launch a browser on your SolarWinds server and enter http://ip_
address or http://hostname, where ip_address is the IP address of
your SolarWinds host server, or where hostname is the domain name
of your SolarWinds server.
2. Enter Admin as your User Name, and then click Login.
Notes: Until you set a password, you can log in as Admin with no Password. After your first login, you may want to change the Admin password.
For more information, see Changing an Account Password.
Windows Authentication with Active Directory
As of SolarWinds Core version 2010.2, the SolarWinds Web Console can
authenticate Active Directory users and users who are members of Active
Directory security groups.
To enable Active Directory Windows authentication to the web console:
1. Install and configure Active Directory on your local network.
Notes:
l For more information about installing Active Directory on Windows
Server 2003, see the Microsoft Support article, “How To Create an
Active Directory Server in Windows Server 2003.”
l For more information about Active Directory on Windows Server
2008, see the Microsoft TechNet article, “Active Directory Services.”
2. If you want to enable automatic login for web console accounts using Windows Authentication, configure the SolarWinds Web Console as shown in
the following steps:
a. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Configuration and
Auto-Discovery > Configuration Wizard.
b. Check Website, and then click Next.
c. After providing the appropriate IP Address, Port, and Website Root
Directory, select Yes – Enable automatic login using Windows
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Authentication.
d. Click Next, and then complete the Configuration Wizard.
3. Log in to the web console using the appropriate domain and user, providing Domain\Username or [email protected] as the web console User
name.
Using the Web Console Notification Bar
Below the web console menu bar, the SolarWinds notification bar provides
informational messages related to the following SolarWinds SAM features:
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If you have configured the SolarWinds Web Console to check for product
updates, an announcement displays in the notification bar when an update,
including any upgrade, service pack, or hotfix, to SolarWinds SAM or any
other SolarWinds modules you currently have installed becomes available.
For more information about SolarWinds Product Updates, see Product
Updates.
If you have configured the SolarWinds Web Console to store blog posts,
new and unread posts to the SolarWinds Product Team Blog are
announced in the notification bar. For more information about SolarWinds
Product Updates, see Product Updates.
If you have currently configured a scheduled discovery, results display in
the notification bar when the discovery completes. For more information
about Scheduled Discovery, see “Discovery Central."
If you are currently using SolarWinds SAM to monitor any VMware ESX or
ESXi Servers, the notification bar can display messages communicating the
number of ESX nodes found during any discovery, and, if any discovered
ESX nodes require credentials, the notification bar tells you. For more
information about managing ESX Servers, see Virtualization.
For more information about any displayed notification bar message, click
More Details and a web console view relevant to the displayed message
opens.
To delete a posted message, either click Dismiss Message next to the displayed message, or properly address the situation mentioned in the posted
notification.
To remove the notification bar from your web console, click Close (X) at the
right end of the notification bar.
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Using the SolarWinds Web Console Message Center
Using the SolarWinds Web Console Message
Center
The Message Center provides a single, customizable view in the web console
where, in a single table, you can review all events, alerts, traps and Syslog
messages on your network.
To view and configure the Message Center:
1. Click Home > Message Center.
2. If you only want to see messages for specific devices, select appropriate device properties in the Filter Devices area.
3. In the Filter Messages area, select the Time period for the messages you
want to review, and then provide the number of messages you want to
show.
4. If you want to show all messages, Including messages that have been
acknowledged, check Show acknowledged in the Filter Messages area.
5. If you only want to see certain types of messages, filter messages as
shown in the following steps:
a. If you want to view alerts, confirm that Show triggered alerts is
checked, and then select the type of alerts to display.
b. If you want to view event messages, confirm that Show event messages is checked, and then select the type of events to display.
c. If you want to view Syslog messages, confirm that Show syslog
messages is checked, and then select the Severity and Facility of the
Syslog messages you want to display.
d. If you want to view received traps, confirm that Show received traps
is checked, and then select the Trap type and Community String of
the traps you want to display.
e. If you want to view Audit Events, confirm that Show Audit Events is
checked, and then select the Action Type of the User you want to display.
6. Click Refresh to update the list of displayed messages.
Suppressing Events
There is no option within SAM to suppress event types from the web console;
however, suppression can be accomplished by modifying the database directly.
You can suppress specific events based on the event type. In order to do this,
refer to the following screenshot and steps:
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Suppressing Events:
1. Open Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.
2. Modify the dbo.Event types table.
3. Change the number in the Record column from 1 to 0 to suppress a specific
event.
Note: SAM supports event suppression for every SAM event type (event
types from 500 to 532):
Using Node Filters
When you are managing or monitoring large numbers of network devices, node
list resources can easily become very large and difficult to navigate. Filters are
optional SQL queries that are used to limit node list displays for easier resource
navigation. SQL queries can be made on any predefined or custom properties.
For more information about defining custom properties, see “Creating a Custom
Property".
To apply a node filter:
1. Click Edit in any node list resource.
2. Provide an appropriate SQL query in the Filter Nodes (SQL) field, and then
click Submit.
The following are a few example filters with associated SQL queries.
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Accessing Nodes Using HTTP, SSH, and Telnet
Note: By default, node list resources are designed to sort nodes alphabetically by
node caption. This configuration cannot be overwritten using a SQL filter, so order
by clauses included in SQL filters are redundant and will result in Custom SQL
filter formatting errors.
Filter the results to only show nodes that are not Up:
Status<>1
The following are valid status levels:
0 = Unknown (current up/down status of the node is unknown)
1 = Up (The node is responding to PINGs)
2 = Down (The node is not responding)
3 = Warning (The node may be responding, but the connection from the server to
the Node is dropping packets)
Only show Cisco devices: Vendor = 'Cisco'
Only show devices in Atlanta. (using a custom property named City):
City = 'Atlanta'
Only show devices beginning with "AX3-": Caption Like 'AX3-*'
Only show Nortel devices that are Down:
Vendor Like 'Nortel*' AND Status=2
Only show devices ending in '-TX': Vendor Like '*-TX'
Accessing Nodes Using HTTP, SSH, and Telnet
The SolarWinds Web Console supports the use of HTTP, SSH, and Telnet
protocols for remote device access if associated applications like PuTTy and
FiSSH on your SolarWinds server are properly registered. For more information,
see the MSDN article, “Registering an Application to a URL Protocol.” Launch
remote access applications from any Details view as follows:
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To open a secure shell (SSH) to a monitored device, click .
To open a Telnet session with a monitored device, click .
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Using Integrated Remote Desktop
Sometimes it is necessary to console into a remote server to troubleshoot an
issue. This can be accomplished within the SolarWinds Web Console as follows:
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Note: Press Ctrl+Alt+Break to enter/exit full screen mode.
To launch Integrated Remote Desktop:
1. Open the Node Details view for the server you want to view remotely.
Note: The easiest way to open the Node Details view is to click the remote
server you want to view in any All Nodes resource.
2. Click , located at the of the Node Details view.
Note: Depending on the security settings of your browser, you may be
asked to install an ActiveX control for remote desktop viewing. Follow all
prompts to install this required control.
3. Verify the Server IP address or hostname, select an appropriate Screen
Size, and then click Connect.
Using Audit Events
SAM offers the ability to audit itself. For example, you may want to know who
added a node to SAM and when. The Last XX Audit Events resource provides
this ability.
Note: This resource is only available for users with administrative rights.
The fields for this view are:
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User: Displays the user who performed the event.
Action: Displays the action that was taken by the listed user.
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Adding the Audit Events resource:
From this view, you can click on either the user or the node which is linked to
more information about that particular item. Clicking All Audit Events will allow
you to select the audit events you want displayed, in addition to other selfexplanatory options.
Adding the Audit Events resource:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click Customize Page in the top right corner of the web console.
Click the [+] in either column.
Search for "Audit."
Select the resource you want, and then click Add Selected Resources.
Click Done.
For more information, see Filtering Audit Events.
Filtering Audit Events
SAM allows you to filter Audit Events based on device, time, and message.
To Filter Audit Events:
1. Click All Audit Events.
2. Select the filters you want to apply by checking the appropriate boxes and
items from the drop down menus, as highlighted below.
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3. Click Apply.
Complete SAM Audit Event List:
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All action types
User login
User logout
User account added
User account deleted
Alert acknowledged
Alert note changed
View added
View deleted
View edited
Custom property added
Custom property deleted
Custom property edited
List resources added
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Editing Audit Events:
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List resources deleted
List resources edited
Orion settings edited
Orion web settings edited
Group added
Group deleted
Group edited
Group member definition added
Group member definition deleted
Group member definition changed
Node added
Node deleted
Node managed
Node unmanaged
Node polling engine changed
Node edited
Interface added
Interface deleted
Interface managed
Interface unmanaged
Process terminated
Service state changed
Node rebooted
Application added
Application deleted
Application modified
Application managed
Application unmanaged
Application template added
Application template deleted
Application template modified
Credentials added
Credentials deleted
Credentials modified
Editing Audit Events:
Clicking Edit will allow you to choose what audit events you want displayed in
addition to selecting the time period for the events, as well as the number of
events to display.
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1. Click Edit.
2. Check the events you want to be displayed in the resource.
3. Click Submit.
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Chapter 5:
SolarWinds SAM Charts and
Resources
Following is a list of the available charts within SAM:
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Application Availability Chart
Custom Area Chart
Custom Bar Chart
Custom Chart View
Custom Line Chart
Custom Node Charts
Custom Volume Charts
Custom Table
Custom Query Resource
Event Log Message Details
Min/Max Average Chart
Multiple Object Chart
Multiple Statistic Chart
Multi Chart
Application Availability Chart
This chart lets you visualize the amount of time an application was in a particular
state of availability. This chart is interactive. Hovering over any part of the chart
will provide detailed information.
The tooltip indicates the number of times the application was in a certain state.
For example, in the previous illustration, an application was polled 12 times in
one hour (every five minutes) and was deemed available (up) 10 times, in a
Critical state once, and in a Warning state once.
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Chapter 5: SolarWinds SAM Charts and Resources
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons; 1 hour, 12 hours, or 24 hours. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a
small area of the chart, or by adjusting the sliders in the smaller chart below the
main chart.
Once you have a time period selected, the lower chart will zoom to the starting
and ending values of the selected time period. With the lower chart you can zoom
in further by fine tuning the view with the sliders. The main view of the chart will
display the selected time period between the two sliders of the lower chart.
Note: The Export button will open the Custom Chart allowing you to export this
data to both MS Excel and HTML.
Custom Chart
The Custom Chart resource allows you to easily view data based on your needs.
To customize it, simply click Edit in the upper right-hand corner of the resource.
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Custom Chart
From the Edit page, you can define the titles, datasource, time period, labels,
units displayed, the type of chart to be used, and an optional sum of the data.
To customize your chart:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
After adding this resource to a page, click Edit.
Enter a Title and optional Subtitle.
Select a datasource by clicking, Select Datasource.
Select a time period for the data from the Time Period drop down list.
Enter a label for the left Y axis.
Select the units to be displayed from the Units Displayed drop down list.
Select the type of chart to be displayed from the Chart Type drop down list.
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8. Optionally choose to display the sum of the data by checking, Show the
sum of all data.
9. Clicking More will allow you to customize further by optionally changing the
Display Name, Color, showing the 95th percentile, and trend line.
10. Optionally repeat Steps 5 - 9 for the Y axis on the right side of the chart.
11. Select a Sample Interval from the drop down list.
12. Optionally filter the results from the options provided.
13. When done, click Submit.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
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Custom Area Chart
Custom Area Chart
The Custom Area Chart resource allows you to easily view data as shown in
percentage format. To customize it, simply click Edit in the upper right-hand
corner of the resource.
Use the check box in the legend as a toggle to show/hide data on the chart.
Clicking Export will allow you to export the data to either an HTML or Excel file.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Custom Bar Chart
The Custom Bar Chart resource allows you to easily view data as shown in
percentage format. To customize it, simply click Edit in the upper right-hand
corner of the resource.
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Use the check box in the legend as a toggle to show/hide data on the chart.
Clicking Export will allow you to export the data to either an HTML or Excel file.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Component Availability Chart
The Component Availability Chart is a straightforward bar chart that provides a
visual representation of the percentage of availability of a selected component.
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Component Availability Chart
Clicking the Edit button will provide a menu of components to choose from to
have represented on the chart, as the following illustration depicts:
Note: This option is only available on the Application Details page and not the
Component Details page. Clicking the chart itself, as opposed to the Edit button,
will bring up additional, self-explanatory options.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons; 1 hour, 12 hours, or 24 hours. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a
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small area of the chart, or by adjusting the sliders in the smaller chart below the
main chart.
Once you have a time period selected, the lower chart will zoom to the starting
and ending values of the selected time period. With the lower chart you can zoom
in further by fine tuning the view with the sliders. The main view of the chart will
display the selected time period between the two sliders of the lower chart.
Note: The Export button will allow you to export this data to both MS Excel and
HTML.
Custom Chart View
Charts in the SolarWinds Web Console are easily customizable. Clicking a chart
opens the Custom Chart view in a new window. The following sections describe
options that are available on the Custom Chart page to modify the presentation of
a selected chart.
Note: Click Refresh at any time to review changes you have made.
Printing Options
To print your customized chart, click Printable Version and a
printable version of your customized chart displays in the browser.
Chart Titles
Chart Titles are displayed at the top center of a generated chart. The
Chart Titles area allows you to modify the Title and Subtitles of your
generated chart.
Note: SolarWinds may provide default chart titles and subtitles. If you
edit any of the Chart Titles fields on the Custom Chart page, you can
restore the default titles and subtitles by clearing the respective fields,
and then clicking Submit.
Time Period
Predefined and custom time periods are available for generated
charts. You may designate the time period for a chart by either of the
following methods:
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Select a predefined period from the Select a Time Period:
menu.
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Sample Interval
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Provide custom Beginning and Ending Dates/Times in the
appropriate fields in the Time Period area.
Sample Interval
The sample interval dictates the precision of a given chart. A single
point or bar is plotted for each sample interval. If a sample interval
spans multiple polls, data is automatically summarized and plotted as
a single point or bar on the chart.
Note: Due to limits of memory allocation and the large number of
polled data points, some combinations of time periods and sample
intervals may require too many system resources to display. As a
result, charts may not display if the time period is too long or if the
sample interval is too small.
Chart Size
Chart Size options configure the width and height, in pixels, of the
chart. You can maintain the same width/height aspect ratio, or scale
the chart in size, by entering a width in the Width field and then
entering 0 for the Height.
Font Size
Font sizes for generated charts are variable. The Font Size option
allows you to select a Small, Medium, or Large size font for your chart
labels and text.
Note: Font Size selections are maintained in the printable version of
your chart.
Data Export Options
The Display Data from Chart area provides the following options to
export chart data as either Excel-compatible Raw Data or as
HTML-formatted Chart Data:
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Data, and then follow the prompts, if provided, to open or save
the resulting raw data file.
To view HTML-formatted chart data in a new browser, click
Chart Data.
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Custom Line Chart
The Custom Line Chart resource allows you to easily view data as shown in
percentage format. To customize it, simply click Edit in the upper right-hand
corner of the resource.
Use the check box in the legend as a toggle to show/hide data on the chart.
Clicking Export will allow you to export the data to either an HTML or Excel file.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Custom Query Resource
The Custom Query resource allows you to create a custom resource based on a
SolarWinds Query Language (SWQL) query. The query provided in this resource
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Custom Table
is run against your SolarWinds database, and the results are displayed in an
appropriate grid.
Clicking Edit allows you to configure your Custom Query resource, as indicated
in the following procedure.
To configure a Custom Query resource:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Edit in the Custom Query resource.
Provide an appropriate Title.
Provide an appropriate Subtitle.
Enter your custom SWQL query in the Custom SWQL Query field.
Notes:
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"Using SWQL (Semantic Web Query Language)".
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Do not end your custom SWQL query with a comment. Closing your
query with a comment may comment out required query clauses that
are automatically appended to your custom query to ensure full
resource functionality in the web console.
5. Designate the Number of Rows Per Page in the resource.
Note: If your query returns a large number of objects, you can decrease the
load on your SolarWinds server by breaking your results into pages. This
setting indicates the number of objects the web console should display in
the resource at any given time.
6. Click Submit.
Custom Table
The Custom Table resource allows you to easily view data that can be
customized to suit your needs. To customize it, simply click Edit in the upper
right-hand corner of the resource.
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Editing the Custom Table resource:
Once in Edit mode, You can select and adjust the following options for this
resource:
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Title and subtitle: Used to change the labels of the Title and Subtitle.
Datasource: This will allow you to create queries and add conditions.
When you add a condition, you will be given the option to add a field or use
pre-existing fields. Your choices will be reflected in the Custom Table
resource once it has been updated.
Time Period: Select the time period for data to be displayed in the resource.
Table Layout: Once a Datasource is selected, you can add columns and
then arrange them by dragging them into position. Clicking [X] will delete
the column from view.
Sort Results: Allows you to choose how the data will be sorted and displayed.
Group Results: Allows you to choose how the data will be grouped.
Filter Results: Allows you to choose how many records will be displayed
based on either a set number or a percentage.
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Custom Node Charts
Custom Node Charts
The following node-related charts, grouped by type, are available as resources
within the SolarWinds Web Console. To add any of these charts to a web console
view dealing with monitored nodes, add the Custom Node Chart resource to the
Node Details view. For more information about adding resources to SolarWinds
Web Console views, see “Customizing Views” on page 193.
Availability
The following charts are available to display node availability information over
custom time periods for nodes monitored by SolarWinds.
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Availability – Autoscale
Availability and Response Time
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Chapter 5: SolarWinds SAM Charts and Resources
CPU Load
The following charts display CPU loading information over specified periods of
time for nodes monitored by SolarWinds.
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Min/Max/Average CPU Load
Memory Usage
The following charts present memory usage information over custom time periods
for nodes monitored by SolarWinds.
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Memory/Buffer Failures
Min/Max/Average Memory Usage
Percent Memory Used
Packet Loss and Response Time
The following charts are available to display historical statistics about packet loss
and response time for nodes monitored by SolarWinds.
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Average Response Time
Average Response Time and Packet Loss
Min/Max/Average Response Time
Min/Max/Average Response Time and Packet Loss
Percent Loss – Bar Chart
Percent Loss – Line Chart
Custom Volume Charts
The following volume-related charts, grouped by type, are available as resources
within the SolarWinds Web Console. To add any of these charts to a web console
view dealing with monitored volumes, add the Custom Volume Chart resource to
the Volume Details view. For more information about adding resources to
SolarWinds Web Console views, see “Customizing Views” on page 193.
Allocation Failures
Shows the number of disk allocation failures that have occurred on the
selected volume.
Min/Max/Average Disk Usage
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Event Log Message Details
Shows both the total disk space available and the average amount of disk
space used on the selected volume. Bars are also included to show
minimum and maximum levels of disk usage.
Percent Disk Usage
Shows the total available disk space and the average amount of disk space
used, as a percentage of the total available, on the selected volume.
Volume Size
Shows the total disk space available on the selected volume.
Event Log Message Details
The Event Log Message Details resource allows you to read each message of
the event log in its entirety. This resource is found on the Component Details
page and can return the following information:
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Event type / Level (Error, Warning, Information, and so on).
Event code / Event ID
Log file (Application, Security, and so on).
Time generated
Computer name
User
Message
Paging controls are located at the bottom of the resource, allowing you to
navigate through all data available for this resource. Respectively, the controls
are: Fist Page, Previous Page, Page Number, Next Page, and Last Page.
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Clicking on Show More will expand the resource to fill a separate screen.
Clicking on any message in this resource will bring up the entire message that
was created in the event log, as shown below:
Alerts with this resource can be used with the complete message text of events.
For more information see, " Other Syslog Variables" on page 1179.
This collection of detailed data is enabled by default. To disable this, navigate to
the event log monitor component, as shown below:
Min/Max Average Chart
The Min/Max Average Chart has been updated from previous releases to show
more information and provide more flexibility. These charts can be found by
navigating to the Component Details page or the Application Details page.
Adding the Chart:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Navigate to the Component Details page or the Application Details page.
Click Customize Page in the top right corner of the web console.
Click the [+] in either column.
Select a category to group items by from the Group by drop down menu:
Note: The Classic category reflects the tree views found in previous versions of SAM for this resource.
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5. Select the charts you want, and then click Add Selected Resources.
6. Click Done.
Customizing the Chart
This chart can be customized to view the following data by clicking the Edit button
at the top-right of the chart. The available data to this chart are as follows:
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Physical Memory
Virtual Memory
Response Time
Statistic Data
Clicking Edit also reveals several self-explanatory options. Clicking Export will
allow you to export the data to both Excel and HTML formats.
This resource is made up of three sections: the toolbar, the main chart, and the
lower chart. This allows you to visualize the selected data by viewing the
minimums, maximums, and averages of the data for a selected time period.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons; 1 Day, 1 Week, or 1 Month, as highlighted in
the above illustration. Alternatively, you can have the chart show a specific date
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range by dragging the mouse over a small area of the chart, or by typing in
specific dates in the From and To fields, also highlighted.
Once you have a time period selected, the lower chart will zoom to the starting
and ending values of the selected time period. With the lower chart you can zoom
in further by fine tuning the view with the sliders, highlighted above. The main
view of the chart will display the selected time period between the two sliders of
the lower chart.
Moving the mouse over the main chart will reveal a tooltip with more detailed
information about the specific time period the mouse is hovering over.
By default, all statistics are shown in the main chart. You can add or remove any
statistic from the chart by checking and unchecking any statistic from the legend
at the lower left of the resource.
Multiple Object Chart
The Multiple Object Chart resource allows you to simultaneously view data for
multiple objects on the same chart. Objects may be on the same node or on
different nodes.
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Clicking Edit allows you to configure the characteristics of a selected multiple
Clicking Edit allows you to configure the characteristics of a selected multiple objects chart:
To add the Multiple Object Chart to your home page:
1.
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4.
Click the Home tab to get to the Summary view.
Click Customize Page on the top right of the page.
Click the green [+] to the right of where you want to add this chart.
From Add Resources to SolarWinds Home Summary page, select and
expand Multiple Series Charts.
5. Check Multiple Object Chart, and then click Submit, and then click Done.
To configure the Multiple Object Chart:
1. Once the chart is on your Home Summary page, click Edit at the top right
of the chart.
2. From this page, you can have multiple options to choose from, including:
i. Title: This allows you to change the title of your chart.
ii. Subtitle: This allows you to add a subtitle to your chart.
iii. Choose Objects: This allows you to choose the type of objects to display from the drop down menu provided. You can remove an object
from the list by clicking the red X to its right.
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iv. Select a Chart: This allows you to chart various aspects of what you
intend to monitor.
v. Choose Objects: Click the Select SolarWinds Object button to choose
which objects you want charted based on your selection in step iii.
vi. Limit Series: Checking this box and setting the number of series will
limit the number of items displayed on the chart to the specified amount.
vii. Show Sum in Data Series: This allows you to chart the total of the other
objects graphed and is represented by its own plot line.
viii. Time Period: This allows you to set the range displayed on the chart.
ix. Sample Interval: This allows you to set the interval that this chart is
updated.
Multiple Statistic Chart
This chart provides the ability to graphically visualize multiple statistics
simultaneously, as well as view the statistics in the table below. The advantage of
this view is that you can easily determine how certain processes and services are
performing in relation to others. For example, you may notice that a spike in RAM
usage results in higher CPU usage. This charted information allows you to get a
quick overview of what is being monitored and may answer why certain
unexpected events are occurring.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons at the top of the chart. Alternatively, you can
have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a small
area of the chart, or by adjusting the sliders in the smaller chart below the main
chart.
Once you have a time period selected, the lower chart will zoom to the starting
and ending values of the selected time period. With the lower chart you can zoom
in further by fine tuning the view with the sliders. The main view of the chart will
display the selected time period between the two sliders of the lower chart.
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Zooming
The Multiple Statistic Chart can be added to either the Application Details
page or the SAM Component Details page.
To add the Multiple Statistic Chart to either page, take the following steps:
1. Drill down to either the Application Details page or the SAM Component
Details page.
2. Click Customize Page on the far top right of the page.
3. Click the green [+] to the right of the column in which you want to add this
chart.
4. Select and expand SAM Charts - Historical charts for SAM.
5. Check Multiple Statistic Chart, and then click Submit, then click Done.
To configure the Multiple Statistic Chart, take the following steps:
1. Once the chart is on your Details page, click Edit at the top right of the
chart.
2. From this page, you can have several options to choose from, including:
i. Title: This allows you to change the title of your chart.
ii. Select a Time Period: This allows you provide a range for your chart.
iii. Select a Sample Interval: This allows you to select how often the chart
is updated.
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iv. Chart All or Selected Statistics: This allows you to chart certain or all
aspects of what you intend to monitor.
For more information, see Creating a Windows Script Monitor
Multi Chart
This chart provides the ability to graphically visualize multiple statistics
simultaneously at the application level without the need to drill down into each
component monitor.
The advantage of this view is that you can easily determine how certain
processes are performing in relation to others. For example, you may notice that a
spike in RAM usage results in higher CPU usage. This charted information allows
you to get a quick overview of what is being monitored and may answer why
certain unexpected events are occurring.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons at the top of the chart. Alternatively, you can
have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a small
area of the chart, or by adjusting the sliders in the smaller chart below the main
chart.
The Multi Chart can be added from the Application Details page.
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Multi Chart
To add the Multi Chart to the Application Details page, take the following
steps:
1. Drill down to the Application Details page.
2. Click Customize Page on the far top right of the page.
3. Click the green [+] to the right of the column in which you want to add this
chart.
4. Search for "Multi Chart."
5. Check Multi Chart, and then click Add Selected Resources, then click
Done.
To configure the Multi Chart, take the following steps:
1. Once the chart is on your Application Details page, click either Edit, Select a
chart, or Configure this resource.
2. From this page, you have several options to choose from, including:
i) Title: This allows you to change the title of your chart.
ii) Subtitle: This allows you to change the subtitle of your chart.
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iii) Select components:
iv) Show Thresholds: This allows Warning and Critical Thresholds to
be displayed as yellow and red bands, respectively.
v) Default zoom range: Allows you to choose the time period of data
to be displayed.
vi) Amount of historical data to load: Allows you to select the
amount of historical data to be displayed.
vii) Sample interval: Allows you to set the polling time for the
components in this chart.
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Chapter 6:
SolarWinds SAM Settings
You can configure Applications, Templates, and Component Monitors through the
SolarWinds Web Console by using the SAM Settings page.
To configure SolarWinds SAM:
1. Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Note: Initially, Admin is the default administrator user ID with a blank password.
2. Click the Applications tab.
3. Click SAM Settings.
Refer to the sections that follow for details about the administrative commands
available in each category:
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Scan Nodes for Applications
Manually Assign Application Monitors
Component Monitor Wizard
Application Monitors
Manage Application Monitors
Application Monitor Templates
Manage Templates
Create a New Template
Component Monitors
Component Monitor Library
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Manage Assigned Component Monitors
Manage Component Monitors within Templates
Application Detail Views
Views by Application Type
SAM Settings
Credentials Library
Data and Database Settings
License Summary
SAM License Summary
thwack Community
Shared thwack Templates
SAM thwack Forum
Getting Started with SAM
The Getting Started with SAM category gives you access to the commands that
allow you to start monitoring your applications or add new Application Monitors.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Manually Assign Application Monitors
Understanding the Credentials Library
Scan Nodes for Applications
Click Scan Nodes for Applications on the SAM Settings page to scan nodes
and automatically add Application Monitors.
For more information, see “Scanning Nodes for Applications” on page 393.
Manually Assign Application Monitors
Click Manually Assign Application Monitors on the SAM Settings page to
assign Application Monitors to server nodes.
For more information, see “Manually Assign Application Monitors” on page 260.
Component Monitor Wizard
Click Component Monitor Wizard on the SAM Settings page to pick the
processes, services, and performance counters you want from a list to create a
new template.
For more information, see “Creating New Templates Using the Browsing Method:”
on page 397.
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Application Monitors
Application Monitors
The Application Monitors category gives you access to the commands that allow
you to actively monitor nodes using a collection of component monitors to
determine the overall health of applications.
For more information, see “Managing Assigned Application Monitors” on
page 345.
Manage Application Monitors
Click Manage Application Monitors on the SAM Settings page to view, edit, and
delete assigned Application Monitors and their component monitors.
For more information, see “Managing Assigned Application Monitors” on
page 345.
Application Monitor Templates
The Application Monitor Templates category gives you access to the commands
that allow you to edit, copy, export, import, delete, and create new templates.
For more information, see “Managing Templates” on page 398.
Manage Templates
Click Manage Templates on the SAM Settings page to edit, copy, export, import,
and delete templates.
For more information, see “Managing Templates” on page 398.
Create a New Template
Click Create a New Template on the SAM Settings page to create a new
application template and its component monitors.
For more information, see “Creating New Templates” on page 397.
Component Monitors
Component monitors are the building blocks of SolarWinds SAM. This category
gives you access to the commands that allow you to monitor the status and
performance of different aspects of an application.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Component Monitor Library
Manage Assigned Component Monitors
Manage Component Monitors within Templates
Component Monitor Library
Click Component Monitor Library on the SAM Settings page to view the
component monitors that are provided in the library for monitoring the status and
performance of different aspects of an application.
For more information, see “Viewing the Component Monitor Library” on page 362.
Manage Assigned Component Monitors
Click Manage Assigned Component Monitors on the SAM Settings page to
view and manage assigned component monitors.
For more information, see “Managing Assigned Component Monitors” on
page 362.
Manage Component Monitors within Templates
Click Manage Component Monitors within Templates on the SAM Settings
page to view and manage component monitors that are inside the Application
Monitor templates.
For more information, see “Managing Templates” on page 398.
Application Detail Views
The Application Detail Views category gives you access to the command that
allows you to customize application detail views.
Views by Application Type
Click Views by Application Type on the SAM Settings page to customize
application detail views by application (template) type. You can choose between
displaying a generic view or a custom view for each application (template) type.
SAM Settings
The SAM Settings category gives you access to the commands that allow you to
view and manage the SAM Settings for credentials and data access.
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For more information, see "SolarWinds SAM Settings"
For more information, see “Understanding the Credentials Library”
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Credentials Library
For more information, see "Data and Database Settings"
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Credentials Library
Click Credentials Library on the SAM Settings page to create, edit, and delete
the credential sets component monitors use to access protected system
resources.
For more information, see “Understanding the Credentials Library” on page 341.
Data and Database Settings
Click Data and Database Settings on the SAM Settings page to set the
database maintenance interval:
The four options are as follows:
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Detail Statistics Retention
Hourly Statistics Retention
Daily Statistics Retention
Event Log Message Retention
Baseline Data Collection Duration
Database Maintenance
The amount of data collected in the database is dependent upon the size of the
data collected as well as the number of applications and component monitors you
define.
Due to the volume of data collected, detailed statistics are stored in hourly
averages after a specified time period (7 days, by default). Hourly statistics are
compressed into daily statistics after a number of days (30 days, by default).
Detailed statistics retention is based on the individual polling intervals for each
component monitor. These settings allow you to set a length of time after which
SolarWinds SAM purges data from the database.
Note: Before modifying your database settings, consider noting your database
size and amount of data collection for a week. When the week is complete,
recheck your database size. This should help you forecast and plan for an
appropriate data compression and retention period.
To set the three Statistic Retention Intervals:
1. Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Note: Initially, Admin is the default administrator user ID with a blank password.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Data and Database Settings.
Specify the appropriate values for the SolarWinds SAM data retention settings.
Polling Engine Mode
Note: The option to change Polling Engine Modes has been removed for SAM
5.5 and higher. For more information, see
http://knowledgebase.solarwinds.com/kb/questions/4429/
The polling engine mode specifies the behavior of both the main polling engine
and any additional ones you may have.
To set the Polling Engine Mode (v5.2 and earlier):
1. Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Note: Initially, Admin is the default administrator user ID with a blank password.
2. Click the Applications tab.
3. Click SAM Settings.
4. Click Data and Database Settings.
For more information, see "Managing the SolarWinds SAM Database" on page
1192.
License Summary
The License Summary category gives you access to the command that allows
you to view the license information summary.
For more information, see "SAM License Summary" on page 264.
SAM License Summary
Click SAM License Summary on the SAM Settings page to see a comparison
between the number of active component monitors and the limit allowed by your
SolarWinds SAM license.
thwack Community
The thwack Community category gives you access to the commands that allow
you to view and download useful information from the thwack community for
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Shared thwack Templates
SolarWinds users.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Shared thwack Templates
SAM thwack Forum
Shared thwack Templates
Click Shared thwack Templates on the SAM Settings page to browse and use
application templates contributed by fellow administrators.
For more information, see “Exporting and Importing Templates Locally or Using
Thwack” on page 402.
SAM thwack Forum
Click SAM thwack Forum on the SAM Settings page to browse the information
provided in the SAM thwack Forum.
For more information, visit thwack.com
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Chapter 7:
Discovering and Adding Nodes on a
Network
There are two methods to add nodes in SolarWinds SAM:
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Add a Single Node
For more information, see Adding Nodes for Monitoring.
Network Sonar Discovery
This chapter describes the process of discovering network devices and then
adding them to the Orion database via Network Sonar Discovery.
The method recommended largely depends on the number of nodes to be added.
To discover and add a larger number of nodes across your enterprise, the
Network Sonar Discovery and Network Sonar Results wizards are available,
respectively. This chapter provides instructions for quickly populating your
SolarWinds SAM database with the nodes you want to monitor and manage with
SAM. The Web Console also provides an easy to use Web Node Management
wizard suited to discovering and adding individual nodes.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Discovery Central
Network Sonar Discovery
Using the Network Sonar Results Wizard
Managing Scheduled Discovery Results
Using the Discovery Ignore List
Discovery Central
Discovery Central provides a centralized overview of the types and number of
nodes you are monitoring. You can also access Network Discovery and
Virtualization Discovery from within Discovery Central.
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To access Discovery Central:
1. Click Settings at the top right of the SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Click Discovery Central in the Getting Started with SolarWinds category.
Note: Clicking Go to SolarWinds Home opens the SolarWinds Summary
Home view for your entire monitored network.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Virtualization Discovery
Application Discovery
Virtualization Discovery
The Virtualization Discovery category displays information for both VMware and
Hyper-V infrastructures on your network. To use virtualization discovery, click
Network Sonar Discovery to discover multiple nodes or click Add A Single
Device to add a single node. For more information, see “Polling for VMware
nodes Using the Network Sonar Wizard” on page 328.
Application Discovery
SolarWinds SAM can scan nodes and automatically assign the Application
Monitors it deems suitable for each scanned node. You control the nodes to be
scanned, the application templates used in the scan, and the scanning
parameters that determine a match. For more information, see "Application
Discovery" on page 278.
Network Sonar Discovery
SolarWinds SAM employs the easy to use Network Sonar Wizard in order to aid
in the discovery of nodes on your network. Before using the Network Sonar
Wizard, consider the following points about network discovery in SAM:
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The Network Sonar Wizard recognizes network devices that are already in
your Orion database and prevents you from importing duplicate devices.
CPU and Memory Utilization charts are automatically enabled for your Windows, Cisco Systems, VMware, and Foundry Networks devices.
The community strings you provide in the Network Sonar Wizard are only
used for SNMP GET requests, so read-only strings are sufficient.
The following procedure steps you through the discovery of devices on your
network using the Network Sonar Wizard, automatically followed by the Network
Sonar Results Wizard:
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Discovering devices on your network from Discovery Central:
Discovering devices on your network from Discovery Central:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > Network Sonar Discovery.
2. If you want to create a new discovery, click Add New Discovery.
3. If you have already defined a network discovery, a number of options
are available on the Network Sonar Discovery tab. Select one of the following:
l If you want to edit an existing discovery before using it, select
the discovery you want to edit, and then click Edit.
l If you want to use an existing discovery to rediscover your network, select the discovery you want to use, click Discover Now,
and then complete the Network Sonar Results Wizard after discovery completes. For more information about network discovery
results, see “Using the Network Sonar Results Wizard.”
l If you want to import some or all devices found in a defined discovery that you may not have already imported for monitoring,
select a currently defined discovery, and then click Import All Results. For more information about network discovery results, see
“Using the Network Sonar Results Wizard” on page 274.
l If you want to import any newly enabled devices matching a
defined discovery profile, select a currently defined discovery, and
then click Import New Results. For more information about network
discovery results, see “Using the Network Sonar Results Wizard”
l If you want to delete an existing discovery profile, select a currently defined discovery and then click Delete.
5. If the devices on your network do not require community strings
other than the default strings public and private provided, click Next
on the SNMP Credentials view.
6. If any of your network devices require community strings other than
public and private or if you want to use an SNMPv3 credential, complete the following steps to add the required SNMP credential.
Note: Repeat the following procedure for each new community string. To
speed up discovery, highlight the most commonly used community strings
on your network, and then use the arrows to move them to the top of the
list.
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a. Click Add New Credential, and then select the SNMP Version of your
new credential.
b. If you are adding an SNMPv1 or SNMPv2c credential, provide the
new SNMP Community String.
c. If you are adding an SNMPv3 credential, provide the following information for the new credential:
l User Name, Context, and Authentication Method
l Authentication Password/Key, Privacy/Encryption Method
and Password/Key, if required.
d. Click Add.
7. Click Next on the SNMP Credentials view.
8. Tc Check all existing nodes polling with agents for node changes and
updates, check the box provided. when done, click Next.
9. If you want to discover any VMware VCenter or ESX Servers on your
network, confirm that Poll for VMware is checked, and then complete the
following steps to add or edit required VMware credentials.
Note: Repeat the following procedure for each new credential. To speed
up discovery, use the up arrow to move the most commonly used credentials on your network to the top of the list.
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Discovering devices on your network from Discovery Central:
a. Click Add vCenter or ESX Credential.
b. If you are using an existing VMware credential, select the appropriate credential from the Choose Credential drop down menu.
c. If you are adding a new VMware credential, select <New Credential> in the Choose Credential drop down menu, and then provide
a new credential name in the Credential Name field.
Note: SolarWinds recommends against using non-alphanumeric characters in VMware credential names.
d. Add or edit the credential User Name and Password, as necessary.
e. Confirm the password, and then click Add.
9. Click Next on the Local vCenter or ESX Credentials for VMware view.
10. If you want to discover devices located on your network within a specific range of IP addresses, complete the following procedure.
Note: Only one selection method may be used per defined discovery.
a. Click IP Ranges in the Selection Method menu, and then, for each IP
range, provide both a Start address and an End address.
Note: Scheduled discovery profiles should not use IP address ranges
that include nodes with dynamically assigned IP addresses (DHCP).
b. If you want to add another range, click Add More, and then repeat
the previous step.
Note: If you have multiple ranges, click X to delete an incorrect range.
c. If you have added all the IP ranges you want to poll, click Next.
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11. If you want to discover devices connected to a specific router or on a
specific subnet of your network, complete the following procedure:
Note: Only one selection method may be used per defined discovery.
a. Click Subnets in the Selection Method menu.
b. If you want to discover on a specific subnet, click Add a New Subnet, provide both a Subnet Address and a Subnet Mask for the
desired subnet, and then click Add.
Note: Repeat this step for each additional subnet you want to poll.
c. If you want to discover devices using a seed router, click Add a
Seed Router, provide the IP address of the Router, and then click
Add.
Notes:
l Repeat this step for each additional seed router you want to use.
l Network Sonar reads the routing table of the designated router
and offers to discover nodes on the Class A network (255.0.0.0
mask) containing the seed router and, if you are discovering
devices for a SolarWinds SAM installation, the Class C networks
(255.255.255.0 mask) containing all interfaces on the seed router,
using the SNMP version chosen previously on the SNMP Credentials page.
l Networks connected through the seed router are NOT automatically selected for discovery.
d. Confirm that all networks on which you want to conduct your network
discovery are checked, and then click Next.
12. If you already know the IP addresses or hostnames of the devices
you want to discover and include in the Orion database, complete the
following procedure:
a. Click Specific Nodes in the Selection Method menu.
b. Type the IPv4 or IPv6 addresses or hostnames of the devices you want
to discover for monitoring into the provided field.
Note: Type only one address or hostname per line.
c. Click Validate to confirm that the provided addresses and hostnames
are assigned to SNMP-enabled devices.
d. If you have provided all the addresses and hostnames you want to
discover, click Next.
13. Configure the options on the Discovery Settings view, as detailed in the following steps:
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Discovering devices on your network from Discovery Central:
a. Provide a Name and Description to distinguish the current discovery
profile from other profiles you may use to discover other network areas.
Note: This Description displays next to the Name in the list
of available network discovery configurations on the
Network Sonar view.
b. Position the slider or type a value, in ms, to set the SNMP Timeout.
Note: If you are encountering numerous SNMP timeouts during Network Discovery, increase the value for this setting. The SNMP Timeout
should be at least a little more than double the time it takes a packet to
travel the longest route between devices on your network.
c. Position the slider or type a value, in ms, to set the Search Timeout.
Note: The Search Timeout is the amount of time Network Sonar Discovery waits to determine if a given IP address has a network device
assigned to it.
d. Position the slider or type a value to set the number of SNMP Retries.
Note: This value is the number of times Network Sonar Discovery will
retry a failed SNMP request, defined as any SNMP request that does
not receive a response within the SNMP Timeout defined above.
e. Position the slider or type a value to set the Hop Count.
Note: If the Hop Count is greater than zero, Network Sonar Discovery
searches for devices connected to any discovered device. Each connection to a discovered device counts as a hop.
f. Position the slider or type a value to set the Discovery Timeout.
Note: The Discovery Timeout is the amount of time, in minutes,
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14.
15.
16.
17.
Network Sonar Discovery is allowed to complete a network discovery. If
a discovery takes longer than the Discovery Timeout value provided,
the discovery is terminated.
If you only want to use SNMP to discover devices on your network,
check Use SNMP only.
Note: By default, Network Sonar uses ICMP ping requests to locate
devices. Most information about monitored network objects is obtained
using SNMP queries.
If multiple SolarWinds polling engines are available in your environment, select the Polling Engine you want to use for this discovery.
Click Next.
If you want the discovery you are currently defining to run on a regular schedule, select either Custom or Daily as the discovery
Frequency, as shown in the following steps:
Notes:
l Scheduled discovery profiles should not use IP address ranges that
include nodes with dynamically assigned IP addresses (DHCP).
l Default Discovery Scheduling settings execute a single discovery of
your network that starts immediately, once you click Discover.
l Results of scheduled discoveries are maintained on the Scheduled
Discovery Results tab of Network Discovery. For more information
about managing scheduled discovery results, see “Managing Scheduled Discovery Results” on page 275.
a. If you want to define a custom discovery schedule to perform the
currently defined discovery repeatedly in the future, select Custom
and then provide the period of time, in hours, between discoveries.
b. If you want your scheduled discovery to run once daily, select
Daily, and then provide the time at which you want your discovery to
run every day, using the format HH:MM AM/PM.
18. If you do not want to run your network discovery at this time,
select No, don’t run now, and then click Save or Schedule,
depending on whether you have configured the discovery to run
once or on a schedule, respectively.
19. If you want your Network Sonar discovery to run now, click Discover to start your network discovery.
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Using the Network Sonar Results Wizard
Note: Because some devices may serve as both routers and
switches, the total number of nodes discovered may be less than
the sum of reported routers discovered plus reported switches discovered.
Using the Network Sonar Results Wizard
The Network Sonar Results Wizard directs you through the selection of nodes for
monitoring opens whenever discovery results are requested. This will happen
either when the Network Sonar Wizard completes or when Import All Results or
Import New Results is clicked for a selected discovery.
The following steps detail the selection of discovered nodes for monitoring in
SolarWinds SAM.
To select the results of a network discovery for monitoring in SAM:
1. On the Device Types to Import page, check the device types you want to
monitor, and then click Next.
Note: If you are not sure if you want to monitor a specific device type, check
the device type in question. Later, you can delete the device using Web
Node Management.
2. On the Volume Types to Import page, check the volume types you want to
monitor, and then click Next.
Note: If you are not sure you want to monitor a specific volume type, check
the volume type in question. Later, you can delete the volume of the selected type using Web Node Management.
3. If you want to import nodes, even when they are already known to be
polled by another polling engine, check the option in the Allow Duplicate
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Nodes section. For more information about working with multiple polling
engines, see Managing SolarWinds SAM Polling Engines.
4. If there are any devices on the Import Preview that you do not ever
want to import, check the device to ignore, and then click Ignore. Selected
nodes are added to the Discovery Ignore List. For more information, see
Using the Discovery Ignore List.
5. Confirm that the network objects you want to monitor are checked on the
Import Preview page, and then click Import.
Note: Imported devices display in the All Nodes resource.
Managing Scheduled Discovery Results
The Scheduled Discovery Results tab of Network Discovery provides a list of all
recently discovered, changed, or imported devices on your monitored network.
Results are compared between discoveries and results are listed on this tab. The
following procedure provides guidelines for managing discovery results.
To manage scheduled discovery results:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Configuration and AutoDiscovery > Network Discovery.
2. Click Scheduled Discovery Results.
3. Select the type of devices you want to view from the Status menu in the left
pane. The following options are available:
o Select Found to view all devices discovered by a scheduled discovery.
o Select Changed to view all devices that have changed between
recent scheduled discoveries. Changes include the addition of
device configuration changes.
o Select Imported to view all devices you have recently imported to
your Orion database. For more information about importing devices,
see “Using the Network Sonar Results Wizard” on page 274.
o Select Ignored to view all devices you have added to your Discovery Ignore List. For more information about the Discovery Ignore
List, see “Using the Discovery Ignore List” on page 276.
o Select Found and Changed to view a combined list of all devices
found or changed as described above.
o Select All except Ignored to view all discovered, changed or imported devices you have not already designated as Ignored, as
detailed above.
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4. If you want to apply a grouping criterion to organize your listed results, select an appropriate criterion from the Group by menu in the left
pane.
5. If there are changed or discovered nodes in the results list that you
want to add to your Orion database, check them and then click Import
Nodes.
6. If there are devices you want SolarWinds SAM to ignore in future discoveries, regardless of discovered updates or changes, check the
nodes to ignore, and then click Add to Ignore List. For more information
about the Discovery Ignore List, see “Using the Discovery Ignore List” on
page 276.
Using the Discovery Ignore List
Often, devices are found during a network discovery that you never intend to
monitor with SolarWinds SAM. The Discovery Ignore List is a record of all such
devices on your network. By placing a device on the Discovery Ignore List you
can minimize the SNMP processing load associated with discovering devices
that you never intend to monitor.
To manage devices on the Discovery Ignore List:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Configuration and AutoDiscovery > Network Discovery.
2. If you want to view the current Discovery Ignore List, click Discovery
Ignore List.
3. If you want to add devices to the Discovery Ignore List, complete the
following procedure:
a. Click Scheduled Discovery Results.
b. Check devices you want to ignore, and then click Add to Ignore List.
4. If you want to remove devices from the Discovery Ignore List, complete the following procedure:
a. Click Scheduled Discovery Results, and then
b. Check the devices you want to remove from the list.
c. Click Remove from Ignore List.
d. Confirm that you want to stop ignoring the selected items by clicking
OK.
After the Network Sonar Wizard completes the node discovery and imports the
results, you are taken directly to the Application Discovery Wizard to discover
applications to monitor on the nodes.
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For more information, see Application Discovery.
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Chapter 8:
Application Discovery
SolarWinds SAM can scan nodes and automatically assign the Application
Monitors it deems suitable for each scanned node. You control the nodes to be
scanned, the application templates used in the scan, and the scanning
parameters that determine a match.
To Access Application Discovery:
1. Click Settings at the top right of the SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Now click Discovery Central in the Getting Started with SolarWinds category.
3. In the Application Discovery category, click Discover Applications to
begin using the wizard-like interface.
For more information, see Add Application Monitors.
Select Nodes
1. Click [+] in the list to expand the node groups and to select the nodes you
want to scan.
2. When you are finished selecting nodes, click Next.
Select Applications
To keep the scanning time to a minimum, we recommend you initially
scan for a limited number of application templates. To see more
application templates, select a different template group from the Show
Only list.
To adjust the template assignment criteria, expand Advanced Scan
Settings and move the slider to the desired setting:
Exact Match
All the components must match to assign the template.
Strong Match
Most of the components must match to assign the template.
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Partial Match
Some of the components must match to assign the template.
Minimal Match
At least one component must match to assign the template.
When you are finished selecting applications, click Next.
Enter Credentials
Some application templates require credentials either to access
restricted resources, or to run within the context of a specific user. To
scan for these templates, add the necessary credentials to the list. If a
template you are scanning for requires credentials, the credentials in
this list are tried in the order in which they appear.
Warning: Credentials are tried several times over the course of a
scan, so an incorrect password is likely to lock out an account. To
avoid potential account lockouts that affect actual users, we
recommend you create and use service accounts. A service account is
an account created specifically for the purpose of providing
credentials to use for SolarWinds monitoring. With service accounts,
no actual user is affected by an account lockout if a password should
be entered incorrectly.
If you have domains sharing user names with different passwords, we
recommend you run separate application discoveries for each domain.
When you are finished entering credentials, click Next.
Review and Start Scan
Review the summary for the scan. If the automatic discovery matches
templates that are already assigned to the node, by default the
template is not assigned a second time. If you want to assign duplicate
templates, select Yes, Assign Anyway from the Do you want to
assign duplicates list.
Click Start Scan to begin the scan. The scan runs in the background.
If you like, click View progress near the light bulb icon toward the top
of the page to view the progress of the scan. You are notified by a
message near the top of the window when scanning is completed.
Click View Results to see the results of the scan. Click View SAM
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Add UX Monitors
Summary Page (or > SAM Application Summary) to display the
SAM summary page.
Add UX Monitors
You cannot scan for user experience (UX) monitors, but you can
assign them to nodes manually. Adding monitors from this page does
not affect your scan.
Add Application Monitors
After adding individual nodes, you are prompted by the Add Application
Monitors page to add applications for monitoring the desired application(s) on
the new node as described below.
To add Application Monitors on the Add Application Monitors page:
1. Use the Show Only list to select the desired category for the Application
Monitors you want to add.
2. Check the check box next to the Application Monitor(s) you want to assign.
3. The selected Application Monitor(s) are added to the list of Selected applications.
4. If you change your mind and want to delete an application, click the red
X next to the name of the application in the Selected applications list.
5. If suitable credentials already exist, choose the credential from the
Choose Credential list.
6. If suitable credentials do not exist, choose <New Credential> from the
Choose Credential list, and then add the new credential by filling out the
credential details.
7. Click Test to test the credentials and component monitors against the test
node.
8. If the test fails, troubleshoot the problem based on the error messages, and
then retest the node.
9. Click Next.
10. On the Change Properties page, modify any of the information as needed,
such as the Node Status Polling interval (in seconds) and the Collect Statistics Every frequency (in minutes).
11. Click OK, Add Node.
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Reading the Application Summary
The SAM Application Summary is the first view displayed after launching Server
& Application Monitor. This view provides insight into application health and
performance conditions over your entire network. The resources listed in this
section are the default views included in the SAM Application Summary.
Active Application Alerts
This resource provides the current application-specific alerts, including the time
the alert fired, the name of the application that caused the alert, and the alert
message. Click the Network Node to see the SolarWinds Node Details view.
Click the Application Name to see the SAM Application Details view.
Application Health Overview
This resource provides a status overview of all your assigned application
monitors. Click a status to list the assigned application monitors in that status.
The following statuses are depicted on the Application Health Overview:
Application Up
Assigned application monitors with all component monitors responding and
operating within their thresholds.
Application Critical
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Applications with Problems
Assigned application monitors with at least one component monitor
operating past the critical threshold.
Application Down
Assigned application monitors with at least one unresponsive component
monitor.
Application Warning
Assigned application monitors with at least one component monitor
operating past the warning threshold.
Other
Assigned application monitors that are suspended due to licensing
restrictions.
Unknown
Assigned application monitors with status that cannot yet be determined.
Applications with Problems
This resource lists the assigned application monitors reporting any status other
than up.
Last 25 Application Events
This resource provides a list of application-centric events from the time period you
specify. The default time period shows the last 25 application events. Clicking
Edit allows you to change the time period, limiting the events displayed in the
resource.
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Thwack Latest Application Templates
This resource lists the newest application monitor templates that have been
added to the Thwack community web site. Click a template to open its download
web page.
Top 10 Components Monitored by Response Time
This resource provides a list of the component monitors with the slowest
response time.
Top 10 Processes Monitored by CPU Load
This resource provides a list of the component monitors consuming the most
CPU.
Top 10 Processes Monitored by Physical Memory
This resource provides a list of the component monitors consuming the most
physical memory.
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Top 10 Processes Monitored by Virtual Memory
Top 10 Processes Monitored by Virtual Memory
This resource provides a list of the component monitors consuming the most
virtual memory.
Top XX Monitored Processes by I/O Reads/Sec
This resource displays the total number of I/O Read operations per second.
Fields:
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Process Name: Displays the name of the listed process. Clicking a process in the list will take you to the Component Details page for that process.
Application Name: Displays the name of the listed application that contains the listed process. Clicking an application in the list will take you to
the Application Details page for that application.
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Network Node: Displays the name of the listed node that contains the listed application and process. Clicking a node in the list will take you to the
Node Details page for that node.
IO Reads: Displays the current rate of Input/Output reads.
Note: Clicking Edit will allow you to change the Title, Sub-Title, and Maximum
Number of Monitors to Display.
Hovering the mouse over any part of this resource will reveal a tooltip with
detailed information about the item listed.
For more information, see the following:
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Top XX Monitored Processes by I/O Total Operations/Sec
Top XX Monitored Processes by I/O Writes/Sec
This resource displays the total number of I/O Write operations per second.
Fields:
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Process Name: Displays the name of the listed process. Clicking a process in the list will take you to the Component Details page for that process.
Application Name: Displays the name of the listed application that contains the listed process. Clicking an application in the list will take you to
the Application Details page for that application.
Network Node: Displays the name of the listed node that contains the listed application and process. Clicking a node in the list will take you to the
Node Details page for that node.
IO Writes: Displays the current rate of Input/Output writes.
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Top XX Monitored Processes by I/O Total Operations/Sec
Note: Clicking Edit will allow you to change the Title, Sub-Title, and Maximum
Number of Monitors to Display.
Hovering the mouse over any part of this resource will reveal a tooltip with
detailed information about the item listed.
For more information, see the following:
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Top XX Monitored Processes by I/O Total Operations/Sec
Top XX Monitored Processes by I/O Total Operations/Sec
This resource displays the total number of I/O operations per second.
Fields:
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Process Name: Displays the name of the listed process. Clicking a process in the list will take you to the Component Details page for that process.
Application Name: Displays the name of the listed application that contains the listed process. Clicking an application in the list will take you to
the Application Details page for that application.
Network Node: Displays the name of the listed node that contains the listed application and process. Clicking a node in the list will take you to the
Node Details page for that node.
Total IOPS: Displays the current rate of Input/Output.
Note: Clicking Edit will allow you to change the Title, Sub-Title, and Maximum
Number of Monitors to Display.
Hovering the mouse over any part of this resource will reveal a tooltip with
detailed information about the item listed.
For more information, see the following:
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Top XX Monitored Processes by I/O Writes/Sec
Server Warranty Summary
This resource displays warranties currently expired and set to expire on the
current node. This is done by SAM periodically checking the status of each
server's warranty against Dell, HP, and IBM's online warranty validation servers.
Clicking a node in the summary list will take you the Node Details view for that
node. You can expand and collapse the tree views by clicking [+] and [-]
respectively.
You can visually see warranties nearing their expiration dates by examining the
dates in the Expiration Date column. Also, if a warranty expiration date crosses a
Warning or Critical threshold, progress bars will appear as yellow and red,
respectively. Clicking Edit will allow you to customize threshold values as well as
filter the warranties you want displayed.
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Server Warranty Summary Alerts
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Expired Warranties: Lists the nodes that currently have expired warranties.
Warranties Due to Expire: Lists the nodes that have warranties nearing
their expiration date.
Next 5 Warranties Set to Expire: Lists the top five warranties nearing their
expiration date.
Clicking Edit will allow you to fine tune the information displayed in this resource,
as shown below:
Server Warranty Summary Alerts
One alert is included with Server Warranty Summary:
1. Alert me when a node warranty expires in 30 days - Disabled by default
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Chapter 9:
Managing Groups and Dependencies
Groups and dependencies enable you to more effectively manage your network.
Groups give you the ability to logically organize monitored objects, regardless of
device type or location, and dependencies allow you to more faithfully represent
what can actually be known about the nodes of your network, eliminating “false
positive” alert triggers and providing more accurate insight into the state of your
nodes.
Groups contain SolarWinds objects that report a status such as nodes, volumes,
applications, and even other groups. You create, delete, and modify groups from
the Manage Groups page.
Note: Nesting a group within another does not create a strict parent/child
relationship. You can include any group as a member in any number of other
groups.
To access the Manage Groups page:
1. Log on to the SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Manage Groups in the Node & Group Management grouping of the
SolarWinds Website Administration page.
The following sections provide more information about creating and managing
groups in SAM:
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Creating Groups
Managing the Display of Group Status
Creating Groups
Creating a group is a straightforward process of selecting the SolarWinds objects
you want the group to contain. At creation time, you can also decide how you
want SolarWinds to roll up the status of the group members.
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It is also possible to specify group members on the basis of shared properties by
adding them with a dynamic query. SolarWinds objects added through dynamic
queries are automatically added or removed from the group.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Editing Groups
Managing Group Members
Deleting Groups
Managing the Display of Group Status
To create a new group:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Orion Web Console.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Manage Groups in the Node & Group Management grouping of the
SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Click Add New Group.
5. Enter a name for the group in the Name field, and then expand Advanced.
6. If you want the group to roll up the worst status of the group
members, select Show Worst Status.
7. If you want the group to roll up the best status of the group members,
select Show Best Status.
8. If you want the group to display a warning status if the group members have a mixture of different statuses, select Mixed Status shows
warning.
9. Click Next.
10. If you want to individually select group members, follow these steps:
a. In the Show Only list, select the type of SolarWinds object you want to
add as a group member.
b. Check the check box of the SolarWinds object and then click Add to
Group.
11. If you want to dynamically select group members based on shared
properties, follow these steps:
a. Click Add dynamic query.
b. Type a name for the query in the Dynamic query object name
field.
c. Select a SolarWinds object type in the SolarWinds Object is
list.
d. Click Add Condition to specify further selection properties.
Note: Use the question mark (?) character as a multiple
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Editing Groups
character wildcard. Use the underscore (_) character as a
single character wildcard.
e. Click Preview to verify that the dynamic query is selecting your
intended objects.
f. Click Save.
12. Continue adding individual SolarWinds objects or dynamic queries until
you have finished building your group.
13. Click Create Group.
Editing Groups
You can edit the properties of an existing group or add and remove objects.
These are separate editing tasks.
To edit properties of an existing group:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Orion Web Console.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Manage Groups in the Node & Group Management grouping of the
SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Check the group you want to edit, and then click Edit Properties.
5. Edit the Name and Description of the selected group, as appropriate.
6. If you want to manage the members of the selected group, click Add &
Remove Objects. For more information about managing group members,
see Managing Group Members.
Note: Expand the Contains summary for the selected group to see all member objects in the group.
7. If you want to configure the calculation of displayed group status or
the frequency with which group status is refreshed, expand Advanced,
select a Status rollup mode, and then provide a Refresh frequency.
Note: For more information about status rollup for groups, see Managing the
Display of Group Status.
8. Click Submit.
Managing Group Members
The following procedure manages the objects included within a defined group.
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To add and remove the objects of an existing group:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Orion Web Console.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Manage
Groups in the Node & Group Management grouping of the SolarWinds
Website Administration page.
3. Check the group you want to edit, and then click Add & Remove Objects.
Deleting Groups
Deleting an existing dependency is a straightforward process, as shown in the
following procedure.
To delete a group:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Orion Web Console.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Manage
Groups in the Node & Group Management grouping of the SolarWinds
Website Administration page.
3. Check the group you want to delete, and then click Delete.
Managing the Display of Group Status
The status of any particular group is determined by the status of the members of
the group. There are three methods for determining the status displayed for a
selected group of monitored objects:
Note: For more information about object states in SolarWinds, see “Status Icons
and Identifiers.”
Show Best Status is most useful for displaying groups that are defined as
collections of redundant or backup devices. The following table indicates how
the Show Best Status option operates:
Note: Compare Group Status results under the Show Best Status option with
results for the same groups of objects under the Show Worst Status option.
Object States
(Up, Warning, Down)
(Warning, Up)
(Warning, Down, Unknown)
Group Status
(Up)
(Up)
(Warning)
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To configure the method used to determine the status of a selected group:
Show Worst Status ensures that the worst status in a group of objects is
displayed for the whole group. The following table indicates how the Show Worst
Status option operates:
Object States
Group Status
(Up, Warning, Down)
(Down)
(Warning, Down)
(Warning)
(Warning, Down, Unknown)
(Down)
Mixed Status shows Warning ensures that the status of a group displays the
worst warning-type state in the group. If there are no warning-type states, but the
group contains a mix of up and down states, then a Mixed Availability ( ) warning
status is displayed for the whole group. The following table indicates how the
Mixed Status shows Warning option operates:
Object States Group Status
(Critical)
(Critical)
(Mixed Availability)
The following procedure configures the method used to determine group status.
To configure the method used to determine the status of a selected group:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Manage
Groups in the Node & Group Management grouping of the SolarWinds
Website Administration page.
3. Check the group you want to edit, and then click Edit Properties.
4. Expand Advanced, and then select a Status rollup mode, as follows:
a. If you want the group to roll up the worst status of the group members, select Show Worst Status.
b. If you want the group to roll up the best status of the group members, select Show Best Status.
c. If you want the group to display a warning status if the group members have a mixture of different statuses, select Mixed Status
shows warning.
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5. Click Submit.
Managing Dependencies
Dependencies in SolarWinds allow you to account for topological constraints on
your network. These constraints may be either the result of the design of a
specific device, or the result of the physical architecture of your network itself.
SolarWinds offers an Unreachable status to account for the case when a device
may appear to be down when its status is actually indeterminate, due to another
device being down or unresponsive.
Likewise, SolarWinds also makes it possible to define dependencies among
distinct devices, as in the case of a subnet of devices on your network that
depends on a single WAN link to connect with the rest of your network. In this
case, if you have defined a group consisting of the devices in this dependent
subnet, you can then define a dependency where the dependent subnet is a child
group to the parent router that is serving as the WAN link to the rest of your
network. For more information about groups, see Managing Groups and
Dependencies.
The power of dependencies becomes evident when considering alerts. If you
have an alert configured to trigger when a monitored object is down, you only
want that alert to trigger if a monitored objects is positively down. In other words,
you do not want an down object alert to trigger for an object that is not actually
down. Without dependencies, all monitored objects on a monitored node that is
unresponsive to ICMP queries will also report as down. With dependencies in
use, these child objects will instead display as Unreachable, saving you the
hassle of sorting through numerous false alerts resulting from the failure of a
single node to respond promptly to a status query.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Creating a Dependency
Editing a Dependency
Deleting a Dependency
Viewing Alerts on Child Objects
Creating a Dependency
Creating a new dependency is a straightforward process of selecting the parent
and children objects, as shown in the following procedure.
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To create a dependency:
To create a dependency:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Manage
Dependencies in the Node & Group Management grouping of the
SolarWinds Website Administration page.
3. Click Add new dependency.
4. On the Select Parent page, complete the following steps:
a. Use the Show only: and Group by: selection fields to customize the
list of displayed objects and groups.
Note: The properties listed in the Group by selection field are
dynamic.
b. Select the parent object or group in the main pane, and then click Next.
Note: If you want to define a dependency so that the reported states of
child objects are dependent on the status of multiple parent objects, create a group including all parent objects, and then select it on this view.
For more information, see “Creating Groups” on page 289.
5. On the Choose Child page, complete the following steps:
a. Edit the Dependency name, as appropriate.
b. Use the Show only: and Group by: selection fields to customize the
list of displayed objects and groups.
Note: Properties listed in the Group by: selection field are dynamically
dependent on the selection in the Show only: field.
c. Select the child object or group in the main pane, and then click Next.
Note: If you want to define a dependency so that the reported states of
multiple child objects are dependent on the status one or more parent
objects, create a group including all child objects, and then select it on
this view. For more information, see “Creating Groups” on page 289.
6. On the Review Dependency view, review the current settings for the configured dependency.
Notes:
l If any advanced alerts are configured on parent or child objects,
they will be listed on this view. Click [+] to expand alert details.
l In the event that a parent object is down, all alerts configured on any
child objects in a dependency on the down parent object are automatically suppressed.
7. Click Submit to accept the dependency definition.
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Editing a Dependency
Editing an existing dependency is a straightforward process, as shown in the
following procedure.
To edit an existing dependency:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Manage
Dependencies in the Node & Group Management grouping of the
SolarWinds Website Administration page.
3. Check the dependency you want to edit, and then click Edit.
4. On the Select Parent page, complete the following steps:
a. Use the Show only: and Group by: selection fields to customize the
list of displayed objects and groups.
Note: Properties listed in the Group by: selection field are dynamically
dependent on the selection in the Show only: field.
b. Select the parent object or group in the main pane, and then click Next.
Note: If you want to define a dependency so that the reported states of
child objects are dependent on the status of multiple parent objects, create a group including all parent objects, and then select it on this view.
For more information, see “Creating Groups” on page 289.
5. On the Choose Child page, complete the following steps:
a. Edit the Dependency name, as appropriate.
b. Use the Show only: and Group by: selection fields to customize the
list of displayed objects and groups.
Note: Properties listed in the Group by: selection field are dynamically
dependent on the selection in the Show only: field.
c. Select the child object or group in the main pane, and then click Next.
Note: If you want to define a dependency so that the reported states of
multiple child objects are dependent on the status one or more parent
objects, create a group including all child objects, and then select it on
this view. For more information, see “Creating Groups” on page 289.
6. On the Review Dependency view, review the current settings for the configured dependency.
Notes:
l If any advanced alerts are configured on parent or child objects, they
will be listed on this view. Click [+] to expand alert details.
l If a parent object is down, all alerts configured on any child objects in
a dependency on the down parent object are automatically suppressed.
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Deleting a Dependency
7. Click Submit to accept the dependency definition.
Deleting a Dependency
Deleting an existing dependency is a straightforward process, as shown in the
following procedure.
To delete an existing dependency:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Manage
Dependencies in the Node & Group Management grouping of the
SolarWinds Website Administration page.
3. Check the dependency you want to delete, and then click Delete.
4. Click Yes to confirm deletion of the selected dependency.
Viewing Alerts on Child Objects
In the event that a parent object is down, all advanced alerts configured on any
child objects in a dependency on the down parent object are automatically
suppressed. The following procedure displays all advanced alerts currently
configured on any child objects in a selected dependency.
To view alerts on child objects in a selected dependency:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Manage Dependencies in the Node & Group Management grouping of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Check the dependency that includes the child object on which the alerts you
want to view are configured, and then click Alerts on Child.
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Managing Accounts
SolarWinds Web Console user accounts, permissions, and views are established
and maintained with the SolarWinds Account Manager. When Advanced
Customization is enabled on the SolarWinds Website Settings page, you can use
Account Manager to customize menu bars and views for different users. For more
information, see Customizing Views.
Notes:
l This guide assumes that Advanced Customization has been enabled. If it
has not been enabled, the range of options available on the pages referenced in the following sections is much more limited. For more information, see Setting Account Limitations.
l To prevent issues with web console accounts, your SQL Server should not
be configured with the no count connection option enabled. The no count
option is set in the Default connection options area of the Server
Properties > Connections window of SQL Server Management Studio
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Editing User Accounts
Creating Accounts
New SolarWinds Web Console user accounts may be created by any web
console administrator. The following procedure creates a new web console user
account.
To create a new user account:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Manage Account in the Accounts grouping of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Click Add New Account.
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5. Select the type of account you want to add, and then click Next.
6. If you selected SolarWinds individual account, complete the following
steps:
a. Provide a User Name and a Password for the SolarWinds individual
account.
b. Confirm the password, and then click Next.
c. Define user settings and privileges, as appropriate. For more information, see Editing User Accounts.
7. If you selected Windows individual account, complete the following
steps:
a. Provide the User Name and Password for a user that has administrative access to your Active Directory or local domain.
b. In the Search for Account area, enter the User name of the Active Directory or local domain user for whom you want to create a new web console account, and then click Search.
c. In the Add Users area, select the users for whom you want to create
new web console accounts, and then click Next.
8. If you selected Windows group account, complete the following steps:
a. Provide the User Name and Password for a user that has administrative access to your Active Directory or local domain.
b. In the Search for Account area, enter the Group name of the Active Directory or local domain group for which you want to create a new web
console account, and then click Search.
c. In the Add Users area, select the users for whom you want to create
new web console accounts, and then click Next.
When the new account is created, the Edit User Account view displays, showing
all configurable account options. For more information about editing account
settings, see Editing User Accounts.
Editing User Accounts
The Edit User Account page provides options for configuring web console user
accounts. On the Edit User Account page, administrators can disable an account,
set an account expiration date, grant administrator and node management rights,
set user view limitations, define a default menu bar, and set several other defaults
defining how a user account views and uses the SolarWinds Web Console.
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User Account Access Settings
The following sections and procedures detail the configuration of user accounts.
Note: To reset a password, click Change Password at the bottom of the page.
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Setting Account Limitations
Defining Pattern Limitations
Setting Default Account Menu Bars and Views
Configuring an Account Report Folder
Configuring Audible Web Alerts
User Account Access Settings
The following procedure is a guide to setting user account access.
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To edit a user account:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Manage Accounts in the Accounts grouping of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Select the account that you want to edit, and then click Edit.
5. Set Account Enabled to Yes or No, as appropriate.
Note: Accounts are enabled by default, and disabling an account does not
delete it. Account definitions and details are stored in the Orion database
in the event that the account is enabled at a later time.
6. If you want the account to expire on a certain date, click Browse (…)
next to the Account Expires field, and then select the account expiration
date using the calendar tool.
Note: By default, accounts are set to Never expire. Dates may be entered
in any format, and they will conform to the local settings on your computer.
7. If you want to allow the user to remain logged-in indefinitely, select
Yes for the Disable Session Timeout option.
Note: By default, for added security, new user accounts are configured to
timeout automatically.
8. If you want to grant administrator rights to the selected account, set
Allow Administrator Rights to Yes.
Notes:
l Granting administrator rights does not also assign the Admin menu
bar to a user. If the user requires access to Admin options, they must
be assigned the Admin view. For more information, see “Setting
Default Account Menu Bars and Views” on page 305.
l Administrator rights are not granted by default, but they are required
to create, delete, and edit accounts. User accounts without administrator rights cannot access Admin page information.
9. If you want to allow the user to manage nodes directly from the
SolarWinds Web Console, set Allow Node Management Rights to Yes.
Note: By default, node management rights are not granted.
10. If you want to allow the user to customize views, set Allow Account to
Customize Views to Yes.
Note: By default, customized view creation is not allowed. Changes made
to a view are seen by all other users that have been assigned the same
view.
11. Designate whether or not to Allow Account to Clear Events and
Acknowledge Alerts.
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Configuring Audible Web Alerts
12. Select whether or not to Allow Browser Integration.
Note: Browser integration can provide additional functionality, including
access to right-click menu options, depending on client browser capabilities.
13. If you want to enable audible alerts through the client browser, select
a sound from the Alert Sound list.
Note: By default, sounds are stored in the Sounds directory, located at
C:\Inetpub\SolarWinds\NetPerfMon\Sounds. Sounds in .wav format that
are added to this directory become available as soon as the Edit User
Account page refreshes.
14. Provide the maximum Number of items in the breadcrumb list.
Note: If this value is set to 0, all available items are shown in breadcrumb
drop down lists.
Configuring Audible Web Alerts
When browsing the SolarWinds Web Console, audible alerts can be sounded
whenever new alerts are generated. When enabled, you will receive an audible
alert the first time, after login, that an alert is displayed on the page. This alert may
come from either an alert resource or the Alerts view. You will not receive audible
alerts if the Alerts view or the alert resource you are viewing is empty.
Following the initial alert sound, you will receive an audible alert every time an
alert is encountered that was triggered later than the latest alert that has already
been viewed.
For example, a user logs in and sees a group of alerts with trigger times ranging
from 9:01AM to 9:25AM, and the user receives an audible alert. If the user
browses to a new page or allows the current page to auto-refresh, a new alert
sounds if and only if an alert triggered later than 9:25AM is then displayed.
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To enable audible web alerts:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Manage Accounts in the Accounts grouping of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
4. Select the account you want to configure.
5. Click Edit.
6. Select the sound file you want to play when new alerts arrive from the Alert
Sound list.
Note: By default, sounds are stored in the Sounds directory, located at
C:\Inetpub\SolarWinds\NetPerfMon\Sounds. Sounds in .wav format that
are added to this directory become available as soon as the Edit User
Account page refreshes.
7. Click Submit.
Setting Account Limitations
Account limitations may be used to restrict user access to designated network
areas or to withhold certain types of information from designated users. The
following procedure sets user account limitations.
To set user account limitations:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Manage
Accounts in the Accounts group of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
3. If you want to limit an individual user account, complete the following
steps:
a. On the Individual Accounts tab, check the account you want to limit.
b. Click Edit.
c. Click Add Limitation in the Account Limitations section.
d. Select the type of limitation to apply, and then click Continue.
Notes:
l Because SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA) initially
caches account limitations, it may take up to a minute for
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To set user account limitations:
account limitations related to SolarWinds NTA to take effect in
SolarWinds NTA.
l Account limitations defined using the Account Limitation Builder
display as options on the Select Limitation page. Account limitations can be defined and set using almost any custom properties. For more information, see Creating Account Limitations.
e. Define the limitation as directed on the Configure Limitation page that
follows. For more information about defining pattern-type limitations,
see Defining Pattern Limitations.
4. If you want to limit a group account, complete the following steps:
Note: Limitations applied to a selected group account only apply to the
group account and not, by extension, to the accounts of members of the
group.
a. On the Groups tab, check the group account you want to limit.
b. Click Edit.
c. Click Add Limitation in the Account Limitations section.
d. Select the type of limitation to apply, and then click Continue.
Notes:
l Because SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA) initially
caches account limitations, it may take up to a minute for
account limitations related to SolarWinds NTA to take effect in
SolarWinds NTA.
l Account limitations defined using the Account Limitation Builder
display as options on the Select Limitation page. Account limitations can be defined and set using almost any custom properties. For more information, see Creating Account Limitations.
e. Define the limitation as directed on the Configure Limitation page that
follows. For more information about defining pattern-type limitations,
see Defining Pattern Limitations.
5. Click Add Limitation in the Account Limitations section.
6. Select the type of limitation to apply from the list, and then click Continue.
Notes:
l Account limitations defined using the Account Limitation Builder display as options on the Select Limitation page. Account limitations
can be defined and set using almost any custom properties. For
more information, see “Creating Account Limitations” on page 1137.
l Because SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA) initially
caches account limitations, it may take up to a minute for account
limitations related to SolarWinds NTA to take effect in SolarWinds
NTA.
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7. Define the limitation as directed on the Configure Limitation page that follows. For more information about defining pattern-type limitations, see
Defining Pattern Limitations.
Defining Pattern Limitations
Pattern limitations may be defined using OR, AND, EXCEPT, and NOT operators
with _ and * as wildcard characters. The following examples show how to use
available operators and wildcard characters:
Note: Patterns are not case sensitive.
foo matches only objects named "foo.”
foo_ matches all objects with names consisting of the string "foo" followed by
only one additional character, like foot or food, but not seafood or football.
foo* matches all objects with names starting with the string "foo,” like football or
food, but not seafood.
*foo* matches all objects with names containing the string "foo,” like seafood or
Bigfoot.
*foo* OR *soc* matches all objects containing either the string "foo" or the string
"soc,” including football, socks, soccer, and food.
*foo* AND *ball* matches all objects containing both the string "foo" and the
string "ball,” including football but excluding food.
*foo* NOT *ball* matches all objects containing the string "foo" that do not also
contain the string "ball,” including food but excluding football.
*foo* EXCEPT *ball* matches all objects containing the string "foo" that do not
also contain the string "ball,” including food but excluding football.
You may also group operators using parentheses, as in the following example.
(*foo* EXCEPT *b*) AND (*all* OR *sea*) matches seafood and footfall, but not
football or Bigfoot.
Setting Default Account Menu Bars and Views
The Default Menu Bar and Views section provides several options for configuring
the default menu bar and views for your user account. The following procedure is
a guide to setting these options.
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To set default menu bar and view options:
To set default menu bar and view options:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Manage
Accounts in the Accounts grouping of the SolarWinds Website Administration page.
3. Select the account that you want to configure, and then click Edit.
4. Scroll down to Default Menu Bar and Views.
5. Select a Home Tab Menu Bar from the available list.
Note: This is the default menu bar displayed when you click Home in the
SolarWinds Web Console. If you are editing a user account that must have
administrator privileges, set the Home Tab Menu Bar to Admin.
6. Select an Application Tab Menu Bar from the available list.
Note: This is the default menu bar displayed when you click Applications
in the SolarWinds Web Console. If you are editing a user account that must
have administrator privileges, select Admin.
7. Select a Virtualization Tab Menu Bar from the available list.
Note: This is the default menu bar displayed when you click Virtualization
in the SolarWinds Web Console. If you are editing a user account that must
have administrator privileges, select Admin.
8. If you have installed any additional SolarWinds modules, select a
SolarWinds Module Tab Menu Bar from each available list.
Note: This step configures the default menu bar displayed when you click
the tab corresponding to an installed module in the SolarWinds Web
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9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Console. If you are editing an account that must have administrator privileges, select Admin.
Select a Home Page View.
Note: If no Home Page View is specified, the default is designated to be
the same as the page that is specified in the Default Summary View field
below.
If the Home Page View you have selected refers to a specific network
device, select a Default Network Device by clicking Edit and selecting
from the list of available devices on the next page.
Note: If the Home Page View you have selected does not require a specific
network device, SolarWinds will select a device to display, automatically.
Select a Default Summary View for the account.
Note: This is typically the same as the Home Page View.
If you want all reports to be available for the account, select \Reports
from the Report folder list in the Default Menu Bars and Views area.
Note: If you are creating a new user, you must designate the Report Folder
the new account is to use to access SolarWinds reports. By default, no
report folder is configured for new users. The Reports directory is located in
the SolarWinds SAM installation directory:
C:\Program Files\SolarWinds\Orion\.
If you want to designate default Node, Volume, and Group Details
Views for this account, expand SolarWinds General Settings, and then
select appropriate Node Detail, Volume Detail, and Group Detail Views.
If you want to designate default Virtualization Summary Manager,
Cluster Details, and Datacenter Details Views for this account, expand
Integrated Virtual Infrastructure Monitor Settings, and then select appropriate default views.
Click Submit.
Configuring an Account Report Folder
Reports may be assigned to an account by creating sub-directories within the
Reports directory. Desired reports are included within the sub-directory, and the
sub-directories are then made available for assignment to an account. This
provides a level of security when reports are included in a view or added as
custom menu items. For more information, see “Creating and Editing External
Website Views” on page 219.
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To configure an account report folder:
To configure an account report folder:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console, and then click Manage
Accounts in the Accounts group of the SolarWinds Website Administration
page.
3. Select the account you want to configure, and then click Edit.
4. If you want all reports to be available for the account, select \Reports
from the Report folder list in the Default Menu Bars and Views area.
Note: If you are creating a new user, you must designate the Report Folder
the new account is to use to access SolarWinds reports. Bydefault, no report
folder is configured for new users. The Reports directory is located in the
SolarWinds SAM installation directory:
C:\Program Files\SolarWinds\Orion\.
5. Click Submit.
Server & Application Monitor Settings
From here, you can select the SAM defaults for the following, as shown in the
illustration below.
To navigate to this page, take the following steps:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > Manage Accounts.
2. Select an account to edit by checking its box. when done, click Edit.
3. The following options appear. Select the options you want, when done, click
Submit.
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Orion General Settings
From here, you can select the Orion defaults for the following, as shown in the
illustration below:
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Node Details View: This view is used when details about a single Network
Node are displayed.
Volume Details View: This view is used when details about a single physical or logical Volume are displayed.
Group Details View: This view is used when details about a single Group
are displayed.
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Integrated Virtual Infrastructure Monitor Settings
Integrated Virtual Infrastructure Monitor Settings
From here, you can select the Integrated Virtual Infrastructure defaults for the
following, as shown in the illustration below:
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Virtualization Manager Summary View: This view is the target of the
"VMware Summary" link in the page header.
Cluster Details View: This view is used when details about a single Cluster
are displayed.
Datacenter Details View: This view is used when details about a single
Data Center are displayed
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Managing SolarWinds SAM Polling
Engines
To ensure that your polling engines are optimized to run at peak performance,
you will need to occasionally tune them. If you use more than one polling engine,
you will need to balance the load so that each engine can perform optimally.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Viewing Polling Engine Status
Configuring Polling Engine Settings
SolarWinds Polling Settings
Calculating Node Availability
Using the Polling Engine Load Balancer
Setting the Node Warning Level
Managing Packet Loss Reporting
Viewing Polling Engine Status
The SolarWinds Web Console provides the Polling Engines view, giving you
immediate insight into the performance of all polling engines in your SolarWinds
installation.
To display the Polling Engine view:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Polling Engines in the Details group.
For more information about configuring the settings on this view in addition to
configuring all other available polling engine variables, see Configuring Polling
Engine Settings.
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Configuring Polling Engine Settings
Settings for your SolarWinds SAM polling engine are configured on the
SolarWinds Polling Settings view within the SolarWinds Web Console.
To open the SolarWinds Polling Settings view:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console as an administrator.
2. Click Settings in the top right of the web console.
3. Click Polling Settings in the Settings group.
SolarWinds Polling Settings
The following poller settings are configurable on the SolarWinds Polling Settings
view.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Polling Intervals
Polling Statistics Intervals
Network
Calculations & Thresholds
Polling Intervals
The following settings configure default polling intervals. To apply poller settings,
click ReApply Polling Intervals.
Default Node Poll Interval
Devices are regularly polled to determine status and response time on this
designated interval. By default, this interval is 120 seconds.
Default Volume Poll Interval
Volumes are regularly polled to determine status and response time on this
designated interval. By default, this interval is 120 seconds.
Default Rediscovery Interval
Your entire network is polled on this interval to detect any re-indexed
devices. Monitored network devices are also checked for IOS upgrades
permitting EnergyWise support. By default, this interval is 30 minutes.
Lock custom values
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Polling Statistics Intervals
This option is enabled by default. Enabling this option automatically saves
any polling customizations made on the SolarWinds Polling Settings view.
Polling Statistics Intervals
The following settings configure default polling intervals for device statistics. To
apply poller settings, click ReApply Polling Statistic Intervals.
Default Node Statistics Poll Interval
Device performance statistics are regularly polled on this interval. By
default, this interval is 10 minutes.
Default Volume Statistics Poll Interval
Volume performance statistics are regularly polled on this interval. By
default, this interval is 15 minutes.
Network
The following settings configure ICMP and SNMP requests.
ICMP Timeout
All ICMP (ping) requests made by the SolarWinds poller time out if a
response is not received within the period designated. By default, this
period is 2500ms.
ICMP Data
This string is included within all ICMP packets sent by SolarWinds.
SNMP Timeout
All SNMP requests made by the SolarWinds poller time out if a response is
not received within the period designated. By default, this period is 2500ms.
SNMP Retries
If a response to an SNMP poll request made by the SolarWinds poller is not
received within the configured SNMP Timeout, the SolarWinds poller will
conduct as many retries as designated by this value. By default, this value is
2.
Calculations & Thresholds
The following settings designate methods for calculating availability and
transmission rate baselines, select the SolarWinds SAM node warning level and
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counter type, and indicate security preferences for community strings and other
potentially sensitive information in the web console.
Availability Calculation (advanced)
This setting designates the type of calculation SolarWinds SAM performs to
determine device availability. For more information, see “Calculating Node
Availability” on page 314.
Baseline Calculation (advanced)
Upon startup, SolarWinds can calculate a baseline for the transmission
rates of the various elements of your network. This baseline is used as a
starting point for any comparison statistics. For more information, see
“Calculating a Baseline” on page 315.
Allow Secure Data on Web (advanced)
In the interest of security, sensitive information about your network is not
viewable in the SolarWinds Web Console. However, if your network is
properly secured, you may check this option to allow the viewing of
community strings and other potentially sensitive information within the web
console.
Note: This setting does not affect the display of custom reports that you
export to the web. For more information see “Creating and Viewing Reports”
on page 1.
Node Warning Level
Devices that do not respond to polling within this designated period of time
display as Down in the web console. By default, this value is 120 seconds.
Counter Rollover
This option sets the type of counter SolarWinds SAM is to use. For more
information, see “Handling Counter Rollovers” on page 190.
Calculating Node Availability
The Availability Calculation setting on the SolarWinds Polling Settings view
provides a choice between the following two methods for determining device
availability.
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Node Status:
Node Status:
The default method is based upon the historical up or down status of the selected
node. The selected node is polled for status on the Default Node Poll Interval
defined on the SolarWinds Polling Settings view. For more information, see
SolarWinds Polling Settings.
If the selected node responds to a ping within the default interval, the node is
considered up, and a value of 100 is recorded in the Response Time table of the
Orion database. If the node does not respond to a ping within the default interval,
the node is considered down and a value of 0 is recorded in the Response Time
table of the Orion database. To calculate node availability over a selected time
period, the sum of all Response Time table records for the selected node over the
selected time period is divided by the selected time period, providing an average
availability over the selected time period.
Percent Packet Loss:
The second method is a more complicated calculation that effectively bases the
availability of a selected node on its packet loss percentage. As in the Node
Status method, the selected node is polled for status. If it responds within the
Default Node Poll Interval defined on the SolarWinds Polling Settings view, a
value of 100 is averaged with the previous 10 availability records. For more
information, see SolarWinds Polling Settings.
The result of the Percent Packet Loss calculation is a sliding-window average. To
calculate node availability over a selected time period, the sum of all results in the
Response Time table for the selected node over the selected time period is
divided by the selected time period, providing an average availability over time.
Note: The Percent Packet Loss method introduces a historical dependency into
each availability node record. In general, it is best to leave calculations based on
Node Status unless you specifically need node availability based on packet loss.
Calculating a Baseline
Much of the raw data that SolarWinds SAM polls from nodes is provided initially
as counter values. If you do not need statistics immediately, or if you do not want
SolarWinds SAM to calculate a baseline at startup, disable baseline calculation
at startup by setting the Baseline Calculation option on the SolarWinds Polling
Settings view to False. For more information, see Configuring Polling Engine
Settings.
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Note: Baseline calculation requires significant data gathering and processing.
Until baseline calculation is completed, both SolarWinds SAM server
performance and the CPU performance of some of network routers may be
adversely affected.
Using the Polling Engine Load Balancer
The Polling Engine Load Balancer is a useful tool for reassigning nodes to a new
polling engine, deleting an unused polling engine, and performing load balancing
between multiple polling engines. The tool is available within the Monitor Polling
Engines application, which is an advanced feature of SolarWinds SAM.
Reassigning nodes to new polling engines may be required in the following
situations:
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Moving or renaming your SolarWinds SAM server
Merging two or more SolarWinds servers
If these or any other conditions present the need for reassignment, complete the
following procedure to reassign nodes to a new polling engine.
To reassign nodes to a different polling engine:
1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Advanced Features >
SolarWinds Service Manager.
2. Click Shutdown Everything.
Note: Confirm that you stop the SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
Service on all polling engines.
3. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Advanced Features > Monitor Polling Engines.
4. Click Servers > Poller Load Balancing.
5. Select the nodes you want to reassign.
Note: Use Shift + click to highlight multiple consecutive rows, and use
Ctrl + click to highlight multiple non-consecutive rows.
6. Click Polling Engines > Move Selected Nodes to *, substituting the target
polling engine for *. The node is reassigned, and it reflects the name of the
polling engine in the polling engine column.
7. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Advanced Features >
SolarWinds Service Manager to restart SolarWinds services.
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Setting the Node Warning Level
Setting the Node Warning Level
A device may drop packets or fail to respond to a poll for many reasons. Should
the device fail to respond, the device status is changed from Up to Warning. On
the SolarWinds Polling Settings view, you can specify the Node Warning Level,
which is the length of time a device is allowed to remain in the Warning status
before it is marked as Down. During the interval specified, the service performs
"fast polling" (ICMP) to continually check the node status.
Note: You may see events or receive alerts for down nodes that are not actually
down. This can be caused by intermittent packet loss on the network. Set the
Node Warning Interval to a higher value to avoid these false notifications. For
more information about packet loss reporting, see “Managing Packet Loss
Reporting” on page 317.
To set the Node Warning Level:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console using an account with administrative
rights.
2. Click Settings in the upper right of the web console, and then click Polling
Settings in the Settings group of the SolarWinds Website Administration
view.
3. In the Calculations and Thresholds group, set the Node Warning Level to an
appropriate interval, in seconds.
Note: The default Node Warning Level interval is 120 seconds.
4. Click Submit.
Managing Packet Loss Reporting
To manage the amount of network-wide packet loss reported by SolarWinds,
configure the Response Time Retry Count for your polling engine. This setting
designates the number of times SolarWinds retries ICMP pings on a monitored
device before packet loss is reported.
Note: This configuration change requires an insertion into your Orion database. If
possible in your environment, SolarWinds recommends installing and using the
SQL Server Management Studio to perform this insertion.
To configure the Response Time Retry Count for your polling engine:
1. Create a full backup of your Orion database.
2. On your SolarWinds server, click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds >
Advanced Features > SolarWinds Service Manager.
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3. Click Shutdown Everything.
4. On your Orion database server, click Start > All Programs > Microsoft
SQL Server > SQL Server Management Studio.
5. Select your Orion database Server name.
6. Select an appropriate Authentication type, provide any required credentials, and then click Connect.
7. Expand Databases > SolarWindsDatabaseName > Tables.
8. Click New Query.
9. Type the following query into the empty SQL query field:
Note: Specify your own custom values for Maximum, CurrentValue, and
DefaultValue.INSERT INTO [SolarWindsDatabaseName].[dbo].[Settings] (SettingID, Name, Description, Units, Minimum, Maximum, CurrentValue, DefaultValue) VALUES (‘SWNetPerfMon-Settings-Response
Time Retry Count’, ‘Response Time Retry Count’, ‘Number of times
SolarWinds retries ICMP pings on a monitored device before reporting
packet loss’, ‘’, 1, Maximum, CurrentValue, DefaultValue)
10. Click Execute.
11. Close SQL Server Management Studio.
12. On your SolarWinds server, click Start > Run, type regedit, and then click
OK.
13. Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > SolarWinds.Net >
SWNetPerfMon.
14. Right-click Settings, and then click New > String Value.
15. Enter Response Time Retry Count as the New Value.
16. Right-click Response Time Retry Count, and then click Modify.
17. In the Value data field, enter the CurrentValue provided in the query above,
and then click OK.
18. Close the Registry Editor.
19. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds > Advanced Features >
SolarWinds Service Manager.
20. Click Start Everything.
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Virtualization
SolarWinds Integrated Virtual Infrastructure Monitoring (IVIM) built into
SolarWinds SAM lets you monitor today's modern network fabric of virtual
networks, virtualized data centers, and private clouds. The deep visibility into your
virtualized environments helps you ensure that network performance helps and
not hinders your virtualization projects
SAM is capable of monitoring VMware ESXi and ESX Servers versions 3.5 and
higher as well as Microsoft's Hyper-V up to and including Hyper-V 2012 R2.
Note: A node can either be a VMware ESX/vCenter server or Hyper-V server, not
both.
VMware Monitoring
Monitor your entire VMware virtual infrastructure from the highest to the lowest
level: vCenter → datacenter → cluster → ESX hosts → individual virtual
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machines. Track availability and performance metrics including CPU, memory,
storage, and network bandwidth utilization
Virtual Machine Auto-Summary
Automatically discover identify and monitor new virtual machines added to any
VMware host server or updated during vMotion.
Virtualization Alerting and Reporting
SolarWinds' native alerting and reporting capabilities extend seamlessly to your
virtual infrastructure.
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Managing VMware Credentials in the Web Console
Adding Virtual Servers for Monitoring
Virtualization Summary
Viewing ESX Host Details
Changing Polling Orders for ESX Servers
Requirements for Monitoring ESXi and ESX Servers
The following table provides minimal requirements for effectively using
SolarWinds SAM to monitor your VMware ESXi and ESX Servers.
Note: SolarWinds SAM uses the VMware API to poll most performance data from
devices running ESX Server versions 3.5 and 4.0. Before SAM can start polling
ESX Servers, you must ensure that you have created credentials on your ESX
Servers for the SAM polling engines. Information on how to do this can be found
here: KB Article 2177.
Credentials created for the SAM polling engines must have read-only rights, at
minimum.
Requirement
Description
SNMP
SolarWinds SAM uses SNMP to
monitor all ESXi and ESX Servers. For
more information about enabling
SNMP, refer to the following sections:
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Enabling SNMP on VMware
ESXi
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Requirements for Monitoring ESXi and ESX Servers
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Enabling SNMP on ESX Server
Version 3.5
Enabling SNMP on ESX Server
Version 4.0
Creating ESX Server Credentials
for SolarWinds SAM
VMware API
SolarWinds SAM uses the VMware
API to poll most performance data from
devices running ESXi and ESX Server
versions 3.5 and 4.0. For more
information about creating required
credentials, see “Creating ESX Server
Credentials for SolarWinds SAM” on
page 327.
VMware Tools
VMware Tools must be installed on all
ESXi and ESX Servers you intend to
monitor. VMware Tools is not required
on virtual machines running on
monitored ESXi and ESX servers, but
additional information, including IP
addresses, are made available when
VMware Tools is installed on virtual
machines hosted by monitored ESXi
and ESX Servers.
The following table provides a summary of the methods used by SolarWinds SAM
to monitor VMware ESX Servers.
Notes:
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Both SAM and NPM share the same VIM module, so their monitoring methods are identical.
VIM gathers Network utilization information via VMware API, but not individual interfaces (e.g. Interfaces under “List Resources”) or interface status
(Up/Down). Interface status is only available via SNMP, which is part of
NPM.
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3.5
3i
4
4i
5i
Detection as ESX Server VMware API
Volumes
SNMP N/A SNMP N/A
SNMP
Interfaces
SNMP N/A SNMP SNMP (partial) SNMP
CPU
SNMP N/A SNMP SNMP
Memory
SNMP N/A SNMP SNMP
Total Memory
VMware API
Guest VM List
VMware API
Enabling SNMP on VMware ESXi and ESX Servers
SolarWinds SAM uses SNMP to poll performance data from VMware ESXi and
ESX Servers. In order to make this performance data available to SolarWinds
SAM, you must enable SNMP on your VMware ESXi and ESX Servers, as
described in the following sections:
Note: VMware only makes a limited amount of information available to SNMP
queries for VMware ESXi and ESX Servers version 4.0 and higher. To access
additional information on these versions, SolarWinds SAM utilizes the VMware
API.
Enabling SNMP on VMware ESXi
The following procedure enables SNMP on VMware ESXi:
Note: The following procedure to enable SNMP requires the vSphere command
line interface (CLI). The vSphere CLI is not packaged with your ESXi Server by
default, so you will need to download it from VMware, as indicated.
To enable SNMP on VMware ESXi:
1. Download and install the VMware vSphere command line interface from the
VMware Download Center (http://downloads.vmware.com/d/).
2. Use the vSphere CLI to view your ESXi server SNMP settings, as indicated
in the following procedure:
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To enable SNMP on VMware ESXi:
a. In the Perl\bin directory of your vSphere installation, execute the following script:
perl ..\..\bin\vicfg-snmp.pl --server ip_address –s
Notes:
C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware vSphere CLI\Perl\bin is
the default location of the vSphere Perl\bin directory.
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and replace cstring with the community string you are adding.
For most environments, the community string public should be
sufficient.
b. Enter an appropriate user name at the prompt.
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Note: For most environments, root should be sufficient.
c. Enter the associated password at the prompt.
3. Use the vSphere CLI to enable SNMP on your ESXi server, as indicated in
the following procedure:
a. In the Perl\bin directory of your vSphere installation, execute the following script to add an appropriate community string:
perl ..\..\bin\vicfg-snmp.pl --server ip_address -c cstring
Note: Replace ip_address with the IP address of your ESXi server,
and replace cstring with the community string you are adding. For
most environments, the community string public should be sufficient.
b. Enter an appropriate user name at the prompt.
Note: For most environments, root should be sufficient.
c. Enter the associated password at the prompt.
d. In the Perl\bin directory of your vSphere installation, execute the following script to enable SNMP:
perl ..\..\bin\vicfg-snmp.pl --server ip_address –E
Note: Replace ip_address with the IP address of your ESXi server.
e. Enter an appropriate user name at the prompt.
Note: For most environments, root should be sufficient.
f. Enter the associated password at the prompt.
4. Reboot your ESXi server to allow settings to take effect.
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Enabling SNMP on ESX Server Version 3.5
The following procedure enables SNMP on ESX Server version 3.5.
Note: For more information about ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server MIBs, see the
VMware document, “Basic System Administration - ESX Server 3.5, ESX Server
3i version 3.5, VirtualCenter 2.5.”
To enable SNMP on ESX Server version 3.5:
1. Log in to your ESX Server using an account with administrative privileges.
2. Open snmpd.conf in a text editor.
Notes:
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root/etc/snmp/snmpd.conf.
To use the default text editor, nano, in a default ESX Server version
3.5 environment, enter nano /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf at the prompt.
3. Locate the rocommunity setting and replace the default community string
public with an appropriate read-only community string for your
environment.
Note: Use commas to separate multiple community strings.
4. Save snmpd.conf, and then close your editor.
Note: If you are using nano, press Ctrl+X to close nano, and then enter Y
to save snmpd.conf.
5. Enter chkconfig snmpd on to enable SNMP when you reboot your ESX
Server.
6. Enter esxcfg-firewall -e snmpd to allow SNMP through the ESX Server
firewall.
7. Enter service snmpd start to start the SNMP service.
8. Confirm that SNMP polling is enabled on your ESX Server by entering the
following command:
snmpwalk -v1 -c cstring localhost .1.3.6.1.4.1.6876 | grep 6876.1
Note: Replace cstring with the community string you provided above.
9. After entering the snmpwalk command, your ESX Server should return
information similar to the following:
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SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.6876.1.1.0 = STRING: "VMware ESX Server"
SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.6876.1.2.0 = STRING: "3.5.0"
SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.6876.1.3.0 = OID: SNMPv2SMI::enterprises.6876.60.1.3.5.0
SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.6876.1.4.0 = STRING: "153875"
Note: The MIB OID SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.6876.1.4.0 returns the
build number for your product, so it may not be the same as the build
number displayed above.
Enabling SNMP on ESX Server Version 4.0
The following procedure enables both the system default SNMP daemon snmpd
and the proprietary VMware SNMP daemon vmware-hostd on VMware ESX
Server version 4.0:
Note: For more information about ESX Server 4.0 and ESX Server MIBs, see the
VMware document, “vSphere Basic System Administration - Update 1, ESX 4.0,
ESXi 4.0, vCenter Server 4.0.”
To enable SNMP on ESX Server version 4.0:
1. Log in to your ESX Server using an account with administrative privileges.
2. Open snmp.xml in a text editor.
Notes:
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The default location for snmp.xml is root/etc/vmware/snmp.xml.
To use the default text editor, nano, in a default ESX Server version
4 environment, enter nano /etc/vmware/snmp.xml at the prompt.
3. Locate the communities tag, and then replace the default community
string public with an appropriate read-only community string for your
environment.
Note: Use commas to separate multiple community strings.
4. Locate the enable tag, and then confirm it is set to true.
5. Locate the port tag and confirm it is set to 171.
6. Locate the targets tag and confirm it is set to [email protected]/cstring.
Note: Replace cstring with the community string you provided above.
7. Save snmp.xml, and then close your editor.
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Note: If you are using nano, press Ctrl+X to close nano, and then enter Y
to save snmp.xml.
8. Enter service snmpd stop to confirm that the SNMP service is stopped.
9. Open snmpd.conf in a text editor.
Notes:
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The default location for snmpd.conf is
root/etc/snmp/snmpd.conf.
To use the default text editor, nano, in a default ESX Server version
4 environment, enter nano /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf at the prompt.
Edit snmpd.conf to include the following two lines:
10. view systemview included .1.3.6.1.4.1.6876
proxy -v 1 -c cstring 127.0.0.1:171 .1.3.6.1.4.1.6876
Note: Replace cstring with the community string you provided above.
11. Save snmpd.conf, and then close your editor.
Note: If you are using nano, press Ctrl+X to close nano, and then enter Y
to save snmpd.conf.
12. Enter service mgmt-vmware restart to restart the mgmt-vmware service.
13. Enter service snmpd start to start the SNMP service.
14. Enter chkconfig snmpd on to enable SNMP when you reboot your ESX
Server.
15. Enter esxcfg-firewall -e snmpd to allow SNMP through the ESX Server
firewall.
16. Confirm that SNMP polling is enabled on your ESX Server by entering the
following command:
snmpwalk -v1 -c cstring localhost .1.3.6.1.4.1.6876 | grep 6876.1
Note: Replace cstring with the community string you provided above.
17. After entering the snmpwalk command, your ESX Server should return
information similar to the following:
SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.6876.1.1.0 = STRING: "VMware ESX"
SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.6876.1.2.0 = STRING: "4.0.0"
SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.6876.1.4.0 = STRING: "208167"
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Creating ESX Server Credentials for SolarWinds SAM
Note: The OID SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.6876.1.4.0 returns your product
build number, so it may not be the same as the build number above.
Creating ESX Server Credentials for SolarWinds SAM
SolarWinds SAM uses the VMware API to poll most of its performance data from
devices running ESX Server versions 3.5 and 4.0. You must create credentials on
your ESX Servers for the SolarWinds SAM polling engine, as shown in the
following procedure:
Note: Credentials created for the SolarWinds SAM polling engine must have
read-only rights as a minimum.
To create ESX Server credentials for SolarWinds SAM:
1. Log in to your ESX Server using an account with administrative privileges.
Note: Typically, the root user name and password is sufficient.
2. If you are prompted with an untrusted SSL certificate warning, click
Ignore to continue using the current SSL certificate.
3. Open the Users & Groups tab, and then click Users.
4. Right-click the Users view, and then click Add.
5. On the Add New user window, complete the following procedure:
Note: The User Name and Password provided in this step must be
provided either in your initial network discovery or whenever you use Web
Node Management to add the current ESX Server to SolarWinds SAM for
monitoring.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
a. Provide both a Login and a User Name for the SolarWinds SAM
polling engine.
b. Enter and confirm a Password.
c. Click OK.
Open the Permissions tab.
Right-click the Permissions view, and then click Add Permission.
On the Assign Permissions window, click Add.
Select the user you just created, and then click Add.
Click OK on the Select Users and Groups window.
Select an appropriate role in the Assigned Role area, and then click OK on
the Assign Permissions window.
The credential you have created is now available to use for monitoring your ESX
Server. For more information about adding your ESX Server to the Orion
database for monitoring, see Managing VMware Credentials in the Web Console.
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Managing VMware Credentials in the Web Console
If you have to update the user name or password of a VMware credential, you can
do so from the VMware Credentials Library tab.
To update a VMware credential:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Log in to the web console.
Click Settings.
Click Virtualization Settings in the Node & Group Management section.
Click the VMware Credentials Library tab.
Check the credential you need to update, and then click Edit Credential.
Make the necessary updates, and then click OK.
Adding Virtual Servers for Monitoring
VMware Vcenter, ESX servers, and Hyper-V virtual machines are added to the
Orion database in the same ways other devices are added for monitoring in the
SolarWinds Web Console
Polling for VMware nodes Using the Network Sonar Wizard
The Network Sonar Wizard is the recommended method for adding VM Servers
for monitoring in the SolarWinds Web Console. With Network Sonar Discovery,
you can define all required credentials at once on the Local ESX Credentials for
Vmware view. For more information, see "Virtualization Discovery" on page 267.
Adding VMs from the Virtualization Assets Resource
1. Log in to the web console.
2. Point to the Virtualization tab and then click Virtualization Summary.
3. Click the [+] next to any ESX or Vcenter server listed in the Virtualization
Assets resource to expand the list of virtual machines.
4. Click a virtual machine that is not currently managed by SolarWinds.
Unmanaged VMs are listed in italic type.
5. Click Yes, Manage this Node.
6. If the VM is not running, manually enter the IP address of the VM in the
Hostname or IP Address field.
7. Check any additional options required to monitor the VM, and then click
Next.
8. Follow the remainder of the Add Node wizard to completion, and then click
OK, Add Node.
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Virtualization Summary
Virtualization Summary
The Virtualization Summary view shows the overall status of your virtualized
infrastructure.
To view the Virtualization Summary:
1. Log in to the SolarWinds Web Console.
2. Point to the Virtualization tab and then click Virtualization Summary.
The Virtualization Summary view is pre-configured to display the following
resources:
Top XX Hosts by CPU Load
Top XX Hosts by Number of Running
VMs
Top XX Hosts by Percent Memory
Used
Top XX Hosts by Network Utilization
VMware Assets
VMware Asset Summary
Hyper-V Assets
Hyper-V Asset Summary
To change the properties or contents of any resource, click Edit in the resource
box.
Viewing ESX Host Details
The ESX Host Details page is displayed when you click an ESX Host server in
the Virtualization Summary. This page is pre-configured to display the following
resources:
Active Alerts on this Node
Availability Statistics
Average Response Time & Packet
Loss Graph
Average Response Time & Packet
Loss Gauge
CPU Load & Memory Utilization Gauge Disk Volumes
ESX Host Details
Event Summary
List of Virtual Machines
Min/Max AverageCPU Load Graph
Node Details
Polling Details
Virtual Machine CPU Consumption
Virtual Machine Memory Consumption
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Virtual Machine Network Traffic
To change the properties or contents of any resource, click Edit in the resource
box.
Changing Polling Orders for ESX Servers
If your VMware ESX hosts are controlled by VMware vCenter servers,
SolarWinds obtains the status of the ESX hosts from the vCenter server instead of
polling the ESX hosts directly.
To poll the ESX servers directly you must change the Poll Through setting of the
ESX host from the Virtualization Settings page. From this page, you can also
disable and enable polling for ESX hosts and vCenter servers.
To poll a vCenter-managed ESX Host from the SolarWinds server:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Log in to the web console.
Click Settings.
Click Virtualization Settings in the Node & Group Management section.
Point to any column heading, click the upside-down triangle, and then click
Columns > Polling Through.
5. Select the ESX hosts you want to poll directly.
6. Click Poll Through > Poll ESX server directly.
Troubleshooting ESX Hardware Monitoring
When an ESX server returns the message, Unable to connect to remote server,
check the following:
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Ensure CIM is enabled on the ESX server. To enable CIM on ESX/ESXi,
refer to the following section: "Hardware Monitoring and VMware" on page
1086.
Ensure port 5989 is opened on the firewall
If the ESX server returns the message, Unable to establish session with all
provided credentials, check the following:
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Verify the VMware credentials in the VIM are correct
Verify the account belongs to the root user group
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Hyper-V Monitoring
Hyper-V Monitoring
SAM natively supports monitoring of Microsoft's Hyper-V server and its guests.
By default, the statistic collection interval is set to ten minutes.
Note: A node can either be a VMware ESX/vCenter server or Hyper-V server, not
both.
Requirements for Monitoring Hyper-V Servers
The following table provides minimal requirements for effectively using
SolarWinds SAM to monitor your Hyper-V Servers:
Requirement
Description
Hyper-V version
All versions of Hyper-V are
supported, up to and
including Hyper-V 2012 R2.
WMI
SolarWinds SAM uses WMI
to monitor all Hyper-V
Servers. SNMP is not
supported when monitoring
Hyper-V servers. For more
information about enabling
WMI, refer to the following
section: Testing Local WMI
Services on page 1603.
Note: If switching from SNMP
to WMI to monitor a Hyper-V
server, certain previously
monitored data will be lost as
a result of the protocol
change.
For example: If you have
NPM installed and are
monitoring an interface via
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Chapter 12: Virtualization
SNMP, switching to WMI to
monitor Hyper-V will cause
the interface's historical data
to be lost. You can either
monitor Hyper-V via WMI or
an interface via SNMP, not
both.
Number of Virtual
Machines
SolarWinds recommends
fewer than 1,000 virtual
machines running on any one
Hyper-V server.
Configuring Hyper-V Servers for Discovery
For data collection and inspection of Microsoft Windows Hyper-V hosts through
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), each server running Hyper-V
requires:
1. A user account with elevated credentials
2. Changes to the firewall
The following table lists the discovery requirements in detail.
Item
Need
User
Account
Depending on your implementation, supply one of the following as
credentials for the credentials database:
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For domain-based authentication, a domain account with
membership in the Administrators group on the monitored
application server.
For workgroup authentication, a built-in administrator
account on the monitored application server
For workgroup authentication, a local user account with membership in the Administrators group and the User Account
Control (UAC) setting "Run all administrators in Admin
Approval Mode" disabled on the monitored application
server.
Windows Ensure that core networking, Windows Management
Firewall
Instrumentation (WMI), and RPC traffic can traverse the firewall.
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Modifying the Windows Firewall
Modifying the Windows Firewall
You must allow core networking, WMI, and RPC traffic through the firewall of the
monitored server. The following procedure walks you through allowing this traffic
through the Windows Firewall on Windows 2008 R2.
Notes:
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If you have restricted the range of dynamic RPC ports, you must ensure that
each host is able to access that port range.
If you are connecting to Hyper-V hosts through a DMZ or hardware firewall,
you must open the corresponding rules and ports on the hardware.
To allow the correct traffic through the Windows firewall, you must perform the
following steps:
1. Ensure the core networking rules are enabled
2. Enable the Windows Management Instrumentation (DCOM-In) rule
3. Create a new rule to open the RPC ports
Ensure the Core Networking rules are enabled
You must ensure that the core networking rules are enabled to collect information
successfully from Hyper-V hosts.
Note: If the rule has a green icon with a checkmark in front of it, the rule is
enabled.
To allow core networking traffic through the Windows Firewall on Windows
2008 R2:
1. Log on to the computer you want to monitor with an administrator account.
2. Navigate to Start > Administrative Tools >Windows Firewall with
Advanced Security.
3. Click Inbound Rules in the left navigation pane.
4. Ensure that all Core Networking rules are enabled. If not, select the disabled rule and then click Enable Rule in the Action menu.
Enable the Windows Management Instrumentation (DCOM-In) rule
You must ensure that the Windows Management Instrumentation (DCOM-In)
rule is enabled to collect information successfully from Hyper-V hosts.
Note: After enabling the Windows Management Instrumentation (DCOM-In) rule,
common WMI checks indicate that WMI is not enabled. This is expected behavior.
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Chapter 12: Virtualization
To allow WMI traffic through the Windows Firewall on Windows 2008 R2:
1. Log on to the computer you want to monitor with an administrator account.
2. Navigate to Start > Administrative Tools >Windows Firewall with
Advanced Security.
3. Click Inbound Rules in the left navigation pane.
4. Click Windows Management Instrumentation (DCOM-In), and then click
Enable Rule in the Action menu.
Create a new firewall rule to open the RPC ports
You must open the RPC ports to collect information successfully from Hyper-V
hosts. This is best done by creating a new firewall rule.
To open the RPC ports on Windows 2008 R2:
1. Log on to the computer you want to monitor with an administrator account.
2. Navigate to Start > Administrative Tools > Windows Firewall with
Advanced Security.
3. Click Inbound Rules in the left navigation pane.
4. Click Actions > New Rule…
5. In Rule Type, select Custom and click Next.
6. Select This program path and enter %SystemRoot%\System32\dllhost.exe in the text box.
7. In Services, click Customize to ensure that Apply to all programs and services is selected, and click OK.
8. Click Next
9. In Protocol type, select TCP.
10. In Local port, select RPC Dynamic Ports.
11. In Remote port, select All Ports.
12. Click Next.
13. Apply to any local and remote IP addresses and click Next.
14. In Action, ensure that Allow the connection is selected and click Next.
15. Select all profiles (Domain, Private, and Public) and click next.
16. Enter a name, such as SAM WMI Dynamic Ports.
17. Click Finish
The new rule will now appear in the list of inbound rules.
Enabling and Disabling Hyper-V Monitoring
Hyper-V monitoring is automatically enabled on WMI nodes after a Network
Sonar Discovery is run. For information on enabling WMI, see "Testing Local WMI
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List Resources Method:
Services" on page 1603.
There are two ways to toggle Hyper-V monitoring; via the Manage Nodes page,
and through the Virtualization Summary resource.
Warning: If Hyper-V polling is disabled, all historical data will be lost. To retain
historical data, use the Virtualization Summary method and select Unmanage.
List Resources Method:
1. From the web console, click Settings in the upper right-hand corner of the
screen.
2. In the Node & Group Management resource, click Manage Nodes.
3. Select the desired node by checking it, and then click List Resources.
4. Check or uncheck Hyper-V, if available.
Virtualization Summary Method:
Warning: If Hyper-V polling is disabled, historical data will be lost. To retain
historical data, select Unmanage. When you choose to remanage the node, all
historical data will be available.
1. In the web console, click the Virtualization tab.
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Chapter 12: Virtualization
2. In the Virtualization Assets resource. Click Virtualization Settings.
3. In Virtualization Settings, click the Hyper-V tab.
4. Click List Resources.
Note: You can temporarily enable/disable polling of Hyper-V by selecting a
node from the list and clicking either Disable Hyper-V Polling or Enable
Hyper-V Polling. If you check a disabled node, the Enable Polling button
will become enabled. The converse is also true.
5. Check or uncheck Hyper-V and then click Submit.
Accessing Hyper-V Details
Hyper-V is incorporated into multiple resources found in SAM's web console on
the Virtualization tab. Following is just one example:
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Virtualization Assets:
Virtualization Assets:
With Hyper-V being native to SAM, you can drill down to the Node Details page
from this view. If the node in this view is not managed, you will be prompted to go
to the Add Node wizard to have this node managed.
Clicking Edit will allow you to filter the vendors that are shown in this view.
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Chapter 13:
Building Component Monitors and
Templates
The following diagram illustrates the work flow involved in creating an application
to be monitored by SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor.
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
Refer to the following sections for more information:
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Understanding Component Monitors and Application Monitor Templates
Choosing Component Monitors and Templates Based on Protocol
Requirements for Component Monitors and Templates that use WMI
Monitoring External Nodes
Understanding the Credentials Library
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Certificate Credentials Library
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Using Application Monitor Templates
Managing Assigned Application Monitors
Working with Component Monitors
Scripting Custom Component Monitors
Custom Application Monitor Template Example: Creating a SolarWinds
SAM Template
Conversion Value
Available Data Transformations
Certificate Credentials Library
Certificate Credentials Library
The Certificate Credentials Library allows you to import and store certificates for
use at a later time.
Typically, you need to associate credentials with component monitors and
templates to enable them to retrieve application data. For added security, SAM
offers the ability to store certificates in the Certificate Credentials Library.
Certificates can be used for authentication with Linux devices monitored in SAM.
Linux, Unix, and Nagios script monitors also support certificate based
authentication.
The PEM format (OpenSSH) is supported.
Adding a Certificate to the Library
To add a certificate to the library:
1. From the Web Console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Certificate
Credentials Library.
2. Click Add New Credential.
3. Enter a name in the Credential Name field.
4. Enter a User Name in the User Name field.
5. Click Browse… to load a private key from a file.
6. Enter a password in the Private key content password field.
7. Select the Private key type: either RSA or DSA.
8. Click Submit to save the certificate credential to the library.
Assigning Certificate Credentials
There are two ways to assign Certificate Credentials; when assigning a template
to a node, and when editing a template directly.
Which method should I use?
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
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If every node uses unique private keys, then editing the application after it
has been assigned is the best option. Use method A.
If most or all of your nodes use the same private key, then you should edit
the credentials directly in the template. Use method B.
A.) When Assigning a Template to a Node:
1. Assign a template to a node.
2. When asked to choose credentials, select the Inherit credentials from template option.
3. Click Assign Application Monitors.
4. Edit the template by clicking Edit next to the name of the template, as
shown below.
5. From here, you can select one or more Linux/Unix/Nagios script component
monitors to edit by checking the boxes to the left of each monitor and then
clicking Multi-Edit.
6. Check the Authentication Type box and select Username and PrivateKey
from the drop down menu.
7. Check the Credential for Monitoring box and select the credentials you
want to use from the drop down menu, and then click Save.
B.) Editing a Template Directly:
1. Select the template you want to edit.
2. Change the Authentication Type option to Username and PrivateKey for
each component monitor that should use this authentication type.
3. From the Credential for Monitoring field drop down menu, select the credentials you want to use with your monitors, and then click Submit.
Understanding the Credentials Library
You typically need to associate credentials with component monitors to enable
them to retrieve application data. For example, to use a WMI monitor, you must
provide valid domain or computer credentials. Or, if your web server requires
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To set up a user account on a SQL server
credentials, you must provide the appropriate credentials to access the protected
sections of your site.
You can work with credentials by:
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Adding credentials to the Credentials Library for use later. See the section
Adding Credentials to the Credentials Library.
Creating credentials on the spot (Quick Credentials) when editing templates
and component monitors. See the section Using Quick Credentials.
Editing credentials. See the section Editing Credentials in the Credentials
Library.
Deleting credentials. See the section Deleting Credentials from the Credentials Library.
To set up a user account on a SQL server
1. Open Enterprise Manager.
2. In the console tree, double-click Microsoft SQL Servers, click SQL Server
Group, and then SQLComputerName (Windows NT).
3. Double-click Databases, and then double-click your database of choice.
4. Right-click Users, and then click the New Database User menu.
5. Next to Login name, type:
domain\username
6. Next to User name, type your user name.
7. Select the Public check box, and then select all of the following objects:
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db_owner
db_accessadmin
db_securityadmin
db_ddladmin
db_datareader
db_datawriter
db_backupoperator
Important:
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Do not select db_denydatareader or db_denydatawriter. These objects
allow members to deny Read or Write permissions to data in the database.
For more information, see http://technet.microsoft.com/enus/library/cc787483%28v=ws.10%29.aspx
Notes:
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
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SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor uses the same SNMP credentials
that you entered during node discovery. There is no need to specify additional credentials for SNMP operations.
SolarWinds SAM stores credentials encrypted in the database.
The ability to Inherit Windows credentials from node is available in the
drop down list.
Adding Credentials to the Credentials Library
Perform the following to add credentials for later use.
To add credentials from the Credential Library page:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Credentials Library.
Click Add New Credential.
Provide a friendly name for the credential set. SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor displays this name in the Credential for Monitoring field of
monitors that accept credentials.
7. Provide the user name and password, and then confirm the password and
click Submit. If you are providing windows credentials for accessing and
harvesting information through WMI, ensure you provide the account name
in the following syntax: domainOrComputerName\userName for domain
level authentication or userName for workgroup level authentication.
You can assign credentials to all the associated components of a template or
Application Monitor.
Editing Credentials in the Credentials Library
Perform the following to edit credentials for later use.
To edit an existing credential from the Credential Library page:
1. Click Edit for the desired credential.
2. Modify the information as needed.
3. Then click Submit.
Deleting Credentials from the Credentials Library
Perform the following to delete credentials from the Credentials Library.
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To delete an existing credential from the Credential Library page:
To delete an existing credential from the Credential Library page:
1. Navigate to the Credentials Library: Admin > Settings > SAM Settings >
Credentials Library.
2. Click Delete for the desired credential.
3. Click OK to confirm the deletion.
Using Quick Credentials
Perform the following to use Quick Credentials:
To create and assign credentials using Quick Credentials when editing a
template or Application Monitor:
1. If the credential you want to assign does not exist, create it by following
these instructions:
a. Select <New Credential> in the Choose Credential field.
b. Type a name for the new credential in the Credential Name field.
c. Type the user name for the credential in the User Name field.
d. Type the password in the Password field, and type it again in the Confirm Password field.
2. If you want to assign an existing credential, select the credential from
the Choose Credential field.
3. Click Set Component Credentials to set this credential as the credential
for all the components in the Application Monitor or template.
Note: The ability to Inherit Windows credentials from node is available in
the drop down list. Anywhere you have the option to specify credentials for
an application template or component monitor, you also have the the
option to utilize the existing WMI credentials already used to manage the
host.
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Managing Assigned Application Monitors
You can manage Assigned Application Monitors by referring to the following
sections:
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Application Discovery
Add Application Monitors
Editing an Assigned Application Monitor
Unmanaging Assigned Application Monitors
Remanaging Assigned Application Monitors
Deleting Assigned Application Monitors
Editing an Assigned Application Monitor
You can override the template inheritance relationship by editing the components
of an assigned Application Monitor. Any modifications you make to an
application’s components or component properties are independent from the
template, including: adding new components and removing existing components
New components that you add to the application are not governed by the original
template used to create the application. Modified component properties override
the original template settings.
To edit an individual application:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Application Monitors.
Click the group containing the application you want to edit.
Check the application you want to edit, and then click Edit Properties.
If you want to turn on extended debug information to assist Customer
Support, expand Advanced, set Debug logging On, and specify the Number of log files to keep.
Here you can also select either 32bit or 64bit from the drop down list
entitled, Platform to run polling job on.
Note: Do not turn on Debug logging unless directed by Customer Support.
8. Click Override Template for each polling setting and specify the new
value.
9. Expand the component you want to modify, and then click Override Template and specify new values.
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Unmanaging Assigned Application Monitors
10. If you want to add components unique to this specific application,
click Add Component Monitor.
Note: You can select multiple component monitors of the same type to be
added by entering a number in the field next to the check box for the component monitor and then checking the check box.
11. Click Submit to apply your changes.
Note: Custom Properties on Assigned Applications can be defined when
editing the Assigned Application, as shown below:
Unmanaging Assigned Application Monitors
If you need to deactivate assigned application monitors for a period of time, you
can do so by unmanaging them. Changes you make to the managed or
unmanaged status of an application take affect after the next polling cycle.
To unmanage assigned Application Monitors:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Application Monitors.
Click the group containing the application you want to unmanage.
Check the application(s) you want to unmanage, and then click Unmanage.
Specify the date / time when you want to begin the period when the application is unmanaged.
8. Specify the date / time when you want to end the period when the application is unmanaged.
9. Then click OK.
-or-
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1. Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
2. Click the Applications tab.
3. Click an assigned Application Monitor in any resource to view its SAM
Application Details View page.
4. Click Unmanage in the Application Details section.
5. Set the duration of the unmanaged state, and then click OK.
Note: Unmanaging a node in SolarWinds SAM automatically unmanages
its assigned SolarWinds SAM applications for the same duration.
Remanaging Assigned Application Monitors
Remanage an assigned Application Monitor in order to immediately resume
monitoring an unmanaged application.
To remanage assigned Application Monitors:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Application Monitors.
Click the group containing the application you want to remanage.
Check the application(s) you want to remanage, and then click Remanage.
-or1. Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
2. Click the Applications tab.
3. Click an assigned Application Monitor in any resource to view its SAM
Application Details view page.
4. Click Remanage in the Application Details section.
Deleting Assigned Application Monitors
Delete an assigned Application Monitor if you have no further need of it.
To delete assigned Application Monitors:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Application Monitors.
Click the group containing the application you want to delete.
Check the application(s) you want to delete, and then click Delete.
You are prompted whether you want to delete the selected Application Monitors. Click Yes to perform the delete operation.
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Application Monitor Thresholds
Application Monitor Thresholds
In general, thresholds are markers that indicate certain levels have been reached.
Many component monitors used in SAM applications have thresholds that can be
adjusted and set.
Once set, thresholds can act as trigger points. For example, if you are monitoring
CPU usage, having a Critical threshold set at 90% would be typical. You can then
use this threshold as a trigger to send an email alert to inform you of the Critical
status once that threshold has been breached.
Normally, an administrator would need to monitor his applications for several
weeks in order to collect enough data to be used as a baseline. Once a baseline
has been established, the administrator can then make an educated guess as to
how he should set his Warning and Critical thresholds for his component
monitors. With this is mind, if thresholds are set too low, the administrator would
be getting alerts all the time. If set too high, problems can occur without the
administrator's knowledge.
Baseline data, as well as Warning and Critical thresholds for application
monitors, can be gathered and calculated automatically. The option to enter
thresholds manually remains available.
Note: By default, I/O thresholds of Windows Service Monitors are not set.
For more information, refer to the following sections:
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Inheriting Thresholds
Automatic Calculation of Baseline Data
Applying Baseline Thresholds at the Template Level
Applying Baseline Thresholds at the Application Level
Latest Baseline Details
Understanding Latest Baseline Details
Understanding Sustained Thresholds
Inheriting Thresholds
Thresholds can be adjusted at the template level or on the individual component
monitor level of an application.
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Threshold Adjustments at the Template Level
If adjusting thresholds on the template level, either manually entered or calculated
using baseline data, any changes made will trickle down to the component
monitor level for applications based on this template. This means the component
monitors within the application inherit the changes made in the template.
Threshold Adjustments at the Component Monitor Level
If you change thresholds at the component monitor level, only thresholds of the
individual component monitor will be affected. Thresholds on the parent template,
or other applications based on that parent template, will not be affected.
Automatic Calculation of Baseline Data
In general, baseline data is calculated on demand; however, seven days of data
is the recommended minimum amount of data needed for baseline calculations to
be considered accurate.
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To Change the Amount of Data Used in Baseline Calculations:
Baseline data for macros, such as ${USE_BASELINE}, are automatically calculated
during nightly database maintenance.
Once thresholds are calculated and applied to component monitors, the
thresholds remain static until manually re-applied. This is not a moving baseline
that is calculated nightly based on the last seven days of data. A moving baseline
would mask data spikes and other anomalies that need to be highlighted.
Note: Thresholds set manually may yield more desirable results if you are
familiar with the nuances of your environment.
To Change the Amount of Data Used in Baseline Calculations:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Data &
Database Settings.
2. Enter a number of days, and then click Submit.
Note: The value for the Baseline Data Collection Duration field cannot exceed
the value defined for the Detail Statistics Retention field (located at the top of the
Data & Database Settings section).
For more information, see:
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Baseline Threshold Macros .
Understanding Sustained Thresholds.
Multi-value Scripts and Thresholds
The format for using the Threshold macros with multi-value scripts is as follows:
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${Threshold.Warning.DisplayName}
${Threshold.Critical.DisplayName}
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Applying Baseline Thresholds at the Template Level
Applying Baseline Thresholds at the Template Level
Applying and editing thresholds at the template level will affect any and all
applications that are based on that template.
To Edit and Apply Baseline Thresholds for a Template:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Manage
Templates.
2. Check a template and click Edit from the toolbar.
3. If selecting only one component monitor, click [+] to expand the monitor
details.
a. Click Use Latest Baseline Thresholds, as shown:
Note: Once this box is checked, the Warning and Critical fields will
automatically populate with the macro, ${USE_BASELINE}.
b. Select the options for sustained thresholds, if desired:
Note: For more information, see Understanding Sustained
Thresholds.
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4. If selecting more than one component monitor, select the monitors you
want by checking the boxes next to their names.
a. Click Multi-Edit.
Note: Multi-Edit will only become available when the selected component monitors are of the same type.
b. Check the Statistic Threshold check box on the pop-up window,
then check the Use thresholds calculated from baseline data
check box.
Note: The Use thresholds calculated from baseline data check
box will not become available until the Statistic Threshold check
box has been checked.
Note: Once the Use thresholds calculated from baseline data
box is checked, the Warning and Critical fields will automatically
populate with the macro, ${USE_BASELINE}.
c. Click Save.
5. When done, click Submit.
Applying Baseline Thresholds at the Application Level
Applying and editing thresholds at the application level will only affect the
component monitors of the current application.
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To Edit and Apply Baseline Thresholds for an Application:
To Edit and Apply Baseline Thresholds for an Application:
1. From the web console, click the Applications tab.
2. In the All Applications resource, expand the tree and then click an application.
3. From the Application Details resource, click Edit Application Monitor.
4. If selecting only one Component Monitor, click [+] to expand the monitor
details.
a. Click Override Template.
Note: The current values for the thresholds will appear in the Warning and Critical fields
b. Click Use Latest Baseline Thresholds, as shown:
c. When applied, the values will change and a blue icon will appear
indicating that baseline thresholds are being used.
5. If selecting more than one component monitor, use the check boxes to
select the monitors you want to edit, and then click Multi-Edit.
a. Click Multi-Edit.
Note: Multi-Edit will only become available when the selected
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
component monitors are of the same type.
b. Check the Statistic Threshold check box on the pop-up window,
then check the Use thresholds calculated from baseline data
check box.
Note: Once the second box is checked, the Warning and Critical
fields will automatically populate with the macro, ${USE_BASELINE}.
For more information, see "Understanding Latest Baseline Details"
on page 356.
c. Click Save.
6. When done, click Submit.
For more information, see Understanding Sustained Thresholds.
Latest Baseline Details
Details about how baseline data, as well as Warning and Critical thresholds are
calculated, can be found on the Latest Baseline Details page. This page details
the data collection and calculation process using several graphs and tables.
To View the Latest Baseline Details Page:
1. From the web console, click the Applications tab.
2. In the All Applications resource, expand the tree and then click an application.
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Understanding Latest Baseline Details
3. From the Application Details resource, click Edit Application Monitor.
4. Find a component monitor in the list and click [+] to expand the monitor
details.
5. Click Override Template.
6. Click Latest Baseline Details.
Understanding Latest Baseline Details
The two tabbed charts and table below them detail how baseline statistics and
thresholds are calculated for individual component monitors based on the
collected data.
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Note: Clicking Use Recommended Thresholds will not affect the chart.
Understanding the Occurrences Chart
The horizontal (X) axis displays the range of values collected by the current
component monitor during the data collection period. The vertical (Y) axis
displays the frequency of each value collected during the data collection period.
The three colors of the chart show the values of the component monitor during
different time periods: Day, Night, and All Hours. You can show or hide these
time periods by checking and un-checking their respective boxes in the legend.
You can have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a
small area of the chart. Hovering over any area of the chart will provide a tooltip
with detailed information about that area of the chart.
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Understanding the Metric Over Time Chart
If you zoom in, a Reset Zoom button will appear.
The yellow and red shading of the chart indicates the recommended Warning and
Critical thresholds, respectively. These shaded areas are taken from the values
recorded in the Latest Baseline Statistics table.
Note: The ability to check and un-check the boxes in the legend is for visual
purposes only and will not affect the values generated for calculated thresholds.
Understanding the Metric Over Time Chart
The horizontal (X) axis displays the time period for when the values were
collected for the current component monitor. The vertical (Y) axis displays the
range of all the values collected during the charted time.
In other words, the light blue bars show the range of values for the statistics
collected during the charted time period. The bottom of the bars indicates the
lowest statistic collected, or the minimum. The top of the bars indicates the
highest statistic collected, or the maximum. The blue line of the chart shows the
average values of the component monitor through time.
Using the legend, you can show or hide these statistics by checking and unchecking their respective boxes.
You can have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a
small area of the chart or by using the sliders located at the bottom of the chart.
Hovering over any area of the chart will provide a tooltip with detailed information
about that area of the chart.
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The yellow and red of the chart indicates the recommended Warning and Critical
thresholds, respectively. These shaded areas are taken from the values recorded
in the Latest Baseline Statistics table.
Note: The ability to check and un-check the boxes in the legend is for visual
purposes only and will not affect the values generated for calculated thresholds.
Understanding the Latest Baseline Statistics Table
Along with the minimum and maximum values displayed, the Latest Baseline
Statistics table at the bottom of the display shows the average baseline statistics
surrounded by three levels of standard deviation for both day and night data. This
table highlights the recommended Warning and Critical thresholds in yellow and
red, respectively.
In addition to using the recommended threshold values, you can hover the mouse
over any value in the table to bring up a tooltip dialog. The tooltip dialog allows
you to visualize, but not change, the value for the Warning or Critical threshold to
the value you are hovering over by simply clicking either link in the dialog.
Visualizing a value in this way will affect the chart above the table by
repositioning the shading indicating the Warning and Critical threshold areas.
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Understanding Baseline Details and Setting Thresholds
Understanding Baseline Details and Setting Thresholds
The right column of this view provides information about the data's calculation
and usage and allows you to set thresholds.
In the Current Thresholds Settings area, you can manually change the values for
both the Warning and Critical thresholds, or use the recommended values by
clicking Use Recommended Thresholds.
Additionally, you can add logic for these thresholds by selecting an operator from
the drop down list such as Greater Than, Less Than, Equal To, and so on. The
logical operator selected will apply to both the Warning and Critical thresholds
and cannot be separated. For example, if you select the Greater Than or Equal
to operator with a Warning threshold value of 80 and a Critical threshold of 90,
the thresholds will be considered met if the returned value for the current
performance counter meets or exceeds 80 for Warning or 90 for Critical.
Understanding Sustained Thresholds
The highlighted fields in the following illustration are available for configuring
sustained thresholds:
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The following two tables demonstrate possible sustained threshold conditions
based on the illustration above and how the Warning and Critical conditions are
met:
Working with Component Monitors
Component monitors are the building blocks of SolarWinds SAM. Each monitors
the status and performance of a different aspect of an application.
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Viewing the Component Monitor Library
You can perform the following activities to manage components using the
commands on the SAM Settings page:
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Viewing the Component Monitor Library
Managing Assigned Component Monitors
Managing Component Monitors within Templates
Viewing the Component Monitor Library
The component monitors in the library are grouped by monitor type in the tree
view display. For each component monitor, two numbers are displayed.
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The first number represents the number of Application Monitor templates
that contain the specified component monitor.
The second number represents the number of Application Monitors that contain the specified component monitor.
Expanding a component monitor shows two categories:
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Application Monitor templates that contain the specified component monitor
Application Monitors that contain the specified component monitor
Expanding a category displays the names of the templates or Application
Monitors for the category, respectively. Clicking the name of a template or
Application Monitor takes you to a page where you can edit that item.
Managing Assigned Component Monitors
You can manage individual component monitors that have been assigned to
collect data on a single object such as a process, port, or performance counter.
Management operations are described in the following sections:
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Creating a New Template with Assigned Component Monitors
Assigning Component Monitors to a Node
Copying Assigned Component Monitors to an Assigned Application Monitor
Copying Assigned Component Monitors to an Application Monitor Template
Editing Assigned Application Monitors
Deleting Assigned Application Monitors
Creating a New Template with Assigned Component Monitors
To quickly create a new template with assigned component monitors:
1. Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
2. Click the Applications tab.
3. Click SAM Settings.
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4. Click Manage Assigned Component Monitors.
5. Select the desired component type or assigned Application Monitor whose
component monitors you want to list.
6. Select the desired component monitor(s) to add to the new template.
7. Click Create New Template, specify the information for the new template,
and then click Submit.
Refer to the section “Creating New Templates” on page 397 for details
about specifying the template information.
8. To add additional component monitor(s) to add to the new template, click
Add Component Monitor.
9. Expand the component groups and check all the additional component
monitors you want to add.
Note: You can select multiple component monitors of the same type to be
added by entering a number in the field next to the check box for the component monitor and then checking the check box.
10. Click Submit.
11. Configure the component monitor settings, and then click Submit.
The new template is added to the list of all Application Monitor Templates.
Assigning Component Monitors to a Node
To quickly assign component monitors to a node:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Assigned Component Monitors.
Select the desired component type or assigned Application Monitor whose
component monitors you want to list.
Select the desired component monitor(s) to assign to a node.
Click Assign to Node.
Enter the name for the application, polling frequency, and polling timeout.
If you want to turn on extended debug information to assist Customer
Support, expand Advanced, set Debug logging On, and specify the Number of log files to keep. Here you can also select either 32bit or 64bit from
the drop down list entitled, Platform to run polling job on.
Note: Do not turn on Debug logging unless directed by Customer
Support.
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Copying Assigned Component Monitors to an Assigned Application Monitor
10. Click Next.
11. Select the nodes to which you want to assign the Application Monitor, and
then click Next.
12. If suitable credentials already exist, choose the credential from the
Choose Credential list.
13. If suitable credentials do not exist, choose <New Credential> from the
Choose Credential list, and then add the new credential by filling out the
credential details.
14. Click Test to test the credentials and component monitors against the test
node.
15. If the test fails, troubleshoot the problem based on the error messages,
and then retest the node.
16. If the test passes, click Assign Application Monitors.
Copying Assigned Component Monitors to an Assigned Application Monitor
To quickly copy component monitors to an assigned Application Monitor:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Assigned Component Monitors.
Select the desired component type or assigned Application Monitor whose
component monitors you want to list.
Select the desired component monitor(s) to copy to an assigned Application Monitor.
Click Copy to Assigned Application Monitor.
Select the desired Application Monitor(s) to copy to and click Submit.
Click OK to acknowledge the successful copy.
Copying Assigned Component Monitors to an Application Monitor Template
To quickly copy component monitors to an Application Monitor template:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Assigned Component Monitors.
Select the desired component type or assigned Application Monitor whose
component monitors you want to list.
6. Select the desired component monitor(s) to copy to an assigned Application Monitor.
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7. Click Copy to Application Monitor Template.
8. Select the desired template(s) to copy to and click Submit.
9. Click OK to acknowledge the successful copy.
Editing Assigned Application Monitors
To edit the assigned Application Monitor for a component monitor:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Assigned Component Monitors.
Select the desired component type or assigned Application Monitor whose
component monitors you want to edit.
6. Select the desired component monitor whose assigned Application Monitor you want to edit.
7. Click Edit Assigned Application Monitor.
8. Edit the desired settings and then click Submit. The edited Application
Monitor is displayed in the list of Assigned Application Monitors.
Deleting Assigned Application Monitors
To delete an assigned component monitor:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Assigned Component Monitors.
Select the desired component type or assigned Application Monitor whose
component monitor(s) you want to delete.
6. Select the desired component monitor(s) that you want to delete.
7. Click Delete.
8. Click Yes to confirm the deletion of the component monitor(s).
Managing Component Monitors within Templates
You can manipulate and manage the component monitors that are inside the
Application Monitor templates in several ways:
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Creating a New Template from Existing Component Monitors
Creating Assigned Application Monitors from Existing Component Monitors
Copying a Component Monitor
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Listing the Component Monitors Defined in a Template
Listing the Component Monitors Defined in a Template
To quickly see the different component monitors within your templates:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Click Manage Component Monitors (within Templates), near the top right
corner of the window.
6. Select Template in the Group by list.
7. Select the desired template whose component monitors you want to list.
Creating a New Template from Existing Component Monitors
To create a new template that contains copies of existing component monitors:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Click Manage Component Monitors (within Templates), near the top right
corner of the window.
6. Check the check box next to the component monitors you want in the new
template.
7. Click Create New Template, specify the information for the new template,
and then click Submit.
Refer to the section “Creating New Templates” on page 397 for details about
specifying the template information.
Creating Assigned Application Monitors from Existing Component Monitors
To create assigned Application Monitors from existing component monitors:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Click Manage Component Monitors (within Templates), near the top right
corner of the window.
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6. Check the check box next to the component monitors you want in the
assigned Application Monitors.
7. Click Assign to Node.
8. Specify the name for the application, polling frequency, and polling timeout.
9. If you want to turn on extended debug information to assist Customer
Support, expand Advanced, set Debug logging On, and specify the Number of log files to keep. Here you can also select either 32bit or 64bit from
the drop down list entitled, Platform to run polling job on.
Note: Do not turn on Debug logging unless directed by Customer Support.
10. Click Next.
11. Select the nodes for which you want to create the assigned Application Monitors, and then click Next.
12. If suitable credentials already exist, choose the credential from the
Choose Credential list.
13. If suitable credentials do not exist, choose <New Credential> from the
Choose Credential list, and then add the new credential by filling out the
credential details.
14. Click Test to test the credentials and component monitors against the test
node.
15. If the test fails, troubleshoot the problem based on the error messages, and
then retest the node.
16. If the test passes, click Assign Application Monitors.
Copying a Component Monitor
To copy a component monitor to a template or an assigned Application Monitor:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Click Manage Component Monitors (within Templates), near the top right
corner of the window.
Check the check box next to the component monitors you want to copy.
Click Copy to.
If you want to copy to an assigned Application Monitor, click Copy to
Assigned Application Monitor.
If you want to copy to a template, click Copy to Application Monitor
Template.
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Choosing Component Monitors and Templates Based on Protocol
10. Check the check boxes next to the template or assigned Application Monitors to which you wish to copy the component monitors, and then click Submit.
Choosing Component Monitors and Templates
Based on Protocol
If you have a choice between components or templates that return the needed
value using different protocols, consider the following guidelines for making your
choice, based on the protocol:
1. SNMP is the best protocol to use from the reliability and speed perspective.
It is much faster and more reliable than both Performance counters and
WMI, and it has lowest impact on system performance.
2. WMI calls can sometimes take a relatively long time, and they have a significant overhead.
RPC vs. WMI
The reason some SAM templates only use RPC is primarily customer demand.
RPC is generally considered more reliable. It also uses less overheard making it
faster than WMI and it is firewall friendly. There are distinct advantages and
disadvantages to both RPC and WMI, which is why SAM utilizes both methods
for retrieving information.
For more information, see Agents.
Web Service Monitoring
For custom web services that need to be monitored, SAM offers the ability to
utilize the following technologies:
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JSON: JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is an open standard format that
uses human-readable text to transmit data objects consisting of attribute–
value pairs. It is used primarily to transmit data between a server and web
application, as an alternative to XML.
Note: Inserted JSON content cannot exceed 1MB in size.
SOAP: Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is a protocol used for
exchanging information in the implementation of web services in computer
networks. It relies on XML for its message format, and usually relies on other
application layer protocols. The SOAP monitor is useful if you have custom
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web services that need to be monitored.
Note: Currently, the SOAP monitor within SAM can return a status of either
Up or Down, or return a status of Warning or Critical based on response
time thresholds. This monitor also has the ability to search for the presence
of a string.
For more information, see:
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SOAP Monitor
HTTP Monitor
HTTPS Monitor
JSON
JSON
JSON is accepted in the HTTP monitor and HTTPS monitor, as shown below.
Following is an example of JSON code:
{
"firstname": "Kate"
"lastname": "Asaff"
"age" : 29
"city" : "Austin"
}
Notes:
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SolarWinds Technical Support does not provide support for custom scripts.
For more information, see:
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HTTP Monitor
HTTPS Monitor
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SOAP Monitor
SOAP Monitor
This page provides general information concerning the SOAP monitor and how it
works. For information concerning the individual fields of the SOAP monitor, see
SOAP Component Monitor.
Note: Currently, the SOAP monitor within SAM can return a status of either Up or
Down, or return a status of Warning or Critical based on response time
thresholds. This monitor also has the ability to search for the presence of a string.
Definitions:
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SOAP: (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a protocol used for exchanging
information in the implementation of web services in computer networks. It
relies on XML for its message format, and usually relies on other application
layer protocols, most notably Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
WSDL: (Web Services Description Language). The Web Services Description Language is an XML-based interface description language that is used
for describing the functionality offered by a web service.
XML: Extensible Markup Language is a markup language that defines a set
of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable
and machine-readable.
About the SOAP Monitor
Currently, the SOAP monitor within SAM can return a status of either Up or Down,
or return a status of Warning or Critical based on response time thresholds. This
monitor also has the ability to search for the presence of a string. You can test the
SOAP monitor in Edit mode. If the test poll throws a web exception (indicating
that there was a problem on the target) the response content is extracted and you
will be able to view the message to help identify the issue.
For more information, see Configuring the SOAP Monitor.
Configuring the SOAP Monitor
The are two ways to configure the SOAP monitor:
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Loading a WSDL file.
Manually entering XML.
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Loading WSDL Files
The SOAP monitor within SAM currently supports the WSDL schema, which must
be exposed on a URL. Once the WSDL file is successfully loaded, the file will be
parsed automatically and the fields, highlighted below, will populate.
Once the WSDL file has been successfully loaded, you can specify values for the
available arguments. There are two types of arguments, simple, and complex.
A simple argument is one where you can define the value directly. A
complex.argument (e.g. structures, classes, list, and so on) must be user-defined
in the XML format. It is recommended that complex arguments be used only by
experienced users.
Note:The Advanced Settings are read-only and displays additional information.
Because the SOAP envelope is based on the WSDL schema, the Advanced
Settings values should not be changed.
The SOAP XML field contains the SOAP envelope which is generated by the
WSDL and dynamically changes as you make changes to the SOAP settings. In
this field you can check what will be sent to the web service.
Important: If changes are made to any of the base SOAP settings, the content of
the SOAP XML will be re-generated and your changes will be lost.
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Loading WSDL FilesThe SOAP monitor within SAM currently supports the WSDL
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Manually Entering XML
The following is an example of a Complex argument and would be placed in the
Parameters field. SAM will automatically take the code and place it where it
belongs in the envelope:
<tempPhoneNumber xmlns:ns2="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/" xsi:type="ns2:Array"
ns2:arrayType="ns1:TemporaryPhoneNumber[3]">
<item xsi:type="ns1:TemporaryPhoneNumber">
<startDate xsi:type="xsd:int">37060</startDate>
<endDate xsi:type="xsd:int">37064</endDate>
<phoneNumber xsi:type="xsd:string">+1-212-5551234</phoneNumber>
</item>
<item xsi:type="ns1:TemporaryPhoneNumber">
<startDate xsi:type="xsd:int">37074</startDate>
<endDate xsi:type="xsd:int">37078</endDate>
<phoneNumber xsi:type="xsd:string">+1-212-5554321</phoneNumber>
</item>
<item xsi:type="ns1:TemporaryPhoneNumber">
<startDate xsi:type="xsd:int">37088</startDate>
<endDate xsi:type="xsd:int">37092</endDate>
<phoneNumber xsi:type="xsd:string">+1-212-5557890</phoneNumber>
</item>
</tempPhoneNumber>
XML can also be entered manually by typing or pasting XML.
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Scripting Custom Component Monitors
For more information, see:
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Web Service Monitoring
SOAP Component Monitor
Scripting Custom Component Monitors
Ten output pairs can be returned when using script monitors. This new ability
greatly improves flexibility in the way information is returned.
A usage example using the PowerShell script monitor might go something like
this:
Imagine you have an Exchange PowerShell script. With multiple values returned,
you can get a mail traffic report broken down by day, hour, message size, and
number of recipients.
Note: If you exceed the maximum number of allowed output pairs of ten, the
remainder above the tenth output pair will simply be ignored.
The following sections provide information and guidance to help you create some
of the more complicated types of component monitors.
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Creating a Linux/Unix Script Monitor
Creating a Windows Script Monitor
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Creating a Nagios Script Monitor
Creating a Windows PowerShell Monitor
For general information about the settings for each component monitor, click the
More Information help link in the SolarWinds SAM component monitor
description.
Note: SolarWinds fully supports scripts written and provided by the company;
however, we do not provide customer support for custom scripts written by outside
sources. SolarWinds does provide sample scripts that we do support located at:
C:\Program Files\SolarWinds\Orion\APM\Sample-Script Monitors.
For information on using Data Transformations, refer to the following sections:
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Conversion Value
Available Data Transformations
Creating a Linux/Unix Script Monitor
Linux/Unix Script component monitors allow you to execute a command line
script that can return statistical data. When collecting information for this monitor,
Server & Application Monitor runs the script with the credentials you define with
the Credential Library.
Note: A maximum of 10 output pairs can be returned. If you exceed the maximum
allowed, remove the excess output pairs or they will simply be ignored.
To adapt an existing Perl script to a Linux/Unix Script component monitor in
a new template:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Create a new template underneath Application Monitor Templates.
Type a name for your template in the Template Name field.
If you want to turn on extended debug information to assist Customer
Support, expand Advanced, set Debug logging On, and specify the Number of log files to keep.
Here you can also select either 32bit or 64bit from the drop down list
entitled, Platform to run polling job on.
Note: Do not turn on Debug logging unless directed by Customer Support.
7. Click Add Component Monitor.
8. Expand the Custom Component Monitors group, and then check
Linux/Unix Script Monitor.
375
To adapt an existing Perl script to a Linux/Unix Script component monitor in a
9. Click Submit.
10. Select credentials with SSH permissions in the Credential for Monitoring
field.
11. Type a valid working directory in the Script Working Directory field
12. Click Edit to open the script dialog and enter your script into the Script
Body field.
13. Type the Linux command that runs the script in the Command Line field. It
should be similar to the following: perl ${SCRIPT} arg1 arg2.
Note: {SCRIPT} is replaced by the actual file name of the script after
it’s deployed to the target node. (A temporary file is created in temp
directory for the script).
14. Click Get Script Output. SAM will then test the script by executing it and
parse its output, then return the values.
15. Click Save.
16. Specify the critical and warning thresholds.
17. Click Submit.
Here is a sample Perl script using the Linux/Unix component monitor returning
multiple output pairs, in this case, two: Note: The code in red shows where the
output pairs are defined.
#!/usr/bin/perl
if (@ARGV[0] =~ /\bhelp\b/)
{
print "MemoryUsage.pl SNMPver community hostname\n";
print "SNMPver - version of SNMP protocol\n";
print "community - community name of SNMP protocol\n";
print "hostname - Target host\n";
}
# Get hostname and trim newline
$localhost = `hostname`;
$localhost =~ s/\s*$//g;
$hostname = shift || $localhost;
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$community = shift || "public";
$version = shift || "v1";
$results = "";
$MIB_TotalMemory = "UCD-SNMP-MIB::memTotalReal.0";
#$MIB_TotalMemory = "UCD-SNMP-MIB::memTotalReal.0";
$outres = "snmpget -$version -c $community $hostname $MIB_
TotalMemory |";
open(OUTMEM,$outres) || die "Unable read pipe\n";
while ($line = <OUTMEM>) {
if ($line =~ /\bINTEGER\b/) {
$indval = index($line,"=");
$indval=inde($line,":",$indval);
$val = substr($line,$indval+1,length($line) - $indval);
$val =~ s/[a-zA-Z\/\n ]//
print "Message.1: Available memory at host \"$hostname\": $val
in kB\n";
print "Statistic.1: $val\n";
print "Message.2: Again, the available memory at host \"$hostname\": $val in kB\n";
print "Statistic.2: $val \n";
exit 0;
}
}
print "Statistic: 0\n";
exit 1;
Below is the output from this script:
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Linux/Unix Scripts
Linux/Unix Scripts
Linux/Unix scripts are uploaded by SSH and then run on the target node using
the string from the Command Line field.
You can use the following variable in the command line field:
${SCRIPT}
Replaced with the script body.
You can use the following variables in the script body field:
${IP}
Replaced with the target node’s IP address.
${USER}
Replaced with the user name from the credential.
${PASSWORD}
Replaced with the password from the credential.
Example Scripts
There are several sample scripts installed with SolarWinds SAM you can use to
create Linux/Unix script component monitors. These sample scripts are installed
on your SolarWinds SAM server, in the folder:
C:\Program Files\SolarWinds\Orion\APM\SampleScriptMonitors\LinuxScript
s
Scripts Must Report Status Through Exit Codes
Scripts must report their status by exiting with the appropriate exit code:
Exit Code
Meaning
0
Up
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1
Down
2
Warning
3
Critical
Any other value Unknown
For example, if you want to inform SolarWinds SAM that a Script reports Up
status, you would exit the script using code similar to the following, where 0
reports Up:
Wscript.quit(0)
Scripts with Text Output
Scripts report additional details by sending text to the script’s standard output.
In APM 4.0.2 and earlier, each line of output contained a single detail in the
following format:
DetailType:Value
# Script output comment
Message: The directory contains too many files.
Statistic: 5
While this is still true, SAM now supports multiple values returned by a script
using the following format.
Statistic.Name1: xMessage.Name1: abc
Statistic.Name2: yMessage.Name2: abc
Detail
Type
Required Meaning
Statistic
Yes
A numeric value used to determine how the monitor
compares to its set thresholds. This must be an integer
value, (negative numbers are supported).
Statistic.Name1: 123Statistic.Name2: 456
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Creating a Windows Script Monitor
Message No
An error or information message to be displayed in the
monitor status details. Note: Multi-line messages are
supported. To use this functionality print each line using
a separate command. For example:
Message.Name1: abc
Message.Name2: def
There is a limit of ten Statistic and Message pairs for the script. These can
be placed anywhere in the script output. The Statistic and Message names
you give must contain valid letters and/or numbers.
Note: A maximum of 10 output pairs can be returned. If you have exceeded the
maximum allowed, remove the excess output pairs or they will simply be ignored.
Sample output:
# Script comment: This shows two pairs. Ten pairs are possible.
Statistic.CPU: 31.08
Message.CPU: svchost.exe cpu usage
Statistic.RAM: 1234.56
Message.RAM: svchost.exe ram usage
For information on creating a Nagios Script Monitor, see " Creating a Nagios
Script Monitor" on page 387.
Creating a Windows Script Monitor
This component monitor runs a Windows script on the SolarWinds SAM server
and then processes the script's exit code and text output. This monitor has the
ability to return up to ten pairs, i.e.: 10 statistic values + 10 [optional] messages.
This is best used in conjunction with the "Multiple Statistic Chart."
Note: A maximum of 10 output pairs can be returned. If you exceed the maximum
allowed, remove the excess output pairs or they will simply be ignored.
Statistic
The statistic for this component monitor is the value returned by the script.
Script Monitor Formatting:
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
At least one message and statistic is required. The statistic must be a
valid integer and be able to be converted to double, otherwise it is
handled as Not as Number (NaN)There is no maximum length for the
message; however, only alphanumeric characters and the underscore
are allowed.
Field Descriptions
Description
This field provides a default description of the monitor. You have the ability
to override the default description by adding to or replacing the text, which
will then be automatically saved. The variable to access this field is
${UserDescription}. For more information, see “Configuring SolarWinds
SAM Alerts"
Component Type
This describes the type of monitor you are using.
Enable Component
This option determines whether or not the component is enabled. Disabling
this component leaves it in the application as deactivated and does not
influence application availability or status.
Credential for Monitoring
Select a Windows credential that is both a user who can log on to the
SolarWinds SAM server, and has sufficient rights on the target node (which
may be the SAM server itself, depending upon your application) to do
whatever the script needs to do. For example, if the script does something
with WMI, the credentials also need WMI rights on the target node. If the
credential you need is not already present in the credentials list, use the
Quick Credentials section to add a new credential.
Script Engine
This field allows you to specify the scripting language to be used. The
default value is vbscript. Below is a list of scripting engines that the
Windows Script Host supports:
Name
File Extensions Availability
VBScript
.vbs
Installed by default
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Field Descriptions
JScript
.js
Installed by default
PerlScript
.pls
Freeware
ooRexxScript
.rxs
Freeware
PythonScript
.pys
Freeware
TclScript
.tcls
Freeware
ActivePHPScript
.phps
Freeware
RubyScript
.rbs
Freeware
Object Rexx engine
Commercial
Delphi scripting engine
Commercial
Note: VBscript runs locally on the SAM server only. PowerShell uses
WINRM that runs over TCP ports 5985 and 5986. All Linux, Unix, and
Nagios script monitors use SSH over TCP Port 22.
Roll-Up
This option allows you to choose how you would like the monitor to report
the returned results based on the output provided by the script. With the
ability to have multiple values returned, selecting how your scripts report
back to you offers more flexibility. The default selection is “Show worst
status.” For more information, see Managing the Display of Group Status” on
page 292.
Script
This field allows you to enter the script you want to run on the target node.
To enter your script, click the Edit button that reveals the script editing
window.
Script Arguments
This field is in the script editing window and allows you to specify
arguments to pass to the script. You may include the variables ${IP},
${USER}, and ${PASSWORD}, which are replaced respectively by the IP
address of the target node, the credential user name, and the credential
password.
Body
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This field is in the script editing window and allows you to enter your script
via typing or pasting.
User Notes
This field allows you to add notes for easy reference. You can access this
field by using the variable, ${UserNotes}. For more information, see
“Configuring SolarWinds SAM Alerts"
Creating a Windows Script Monitor
You can create a Windows Script monitor to have SolarWinds SAM run a script
using Windows Script Host. Windows Script Host comes with VBScript and
Jscript, but can be extended with other scripting languages.
Scripts run on the SolarWinds SAM server and use the credentials you specify.
The script must both return an exit code and output a text string containing a
statistic value conforming to the specifications described later in this section.
Note: Format the Statistic value to use the same decimal separator as the
SolarWinds SAM server. The SolarWinds SAM server uses the decimal separator
set by its Microsoft Windows regional settings.
To adapt an existing Visual Basic script to a Windows Script Monitor in a
new template:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Create a New Template underneath Application Monitor Templates.
Type a name for your template in the Template Name field.
If you want to turn on extended debug information to assist Customer
Support, expand Advanced and then set Debug loggingOn and specify
the Number of log files to keep. Here you can also select either 32bit or
64bit from the drop down list entitled, Platform to run polling job on.
Note: Do not turn on Debug logging unless directed by Customer
Support.
7. Click Add Component Monitor.
8. Expand the Custom Component Monitors group, and then check WindowsScript Monitor.
9. Click Submit.
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Macros for Script Arguments
10. Select credentials with the appropriate permissions to run the script on the
SolarWinds SAM server, and that also has appropriate permissions to do
whatever else the script requires.
11. Copy the Visual Basic script into the Script Body field.
12. Type any script arguments into the Script Arguments field.
13. Specify the critical and warning thresholds.
14. Click Submit.
Macros for Script Arguments
Specify script arguments in the Script Arguments field if needed. You can use the
following variables as script arguments:
${IP}
This is replaced with the target node’s IP Address.
${USER}
This is replaced with the user name from the credential set.
${PASSWORD}
This is replaced with the password from the credential set.
Scripts Must Report Status Through Exit Codes
Scripts must report their status by exiting with the appropriate exit code:
Exit Code
Meaning
0
Up
1
Down
2
Warning
3
Critical
Any other value Unknown
For example, if you want to inform SolarWinds SAM that a VBScript reports Up
status, you would exit the script using code similar to the following, where 0
reports Up:
Wscript.quit(0)
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
Scripts with Text Output
Scripts report additional details by sending text to the script’s standard output.
SAM supports multiple values returned by a script using the following format.
Statistic.Name1: xMessage.Name1: abc
Statistic.Name2: yMessage.Name2: abc
Detail
Type
Required Meaning
Statistic
Yes
Message No
A numeric value used to determine how the monitor
compares to its set thresholds. This must be an integer
value, (negative numbers are supported).
Statistic.Name1: 123Statistic.Name2: 456
An error or information message to be displayed in the
monitor status details. Note: Multi-line messages are
supported. To use this functionality print each line using
a separate command. For example:
Message.Name1: abc
Message.Name2: def
There is a limit of ten Statistic and Message pairs for the script. These can be
placed anywhere in the script output. The Statistic and Message names you give
must contain valid letters and/or numbers.
Sample output:
# Script comment: This shows two pairs. Ten pairs are possible.
Statistic.CPU: 31.08Message.CPU: svchost.exe cpu usage
Statistic.RAM: 1234.56Message.RAM: svchost.exe ram usage
Example Scripts
Below is a sample vbscript that returns two values; the total number of files in a
folder, and twice the total number of files in the same folder. The code that
represents these two values are bold, To use this script, copy and paste the
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Example Scripts
following code into the Script Body field. In the Scripts Arguments field, type in
C:\Windows, or any other folder you want to monitor.
Option Explicit
On Error Resume Next
Dim lstArgs, path, fso, objDir, objFiles, objFiles2
Set lstArgs = WScript.Arguments
If lstArgs.Count = 1 Then
path
= Trim( lstArgs( 0 ))
Else
WScript.Echo "Message: Usage: wscript.exe filelist.vbs [pathToFiles]"
&vbCRLF &"[pathToFiles] Local or UNC Path"
WScript.Echo "Statistic: 0"
WScript.Echo "Message: Usage: wscript.exe filelist.vbs [pathToFiles]"
&vbCRLF &"[pathToFiles] Local or UNC Path"
WScript.Echo "Statistic: 0"
WScript.Quit( 1 )
End If
Set fso = Wscript.CreateObject( "Scripting.FileSystemObject" )
If fso.FolderExists( path ) Then
Set objDir = fso.GetFolder( path )
If( IsEmpty( objDir ) = True ) Then
WScript.Echo "Message: Object Not Initialized"
WScript.Echo "Statistic: 0"
WScript.Quit( 1 )
End If
Set objFiles = objDir.Files
If( IsEmpty( objFiles ) = true) Then
WScript.Echo "Message: Object Not Initialized"
WScript.Echo "Statistic: 0"
WScript.Quit( 1 )
End If
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WScript.Echo "Message.Total: " & CInt( objFiles.Count ) & " files in this
folder."
WScript.Echo "Statistic.Total: " & CInt( objFiles.Count )
WScript.Echo "Message.Twice: " & CInt( objFiles.Count*2 ) & " = twice the
number of files in this folder."
WScript.Echo "Statistic.Twice: " & CInt( objFiles.Count*2 )
WScript.Quit( 0 )
Else
WScript.Echo( "Message: Folder Not Found" )
WScript.Echo "Statistic: 0"
WScript.Quit( 1 )
End If
There are several examples of Windows Script component monitors included in
templates. These include: File Count, File Modified, LDAP Connection Monitor,
Run 3rd Party Application, and Windows Event Log Count.
Sample scripts are installed on your SolarWinds SAM server, in the folder:
C:\Program Files\
SolarWinds\Orion\APM\SampleScriptMonitors\WindowsScripts
For another example of a Windows Script component monitor, see “Monitoring
Large Directories” on page 162.
Creating a Nagios Script Monitor
This component uses SSH to upload a Nagios script to a Linux/Unix server, runs
the Nagios script on the server and then processes the script's exit code and text
output. This monitor has the ability to return multiple values.
Note: A maximum of 10 output pairs can be returned. If you exceed the maximum
allowed, remove the excess output pairs or they will simply be ignored.
Return Codes
Nagios determines the status of a host or service by evaluating the return code.
The following table shows a list of valid return codes, along with their
corresponding service or host states.
387
Field Descriptions
Return Code Service State Host State
0
OK
Up
1
Warning
Up or Down/Unreachable†
2
Critical
Down/Unreachable
3
Unknown
Down/Unreachable
___________________
† If the Use Aggressive Host Checking option is enabled, return codes of 1 will result in a host
state of DOWN, otherwise return codes of 1 will result in a host state of UP.
Your Nagios script must exit with a valid return code and a line of text output. The
exit code determines the status of the component. If the exit code is 0 (OK), the
component status may be further modified by thresholds from the optional
statistics. To return up to ten optional statistics, separate the statistics from the
status message with the pipe (|) symbol using the following syntax:
statusMessage [|'statisticName'=value]
Below is an example of valid output with a status message and two statistics:
The script ran. | 'CPU%'=75.2 'MemoryRemainingInKB'=600784
Statistic
The statistic for this component monitor is the value returned by the script. For
more information, see http://nagios.sourceforge.net/docs/3_0/pluginapi.html.
Field Descriptions
Description
This field provides a default description of the monitor. You have the ability
to override the default description by adding to or replacing the text, which
will then be automatically saved. The variable to access this field is
${UserDescription}. For more information, see “Configuring SolarWinds
SAM Alerts"
Component Type
This describes the type of monitor you are using.
Enable Component
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
This option determines whether or not the component is enabled. Disabling
this component leaves it in the application as deactivated and does not
influence application availability or status.
Authentication Type
Select Username and Password or Username and Private Key. For more
information, see "Certificate Credentials Library" on page 340.
Credential for Monitoring
Select a credential that can access the Linux or Unix server over SSH and that
has sufficient rights to run scripts. If the credential you need is not already present
in the credentials list, use the Quick Credentials section to add a new credential.
Certificates are also supported. For more information, see "Certificate Credentials
Library" on page 340.
Port Number
This field allows you to specify the port number used for the SSH
connection. The default value is 22.
Script Working Directory
This field allows you to specify the working directory of the script process.
Check Type
This determines how the return code is evaluated.
Status Roll-Up
This option allows you to choose how you would like the monitor to report
based on the output provided by the script. The default selection is “Show
worst status.” For more information, see “Managing the Display of Group
Status" on page 292.
Command Line
This field is in the script editing window and allows you to specify the shell
command run after the SSH connection is established. The default
command line value perl ${SCRIPT} arg1 arg2 attempts to run in a Perl
interpreter the script defined in the Body field using the parameters arg1
arg2.
Note: The length of the Command Line field is limited to 266 characters for
Solaris systems, minus the length of the ${SCRIPT} variable after being
resolved to a file name such as the following: APM_937467589.pl. Since
the length of the file name will typically be around 16 characters, this means
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Creating a Windows PowerShell Monitor
that the actual user Command Line input cannot be longer than 266 – 16, or
250 characters (not including the length of the 9 characters for the
“${SCRIPT}” variable itself). If you need to pass a longer command line to
the target node, you can create a shell script on the target node (for
example: myscript.sh) that contains the long command line and place the
call to this script in the Command Line field, for example: /opt/sw/myscript.sh
Body
This field is in the script editing window and allows you to enter your script
via typing or pasting.
User Notes
This field allows you to add notes for easy reference. You can access this
field by using the variable, ${UserNotes}. For more information, see
“Configuring SolarWinds SAM Alerts"
Creating a Windows PowerShell Monitor
With this, you can create a monitor that runs a Windows PowerShell script to
monitor specific performance information for troubleshooting a Windows process
that may be having issues.
Note: A maximum of 10 output pairs can be returned. If you exceed the maximum
allowed, remove the excess output pairs or they will simply be ignored.
What needs to be monitored:
The process you want to monitor is lsass.exe, which enforces security on the
system for users who are logging on, changing passwords, and so forth. In
particular, you want to monitor the average number of read operations performed
to check for spikes.
You decide to use the Windows PowerShell monitor to run a PowerShell script
that uses the Get-WmiObject call to measure the average ReadOperationCount
for the lsass.exe process and monitor its value.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Create a New Template underneath Application Monitor Templates.
Type a name for your template in the Template Name field, for example
Lsass.exe PowerShell Monitor.
6. If you want to turn on extended debug information to assist Customer
Support, expand Advanced and then set Debug logging On and specify
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
the Number of log files to keep.
Here you can also select either 32bit or 64bit from the drop down list
entitled, Platform to run polling job on.
Note: Do not turn on Debug logging unless directed by Customer Support.
Click Add Component Monitor.
Expand the Custom Component Monitors group, and then check Windows PowerShell Monitor.
Click Add..
Select the Credential for Monitoring with appropriate permissions to run
the script on the SolarWinds SAM server, and that also has appropriate permissions to do whatever else the script requires (in our case, to get the
average number of read operations performed on the target node).
Select the Execution Mode to use:
l Local Host can run scripts only locally, that is, on the SolarWinds
SAM server.
l Remote Host can execute scripts remotely (on the remote target
node to which the Windows PowerShell monitor is assigned) using
the Windows Remote Management (WRM) system component. WRM
should be configured separately to get it working with the Windows
PowerShell monitor.
Copy the following PowerShell script, which uses the Get-WmiObject call
to measure the average ReadOperationCount for the lsass.exe process,
into the Script Body field:
$avg = Get-WmiObject win32_process -ComputerName '${IP}' Credential '${CREDENTIAL}' | Where-Object {$_.Name -eq
"lsass.exe" } | Measure-Object -property ReadOperationCount Average;
Write-Host 'Statistic: ' $avg.Averageexit(0)
The PowerShell code does the following:
a. Reads the average ReadOperationCount information for the process
lsass.exe from the computer whose IP address is specified by the variable ${IP}using the credential specified by the variable
${CREDENTIAL}.
Note: The user name from the Credential for Monitoring that is
specified is stored automatically in the ${CREDENTIAL} variable by
the monitor. Therefore the ${CREDENTIAL} variable should not be
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What needs to be monitored:
placed in the Script Arguments field, since it is set automatically.
When the script is run by powershell, since no password has been
provided, it prompts for a password and the password from the
Credential for Monitoring that is specified is provided automatically by
the Windows Powershell monitor.
b. Writes the statistic information gathered by the script.
c. Exits the script.
Note: The script does no error checking.
13. Enter the following Script Arguments:
Use the token ${IP}and the IP address will be filled in with the IP address
of the target node. You can then access the value in the script body using
the variable ${IP}.
For example, if you type the following for Script Arguments:
${IP}
the PowerShell script will be able to access the IP address for the target
node using the variable ${IP} in the script body.
14. Select Run the script under specified account to enable impersonation
with the component's credentials. (This works only in local script execution
mode.)
15. Select Count Statistic as Difference to change the statistic to be the difference in query values between polling cycles.
16. Change the Statistic Warning Threshold to greater than 800.
17. Change the Statistic Critical Threshold to greater than 1000.
18. Click Set test node.
19. Browse the tree view, select the desired target node for the PowerShell
script, and then click Select.
20. Click Test.
21. If the test fails, see “Troubleshooting the Lsass.exe PowerShell Monitor.”
22. If the test passes, click Submit.
23. Click All in the Select tag to filter by list.
24. Locate the Lsass.exe PowerShell Monitor. Beneath the listed templates,
locate the Page control. Click the right arrow twice to scroll to page 3.
25. Click the check box next to Lsass.exe PowerShell Monitor.
26. Click Assign to Node.
27. Expand the tree view and select the target node which you tested the script
with in step 18.
28. Click Next.
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29. Since you already assigned credentials and tested them in the template,
check the check box next to Inherit credentials from template.
30. Click Test to confirm the credentials and component monitor against the
test node.
31. Click Assign Application Monitors.
32. Click Done.
Troubleshooting the Lsass.exe PowerShell Monitor
Verify that you are entering the user name and password of an administrator-level
account. If you think you have entered an incorrect credential, correct the mistake
and then retest.
Make sure that the RPC server is available and that the Windows PowerShell
execution policy is not set to Restricted (the default setting). You can check the
execution policy by entering the following command at the PowerShell command
prompt:
Get-ExecutionPolicy
If you are having trouble using the Windows PowerShell Monitor, see the
following KB article for some useful tips:
http://knowledgebase.solarwinds.com/kb/questions/2203
Using Application Monitor Templates
This section discusses the many operations you can perform in SolarWinds SAM
regarding the use and management of Application Monitor templates. The topics
include:
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
l
Scanning Nodes for Applications
Manually Assign Application Monitors
Creating New Templates
Copying Templates
Exporting and Importing Templates Locally or Using Thwack
Deleting Templates
Managing Component Monitors within Templates
Tagging Templates
Scanning Nodes for Applications
SolarWinds SAM can scan nodes for you and automatically assign the
Application Monitors it deems suitable for each scanned node. You control the
393
To use the application discovery:
nodes to be scanned, the application templates used in the scan, and the
scanning parameters that determine a match.
To use the application discovery:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Scan Nodes for Applications.
Follow the instructions in the Select Nodes Wizard.
Follow the instructions in the Select Applications Wizard.
Follow the instructions in the Enter Credentials Wizard.
Follow the instructions in the Review & Start Scan Wizard.
Follow the instructions in the Add UX Monitors Wizard.
Select Nodes
Click [+] in the list to expand the node groups and to select the nodes you want to
scan.
Select Applications
To keep the time it takes to scan to a minimum, we recommend you initially scan
for only a limited number of application templates. To see more application
templates, select a different template group from the Show Only list.
To adjust the template assignment criteria, expand Advanced Scan Settings
and move the slider to the desired setting:
Exact Match
All the components must match to assign the template.
Strong Match
Most of the components must match to assign the template.
Partial Match
Some of the components must match to assign the template.
Minimal Match
At least one component must match to assign the template.
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
Enter Credentials
Some application templates require credentials either to access restricted
resources, or to run within the context of a specific user. To scan for these
templates, add the necessary credentials to the list. If a template you are scanning
for requires credentials, the credentials in this list are tried in the order in which
they appear.
Warning: Credentials are tried several times over the course of a scan, so an
incorrect password is likely to lock out an account. To avoid potential account
lockouts that affect actual users, we recommend you create and use service
accounts. A service account is an account that is created specifically for the
purpose of providing credentials to use for SolarWinds monitoring. With service
accounts, no actual user is affected by an account lockout if a password should
be entered incorrectly.
If you have domains sharing user names with different passwords, we
recommend you run separate application discoveries for each domain.
Review & Start Scan
Review the summary for the scan. If the automatic discovery matches templates
that are already assigned to the node, by default the template is not assigned a
second time. If you want to assign duplicate templates, select Yes, Assign
Anyway from the Do you want to assign duplicates list.
Click Start Scan to begin the scan. The scan runs in the background. You are
notified by a message near the top of the window when scanning is completed.
Click View results to see the results of the scan.
Add UX Monitors
You cannot scan for user experience (UX) monitors, but you can assign them to
nodes manually. Adding monitors from this page does not affect your scan.
Manually Assign Application Monitors
The quickest way to assign Application Monitors to nodes is through the Add
New Application Monitors Wizard, but you can also assign them through the
Manage Templates page.
To assign a template using the wizard:
1. Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
2. Click the Applications tab.
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To assign a template through the Manage Application Monitor Templates page:
3. Click SAM Settings.
4. Click Manually Assign Application Monitors.
5. Select the Application Monitor template you want to apply, and then click
Next.
6. Select the server node or nodes to which you want to apply the Application
Monitor template, and then click Next.
7. If suitable credentials already exist, choose the credential from the
Choose Credential list.
8. If suitable credentials do not exist, choose <New Credential> from the
Choose Credential list, and then add the new credential by filling out the
credential details.
9. Click Test to test the credentials and component monitors against the test
node.
10. If the test fails, troubleshoot the problem based on the error messages, and
then retest the node.
11. If the test passes, click Assign Application Monitors.
To assign a template through the Manage Application Monitor Templates
page:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Select the tag by which to filter the templates.
Check the check box next to the template you want to assign.
Click Assign to Node.
Select the server node or nodes to which you want to apply the Application
Monitor template, and then click Next.
If suitable credentials already exist, choose the credential from the
Choose Credential list.
If suitable credentials do not exist, choose <New Credential> from the
Choose Credential list, and then add the new credential by filling out the
credential details.
Click Test to test the credentials and component monitors against the test
node.
If the test fails, troubleshoot the problem based on the error messages, and
then retest the node.
If the test passes, click Assign Application Monitors.
Review the information for the assigned Application Monitor and then click
Done.
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Creating New Templates
SolarWinds SAM allows you to create new templates by bundling component
monitors together. There are two ways of creating a template from scratch. The
traditional method allows you to create any kind of template. The browsing
method only creates templates monitoring services, processes, and performance
counters.
Creating New Templates Using the Traditional Method:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Create a new template.
Type a name for your template in the Template Name field.
Specify the values for the Polling Frequency and Polling Timeout fields.
Note: Setting a polling frequency below 30 seconds can result in erratic
monitor behavior.
7. If you want to turn on extended debug information to assist Customer
Support, expand Advanced and then turn Debug logging On and specify
the Number of log files to keep. Here you can also select either 32bit or
64bit from the drop down list entitled, Platform to run polling job on.
Note: Do not turn on Debug logging unless directed by Customer
Support.
8. Click Add Component Monitor.
9. Expand the component groups and check all the component monitors you
want to add.
Note: You can select multiple component monitors of the same type to be
added by entering a number in the field next to the check box for the
component monitor and then checking the check box.
10. Click Submit.
11. Configure the component monitor settings, and then click Submit.
Creating New Templates Using the Browsing Method:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Component Monitor Wizard.
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5. Select the component monitor type that you want to browse, then click
Next.
6. Type the IP address of the node you want to browse, or click Browse and
select the node from the list.
7. If suitable credentials already exist, choose the credential from the
Choose Credential list.
8. If suitable credentials do not exist, choose <New Credential> from the
Choose Credential list, and then add the new credential by filling out the
credential details.
9. Click Next.
10. If you selected a performance counter monitor type, select a performance object from Performance Object to populate the list.
11. Check the check boxes next to one or more found items to add as a component monitor.
12. Click Next.
13. Configure the component monitor properties, and then click Next.
Note: You can specify the name of a specific process to monitor by
entering the name in the Process Name field.
14. Select New Application Monitor Template.
15. Type a name for your template in the Application Monitor Template
Name field.
16. Click Next.
17. If you want to assign the template to nodes, select the nodes.
18. If you only want to create the template, do not select any nodes.
19. Click Next, and then click OK, Create.
Managing Templates
You can create a new template or manage existing templates by using the
commands on the SAM Settings page:
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Assign to Node
Editing Templates
Copying Views
Exporting and Importing Templates Locally or Using Thwack
Deleting Templates
Tagging Templates
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Creating Templates
You can create a new template by specifying the name of the template and then
adding the desired component monitors.
To create an application template:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Click Create New Template.
See “Creating New Templates Using the Traditional Method” for information on
completing the new template.
Assign to Node
You can create an assigned Application Monitor by assigning template(s) to
nodes.
To create an assigned Application Monitor by assigning template(s) to
nodes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Check the check box for the template(s) you want to assign.
Click Assign to Node.
Specify the node(s) to monitor and then click Next.
If suitable credentials already exist, choose the credential from the
Choose Credential list.
If suitable credentials do not exist, choose <New Credential> from the
Choose Credential list, and then add the new credential by filling out the
credential details.
Click Test to test the credentials and component monitors against the test
node.
If the test fails, troubleshoot the problem based on the error messages, and
then retest the node.
If the test passes, click Assign Application Monitors.
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Editing Templates
Editing Templates
You can modify an existing template by adding or removing its component
monitors. You can then save it to a new template by changing the template name
if desired.
To edit an application template:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Check the application template you want to edit, and then click Edit.
If you are creating a new template by modifying an existing template,
specify the name for your new template in the Template Name field.
7. Specify the values for the Polling Frequency and Polling Timeout fields.
Note: Setting a polling frequency below 30 seconds can result in erratic
monitor behavior.
8. To turn on extended debug information to assist Customer Support,
expand Advanced and then set Debug logging On and specify the Number of log files to keep. Here you can also select either 32bit or 64bit from
the drop down list entitled, Platform to run polling job on.
Note: Do not turn on Debug logging unless directed by Customer
Support.
9. Click Add Component Monitor.
10. Expand the component groups and check all the component monitors you
want to add.
Note: You can select multiple component monitors of the same type to be
added by entering a number in the field next to the check box for the
component monitor and then checking the check box.
11. Click Submit.
12. Remove component monitors if desired by clicking Delete.
13. Configure the component monitor settings, and then click Submit.
Multi-Edit Templates
Multiple component monitors within a template can be edited simultaneously. As
indicated by the toolbar, multiple monitors can be selected to: Assign
Credentials, Test, Set Test Node, Disable, and Delete. The monitors selected
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do not to be of the same type when performing a multiple monitor edit. When
performing a multiple monitor edit, the correct buttons will become enabled and/or
disabled based on your selection.
The Multi-Edit button allows you to change the options of two or more monitors of
the same type, simultaneously. To enable the Multi-Edit button, two or more
monitors of the same type must be selected. Once multiple monitors of the same
type are selected, the Multi-Edit button becomes enabled. In the illustration
below, three monitors (Services) are checked and the Multi-Edit button is
enabled:
Once the Multi-Edit button is pressed, a pop-up window is dispalyed with editing
options specific to the type of monitor selected. For example, the Fetching Method
for the three Services selected can be changed from RPC to WMI, as shown
below:
Note: Different types of monitors will have different options available for editing.
Ordering Components
Beginning in SAM 5.5, you now have the ability to re-order the components within
a template. When editing a template, the green arrows to the right of each
component monitor, highlighted below, will allow you to change the order of each
monitor. This new order is respected only on the All Applications resource and
the Application Details resource.
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Copying Templates
Copying Templates
After successfully creating a complicated template, instead of having to recreate it
over for a similar application, consider copying the template. This will allow you to
only modify those properties that differ.
To copy an application template:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Check the application template you want to copy, and then click Copy.
Exporting and Importing Templates Locally or Using Thwack
You can export and import templates to and from your file system for your own
use, or to the SolarWinds community site (thwack.com) where templates can be
shared with the network engineering community.
Note: thwack.com import and export operations require Internet connectivity to
thwack.com and thwack.api.solarwinds.com. In addition, thwack export
operations require a valid thwack.com user account.
To export a template:
1. Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
2. Click the Applications tab.
3. Click SAM Settings.
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4. Click Manage Templates.
5. If you want to export a template to a file, complete the following procedure:
a. Check the application template you want to export, and then click
Import/Export > Export as File.
b. Confirm that you want to save the file by clicking Save.
c. If you are prompted for a path, specify or browse to one and then click
Save.
6. If you want to export the template to thwack.com, complete the following procedure:
a. Click Share Now to open a browser to the Application Monitor Templates area of thwack, where you can upload your newly exported
application template.
b. Click Sign in and then type your thwack.com user name and password.
c. Click Upload a File and then specify the file pathname to your newly
exported application template.
To import a template from a file:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Click Import/Export > Import.
Click Browse and select the template file, then click Open.
Click Submit.
Note: If you import a template with the same name as one of your existing
templates, the name of the imported template is modified by appending (n)
to the name, where n is an integer. For example, assume you save the template named Tomcat Server Template (shipped with SAM) to a file. If you
then import the saved template Tomcat Server Template from the file, the
imported template is renamed as Tomcat Server Template (1). If you
import the same template again, the next imported template is named Tomcat Server Template (2), and so on. This renaming protects you from accidentally overwriting an existing template.
To import a template from thwack:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Shared thwack templates.
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Deleting Templates
5. Check the template(s) you want to import, and then click Import. Then enter
your thwack User Name and Password and click Log In.
6. A dialog is displayed informing you that the import operation was successful. Click Close to close the dialog or click View Imported Templates
to view the results.
Note: If you import a template with the same name as one of your existing
templates, the name of the imported template is modified by appending (n)
to the name, where n is an integer. For example, assume you save the template named Tomcat Server Template (shipped with SAM) to a file. If you
then import the saved template Tomcat Server Template from the file, the
imported template is renamed as Tomcat Server Template (1). If you
import the same template again, the next imported template is named Tomcat Server Template (2), and so on. This renaming protects you from accidentally overwriting an existing template.
Deleting Templates
If you no longer need a template, you can delete it. Deleting a template also
deletes all the data associated with it, so ensure you no longer need either the
template or the associated data before deleting the template.
Notes:
l Deleting a template also deletes all of its assigned applications, both modified and unmodified.
l To speed user interface interaction, data is not immediately removed from
the database, but systematically updated every few minutes in the background.
To delete a template:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Check the template(s) you want to delete, and then click Delete.
Confirm you want to delete the template(s) by clicking Yes.
Tagging Templates
Tags are descriptive labels that help you classify and sort your application
templates on the Manage Application Monitor Templates page. The application
templates included in SolarWinds SAM have already been tagged with several
descriptive labels you can modify as you see fit.
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
To add tags:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Select the templates you want to tag.
Click Tags.
If you want to add existing tags, follow these instructions:
d. Click Add existing tag(s).
e. Select the tags from the list.
8. If you want to add new tags, follow these instructions:
a. Click Add new tag(s).
b. Type the tags in the Add new tag(s) field, separating multiple tag
entries with commas.
9. Click Submit.
To remove tags:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Manage Templates.
Select the templates you want to tag.
Click Tags.
Click Remove tag(s).
Select the tags from the list.
Click Submit.
Understanding Component Monitors and Application Monitor Templates
The following terms are used throughout this guide to describe the SolarWinds
SAM concepts that allow you to monitor your applications.
Component Monitors
Component monitors are the building blocks of SolarWinds SAM. Each
monitors the status and performance of a different aspect of an application.
There are several different types of component monitors, each containing
settings that define what is monitored and how to monitor it.
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Understanding Component Monitors and Application Monitor Templates
Some types of component monitors allow you to set threshold conditions on
the monitored parameters. You can set separate thresholds to indicate
warning and critical conditions. For example, if you are monitoring the
percentage of free space remaining on a volume, you can set a warning
threshold at 15%, and a critical condition at 5%.
As an analogy, pretend SolarWinds SAM is monitoring a car. You would
have component monitors to check tire pressure, engine RPM, water
temperature, battery voltage, and other important subsystems of that vehicle.
You can set alerts to give notification if the water gets too hot, or if the
battery voltage drops too low.
Application Monitor Templates
A template is a group of component monitors modeling the total availability
and performance level of an application. A complicated application such as
Windows Server may require dozens of component monitors to accurately
assess its current status and performance.
Instead of creating component monitors one-by-one for every application
server, you can assign a pre-made template. The template can either be
one included with SolarWinds SAM, or a custom template you make
yourself. For example, you can assign the included Microsoft Windows
Server 2003-2008 template to your Windows 2003 and Windows 2008
computers and obtain vital statistics on all of them.
A template is only a blueprint and does not perform any monitoring on its
own. Only after assigning the template to a server node are active assigned
component monitors created.
To continue the car analogy, pretend you want to monitor a fleet of 50, 2010,
blue Dodge Charger automobiles. Instead of defining the component
monitors for 50 cars, you can define all the component monitors in a Dodge
Charger template.
Assigned Component Monitors
Assigned component monitors are created by assigning Application Monitor
templates to server nodes. Each actively monitors its assigned node
according to its settings. Component monitors inherit these initial settings
from the template. If you make a change to a template, that same change is
rolled out to all assigned Application Monitors based on the template.
You can override the template settings at any time, breaking the inheritance
relationship between the component monitor and its template. For example,
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
the user name and password usually differ for each node, and you would
select a different credential for each assigned Application Monitor, thus
overriding the template setting for the Credentials field.
To restore the inheritance relationship between a component monitor and
its template, click Inherit From Template next to the setting.
Continuing the car analogy, when you assign the Dodge Charger template
to a Dodge Charger vehicle, you now have a set of assigned component
monitors for monitoring the vehicle’s tire pressures, engine RPM, and so
forth.
Assigned Application Monitors
An assigned Application Monitor runs its assigned component monitors at
regular intervals, and then uses the status results from the component
monitors to determine an overall status for the application.
If some of the component monitors are up and others are down, the
Application Monitor follows the Status Rollup Mode setting in the
SolarWinds Web Console Settings to show either the worst status of the
group or a warning status.
The difference between an assigned Application Monitor and a template is
that the template is only a blueprint and does not perform any monitoring on
its own. Only after assigning the template to a server node does SolarWinds
SAM conduct any actual monitoring on the node.
To complete the car example, you assign the Dodge Charger template to all
the Dodge Charger vehicles to create the assigned Application Monitor for
determining the overall status for your Dodge Charger fleet. For example,
the fleet may be 95% available at a given time due to warnings for some of
the cars.
Requirements for Component Monitors and Templates that use WMI
Microsoft Windows by default uses a random port between 1024 and 65535 for
WMI communications. You must create firewall exceptions to allow TCP/UDP
traffic on ports 1024 - 65535 or the component monitors and templates that use
WMI will not work.
The following component monitors use WMI:
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Requirements for Component Monitors and Templates that use WMI
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Process Monitor – WMI (if script uses WMI access)
Windows Event Log Monitor
Windows PowerShell Monitor (if script uses WMI access)
Windows Script Monitor
Windows Service Monitor (if script uses WMI access)
The following templates use WMI:
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Active Directory 2003-2008 Services and Counters
Active Directory 2008 R2 - 2012 Services and Counters
Apache (Windows)
APC PowerChute Agent (Windows)
AppInsight for Exchange
AppInsight for IIS
AppInsight for SQL
BizTalk Server 2010-2013 Adapters Performance Counters
BizTalk Server 2010-2013 Host Throttling Performance Counters
BizTalk Server 2010-2013 Message Box and Orchestrations Performance
Counters
BlackBerry Delivery Confirmation
Blackberry Enterprise Server
BlackBerry Enterprise Server 10 Services (Windows)
CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution
Citrix XenApp 5.0 Core WMI counters
Citrix XenApp 5.0 ICA Session WMI counters
Citrix XenApp 5.0 Presentation Server WMI counters
Citrix XenApp 5.0 Services
Citrix XenApp 6.0 Core counters
Citrix XenApp 6.0 ICA Session
Citrix XenApp 6.0 Presentation Server
Citrix XenApp 6.0 Services
Distributed File System (DFS)
Errors in Application Event Log
Exchange 2007 Client Access Role Counters (Advanced)
Exchange 2007 Edge Transport Role Counters (Advanced)
Exchange 2007 Hub Transport Role Counters (Advanced)
Exchange 2007 Mailbox Role Counters (Advanced)
Exchange 2007 Unified Messaging Role Counters (Advanced)
Exchange 2007-2010 Client Access Role Services and Counters (Basic)
Exchange 2007-2010 Common Performance Counters
Exchange 2007-2010 Edge Transport Role Service and Counters (Basic)
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Exchange 2007-2010 Unified Messaging Role Service and Counters
(Basic)
Exchange 2010 Client Access Role Counters (Advanced)
Exchange 2010 Edge Transport Role Counters (Advanced)
Exchange 2010 Hub Transport Role Counters (Advanced)
Exchange 2010 OWA Form Login (PowerShell)
Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging Role Counters (Advanced)
Exchange 2013 Client Access Role Counters (Advanced)
Exchange 2013 Client Access Role Services and Counters (Basic)
Exchange Active Sync Connectivity
Exchange Server 2000 and 2003
File Count Script
GoodLink Server for Microsoft Exchange
Group Policy Object (System and Application Logs)
Helix Universal Media Server (Windows)
Internet Information Service (IIS) 6
JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Server Manager (Windows)
Kaspersky Security Center Antivirus
Kiwi Syslog Server
Log Parser (PowerShell)
Microsoft DirectAccess 2008 R2
Microsoft DirectAccess 2012
Microsoft DirectAccess 2012 R2
Microsoft DirectAccess 2012-2012 R2 (Health with PowerShell)
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Events
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Statistics
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Events
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Statistics
Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 Client
Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 Server
Microsoft Forefront Threat Management Gateway 2010
Microsoft IIS SMTP Server
Microsoft Lync Server 2013 (Edge Role)
Microsoft Lync Server 2013 (Front-End Role)
Microsoft Lync Server 2013 (Mediation Role)
Microsoft Lync Server (Edge Role)
Microsoft Lync Server (Front-End Role)
Microsoft Lync Server (Mediation Role)
Microsoft Message Queuing Events
Microsoft Message Queuing Performance
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Microsoft Network Policy Server RADIUS Proxy
Microsoft Network Policy Server RADIUS Server
Microsoft Routing and Remote Access 2008-2012 R2
Microsoft Routing and Remote Access 2008-2012 R2 (Events)
Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012
Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2012 (Agent)
Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2012 (Management Server)
Microsoft Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) Events
Microsoft Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) Statistic
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Failover Cluster
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Failover Cluster
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2-2012 R2 Failover Cluster (Advanced)
Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Failover Cluster
Microsoft Windows Server 2012-2012 R2 Failover Cluster
MongoDB (Windows)
Novell GroupWise Message Transfer Agent (Windows)
Novell GroupWise Post Office Agent (Windows)
Office 365 User Statistics with PowerShell
Orion Server
Remote Desktop Services Licensing
Server Clock Drift (PowerShell)
SharePoint Server 2010
SharePoint Server 2013
SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007
SharePoint Services (WSS) 3.0
SolarWinds Failover Engine
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer
SolarWinds Web Performance Monitor (WPM) Player
SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services
SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services
SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services
SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services
SQL Server 2008-2012 Reporting Services (Events)
SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services
SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services
Squid (Windows)
Streaming Media Services 2008
Symantec Backup Exec Remote Agent
Symantec Backup Exec Server
Symantec Endpoint Protection Client
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Symantec Endpoint Protection Server
Symantec NetBackup Client
Symantec NetBackup Server
Terminal Licensing Server
Trend Micro OfficeScan Client
Trend Micro OfficeScan Server
Trend Micro Server Protect (Windows)
UniData Database (Windows)
Veeam Backup and Replication Server
VMware vCenter Server 5.5
Websense Web Security
Windows 2003-2008 FTP Service
Windows 2008 R2 - 2012 FTP Service
Windows DHCP Server
Windows DNS Server
Windows Network Load Balancing
Windows Print Services
Windows Remote Desktop Services (Session Host Role)
Windows Server 2003 Domain Controller Security
Windows Server 2003-2012 Services and Counters
Windows Server 2008-2012 Domain Controller Security
Windows Update Monitoring
Monitoring External Nodes
To monitor services and applications on a server you do not directly manage, add
the server to the Orion database as an external node. External nodes skip all
network performance data collection and polling tasks, but allow you to assign
applications to them.
For example, you could add www.google.com as an external node, and then
assign several HTTP monitors to monitor Google search results.
For more information, see “" on page 176.
Custom Application Monitor Template Example:
Creating a SolarWinds SAM Template
The following procedure creates a SolarWinds SAM Application Monitor template
that monitors a locally installed SQL Server instance. The template is simplified
by using the Windows Service component monitors, a TCP port monitor for your
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To create a SolarWinds SAM application template:
SQL Server, and an HTTP monitor for the local Web Console. You do not need to
know the specific names of the processes, and you are not limited to a single
process per application. With Server & Application Monitor you can group
multiple component monitors into a single application and monitor these
groupings as one mission critical application.
While completing this procedure, you will create an application template with the
following component monitors:
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TCP port component monitor to monitor port 1433, the port through which
SolarWinds communicates with the SQL Server.
Service component monitors for the following windows services:
l SolarWinds Alerting Engine
l SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
l SolarWinds Job Engine
l SolarWinds Job Scheduler
l SolarWinds Module Engine
l SolarWinds Syslog Service
l SolarWinds Trap Service
HTTP component monitor to monitor port 80, the port through which you access
the SolarWinds Web Console.
To create a SolarWinds SAM application template:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
Click the Applications tab.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Create a new template underneath Application Monitor Templates.
Type a name for your template in the Template Name field. For example,
type SolarWinds SAM.
6. If you want to turn on extended debug information to assist Customer
Support, expand Advanced, set Debug logging On, and specify the Number of log files to keep.
Here you can also select either 32bit or 64bit from the drop down list
entitled, Platform to run polling job on.
Note: Do not turn on Debug logging unless directed by Customer
Support.
7. Click Add Component Monitor.
8. Expand the Network Protocol Component Monitors list, and then check
TCP Port Monitor.
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
9. Click Submit.
10. Click Rename and then type a name for the TCP port monitor. For
example, type SolarWinds SAM SQL Server Port. Then click OK.
11. Ensure the Port Number field corresponds to the port used to communicate with the SolarWinds SAM SQL Server instance. By default, this
is port 1433.
12. Click Add Component Monitor.
13. Expand the Process and Service Component Monitors, and then check
Windows Service Monitor and click Submit.
14. Click Rename and then type a name for the SolarWinds Alerting Engine
monitor. For example, type SW Alerting Engine. Then click OK.
15. Select the credential set you want to use when accessing the Windows service information. For more information about creating a credential set, see
“Understanding the Credentials Library” on page 341.
16. Type the name of the SolarWinds Alerting Engine service in the Net
Service Name field.
Note: This field is the Service name of the service to monitor. You can find
the Service name on Windows systems by clicking Start > Administrative
Tools > Services and then locating the desired service. Right-click the
service and select Properties from the context menu. The Service name is
the value of the Service name field in the Properties dialog. For the
SolarWinds Alerting Engine, this is typically SolarWindsAlertingEngine.
17. Repeat Steps 12 through 16 for the following SolarWinds SAM Windows
services:
l SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
l SolarWinds Job Engine v2
l SolarWinds Job Scheduler
l SolarWinds Module Engine
l SolarWinds Syslog Service
l SolarWinds Trap Service
18. Click Add Component Monitor.
19. Expand the User Experience Component Monitors list, and then check
HTTP Monitor.
20. Click Rename and then type a name for the HTTP port monitor. For
example, type SolarWinds Web Console. Then click OK.
21. Ensure the Port Number field corresponds to the port you use for the
SolarWinds Web Console port.
22. Click Submit.
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Web Service Monitoring
Web Service Monitoring
For custom web services that need to be monitored, SAM offers the ability to
utilize the following technologies:
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uses human-readable text to transmit data objects consisting of attribute–
value pairs. It is used primarily to transmit data between a server and web
application, as an alternative to XML.
Note: Inserted JSON content cannot exceed 1MB in size.
SOAP: Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is a protocol used for
exchanging information in the implementation of web services in computer
networks. It relies on XML for its message format, and usually relies on other
application layer protocols. The SOAP monitor is useful if you have custom
web services that need to be monitored.
Note: Currently, the SOAP monitor within SAM can return a status of either
Up or Down, or return a status of Warning or Critical based on response
time thresholds. This monitor also has the ability to search for the presence
of a string.
For more information, see:
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SOAP Monitor
HTTP Monitor
HTTPS Monitor
JSON
JMX Component Monitor Wizard
Creating a standard template for this monitor is not practical because of the
amount of variables in any one specific environment. However, adding this
monitor to your environment has been made simple with the use of a wizard
driven interface.
Note: Only values that return numerical data can be monitored. String data is not
supported at this time. Non-numerical data will be shown without a check box.
To add a JMX component monitor, perform the following steps:
1. Log on to your SolarWinds Web Console with an Administrator account.
2. Click Settings in the upper right hand corner of the web page.
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click SAM Settings.
Click Component Monitor Wizard underneath Getting Started with SAM.
Select JMX Monitor from the drop down list then click Next.
For Server IP Address, click Browse, then select the node you want to
monitor.
7. Add the Port number, Protocol type, URL path, and Credentials for the
remaining fields.
8. Click Next. The following MBean selection screen appears:
9. Expand the folders by clicking the arrows (or [+]) to expand the tree view
folder structure. From here you can drill down to select the attributes you
want by checking them.
10. Click Next.
Now you are able to edit the JMX Component Monitor properties.
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For more information, see JMX
Available Data Transformations
SolarWinds SAM provides a number of predefined transformation functions that
may be applied to one or more monitors to generate mathematically manipulated
results. The following table lists transformation functions that are currently
available in SolarWinds SAM:
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Available Data Transformations
Data
Transformation
Syntax
Definition
Euler’s Number
E()
Euler’s number, commonly called
the number e, is defined as the
base of the natural logarithm as the
limit of a certain sequence, or as the
sum of a certain series.
Pi
Pi()
Pi is the mathematical constant
whose value is the ratio of any
circle's circumference to its
diameter.
Rounding
Round({value},
{number of
decimal places})
Provides a number that is rounded
to the specified number of digits.
Truncate
Truncate({value},
{number of
decimal places})
Truncates a monitored value to a
designated number of decimal
places.
Square Root
Sqrt({value})
Provides the square root of a given
number.
Exponentiation
Pow({base
Provides the result from repeated
value}, {exponent multiplication of the base number.
value})
Temperature:
Celsius to
Fahrenheit
CToF({value})
Provides the Fahrenheit result
originally presented in Celsius
Temperature:
Fahrenheit to
Celsius
FToC({value})
Provides the Celsius result
originally presented in Fahrenheit
X to Kilobyte
XToKilo({value})
Provides the number of Kilobytes
originally presented in Bytes
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Chapter 13: Building Component Monitors and Templates
X to Megabyte
XToMega
({value})
Provides the number of Megabytes
originally presented in Bytes
X to Gigabyte
XToGiga({value})
Provides the number of Gigabytes,
originally presented in Bytes
X to Terabyte
XToTera({value})
Provides the number of Terabytes,
originally presented in Bytes
Kilobyte to
Megabyte
KiloToMega
({value})
Provides the number of Megabytes,
originally presented in Kilobytes
Kilobyte to
Gigabyte
KiloToGiga
({value})
Provides the number of Gigabytes,
originally presented in Kilobytes
Kilobyte to
Terabyte
KiloToTera
({value})
Provides the number of Terabytes,
originally presented in Kilobytes
Megabyte to
Gigabyte
MegaToGiga
({value})
Provides the number of Gigabytes,
originally presented in Megabytes
Megabyte to
Terabyte
MegaToTera
({value})
Provides the number of Terabytes,
originally presented in Megabytes
Gigabyte to
Terabyte
GigaToTera
({value})
Provides the number of Terabytes,
originally presented in Gigabytes
Terabyte to
Kilobyte
TeraToKilo
({value})
Provides the number of Kilobytes,
originally presented in Terabytes
Terabyte to
Megabyte
TeraToMega
({value})
Provides the number of Megabytes,
originally presented in Terabytes
Terabyte to
Gigabyte
TeraToGiga
({value})
Provides the number of Gigabytes,
originally presented in Terabytes
Conversion Value
Some monitors now offer the option to mathematically convert returned values
through the use of Data Transformations.
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Conversion Value
Checking the Convert Value check box opens the Formula box that enables you
to perform various mathematical functions. You can choose common functions
from the drop down lists to manipulate the returned value, or you can select the
Custom Conversion option.
The Custom Conversion option offers more flexibility when manipulating
returned values. This option allows you to use the basic arithmetic operators; +, -,
*, /, along with built-in functions for more advanced conversions.
For a list of these functions, see “Available Data Transformations" on page 415.
Following is a real world example for converting bytes into megabytes using a
predefined formula, or data transformation. In this case, XtoMega, was used to
convert bytes to megabytes.
With the XtoMega formula applied, the data transforms from 318767104 bytes to
304 megabytes, which is much easier to read.
Note: The Retrieve Current Value button tests the application and does not
apply the data transformation. Instead, the original statistic value will be returned.
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Chapter 14:
Asset Inventory
The Asset Inventory dashboard allows you to maintain a current and detailed
inventory of your environment's hardware and software. Automatic inventory data
collection will benefit those interested in tracking asset depreciation, gathering
information for insurance purposes, or managing and maintaining your
infrastructure.
The following resources are available for the Asset Inventory dashboard:
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Custom Asset Information
Drivers
Firmware
Graphics and Audio
Hard Drives
Hosted Virtual Machines
Logical Volumes
Memory
Network Interfaces
Operating System Updates Applied
Out of Band Management
Peripherals
Ports and USB Controllers
Processors
Removable Media
Software Inventory
Storage Controllers
System Information
Windows Update Information
Note: Certain information may not be available for certain nodes. This may be
due to the polling method used or a lack of data provided by the manufacturer.
For additional information on Asset Inventory, see:
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Third Party Software Required for Asset Inventory Information
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Chapter 14: Asset Inventory
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Asset Inventory Data Collection
Enabling the Asset Inventory Dashboard
Viewing the Asset Inventory Dashboard
Asset Inventory Requirements
Asset inventory data collection can be enabled for both physical and virtual
assets and functions independently of hardware health monitoring. This means
you do not need to have hardware health monitoring enabled to have inventory
data collected and displayed.
The following hardware supports Asset Inventory data collection:
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Dell servers with OpenManage Server Administrator Managed Node v7.2 or
later
HP servers with HP System Insight Manager v6.2 or later
IBM server with IBM Director (Common Agent, v6.3 or later)
Additional hardware not listed here may be supported with a limited amount
of information returned from the polling process.
The Asset Inventory feature supports the following operating systems and
protocols and does not count against your SAM component monitor license.
Additionally, these nodes must be managed by SAM to enable collection of Asset
Inventory data:
Operating System
Protocol
Windows
SNMP, WMI
Linux
SNMP
AIX (v7 and higher)
SNMP
VMware ESX/ESXi v4.x and v5.x
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VMware API for ESX/ESXi hosts
polled via vCenter.
CIM
VMware API
SNMP for VMware nodes not polled
via CIM or the VMware API
HTTPS
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Third Party Software Required for Asset Inventory Information
Third Party Software Required for Asset Inventory
Information
HP
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HP ESXi Offline Bundle
HP Management Agents for VMware ESX 4.x Only (Not for ESXi 4.x)
HP ESXi Offline Bundle for VMware ESXi 5.0
HP/VMWare
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HP Management Agents for VMware ESX 4.x Only (Not for ESXi 4.x)
HP Insight Management WBEM Providers for ESXi 5.0
HP ESXi Offline Bundle for VMware ESXi 5.0
Dell/VMWare
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IBM
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IBM Director v6.2x
VMWare
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HP Management Agents for VMware ESX 4.x Only (Not for ESXi 4.x)
HP Insight Management WBEM Providers for ESXi 5.0
HP ESXi Offline Bundle for VMware ESXi 5.0
Dell OpenManage Support for VMware ESXi 5.x
Asset Inventory Data Collection
Asset Inventory data collection is automatically enabled during the Network
Sonar Discovery and/or the upgrade process.
Data collected for Asset Inventory purposes uses less than 100KB of database
space per node. For a larger environment consisting of roughly 1,000 servers, the
total Asset Inventory data should total just under 100MB.
Note: Required sub-views are enabled by default for nodes with Asset Inventory
enabled. For more information, see "Customized SAM Tabbed Sub-Views" on
page 170.
Inventory data does not need to be collected with the same degree of regularity as
status information, therefore, the impact on your polling engine will be minimal.
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Chapter 14: Asset Inventory
Asset Inventory data collection occurs once daily. This data collection interval
can be configured to suit your needs.
To Change the Default Asset Inventory Collection Period:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > Orion Polling Settings.
2. Adjust the number of days for the Default Asset Inventory Poll Interval field.
Note: 1 is the minimum allowable value for this field.
3. Click Submit.
Enabling the Asset Inventory Dashboard
The Asset Inventory sub-view is automatically displayed for each node supported.
You can enable Asset Inventory data collection for an individual node via the Add
Node Wizard or by navigating through the Management resource.
Note: The Asset Inventory option is available only if the node supports Asset
Inventory polling.
To Enable Asset Inventory data collection via the Add Node Wizard:
1. Navigate to Settings > Add Node.
2. From the Add Node wizard, the option to display Asset Inventory is available after a node has been defined. Check the Asset Inventory box to
enable Asset Inventory data collection.
To Enable Asset Inventory data collection via the Management Resource:
1. Navigate to the Node Details view by clicking any node.
2. From the Management resource, click List Resources.
3. Check the Asset Inventory box to enable Asset Inventory data collection.
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Viewing the Asset Inventory Dashboard
Note: The option to display Asset Inventory information may not be available if the node does not have a supported operating system.
To Disable Asset Inventory Data Collection:
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For existing nodes, you can disable Asset Inventory data collection by
executing the following SQL command:
UPDATE [SolarWindsOrion].[dbo].[AssetInventory_Polling] set Enabled
= 0;
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To disable this for future nodes added, rename the following file:
C:\Program Files (x86)
\SolarWinds\Orion\Discovery\Plugins\SolarWinds.AssetInventory.Disc
overy.plugin
For example: SolarWinds.AssetInventory.Discovery.plugin-Disabled
Viewing the Asset Inventory Dashboard
The Asset Inventory Dashboard is comprised of various resource modules and
provides detailed insight about the selected asset. The dashboard information
can be found on a separate sub-view tab, as shown:
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Chapter 14: Asset Inventory
Navigating to the Asset Inventory page:
1. Click any node to be taken to the Node Details page.
2. With sub-views enabled, click the Asset Inventory tab.
For more information, see Customized SAM Tabbed Sub-Views
All Asset Inventory resources contain a blue icon in the upper left-hand corner of
the resource. This will allow you to better identify this as an Asset Inventory
resource should you decide to place individual resources on different views.
Both the titles and subtitles of each resource can be changed by clicking Edit in
the upper right-hand corner of any resource.
Resources for the Asset Inventory dashboard can be added and deleted by
clicking Customize Page in the upper right-hand corner of the web console.
Notes:
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become hidden for that node.
Clicking the title of any resource will open that resource in a new window.
Custom Asset Information
This resource allows you display custom properties you have created relating to
Asset Information.
Following is an example of how this can be used:
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Drivers
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InServiceDate: Displays the first day of service for the asset
PONumber: Displays the Purchase Order number for the asset.
PurchaseDate: Displays the purchase date of the asset.
PurchasePrice: Displays the purchase price of the asset.
To add custom properties and have them displayed in this resource:
1. In the Custom Asset Information resource, click Edit.
2. Click Use the Custom Property Editor.
3. Follow the steps of the Wizard.
4. If available, check Asset Inventory to have the item displayed in the Custom Asset Information resource.
Drivers
This resource displays driver software currently installed on the current node
while providing a search window. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers
of each column.
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Chapter 14: Asset Inventory
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Device: Displays the device that relies on the driver listed.
Name: Displays the name of the driver listed.
Publisher: Displays the publisher of the driver listed.
Version: Displays the version of the driver listed.
Driver Date: Displays the date that the listed driver was created.
Firmware
This resource displays the firmware currently installed on the current node while
providing a search window. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of
each column.
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Name: Displays the name of the firmware listed.
Publisher: Displays the publisher of the firmware listed.
Version: Displays the version number of the firmware listed.
Release Date: Displays the release date of the version of the firmware listed.
Graphics and Audio
This resource provides detailed information about the current graphics and audio
devices associated with the node.
Note: In systems that contain multiple video cards or monitors, only the first of
each will be displayed in the Graphics and Audio resource for that node.
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Hard Drives
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Name: Displays field information about the listed graphics/audio device.
l Monitor Manufacturer – Displays the manufacturer of the current monitor.
l Monitor Model Number – Displays the model number of the current
monitor.
l Monitor Resolution – Displays the current resolution of the current
monitor.
l Video Card – Displays details about the listed video card.
l Video Chipset – Displays the current video chipset information for the
listed device.
l Video Memory - Displays the amount of memory currently installed on
the listed video card.
l Sound Card – Displays details about the installed sound card.
Details: Displays details about the current device.
Hard Drives
This resource provides information about the current hard drives associated with
the node.
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Model: Displays the model of the listed hard drive
Serial Number: Displays the serial number of the listed hard drive.
Capacity: Displays the total storage space of the current hard drive in gigabytes.
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Chapter 14: Asset Inventory
Hosted Virtual Machines
This resource details the amount of resources allocated to each virtual machine.
Both VMware and Hyper-V hosts can be displayed in this resource.
Note: Only VMware 4.0 and higher is supported.
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VM Name: Displays the name of the virtual machine listed.
Operating System: Displays the operating system of the virtual machine listed.
State: Displays the on/off status of the virtual machine listed.
Memory Size: Displays the memory allocated to the virtual machine listed.
CPU Count: Displays the number of CPUs associated with the virtual
machine listed.
CPU Shares: Displays the percentage of CPU resources being used by the
listed virtual machine.
IP Address: Displays the IP address of the virtual machine listed.
For more information, see "Hardware Monitoring and VMware" on page 1086.
Logical Volumes
This resource provides detailed information about the current logical volumes
associated with the node. Volumes call be polled via all protocols except VMware
CIM for ESX hosts. Any logical volume that can be monitored by SolarWinds will
appear in this resource.
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Memory
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Name: Displays the name of the volume listed.
Type: Displays the type of volume listed.
File System: Displays the file system employed on the volume listed.
Serial Number: Displays the serial number of the volume listed.
Size: Displays the total size of the volume listed.
Space Used: Displays the amount of space used on the volume listed.
Available Space: Displays the free space on the listed volume as a number
of bytes.
% Available Space: Displays the amount of free space on the volume listed
as a percentage and a bar chart.
Memory
This resource provides detailed information about the memory associated with
the node.
Memory Summary
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Total RAM: Displays the total amount of RAM on the current node.
Free RAM: Displays the total amount of free RAM on the current node.
Total Virtual Memory: Displays the total amount of virtual RAM on the current node.
Free Virtual Memory: Displays the total amount of free virtual RAM on the
current node.
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Chapter 14: Asset Inventory
Memory Modules
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Slot: Displays the slot number in the server where memory is installed.
SAM also shows empty slots that could be populated with additional
memory modules to increase the server's RAM.
Capacity: Displays the maximum available RAM installed in the current
memory slot, in megabytes.
Model: Displays the model part number which can be used for purchasing a
replacement part.
Speed: Displays the frequency on which the memory module runs, in megahertz.
Network Interfaces
This resource provides detailed information about current network interfaces
associated with the node.
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Name: Displays the name and model of the listed interface. For more information about a network interface, click [+] to the left of the interface name to
expand the tree view and reveal the following information:
l NetMask: Displays the configured netmask.
l Gateway: Displays the address of the gateway.
l DHCP Server: Displays the address of the DHCP server.
l DNS Server: Displays the address of the DNS server.
Manufacturer: Displays the manufacturer of the listed interface.
MAC Address: Displays the MAC address of the listed interface.
IP Address: Displays the IP address of the listed interface.
Operating System Updates Applied
This resource displays operating system updates that have been applied on the
current node while providing a search window. The data can be sorted by clicking
the headers of each column.
Note: This resource is only visible for Windows Nodes polled via WMI
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Out of Band Management
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Name: Displays the name of the listed update. Clicking the name in this
field may take you to the website with information concerning the listed
update.
Type: Displays the type of update installed.
Install Date: Displays the date that the listed update was installed.
Installed By: Displays the user responsible for installing the listed update.
Out of Band Management
This resource provides details about out of band management controllers
installed on the node.
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Type: Displays the type of the current management card.
Firmware Version: Displays the current firmware version for the listed management card.
IP Address: Displays the current IP address of the listed management card.
MAC Address: Displays the current MAC address of the listed management card.
Peripherals
This resource provides information about the current peripherals associated with
the node.
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Chapter 14: Asset Inventory
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Type: Displays the type of peripheral listed
Details: Displays details about the peripheral listed.
Ports and USB Controllers
This resource provides detailed information about the current ports and USB
controllers associated with the node.
Ports
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Ports: Displays the type of port.
Number: Displays the number of ports.
USB Controllers
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USB Controllers: Displays detailed information about the listed USB controller.
Processors
This resource provides detailed information about the processors associated with
the node.
Notes:
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missing information from this resource.
If a monitored computer is running the Solaris operating system, processor
information will not be available in this resource.
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Removable Media
Important: Data for the number of cores will not be available for computers
running Windows Server 2003 unless the following Microsoft hotfix is applied:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932370.
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Processor: Lists the processors associated with the selected node.
Manufacturer: Displays the manufacturer of the listed processor.
Speed: Displays the current speed of the listed processor in gigahertz.
Cores: Displays the number of cores (CPUs) within the listed processor.
Threads: Displays the number of threads (concurrent processes) per core.
Model: Displays the processor manufacturing technology and design generation for the listed processor.
Stepping: Displays the revision number of the listed processor.
Removable Media
This resource provides information about the current removable media associated
with the node.
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Name: Displays the name of the media listed.
Type: Displays the technology of the media listed.
Manufacturer: Displays the manufacturer of the media listed.
Software Inventory
This resource displays software currently installed on the current node while
providing a search window.
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Chapter 14: Asset Inventory
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Name: Displays the name of the software listed.
Publisher: Displays the publisher of the software listed.
Version: Displays the version of the software listed.
Install Date: Displays the date that the listed software was installed.
Storage Controllers
This resource provides detailed information about the current storage controllers
associated with the node. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each
column.
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Model Number: Displays the model number of the listed storage controller.
Serial Number: Displays the serial number of the listed storage controller.
Firmware Version: Displays the firmware version of the listed storage controller.
Driver Version: Displays the driver version of the listed storage controller.
System Information
This resource provides a general overview of the selected node. To update the
details of this resource, click Poll Now, which forces all Asset Inventory
information to be polled immediately. To navigate to the Node Details page of the
current node, click the name of the node in the System Name field.
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General
Note: When the listed machine is on Microsoft Hyper-V virtual hardware, certain
fields are populated with virtual machine related information. Because SAM
collects physical enclosure information from this class when using WMI, the
following fields may read as follows:
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Model will read, “Virtual Machine.”
Serial Number will read a GUID string.
The fields for this resource are defined as follows:
General
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Last Inventory Collection: The date when SAM last collected inventory
data on the selected node.
System Name: Name of the current node.
Host Name: Name of the current host. This only applies to Windows hosts
polled via WMI
Domain/Workgroup Name: Name of the domain or workgroup this node
belongs to.
DNS: This is the DNS name of the current node. The IP address of the node
can change while the DNS name remains the same.
Domain Role: Shows the role of the current node. This only applies to Windows hosts polled via WMI
IP Address: Shows the IP address of the current node.
Dynamic IP: Shows if the current IP address is dynamic or static.
Hardware
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Asset Type: Defines the current node as a specific type of hardware.
Hardware: Shows the hardware status as being either physical or virtual.
Manufacturer: Shows the company that produced this hardware.
Model: Shows the model number of the hardware as defined by the manufacturer. This only applies to physical nodes.
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Chapter 14: Asset Inventory
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Serial Number/Service Tag: Shows the serial number of the current node.
This only applies to physical nodes.
Warranty Status: Shows the warranty information about the current node
with a link to that vendor's site. This only applies to physical servers that are
Dell, HP, or IBM.
Note: One alert is included for Warranty Status:
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default.
Location: Displays the geographical location of the current node.
Device Time Zone: Shows the time zone set in the system. This only
applies to Windows nodes polled via WMI.
Operating System
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Operating System: Shows the operating system of the current node.
OS Version: Shows the current version of the operating system.
OS Architecture: Shows the design (32-bit or 64-bit) of the operating system.
OS Language: Shows the language the current operating system is using
on the current node.
Service Pack: Displays the current service pack installed on the operating
system. This only applies to Windows nodes polled via WMI.
Last Boot: Shows the date of the last boot for the current node.
Last Logged in User: Displays the last user to log in on the current node.
This only applies to Windows nodes polled via WMI.
Firewall Status: Displays whether or not the built-in Windows firewall is currently enabled on the node. This only applies to Windows nodes polled via
WMI.
Hardware Agent: Displays the Hardware Monitoring Agent Software currently installed on the node.
Windows Update Information
This resource provides information about the current Windows update status
associated with the node. This only applies to Windows nodes polled via WMI.
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Windows Update Information
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Windows Update Status: Displays whether or not Windows Update is
enabled.
Most Recent Check for Updates: Displays the time and date of the last
successful check for updates.
Updates Last Installed: Displays the time and date of the last successful
installation of updates.
Update Method: Displays how updates are managed on the host. This
value can be Automatically Applied, Download And Notify, or Notify Only.
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Chapter 15:
AppInsight Applications
AppInsight applications provide a level of detail and expert knowledge far beyond
what a simple template can provide, allowing you to monitor virtually every aspect
of the assigned application.
Like any unassigned application in SAM, AppInsight applications are considered
templates until applied. Therefore, it is a member of the Application Monitor
Templates collection.
Once applied to a node, AppInsight applications are considered applications.
Like any SAM application, AppInsight applications are comprised of multiple
component monitors, also known as performance counters.
Currently, SAM offers two different AppInsight Applications:
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AppInsight for Exchange
AppInsight for IIS
Template/Application Relationship
The following illustration explains the Template and Application relationship and
is true for all templates, including all AppInsight applications.
Here you can see that if you change something at the template level, the
applications based on that template will be affected. Conversely, if you change
something on the application level, only the individual application will be affected.
This inheritance relationship is beneficial if you need to make a great deal of
changes quickly. For example, rather than change one item on 100 applications
that are based on a single template (which requires 100 changes), you can more
easily change the one item on the template. That one change in the template will
trickle down to all 100 applications that are based on the template.
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Changing between 32-bit and 64-bit polling methods:
Using AppInsight applications with 32-bit polling on 64-bit computers via an agent
may prevent certain performance counters from collecting information and should
be changed to 64-bit polling.
To make this change at the application level, take the following steps:
1. From the web console, navigate to Home > Applications > Select an
AppInsight Application.
2. Click Edit Application Monitor.
3. Expand Advanced, and then click Override Template.
4. In the Platform to run polling job field, change the value to x64.
5. When done, click Submit.
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To make this change at the template level, take the following steps:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Manage
Templates.
2. Select an AppInsight application and click Edit.
3. Expand Advanced, and in the Platform to run polling job field, change
the value to x64.
Note: Applications assigned to 32-bit hosts with the x64bit option will continue to poll using 32-bit, regardless of this setting.
4. When done, click Submit.
AppInsight for SQL
SAM offers a detailed view of your SQL databases' performance without the use
of agents or templates by using the AppInsight for SQL embedded application.
AppInsight for SQL provides a level of detail and expert knowledge† far beyond
what a SQL template can provide, allowing you to monitor virtually every aspect
of your SQL instances and databases.
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Like any unassigned application in SAM, AppInsight for SQL is considered a
template until it is applied. Therefore, it is a member of the Application Monitor
Templates collection.
Once applied to a node, AppInsight for SQL is considered an application. Like
any SAM application, AppInsight for SQL is comprised of multiple component
monitors.
AppInsight for SQL general information:
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AppInsight for SQL Requirements and Permissions
AppInsight for SQL Licensing
Template/Application Relationship
Adding AppInsight for SQL to a Node
Editing the AppInsight for SQL Template
Understanding the AppInsight for SQL Details View
Navigating the AppInsight for SQL Details View
Information about individual AppInsight for SQL resources can be found at
the following locations:
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AppInsight for SQL Details view, which is comprised of the following subviews:
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Performance Counter Details View
_________________
† Portions of the performance counter information used in the AppInsight for SQL application are provided courtesy of
multiple sources listed in the copyright and attribution section at the beginning of this document.
AppInsight for SQL Requirements and Permissions
AppInsight for SQL data is collected at the same default five minute polling
interval as traditional application templates. Following are the requirements and
permissions needed for AppInsight for SQL:
Important: AppInsight for SQL does not require named-pipes; however, it does
require TCP. For example, SAM uses TCP detection during discovery. You may
receive an error message pertaining to "named-pipes.“ This is the result of the the
last client protocol that is tried during connection to the SQL server.
AppInsight for SQL Requirements
AppInsight for SQL supports the following versions of Microsoft SQL Server:
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AppInsight for SQL Permissions
Microsoft SQL Server Version Versions Supported
Microsoft SQL Server 2008
Without SP
SP1
SP2
SP3
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2
Without SP
SP1
SP2
Microsoft SQL Server 2012
Without SP
SP1
Microsoft SQL Server 2014
AppInsight for SQL Permissions
The minimum SQL permissions required to use AppInsight for SQL are as
follows:
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Must be a member of the db_datareader role on the msdb system database.
Must have VIEW SERVER STATE permissions.
View any definition.
Connect permission to Master database.
Execute permission on the Xp_readerrorlog stored procedure.
Connect permission to the Msdb database.
Must be member of db_datareader role in the MSDB database.
Connect permission to all databases.
Notes:
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AppInsight for SQL supports both the SNMP and WMI protocols and uses
SQL to gather information about the application. Additional information is
available for nodes managed via WMI.
Agents do not work with AppInsight for SQL when the SQL server being
monitored is in a cluster.
Important: This following scripts make changes directly to the database. You
should create a database backup before running either of these scripts.
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The following script will configure permissions for a SQL account:
USE master
GRANT VIEW SERVER STATE TO AppInsightUser
GRANT VIEW ANY DEFINITION TO AppInsightUser
GRANT VIEW ANY DATABASE TO AppInsightUser
EXEC sp_adduser @loginame = 'AppInsightUser' ,@name_in_db =
'AppInsightUser'
GRANT EXECUTE ON xp_readerrorlog TO AppInsightUser
USE msdb
EXEC sp_adduser @loginame = 'AppInsightUser' ,@name_in_db =
'AppInsightUser'
EXEC sp_addrolemember N'db_datareader', N'AppInsightUser'
The following script will configure permissions for a SQL account with
Windows Authentication:
USE master
GRANT VIEW SERVER STATE TO "Domain\AppInsightUser"
GRANT VIEW ANY DEFINITION TO "Domain\AppInsightUser"
EXEC sp_adduser @loginame = 'Domain\AppInsightUser' ,@name_in_
db = 'Domain\AppInsightUser'
GRANT EXECUTE ON xp_readerrorlog TO "Domain\AppInsightUser"
USE msdb
EXEC sp_adduser @loginame = 'Domain\AppInsightUser' ,@name_in_
db = 'Domain\AppInsightUser'
EXEC sp_addrolemember N'db_datareader',
N'Domain\AppInsightUser'
EXECUTE sp_MSforeachdb 'USE [?]; EXEC sp_adduser @loginame =
''Domain\AppInsightUser'', @name_in_db =
''Domain\AppInsightUser'''
AppInsight for SQL Licensing
When using AppInsight for SQL, 50 component monitors will count against your
licensed number of component monitors per SQL instance.
For example, if you have an active license for 1,500 component monitors and
use AppInsight for SQL to monitor 88 databases over ten instances of SQL, 500
component monitors will count against your total license. The number of
databases you have on these instances is irrelevant.
(50 component monitors X 10 SQL Server instances = 500 component
monitors used.)
This will leave you with 1,000 component monitors available for use elsewhere.
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(1,500 component monitors – 500 component monitors used for
AppInsight for SQL = 1,000 component monitors remaining).
There is no restriction on the number of databases you can have monitored. Also
note that if you choose not to use this application, you will not be penalized any
number of component monitors.
Important: The example below illustrates a situation where you would have 40
available component monitors available, but have surpassed your allowed
number of 300 monitors by 60. The discrepancy is caused by AppInsight
application implementations. AppInsight applications are licensed as 50 monitors
per application and cannot be partially licensed, as is the case with typical
applications.
For more information, see "Licensing"
Adding AppInsight for SQL to a Node
There are multiple ways to add AppInsight for SQL to a node, via Node
Discovery, manually adding it via the Manage Application Monitor Templates
screen, adding it via the Management resource, adding it via Network Sonar
Discovery, or adding it via a Scheduled Discovery.
To Add AppInsight for SQL to a Node via Discovery:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > Add a Node in the Getting
Started with Orion section.
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2. Fill out the information on the Define Node step, and then click Next.
3. On the Choose Resources step, check the AppInsight for SQL applications you want. AppInsight applications have a unique blue and white
icon, as shown. when done, click Submit:
4. Click Next and complete the wizard as instructed.
To Add AppInsight for SQL to a Node via Manage Application Templates:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Manage
Templates.
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To Add AppInsight for SQL via the Management Resource:
2. Select AppInsight for SQL by checking its box and click Assign to Node.
3. Complete the required fields in the wizard and click Assign Application
Monitor.
To Add AppInsight for SQL via the Management Resource:
1. Navigate to the Node Details view by clicking any node.
2. From the Management resource, click List Resources.
3. Check the AppInsight for SQL box to enable AppInsight for SQL data
collection.
For information on Network Sonar Discovery, see Network Sonar Discovery.
For information on Scheduled Discovery, see Managing Scheduled Discovery
Results.
Adding a Named Instance
Tip: If you have additional pollers and want to use them to poll AppInsight for
SQL, ensure you install the additional poller software on the poller(s) that will be
used. Not doing this will take you to the List Resources page and you will not
see AppInsight for SQL.
AppInsight for SQL – Default Instances
1. Open a command prompt and ping the server, as shown below:
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Add a Node
Next, add the node to your SolarWinds implementation. You will need the proper
permissions. To do this, take the following steps:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > Manage Nodes.
2. Click Add Node, as shown below:
3. Enter the IP Address (VIP of the SQL instance gathered earlier.)
4. Select a polling method.
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Choose your Applications
5. Next, select the polling engine for that node.
Choose your Applications
1. Choose the AppInsight for SQL application, as shown:
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Setting Properties
At this point, you can begin editing the properties of the node being added.
To change the name:
1. At the top of the form, change the name to the instance you are going to be
monitoring, as shown:
2. Additional information can be changed as desired.
3. Click OK, Add Node.
4. To view your progress, click the Applications tab from the web console
Note: This instance will be grayed until the poller has polled this node.
Once polled, it will change color.
Troubleshooting
If you are having trouble and the nodes are not being reached, check the account
used and check that it has the correct access to the server.
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Editing the AppInsight for SQL Template
Additional Troubleshooting Resources:
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WMI: http://www.solarwinds.com/documentation/apm/docs/APMWMITroubleshooting.pdf
SNMP: http://knowledgebase.solarwinds.com/kb/questions/314/Troubleshooting+SNMP+connectivity
Troubleshooting
Editing the AppInsight for SQL Template
The AppInsight for SQL application behaves like any other application in SAM.
And like other applications, AppInsight for SQL's template can be edited.
Note: Some limitations may apply.
Editing the AppInsight for SQL Template:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Manage
Templates.
2. Check the AppInsight for SQL template in the list and then click Edit.
3. From here, you can edit certain component monitors within the template;
including threshold values, number of records to retrieve, component monitor description, and so on.
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4. When done editing, click Submit at the bottom of the screen.
Understanding the AppInsight for SQL Details View
The AppInsight for SQL Details view is the equivalent of the Application Details
view of a traditional SAM application; however, there are some notable
differences:
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Details View - Unlike a traditional Application Details view, the AppInsight
for SQL Details view is comprised of two tabs, or sub-views, that host a variety of resources and information:
o Summary Tab – This view displays an informative summary about
the current SQL instance.
o Queries Tab – This view displays details about the most expensive
queries running across all databases on the current SQL instance.
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Editing Resources
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Database Details View - This view displays details about the selected database.
Performance Counter Details View - This view displays details about the
selected performance counter.
From here, you can select from the drop down menu and choose to display
different amounts of data based on a time range, as shown below:
Editing Resources
Both the titles and subtitles of each resource can be changed by clicking Edit in
the upper right-hand corner of any resource, and then clicking Submit.
The time and date displayed at the top of each resource (where applicable)
shows the range of data currently loaded into the resource. This, along with the
Sample Interval Range, can be changed by clicking Edit from within the resource.
Additionally, certain resources will allow you to add and remove component
monitors from the resource. You can do this by clicking the Edit button, and then
checking the component monitors you want to keep.
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Note: Pertinent data for each resource is grouped together by default.
Navigating the AppInsight for SQL Details View
AppInsight for SQL acts like any other application and can therefore be found in
the All Applications resource on the Application Summary view. By default, subviews are turned on once you navigate to the AppInsight for SQL Details page.
Below is the AppInsight for SQL application with the All Applications resource
detailed:
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Navigating the AppInsight for SQL Details View
Navigating to the AppInsight for SQL Details View:
1. From the web console, locate the All Applications resource by clicking
either the Home or Applications tab.
2. Expand the AppInsight for SQL tree by clicking [+].
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3. Select a SQL instance to view by clicking it.
Navigating to the Database Details view:
1. From the AppInsight for SQL Details view, click a database in the All Databases resource.
Navigating to the Performance Counter Details view:
1. From the AppInsight for SQL Details view, click a performance counter in
any resource.
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Monitoring Clusters with AppInsight for SQL
Monitoring Clusters with AppInsight for SQL
To start monitoring a SQL server instance which is clustered, take the
following steps:
1. Connect to the instance that you want monitor using SQL Management Studio
2. Execute the following query to make sure you have the proper target node
and instance name:
SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('ServerName')
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3. Determine the IP address of the target node (e.g. “ping P111SQLV23”)
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4. Make sure that the node with this address is being monitored by SAM. If it is
not, add it.
Note: If the IP address represents a cluster, the node name of the active
cluster member will be populated. It is recommended that you change the
node name to something more easily understood, for example: “P111SQLV23
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(cluster)” during
the final step of the Add Node Wizard.
5. Enter the proper information and manually assign the Appinsight for SQL
template to the node with the appropriate IP address.
6. The application should begin polling.
For more information, see How to Handle Microsoft Server Clusters in AppInsight
for SQL
AppInsight for SQL Alerts
AppInsight for SQL comes with two pre-defined alerts:
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Alert me when my database file disk I/O latency is high
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Alert me when my database file is running low on space
To View Alerts:
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AppInsight for SQL Details View (Summary Tab)
1. From the web console, navigate to Home > Alerts > Manage Alerts.
2. Select the alerts you want to view from the list, or type a keyword in the text
box and click the Search button:
For more information, see:
SolarWinds SAM Alerts
Creating Alerts
Predefined Server & Application Monitor Web Console Based Reports
Adding Alerts
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AppInsight for SQL Details View (Summary Tab)
The Summary tab provides a great deal of information about the current SQL
instance. The available resources unique to this view include:
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All Databases
Application Availability
Application Details
Buffer Manager
Cache
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Connections
Disk
Latches and Locks
Memory
Pages
Sessions
SQL Agent Job Status
SQL Errors
SQL Event Log Message Details
SQL Server
Top 10 Databases by Active User Connections
Top 10 Most Expensive Queries by CPU Time
Note: Chart resources require several values for lines on charts to be visible.
All Databases
This resource shows the status of all monitored databases on the current SQL
instance. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column.
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Name: Displays the name of the listed database, in addition to the current
performance status as indicated by the icon. Clicking the name of the database will take you to the Database Details page.
Status: Displays the Online or Offline status of the listed database.
Database Size: Displays the current size of the listed database.
Transaction Log Size: Displays the size of the transaction log associated
with the listed database.
Active Alerts
This resource lists details about all unacknowledged active alerts.
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Application Availability
The following defines the three columns of this resource:
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Time of Alert: Displays the time and date the listed alert was triggered.
Object Name: Displays the object that triggered the alert. Clicking the
object will take you to the details page for that object.
Message: Displays the message of the listed alert.
Application Availability
This resource graphically shows the various states of an application in a
percentage format and is made up of three sections: the legend, the main chart,
and the lower chart. The colors of the main chart correspond to the labels in the
legend.
Note: This resource will not be available when using Internet Explorer 7.
Consider upgrading Internet Explorer 8 or higher or using FireFox or Chrome as
your web browser.
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Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined, hourly time period of data by
clicking on any one of the three Zoom buttons; 1h, 12h, or 24h. Alternatively, you
can have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a
small area of the chart.
Once you have a time period selected, the lower chart will zoom to the starting
and ending values of the selected time period. With the lower chart you can zoom
in further by fine tuning the view with the sliders. The main view of the chart will
display the selected time period between the two sliders of the lower chart.
Moving the mouse over the main chart will reveal a tooltip with more detailed
information about the specific time period the mouse is hovering over. By default,
all statistics are shown in the main chart.
Application Details
This resource provides tools and details concerning the current application.
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Management: This provides tools allowing you to more easily manage and
troubleshoot the current application.
Instance Name: Displays the name of the current SQL instance.
Status: Displays the status of the current SQL instance.
SQL Server Version: Displays the version of the current SQL server.
SQL Server Product Level: Displays the maturity level of the current SQL
version.
SQL Server Edition: Displays the edition of the current SQL Server.
Clustered with: If the listed SQL Server is in a cluster, this field will show a
listing of the servers that make up the cluster. If the cluster is managed by
SAM, a status icon will become visible. If the cluster is not managed in
SAM, no status icon will be visible.
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Buffer Manager
Buffer Manager
This resource contains performance counters specific to the current status of
buffers. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column
will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any
performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the
Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Total
pages
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of pages in the
buffer pool
Information:
The returned value includes database, free, and stolen pages.
Note: This counter is not available in SQL 2012.
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Buffer
Cache Hit
Ratio
Definition:
Indicates the percentage of pages found in the buffer cache
without having to read from disk. The ratio is the total number of
cache hits divided by the total number of cache lookups over the
last few thousand page accesses.
Information:
After a long period of time, the ratio moves very little. Because
reading from the cache is much less expensive than reading from
disk, you want this ratio to be high. Generally, you can increase
the buffer cache hit ratio by increasing the amount of memory
available to SQL Server. The higher this ratio, the less often SQL
Server has to go to the hard disk to fetch data, and performance is
boosted overall. This counter averages the Buffer Cache Hit Ratio
from the time the last instance of SQL Server was restarted. This
counter is not a real-time measurement, but an average of all the
days since SQL Server was last restarted. In OLAP applications,
the ratio could be much lower because of the nature of how OLAP
works.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is low, this could indicate that your SQL
server may not have enough memory to function at peak
performance.
Remediation:
Check your SQL server and verify its memory is being used
efficiently. Applications other than SQL may be using a great deal
of memory. Try and recover memory by closing unnecessary
applications. Installing additional memory may also help.
Lazy
Definition:
Writes/sec The lazy writer is a system process that flushes out buffers that
contain changes that must be written back to disk before the
buffer can be reused for a different page and makes them
available to user processes.
Information:
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Buffer Manager
This counter tracks how many times per second that the Lazy
Writer process is moving dirty pages from the buffer to disk in
order to free up buffer space. The Lazy Writer eliminates the need
to perform frequent checkpoints in order to create available
buffers.
Generally speaking, this should not be a high value, say more
than 20 per second. Ideally, it should be close to zero. If it is zero,
this indicates that your SQL Server's buffer cache is large and
your SQL Server does not need to free up dirty pages.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is high, this can indicate that your SQL
Server's buffer cache is small and that your SQL Server needs to
free up dirty pages.
Remediation:
Check your SQL server and verify its memory is being used
efficiently. Applications other than SQL may be using a great deal
of memory. Try and recover memory by closing unnecessary
applications. Installing additional memory may also help.
Free List
Stalls/sec
Definition:
Indicates the number of requests per second that had to wait for a
free page.
Information:
This displays the frequency with which requests for available
database pages are suspended because no buffers are available.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is high, this indicates that not enough
memory is available for the SQL Server.
Remediation:
Check your SQL server and verify its memory is being used
efficiently. Applications other than SQL may be using a great deal
of memory. Try and recover memory by closing unnecessary
applications. Installing additional memory may also help.
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Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Cache
This resource contains monitors specific to the current status of the cache. The
icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will change
color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance counter
in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter Details
page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
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Cache
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Cache
Definition:
Used/min This displays the number of times the cache object has been
looked up.
Information:
This is not incremented when parameterized queries find a plan in
the cache. However, this can be incremented multiple times when
using Showplan. Good plan reuse is one sign of a healthy system.
Compiling a query plan can be a CPU-intensive operation,
especially with complex queries, so reuse is encouraged.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is low, this can indicate ineffective reusing of
plan cache which could cause a CPU spike. Conversely, if the
returned value is high for a large number of plans, this could
indicate that your cache space is being taken up with plans that
were compiled and used once to execute an ad hoc query, then
never used again.
Remediation:
A database setting that can be helpful to plan reuse is forced
parameterizaton. (You can set this using the following command:
ALTER DATABASE <databaseName> SET
PARAMETERIZATION FORCED). Normally, the query optimizer
is very conservative when deciding what queries can be
parameterized, but this setting makes the optimizer be more liberal
in choosing parameters.
Cache
Object
Counts
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of cache objects in
the cache.
Information:
The Plan Cache object provides counters to monitor how SQL
Server uses memory to store objects such as stored procedures,
ad hoc and prepared Transact-SQL statements, and triggers.
Multiple instances of the Plan Cache object can be monitored at
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the same time, with each instance representing a different type of
plan to monitor.
Possible problems:
High numbers of total cached objects use portions of the physical
memory available to a SQL instance on a per database basis. This
can result in one database cache impacting the performance of
other local databases due to memory contention.
Remediation:
Increase the memory available to SQL services, reduce the
number of databases on this instance of SQL, or examine the
volume of ad hoc queries running against the server.
Cache
Objects
in Use
Definition:
This performance counter returns number of cache objects in use.
Information:
The Plan Cache object provides counters to monitor how SQL
Server uses memory to store objects such as stored procedures,
ad hoc and prepared Transact-SQL statements, and triggers.
Multiple instances of the Plan Cache object can be monitored at
the same time, with each instance representing a different type of
plan to monitor.
Possible problems:
High numbers of cached objects in use consume the memory
available to a SQL server at a higher rate than non-active objects
on a per database basis. This can result in one database cache
impacting the performance of other local databases due to memory
contention.
Remediation:
Increase the memory available to SQL server, reduce the number
of active objects, consolidate stored procedures, consolidate and
convert ad hoc queries to stored procedures where possible, or
reduce the number of databases on the server.
Zooming
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Connections
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Connections
This resource contains monitors specific to the current status of the active
connections. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name
column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any
performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the
Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
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Counter
Expert Knowledge
User
Definition:
Connections The User Connections performance counter identifies the
number of different users that are connected to your SQL
Server at the time the sample was taken.
Information:
You need to watch this counter over time to understand your
baseline user connection numbers. Since each user
connection consumes some memory space, a high number of
user connections can impact throughput and cause a
performance slow-down. Once you have an idea of your high
and low thresholds during normal usage of your system, you
can then look for times when this counter exceeds these high
and low marks.
Possible problems:
If the returned value of this counter goes down and the load on
the system remains stable, you might have a bottleneck that is
not allowing your server to handle the normal load. Keep in
mind that this counter value might go down just because less
people are using your SQL Server instance. If you see this
number jump by 500% from your baseline, you may be seeing
a slowdown of your server activity.
Remediation:
You may want to boost the SQL Server configuration setting,
Maximum Worker Threads to a figure higher than the default
setting of 255. The setting for Maximum Worker Threads
should be higher than the maximum number of user
connections your server ever reaches.
Logins/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the total number of logins
started, per second, and does not include pooled connections.
Information:
Opening and closing connections is an expensive process. A
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Connections
pooled connection is one which is kept open by an application
for other requests to re-use.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is high, this can indicate that the
application is not correctly using connection pooling.
Remediation:
Review the Connection Polling configuration.
Logout/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the total number of logout
operations started, per second.
Information:
Opening and closing connections is an expensive process.
When applications do not use a connection pool, each request
needs to establish its own connection before the query can be
executed. It then has to close it. A pooled connection is one
which is kept open by an application for other requests to reuse.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is high, this can indicate that the
application is not correctly using connection pooling.
Remediation:
Review the Connection Polling configuration.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
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Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Disk
This resource contains monitors specific to the current status of the disk. The
icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will change
color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance counter
in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter Details
page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Average Disk
sec/Read
Definition:
This performance counter shows the average time, in
seconds, of a read of data from the disk.
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Disk
Information:
The returned value indicates the average time of read data
from the disk. 4-8ms is ideal. The returned value is
considered acceptable up to 20ms. Any higher value needs
further investigation.
Possible problems:
If a value greater than 15-20ms is reported, this may indicate
disk bottlenecks.
Remediation:
Increase the number of hard disks.
Average Disk
sec/Write
Definition:
This performance counter shows the average time, in
seconds, of a write of data to the disk.
Information:
The returned value indicates the average time of write data
from the disk. 4-8ms is ideal. The returned value is
considered acceptable up to 20ms. Any higher value needs
further investigation.
Possible problems:
Values greater than 15-20ms nay indicate disk bottlenecks.
Remediation:
Increase the number of hard disks.
Forwarded
Definition:
Records/Batch This performance counter identifies the use of a pointer
Requests
which has been created when variable length columns have
caused a row to move to a new page in a heap.
Possible problems:
Rows with Varchar columns can experience expansion
when Varchar values are updated with a longer string. In the
case where the row cannot fit in the existing page, the row
migrates and access to the row will traverse a pointer. This
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only happens on heaps (tables without clustered indexes).
Remediation:
Evaluate clustered indexes for heap tables. In cases where
clustered indexes cannot be used, drop non-clustered
indexes, build a clustered index to Reorg pages and rows,
drop the clustered index, then recreate non-clustered
indexes.
Forwarded
Records/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of records
fetched through forwarded record pointers.
Information:
Tables without a clustered index. If you start with a short row,
and update the row creating a wider row, the row might not fit
on the data page. A pointer is put in its location and the row
is forwarded to another page.
Possible problems:
Look at the code to determine where the short row is inserted
followed by an update.
Remediation:
Can be avoided by:
1. Using default values so that an update does not result
in a longer row that is the root cause of forwarded
records.
2. Use Char instead of Varchar. This fixes the length so
that an update does not result in a longer row.
Physical Disk
Time
Definition:
This performance counter returns the ratio of elapsed time
when the disk drive was busy with read or write requests.
Information:
This performance counter is deceptive because it makes no
accommodation for multiple spindles. Thus, the more
spindles (i.e. physical hard disks) you have, the higher the
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Latches and Locks
percentile values can go. Conversely, if these spindles are
shared across LUNs or other services, you may have high
numbers on this counter without any correlation to SQL
Server activity. The value for this counter should be below
50%.
Possible problems:
If this performance counter sustains an average above 70%,
you may have contention with your drive or RAM.
Remediation:
You should increase number of hard drives used by SQL
server.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Latches and Locks
This resource measures the time it takes for latches and locks to perform various
operations.
Latches perform the task of thread synchronization. For example, if a thread is
reading a page from disk and creating a memory structure to contain it, it will
create one or more Latches to prevent corruption of these structures. Once the
operation is complete, the Latches will be released and other threads will be able
to access that page and memory structure again. For the most part, latches are
transient, taking a few milliseconds to complete.
A Lock prevents different users from overwriting each other's changes. Generally
speaking, a lock will last for the duration of the transaction.
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The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will
change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance
counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter
Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Latch
Waits/sec
Definition:
This performance counter displays the number of latch
requests that could not be granted immediately.
Total Latch
Wait
Time/Latch
Waits
Definition:
This performance counter returns the ratio of Total Latch Wait
Time, in milliseconds, for latch requests in the last second to
amount of latches, in a one second period that had to wait.
Latches are lightweight means of holding a very transient
server resource, such as an address in memory.
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Latches and Locks
Information:
This ratio should be less than 10. Monitoring the latches to
determine user activity and resource usage can help you to
identify performance bottlenecks.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is high, it is likely there is an I/O or
memory bottleneck.
Remediation:
Check your SQL server and verify its memory is being used
efficiently. Applications other than SQL may be using a great
deal of memory. Try and recover memory by closing
unnecessary applications. Installing additional memory may
also help.
Lock
Definition:
Requests/sec This performance counter returns the number of requests for a
type of lock, per second.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is high, this can indicate that the queries
are accessing large numbers of rows. If you notice a high
Average Wait time, then this could be an indication of
blocking.
Information:
Blocking is an unavoidable characteristic of any relational
database management system (RDBMS) with lock-based
concurrency. On SQL Server, blocking occurs when one
Server Process ID (SPID) holds a lock on a specific resource
and a second SPID attempts to acquire a conflicting lock type
on the same resource. Typically, the time frame for which the
first SPID locks the resource is very small. When it releases
the lock, the second connection is free to acquire its own lock
on the resource and continue processing. This is normal
behavior and may happen many times throughout the course
of a day with no noticeable effect on system performance.
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Remediation:
High Read queries should be reviewed. The simple way to fix
locking is just kill the connection that is causing the lock.
Fixing locking, blocking, and deadlocking issues is often a
matter of redesign. You should examine either the schema of
your database and/or the way the application is designed.
One of the most efficient ways to deal with locking is to ensure
that the design of your system does not have to deal with
excessive locks. The best way to do this is to normalize your
tables, using more atomic structures that allow the query to get
in and get out faster. Another method is to code with the locks
in mind. If the design requires less normalization, you will
have to evaluate the programs to ensure that they have the
right isolation levels.
Lock
Waits/sec
Definition:
This performance counter reports the number of times users
waited to acquire a lock over the past second.
Information:
Note that this counter only gets incremented only when you
“wake up” after waiting on the lock.
Possible problems:
Non-zero values indicate that there is at least some level of
blocking occurring. If you combine this with the Lock Wait
Time counter, you can get some idea of how long the blocking
lasted. A zero value for this counter can definitively rule out
blocking as a potential cause.
Remediation:
High Read queries should be reviewed.
Lock
Timeouts/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of lock requests
per second that have timed out, including internal requests for
NoWait locks.
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Latches and Locks
Information (timeout_period):
This is the number of milliseconds that will pass before
Microsoft SQL Server returns a locking error. A value of -1
(default) indicates no time-out period (that is, wait forever).
When a wait for a lock exceeds the time-out value, an error is
returned. A value of 0 means to not wait at all and return a
message as soon as a lock is encountered.
Possible problems:
If you see a value above 0 for this counter, your users will
experience problems as their queries are not completing.
Remediation:
You should review your queries to determine which queries
are causing this situation.
Lock Wait
Time
Definition:
This performance counter displays the total time spent waiting
across all transactions, in milliseconds, to acquire a lock in the
last second.
Information:
Though this counts how many milliseconds SQL Server is
waiting on locks during the last second, this counter actually
starts recording at the end of locking event. Peaks most likely
represent one large locking event.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is greater than 60 seconds (60,000ms)
then there may be extended blocking which could be an
issue.
Remediation:
Thoroughly analyze the blocking script output. Some
applications are written for timing out after 60 seconds.
Because SQL Server records a lock at the end of a locking
event, remember that an application with large transactions
may have inflated lock wait times while still performing as
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expected. For example, an application that issues multimillion record updates might have very long lock wait times
while performing exactly as it was designed.
Average
Latch
Wait Time
Definition:
This performance counter reports the average latch wait time,
in milliseconds, for latch requests that had to wait.
Information:
SQL Server two lightweight mutual exclusion solutions—
Latches and Spinlocks—which are less robust than locks but
are less resource intensive. The value of this counter should
generally correlate to Latch Waits/sec and move up or down
with it accordingly.
Possible problems:
If you see this number jump above 300, you may have
contention for your server's resources. High values for this
counter could potentially block other users.
Remediation:
You should examine tasks currently waiting using the
following command: sys.dm_os_waiting_tasks DMV.
Average
Lock Wait
Time
Definition:
This performance counter reports the average amount of Wait
time, in milliseconds, for each lock request that resulted in a
wait.
Information:
Generally speaking, the lower the value, the better. This value
should correlate to the Lock Waits/sec counter and move up or
down with it accordingly.
Possible problems:
An average wait time longer than 500ms may indicate
excessive blocking.
Remediation:
You should determine which queries are generating locks to
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Memory
identify where the blocking is originating.
Total Latch
Wait Time
Definition:
Total latch wait time (in milliseconds) for latch requests in the
last second.
Information:
Short term light weight synchronization object. Latches are not
held for the duration of a transaction. Typical latching
operations during row transfers to memory, controlling
modifications to row offset table, and so on.
Possible problems:
If high, check Perfmon Disk and Memory objects for:
l
l
I/O bottlenecks
Memory pressure
Remediation:
This can be mitigated by adding more memory or I/O capacity.
Zooming:
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Memory
This resource displays the current status of SQL Server memory. The icons of the
listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will change color to
reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance counter in the
Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter Details page for
that counter.
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If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Total Server
Memory
Definition:
This performance counter measures the current amount of
memory that SQL Server is using.
Information:
If the value of this counter continues to grow larger, the server
has not yet reached its steady state and is still trying to populate
the cache and get pages loaded into memory. Performance will
likely be somewhat slower if this value continually grows larger
since more disk I/O is required. This behavior is normal.
Eventually Total Server Memory should approximate Target
Server Memory.
Possible problems:
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Memory
If the Total Server Memory counter is greater than or equal to
the Target Server Memory counter, this can indicate that your
SQL Server may be under memory pressure.
Remediation:
Installing additional memory into your SQL server should
resolve the problem.
Target
Server
Memory
Definition:
This monitor measures the total amount of dynamic memory the
server can consume.
Information:
This performance counter tells you how much memory SQL
Server would like to use to operate efficiently. Compare with
Total Server Memory.
Possible problems:
If the Total Server Memory counter is greater than or equal to
the Target Server Memory counter, this could indicate that your
SQL Server may be under memory pressure.
Remediation:
Installing additional memory into your SQL server should
resolve the problem.
Target Total Server
Memory
Definition:
This performance counter shows the difference between the
total amount of dynamic memory the server can consume and
the current amount of memory that SQL Server is using.
Possible problems:
If this performance counter is greater than or equal to the Target
Server Memory performance counter, this indicates that SQL
Server may be under memory pressure.
Remediation:
Installing additional memory into SQL server should resolve the
problem.
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SQL Cache
Memory
(KB)
Definition:
This performance counter measures the total amount of
dynamic memory the server is using for the Dynamic SQL
cache.
Information:
Most memory used by SQL Server is allocated to the Buffer
Pool, which is used to store data pages. SQL Server steals a
proportion of this memory for use in caching query plans. The
overall amount of memory available to SQL Server depends
upon the amount of memory installed on the server, the
architecture of the server, the version and edition of SQL Server
and the amount of memory pressure being experienced by SQL
Server. This pressure can be internal (SQL Server resources
need memory) or external (operating system needs memory).
SQL Server is designed to respond to memory pressure when
necessary.
Possible problems:
Memory contention with the buffer pool.
Remediation:
Increase memory available to SQL server.
Lock
Memory
Definition:
This performance counter returns the total amount of dynamic
memory the server is using for locks.
Information:
Lock pages in memory is used to prevent older versions of
Windows and SQL from allowing Windows operating
system page out of the buffer pool.
Possible problems:
Lock pages in memory determines which accounts can use a
process to keep data in physical memory, which prevents the
system from paging the data to virtual memory on disk.
Exercising this privilege could significantly affect system
performance by decreasing the amount of available random
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Memory
access memory (RAM).
Remediation:
Upgrade to Windows 2008 R2 or greater and SQL 2008 or
greater.
Granted
Workspace
Memory
Definition:
This performance counter returns the total amount of memory
currently granted to executing processes, such as Hash, Sort,
Bulk Copy, and Index creation operations.
Information:
This performance counter tells you how much memory has
currently been granted to running queries. If there is memory
pressure because of workspace memory, this value should be
at least 25% of the virtual memory available to SQL Server.
Possible problems:
If the memory pressure is severe, the server might return errors
such as 701 or 8645.
Remediation:
If this is the case, this might be a good reason to consider using
SQL Server 64-bit.
Optimizer
Memory
Definition:
This performance counter returns the total amount of dynamic
memory the server is using for query optimization.
Information:
There are no thresholds associated with this performance
counter.
Connection
Memory
Definition:
This monitor returns the total amount of dynamic memory the
server is using for maintaining connections.
Information:
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SQL Server sets aside three packet buffers for every connection
made from a client. Each buffer is sized according to the default
network packet size specified by the sp_configure stored
procedure. If the default network packet size is less than 8KB,
the memory for these packets comes from SQL Server's buffer
pool. If it is 8KB or larger, the memory is allocated from SQL
Server's MemToLeave region. It is worth noting that the default
network packet size for the .NET Framework Data Provider for
SQL Server is 8KB, so the buffers associated with managed
code client connections typically come from SQL Server's
MemToLeave region. This contrasts with classic ADO
applications, where the default packet size is 4KB, and the
buffers are allocated form the SQL Server buffer pool.
Memory
Grants
Pending
Definition:
This monitor returns the total number of processes waiting for a
workspace memory grant.
Information:
Memory resources are required for each user request. If
sufficient memory is not available, the user waits until there is
adequate memory for the query to run.
Possible problems:
Returned values greater than zero for a sustained period of time
is a very strong indicator of memory pressure.
Remediation:
You should first examine the database design, queries, and
indexes to ensure the system is properly tuned before installing
additional RAM. There may be query inefficiencies in the
instance that is causing excessive memory grant requirements.
For example, large Sorts or Hashes that can be resolved by
tuning the indexing or queries being executed.
Compare with Memory Grants Outstanding. If the number of
pending grants increases, try the following:
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l
Add more memory to SQL Server
Add more physical memory to the server.
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Memory
l
Check for memory pressure. See and correct indexing if
you experience “Out of memory” conditions.
Memory
Definition:
Grants
This performance counter returns the total number of processes
Outstanding that have successfully acquired a workspace memory grant.
Information:
Look at Memory Grants Outstanding and Memory Grants
Pending. If you see a long queue of pending grants as
compared to outstanding grants, there is likely memory
pressure because of query workspace memory. You can
confirm this by checking the Granted Workspace Memory (KB)
performance counter that tells you how much memory has
currently been granted to running queries.
Possible problems:
A returned value that is high can indicate peak user activity. If
there is memory pressure because of workspace memory, this
value should be at least 25% of the virtual memory available to
SQL Server. If the memory pressure is severe, the server might
even return errors such as 701 or 8645.
Remediation:
If severe, and using 32-bit, consider using SQL Server 64-bit.
See Memory Grants Pending.
Pages/sec
Definition:
This performance counter displays the rate at which pages are
read from or written to disk to resolve hard page faults.
Information:
This is a primary indicator of the kinds of faults that cause
system-wide delays. This should be close to zero on a
dedicated SQL Server. You will see spikes during backups and
restores, but this is normal.
Possible problems:
High values causes hard page faults, which can cause SQL
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Server to use the page, as opposed to RAM.
Remediation:
You may want to add additional RAM to stop the paging.
Cache Hit
Ratio
Definition:
This metric is the ratio between Cache Hits and Lookups.
Cache Hit Ratio measures how much the plan cache is being
used.
Information:
A high percentage here means that your SQL Server is not
building a new plan for every query it is executing and is
working effectively and efficiently. A low percentage here
means that, for some reason, the SQL Server is doing more
work than it needs to. This metric needs to be considered
alongside the plan cache reuse metric which looks at the
spread of plan reuse through your cache.
Plan cache is memory used to store objects such as stored
procedures, ad hoc and prepared Transact-SQL statements,
and triggers. The plan cache is the component of SQL memory
that stores query plans for re-use. When a query is issued
against SQL, the optimizer will attempt to re-use a cached plan
if the traits of the query permit - but can only do so if that plan
resides in cache, otherwise it needs to compile a new plan.
This is not to say that every plan that is cached is re-used.
Changes in schema, a query running parallel that may have run
serially before, or changes in parameters may require a new
plan to be compiled even if a similar plan exists in cache. Plan
compilations are expensive though. Ideally this counter should
be near 100%.
Possible problems:
The value of this counter should never fall below 90%. Low
cache hit ratio (<20%) along with a sustained query execution
rate (Batch Requests/sec) indicates that compiled plans are not
being re-used. It should be noted that the hit ratio counter may
be skewed by internal lookups performed.
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Memory
Remediation:
The amount of caching should be reduced by examining the
workload to see if queries have been parameterized, or can be
rewritten with stored procedures.
Available
MBytes
Definition:
This is the amount of available physical memory on the server.
Information:
An acceptable output for this may vary widely based on how
much physical memory is in the machine. If you have 2GB of
RAM installed on the machine, it is common to see SQL Server
use 1.7GB of RAM. If no other processes are running on your
SQL Server, ensure you have at least 80MB available for
Windows at any given time.
Possible problems:
Low values show that SQL server has lack of memory.
Remediation:
Install additional memory.
Page Usage
Definition:
This shows the percentage of the page file that is being utilized.
Information:
A Page File is simply a file on the hard drive that handles
situations where the system wants to move or “page out”
sections of memory. There are several situations that cause
this, but the one you should be most concerned about is when
the system is out of physical memory.
Possible problems:
Values greater than 70 percent indicate paging and lack of
memory. If the system runs out of memory it can “borrow” some
storage from the hard drive to release some memory until it
needs that data again. The reason that this is bad is because
hard drives are amazingly slow in comparison with solid-state
memory access. Using the page file slows SQL Server a great
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
deal.
Remediation:
Install additional memory.
Workfiles
Created/sec
Definition:
This is the number of work files created per second.
Information:
For example, work files could be used to store temporary
results for hash joins and hash aggregates. The returned value
should be less than 20. Tempdb work files are used in
processing hash operations when the amount of data being
processed is too large to fit into the available memory.
Possible problems:
High values can indicate thrash in the tempdb file as well as
poorly coded queries.
Remediation:
It is possible to reduce the value this monitor returns by making
queries more efficient by adding/changing indexes. Adding
additional memory will also help.
Worktables
Created/sec
Definition:
This performance counter displays the number of work tables
created per second.
Information:
For example, work tables could be used to store temporary
results for query spool, lob variables, XML variables, and
cursors. The returned value should be less than 20. Worktables
are used for queries that use various spools (table spool, index
spool, and so on).
Possible problems:
High values could cause general slowdown.
Remediation:
Remediation requires rewriting your procedures.
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Pages
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Pages
This resource shows page status of the SQL server.
In SQL Server, the page size is 8 KB. Therefore, SQL Server databases have 128
pages per MB. Each page starts with a 96 byte header that stores information
about the page. This information includes the page number, page type, the
amount of free space on the page, and the allocation unit ID of the object that
owns the page.
The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will
change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance
counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter
Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
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Counter
Expert Knowledge
Page
Definition:
Lookups/sec: This performance counter returns the number of requests to
find a page in the buffer pool.
Information:
(Page lookups/sec) / (Batch Requests/sec) > 100.
Possible problems:
When the ratio of page lookups to batch requests is much
greater than 100, this is an indication that while query plans
are looking up data in the buffer pool, these plans are
inefficient.
Remediation:
Identify queries with the highest amount of logical I/O's and
tune them.
Page
Reads/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of physical
database page reads issued.
Information:
80 – 90 physical database page reads per second is normal.
Possible problems:
Returned values that are high could indicate indexing or
memory constraint.
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Remediation:
Attempt to tune the application so that fewer I/O operations are
required. For example, perhaps I/O operations would be
reduced if there were the appropriate indexes, or if the
database design were de-normalized. If the applications
cannot be tuned, you will need to acquire disk devices with
more capacity. Because physical I/O operations are
expensive, you may be able to minimize the cost either by
using a larger data cache, intelligent indexes, more efficient
queries, or by changing the database design.
Page
Lookups/
Batch
Request
Definition:
This performance counter displays the number of page splits
per second that occur as the result of overflowing index
pages.
Information:
(Page lookups/sec) / (Batch Requests/sec) > 100.
Possible problems:
When the ratio of page lookups to batch requests is much
greater than 100, this is an indication that while query plans
are looking up data in the buffer pool, these plans are
inefficient.
Remediation:
Identify queries with the highest amount of logical I/O's and
tune them.
Page
Writes/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of physical
database page writes issued.
Information:
80 – 90 physical database page writes per second is normal.
Possible problems:
If the returned values are high, you should check the Lazy
Writer/sec monitor.
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Page
Faults/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the average number
of pages faulted per second.
Information:
This performance counter gives an idea of how many times
information being requested is not where the application
expects it to be. The information must either be retrieved from
another location in memory or from the pagefile. While a
sustained value may indicate trouble, you should be more
concerned with hard page faults that represent actual reads or
writes to the disk. Disk access is much slower than RAM.
Possible problems:
Any measurement higher than zero delays response time and
probably indicates that more RAM is needed.
Remediation:
Add additional memory to your SQL server.
Page
Splits/Batch
Request
Definition:
This performance counter displays the number of page splits
per second that occur as the result of overflowing index
pages.
Information:
The returned value needs to be low as possible.
Possible problems:
High values could mean poor table or index design.
Remediation:
If the number of page splits is high, consider increasing the
Fill Factor of your indexes. An increased Fill Factor helps to
reduce page splits because there is more room in data pages
before it fills up and a page split has to occur. Note that this
counter also includes the new page allocations as well and
does not necessarily pose a problem. The other place we can
confirm the page splits that involve data or index rows moves
are the fragmented indexes on page splits.
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Pages
Page
Splits/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of page splits
per second.
Information:
The returned value for this monitor should be as low as
possible.
Possible problems:
Returned values that are high can indicate the overflowing of
index pages. A high value for this counter is not bad in
situations where many new pages are being created, since it
includes new page allocations.
Remediation:
To avoid Page Splits, review the table and index design so as
to reduce non-sequential inserts. You can also implement
Fillfactor and Pad_Index to leave more empty space per page.
Page Life
Expectancy
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of seconds a
page will stay in the buffer pool without references.
Information:
This performance monitor reports, on average, how long data
pages are staying in the buffer.
Possible problems:
If this value gets below 300 seconds, this is a potential
indication that your SQL Server could use more memory in
order to boost performance. Consistently having pages that
stay in memory for less than that amount of time may indicate
the need for more memory.
Remediation:
Add additional memory to your SQL server.
Database
Pages
Definition: This metric tells you the number of database
pages that are currently being occupied in the data cache.
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Information:
The higher the buffer manager Database Pages is, the less
room there is for SQL Server to cache more data pages. This
means that SQL Server may have to free up data cache pages
order to make room for pages being moved in from disk to the
data cache, which can increase disk IO and hurt performance.
There are no specific thresholds for this counter as each
server is different. Instead, watch baseline values and look for
sudden changes in the baseline value.
Possible problems:
If the value for this performance counter increases above its
typical baseline value, this may indicate memory pressure for
the SQL Server instance.
Remediation:
Investigate buffer management and disk I/O.
Free Memory
Note: This
performance
counter is only
available in
SQL Server
2012.
Definition:
The amount of memory available for SQL Server to use.
Information:
When SQL Server is using memory dynamically, it queries the
system periodically to determine the amount of free memory.
Maintaining this free memory prevents the operating system
(OS) from paging. If less memory is free, SQL Server releases
memory to the OS. If more memory is free, SQL Server may
allocate more memory. SQL Server adds memory only when
its workload requires more memory; a server at rest does not
increase the size of its virtual address space. The returned
value should be as high as possible.
Possible problems:
If Resource Semaphore does not find enough free memory,
then it puts the current query into the waiting queue.
Remediation:
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Increase SQL Server’s Max Server Memory
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Processes and Services
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Free Pages
Consider OS requirements and other instances
Definition:
This performance counter displays the total number of pages
on all free lists.
Information:
This is not main indicator of memory problems and could only
used as signal of possible memory pressure.
Possible problems:
If this performance counter is critical and other memory
counters are good, it is possible that there are no problems
with memory.
Remediation:
Check other memory counters. If they have critical values, you
may try to install additional memory into SQL server.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Processes and Services
This resource provides detailed information about the active processes and
services associated with the database selected. Hovering over a component will
give you detailed information about that component.
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Component Name: Name of the listed component.
Process Name: Name of the listed process and its ID value.
CPU Load: Percentage of the CPU that the listed process/service is currently using.
Memory Used: Memory currently being used by the listed process/service.
l Physical: RAM currently being used by the listed process/service.
l Virtual: Virtual memory currently being used by the listed process/service.
IOPS: Current amount of Input/Output data being processed per second.
Sessions
This resource displays the current number of sessions.
Sessions include both connections and internal background processes like ghost
cleanup , checkpoint, and so on. There is a close correlation between
connections and sessions, but they are not necessarily the same.
The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will
change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance
counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter
Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
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Sessions
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Active
Definition:
Sessions A current connection that is actively processing.
Information:
To find information about an active session, Use Sp_Who2 Active
or Sys.Dm_Exec_Sessions (Available in SQL 2005 or greater).
Possible problems:
Blocking session.
Remediation:
Wait until blocking clears or kill the session. If killed, the process
would roll back changes. If there are many changes, it could take a
while to roll-back.
Inactive
Definition:
Sessions A current connection that is not currently processing.
Information:
To find information about an inactive sessions, use Sp_Who2.
Possible problems:
Blocking session.
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Remediation:
Kill the session if blocking a process needs to finish. If killed, the
process would roll back changes. If there are many changes, it
could take a while to roll-back.
System
Definition:
Sessions A System initiated connection.
Information:
Normally these numbers are less than 50.
Possible problems:
Blocking session.
Remediation:
Do not kill system sessions.
User
Definition:
Sessions A user initiated connection.
Information:
Normally these numbers are greater than 50.
Possible problems:
Blocking session.
Remediation:
Kill the session if blocking a process needs to finish. If killed, the
process will roll back changes. If there are many changes, it could
take a while to roll-back.
Zooming:
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
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SQL Agent Job Status
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
SQL Agent Job Status
The SQL Agent is a Microsoft Windows service that executes scheduled
administrative tasks known as "jobs" in SQL Server. This resource shows the
status and details of these jobs.
The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column.
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Job Name: Displays the name of the listed job.
Last Run: Displays the date and time the listed job was last run.
Duration: Displays the amount of time the listed job took to complete.
Outcome: Displays the result from having run the listed job.
SQL Agent Job information is used to provide metrics for this resource and cannot
be edited.
SQL Errors
This resource displays SQL events that have occurred on the current SQL
instance. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column.
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Date/Time: Displays the date and time that the error occurred.
Error Message: Displays the error message that occurred at the listed date
and time.
Paging controls are located at the bottom of the resource, allowing you to
navigate through all data available for this resource. Respectively, the controls
are: Fist Page, Previous Page, Page Number, Next Page, Last Page, Number
of Items to Display on the Current Page, as shown:
SQL Event Log Message Details
This resource displays the SQL event log messages while providing a search
window and a filter. The filter allows you to choose which types of log messages
you want to display. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each
column. This resource shows only Error and Warning events specific to the
monitored SQL instance.
Note: The filter, Information, will not list any events. This is by design and is an
accidental by-product of an earlier resource that was implemented.
Paging controls are located at the bottom of the resource, allowing you to
navigate through all data available for this resource. Respectively, the controls
are: Fist Page, Previous Page, Page Number, Next Page, and Last Page.
Clicking any event message in the list will open a new window, displaying the
entire message, as shown below:
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SQL Server
This resource shows the status of SQL server counters that warrant a view
independent of grouped resources.
The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will
change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance
counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter
Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
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Counter
Expert Knowledge
Batch
Requests/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of Batch
Requests that SQL Server receives per second.
Information:
The values this monitor returns generally follows in step
as to how busy your server's CPUs are. From a network
bottleneck approach, a typical 100Mbs network card is
only able to handle about 3,000 batch requests per
second.
Possible problems:
Generally speaking, over 1,000 batch requests per
second indicates a very busy SQL Server. If this is the
case, you may soon experience a CPU bottleneck, if
you are not already. Of course, this is a relative number,
and the more powerful your hardware, the more batch
requests per second your SQL Server can handle.
Sometimes low Batch Requests/Sec can be
misleading. If there were a SQL Statements/sec
counter, this would be a more accurate measure of the
amount of SQL Server activity. For example, an
application may call only a few stored procedures, yet
each stored procedure does a great deal of work. In this
case, we will see a low number for Batch Requests/sec,
but each stored procedure (one batch) will execute
many SQL statements that drive up CPU and other
resources. As a result, many counter thresholds based
on the number of Batch Requests/sec will seem to
identify issues because the batch requests on such a
server are unusually low for the level of activity on the
server.
Remediation:
Check your SQL server and verify system resources are
being used efficiently. Applications other than SQL may
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SQL Server
be using unnecessary system resources. Try and
recover memory by closing unnecessary applications.
Installing additional memory and upgrading your
hardware should solve this problem.
SQL
Compilations/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of times
per second that SQL Server compilations have
occurred.
Information:
This value should be as low as possible.
Possible problems:
If you see a high value, say above 100, then this can be
an indication that there are a great deal of ad hoc
queries that are running which may cause increased
CPU usage.
Remediation:
Re-write the running ad hoc queries as stored
procedures or use the following command: sp_
executeSQL.
SQL
Definition:
Recompilations/sec This performance counter returns the number of SQL
statement recompiles that are triggered per second.
Information:
When an execution plan is invalidated due to some
significant event, SQL Server will re-compile it. Recompiles, like compiles, are expensive operations so
you want to minimize the number of re-compiles. Ideally
you want to keep this counter less than 10% of the
number of Compilations/Sec. In other words, keep this
value as low a possible.
In SQL Server 2000, when SQL Server recompiles a
stored procedure, the entire stored procedure is
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recompiled, not just the statement that triggered the
recompilation. In SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server
2005 SP3, the behavior is changed to statement-level
recompilation of stored procedures. When SQL Server
2008 or SQL Server 2005 SP3 recompiles stored
procedures, only the statement that caused the
recompilation is compiled, not the entire procedure.
This uses less CPU bandwidth and results in less
contention on lock resources such as Compile locks.
Possible problems:
Returned values that are high can indicate deadlocks
and compile locks that are not compatible with any
locking type.
Remediation:
Recompilation can happen for various reasons, such
as: Schema changed; Statistics changed; Deferred
compile; Set option changed; Temporary table
changed; Stored procedure created with the
Recompile query hint or using the Option (Recompile).
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If the recompile occurred because a Set option
changed, use SQL Server Profiler to determine
which Set option changed. Avoid
changing Set options within stored procedures. It
is better to set them at the connection level.
Ensure that Set options are not changed during
the lifetime of the connection.
Recompilation thresholds for temporary tables are
lower than for normal tables. If the recompiles on
a temporary table are due to statistics changes,
you can change the temporary tables to table variables. A change in the cardinality of a table variable does not cause a recompilation. The
drawback of this approach is that the query optimizer does not keep track of a table variable’s cardinality because statistics are not created or
maintained on table variables. This can result in
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non-optimal query plans. Test the different options
and choose the best one.
Another option is to use the Keep Plan query hint.
This sets the threshold of temporary tables to be
the same as that of permanent tables.
The EventSubclass column indicates that “Statistics Changed” for an operation on a temporary
table.
To avoid recompilations that are due to changes
in statistics (for example, when the plan becomes
suboptimal due to change in the data statistics),
specify the KeepFixed Plan query hint. With this
option in effect, recompilations can only happen
because of correctness-related reasons (for
example, when the underlying table structure has
changed and the plan no longer applies) and not
due to statistics. An example might be when a
recompilation occurs if the schema of a table that
is referenced by a statement changes, or if a table
is marked with the sp_recompile stored procedure.
Turning off the automatic updates of statistics for
indexes and statistics that are defined on a table
or indexed view prevents recompiles that are due
to statistics changes on that object. Note, however, that turning off the Auto-Stats feature by
using this method is usually not a good idea. This
is because the query optimizer is no longer sensitive to data changes in those objects and suboptimal query plans might result. Use this method
only as a last resort after exhausting all other
alternatives.
Batches should have qualified object names (for
example, dbo.Table1) to avoid recompilation and
to avoid ambiguity between objects.
To avoid recompiles that are due to deferred compiles, do not interleave DML and DDL or create
the DDL from conditional constructs such
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Auto-Param
Attempts/sec:
as If statements.
Run Database Engine Tuning Advisor (DTA) to
see if any indexing changes improve the compile
time and the execution time of the query.
Check to see if the stored procedure was created
with the With Recompile option or if
the Recompile query hint was used. If a procedure was created with the With
Recompile option, in SQL Server 2005 SP3, you
may be able to take advantage of the statement
level Recompile hint if a particular statement
within that procedure needs to be recompiled.
This would avoid the necessity of recompiling the
whole procedure each time it executes, while at
the same time allowing the individual statement to
be compiled.
Definition:
This monitor returns the number of autoparameterization attempts per second.
Information:
The total for this monitor should be the sum of the
failed, safe, and unsafe auto-parameterizations. Autoparameterization occurs when an instance of SQL
Server tries to parameterize a Transact-SQL request by
replacing some literals with parameters so that reuse of
the resulting cached execution plan across multiple
similar-looking requests is possible. Note that autoparameterizations are also known as simple
parameterizations in newer versions of SQL Server.
This counter does not include forced parameterizations.
Possible problems:
Bad T-SQL coding practices can increase
recompilation frequency and adversely affect SQL
Server's performance. Such situations can be
debugged and corrected in many cases.
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Longest
Transaction
Running Time
Definition:
The performance counter displays the length of time, in
seconds, the transaction that has been running the
longest, has been active.
Information:
Transactions that run longer than others use more
resources. They can be used to track down procedures
and calls that are taking longer than expected by
identifying the specific transaction(s).
Possible problems:
Long running transactions can prevent truncation of
transaction logs. This can cause the transaction log
files to grow until they consume all available physical
disk space shutting down access to the database.
Remediation:
Check the functionality of the query and/or redesign the
long running transaction.
Failed AutoParams/sec
Definition:
This monitor returns the number of failed autoparameterization attempts per second.
Information:
The value returned by this monitor should be low. Note
that auto-parameterizations are also known as simple
parameterizations in later versions of SQL Server.
Preferred values should be near zero.
Possible problems:
Bad T-SQL coding practices can increase
recompilation frequency and adversely affect SQL
Server's performance. Such situations can be
debugged and corrected in many cases.
Full Scans/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of Full
Scans on base tables or indexes.
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Information:
This is the number of unrestricted full scans per second.
These can be either base-table or full-index scans.
Possible problems:
Values greater than 1 or 2 indicate table/Index page
scans are occurring. If the CPU is running high, you
should investigate the cause as related to this counter
measurement. You can rule this out as a problem if the
full scans are on small tables.
Remediation:
Following are a few of the main causes of high Full
Scans/sec:
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Range Scans/sec
Missing indexes
Too many rows requested; Queries with missing
indexes or too many rows requested will have a
large number of logical reads and an increased
CPU time.
Scans are IO-intensive and should run within your
databases minimally. Identify the tables that have
a large number of scans against them. Review the
fill factor you have set up on your indexes and minimize it where appropriate.
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of
Qualified Range Scans through indexes per second.
Information:
This monitor returns the number of qualified range
scans through indexes per second.
Plan Re-Use
Definition:
A query plan is used to execute a query.
Information:
Plan re-use is desirable for OLTP workloads because
re-creating the same plan (for similar or identical
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transactions) is a waste of CPU resources.
Possible problems:
Zero cost plans will not be cached (not re-used) in SQL
2005 SP2. Applications that use zero cost plans will
have a lower plan re-use but this is not a performance
issue.
Remediation:
Review your plan re-use design. Tune your plan re-use
design as it is described in the following
article: http://sqlmag.com/sql-server/fine-tuning-planreuse.
Probe Scans/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of Probe
Scans, per second, that are used to find at most, one
single qualified row in an index or base table directly.
Information:
There are no thresholds associated with this
performance counter.
Recompilations/
Compilations
Definition:
This performance counter shows the ratio of SQL
Recompilations to SQL Compilations.
Information:
SQL Recompilations should be less than 10% of SQL
Compilations.
Possible problems:
Returned values that are high can indicate more
temporary tables in use.
Remediation:
Change stored procedures to not change schemas,
Use table variables instead of temporary tables
Compilations/
Definition:
Recompilations/sec Monitoring the number of query compilations and
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recompilations and the number of batches received by
an instance of SQL Server gives you an indication of
how quickly SQL Server is processing user queries and
how effectively the query optimizer is processing the
queries.
Information:
Compilation is a significant part of a query's turnaround
time. In order to save the compilation cost, the
Database Engine saves the compiled query plan in a
query cache. The objective of the cache is to reduce
compilation by storing compiled queries for later reuse,
therefore ending the requirement to recompile queries
when later executed. However, each unique query must
be compiled at least one time.
Compilations/sec divided by 10 minus
recompilations/sec.
Possible problems:
Query recompilations can be caused by the following
factors:
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changes such as adding columns or indexes to a
table, or statistics schema changes such as inserting or deleting a significant number of rows from a
table.
Environment (Set statement) changes. Changes
in session settings such as Ansi_Padding or
Ansi_Nulls can cause a query to be recompiled.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
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Top 10 Databases by Active User Connections
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Top 10 Databases by Active User Connections
This resource graphically shows the number of users per database for the top 10
most active databases. The colors of the chart correspond to the labels in the
legend, which indicate the most active databases.
The performance counter, Top Active Sessions with Statistics, is used to
provide metrics for this resource and cannot be edited.
Expanding the tree by clicking [+] will provide details about the users, host, length
of connection and idle time, as well as the number of bytes transferred during that
time.
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Top 10 Most Expensive Queries by CPU Time
This resource displays the top 10 most expensive queries sorted by the length of
time the CPU spent processing the listed query.
When viewing this resource from the Summary tab on the Application Details
page, queries are listed for the entire SQL Server instance. Conversely, when this
same resource appears on the Database Details view, queries are only listed for
that specific database.
The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column. Additionally, this
resource can optionally show Top Queries by I/O by clicking Edit in this resource
and making the necessary adjustments.
Note: The resource is filtered based on the settings found on the Queries tab in
Details view in the Most Expensive Queries resource.
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Query Text: The text shown is a preview of the full query. To view an entire
query in the list, click [+] next to the query listed to expand and view the
query.
Note: Clicking any listed query will take you to the Most Expensive Queries
resource on the Queries tab, providing greater detail about the query.
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CPU Time: Display the time, in milliseconds, the listed query took to complete.
Database: Displays the database with which the listed query is associated.
The icon in this column shows the current state of the listed database.
The performance counter, Top Expensive Queries, is used to provide metrics for
this resource and cannot be edited.
AppInsight for SQL Details View (Queries Tab)
The Queries tab provides detailed insight into the most expensive queries
running on your SQL instance.
The performance counter, Top Expensive Queries, is used to provide metrics for
this resource and cannot be edited.
Most Expensive Queries
This resource provides detailed insight into the most expensive queries running
on your SQL database. Queries for this view can be filtered by Time, Host,
Database, and Login using the filter drop down menus at the top of the window.
Note: The filters used here will also be applied to the Top 10 Most Expensive
Queries by CPU Time resource found on the Summary tab in the Details view.
To view an entire query in the list, hover the mouse over a query, or click [+] next
to the query listed to expand and view the query.
The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column.
Note: This resource will be empty when polling of queries is disabled.
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Query Text: The text shown is a preview of the full query. To view an entire
query in the list, click [+] next to the query listed to expand and view the
query.
SPID: Server Process ID of the listed query.
Plan Count: Displays the number of cached query plans for the listed
query. A large number might indicate a need for explicit query parameterization.
Executions: Displays the number of times the listed query was executed.
CPU Time: Displays the amount of time, in milliseconds, that the listed
query took to complete.
Phys. Read: This field returns the number of physical reads. Physical reads
are reads that require reading directly from disk. Physical reads are substantially slower than reading from the cache or from RAM.
Logical Reads: Displays the number of times data was read from the
cache.
Logical Writes: Displays the number of times data was written to the cache.
Average Duration: This displays the length of time it took, in milliseconds,
to execute the listed query averaged by the number of executions.
Bytes Transferred: Number of bytes transferred during the query.
Login: Displays the current login information for the listed database.
Host: Displays the host for the listed database.
Database: Displays the current name for the listed database. Clicking any
database in the list will take you to the Database Details page.
Database Details View
The Database Details view provides a great deal of information about the current
database and can be accessed by clicking any listed database.
Important: A high number of databases monitored on a single SQL instance
using AppInsight for SQL can cause job timeout issues. To alleviate this problem,
try increasing the timeout value. If this does not resolve the issue, reduce the
number of visible databases by granting view permissions to the user account
used for polling only for the databases you want to see.
To navigate to the Database Details view:
1. From the web console, navigate to the AppInsight for SQL Details view.
2. From the All Databases resource, click any database in the list.
The available resources unique to this view include:
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Active User Connections
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Active User Connections
Connections
Database Availability
Database Details
Database Disk I/O
Database Size by File
Log Flushes
Processes and Services
Storage
Top 10 Clustered Indexes by Fragmentation
Top 10 Most Expensive Queries by CPU Time
Top 10 Nonclustered Indexes by Fragmentation
Top 10 Tables by Size
Transaction Log Disk I/O
Transaction Log Size by File
Active User Connections
This resource provides detailed information about the active user connections
associated with the database selected. Data can be sorted by clicking the
headers of each column.
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Login: This displays the login information for the listed user connection.
Host: This displays the type of host associated with the listed user connection.
Connection Duration: This displays the length of time the listed user connection has been connected.
Idle Time: This displays the length of time the listed user connection has
been idle.
Bytes Transferred: This displays the number of bytes transferred for the listed user connection.
The performance counter, Top Active Sessions with Statistics, is used to
provide metrics for this resource and cannot be edited.
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Connections
This resource shows the status of your current database connections. The icons
of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will change color
to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance counter in the
Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter Details page for
that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
User
Definition:
Connections The User Connections performance counter identifies the
number of different users that are connected to your SQL
Server at the time the sample was taken.
Information:
You need to watch this performance counter over time to
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understand your baseline user connection numbers. Since
each user connection consumes some memory space, a high
number of user connections can impact throughput and cause
a performance slow-down. Once you have an idea of your high
and low thresholds during normal usage of your system, you
can then look for times when this counter exceeds these high
and low marks.
Possible problems:
If the returned value of this performance counter goes down
and the load on the system remains stable, you might have a
bottleneck that is not allowing your server to handle the normal
load. Keep in mind that this counter value might go down just
because less people are using your SQL Server instance. If
you see this number jump by 500% from your baseline, you
may be seeing a slowdown of your server activity.
Remediation:
You may want to boost the SQL Server configuration setting,
Maximum Worker Threads to a figure higher than the default
setting of 255. The setting for Maximum Worker Threads
should be higher than the maximum number of user
connections your server ever reaches.
Logins/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the total number of logins
started, per second, and does not include pooled connections.
Information:
Opening and closing connections is an expensive process. A
pooled connection is one which is kept open by an application
for other requests to re-use.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is high, this can indicate that the
application is not correctly using connection pooling.
Remediation:
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Review the Connection Polling configuration.
Logout/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the total number of logout
operations started, per second.
Information:
Opening and closing connections is an expensive process.
When applications do not use a connection pool, each request
needs to establish its own connection before the query can be
executed. It then has to close it. A pooled connection is one
which is kept open by an application for other requests to reuse.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is high, this can indicate that the
application is not correctly using connection pooling.
Remediation:
Review the Connection Polling configuration.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Database Availability
This resource graphically shows the various states of availability for the current
database in a percentage format. This chart is made up of three sections: the
legend, the main chart, and the lower chart. The colors of the main chart
correspond to the labels in the legend.
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Zooming
Clicking the Edit button will allow you to change the default zoom range, the
amount of historical data loaded, and set the sample interval time period, as well
as reveal the Advanced section. Expanding the Advanced section will allow you
to change the defaults of the titles from macros to anything you want.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined, hourly time period of data by
clicking on any one of the three Zoom buttons; 1h, 12h, or 24h. Alternatively, you
can have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a
small area of the chart.
Once you have a time period selected, the lower chart will zoom to the starting
and ending values of the selected time period. With the lower chart you can zoom
in further by fine tuning the view with the sliders. The main view of the chart will
display the selected time period between the two sliders of the lower chart.
Moving the mouse over the main chart will reveal a tooltip with more detailed
information about the specific time period the mouse is hovering over.
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Database Details
This resource provides tools and details concerning the current database.
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Management: This provides tools allowing you to more easily manage
and troubleshoot the current application.
Database Name: Displays the name of the current database.
Performance Status: Displays the status of the current database.
Operational State: Displays whether or not the database is currently
online.
Recovery Model: Will display the type of recovery model employed on the
listed database. This can be either, Simple, Full, or Bulk-Logged. For more
information, refer to the following MSDN article: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms175987(v=sql.105).aspx
Collation: Displays the method of sorting used by the database. (In the
above image, Latin1 means the server treats strings using Charset Latin 1,
i.e. ASCII. CI means Case Insensitive. AS means Accent Sensitive ('ü'
does not equal 'u')).
Compatibility Level: Displays the compatibility level of the current database. The value displayed in this field correlates to the bulleted table
below:
o 60 = SQL Server 6.0
o 65 = SQL Server 6.5
o 70 = SQL Server 7.0
o 80 = SQL Server 2000
o 90 = SQL Server 2005
o 100 = SQL Server 2008
o 110 = SQL Server 2012
Last Backup: Displays the date and time of the last successful backup for
the current database.
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High Availability Group: Displays the database mirroring status and
details of the mirrored database, if available.
Database Disk I/O
This resource displays the status, as well as I/O metrics, for your current database
file. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will
change to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any volume in the
Volume column will take you to the Volume Details page for that counter.
The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column.
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File Path: Displays the full path of the listed database.
Volume: Displays the name of the volume of the current database. Clicking
a listed volume will take you to the Volume Details page.
Disk Queue Length: This is the number of both read and write requests
that were queued for the selected disk during the sample interval.
Total IOPS: Displays the current total read and write I/O operations occurring for the database logical volume. High I/O may be normal for some databases, but excessively high I/O will lead to higher queue lengths, meaning
there are more requests for disk reads or writes than the storage subsystem
can handle simultaneously.
Latency: Displays a measurement of disk latency occurring on the disk
where the database resides. High latency values indicate sluggish database performance
The performance counter, Database Files, is used to provide metrics for this
resource. It is used in combination with volume polling. This counter is not listed
in the resource; however, the thresholds can be changed.
To change the thresholds for the Database Files performance counter:
1. From the Database Details view, locate the Database Files resource and
click Edit in the Management field.
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2. Locate the Database Files performance counter and click [+] to expand the
counter and reveal the counter details.
3. Click Override Template and adjust the thresholds to suit your needs.
4. When done, click Submit.
Database Size by File
This resource lists the current databases sorted by file size. Moving the mouse
over the Database Usage percent value will reveal a tooltip with more detailed
information about that database. Clicking the value will take you to the Custom
Chart resource page. If the Warning or Critical thresholds is breached, the color of
the bar chart will change from green to yellow or red, respectively.
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File Path: Displays the full path of the listed database.
Auto-Growth: Displays the Auto-growth status of the listed database.
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Log Flushes
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File Size: Displays the size of the listed database in megabytes.
Database Usage: Depending on how your database is configured, this
value is showing you how close you are to running out of space. If your database is configured as a fixed size, auto-grow, or a restricted auto-grow, the
percentages relate to what is going to cause your database to run out of
space.
Volume Usage: The value returned is the database file usage in relation to
the space remaining on the volume.
Database Files, is used to provide metrics for this resource. This counter is not
listed in the resource; however, the thresholds can be changed.
To change the thresholds for the Database Files performance counter:
1. From the Database Details view, locate the Database Files resource and
click Edit in the Management field.
2. Locate the Database Files performance counter and click [+] to expand the
counter and reveal the counter details.
3. Click Override Template and adjust the thresholds to suit your needs.
4. When done, click Submit.
Log Flushes
This resource contains monitors specific to the current status of log flushes for the
current database. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic
Name column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state.
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Clicking any performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to
the Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Log Bytes
Definition:
Flushed/sec This performance counter shows the average log bytes flushed
per second for the current database since the last data point.
Information:
The value returned helps identify trends of the transaction log. A
log flush happens when data is written from the log cache to the
transaction log on disk, each time a transaction happens.
Note: This is not available in SQL 2012.
Possible problems:
The rate at which log records are written to the disk. This is the
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log generation rate of the application. It plays a very important
role in determining database mirroring performance. This
counter is in the Databases performance object.
Log Bytes Flushed/sec can indicate many small transactions
leading to high mechanical disk activity.
Remediation:
Look at the statements associated with the log flush and
determine if the number of log flushes can be reduced. When a
single transaction is used, the log records for the transaction
can be bundled and a single, larger write can be used to flush
the gathered log records. The mechanical intervention is
significantly reduced. It is not recommended that you increase
your transaction scope. Long-running transactions can lead to
excessive and unwanted blocking as well as increased
overhead.
Log
Flushes/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of log flushes per
second, averaged since the last collection time.
Information:
A log flush happens when a transaction is committed and data
is written from the log cache to the transaction log file. The log
cache is a location in memory where SQL Server stores data to
be written to the log file. This is used to roll back a transaction
before it is committed. Once complete, the log cache is flushed
to the physical log file on the disk. Generally speaking, log
flushes per second should parallel the number of transactions
per second.
Possible problems:
If the returned value is higher than expected, check your use of
explicit transactions in your queries.
Remediation:
Explicitly define the start and end of your transactions. This
should reduce the number of log flushes, and reduce the impact
on I/O. Also check the Log Bytes Flushed/Sec monitor.
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Log Flush
Waits/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of commits, per
second, waiting for the log flush.
Information:
This value should be as low as possible.
Possible problems:
A high number of Log Flush Waits can indicate that it is taking
longer than normal to flush the transaction log cache. This will
slow the performance of your SQL Server.
Remediation:
Check the value of the Disk avg. Write time monitor. If the
returned value is greater than 5ms, then this can indicate that
there is an I/O bottleneck. Move your transaction log file to a
disk drive separate from your data files. This should increase
performance since there is no access competition on the same
disk. Consider upgrading to RAID 10 for transaction log
storage. Also, adding spindles to your RAID array should
increase performance.
Log Flush
Wait Time
Definition:
This performance counter returns the total wait time (in
milliseconds) to flush the log to the transaction log file.
Information:
On an AlwaysOn secondary database, this value indicates the
wait time for log records to be hardened to disk.
Percent Log Definition:
Used
This performance counter returns the percentage of space in
the log that is in use.
Information:
This is the size of the transaction log that actively contains data
in relation to the total physical size on disk of the log file.
Possible problems:
If the log file is 100% used, it will attempt to increase its size. If
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Storage
there is not sufficient disk space to accommodate the growth,
the database will stop functioning.
Remediation:
Perform a transaction log backup to truncate the log.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Storage
This resource contains monitors specific to the current storage status of the
current database. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic
Name column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state.
Clicking any performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to
the Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
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Counter
Expert Knowledge
Backup/
Definition:
Restore
This performance counter shows the Read/Write throughput
Throughput/sec for backup and restore operations of a database per
second.
Information:
You can measure how the performance of the database
backup operation changes when more backup devices are
used in parallel, or when faster devices are used.
Throughput of a database backup or restore operation
allows you to determine the progress and performance of
your backup and restore operations. There are no
thresholds associated with this performance counter.
Log Cache
Reads/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the amount of Reads
performed per second through the Log Manager cache.
Total Size
Definition:
This performance counter returns the total size of the
database including white space.
Possible problems:
Running out of storage space.
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Remediation:
Shrink the database if free space is running low.
Log File(s) Size
Definition:
This performance counter shows the cumulative size (in
kilobytes) of all the transaction log files in the database.
Information:
Every transaction in the database is logged to the
Transaction log. This is useful during recovery in the event
of data loss. Information about the log file is shown under
the Files section of the Database Overview page in SQL
Server Management Studio.
The size of this file is based on the logging level set for the
database. By default, a new database uses Full Recovery
Mode or the recovery mode that the model database is set
up as. Transactions in the log file are only removed when a
complete backup or transaction log backup is initiated. This
enables pinpoint recovery for critical applications. Be aware
that if the transaction log is not backed up on a regular
basis, the log will grow until your disk is completely full. The
transaction log should be adjusted to a reasonable size.
This will depend on the number of transactions you expect,
and how often you perform backups.
Set the correct Autogrowth properties: The default of 10%
Autogrowth for data and log files should be enough for low
use databases. Conversely, a 500 MB Autogrowth rate may
be better suited for a busy database, preventing a large I/O
impact caused by normal Autogrowth operations.
Possible problems:
If the returned value occasionally drops to zero, this can
indicate a problem with the following file: sys.master_files.
This file is what the SQL Monitor uses to collect data.
Note: With Simple Recovery Model, fast writing to the
transaction log will trigger Autogrowth.
Remediation:
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If you are performing a insert operation, you should
consider switching the recovery model to Bulk Logged for
the insert.
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If you do not need pinpoint recovery, it is recommended you switch to Simple Recovery model.
If your database is configured with the Full or Bulk
Logged recovery model, back up the log on a regular
basis so it can be truncated to free up log space.
Note: This action removes inactive virtual log files, but
does not reduce the file size.
Data File(s) Size
Definition:
This performance counter shows the cumulative size (in
kilobytes) of all the data files in the database including any
automatic growth.
Information:
Monitoring this counter is useful for determining the correct
size of tempdb. The value returned from this monitor reports
the size of your database (not including the Transaction
log). Information about distinct primary data files and
secondary data files is shown under the Files section of the
Database Overview page in SQL Server Management
Studio.
Having a file size increase on demand is expensive and
will degrade performance significantly. Autogrowth should
only be used to let a database increase in size if you are
running out of disk space. Autogrowth should not be used
to manage your MDF size increases. Data files should be
sized properly when they are initially created to meet the
expected growth. This also helps avoid fragmentation,
which leads to better database performance.
Possible problems:
Be wary of large and unusual increases to the size of your
data files. Generally speaking, your database should be
sized to minimize Autogrowth. An increase in size is
expensive concerning I/O. Additionally, this will fragment
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your data and log files. If the returned value occasionally
drops to zero, this can indicate a problem with the following
file: sys.master_files. This file is what the SQL Monitor uses
to collect data.
Remediation:
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Ensure that Full Recovery Mode is used for your databases and that you regularly backup everything,
including the transaction log.
Manually add space as data increases in size. It is
recommended that you have approximately one year
of space available for data growth. If this is not possible, move the database to a higher capacity drive or
simply upgrade the drive.
Note: Compressing files causes fragmentation and is
therefore not recommended.
Definition:
This is essentially the white space in the database that can
be reclaimed by compacting/shrinking the database.
Information:
Shrinking data files recovers space by moving pages of
data from the end of the file to unoccupied space closer to
the front of the file. When enough free space is created at
the end of the file, data pages at end of the file can deallocated and returned to the file system.
Possible problems:
Data that is moved to shrink a file can be scattered to any
available location in the file. This causes index
fragmentation and can slow the performance of queries that
search a range of the index.
Remediation:
To eliminate the fragmentation, consider rebuilding the
indexes on the file after shrinking.
Average
Bytes/Read
Definition:
Perfmon captures the total number of bytes sent to the disk
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(write) and retrieved from the disk (read) over a period of
one second.
Information:
The Disk Read Bytes/sec and the Disk Write Bytes/sec
performance counters break down the results displaying
only read bytes or only write bytes, respectively.
Average
Bytes/Write
Definition:
Perfmon captures the total number of bytes sent to the disk
(write) and retrieved from the disk (read) over a period of
one second.
Information:
The Disk Read Bytes/sec and the Disk Write Bytes/sec
performance counters break down the results displaying
only read bytes or only write bytes, respectively.
Average Read
Latency
Definition:
This performance counter indicates the response time of
the disk – how long it takes for a read request to get
acknowledged by the disk.
Information:
The average read latency should be less than 20ms for
database files.
Average Write
Latency
Definition:
Avg. Disk sec/Write is the average time, in seconds, to write
data to the disk.
Information:
This analysis determines if any of the physical disks are
responding slowly.
Possible problems:
If the response times are greater than .015 (15
milliseconds), then the disk subsystem is keeping up with
demand, but does not have much overhead left.
If the response times are greater than .025 (25
milliseconds), then noticeable slow-downs and
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performance issues affecting users may be occurring.
Forwarded
Records/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of records per
second fetched through forwarded record pointers.
Information:
Heaps have one interesting feature - forwarded records. If a
record needs to be updated and the updated record size is
greater than the current record size, and there is no space
on the page to fit the new record in, then we have two
options:
1. Move the record to a new page and change all the
non-clustered index records that point to it to point to
the new location of the record.
2. Move the record to a new page and leave a forwarding record in the original location to point to the
new location.
Possible problems:
This is one drawback of using heaps - all the extra space
that is wasted with the Forwarding/Forwarded Records.
Another drawback is that when scanning through the heap,
forwarding records have to be followed immediately (as
opposed to ignoring them and just reading the forwarded
records when they are encountered). This is to vastly
reduce the possibility of read anomalies such as nonrepeatable reads or missed rows if a row moves before the
scan point during a scan.
Remediation:
Once a data table (heap) includes forward pointers, there is
only one way to get rid of them : Table Reorg. There are a
few options to do this:
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on the data table and drop it again.
To avoid forward pointers entirely, create a clustered
index from the beginning. A clustered index keeps the
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data rows in its leaf node level. Therefore the data is
always sorted according to the index keys and forward pointers will not be used. This is like a continuous online Reorg in this regard.
Log Cache
Reads/sec
Definition:
This performance counter displays the number of Reads
performed per second through the Log Manager cache.
Information:
There are no thresholds associated with this performance
counter.
Log Cache Hit
Ratio
Definition:
This performance counter returns the percentage of Log
cache reads satisfied from the Log cache.
Information:
The log cache is used to hold information that will be
written to the transaction log. There are no thresholds
associated with this performance counter.
Number of
Reads/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of physical
database page reads issued per second.
Information:
This statistic displays the total number of physical page
reads across all databases. 80 to 90 per second is normal.
Anything that is above 90 indicates indexing or memory
constraint.
Possible problems:
Because physical I/O is expensive, you may be able to
minimize the cost, either by using a larger data cache,
intelligent indexes, and more efficient queries, or by
changing the database design.
Remediation:
Attempt to tune the application so that fewer I/O operations
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are required. For example, perhaps I/O would be reduced if
there were appropriate indexes or if the database design
were de-normalized. If the applications cannot be tuned,
you will need to acquire disk devices with more capacity.
Compare to the Memory: Pages/sec performance counter to
see if there is paging while the SQL Server:Buffer
Manager\Page reads/sec is high. Note: Before adjusting the
fill factor, at a database level, compare the SQL
Server:Buffer Manager\Page reads/sec performance
counter to the SQL Server:Buffer Manager\Page writes/sec
counter, and use the fill factor option only if writes are a
substantial fraction of reads (greater than 30 percent).
Number of
Writes/sec
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of data pages
written per second.
Information:
Page writes per second are the total number of physical
writes, including checkpoint writes, lazy writer writes, and
large block writes done during index creation or bulk copy
operations.
Possible problems:
If Page Writes/sec is high, this might indicate a SQL Server
performance issue.
Remediation:
If these values are high, you can try to reduce the values by
tuning your application or database to reduce I/O
operations such as index coverage, better indexes,
normalization, increasing the I/O capacity of the hardware,
or by adding memory.
Total Size:
Percent
Change 24 Hrs
Definition:
This value is the same as the value returned by the
performance counter, Total Size but calculated as a
percentage of change over the last 24 hours.
Information:
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This metric allows users to be alerted when the database
experiences sudden growth.
Possible problems:
A database that suddenly changes in size by a high
percentage could be indicative of a problem that should be
investigated.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Top 10 Clustered Indexes by Fragmentation
A clustered index determines the physical order of data in a table. This resource
displays the clustered indexes with the highest level of fragmentation. If the
Warning or Critical threshold is breached, the color of the bar chart will change
from green to yellow or red, respectively.
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Table Name: Displays the name of the listed table.
Index Name: Displays the name listed index.
Fragmentation: Numerically and graphically displays the percentage of
fragmentation of the listed index.
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To change the thresholds for the Top Indexes for Database performance counter:
The performance counter, Top Indexes for Database, is used to provide metrics
for this resource. This counter is not listed in the resource; however, the
thresholds can be changed.
To change the thresholds for the Top Indexes for Database performance
counter:
1. From the Database Details view, locate the Database Details resource
and click Edit in the Management field.
2. Locate the Top Indexes for Database performance counter and click [+]
to expand the counter and reveal the counter details.
3. Click Override Template and adjust the thresholds to suit your needs.
4. When done, click Submit.
To change the number of tables displayed in this resource, values must be
changed in two locations:
1. In the resource, click Edit.
2. Change the value for the field: Maximum Number of Records to Display,
and then click Submit.
3. Edit the application or the template that the application is based on. To edit
the template which will affect applications based on it:
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a. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
b. Check the AppInsight for SQL application and click
in the toolbar.
c. Expand the Top Indexes for Database component monitor by clicking [+].
d. Change the value for the field, Number of Records to Retrieve
and then click Submit.
4. To edit the individual application:
a. From the web console, click the Applications tab.
b. From the All Applications resource, click an AppInsight for SQL
application to select it.
.
c. From the Application Details resource, click
d. Expand the Top Indexes for Database component monitor by clicking [+].
e. Click Override Template corresponding to the row, Number of
Records to Retrieve.
f. Change the value for the field, Number of Records to Retrieve
and then click Submit.
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Top 10 Most Expensive Queries by CPU Time
Top 10 Most Expensive Queries by CPU Time
This resource displays the top 10 most expensive queries sorted by the length of
time the CPU spent processing the listed query.
When viewing this resource from the Summary tab on the Application Details
page, queries are listed for the entire SQL Server instance. Conversely, when this
same resource appears on the Database Details view, queries are only listed for
that specific database.
The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column. Additionally, this
resource can optionally show Top Queries by I/O by clicking Edit in this resource
and making the necessary adjustments.
Note: The resource is filtered based on the settings found on the Queries tab in
Details view in the Most Expensive Queries resource.
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Query Text: The text shown is a preview of the full query. To view an entire
query in the list, click [+] next to the query listed to expand and view the
query.
Note: Clicking any listed query will take you to the Most Expensive Queries
resource on the Queries tab, providing greater detail about the query.
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CPU Time: Display the time, in milliseconds, the listed query took to complete.
Database: Displays the database with which the listed query is associated.
The icon in this column shows the current state of the listed database.
The performance counter, Top Expensive Queries, is used to provide metrics for
this resource and cannot be edited.
Top 10 Nonclustered Indexes by Fragmentation
A non-clustered index is one in which the data rows are not sorted and stored in
order based on their non-clustered keys. This resource displays the non-clustered
indexes with the highest level of fragmentation. If the Warning or Critical
thresholds is breached, the color of the bar chart will change from green to yellow
or red, respectively.
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Table Name: Displays the name of the listed table.
Index Name: Displays the name listed index.
Fragmentation: Numerically and graphically displays the percentage of
fragmentation of the listed index.
The performance counter, Top Indexes for Database, is used to provide metrics
for this resource. This counter is not listed in the resource; however, the
thresholds can be changed.
To change the thresholds for the Top Indexes for Database performance
counter:
1. From the Database Details view, locate the Database Details resource
and click Edit in the Management field.
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Top 10 Nonclustered Indexes by Fragmentation
2. Locate the Top Indexes for Database performance counter and click [+]
to expand the counter and reveal the counter details.
3. Click Override Template and adjust the thresholds to suit your needs.
4. When done, click Submit.
To change the number of tables displayed in this resource, values must be
changed in two locations:
1. In the resource, click Edit.
2. Change the value for the field: Maximum Number of Records to Display,
and then click Submit.
3. Edit the application or the template that the application is based on. To edit
the template which will affect applications based on it:
a. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
b. Check the AppInsight for SQL application and click
in the toolbar.
c. Expand the Top Indexes for Database component monitor by clicking [+].
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d. Change the value for the field, Number of Records to Retrieve
and then click Submit.
4. To edit the individual application:
a. From the web console, click the Applications tab.
b. From the All Applications resource, click an AppInsight for SQL
application to select it.
.
c. From the Application Details resource, click
d. Expand the Top Indexes for Database component monitor by clicking [+].
e. Click Override Template corresponding to the row, Number of
Records to Retrieve.
f. Change the value for the field, Number of Records to Retrieve
and then click Submit.
Top 10 Tables by Size
This resource displays the current database tables in order based on size. If the
Warning or Critical thresholds is breached, the color of the bar chart will change
from green to yellow or red, respectively.
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Top 10 Tables by Size
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Name: Displays the name of the listed table of the current database.
Size: Displays the size of the listed table of the current database.
% Used by Index: Displays the percentage of the table space used by the
index.
Total Row Count: Displays the total number of rows in the listed table of
the current database.
The performance counter, Top Tables for Database, is used to provide metrics
for this resource. This counter is not listed in the resource; however, the
thresholds can be changed.
To change the thresholds for the Top Tables for Database performance
counter:
1. From the Database Details view, locate the Database Details resource
and click Edit in the Management field.
2. Locate the Top Tables for Database performance counter and click [+] to
expand the counter and reveal the counter details.
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3. Click Override Template and adjust the thresholds to suit your needs.
4. When done, click Submit.
Transaction Log Disk I/O
This resource lists the current status of the transaction log file. The icons of the
Volume column will change to reflect the listed volume's current state. Clicking
the volume will take you to the Volume Details page.
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File Path: Displays the full path where the transaction log file resides.
Volume: Displays the volume where the transaction log file resides. Clicking on the volume name will take you to the Volume Details View.
Disk Queue Length: Displays the current disk queue length for the listed
volume as seen on the Volume Details view. Queue lengths that are high for
a sustained period of time are indicative of disk I/O performance issues that
can negatively impact the database.
Total IOPS: Displays the current total read and write IO operations occurring on the drive where the database or transaction log file resides. High I/O
may be normal for some databases, but excessively high I/O will lead to
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Transaction Log Size by File
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higher queue lengths, meaning there are more requests for disk reads or
writes than the storage subsystem can handle.
Latency: Displays a measurement of disk latency occurring on the disk
where the database or transaction log file resides. High volume latency values indicate sluggish database performance.
The performance counter, Database Files, is used to provide metrics for this
resource. It is used in combination with volume polling. This counter is not listed
in the resource; however, the thresholds can be changed.
To change the thresholds for the Database Files performance counter:
1. From the Database Details view, locate the Database Files resource and
click Edit in the Management field.
2. Locate the Database Files performance counter and click [+] to expand the
counter and reveal the counter details.
3. Click Override Template and adjust the thresholds to suit your needs.
4. When done, click Submit.
Transaction Log Size by File
This resource lists the current status of transaction log files as sorted by size.
Hovering the mouse over a listed percentage will reveal a tooltip with detailed
information about the item listed. Clicking the percentage will take you to the
Database Details page. If the Warning or Critical thresholds is breached, the color
of the bar chart will change from green to yellow or red, respectively.
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File Path: Displays the complete file path of the listed transaction log.
Auto-Growth: Displays the current Auto-growth setting.
File Size: Displays the current size of the listed transaction log.
Database Usage: This resource displays the amount of space consumed
as a percentage of whatever restrictions are in place for the file. For
example:
o If the transaction log is allowed to grow unrestricted, then it is limited
only by the amount of free space on the volume.
o If the transaction log is allowed to grow to a maximum size, the percentage is calculated based on this restricted size limit.
o If the transaction log has a fixed size, the percentage used is calculated based on the total size of the transaction log file and the
amount of remaining white space.
Volume Usage: Displays the amount of space the listed file is consuming
on the volume where it is located.
The performance counter, Database Files, is used to provide metrics for this
resource. This counter is not listed in the resource; however, the thresholds can
be changed.
To change the thresholds for the Database Files performance counter:
1. From the Database Details view, locate the Database Files resource and
click Edit in the Management field.
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Transactions
2. Locate the Database Files performance counter and click [+] to expand
the counter and reveal the counter details.
3. Click Override Template and adjust the thresholds to suit your needs.
4. When done, click Submit.
Transactions
A transaction is a unit of work that is performed against a database. In other
words, if you are creating a record, for example, then you are performing
transaction on the table. It is important to control transactions to ensure data
integrity and to handle database errors.
This resource contains monitors specific to the current status of transactions. The
icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will change
color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance counter
in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter Details
page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
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Counter
Expert Knowledge
Longest
Transaction
Running
Time
Definition:
This performance counter displays the length of time, in
seconds, the transaction that has been running the longest,
has been active.
Information:
Transactions that run longer than others use more resources.
They can be used to track down procedures and calls that are
taking longer than expected by identifying the specific
transaction(s).
Possible problems:
Long running transactions can prevent truncation of
transaction logs. This can cause the transaction log files to
grow until they consume all available physical disk space
shutting down access to the database.
Remediation:
Check the functionality of the query and/or redesign the long
running transaction.
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Transactions
Transactions/ Definition:
sec
This performance counter returns the number of transactions
started for the database, per second.
Information:
Transaction rate is affected by general system performance
and resource constraints, such as I/O, number of users, cache
size, and the complexity of requests.
Possible problems:
A high rate of transactions can indicate that some transactions
are not completing.
Remediation:
Using stored procedures in transactions speeds transaction
processing because SQL code in stored procedures runs
locally on the server. The transactions can finish much faster
without the network traffic required by the transactions.
Active
Transactions
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of active
transactions for the database.
Information:
During an active transaction, no other transaction can modify
the data held by the active transaction. While you are
modifying data, an exclusive lock is held on that data.
Conversely, you cannot read data held by another transaction
because another transaction holds an exclusive lock on the
data that prevents it from being read. The returned value for
this monitor should be less than 200.
Possible problems:
A high number of active transactions can indicate that certain
transactions are never completing.
Remediation:
Keeping a low level of active transactions assists in keeping
requested data accessible.
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Repl. Trans.
Rate
(Replication
Transactions
Rate)
Definition:
This performance counter returns the number of transactions
read out of the transaction log and sent to the distribution
database
Information:
SQL Server Overall Replication Performance Analysis
provides a graph of several SQL Server overall replication
performance counters for the specified server during the
specified time period. Performance counter data is averaged
by the hour. The graph displays the following replication
performance counters:
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Bulk Copy
Rows/sec
SQLServer:Databases / Replication Pending Xacts
(SQL Server; Scale=1\100)
SQLServer:Databases / Replication Transaction Rate
(SQL Server; Scale=1\100)
SQLServer Replication Published DB / Replicated
Transactions Per Second
Definition:
This monitor returns the number of rows bulk copied per
second.
Information:
Measure the number of rows coming into the database.
Optimization yields a higher number. See The Data Loading
Performance Guide http://technet.microsoft.com/enus/library/dd425070(v=SQL.100).aspx
Possible problems:
BCP to bulk load data over the network, having the correct
throughput configured is crucial.
Bulk Copy
Throughput/
Sec
Definition:
This monitor returns the amount of data bulk copied (in
kilobytes) per second.
Possible problems:
Overall throughput will mostly be limited by your I/O
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AppInsight for Exchange
subsystem.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
AppInsight for Exchange
AppInsight for Exchange was designed exclusively for the mailbox role which
offers a detailed view of your Exchange environment. This application provides
detailed metrics on mailboxes, databases, and a host of performance counters
without the use of agents or templates. AppInsight for Exchange's level of detail
and expert knowledge† goes far beyond what an Exchange template can provide,
allowing you to monitor virtually every aspect of your Exchange environment.
Like any unassigned application in SAM, AppInsight for Exchange is considered
a template until it is applied. Therefore, it is a member of the Application Monitor
Templates collection.
Once applied to a node, AppInsight for Exchange is considered an application.
Like any SAM application, AppInsight for Exchange is comprised of multiple
component monitors.
Note: To optimize your Exchange server performance, see 5 Tips to Optimize
Exchange Server for Improved Performance.
AppInsight for Exchange General Information:
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AppInsight for Exchange Requirements and Permissions
AppInsight For Exchange Licensing
Template/Application Relationship
Adding AppInsight for Exchange to a Node
Editing the AppInsight for Exchange Template
Understanding the AppInsight for Exchange Details Views
Navigating the AppInsight for Exchange Details View
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_________________
† Portions of the performance counter information used in the AppInsight for Exchange application are provided courtesy of
multiple sources listed in the copyright and attribution section at the beginning of this document.
AppInsight For Exchange Licensing
When using AppInsight for Exchange, 50 component monitors will count against
your licensed number of component monitors, per Exchange Server.
For example, if you have an active license for 1,500 component monitors and use
AppInsight for Exchange to monitor 88 mailboxes over ten Exchange servers, 500
component monitors will count against your total license. The number of
mailboxes you have on these servers is irrelevant.
(50 component monitors X 10 Exchange Servers = 500 component
monitors used.)
This will leave you with 1,000 component monitors available for use elsewhere.
(1,500 component monitors – 500 component monitors used for
AppInsight for Exchange = 1,000 component monitors remaining).
There is no restriction on the number of mailboxes you can have monitored. Also
note that if you choose not to use this application, you will not be penalized any
number of component monitors.
Important: The example below illustrates a situation where you would have 40
available component monitors available, but have surpassed your allowed
number of 300 monitors by 60. The discrepancy is caused by AppInsight
application implementations. AppInsight applications are licensed as 50 monitors
per application and cannot be partially licensed, as is the case with typical
applications.
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AppInsight for Exchange Requirements and Permissions
For more information, see "Licensing."
AppInsight for Exchange Requirements and Permissions
AppInsight for Exchange works only with the Mailbox Role, which is used for
data storage. All other Exchange servers running different roles should use the
Exchange application templates included with SAM if you intend to monitor them.
Data is collected at the same default five minute polling interval as traditional
application templates.
Following are the requirements and permissions needed for AppInsight for
Exchange:
Microsoft Exchange Versions Supported:
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Microsoft Exchange Server 2013
AppInsight for Exchange Requirements and Permissions
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Local administrator permissions are needed for automatic configuration, but
they are not needed for monitoring once configuration is complete.
To provide organization-wide capability, the service account (Domain
User) needs to be a member of the View-Only Organization Management
group. Membership to this group gives the user object read-only access to
the entire Exchange environment, without providing any domain or local
access on the Exchange server. It also prevents possible abuse by an unauthorized user accessing the account (e.g. modifying Exchange environment
configuration, creating/deleting users, and so on.)
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In order to gather information, the user object must be assigned the Mailbox
Search management role within Exchange. In order for the account to be
configured correctly, the account must be a member of the Local Administrators group.
Note: For Exchange access this is not required, but in order to modify
Exchange and WinRM settings on the server, as well as to poll performance
counters, this additional level of permission is required.
PowerShell Requirements
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Exchange 2010 must have PowerShell 2.0 installed
Exchange 2013 must have PowerShell 3.0 installed
Permissions must be granted for PowerShell to be accessed
PowerShell 2.0 is required for Windows 2012 (regardless of Exchange version)
For information on configuring PowerShell permissions, see PowerShell
Permissions.
Common Configuration Issues
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To add local administrative privileges to an Active Directory account, see
Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To find Exchange URL settings, see Finding Exchange URL Settings.
To install PowerShell on the Exchange server, see Manually Configuring
Exchange Server
To set the appropriate permissions for PowerShell, see PowerShell Permissions
To create a self-signed certificate, see Manually Configuring Exchange
Server.
To configure WinRM, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To create a firewall rule for WinRM, see Manually Configuring Exchange
Server
To configure IIS, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server
To correct a Non-Domain account configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To correct an Exchange access configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To correct a Mailbox Search Access configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
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Quick Configuration and Navigation
Quick Configuration and Navigation
Configuration of SAM's AppInsight for Exchange is most easily achieved via
Discovery, as shown below.
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To add AppInsight for Exchange, see Adding AppInsight for Exchange to a
Node
AppInsight for Exchange Requirements and Permissions
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Local administrator permissions are needed for automatic configuration, but
they are not needed for monitoring once configuration is complete.
To provide organization-wide capability, the service account (Domain
User) needs to be a member of the View-Only Organization Management
group. Membership to this group gives the user object read-only access to
the entire Exchange environment, without providing any domain or local
access on the Exchange server. It also prevents possible abuse by an unauthorized user accessing the account (e.g. modifying Exchange environment
configuration, creating/deleting users, and so on.)
In order to gather information, the user object must be assigned the Mailbox
Search management role within Exchange. In order for the account to be
configured correctly, the account must be a member of the Local Administrators group.
For more information, see Troubleshooting Permissions.
Adding AppInsight for Exchange to a Node
There are multiple ways to add AppInsight for Exchange to a node. This can be
done via Node Discovery, adding it via the Management resource, adding it via
Network Sonar Discovery, or adding it via a Scheduled Discovery.
It is recommended that you add this application on WMI managed nodes. If you
convert an SNMP managed node to WMI, interface statistics will be lost. To
convert SNMP managed nodes to WMI, see Promoting a Node to WMI Monitoring
Notes:
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Multiple instances of Exchange on the same server is not supported.
Nodes that are not added via WMI will not appear in the List Resources dialog.
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Monitoring an Exchange Database Access Group (DAG) via a Virtual
IP address (VIP) is not supported. AppInsight for Exchange should only be
applied to the physical IP address of each mailbox server in the DAG individually.
AppInsight for Exchange Requirements and Permissions
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Local administrator permissions are needed for automatic configuration, but
they are not needed for monitoring once configuration is complete.
To provide organization-wide capability, the service account (Domain
User) needs to be a member of the View-Only Organization Management
group. Membership to this group gives the user object read-only access to
the entire Exchange environment, without providing any domain or local
access on the Exchange server. It also prevents possible abuse by an unauthorized user accessing the account (e.g. modifying Exchange environment
configuration, creating/deleting users, and so on.)
In order to gather information, the user object must be assigned the Mailbox
Search management role within Exchange. In order for the account to be
configured correctly, the account must be a member of the Local Administrators group.
Note: For Exchange access this is not required, but in order to modify
Exchange and WinRM settings on the server, as well as to poll performance
counters, this additional level of permission is required.
To Add AppInsight for Exchange via the Management Resource:
1. Navigate to the Node Details view by clicking any Windows node.
2. From the Management resource, click List Resources.
3. Check the Microsoft for Exchange Server box to enable AppInsight Applications data collection. When done, click Submit.
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Adding AppInsight for Exchange to a Node
4. Navigate to the All Applications resource to verify the addition by clicking
the Applications tab in the web console.
5. Click on the newly added AppInsight for Exchange application in this view
and then enter your Exchange credentials when prompted.
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6. Once your credentials are entered, click Configure Server.
To Add AppInsight for Exchange to a Node via Discovery:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > Add a Node in the Getting
Started with Orion section.
2. Complete the information on the Define Node step, and then click Next.
3. On the Choose Resources step, check the AppInsight for Exchange
applications you want. AppInsight applications have a unique blue and
white icon, as shown:
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Adding AppInsight for Exchange to a Node
4. Click Next and complete the wizard as instructed.
5. Navigate to the All Applications resource and click your application.
6. Enter your Exchange credentials when prompted, and then click Configure
Server.
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For information on Network Sonar Discovery, see:
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Managing Scheduled Discovery Results.
Understanding the AppInsight for Exchange Details Views
AppInsight for Exchange has multiple Details views. These views are the
equivalent of the Application Details view of a traditional SAM application. There
are four main views:
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The AppInsight for Exchange Details view: This view displays a broad overview of the application.
The Performance Counter Details View: This view displays details about
the selected performance counter.
The Database Details View: This view displays details about the selected
database.
The Mailbox Details View . This view displays details about the selected
mailbox.
From the AppInsight for Exchange Details view, you can select from
the drop down menu and choose to display different amounts of data
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Navigating the AppInsight for Exchange Details View
based on a time range, as shown below:
Editing Resources
Both the titles and subtitles of each resource can be changed by clicking Edit in
the upper right-hand corner of any resource, and then clicking Submit.
Note: As illustrated above, other options may appear depending upon the
resource being edited.
For more information, see:
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AppInsight for Exchange Details View
Performance Counter Details View
AppInsight for Exchange Database Details View
AppInsight for Exchange Mailbox Details View
Navigating the AppInsight for Exchange Details View
AppInsight for Exchange acts like any other application and can therefore be
found in the All Applications resource on the Application Summary view.
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Below is the AppInsight for Exchange application within the All Applications
resource:
Navigating to the AppInsight for Exchange Details View:
1. From the web console, locate the All Applications resource by clicking
either the Home or Applications tab.
2. Expand the AppInsight for Exchange tree by clicking [+].
3. Expand the node tree by clicking [+].
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Navigating the AppInsight for Exchange Details View
4. Click the application, as highlighted:
Navigating to the Performance Counter Details view:
1. From the AppInsight for Exchange Details view, click any performance
counter within a resource, as highlighted:
Navigating to the Database Details view:
1. From the AppInsight for Exchange Details view, click any database within a
Database resource, as highlighted:
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Navigating to the Mailbox Details view:
1. From the AppInsight for Exchange Details view, click any user name within
a Mailbox resource, as highlighted:
.
Advanced Manual Configuration
AppInsight for Exchange's automated configuration tool makes adding this
application to a node simple. However, there may be times when you want to
manually configure available settings, permissions, and so on. Manual
configuration is only recommended for experienced Exchange administrators.
To Manually Configure Available Settings, refer to the following sections:
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Finding Exchange Credentials
Manually Configuring Exchange Server
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Changes that will be made to enable AppInsight for Exchange
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AppInsight for Exchange Requirements and Permissions
Finding Exchange URL Settings
PowerShell Permissions
Changes that will be made to enable AppInsight for Exchange
The target machine must have the following:
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WinRM 2.0
PowerShell v2.0
IIS
SAM uses a specially designed configuration tool to make the necessary
changes for enabling AppInsight for Exchange. Once this tool completes remote
configuration, it will automatically remove and unregister itself.
1. The configuration tool first transfers to the Exchange Server by using the
Windows administrative share.
2. Once on the Exchange Server, the tool uses a custom PowerShell script to
make configuration changes.
3. SAM will add the Mailbox Search Role to the Exchange server with the credentials provided.
4. The tool then reports back to SAM with the results.
5. If errors are reported, you will be asked to configure Exchange.
SAM will make the following configuration changes:
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Enable WinRM
Enable Windows Authentication for PowerShell's web site.
WinRM and Windows Authentication configurations are performed remotely
from SAM.
For more information, see:
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To add local administrative privileges to an Active Directory account, see
Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To find Exchange URL settings, see Finding Exchange URL Settings.
To install PowerShell on the Exchange server, see Manually Configuring
Exchange Server
To set the appropriate permissions for PowerShell, see PowerShell Permissions
To create a self-signed certificate, see Manually Configuring Exchange
Server.
To configure WinRM, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
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To create a firewall rule for WinRM, see Manually Configuring Exchange
Server
To configure IIS, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server
To correct a Non-Domain account configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To correct a Exchange access configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To correct a Mailbox Search Access configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
Finding Exchange Credentials
For an account to access Exchange:
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The account must be a domain account.
In order to modify IIS and PowerShell settings on the Exchange server, the
account must be a Local Administrator.
The account is recommended to not be a member of the Domain Administrators group. (Typically, this is handled by adding a custom domain
security group which is used to define a specific type of administrator with
specific permissions to the Local Administrators group. In larger, more
mature environments, this is handled using GPOs, whereas smaller organizations may perform this task manually).
The verify you have valid Exchange credentials, run the following cmdlet in the
Exchange Management Shell (EMS):
Get-ManagementRoleAssignment -RoleAssignee “USER_IDENTITY”
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For more information, see:
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To add local administrative privileges to an Active Directory account, see
Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To find Exchange URL settings, see Finding Exchange URL Settings.
To install PowerShell on the Exchange server, see Manually Configuring
Exchange Server
To set the appropriate permissions for PowerShell, see PowerShell Permissions
To create a self-signed certificate, see Manually Configuring Exchange
Server.
To configure WinRM, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To create a firewall rule for WinRM, see Manually Configuring Exchange
Server
To configure IIS, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server
To correct a Non-Domain account configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To correct a Exchange access configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
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To correct a Mailbox Search Access configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
Manually Configuring Exchange Server
To manually prepare an Exchange server for AppInsight for Exchange, the
following items must be installed and/or configured on the server. Instructions for
each item are listed on this page below.
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Defining Exchange Credentials
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2008 R2:
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2012:
Setup PSLanguageMode for the PowerShell web site.
Create a Self-Signed Certificate:
WinRM 2.0
Create a Firewall Rule
Configuring IIS
For a list of possible configuration errors with solutions, see Troubleshooting
Error Codes in AppInsight for Exchange.
Defining Exchange Credentials
Non-Domain Account
Local accounts (Non-Domain) cannot access Exchange Management interfaces
and therefore are not supported by AppInsight for Exchange. Please select an
Active Directory account or create a new one to use with AppInsight for
Exchange.
Add Local Administrative privileges to an Active Directory Account
1. On the server where you wish to grant local administrative privileges, open
a Computer Management console.
Note: On Windows 2012, add this privilege using the Active Directory console.
2. Navigate to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Groups and
double click the Administrators group.
3. Click Add and type in the Active Directory username of the account you
want to grant administrative privileges and then press Enter. (Ensure the location is set to either the domain where the account is located or Entire Directory.)
4. Click Apply and then click OK button.
Note: Alternatively, you can add an Active Directory group to the local
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Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2008 R2:
administrators group and add the Active Directory user accounts to that
group.
Exchange Access
Granting Least Privilege access to the Exchange Organization can be
accomplished using Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC). To
accomplish this, take the following steps:
1. From the Start Menu, open ADUC and navigate to the Microsoft Exchange
Security Groups OU.
2. Double click on the View-Only Organization Management group.
3. After the window opens, click the Members tab, then click the Add.
4. Type the username of the account you want to grant access to the
Exchange organization and then click OK.
5. Click Apply and then click OK.
6. Close the ADUC window.
Mailbox Search Access
Mailbox Search access is required to determine attachment counts and sizes.
This can be granted using the Exchange Management Shell (EMS).
1. From the Start menu, open the EMS.
2. Type: New-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role "Mailbox Search" -User
<Username of account being granted access> and then press Enter.
3. To verify the management role has been properly assigned, enter the following command:
Get-ManagementRoleAssignment -RoleAssignee <Username of account>
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2008 R2:
Note: PowerShell 2.0 is automatically installed on Server 2008 R2 and therefore
no additional installation is required.
1. Navigate to Windows Management Framework
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=177670).
2. Review the information on the web page, and then click the link for the
download of the Windows Management Framework Core for your platform
in the Download Information section.
3. On the Update page, click Download.
4. When the download is complete, click Finish.
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Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2012:
1. Open Server Manager
2. Click on the Manage menu, and the select Add Roles and Features.
3. After the wizard opens, click Next until you get to the Installation Type page.
4. Select Role-based or feature-based installation.
5. Click Next until you reach the Features page.
6. Scroll down to Windows PowerShell. It will likely show itself as partially
installed (square inside box).
7. Check the box next to Windows PowerShell 2.0 Engine.
8. Click Next and then Install.
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Create a Self-Signed Certificate:
9. When the installation finishes, click Close.
To Set PSLanguage mode for the PowerShell website:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Open IIS Manager on the Exchange server.
Expand the tree to the Default Web Site/PowerShell virtual directory.
Double click Application Settings.
Change the value for PSLanguageMode to FullLanguage, if not already set.
Recycle the MSExchangePowerShellAppPool application pool
For Exchange 2013, also check the following:
1. Expand the tree to the Exchange Back End/PowerShell virtual directory
2. Double click Application Settings.
3. Change the value for PSLanguageMode to FullLanguage, if not already
set.
4. Recycle the MSExchangePowerShellFrontEndAppPool application pool
Create a Self-Signed Certificate:
SolarWinds has created a PowerShell script to create a self-signed certificate
suitable for AppInsight for Exchange. This can be found at: Self-signed Certificate
PowerShell script for AppInsight for Exchange. If you choose not to download this
script, you can create your own self-signed certificate with the following
instructions and code:
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
1. To create a self-signed certificate using PowerShell and CertEnroll, open
PowerShell in the Run as Administrator context.
2. Enter the following code:
Note: The CN (Subject) should be in the following format: "<IP Address of
Server>_Solarwinds_Exchange_Zero_Configuration."
For Example: “10.199.15.106_Solarwinds_Exchange_Zero_Configuration”
$name = new-object -com
"X509Enrollment.CX500DistinguishedName.1"
$name.Encode("CN=TestServer", 0)
$key = new-object -com
"X509Enrollment.CX509PrivateKey.1"
$key.ProviderName = "Microsoft RSA SChannel
Cryptographic Provider"
$key.KeySpec = 1
$key.Length = 1024
$key.SecurityDescriptor = "D:PAI(A;;0xd01f01ff;;;SY)
(A;;0xd01f01ff;;;BA)(A;;0x80120089;;;NS)"
$key.MachineContext = 1
$key.Create()
$serverauthoid = new-object -com
"X509Enrollment.CObjectId.1"
$serverauthoid.InitializeFromValue
("1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.1")
$ekuoids = new-object -com
"X509Enrollment.CObjectIds.1"
$ekuoids.add($serverauthoid)
$ekuext = new-object -com
"X509Enrollment.CX509ExtensionEnhancedKeyUsage.1"
$ekuext.InitializeEncode($ekuoids)
$cert = new-object -com
"X509Enrollment.CX509CertificateRequestCertificate.
1"
$cert.InitializeFromPrivateKey(2, $key, "")
$cert.Subject = $name
$cert.Issuer = $cert.Subject
$cert.NotBefore = get-date
$cert.NotAfter = $cert.NotBefore.AddDays(3650)
$cert.X509Extensions.Add($ekuext)
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WinRM 2.0
$cert.Encode()
$enrollment = new-object -com
"X509Enrollment.CX509Enrollment.1"
$enrollment.InitializeFromRequest($cert)
$certdata = $enrollment.CreateRequest(0)
$enrollment.InstallResponse(2, $certdata, 0, "")
For more information, see Generating a Certificate.
WinRM 2.0
1. To configure WinRM on an Exchange server, open a command prompt in
the Run as Administrator context.
2. Type: winrm create winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS
@{Port="5986";CertificateThumbprint="<Thumbprint value of certificate>";Hostname="<IP Address of Server>_Solarwinds_Exchange_
Zero_Configuration"}
and then press Enter.
3. Verify the configuration by typing the following: winrm get
winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS.
Create a Firewall Rule
To create a firewall rule for WinRM, follow the directions outlined below:
1. Open PowerShell in the Run as Administrator context.
2. Create a function for adding firewall rules using the following code:
function Add-FirewallRule {
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
param(
$name,
$tcpPorts,
$appName = $null,
$serviceName = $null
)
$fw = New-Object -ComObject hnetcfg.fwpolicy2
$rule = New-Object -ComObject HNetCfg.FWRule
$rule.Name = $name
if ($appName -ne $null) { $rule.ApplicationName = $appName }
if ($serviceName -ne $null) { $rule.serviceName = $serviceName }
$rule.Protocol = 6 #NET_FW_IP_PROTOCOL_TCP
$rule.LocalPorts = $tcpPorts
$rule.Enabled = $true
$rule.Grouping = "@firewallapi.dll,-23255"
$rule.Profiles = 7 # all
$rule.Action = 1 # NET_FW_ACTION_ALLOW
$rule.EdgeTraversal = $false
$fw.Rules.Add($rule)
}
3. Run the function to create the firewall exception for WSMAN using the
following command:
Add-FirewallRule "Windows Remote Management" "5986" $null
$null
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Configuring IIS
4. Verify the rule was created by navigating to Control Panel > Windows
Firewall > Advanced Settings.
Configuring IIS
1. Open a command prompt in the Run as Administrator context.
2. Change the directory to C:\Windows\System32\Inetsrv.
3. Type: appcmd.exe unlock config -section:system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication
and then press Enter.
4. Open PowerShell in the Run As Administrator context.
5. Type: Import-Module WebAdministration and then press Enter.
6. Type: (Get-WebConfiguration system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication 'IIS:\s-
and then press Enter to
determine if Windows Authentication has been configured.
ites\Default Web Site\PowerShell').enabled
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a. If the value returned is True, you do not need to do anything.
b. If the value returned is False, then take the following steps:
i. Type: Set-WebConfiguration system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication
'IIS:\sites\Default Web Site\PowerShell' -value True
and
then press Enter.
ii. Type: (Get-WebConfiguration system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication
'IIS:\sites\Default Web Site\PowerShell').enabled
to verify
the setting has changed.
iii. Close PowerShell.
iv. In the open command prompt, type: appcmd.exe lock config section:system.webServer/security/authentication/windows
Authentication
and then press Enter.
v. Close the command prompt.
Testing the Application:
1. When you are finished with configuration, navigate to the Application Edit
page and click Test.
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For more information, see:
2. If successful, your screen should look like the illustration below:
For more information, see:
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To add local administrative privileges to an Active Directory account, see
To find Exchange URL settings, see Finding Exchange URL Settings.
To install PowerShell on the Exchange server, see Manually Configuring
Exchange Server
To set the appropriate permissions for PowerShell, see PowerShell Permissions
To create a self-signed certificate, see Manually Configuring Exchange
Server.
To configure WinRM, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To create a firewall rule for WinRM, see Manually Configuring Exchange
Server
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
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To configure IIS, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server
To correct a Non-Domain account configuration error, see
To correct a Exchange access configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To correct a Mailbox Search Access configuration error, see
Finding Exchange URL Settings
By default, AppInsight for Exchange uses the following URLs for the Exchange
and WinRM sessions, where ${IP} is the IP address of the server node being
added.
Exchange: https://${IP}/powershell/
WinRM: https://${IP}:5986/wsman/
To verify the PowerShell instance used by Exchange on a server, follow the
steps listed below:
1. Open IIS Manager.
2. Navigate to the default website, and then navigate to the PowerShell virtual
directory.
3. Click on Advanced Settings, and verify the Virtual Path value.
To verify a server's WinRM PowerShell instance, follow the steps listed
below:
1. Open a command prompt in the Run as Administrator context.
2. Type: winrm get winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS to
get the current configuration for the HTTPS protocol.
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To verify the PowerShell instance used by Exchange on a server, follow the steps
Note: The two items of interest for the URL are Port and URLPrefix. If either of
these have been modified and do not match the default values, edit the
AppInsight for Exchange application with the correct values.
Additionally, the value of Hostname must match the CN of the certificate listed in
the Certificate Thumbprint property.
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For more information, see:
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To add local administrative privileges to an Active Directory account, see
Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To find Exchange URL settings, see Finding Exchange URL Settings.
To install PowerShell on the Exchange server, see Manually Configuring
Exchange Server
To set the appropriate permissions for PowerShell, see PowerShell Permissions
To create a self-signed certificate, see Manually Configuring Exchange
Server.
To configure WinRM, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
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PowerShell Permissions
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To create a firewall rule for WinRM, see Manually Configuring Exchange
Server
To configure IIS, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server
To correct a Non-Domain account configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To correct a Exchange access configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
To correct a Mailbox Search Access configuration error, see Manually Configuring Exchange Server.
PowerShell Permissions
To set the appropriate permissions for PowerShell, follow these steps:
1. On the remote computer, open the PowerShell console.
2. Execute Set-PSSessionConfiguration Microsoft.Powershell -ShowSecurityDescriptorUI -Force The permissions dialog should appear.)
3. Uncheck the Deny check box to enable the Full Control option under the
Permissions for Everyone group, then check Allow.
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4. Ensure that the group to which the polling user belongs has access to
Microsoft PowerShell.
5. Click OK.
Note: If PowerShell 2.0 was installed on Windows Server 2012 with Exchange
2013 and subsequently uninstalled, a Microsoft error removes the required
registry key for remote PowerShell to work properly. Security patches or updates
may also cause this issue. You can create the required registry key by following
these instructions:
1. Open Notepad.
2. Copy and paste the following text into Notepad:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\PowerShellEngine]
"ApplicationBase"="C:\\Windows\\System32\\WindowsPowerShell
\\v1.0"
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Editing the AppInsight for Exchange Template
"PSCompatibleVersion"="1.0, 2.0"
"RuntimeVersion"="v2.0.50727"
"ConsoleHostAssemblyName"="Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleHos
t, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,
PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35,
ProcessorArchitecture=msil"
"ConsoleHostModuleName"="C:\\Windows\\System32\\WindowsPowe
rShell\\v1.0\\Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleHost.dll"
"PowerShellVersion"="2.0"
3. Save the file as PowerShellv1.regand then double-click it to add it to the
registry. (A reboot may be required.)
For more information, see: PowerShell.
Editing the AppInsight for Exchange Template
The AppInsight for Exchange application behaves like any other application in
SAM. And like other applications, AppInsight for Exchange's template can be
edited.
Note: Some limitations may apply.
Editing the AppInsight for Exchange Template:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Manage
Templates.
2. Check the AppInsight for Exchange template in the list and then click Edit.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
3. From here, you can edit certain component monitors within the template.
4. When done editing, click Submit at the bottom of the screen.
Attachment Extensions
The following table lists the default attachment extensions that are acknowledged
by AppInsight for Exchange:
.accdb
.doc
.inf
.mmp
.ppt
.swf
.xml
.arj
.dot
.ini
.mobi
.ps1
.tar
.xps
.avi
.eml
.iso
.mov
.pst
.tmp
.zip
.bak
.epub
.jar
.mp3
.pub
.txt
.bat
.flv
.jpg
.mpeg
.psd
.vbs
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.bin
.gif
.jpeg
.msg
.rar
.wav
.bmp
.gzip
.lnk
.pdf
.reg
.wks
.cab
.hta
.log
.png
.rtf
.wma
.cmd
.htm
.mdb
.pot
.sql
.wmv
.csv
.img
.mid
.pps
.svg
.xls
AppInsight for Exchange Alerts
AppInsight for Exchange comes with following pre-defined alerts:
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Alert me when a replication status check fails
Alert me when mailbox database file is low on space
Alert me when mailbox database is in warning or critical
state
Alert me when mailbox database is not on preferred server
Alert me when mailbox database transaction log is low on
space
Notify users that their mailbox is exceeding size or quota
Warn me when database failover occurs
To View Alerts:
1. From the web console, navigate to Home > Alerts > Manage Alerts.
2. Select the alerts you want to view from the list, or type a keyword in the text
box and click the Search button:
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For more information, see:
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SolarWinds SAM Alerts
Creating Alerts
Predefined Server & Application Monitor Web Console Based Reports
Adding Alerts
AppInsight for Exchange Details View
The Exchange Details view provides a great deal of information about the current
Exchange Application. The available resources offered in this view include:
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Active Alerts
Application Availability
Application Details
Calendar and Resource Booking
Critical Processes and Services
Exchange Event Log Message Details
Exchange Server
Information Store
Mailbox Database Copies
Mailbox Database Size and Space Used
Mailbox Database Status
Mail Database
Management
Replication
Replication Status Checks
Storage
Users By Mailbox Size
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Active Alerts
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Users By % Mailbox Quota Used
Users By Messages Sent
Note: Chart resources require several values for lines on charts to be visible.
Active Alerts
This resource lists details about all unacknowledged active alerts.
The following defines the three columns of this resource:
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Time of Alert: Displays the time and date the listed alert was triggered.
Object Name: Displays the object that triggered the alert. Clicking the
object will take you to the details page for that object.
Message: Displays the message of the listed alert.
Application Availability
This resource graphically shows the various states of an application in a
percentage format and is made up of three sections: the legend, the main chart,
and the lower chart. The colors of the main chart correspond to the labels in the
legend.
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Note: This resource will not be available when using Internet Explorer 7.
Consider upgrading Internet Explorer 8 or higher or using FireFox or Chrome as
your web browser.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined, hourly time period of data by
clicking on any one of the three Zoom buttons; 1h, 12h, or 24h. Alternatively, you
can have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a
small area of the chart.
Once you have a time period selected, the lower chart will zoom to the starting
and ending values of the selected time period. With the lower chart you can zoom
in further by fine tuning the view with the sliders. The main view of the chart will
display the selected time period between the two sliders of the lower chart.
Moving the mouse over the main chart will reveal a tooltip with more detailed
information about the specific time period the mouse is hovering over. By default,
all statistics are shown in the main chart.
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Application Details
Application Details
This resource provides details concerning the current Exchange application.
The following list defines each field of this resource:
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Application Name: This provides the name of the current application as
well as the name of the node on which it is active. Hovering over the node
name will reveal a detailed tooltip concerning the health of that node.
Status: Displays the current status of the application.
Exchange Server Version: Displays the current version of Exchange that
is being monitored.
Exchange Server Build Number: This is Microsoft's internal versioning
number system that indicates the version of Exchange installed. For more
information, refer to this article: http://technet.microsoft.com/library/hh135098%28EXCHG.141%29.aspx
Exchange Domain: The domain of the listed Exchange server.
Database Availability Group (DAG): This contains information pertaining
to the DAG of which the local node belongs.
l DAG Name: Name of the listed Database Availability Group.
l Other Exchange Servers in DAG: Lists additional Exchange servers
in the current DAG.
l File Share Witness: The File Share Witness (FSW) is the quorum directory for the DAG Cluster. It is used to provide a majority node set in
a DAG with an even number of members. In a DAG with an odd number of members, the FSW still exists, but is not used to determine a
majority node set. For additional information, see: http://b-
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Witness Share in use: This is the current witness share in use.
Note: This field may be replaced with the Alternate File Share Witness field.
(Alternate File Share Witness): The Alternate FSW is used when the
primary site with the FSW has failed. To use the Alternate FSW
requires manual intervention from the Exchange administrator.
Note: This field may be replaced with the Witness Share in use field.
Calendar and Resource Booking
This resource contains performance counters specific to the status of calendar
and resource booking. The icons of the listed performance counters in the
Statistic Name column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current
state. Clicking any performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take
you to the Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed counter crosses the Warning threshold, the chart for the
listed monitor will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
performance counter crosses the Critical threshold, the chart will display a red
background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed
information about that time period in the tooltip.
Calendaring is method of creating, changing, deleting, accepting, or declining a
meeting via an email message. Resource booking is an automated process of
creating, changing, and deleting calendar requests for resource mailboxes. The
Calendar and Resource Booking Attendant are the processes used by Exchange
to fulfill requests for each. Once a request has been accepted, the free/busy data
for the mailbox is updated.
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Calendar and Resource Booking
The following table lists the default performance counters for this resource along
with their respective definitions and troubleshooting information, including default
Warning and Critical thresholds:
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Warning Critical
Average
Resource
Booking
Processing
Time
Definition:
Shows the average time to process an event in
the Resource Booking Attendant.
> 100
> 100
ms for 5 ms for
polls
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polls
Information:
Should be a low value at all times.
Possible problems:
High values may indicate a performance
bottleneck.
Remediation:
Check Memory and CPU status for any
bottlenecks.Review event logs for related
events examining log entries for each Assistants
Infrastructure and its corresponding assistant.
Use the Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant
(ExTRA) to obtain Event Tracing for Windows
traces.
Resource
Booking
Definition:
>0
Shows the total number of failures that occurred
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Requests
Failed
while the Resource Booking Attendant was
processing events.
polls
Information:
Should be 0 at all times.
Possible problems:
Meeting Room bookings or updates may not be
processed for some users.
Remediation:
Review event logs for related events examining
log entries for each Assistants Infrastructure and
its corresponding assistant. Use the Exchange
Troubleshooting Assistant (ExTRA) to obtain
Event Tracing for Windows traces. Verify your
resource mailboxes are properly configured.
Average
Calendar
Attendant
Processing
Time
Definition:
Shows the average time to process an event in
the Calendar Attendant.
Information:
Should be a low value at all times.
> 100
> 100
ms for 5 ms for
polls
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polls
Possible problems:
High values may indicate a performance
bottleneck.
Remediation:
Check Memory and CPU for any bottlenecks.
Review event logs for related events examining
log entries for each Assistants Infrastructure and
its corresponding assistant. Use the Exchange
Troubleshooting Assistant (ExTRA) to obtain
Event Tracing for Windows traces.
Calendar
Attendant
Requests
Failed
Definition:
>0
Shows the total number of failures that occurred
while the Calendar Attendant was processing
events.
Information:
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> 0 for
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polls
Critical Processes and Services
Should be 0 at all times.
Possible problems:
Automated calendaring activities may not
function for some users.
Remediation:
Review event logs for related events examining
log entries for each Assistants Infrastructure and
its corresponding assistant. Use the Exchange
Troubleshooting Assistant (ExTRA) to obtain
Event Tracing for Windows traces. Verify your
resource mailboxes are properly configured.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Notes:
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and/or deletion on the Edit page.
The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Critical Processes and Services
This resource numerically and graphically shows metrics concerning the
Exchange's critical processes and services. The icons of the listed component in
the Component Name column will change color to reflect the listed counter's
current state. Clicking any component in the Component Name column will take
you to the Component Details page for that component.
If the value of the listed component crosses the Warning threshold, the icon for the
listed component will become yellow. If the value of the listed component crosses
the Critical threshold, the icon for the listed component will become red.
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The following list defines each column of this resource:
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Component Name: Display name of the listed component.
Process Name (ID): Service name of the listed process or service with its
identification number.
CPU Load: This graphically and numerically represents the percentage of
CPU resources currently being used by the listed process.
Memory Used:
l Physical: This graphically and numerically represents the percentage
of physical memory (RAM) currently being used by the listed process.
l Virtual: This graphically and numerically represents the percentage of
virtual memory currently being used by the listed process.
IOPS: Displays the current total read and write I/O (Input/Output) operations
occurring for the current process per second.
The following tables list all possible processes and services:
Exchange 2010 Services/Processes
Display Name Description
Microsoft
Exchange
Active
Directory
Topology
Provides Active Directory topology information to Exchange
services. If this service is stopped, most Exchange services are
unable to start. This service has no dependencies.
Microsoft
Exchange
Information
Store
Manages the Exchange Information Store. This includes
mailbox databases and public folder databases. If this service is
stopped, mailbox databases and public folder databases on this
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Critical Processes and Services
computer are unavailable. If this service is disabled, any
services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start. This service
is dependent on the RPC, Server, Windows Event Log, and
Workstation services.
Microsoft
Exchange
Mail
Submission
Submits messages from the Mailbox server to Exchange 2010
Hub Transport servers. This service is dependent upon the
Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Mailbox
Assistant
Performs background processing of mailboxes in the Exchange
store. This service is dependent upon the Microsoft
Exchange Active Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Monitoring
Allows applications to call the Exchange diagnostic cmdlets.
This service has no dependencies.
Microsoft
Exchange
Replication
Provides replication functionality for mailbox databases on
Mailbox servers in a database availability group (DAG) and
database mount functionality for all Mailbox servers. This
service is dependent upon the Microsoft Exchange Active
Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
RPC Client
Access
Manages client RPC connections for Exchange. This service is
dependent upon the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory
Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Search
Indexer
Drives indexing of mailbox content, which improves the
performance of content search. This service is dependent upon
the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology and Microsoft
Search (Exchange Server) services.
Microsoft
Enables Windows Server Backup users to back up and recover
Exchange
application data for Microsoft Exchange. This service has no
Server
dependencies.
Extension for
Windows
Server
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Backup
Microsoft
Provides a host for several Microsoft Exchange services. On
Exchange
internal server roles, this service is dependent upon the
Service Host Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
System
Attendant
Forwards directory lookups to a global catalog server for legacy
Outlook clients, generates e-mail addresses and OABs, updates
free/busy information for legacy clients, and maintains
permissions and group memberships for the server. If this
service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will
fail to start. This service is dependent on the RPC, Server,
Windows Event Log, and Workstation services.
Microsoft
Exchange
Throttling
Limits the rate of user operations. This service is dependent
upon the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Transport
Log Search
Provides remote search capability for Microsoft Exchange
Transport log files. This service is dependent upon the Microsoft
Exchange Active Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Search
(Exchange)
This is a Microsoft Exchange-customized version of Microsoft
Search. Quickly creates full-text indexes on content and
properties of structured and semi-structured data to allow fast
linguistic searches on this data. This service is dependent on
the RPC service.
Exchange 2013 Services/Processes
Display Name Description
Microsoft
Exchange
Active
Directory
Topology
Provides Active Directory topology information to Exchange
services. If this service is stopped, most Exchange services
are unable to start. This service is dependent on the Net.Tcp
Port Sharing Service.
Microsoft
Exchange
The Microsoft Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server
anti-spam update service. This service is dependent upon the
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Anti-spam
Update
Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Mailbox
Transport
Delivery
This service, running on the Mailbox servers, receives mail
items from the Exchange Transport service, submits them to
extension modules for processing and commits them into
mailbox database. This service is dependent upon the
Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Diagnostics
Agent that monitors server health. This service has no
dependencies.
Microsoft
Exchange
EdgeSync
Replicates configuration and recipient data from the Hub
Transport servers to the Edge Transport servers. This service
is dependent upon the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory
Topology service.
Exchange
Search
Drives indexing and querying of data for Exchange. This
service is dependent upon the Microsoft Exchange Active
Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Health
Manager
Manages Exchange server health. This service is dependent
on the Windows Event Log service.
Microsoft
Exchange
IMAP4
Backend
Provides Internet Message Access Protocol service to
mailboxes. If this service is stopped, mailboxes on this server
cannot be accessed using the IMAP4 protocol. This service is
dependent upon the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory
Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Information
Store
This process controls all of the Store Worker processes. If a
DB is dismounted, it is responsible for terminating the
associated Store Worker process and if a DB is mounted, it
starts a new Store Worker process. If this service is disabled,
any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start. This
service is dependent on the Microsoft Exchange Active
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Directory Topology, RPC, Server, Windows Event Log, and
Workstation services.
N/A
Each database hosted on a server will create a separate
process for each one. This process performs the same work
as the 'store.exe process did in previous versions, just on an
individual DB basis. This process is dependent on the
Microsoft Exchange Information Store service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Mailbox
Assistant
Performs background processing of mailboxes in the
Exchange store. This service is dependent upon the Microsoft
Exchange Active Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Mailbox
Replication
Processes mailbox move requests. This service is dependent
on the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology and
Net.Tcp Port Sharing services. This service is dependent
upon the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology
service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Monitoring
Allows applications to call the Exchange diagnostic cmdlets.
This service has no dependencies.
Microsoft
Exchange
POP3
Backend
Provides Post Office Protocol version 3 service to mailboxes.
If this service is stopped, mailboxes on this server cannot be
accessed using the POP3 protocol.
Microsoft
Exchange
Replication
Provides replication functionality for mailbox databases on
Mailbox servers in a database availability group (DAG) and
database mount functionality for all Mailbox servers. This
service is dependent upon the Microsoft Exchange Active
Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
RPC Client
Access
Manages client RPC connections for Exchange. This service
is dependent upon the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory
Topology service.
601
Critical Processes and Services
Microsoft
Exchange
Server
Extension for
Windows
Server
Backup
Enables Windows Server Backup users to back up and
recover application data for Microsoft Exchange. This service
has no dependencies.
Microsoft
Exchange
Search Host
Controller
This service provides host level deployment and management
services for applications. This service is dependent upon the
HTTP service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Service Host
Provides a host for several Exchange services. On internal
server roles, this service is dependent upon the Microsoft
Exchange Active Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Mailbox
Transport
Submission
This service, running on the Mailbox servers, receives the
Submit events, processes the messages by converting them
from MAPI to MIME and hands them over to the Exchange
Transport service. This service is dependent upon the
Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Throttling
Limits the rate of user operations. This service is dependent
upon the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology
service.
Microsoft
Exchange
Transport
Acts as a middle man and routes messages between Mailbox
Transport Submission service and the Front End Transport
service. It is identical to the Hub Transport Server role in
Exchange 2010. Never contacts the mailbox databases
directly. This service is dependent upon the Microsoft
Exchange Active Directory Topology and Microsoft Filtering
Management services.
Microsoft
Exchange
Transport
Log Search
Provides remote search capability for Microsoft Exchange
Transport log files. This service is dependent upon the
Microsoft Exchange Active Directory Topology service.
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Microsoft
Exchange
Unified
Messaging
Enables Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging features.
This allows voice and fax messages to be stored in Microsoft
Exchange and gives users telephone access to e-mail, voice
mail, calendar, contacts, or an auto attendant. If this service is
stopped, Unified Messaging is not available. This service is
dependent upon the Microsoft Exchange Active Directory
Topology service.
Exchange Event Log Message Details
This resource displays the Exchange event log messages while providing a
search window and a filter. The filter allows you to choose which types of log
messages you want to display. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of
each column. This resource shows Error, Warning, Information, Security Audit
Success, and Security Audit Failure events specific to the monitored Exchange
server.
Paging controls are located at the bottom of the resource, allowing you to
navigate through all data available for this resource. Respectively, the controls
are: Fist Page, Previous Page, Page Number, Next Page, and Last Page.
Clicking any event message in the list will open a new window, displaying the
entire message, as shown below:
603
Exchange Server
Exchange Server
This resource contains performance counters specific to the current status of the
Exchange Server. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic
Name column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state.
Clicking any performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to
the Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counters crosses the Warning threshold, the
chart for the listed counter will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
counter crosses the Critical threshold, the chart will display a red background.
Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed information
about that time period in the tooltip.
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The following table lists the default performance counters for this resource along
with their respective definitions and troubleshooting information, including default
Warning and Critical thresholds:
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Warning Critical
RPC
Requests
failed (%)
Definition:
>1
Shows the percentage of failed requests in the
total number of RPC requests. Failed means
the sum of failed with error code plus failed
with exception.
> 1 for
15
polls
Information:
Should be less than 1 at all times
Possible problems:
Users may report slow performance,
disconnects, or failures within their client
performing certain activities.
Remediation:
Review the Windows Event logs for any
related events. Use ExBPA to perform a Health
scan of your server and review any issues
reported. In Exchange 2010, verify SP1 or
higher has been installed on your system.
RPC
Definition:
>0
605
> 0 for
Exchange Server
Requests
Shows the current number of outstanding RPC
Outstanding requests.
15
polls
Information:
Should be 0 at all times.
Possible problems:
Server may stop accepting RPC requests.
Remediation:
Review the Windows Event logs for any
related events. Use ExBPA to perform a Health
scan of your server and review any issues
reported. Use Exchange Server User Monitor
application to review user sessions. In
Exchange 2010, verify SP1 or higher has been
installed on your system.
RPC
Latency
Average
(msec)
Definition:
Shows the average latency, in ms, of RPC
requests. The average is calculated over all
RPCs since exrpc32 was loaded.
> 100
ms
> 100
ms for
15
polls
N/A
N/A
Information:
The average is calculated over all RPCs since
exrpc32 was loaded. Should be less than 100
ms at all times.
Possible problems:
Users may report slow performance issues.
Remediation:
If the disk subsystem is not meeting demand,
correcting the problem may require additional
disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration.
RPC
Requests
sent/sec
Definition:
RPC Requests sent/sec is the current rate of
initiated RPC requests per second.
Information:
Used for determining current load.
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RPC Slow
requests
latency
average
(msec)
Definition:
Shows the average latency, in ms, of slow
requests.
N/A
N/A
>1
> 1 for
15
polls
N/A
N/A
Information:
Used for determining the average latencies of
RPC slow requests.
Possible problems:
Client disconnects or slow performance issues.
Remediation:
Review the Windows Event logs for any
related events. Use ExBPA to perform a Health
scan of your server and review any issues
reported. In Exchange 2010, verify SP1 or
higher has been installed on your system.
RPC Slow
Definition:
requests (%) RPC Slow requests (%) is the percent of slow
RPC requests among all RPC requests.
Information:
A slow RPC request is one that has taken
more than 500 ms.Should be less than 1 at all
times.
Possible problems:
Client disconnects or slow performance issues.
Remediation:
Review the Windows Event logs for any
related events. Use ExBPA to perform a Health
scan of your server and review any issues
reported. In Exchange 2010, verify SP 1 or
higher has been installed on your system.
ROP
Definition:
Requests
ROP Requests outstanding shows the total
Outstanding number of outstanding remote operations
requests.
Information:
607
Exchange Server
Used for determining current load.
Hub Servers Definition:
> 0.99
In Retry
Shows the number of Hub Transport servers in
retry mode.
(Only
available in
Exchange
2010)
>1
Information:
Should be 0 at all times.
Possible problems:
Domain where you send large amount of email
is unavailable, infected machine on network
sending messages, DNS resolution issues, or
network connectivity to destination servers or
the internet.
Remediation:
Determine the root cause and verify there
aren't any network connectivity issues.
Average
Document
Processing
Time In
Milliseconds
Definition:
> 30
Shows the average, in ms, of how long it takes
to index documents.
> 30 for
15
polls
Information:
Should be less than 30 seconds at all times.
Possible problems:
Verify content index state of all database
copies.
Remediation:
For any database indexes not "healthy,"
update the content Index on the server using
the following command: UpdateMailboxDatabaseCopy <DBName> -CatalogOnly
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
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the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Notes:
l
l
Additional components on certain resources may be available for addition
and/or deletion on the Edit page.
The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Information Store
This resource contains performance counters specific to the status of the current
Information Store. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic
Name column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state.
Clicking any performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to
the Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed counter crosses the Warning threshold, the chart for the
listed monitor will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
performance counter crosses the Critical threshold, the chart will display a red
background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed
information about that time period in the tooltip.
The Exchange Information Store is a storage platform that is used to manage
numerous types of information within an Exchange server deployment.
The following table lists the default performance counters for this resource along
with their respective definitions and troubleshooting information, including default
Warning and Critical thresholds:
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Warning Critical
609
Information Store
Connection Definition:
Count
Is the total number of client connections
maintained.
(Only
available in
Exchange
2013)
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
> 100
ms
> 100
ms for
15
Information:
This is used to determine current load of the
server's Information Store.
Possible problems:
May cause memory bottlenecks on the server if
the number is excessively high.
Remediation:
Reduce the number of user mailboxes hosted
on the server or increase available resources.
Active User Definition:
Count
Number of user connections that have shown
some activity in the last 2 minutes.
Information:
Used to determine current user load on the
server. Each active user will typically start up to
5 active sessions (connections) on a server, in
order to sync various services.
Possible problems:
May cause memory bottlenecks on the server if
the number is excessively high.
Remediation:
Determine if users are running applications not
required for business use, and request they do
not run these applications which is causing an
increase in server logons. If this does not help,
or is not possible, reduce the number of users
hosted on the server and move any Public
Folders on the server to a different server.
RPC
Averaged
Latency
Definition:
Indicates the RPC latency, in ms, averaged for
all operations in the last 1,024 packets.
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Information:
For information about how clients are affected
when overall server RPC averaged latencies
increase, see “Understanding Client Throttling
Policies” at http://technet.microsoft.com/enus/library/dd297964.aspx. Should not be higher
than 100 ms on average.
polls
Possible problems:
To determine if certain protocols are causing
overall RPC latencies, monitor MSExchangeIS
Client (*)\RPC Average Latency to separate
latencies based on client protocol.
Remediation:
Faster disks, more disks, or redesigning
existing disk arrays.
RPC
Requests
Definition:
Indicates the overall RPC requests currently
executing within the information store process.
> 70
> 70 for
15
polls
N/A
N/A
Information:
Should be below 70 at all times.
Possible problems:
When I/O counters fall outside of normal range,
client performance is directly impacted. For
example, Outlook and Outlook Web App (OWA)
users will report “Outlook is slow” when
opening mail or moving between folders.
Remediation:
Faster disks, more disks, or redesigning
existing disk arrays.
Active
Definition:
Connection Number of connections that have shown some
Count
activity in the last 10 minutes.
(Only
available in
Information:
This is used to determine current load of the
611
Information Store
Exchange
2010)
server's Information Store.
Possible problems:
May cause memory bottlenecks on the server if
the number is excessively high.
Remediation:
Reduce the number of user mailboxes hosted
on the server or increase available resources.
Client:
RPCs
Failed:
Server too
busy/sec
(Only
available in
Exchange
2010)
Definition:
Shows the client-reported rate of failed RPCs
(since the store was started) due to the Server
Too Busy ROC error.
> 0 for 5 > 0 for
polls
15
polls
Information:
Should be 0 at all times.
Possible problems:
Higher values may indicate RPC threads are
exhausted or client throttling is occurring for
clients running versions of Outlook earlier than
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007. This can cause
user mail clients experiencing slowness.
Remediation:
Check if RPC latencies are high and determine
the cause of the performance issue (e.g. poorly
performing disk I/O, excessive load, insufficient
memory, high number of users).
RPC Client Definition:
Backoff/sec The rate at which the server notifies a client to
withdraw (backoff).
(Only
available in
Exchange
2010)
Information:
Indicates the rate at which client backoffs are
occurring.
Possible problems:
Higher values may indicate that the server may
be incurring a higher load resulting in an
increase in overall averaged RPC latencies,
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
causing client throttling to occur. This can also
occur when certain client user actions are being
performed. Depending on what the client is
doing and the rate at which RPC operations are
occurring, it may be normal to see backoffs
occurring.
Remediation:
Check if RPC latencies are high and determine
the cause of the performance issue (e.g. poorly
performing disk I/O, excessive load, insufficient
memory, high number of users).
Active
Client
Logons
(Only
available in
Exchange
2010)
Definition:
N/A
Number of logons that have been active (issued
any MAPI requests) within the last 10 minute
time interval.
N/A
Information:
Active client logons can be high if users are
logging on and logging off frequently.
Possible problems:
May cause memory bottlenecks on the server if
the number is excessively high.
Remediation:
Determine if users are running applications not
required for business use, and request they do
not run these applications which is causing an
increase in server logons. If this does not help,
or is not possible, reduce the number of server
hosted on the server and move any Public
Folders on the server to a different server.
Messages Definition:
Queued for Shows the current number of submitted
Submission messages not yet processed by the transport
layer.
(Only
available in
Exchange
Information:
The queues should remain below 50 at any
613
> 50
> 50 for
15
polls
Information Store
2010)
given time. Anything above this amount should
be cleared within 15 minutes.
Possible problems:
Mailbox server is not communicating properly
with the transport server.
Remediation:
Verify network connectivity and transport server
functionality.
Slow
FindRow
Rate
Definition:
Shows the rate at which the slower FindRow
needs to be used in the mailbox store.
(Only
available in
Exchange
2010)
Information:
Should be no more than 10 for any specific
mailbox store.
Possible problems:
Higher values indicate applications are
crawling or searching mailboxes, which is
affecting server performance. These include
desktop search engines, customer relationship
management (CRM), or other third-party
applications.
Remediation:
Run the ResetSearchIndex.ps1 script which is
located in the scripts directory at the root of the
Exchange installation. Alternatively, you can
perform the process manually:
1. Rebuild the index catalog using: UpdateMailboxDatabaseCopy <DBName> -CatalogOnly
command.
2. Stop the Microsoft Exchange Search Service.
3. Delete old catalog files.
4. Restart Microsoft Exchange Search Service.
Zooming
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N/A
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Notes:
l
l
Additional components on certain resources may be available for addition
and/or deletion on the Edit page.
The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Mailbox Database Copies
This resource shows the status of the Exchange mailbox database copies. The
data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column.
Hovering over any Database Name in the list will display detailed information
about that database in the tooltip. Hovering over the node will provide a tooltip
with information about that node.
The following list defines each column of this resource:
l
l
l
l
Database Name: Name of the listed database copy.
Copy Status: Displays the status of the listed database copy. (See Table 1
below for possible statuses.)
Content Index State: See the following table for returned status descriptions. (See Table 2 below for possible statuses.)
Exchange Server: Name of the Exchange application and the node it is on.
Table 1.
Mounted
The active copy is online and accepting client connections. Only
the active copy of the mailbox database copy can have a copy
status of Mounted.
615
Mailbox Database Copies
Mounting
The active copy is coming online and not yet accepting client
connections. Only the active copy of the mailbox database copy
can have a copy status of Mounting.
Dismounting
The active copy is going offline and terminating client
connections. Only the active copy of the mailbox database copy
can have a copy status of Dismounting.
Dismounted
The active copy is offline and not accepting client connections.
Only the active copy of the mailbox database copy can have a
copy status of Dismounted.
Seeding
The mailbox database copy is being seeded, the content index
for the mailbox database copy is being seeded, or both are being
seeded. Upon successful completion of seeding, the copy status
should change to Initializing.
Seeding
Source
The mailbox database copy is being used as a source for a
database copy seeding operation.
Initializing
The mailbox database copy is in an Initializing state when a
database copy has been created, when the Microsoft Exchange
Replication service is starting or has just been started, and
during transitions from Suspended, Service Down, Failed,
Seeding, or Single Page Restore to another state. While in this
state, the system is verifying that the database and log stream are
in a consistent state. In most cases, the copy status will remain in
the Initializing state for about 15 seconds, but in all cases, it
should generally not be in this state for longer than 30 seconds.
ReThe mailbox database copy and its log files are being compared
synchronizing with the active copy of the database to check for any divergence
between the two copies. The copy status will remain in this state
until any divergence is detected and resolved.
Single Page
Restore
This state indicates that a single page restore operation is
occurring on the mailbox database copy.
Failed
The mailbox database copy is in a Failed state because it is not
suspended, and it is not able to copy or replay log files. While in
a Failed state and not suspended, the system will periodically
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
check whether the problem that caused the copy status to
change to Failed has been resolved. After the system has
detected that the problem is resolved, and barring no other
issues, the copy status will automatically change to Healthy.
Service
Down
The Microsoft Exchange Replication service is not available or
running on the server that hosts the mailbox database copy.
Suspended
The mailbox database copy is in a Suspended state as a result of
an administrator manually suspending the database copy by
running the Suspend-MailboxDatabaseCopy cmdlet.
Healthy
The mailbox database copy is successfully copying and
replaying log files, or it has successfully copied and replayed all
available log files.
Disconnected The mailbox database copy is no longer connected to the active
and Healthy database copy, and it was in the Healthy state when the loss of
connection occurred. This state represents the database copy
with respect to connectivity to its source database copy. It may be
reported during DAG network failures between the source copy
and the target database copy.
Disconnected The mailbox database copy is no longer connected to the active
and Redatabase copy, and it was in the Re-synchronizing state when
synchronizing the loss of connection occurred. This state represents the
database copy with respect to connectivity to its source database
copy. It may be reported during DAG network failures between
the source copy and the target database copy.
Failed and
Suspended
The Failed and Suspended states have been set simultaneously
by the system because a failure was detected, and because
resolution of the failure explicitly requires administrator
intervention. An example is if the system detects unrecoverable
divergence between the active mailbox database and a database
copy. Unlike the Failed state, the system will not periodically
check whether the problem has been resolved, and automatically
recover. Instead, an administrator must intervene to resolve the
underlying cause of the failure before the database copy can be
transitioned to a healthy state.
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Mailbox Database Size and Space Used
Table 2.
State
Description
Status
on
Active &
Passive
Copies
Crawling
Database is in the process of indexing database content. Warning
Depending on the size of the database, this process
could take some time to complete.
Disabled
Indexing for the database has been disable by an
administrator.
Offline
(Active)
N/A
(Passive)
Failed
An error has occurred causing the content index to fail.
Critical
Failed and The Failed and Suspended states have been set
Suspended simultaneously by the system because a failure was
detected, and because resolution of the failure explicitly
requires administrator intervention.
Critical
Healthy
This indicates the Content Index is up to date and has
Up
not detected any issues. This is the only state in which a
failover (automatic process) to a specific database copy
can occur.
Seeding
A database copy is in the process of updating its Content Up
Index from another database copy.
Suspended The Suspended status occurs if an administrator manually pauses or suspends it from receiving updates from
the active copy. This might be done to update a failed
Content Index or to perform troubleshooting for other
issues.
Warning
Mailbox Database Size and Space Used
This resource numerically and graphically shows metrics concerning the
Exchange mailbox database size. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers
of each column.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Hovering over any Database Name in the list will display detailed information
about that database in the tooltip. Clicking any database in the Database column
will take you to the Database Details page for that database.
Paging controls are located at the bottom of the resource, allowing you to
navigate through all data available for this resource. Respectively, the controls
are: Fist Page, Previous Page, Page Number, Next Page, Last Page, Number
of Items to Display on the Current Page, as shown:
The following list defines each column of this resource:
l
l
l
l
l
l
Database Name: Name of the listed database.
Database Size: Size of the listed database.
White Space: The amount of space available at the root of a database for
new mailboxes before the file size increases.
Space Usage: This graphically represents used data of the database, white
space of the database, and free space on the volume, respectively.
Total Mailboxes: The total number of mailboxes on the listed database.
Average Mailbox Size: The average size of an individual mailbox.
Mailbox Database Status
This resource provides details concerning the status of the current mailbox
database being monitored by the application.
619
Mailbox Database Status
l
l
Database Name: Name of the listed database.
Copy Status: Displays the status of the active database. The table below
provides the possible status with its definition:
Mounted
The active copy is online and accepting client connections.
Only the active copy of the mailbox database copy can
have a copy status of Mounted.
Mounting
The active copy is coming online and not yet accepting
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
client connections. Only the active copy of the mailbox
database copy can have a copy status of Mounting.
Dismounting
The active copy is going offline and terminating client
connections. Only the active copy of the mailbox database
copy can have a copy status of Dismounting.
Dismounted
The active copy is offline and not accepting client
connections. Only the active copy of the mailbox database
copy can have a copy status of Dismounted.
Seeding
The mailbox database copy is being seeded, the content
index for the mailbox database copy is being seeded, or
both are being seeded. Upon successful completion of
seeding, the copy status should change to Initializing.
Seeding
Source
The mailbox database copy is being used as a source for a
database copy seeding operation.
Initializing
The mailbox database copy is in an Initializing state when
a database copy has been created, when the Microsoft
Exchange Replication service is starting or has just been
started, and during transitions from Suspended,
ServiceDown, Failed, Seeding, or SinglePageRestore to
another state. While in this state, the system is verifying that
the database and log stream are in a consistent state. In
most cases, the copy status will remain in the Initializing
state for about 15 seconds, but in all cases, it should
generally not be in this state for longer than 30 seconds.
ReThe mailbox database copy and its log files are being
synchronizing compared with the active copy of the database to check for
any divergence between the two copies. The copy status
will remain in this state until any divergence is detected and
resolved.
Single Page
Restore
This state indicates that a single page restore operation is
occurring on the mailbox database copy.
Failed
The mailbox database copy is in a Failed state because it
isnot suspended, and it isnot able to copy or replay log
files. While in a Failed state and not suspended, the system
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Mailbox Database Status
will periodically check whether the problem that caused the
copy status to change to Failed has been resolved. After
the system has detected that the problem is resolved, and
barring no other issues, the copy status will automatically
change to Healthy.
Service
Down
The Microsoft Exchange Replication service isnot available
or running on the server that hosts the mailbox database
copy.
Suspended
The mailbox database copy is in a Suspended state as a
result of an administrator manually suspending the
database copy by running the SuspendMailboxDatabaseCopy cmdlet.
Healthy
The mailbox database copy is successfully copying and
replaying log files, or it has successfully copied and
replayed all available log files.
Disconnected The mailbox database copy is no longer connected to the
and Healthy active database copy, and it was in the Healthy state when
the loss of connection occurred. This state represents the
database copy with respect to connectivity to its source
database copy. It may be reported during DAG network
failures between the source copy and the target database
copy.
Disconnected The mailbox database copy is no longer connected to the
and Reactive database copy, and it was in the Re-synchronizing
synchronizing state when the loss of connection occurred. This state
represents the database copy with respect to connectivity to
its source database copy. It may be reported during DAG
network failures between the source copy and the target
database copy.
Failed and
Suspended
The Failed and Suspended states have been set
simultaneously by the system because a failure was
detected, and because resolution of the failure explicitly
requires administrator intervention. An example is if the
system detects unrecoverable divergence between the
active mailbox database and a database copy. Unlike the
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Failed state, the system will not periodically check whether
the problem has been resolved, and automatically recover.
Instead, an administrator must intervene to resolve the
underlying cause of the failure before the database copy
can be transitioned to a healthy state.
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Copy Queue Length: The copy queue length is an integer indicating number of files. The Copy Queue Length shows the number of transaction log
files waiting to be copied to the passive copy log file folder. A copy is not
considered complete until it has been checked for corruption.
Replay Queue Length: The Replay Queue Length shows the number of
transaction log files waiting to be replayed into the passive copy.
Last Inspected Log Time: This is the date and time when the last log file
was verified (inspected) by the LogInspector for a particular database after
being copied from the active copy. This field is only relevant for passive copies of a database.
Content Index State: See the following table for returned status descriptions.
State
Description
Status
on
Active &
Passive
Copies
Crawling
Database is in the process of indexing database
content. Depending on the size of the database,
this process could take some time to complete.
Warning
Disabled
Indexing for the database has been disable by an
administrator.
Offline
(Active)
N/A
(Passive)
Failed
An error has occurred causing the content index to Critical
fail.
Failed and The Failed and Suspended states have been set
Critical
Suspended simultaneously by the system because a failure
was detected, and because resolution of the failure
explicitly requires administrator intervention.
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Mail Database
Healthy
This indicates the Content Index is up to date and Up
has not detected any issues. This is the only state
in which a failover (automatic process) to a specific
database copy can occur.
Seeding
A database copy is in the process of updating its
Content Index from another database copy.
Up
Suspended The Suspended status occurs if an administrator
Warning
manually pauses or suspends it from receiving
updates from the active copy. This might be done to
update a failed Content Index or to perform
troubleshooting for other issues.
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Activation Preference: Indicates which database copy has preference over
another copy. It is used as part of the formula to determine which database
copy will become active during a failover. The value can range from 1 to 16
depending on the number of servers in the DAG. The lower the number, the
higher the preference.
Mail Database
This resource contains performance counters specific to the status of the current
Mail Database. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name
column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any
performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the
Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed counter crosses the Warning threshold, the chart for the
listed monitor will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
performance counter crosses the Critical threshold, the chart will display a red
background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed
information about that time period in the tooltip.
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The following table lists the default performance counters for this resource along
with their respective definitions and troubleshooting information, including default
Warning and Critical thresholds:
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Warning Critical
Database Definition:
N/A
Cache
Shows the amount of system memory, used by the
Size (MB) database cache manager to hold commonly used
information from the database files to prevent file
operations.
Information:
This and Database Cache Hit % are useful
counters for gauging whether a server's
performance problems might be resolved by
adding more physical memory. Use this counter
along with store private bytes to determine if there
are store memory leaks.
Possible problems:
Situation when the database cache size seems
too small for optimal performance and there is little
available memory on the system (check the value
of Memory/Available Bytes) could negatively
impact on performance. If there is ample memory
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N/A
Mail Database
on the system and the database cache size is not
growing beyond a certain point, the database
cache size may be capped at an artificially low
limit. Increasing this limit may increase
performance.
Remediation:
Adding more memory to the system and/or
increasing database cache size may increase
performance.
Database
Page
Fault
Stalls/sec
Definition:
>0
Shows the rate that database file page requests
require of the database cache manager to allocate
a new page from the database cache.
> 0 for
15
polls
Information:
Should be 0 at all times.
Possible problems:
If this value is nonzero, this indicates that the
database is not able to flush dirty pages to the
database file fast enough to make pages free for
new page allocations.
Remediation:
If the disk subsystem is not meeting demand,
correcting the problem may require additional
disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration.
Version Definition:
Buckets Shows the total number of version buckets
Allocated allocated.
Information:
Should be less than 12,000 at all times. The
maximum default version is 16,384. If version
buckets reach 70% of maximum, the server is at
risk of running out of the version store.
Possible problems:
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Typically indicates a database transaction which
is taking a long time to save to disk. During Online
DB defrags, the version buckets may increase.
Remediation:
Verify if the server has any applications running
that have a long running transaction which has not
been saved to disk, causing the version store
memory resource to be exhausted.
Log
Definition:
Record
Shows the number of log records that can't be
Stalls/sec added to the log buffers per second because the
log buffers are full. If this counter is nonzero for a
long period of time, the log buffer size may be a
bottleneck.
> 10 for > 10 for
15 polls 60
polls
Information:
The average value should be below 10 per
second. Spikes (maximum values) should not be
higher than 100 per second.
Possible problems:
If I/O log write latencies are high, check for RAID5
or synchronize replication on log devices.
Remediation:
You can also use the MSExchange Database
Instances (Information store/<Database Name>)
\log record stalls/sec counter to determine which
database(s) may be having issues. This will assist
you in determining which drive(s) to focus on. This
counter is an extended Exchange counter in
Performance Monitor. The solution can include
additional disks, reconfigured RAID configuration,
adding new database(s), or re-balancing
mailboxes across databases or servers.
Log
Threads
Waiting
Definition:
> 10 for > 10 for
Shows the number of threads waiting for their data 15 polls 60
to be written to the log to complete an update of
polls
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Management
the database. If this number is too high, the log
may be a bottleneck.
Information:
Should be less than 10 on average.
Possible problems:
If this number is too high, the log may be a
bottleneck. Regular spikes concurrent with log
record stall spikes indicate that the transaction log
disks are a bottleneck. If the value for log threads
waiting is more than the spindles available for the
logs, there is a bottleneck on the log disks.
Remediation:
If the disk subsystem is not meeting demand,
correcting the problem may require additional
disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
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Additional components on certain resources may be available for addition
and/or deletion on the Edit page.
The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Management
This resource contains controls that are actionable for both the application and
the node. The controls in the following illustration are SAM-specific.
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Application:
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Edit Application Monitor: This allows you to edit the current application by
changing the settings specifically related to this application. This includes,
but is not limited to: changing the polling frequency, changing the Windows
and PowerShell URLs, changing the Exchange Server credentials, and
adjusting threshold settings for component monitors that have thresholds.
Changing some settings may require you to override the template that this
application is based upon. To do this, simply click Override Template.
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Unmanage: Allows you to stop the polling and collecting of statistics of the
current application for a user-defined period of time.
Poll Now: Allows the application to retrieve the most current statistics when
clicked.
Note: By default, mailbox statistics are not polled when Poll Now is clicked.
Node:
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Real-Time Process Explorer: Opens the RTPE in a new window. For
more information, see Real Time Process Explorer.
Service Control Manager: Opens the SCM in a new window. For more
information, see Service Control Manager.
Real-Time Event Viewer: Opens the RTEV in a new window. For more
information, see Real Time Event Viewer.
Replication
This resource contains performance counters specific to the status of the current
replication process. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic
Name column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state.
Clicking any performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to
the Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed counter crosses the Warning threshold, the chart for the
listed monitor will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
performance counter crosses the Critical threshold, the chart will display a red
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed
information about that time period in the tooltip.
The purpose of using data replication is to maintain current replicas of the data.
Exchange servers can use the replicas to provide continuity of email service in
the event of a storage or site outage in the primary location.
The following table lists the default performance counters for this resource along
with their respective definitions and troubleshooting information, including default
Warning and Critical thresholds:
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Warning Critical
CopyQueueLength
Definition:
Shows the number of transaction log
files waiting to be copied to the
passive copy log file folder. A copy
isn't considered complete until it has
been checked for corruption.
>1
Information:
All nodes in a Database Availability
Group (DAG) should be monitored for
this counter depending on the passive
node. Should be less than 1 at all
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> 1 for
5 polls
Replication
times for continuous replication.
Possible problems:
Server recently rebooted or services
restarted, network connectivity issues,
or multiple mailbox moves are in
process.
Remediation:
Verify network connectivity between
the various nodes in the DAG. Verify
Replication Service is running on all
DAG members.
ReplayQueueLength Definition:
Shows the number of transaction log
files waiting to be replayed into the
passive copy.
> 50 for
5 polls
> 100
for 5
polls
N/A
N/A
Information:
With DAG replication, transaction logs
are shipped to the other DAG
members. They then replay the log
file. (Thresholds should be manually
removed for DAG members
configured to be 'lagged copies.')
Possible problems:
The replay queue length should be as
low as possible, otherwise this could
indicate a (performance) issue with
the DAG member containing the Copy
database. A high number could also
negatively affect failover with some
loss of data as a possibility.
Remediation:
Check Memory, CPU, and Disk I/O for
any bottlenecks. Review the Windows
Event logs for any related events.
Avg Log Copy
Definition:
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Latency (msec)
(Only available in
Exchange 2010)
Log Copy KB/sec
Average number of milliseconds
observed by the log copier when
sending messages over the network.
Definition:
The size of the log files (in KB) that
are copied per second.
N/A
N/A
Definition:
N/A
The number of log files that have been
replayed per second.
N/A
Information:
Shows the size in KB/sec of the
transaction logs being copied to
passive copies.
Log Replay Rate
(generations/sec)
Information:
Shows you the number of Transaction
Logs being replayed on the passive
copies of a database.
Log Replay is Not
Keeping Up
Definition:
LogReplayNotKeepingUp is 1 when
log replay is falling behind and not
able to keep up with log copying and
inspection.
Information:
Exchange 2010/2013 uses
continuous replication to create and
maintain database copies. To
maintain a synchronized copy of a
mailbox database, transaction log files
from the active mailbox server are
replayed into the passive database of
another server in the DAG. This
provides high availability and
resiliency in the Exchange
environment.
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>= 1
>= 1
for 60
polls
Replication Status Checks
Possible problems:
Indicates a replication issue may exist
with the mailbox database copies in
the DAG. If Transaction Log replay is
not able to keep up with the active
copy, passive copies will not be up of
date.
Remediation:
Review the Windows Event logs for
any related events. Examine network
topology between DAG members and
verify connectivity and network
latency is below 250 ms. Examine
CPU utilization by the Information
Store service on passive copies.
Examine the replication status for
each replica database using the GetMailboxDatabaseCopyStatus cmdlet.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Notes:
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Additional components on certain resources may be available for addition
and/or deletion on the Edit page.
The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Replication Status Checks
This resource will perform up to 16 checks in Exchange 2010 and up to 18
checks in Exchange 2013 (divided into two columns. This resource will only show
test results which apply to the server it is being run against, whether the server
contains only active databases, passive databases, or a combination of the two.
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The fewest checks are performed when run against a server with only active
databases (Seven checks for 2010, 12 checks for 2013). This is because check
for databases replication status is not necessary because they are all on the local
server.
The status for each Health Check Test can be one of the following: Passed,
Failed, or Warning.
The table below provides a list of all possible tests for this resource along with
their definitions.
Health Check Test
Name
Description
TcpListener
Verifies that the TCP log copy listener is running and
reachable on the specified DAG member, or if no
DAG member is specified, on the local server.
TasksRpcListener
Verifies that the tasks remote procedure call (RPC)
server is running and reachable on the specified
DAG member, or if no DAG member is specified, on
the local server.
ServerLocatorService
Verifies the Active Manager client/server processes
on DAG members and on the Client Access Server
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Replication Status Checks
that perform lookups in Active Directory and Active
Manager to determine where a user’s mailbox
database is active.
ReplayService
Verifies that the Microsoft Exchange Replication
service is running and reachable on the specified
DAG member, or if no DAG member is specified, on
the local server.
QuorumGroup
Verifies that the default cluster group (quorum group)
is in a healthy and online state.
FileShareQuorum
Verifies that the witness server and witness directory
and share configured for the DAG are reachable.
DBLogReplayKeepingUp Verifies that replay activity for the passive copies of
databases on the specified DAG member, or if no
DAG member is specified, on the local server, is able
to keep up with log copying and inspection activity.
DBLogCopyKeepingUp
Verifies that log copying and inspection by the
passive copies of databases on the specified DAG
member, or if no DAG member is specified, on the
local server, are able to keep up with log generation
activity on the active copy.
DBInitializing
Checks whether any mailbox database copies are in
a state of Initializing on the specified DAG member,
or if no DAG member is specified, on the local server.
DBDisconnected
Checks whether any mailbox database copies are in
a state of Disconnected on the specified DAG
member, or if no DAG member is specified, on the
local server.
DBCopySuspended
Checks whether any mailbox database copies are in
a state of Suspended on the specified DAG member,
or if no DAG member is specified, on the local server.
DBCopyFailed
Checks whether any mailbox database copies are in
a state of Failed on the specified DAG member, or if
no DAG member is specified, on the local server.
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DatabaseRedundancy
(Only 2013)
Verifies that there is at least one healthy copy
available of the databases on the specified DAG
member, or if no DAG member is specified, on the
local server.
DatabaseAvailability
(Only 2013)
Verifies that the databases have sufficient availability
on the specified DAG member, or if no DAG member
is specified, on the local server.
DagMembersUp
Verifies that all DAG members are available, running,
and reachable.
ClusterService
Verifies that the Cluster service is running and
reachable on the specified DAG member, or if no
DAG member is specified, on the local server.
ClusterNetwork
Verifies that all cluster-managed networks on the
specified DAG member, or if no DAG member is
specified, the local server, are available.
ActiveManager
Verifies that the instance of Active Manager running
on the specified DAG member, or if no DAG member
is specified, the local server, is in a valid role
(primary, secondary, or stand-alone).
Storage
This resource contains performance counters specific to the status of storage. The
icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will change
color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance counter
in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter Details
page for that counter.
If the value of a listed counter crosses the Warning threshold, the chart for the
listed monitor will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
performance counter crosses the Critical threshold, the chart will display a red
background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed
information about that time period in the tooltip.
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Storage
The following table lists the default performance counters for this resource along
with their respective definitions and troubleshooting information, including default
Warning and Critical thresholds:
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Warning Critical
I/O Database
Reads
Average
Latency
Definition:
Shows the average length of time, in ms, per
database read operation.
> 50 ms > 50
ms for
15
polls
Information:
Should be 20 ms on average. Spikes should
not exceed 50 ms.
Possible problems:
Users may report sluggish responsiveness
within their email client.
Remediation:
If the disk subsystem is not meeting demand,
correcting the problem may require additional
disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration.
I/O Database Definition:
Writes
Shows the average length of time, in ms, per
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> 100
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Average
Latency
database write operation.
15
polls
Information:
Should be 50 ms on average. Spikes of up to
100 ms are acceptable if not accompanied by
database page fault stalls.
Possible problems:
Users may report sluggish responsiveness
within their email client.
Remediation:
If the disk subsystem is not meeting demand,
correcting the problem may require additional
disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration.
I/O Log
Reads
Average
Latency
Definition:
Indicates the average time, in ms, to read data
from a log file. Specific to log replay and
database recovery operations.
> 200
ms
> 200
ms
for 15
polls
Information:
Average should be less than 200 ms with
spikes up to 1000 ms
Possible problems:
Users may report sluggish responsiveness
within their email client.
Remediation:
If the disk subsystem is not meeting demand,
correcting the problem may require additional
disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration.
I/O Log
Writes
Average
Latency
Definition:
> 10 ms > 10
Indicates the average time, in ms, to write a log
ms for
buffer to the active log file.
15
polls
Information:
This count should be 10 ms or less on
production servers.
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Users By Mailbox Size
Possible problems:
Indication that the MS Exchange Database\I/O
Database Writes Average Latency is too high
Remediation:
If the disk subsystem is not meeting demand,
correcting the problem may require additional
disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Notes:
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Additional components on certain resources may be available for addition
and/or deletion on the Edit page.
The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Users By Mailbox Size
This resource numerically and graphically shows metrics concerning mailbox
size per user. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column.
Hovering over any user in the User Name list will display detailed information
about that user's mailbox in the tooltip. Clicking any database in the Database
column will take you to the Database Details page for that database.
Notes:
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If there are no user mailboxes on a given database, this resources will disappear from the Mailbox Database Details page.
If there are no user mailboxes in any of the active databases on an
Exchange server, this resource will disappear from the Application Details
page.
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User mailbox information is collected only once a day after midnight, local
time.
The following list defines each column of this resource:
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User Name: Name of the listed user.
Mailbox Size: Total size of the listed mailbox that is currently being used by
the user.
% Quote Used: Graphically and numerically shows the percentage used of
the listed mailbox.
Attachment Size: This is the total size of all emails that have an attachment. This includes the body of the email as well as any attachments.
Attachment Count: Shows the number of email messages that contain
attachments, as opposed to the actual number of attachments contained in
each email.
Note: The maximum number of email messages with attachments that can
be reported is 10,000.
Last Accessed: Displays the time and date the listed mailbox was last
accessed by the user.
Database: This is the database that contains the listed user's mailbox.
For more information, see Attachment Extensions.
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Users By % Mailbox Quota Used
Users By % Mailbox Quota Used
This resource shows metrics based on the percentage of a user's mailbox quota
used. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column.
Hovering over any user in the User Name list will display detailed information
about that user's mailbox in the tooltip. Clicking any database in the Database
column will take you to the Database Details page for that database.
Notes:
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If there are no user mailboxes or mailbox quotas are not in use on a given
database, this resources will disappear from the Mailbox Database Details
page.
If there are no user mailboxes or mailbox quotas are not in use in any of the
active databases on an Exchange server, this resource will disappear from
the Application Details page.
User mailbox information is collected only once a day after midnight, local
time.
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The following list defines each column of this resource:
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User Name: Name of the listed user.
% Quota Used: Graphically and numerically shows the percentage used of
the listed mailbox.
Mailbox Size: Total size of the listed mailbox that is currently being used by
the user.
Attachment Size: This is the total size of all emails that have an attachment. This includes the body of the email as well as any attachments.
Attachment Count: This is the number of emails that have at least one
attachment.
Last Accessed: Displays the time and date the listed mailbox was last
accessed by the user.
Database: This is the database that contains the listed user's mailbox.
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Users By Messages Sent
Paging controls are located at the bottom of the resource, allowing you to
navigate through all data available for this resource. Respectively, the controls
are: Fist Page, Previous Page, Page Number, Next Page, Last Page, Number
of Items to Display on the Current Page, as shown:
For more information, see Attachment Extensions .
Users By Messages Sent
This resource shows metrics based on messages sent. The data can be sorted by
clicking the headers of each column.
Hovering over any user in the User Name list will display detailed information
about that user's mailbox in the tooltip. Clicking any database in the Database
column will take you to the Database Details page for that database.
Notes:
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If there are no user mailboxes on a given database, this resources will disappear from the Mailbox Database Details page.
If there are no user mailboxes in any of the active databases on an
Exchange server, this resource will disappear from the Application Details
page.
User mailbox information is collected only once a day after midnight, local
time.
If Server Mailbox Accounts Statistics is disabled, this resource, as well as
the Messages Sent and Messages Received charts on the Mailbox Details
view, will disappear.
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The following list defines each column of this resource:
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User Name: Name of the listed user.
Sent Yesterday: Current number of messages sent yesterday for the listed
user.
Sent Last 7 Days: This is the total number of emails that have been sent in
the last seven days.
Sent Last 30 Days: This is the total number of emails that have been sent
in the last 30 days.
Last Accessed: Displays the date the listed mailbox was last accessed by
the user
Database: This is the database that contains the listed user's mailbox.
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AppInsight for Exchange Database Details View
AppInsight for Exchange Database Details View
The Database Details view provides a great deal of information about the current
database and can be accessed by clicking any listed database.
To navigate to the Database Details view:
1. From the web console, navigate to the AppInsight for Exchange Details
view.
2. From a Database resource, click any database in the list.
The available resources unique to this view include:
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Active/Mounted Database Availability
Database Copies
Database Details
Database Disk I/O
Database File Size
Database I/O
Database Metrics
Events
Messages
Transaction Log File Size
Transaction Log Disk I/O
Notes:
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If the name of a database is extremely long, certain performance counters
may not be visible on the Database Details page.
If databases are grouped by a status of Unknown in Network Atlas,
AppInsight for Exchange databases will be displayed.
Active/Mounted Database Availability
This resource graphically shows the various states of database availability in a
percentage format and is made up of three sections: the legend, the main chart,
and the lower chart. The colors of the main chart correspond to the labels in the
legend.
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Note: This resource will not be available when using Internet Explorer 7.
Consider upgrading Internet Explorer 8 or higher or using FireFox or Chrome as
your web browser.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined, hourly time period of data by
clicking on any one of the three Zoom buttons; 1h, 12h, or 24h. Alternatively, you
can have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a
small area of the chart.
Once you have a time period selected, the lower chart will zoom to the starting
and ending values of the selected time period. With the lower chart you can zoom
in further by fine tuning the view with the sliders. The main view of the chart will
display the selected time period between the two sliders of the lower chart.
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Database Copies
Moving the mouse over the main chart will reveal a tooltip with more detailed
information about the specific time period the mouse is hovering over. By default,
all statistics are shown in the main chart.
Database Copies
This resource provides details concerning the status of the current Exchange
server being monitored by the application.
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Exchange Server: Name of the listed Exchange Server.
Copy Status: Displays the status of the active database. The table below
provides the possible status with its definition:
Mounted
The active copy is online and accepting client connections.
Only the active copy of the mailbox database copy can
have a copy status of Mounted.
Mounting
The active copy is coming online and not yet accepting
client connections. Only the active copy of the mailbox
database copy can have a copy status of Mounting.
Dismounting
The active copy is going offline and terminating client
connections. Only the active copy of the mailbox database
copy can have a copy status of Dismounting.
Dismounted
The active copy is offline and not accepting client
connections. Only the active copy of the mailbox database
copy can have a copy status of Dismounted.
Seeding
The mailbox database copy is being seeded, the content
index for the mailbox database copy is being seeded, or
both are being seeded. Upon successful completion of
seeding, the copy status should change to Initializing.
Seeding
Source
The mailbox database copy is being used as a source for a
database copy seeding operation.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Initializing
The mailbox database copy is in an Initializing state when
a database copy has been created, when the Microsoft
Exchange Replication service is starting or has just been
started, and during transitions from Suspended,
ServiceDown, Failed, Seeding, or SinglePageRestore to
another state. While in this state, the system is verifying that
the database and log stream are in a consistent state. In
most cases, the copy status will remain in the Initializing
state for about 15 seconds, but in all cases, it should
generally not be in this state for longer than 30 seconds.
ReThe mailbox database copy and its log files are being
synchronizing compared with the active copy of the database to check for
any divergence between the two copies. The copy status
will remain in this state until any divergence is detected and
resolved.
Single Page
Restore
This state indicates that a single page restore operation is
occurring on the mailbox database copy.
Failed
The mailbox database copy is in a Failed state because it
isnot suspended, and it isnot able to copy or replay log
files. While in a Failed state and not suspended, the system
will periodically check whether the problem that caused the
copy status to change to Failed has been resolved. After
the system has detected that the problem is resolved, and
barring no other issues, the copy status will automatically
change to Healthy.
Service
Down
The Microsoft Exchange Replication service isnot available
or running on the server that hosts the mailbox database
copy.
Suspended
The mailbox database copy is in a Suspended state as a
result of an administrator manually suspending the
database copy by running the SuspendMailboxDatabaseCopy cmdlet.
Healthy
The mailbox database copy is successfully copying and
replaying log files, or it has successfully copied and
replayed all available log files.
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Database Copies
Disconnected The mailbox database copy is no longer connected to the
and Healthy active database copy, and it was in the Healthy state when
the loss of connection occurred. This state represents the
database copy with respect to connectivity to its source
database copy. It may be reported during DAG network
failures between the source copy and the target database
copy.
Disconnected The mailbox database copy is no longer connected to the
and Reactive database copy, and it was in the Re-synchronizing
synchronizing state when the loss of connection occurred. This state
represents the database copy with respect to connectivity to
its source database copy. It may be reported during DAG
network failures between the source copy and the target
database copy.
Failed and
Suspended
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The Failed and Suspended states have been set
simultaneously by the system because a failure was
detected, and because resolution of the failure explicitly
requires administrator intervention. An example is if the
system detects unrecoverable divergence between the
active mailbox database and a database copy. Unlike the
Failed state, the system will not periodically check whether
the problem has been resolved, and automatically recover.
Instead, an administrator must intervene to resolve the
underlying cause of the failure before the database copy
can be transitioned to a healthy state.
Copy Queue: The Copy Queue length is an integer indicating number of
files. The Copy Queue Length shows the number of transaction log files
waiting to be copied to the passive copy log file folder. A copy is not considered complete until it has been checked for corruption.
Replay Queue: The Replay Queue Length shows the number of transaction log files waiting to be replayed into the passive copy.
Inspected Log Time: This is the date and time when the last log file was
verified (inspected) by the LogInspector for a particular database after being
copied from the active copy. This field is only relevant for passive copies of
a database.
Content Index: See the following table for returned status descriptions.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
State
Description
Status
on
Active &
Passive
Copies
Crawling
Database is in the process of indexing database
content. Depending on the size of the database,
this process could take some time to complete.
Warning
Disabled
Indexing for the database has been disable by an
administrator.
Offline
(Active)
N/A
(Passive)
Failed
An error has occurred causing the content index to Critical
fail.
Failed and The Failed and Suspended states have been set
Critical
Suspended simultaneously by the system because a failure
was detected, and because resolution of the failure
explicitly requires administrator intervention.
Healthy
This indicates the Content Index is up to date and Up
has not detected any issues. This is the only state
in which a failover (automatic process) to a specific
database copy can occur.
Seeding
A database copy is in the process of updating its
Content Index from another database copy.
Up
Suspended The Suspended status occurs if an administrator
Warning
manually pauses or suspends it from receiving
updates from the active copy. This might be done to
update a failed Content Index or to perform
troubleshooting for other issues.
l
Activation Preference: Indicates which database copy has preference over
another copy. It is used as part of the formula to determine which database
copy will become active during a failover. The value can range from 1 to 16
depending on the number of servers in the DAG. The lower the number, the
higher the preference.
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Database Details
Database Details
This resource provides details concerning the current database.
The following list defines each field of this resource:
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Database Name: This provides the name of the current database.
Summary Status: Displays the current status of the database. (See Table 1
for possible statuses.)
Active Copy Status: Displays the current status of the database of the
Exchange application that is being monitored. (See Table 2 for possible
statuses.)
Preferred Server: The database copy with an activation preference of 1 is
the preferred server.
Master: This refers to the name of the DAG or the name of the Server which
maintains the copy status information.
Total Number of Mailboxes: Displays the total number of mailboxes on the
listed database.
Average Mailbox Size: Displays the average size of user mailboxes.
Last Full Backup: Displays the time and date of the last full backup of the
database.
Last Incremented Backup: Displays the time and date of only those files
that have been altered since the last full backup of the database.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
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Circular Logging: Circular logging is a method of conserving disk space by
deleting transaction log files after they have been committed to the database. Circular Logging should only be enabled if the mailbox server is part
of a DAG with a minimum of three database copies and one of those should
be set as a "lagged copy."
Storage Quota Defaults:
l Issue Warning: Displays the minimum size the mailbox must be
before a Warning is issued to the user's mailbox.
l Prohibit Send: Displays the minimum size the mailbox must be
before sending email is prohibited from the user's mailbox.
l Prohibit Send and Receive: Displays the minimum size the mailbox
must be before sending and receiving email is prohibited from the
user's mailbox.
Table 1.
This table shows how the value for the Summary Status field is calculated. If the
conditions in the first four columns are met, the status in the Final SAM Status
column is displayed in the Summary Status field.
DB Copy
DB Copy Status (Passive) DB Content DB Content Final
Status (Active)
Index State Index State SAM
Statu
(Active)
(Passive)
s
Dismounted
Any
Any
Any
Offline
Dismounting
Any
Any
Any
Warni
ng
Failed
Any
Any
Any
Down
Initializing
Any
Any
Any
Warni
ng
Mounted,
DisconnectedAndHealthy
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
Mounted,
DisconnectedAndHealthy
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Any other
Critica
l
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Any
Database Details
Mounted,
DisconnectedAndResynchr Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
onizing
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
SeedingSource
rce
Warni
ng
Mounted,
DisconnectedAndResynchr Any other
Seeding, or
onizing
SeedingSource
Any
Critica
l
Mounted,
Failed
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
Mounted,
Failed
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Any other
Any
Critica
l
Mounted,
FailedAndSuspended
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
Mounted,
FailedAndSuspended
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Any other
Any
Critica
l
Mounted,
Healthy
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Healthy,
Up
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Mounted,
Healthy
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Any other
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
Mounted,
Healthy
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Crawling
Any
Warni
ng
Mounted,
Any other
Healthy,
Warni
Healthy
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Seeding, or ng
SeedingSou
rce
Mounted,
Healthy
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Any other
Mounted,
Initializing
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Up
Mounted,
Initializing
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Any other
Any
Warni
ng
Mounted,
Resynchronizing
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Healthy,
Up
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Mounted,
Resynchronizing
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Any other
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Mounted,
Resynchronizing
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Any other
Healthy,
Warni
Seeding, or ng
SeedingSou
rce
Mounted,
Resynchronizing
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Any other
Any other
Mounted,
Seeding
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Up
Mounted,
Any other
Warni
Seeding
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Any other
Any
Critica
l
Warni
ng
Critica
l
Database Details
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
ng
Mounted,
SeedingSource
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Up
Mounted,
SeedingSource
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Any other
Any
Warni
ng
Mounted,
Service Down
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
Mounted,
Service Down
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Any other
Any
Critica
l
Mounted,
SinglePageRestore
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
Mounted,
SinglePageRestore
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Any other
Any
Critica
l
Mounted,
Suspended
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
Mounted,
Suspended
Seeding, or
SeedingSource
Any other
Any
Critica
l
Mounting
Any
Any
Warni
ng
Any
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Service Down
Any
Any
Any
Down
SinglePageRe DisconnectedAndHealthy
store
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
SinglePageRe DisconnectedAndHealthy
store
Any other
Any
Critica
l
SinglePageRe DisconnectedAndResynchr Healthy,
Any
store
onizing
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
SinglePageRe DisconnectedAndResynchr Any other
store
onizing
Any
Critica
l
SinglePageRe Failed
store
Any
Any
Critica
l
SinglePageRe FailedAndSuspended
store
Any
Any
Critica
l
SinglePageRe Healthy
store
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
SinglePageRe Healthy
store
Crawling
Any
Critica
l
SinglePageRe Healthy
store
Any other
Any
Critica
l
SinglePageRe Initializing
store
Any
Any
Critica
l
SinglePageRe Resynchronizing
store
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
SinglePageRe Resynchronizing
Any other
Critica
657
Any
Database Details
store
l
SinglePageRe Seeding
store
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
SinglePageRe Seeding
store
Any other
Any
Critica
l
SinglePageRe SeedingSource
store
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
SinglePageRe SeedingSource
store
Any other
Any
Critica
l
SinglePageRe Service Down
store
Any
Any
Critica
l
SinglePageRe SinglePageRestore
store
Any
Any
Critica
l
SinglePageRe Suspended
store
Healthy,
Any
Seeding, or
SeedingSou
rce
Warni
ng
SinglePageRe Suspended
store
Any other
Critica
l
Any
Table 2.
Mounted
The active copy is online and accepting client connections. Only
the active copy of the mailbox database copy can have a copy
status of Mounted.
Mounting
The active copy is coming online and not yet accepting client
connections. Only the active copy of the mailbox database copy
can have a copy status of Mounting.
Dismounting
The active copy is going offline and terminating client
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
connections. Only the active copy of the mailbox database copy
can have a copy status of Dismounting.
Dismounted
The active copy is offline and not accepting client connections.
Only the active copy of the mailbox database copy can have a
copy status of Dismounted.
Seeding
The mailbox database copy is being seeded, the content index
for the mailbox database copy is being seeded, or both are being
seeded. Upon successful completion of seeding, the copy status
should change to Initializing.
Seeding
Source
The mailbox database copy is being used as a source for a
database copy seeding operation.
Initializing
The mailbox database copy is in an Initializing state when a
database copy has been created, when the Microsoft Exchange
Replication service is starting or has just been started, and
during transitions from Suspended, Service Down, Failed,
Seeding, or Single Page Restore to another state. While in this
state, the system is verifying that the database and log stream are
in a consistent state. In most cases, the copy status will remain in
the Initializing state for about 15 seconds, but in all cases, it
should generally not be in this state for longer than 30 seconds.
ReThe mailbox database copy and its log files are being compared
synchronizing with the active copy of the database to check for any divergence
between the two copies. The copy status will remain in this state
until any divergence is detected and resolved.
Single Page
Restore
This state indicates that a single page restore operation is
occurring on the mailbox database copy.
Failed
The mailbox database copy is in a Failed state because it is not
suspended, and it is not able to copy or replay log files. While in
a Failed state and not suspended, the system will periodically
check whether the problem that caused the copy status to
change to Failed has been resolved. After the system has
detected that the problem is resolved, and barring no other
issues, the copy status will automatically change to Healthy.
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Database Disk I/O
Service
Down
The Microsoft Exchange Replication service is not available or
running on the server that hosts the mailbox database copy.
Suspended
The mailbox database copy is in a Suspended state as a result of
an administrator manually suspending the database copy by
running the Suspend-MailboxDatabaseCopy cmdlet.
Healthy
The mailbox database copy is successfully copying and
replaying log files, or it has successfully copied and replayed all
available log files.
Disconnected The mailbox database copy is no longer connected to the active
and Healthy database copy, and it was in the Healthy state when the loss of
connection occurred. This state represents the database copy
with respect to connectivity to its source database copy. It may be
reported during DAG network failures between the source copy
and the target database copy.
Disconnected The mailbox database copy is no longer connected to the active
and Redatabase copy, and it was in the Re-synchronizing state when
synchronizing the loss of connection occurred. This state represents the
database copy with respect to connectivity to its source database
copy. It may be reported during DAG network failures between
the source copy and the target database copy.
Failed and
Suspended
The Failed and Suspended states have been set simultaneously
by the system because a failure was detected, and because
resolution of the failure explicitly requires administrator
intervention. An example is if the system detects unrecoverable
divergence between the active mailbox database and a database
copy. Unlike the Failed state, the system will not periodically
check whether the problem has been resolved, and automatically
recover. Instead, an administrator must intervene to resolve the
underlying cause of the failure before the database copy can be
transitioned to a healthy state.
Database Disk I/O
This resource provides details concerning the database disk I/O being monitored
by the application.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
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File Path: Path of the listed database.
Volume: Displays the name of the listed volume.
Disk Queue Length: Displays the length of the disk queue of the listed
volume.
Total IOPS: Displays the total number of Input/Output operations per
second of the listed volume.
Latency: Numerically displays the average time the disk transfers took to
complete, in seconds.
Exchange Server: Displays the name of the listed Exchange Server.
Database File Size
This resource provides details concerning the size of the listed database copies
being monitored by the application.
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File Path: Path of the listed database.
Total File Size: Displays the size of the listed database file.
Database Usage: Depending on how your database is configured, this
value is showing you how close you are to running out of space. If your database is configured as a fixed size, auto-grow, or a restricted auto-grow, the
percentages relate to what is going to cause your database to run out of
space.
Volume Usage: Numerically and graphically displays the volume usage as
a percentage.
Exchange Server: Displays the name of the listed Exchange server.
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Database I/O
Database I/O
This resource contains performance counters specific to the status of database
I/O. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will
change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance
counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter
Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed counter crosses the Warning threshold, the chart for the
listed monitor will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
performance counter crosses the Critical threshold, the chart will display a red
background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed
information about that time period in the tooltip.
The following table lists the default performance counters for this resource along
with their respective definitions and troubleshooting information, including default
Warning and Critical thresholds:
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Warning Critical
I/O
Definition:
Database Shows the average length of time, in ms, per
Reads
database read operation.
Average
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Latency
Information:
Should be 20 ms on average. Spikes should not
exceed 50 ms.
Possible problems:
Users may experience decreased performance,
including delayed message deliveries.
Remediation:
If the disk subsystem is not meeting demand,
correcting the problem may require additional
disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration. Review the event logs for related
events. Verify network topology between mailbox
servers and storage resources. Examine CPU &
Memory usage to determine possible bottlenecks.
Examine replication status for replica database.
I/O
Database
Writes
Average
Latency
Definition:
Shows the average length of time, in ms, per
database write operation.
> 100
ms
> 100
ms for
5 polls
> 200
> 200
Information:
Should be 50 ms on average. Spikes of up to 100
ms are acceptable if not accompanied by
database page fault stalls.
Possible problems:
Users may experience decreased performance,
including delayed message deliveries.
Remediation:
If the disk subsystem is not meeting demand,
correcting the problem may require additional
disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration. Review the event logs for related
events. Verify network topology between mailbox
servers & storage resources. Examine CPU and
Memory usage to determine possible bottlenecks.
Examine replication status for replica database.
I/O Log
Definition:
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Database I/O
Reads
Indicates the average time, in ms, to read data
ms
Average from a log file. Specific to log replay and database
Latency recovery operations.
ms
for 5
polls
Information:
Average should be less than 200 ms with spikes
up to 1,000 ms
Possible problems:
Users may experience decreased performance,
including delayed message deliveries.
Remediation: If the disk subsystem is not meeting
demand, correcting the problem may require
additional disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration. Review the event logs for related
events. Verify network topology between mailbox
servers & storage resources. Examine CPU and
Memory usage to determine possible bottlenecks.
Examine replication status for replica database.
I/O Log
Writes
Average
Latency
Definition:
Indicates the average time, in ms, to write a log
buffer to the active log file.
Information:
This count should be 10 ms or less on production
servers.
Possible problems:
Indication that the Exchange Database\I/O
Database Writes Average Latency is too high
Remediation: If the disk subsystem is not meeting
demand, correcting the problem may require
additional disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration. Review the event logs for related
events. Verify network topology between mailbox
servers & storage resources. Examine CPU and
Memory usage to determine possible bottlenecks.
Examine replication status for replica database.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Log
Threads
Waiting
Definition:
> 10 for
Shows the number of threads waiting for their data 5 polls
to be written to the log to complete an update of
the database. If this number is too high, the log
may be in a bottleneck situation.
> 10
for 15
polls
Information:
Should be less than 10 on average.
Possible problems:
If this number is too high, the log may be a
bottleneck. Regular spikes concurrent with log
record stall spikes indicate that the transaction log
disks are in a bottleneck situation. If the value for
log threads waiting is more than the spindles
available for the logs, there is a bottleneck on the
log disks.
Remediation:
If the disk subsystem is not meeting demand,
correcting the problem may require additional
disks, faster disks, or modifying the disk
configuration. Review the event logs for related
events. Verify network topology between mailbox
servers and storage resources. Examine CPU and
Memory usage to determine possible bottlenecks.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Notes:
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Additional components on certain resources may be available for addition
and/or deletion on the Edit page.
The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
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Database Metrics
Database Metrics
This resource contains performance counters specific to the status of database
metrics. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name
column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any
performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the
Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed counter crosses the Warning threshold, the chart for the
listed monitor will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
performance counter crosses the Critical threshold, the chart will display a red
background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed
information about that time period in the tooltip.
The following table lists the default performance counters for this resource along
with their respective definitions and troubleshooting information, including default
Warning and Critical thresholds:
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Warning Critical
Active Client
Logons
Definition:
The number of clients that performed
any action within the last 10 minute
interval.
N/A
(Only available in
Exchange 2010)
Information:
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Active client logons can be high if users
are logging on and logging off
frequently.
Possible problems:
May cause memory bottlenecks on the
server if the number is excessively high.
Remediation:
Determine if users are running
applications not required for business
use and request they do not run these
applications which is causing an
increase in server logons. If this does not
help, or is not possible, reduce the
number of server hosted on the server
and move any public folders on the
server to a different server.
Slow Findrow
Rate
(Only available in
Exchange 2010)
Definition:
Shows the rate at which the slower
FindRow needs to be used in the
mailbox store.
Information:
Should be no more than 10 for any
specific mailbox store.
Possible problems:
Higher values indicate applications are
crawling or searching mailboxes, which
is affecting server performance. These
include desktop search engines,
customer relationship management
(CRM), or other third-party applications.
Remediation:
Run the ResetSearchIndex.ps1 script
which is located in the scripts directory
at the root of the Exchange installation.
Alternatively, you can perform the
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> 10
> 10 for
15
polls
Database Metrics
process manually:
1. Rebuild index catalog using UpdateMailboxDatabaseCopy <DBName> -
command.
2. Stop the Microsoft Exchange Search
Service.
3. Delete old catalog files.
4. Restart the Microsoft Exchange
Search Service.
CatalogOnly
Average
Document
Indexing Time
(At the database
level, this is only
available in
Exchange 2010. At
the application
level, this is
available for both
Exchange 2010
and 2013.)
Mailboxes
processed/sec
(Only available in
Exchange 2013)
Definition: Shows the average, in ms, of > 30
how long it takes to index documents.
Information: Should be less than 30
seconds at all times.
> 30 for
15
polls
Possible problems: Verify content
index state of all database copies.
Remediation: For any database
indexes not "healthy," update the
content index on the server using the
Update-MailboxDatabaseCopy <DBName>
-CatalogOnly
command.
Definition: Shows the rate of mailboxes N/A
processed by time-based assistants per
second.
N/A
Information: Determines current load
statistics for this counter.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Notes:
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Additional components on certain resources may be available for addition
and/or deletion on the Edit page.
The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Events
This resource contains performance counters specific to the status of database
events. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column
will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any
performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the
Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed counter crosses the Warning threshold, the chart for the
listed monitor will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
performance counter crosses the Critical threshold, the chart will display a red
background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed
information about that time period in the tooltip.
The following table lists the default performance counters for this resource along
with their respective definitions and troubleshooting information, including default
Warning and Critical thresholds:
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Warning Critical
Average
Definition:
Event
Shows the average processing time of the
Processing events chosen.
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>2
> 2 for
15
polls
Events
Time In
Seconds
Information:
Should be less than 2 at all times.
Possible problems:
Indicates the Mail Submission Assistant is not
able to handle the number of submission
requests being made to the database. May
occur when server is experiencing a heavy load
which can cause messages to queue on the
server.
Remediation:
Review event logs for related events examining
log entries for each Assistant's infrastructure
and its corresponding assistant.
Events in
Queue
Definition:
Shows the number of events in the in-memory
queue waiting to be processed by the
assistants.
> 20
> 50
Events
Definition:
N/A
Polled/sec Shows the number of events polled per second.
N/A
Information:
Should be a low value at all times.
Possible problems:
High values may indicate a performance
bottleneck.
Remediation:
Review event logs for related events. Monitor
CPU and memory for bottlenecks.
Information:
Determines current load statistics for this
counter.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
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area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Notes:
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Additional components on certain resources may be available for addition
and/or deletion on the Edit page.
The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Messages
This resource contains performance counters specific to the status of messages.
The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will
change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance
counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter
Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed counter crosses the Warning threshold, the chart for the
listed monitor will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
performance counter crosses the Critical threshold, the chart will display a red
background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed
information about that time period in the tooltip.
The following table lists the default performance counters for this resource along
with their respective definitions and troubleshooting information, including default
Warning and Critical thresholds:
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Messages
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Warning Critical
Messages
Queued For
Submission
Definition:
Shows the current number of submitted
messages not yet processed by the transport
layer.
> 30
> 50
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
(Only
available in
Exchange
2010)
Information:
The queues should remain below 50 at any
given time. Anything above this amount
should be cleared within 15 minutes.
Possible problems:
Mailbox server is not communicating properly
with the transport server.
Remediation:
Verify network connectivity and transport
server functionality. Additional bottlenecks
may include disk reads or writes, processor
time, available memory, and network
configuration.
Messages
Sent/sec
(Only
available in
Exchange
2010)
Definition:
Shows the rate that messages are sent to
transport.
Information:
Used to determine current messages sent to
transport.
Messages
Definition:
Delivered/sec Shows the rate that messages are delivered
to all recipients.
(Only
available in
Exchange
2010)
Information:
Indicates current message delivery rate to the
store.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
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area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Notes:
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Additional components on certain resources may be available for addition
and/or deletion on the Edit page.
The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Transaction Log Disk I/O
This resource provides details concerning the status of the current transaction log
disk I/O of database copies being monitored by the application.
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File Path: Path to the transaction log directory.
Volume: Displays the name of the listed volume.
Disk Queue Length: Displays the length of the disk queue of the listed
volume.
Total IOPS: Displays the total number of Input/Output operations per
second of the listed volume.
Latency: Numerically displays the average time the disk transfers took to
complete, in seconds.
Exchange Server: Displays the name of the listed Exchange Server.
Transaction Log File Size
This resource provides details concerning the status of the current transaction log
file size of database copies being monitored by the application.
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File Path: Path to the transaction log directory.
Number of Files: Lists the total number of log files associated with the database.
Total File Size: Displays the total file size of all the transaction log files.
Volume Usage: Numerically and graphically displays the current volume
usage as a percent of the total size of the transaction log files.
Exchange Server: Displays the name of the listed Exchange Server.
AppInsight for Exchange Mailbox Details View
The Mailbox Details view provides information about the selected Exchange
mailbox. The available resources offered in this view include:
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Mailbox Details
Mailbox Synced Devices
Received Mail
Sent Mail
Total Mailbox and Attachments Sizes
Note: Chart resources require several values for lines on charts to be visible.
Mailbox Details
This resource provides details about the current user's mailbox.
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The following list defines each field of this resource:
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User Logon Name: User's domain account name.
Display Name: Name of the listed user as it is displayed as a mailbox.
Mailbox Database: Displays the database that contains the listed mailbox
as well as the server that contains the database. The colors of the displayed
icons display the status of the object the icon represents.
Type: Lists the role of the listed mailbox.
Organizational Unit: This is the location of the User’s Active Directory
account within the Active Directory tree.
Primary SMTP Address: This is the primary email address for a user. A
user can have secondary email addresses which will route mail to the same
mailbox.
Mailbox Size:
l Total Size: Current size of all mailbox items shown numerically and
as a percentage with a bar graph.
l Total Items: Total number of mailbox items in the listed mailbox.
l Attachment Size: Shows the total size of those email messages that
include attachments, including the email message body.
l Attachment Count: Shows the number of email messages that contain attachments, as opposed to the actual number of attachments contained in each email.
Last Polled: The time and date the listed mailbox was polled for information.
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Mailbox Synced Devices
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Last Logged On: The time and date the listed user logged in to the mailbox.
Mailbox Last Modified: The time and date the listed mailbox was last modified.
Alias: The legible name for the listed user's email address.
Mailbox Limits:
l Issue Warning: Displays the size limit of the mailbox before it issues
a usage warning.
l Prohibit Send: Displays the size limit of the mailbox when it is no
longer able to send emails.
l Prohibit Send and Receive: Displays the size limit of the mailbox
when it is no longer able to send or receive emails.
For more information, see Attachment Extensions .
Mailbox Synced Devices
This resource provides details about the current user's synced mailbox status.
The following list defines each field of this resource:
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Device Type: Lists the device the mailbox is being synced with.
Device User Agent: Displays the operating system and build of the listed
device.
Last Successful Sync: Displays the last time the listed device was successfully synced with the current mailbox.
Received Mail
This resource graphically details the value history of the current performance
counter, in this case, the total amount of received mail for the selected mailbox.
Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed information
about that time period in the tooltip.
The colors of the main chart correspond to the labels in the legend. You can
choose which data to display by using the check boxes in the legend.
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Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart or manipulating the sliders of the lower chart.
Sent Mail
This resource graphically details the value history of the current performance
counter, in this case, the number of messages sent for the selected mailbox.
Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed information
about that time period in the tooltip.
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Total Mailbox and Attachments Sizes
The colors of the main chart correspond to the labels in the legend. You can
choose which data to display by using the check boxes in the legend.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart or manipulating the sliders of the lower chart.
Total Mailbox and Attachments Sizes
This resource graphically details the value history of the current performance
counter, in this case, the total size of the selected mailbox and its attachments.
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Hovering over any time period within the chart will display detailed information
about that time period in the tooltip.
The colors of the main chart correspond to the labels in the legend. You can
choose which data to display by using the check boxes in the legend.
Note: Attachment Size shows the total size of those email messages that
include attachments, including the email message body.
For more information, see Mailbox Details.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart or manipulating the sliders of the lower chart.
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Troubleshooting AppInsight for Exchange
Troubleshooting AppInsight for Exchange
The following sections will help you identify and correct AppInsight for Exchange
errors concerning configuration and performance counters:
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Troubleshooting Error Codes in AppInsight for Exchange
Troubleshooting Exchange Performance Counters
Troubleshooting Permissions
Changing between 32-bit and 64-bit polling methods:
Important: The following log file contains all the information and errors related to
the WinRM configuration process:
C:\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RunWinRMConfigurator.log
Troubleshooting Permissions
The following information will help you troubleshoot issues with the following:
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Non-Domain Accounts
Adding Local Administrative privileges to Active Directory Account
Exchange Access
Mailbox Exchange Access
Note: Mailboxes with an empty primary SMTP address can be polled; however,
their Sent and Received statistics will not be not available.
Non-Domain Account
Local accounts (Non-Domain) cannot access Exchange Management interfaces
and therefore are not supported by AppInsight for Exchange. Please select an
Active Directory account or create a new one to use with AppInsight for
Exchange.
Add Local Administrative privileges to Active Directory Account
1. On the server where you want to grant local administrative privileges, open
a Computer Management console.
2. Navigate to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Groups and then
double click the Administrators group.
3. Click Add and type in the Active Directory username of the account you
want to grant administrative privileges to, and then press Enter. (Ensure the
location is set to either the domain where the account is located or Entire
Directory.)
4. Click Apply and then click OK.
5. Alternatively, you can add an Active Directory group to the Local Administrators group and then add the AD user accounts to that group.
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6. To verify the account and local group membership has been configured
properly, run the following in a PowerShell session:
$Recurse = $true
$GroupName = 'Administrators'
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement
$ct = [System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement.ContextType]::Machine
$group = [System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement.GroupPrincipal]::FindByIdentity
($ct,$GroupName)
$LocalAdmin = $group.GetMembers($Recurse) | select @{N='Domain'; E=
{$_.Context.Name}}, samaccountName, @{N='ObjectType'; E={$_.StructuralObjectClass}} -Unique
$LocalAdmin = $LocalAdmin | Where-Object {$_.ObjectType -eq "user"}
Exchange Access
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Troubleshooting Permissions
Granting Least Privilege access to the Exchange Organization can be
accomplished using Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC)
1. From the Start Menu open ADUC and navigate to the Microsoft Exchange
Security Groups OU.
2. Double click on the View-Only Organization Management group.
3. After the window opens, click the Members tab and then click Add.
4. Type the username of the account you want to grant access to the
Exchange organization, and then click OK.
5. Click Apply and then click OK .
6. Close the ADUC window.
Access can also be granted using the Exchange Management
Shell with the following command:
Note: Replace the word "user" with the correct user name of the
service account.
Add-RoleGroupMember -Identity "View-Only Organization
Management" -Member "USER"
To verify the management role is properly assigned, use the
following commands:
Get-RoleGroupMember -Identity "View-Only Organization
Management" | Where-Object {$_.SamAccountName -eq
"USER"}
Get-RoleGroupMember -Identity "Organization Management"
| Where-Object {$_.SamAccountName -eq "USER"}
or
Get-ManagementRoleAssignment -RoleAssignee “USER” |
Where-Object {$_.RoleAssigneeName -eq "View-Only
Organization Management" -or $_.RoleAssigneeName -eq
"Organization Management"}
Mailbox Search Access
Mailbox Search access is required to determine attachment counts and sizes. It
can be granted using the Exchange Management Shell (EMS).
1. From the Start Menu, open the EMS.
2. Type: New-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role "Mailbox Search" -User
"USER" and press Enter.
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To verify the management role has been properly assigned, use
the following command:
Get-ManagementRoleAssignment -RoleAssignee “USER” -Role
"Mailbox Search" | Where-Object {$_.RoleAssignmentDelegationType -eq "Regular"}
Note: Exchange Management Roles can be assigned to role
assignees using either regular or delegating role assignments.
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Regular role assignments enable the role assignee to access
the permissions provided by the management role entries on this
role.
Delegating role assignments give the role assignee the ability to
assign this role to Role Groups, Users, or Universal Security
Groups.
For more information, see:
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http://www.powershellmagazine.com/2013/05/23/pstip-retrieve-group-membership-of-an-active-directory-group-recursively/
Troubleshooting Exchange Performance Counters
Occasionally, you may encounter an Exchange server which is missing some of
the expected performance counters. If this happens, you need to verify whether
the counters are simply disabled or if they are completely missing. The simplest
way to do this is through the registry.
1. Navigate to the service with the missing performance counters.
Note: Individual services are listed under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services.
2. Expand the service and click on the Performance key. The important values we want to ensure exist are listed below and displayed in Figure 1.
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\<ServiceName>\Performance]
Example: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ESE\Performance]
"Close"="ClosePerformanceData"
"Collect"="CollectPerformanceData"
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Troubleshooting Exchange Performance Counters
"Library"="<Path to performance counter DLL file>"
Example: "Library"="C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft\\Exchange
Server\\V15\bin\\perf\\%PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%\\eseperf.dll"
"Open"="OpenPerformanceData"
"PerfIniFile"="<Name of performance counter INI file>"
Example: "PerfIniFile"="eseperf.ini"
The "Library" file path is typically "C:\Program
Files\Microsoft\Exchange
Server\%ExchangeVersion%\Bin\perf\%Processor_
Architecture%\%DLLFileName%"
Figure 1.
3. Verify the counters have not been disabled by expand the service and then
clicking on the "Performance" key.
4. Check for the value Disable Performance Counters (See Figure 2.) If this
value exists, ensure the data value is 0. Any other value will disable the
counters.
5. Once the value is confirmed to be set to 0, close all PerfMon windows and
then reopen them.
Note: The performance counters should be visible at this time. If the performance counters are not visible, proceed to the next step.
Figure 2.
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6. If the values First Counter, First Help, Last Counter, and Last Help are listed (See Figure 3), it is highly recommended to unload the performance
counters prior to reloading them.
Figure 3.
To Unload Performance Counters: (See Figure 4)
1. Close all PerfMon windows and stop any services which may be using
these counters.
2. Open the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) in the Run as Administrator
context.
3. Type: Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Exchange.Management.PowerShell.Setup
and then press Enter.
4. Type: Remove-PerfCounters -DefinitionFileName "<Path to counter
definition XML file> and then press Enter.
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Troubleshooting Error Codes in AppInsight for Exchange
a. The default location for Exchange counter definition files is: C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\%ExchangeVersion%\Setup\perf\%XMLFileName%
To Reload Performance Counters: (See Figure 4)
1. Close all PerfMon windows and stop any services which may be using
these counters.
2. Open the Exchange Management Shell (EMS) in the Run As Administrator
context.
3. Type: Add-PSSnapin Microsoft.Exchange.Management.PowerShell.Setup
and then press Enter.
4. Type: New-PerfCounters -DefinitionFileName "<Path to counter definition XML file> and then press Enter.
a. The default location for Exchange counter definition files is: C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\%ExchangeVersion%\Setup\perf\%XMLFileName%
5. Check the application log to verify the counters were properly loaded and
no PerfLib errors exist. Reopen PerfMon to ensure the counters are available.
Figure 4.
Troubleshooting Error Codes in AppInsight for Exchange
Following are the possible error messages associated with AppInsight for
Exchange. Included are possible causes and solutions.
Important: The following log file contains all the information and errors related to
the WinRM configuration process:
C:\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RunWinRMConfigurator.log
Configuration Errors
Error Message, Information, and Remediation
Error message: Remote configuration was unsuccessful due to the following:
"The deployment service executable was not found on the Orion server." For
details, see the log on the Orion server: ([ALLUSERSPROFILE]
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\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RemoteExecutableStarter.log).
Description: Internal error. The Remote Installation Service.exe file was not
found. (Default file location: C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion\APM).
This can be caused by an incorrect SAM installation or Remote Installation
Service.exe was deleted or modified.
Remediation: Add the Remote Installation Service.exe file to the following
folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion\APM.
Error message: Remote configuration was
unsuccessful due to the following: "Failed to start
Windows Remote Management" For details, see
the log on the Orion server: ([ALLUSERSPROFILE]
\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RemoteExecu
tableStarter.log).
Remediation:
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Troubleshooting Error Codes in AppInsight for Exchange
1. On the target Exchange server, navigate to
the Windows Services console and find the
Windows Remote Management (WS-Management) service.
2. Set Startup type to Automatic.
3. Start the Windows Remote Management
(WS-Management) service.
Error: Unable to access remote administrator
share.
Cause: The remote administrator share cannot be
accessed.
Resolution: Try enabling this feature manually by
taking the following steps:
1. Ensure that both computers belong to the
same Workgroup.
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2. Specify which user(s) can access the Administrator Shares (Disk Volumes).
3. Enable File and print sharing through the
Windows firewall.
4. Check to see if you can access the Administrator share from another computer.
5. When complete, rerun the AppInsight for
Exchange Automatic Configuration Wizard.
Error message: Remote configuration was unsuccessful due to the following:
"The configurator executable was not found on the Orion server." For details,
see the log on the Orion server: ([ALLUSERSPROFILE]
\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RemoteExecutableStarter.log).
Description: Internal error. SolarWinds.APM.RemoteWinRmConfiguratorFull.exe
file was not found (Default file location: C:\Program Files (x86)
\SolarWinds\Orion\APM). This can be caused by an incorrect SAM installation or
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SolarWinds.APM.RemoteWinRmConfiguratorFull.exe
was deleted or modified..
Remediation: Add SolarWinds.APM.RemoteWinRmConfiguratorFull.exe to the
following folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion\APM.
Error message: Remote configuration was unsuccessful due to the following:
"Access denied." For details, see the log on the Orion server:
([ALLUSERSPROFILE]
\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RemoteExecutableStarter.log).
Description: The provided user account does not have access to the
Administrator share on the remote Exchange server.
Remediation: Connect to the Administrator share with
\\ExchangeComputerName\<drive letter>$\ from the Orion server.
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Error message: Remote configuration was unsuccessful due to the following:
"The configurator executable has an invalid signature." For details, see the log
on the Orion server: ([ALLUSERSPROFILE]
\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RemoteExecutableStarter.log).
Description: The configuration executable cannot be started on the remote
Exchange server due to any of the following:
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The provided user account does not have privileges high enough to run
*.exe files
SolarWinds.APM.RemoteWinRmConfiguratorFull.exe is not signed with a
Solarwinds certificate.
Remediation:
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Ensure the user's account has privileges to run *.exe files
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Error message: Remote configuration was unsuccessful due to the following:
"The network path was not found." For details, see the log on the Orion server:
([ALLUSERSPROFILE]
\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RemoteExecutableStarter.log).
Description: This is a Windows error indicating that a networking component is
malfunctioning.
Remediation:
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Ensure you have access to the Shared Storage drive.
1. In Windows Explorer, navigate to My Network Places > Entire Network > Microsoft Windows Network > (workgroup name) >
(Shared Storage drive name).
Firewalls can block traffic to the network which could generate this message. Try temporarily disabling any software or hardware firewalls to isolate the problem.
Anti-spyware tools can block network traffic. Try temporarily disabling any
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anti-spyware programs and restart the computer to isolate the problem.
Error message: Remote configuration was unsuccessful due to the following:
"Executable configuration file was not found on the Orion server." For details,
see the log on the Orion server: ([ALLUSERSPROFILE]
\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RemoteExecutableStarter.log).
Description: Internal error.
was not found
(Default file location: C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion\APM.) This
can be caused by an incorrect SAM installation or
SolarWinds.APM.RemoteWinRmConfiguratorFull.exe.config was deleted or
modified.
SolarWinds.APM.RemoteWinRmConfiguratorFull.exe.config
Remediation: Add SolarWinds.APM.RemoteWinRmConfiguratorFull.exe.config
to the following location: C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion\APM.
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For information about Microsoft error codes, see: http://msdn.microsoft.com/enus/library/cc231199.aspx
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Error message: Remote configuration was unsuccessful due to the following:
"PowerShell 2.0 was not detected on the Exchange server." Learn how to
correct this. For details, see the log on the remote computer. ([ALLUSERSPROFILE]
\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RunWinRMConfigurator.log).
Description: PowerShell 2.0 is not installed on the remote Exchange server.
Remediation: PowerShell 2.0 should be installed on Exchange server.
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2008:
For Server 2008, download the installation file for PowerShell 2.0 at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968929/en-us and install it on the
server.
Note: PowerShell 2.0 is automatically installed on Server 2008 R2
and therefore no additional installation is required.
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Server 2012:
1. Open Server Manager.
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2. Click on the Manage menu, and the select Add Roles and
Features.
3. After the wizard opens, click Next until you get to the Installation Type page.
4. Select Role-based or feature-based installation.
5. Click Next until you reach the Features page.
6. Scroll down to Windows PowerShell. It will likely show itself
as partially installed (square inside box).
7. Check the box next to Windows PowerShell 2.0 Engine.
8. Click Next and then Install.
9. When the installation finishes, click Close.
Error message: Remote configuration was unsuccessful due to the following:
"This account must be an Active Directory account with local administrative
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privileges." Learn how to correct this. For details, see the log on the remote
computer. ([ALLUSERSPROFILE]
\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RunWinRMConfigurator.log).
Description: The provided user account does not have Local Administrative
privileges.
Remediation:
Add Local Administrative privileges to Active Directory Account:
1. On the server where you wish to grant local administrative privileges, open
a Computer Management console.
Note: On Windows 2012, add this privilege using the Active Directory console.
2. Navigate to System Tools > Local Users and Groups > Groups and
double click the Administrators group.
3. Click Add and type in the Active Directory username of the account you
want to grant administrative privileges, and then press Enter. (Ensure the
location is set to either the domain where the account is located or Entire
Directory.)
4. Click Apply and then click OK.
Note: Alternatively, you can add an Active Directory group to the local
administrators group and add the Active Directory user accounts to that
group.
Error message: Remote configuration was unsuccessful due to the following:
"This account must be an Active Directory account with organization wide
Exchange access (View-Only-Organization Management and Mailbox Search
Management Role)." Learn how to correct this. For details, see the log on the
remote computer. ([ALLUSERSPROFILE]
\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RunWinRMConfigurator.log).
Description: The provided user account does not have View-Only-Organization
Management or Mailbox Search Management privileges.
Remediation:
Grant View-Only-Organization Management privileges:
Granting Least Privilege access to the Exchange Organization can be
accomplished using Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC). To
accomplish this, take the following steps:
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Troubleshooting Error Codes in AppInsight for Exchange
1. From the Start Menu, open ADUC and navigate to the Microsoft Exchange
Security Groups OU.
2. Double click on the View-Only Organization Management group.
3. After the window opens, click the Members tab and then click Add.
4. Type the username of the account you want to grant access to the
Exchange organization, and then click OK.
5. Click Apply, and then click OK.
6. Close the ADUC window.
Grant Mailbox Search Access:
Mailbox Search access is required to determine attachment counts and sizes.
This can be granted using the Exchange Management Shell (EMS).
1. From the Start Menu, open the EMS.
2. Type: New-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role "Mailbox Search" -User
<Username of account being granted access> and then press Enter.
3. To verify the management role has been properly assigned, enter the following command:
Get-ManagementRoleAssignment -RoleAssignee <Username of account>
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Error message:Remote configuration was unsuccessful due to the following:
"An error occurred during Exchange Server Confiduration. Multiple connections
to a server or shared resource by the same user, using more than one user
name, are not allowed."
Cause: This is a Windows Limitation when trying to map multiple drives to the
same computer using different user accounts.
Resolution:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Open the Computer Manager on the Exchange server
Expand Shared Folders and select Sessions.
Right-click on the users in the list and click Close Session.
Once the session list is empty, retry the Configure Server button in
AppInsight for Exchange.
For more information, see SWKB5583.
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Troubleshooting Error Codes in AppInsight for Exchange
Error message: Remote configuration was
unsuccessful due to the following: "WinRM test
was successful. PowerShell Exchange web site
testing failed with the following error: Connecting
to remote server..."
Description: There are no default HTTPS
bindings for all unassigned ports, (i.e. “HTTPS
443 *”.)
Remediation: Establish the missing default
HTTPS binding with an Exchange certificate.
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Changing between 32-bit and 64-bit polling methods:
Using AppInsight applications with 32-bit polling on 64-bit computers via an agent
may prevent certain performance counters from collecting information and should
be changed to 64-bit polling.
To make this change at the application level, take the following steps:
1. From the web console, navigate to Home > Applications > Select an
AppInsight Application.
2. Click Edit Application Monitor.
3. Expand Advanced, and then click Override Template.
4. In the Platform to run polling job field, change the value to x64.
5. When done, click Submit.
To make this change at the template level, take the following steps:
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AppInsight for IIS
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Manage
Templates.
2. Select an AppInsight application and click Edit.
3. Expand Advanced, and in the Platform to run polling job field, change
the value to x64.
Note: Applications assigned to 32-bit hosts with the x64bit option will continue to poll using 32-bit, regardless of this setting.
4. When done, click Submit.
AppInsight for IIS
SAM offers a detailed view of your IIS servers' performance by using the
AppInsight for IIS embedded application. AppInsight for IIS provides a level of
detail and expert knowledge far beyond what an IIS template can provide,
allowing you to monitor virtually every aspect of all of your IIS servers.
Like any unassigned application in SAM, AppInsight for IIS is considered a
template until it is applied. Therefore, it is a member of the Application Monitor
Templates collection. Once applied to a node, AppInsight for IIS is considered an
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application. Like any SAM application, AppInsight for IIS is comprised of multiple
component monitors.
AppInsight for IIS General Information:
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AppInsight for IIS Requirements and Permissions
Quick Configuration and Navigation
Manually Configuring AppInsight for IIS
Troubleshooting AppInsight for IIS
The following reports are installed for use with AppInsight for IIS:
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IIS SSL Certificate Expiration Report
Site Connections Report
Site Log Size by File
Site Size by File
For more information, see Predefined Server & Application Monitor Web Console
Based Reports
AppInsight for IIS Requirements and Permissions
AppInsight for IIS data is collected at the same default five minute polling interval
as traditional application templates. Following are the requirements needed for
AppInsight for IIS:
AppInsight for IIS Requirements and Permissions
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PowerShell 2.0 or higher must be installed on the IIS server.
Administrator rights or equivalent credentials to the IIS server bring monitored is needed for configuration. Non-administrative permissions for
polling and monitoring is only achievable using the optional Orion Agent.
For more information, see Agents.
IIS 7.0 or higher must be installed.
AppInsight for IIS supports the following versions of Microsoft operating systems and their respective IIS versions:
Microsoft OS Version
IIS Version Supported
Microsoft Windows
2008
IIS 7.0
Microsoft Windows
2008 R2
IIS 7.5
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AppInsight For IIS Licensing
Microsoft Windows
2012
IIS 8.0
Microsoft Windows
2012 R2
IIS 8.5
Notes:
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If any prerequisite is missing, the application will go into an Unknown state.
Some resources may not function properly in Internet Explorer 8 or earlier.
Consider upgrading Internet Explorer or using an alternate web browser
such as Firefox or Chrome.
AppInsight For IIS Licensing
When using AppInsight for IIS, 30 component monitors will count against your
licensed number of component monitors, per monitored IIS server.
For example, if you have an active license for 1,500 component monitors and use
AppInsight for IIS to monitor 10 IIS servers, 300 component monitors will count
against your total license. The number of sites and application pools you have on
these servers is irrelevant.
(30 component monitors X 10 IIS servers = 300 component monitors
used.)
This will leave you with 1,200 component monitors available for use elsewhere.
(1,500 component monitors – 300 component monitors used for
AppInsight for IIS = 1,200 component monitors remaining).
Important: The example below illustrates a situation where you would have 40
available component monitors available, but have surpassed your allowed
number of 300 monitors by 60. The discrepancy is caused by AppInsight
application implementations. AppInsight applications cannot be partially licensed,
as is the case with typical applications.
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For more information, see "Licensing."
Understanding the AppInsight for IIS Details View
The AppInsight for IIS Details view is the equivalent of the Application Details
view of a traditional SAM application; however, there are some notable
differences:
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Site Details View: This view displays an overview of a particular site being
monitored.
Application Pool Details View: This view displays details about the selected
application pool.
From the AppInsight for IIS Details view, you can select from the drop down menu
and choose to display different amounts of data based on a time range, as shown:
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Editing Resources
Editing Resources
Both the titles and subtitles of each resource can be changed by clicking Edit in
the upper right-hand corner of any resource, and then clicking Submit.
The time and date displayed at the top of each resource (where applicable)
shows the range of data currently loaded into the resource. This, along with the
Sample Interval Range, can be changed by clicking Edit from within the resource.
Additionally, certain resources will allow you to add and remove component
monitors from the resource. You can do this by clicking the Edit button, and then
checking the component monitors you want to keep.
Note: Pertinent data for each resource is grouped together by default.
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Note: As illustrated, other options may appear depending upon the resource
being edited.
AppInsight for IIS Alerts
The following three alerts and their macros/variables are included with AppInsight
for IIS:
1. Alert Name
Restart Failed IIS Application Pool
State
Alert disabled by default.
Alert Description
This alert will restart any failed IIS application pool
that is configured to be "AlwaysRunning." As configured, this alert will not trigger for application pools
that are configured to start "OnDemand," as these
application pools stop normally when not in use, or
when the site that is configured to use the Application
Pool has no activity and is dormant.
Alert Trigger
IIS application pool = Stopped and application pool
startup mode is configured for "AlwaysRunning" and
Application Pool is not equal to Unmanaged.
Trigger Action
Start application pool (Note: Application Pool trigger
actions should include stop, start, and restart, no differently than the actions available through the Orion
web interface for AppInsight for IIS application pools.)
Trigger Action 2 Email Notification:
Subject: Application Pool ${N=SwisEntity;M=Name}
on ${N=SwisEntity;M=Application.Node.Caption} is
${N=SwisEntity;M=DisplayState}.
Message Body: The IIS Application Pool
${N=SwisEntity;M=Name} on
${N=SwisEntity;M=Application.Node.Caption}
is
currently ${N=SwisEntity;M=DisplayState}.
Attempting to restart Application Pool
${N=SwisEntity;M=Name} now. For more information
click the URL below.
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AppInsight for IIS Alerts
<br/>
<br/>
${N=SwisEntity;M=DetailsUrl}
Trigger Reset
Action
Email Notification:
Subject: Application Pool ${N=SwisEntity;M=Name}
on ${N=SwisEntity;M=Application.Node.Caption} is
${N=SwisEntity;M=DisplayState}
Message Body: The IIS Application Pool
${N=SwisEntity;M=Name} on
is
now ${N=SwisEntity;M=DisplayState}. For more
information click the URL below.
${N=SwisEntity;M=Application.Node.Caption}
<br/>
<br/>
${N=SwisEntity;M=DetailsUrl}
2. Alert Name
Restart Failed IIS Site
State
Alert disabled by default.
Alert Description
This alert will attempt to restart any site that is monitored by AppInsight for IIS that is found to be in a
Stopped state.
Alert Trigger
IIS site = Stopped and not equal to Unmanaged.
Trigger Action
Start IIS site (Note: IIS site trigger actions should
include stop, start, and restart, no differently than
the actions available through the Orion web interface
for AppInsight for IIS sites.
Trigger Action 2 Email Notification:
Subject: IIS Site ${N=SwisEntity;M=Name} on
${N=SwisEntity;M=Application.Node.Caption}
${N=SwisEntity;M=DisplayState}.
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Message Body: The IIS Site
${N=SwisEntity;M=Name} on
${N=SwisEntity;M=Application.Node.Caption}
is
currently ${N=SwisEntity;M=DisplayState}.
Attempting to restart Site ${N=SwisEntity;M=Name}
now. For more information click the URL below.
<br/>
<br/>
${N=SwisEntity;M=DetailsUrl}
Trigger Reset
Action
Email Notification:
Subject: IIS Site ${N=SwisEntity;M=Name} on
${N=SwisEntity;M=Application.Node.Caption}
${N=SwisEntity;M=DisplayState}.
is
Message Body: The IIS Site
${N=SwisEntity;M=Name} on
is
now ${N=SwisEntity;M=DisplayState}. For more
information click the URL below.
${N=SwisEntity;M=Application.Node.Caption}
<br/>
<br/>
${N=SwisEntity;M=DetailsUrl}.
3. Alert Name
Alert me when the Average Server Execution Time
for any URL exceeds an acceptable limit.
State
Alert disabled by default
Alert Description
This alert will notify you when the execution time of
any URL monitored by AppInsight for IIS exceeds a
predefined acceptable limit.
Alert Trigger
Average URL Server Execution Time is greater than
5 minutes.
Trigger Action
Email Notification:
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AppInsight for IIS Alerts
Subject: IIS Site Server Execution Time exceeded on
${N=SwisEntity;M=Site.Name}.
Message Body: The Server Average Execution time
for ${N=SwisEntity;M=Site.Name} on
${N=SwisEntity;M=Site.Application.Node.Caption}
has been exceeded. Details for the URL being
accessed are listed below.
Recent Request Date:
${N=SwisEntity;M=RecentRequestDate}
URL: ${N=SwisEntity;M=URLStem}
Average Server Execution Time:
${N=SwisEntity;M=AverageElapsedTime}
ms
Viewing Alerts:
1. From the web console, navigate to Home > Alerts.
2. Select the alerts you want to view by checking its box and clicking View
Alert Details.
For more information, see:
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Creating Alerts
Predefined Server & Application Monitor Web Console Based Reports
Quick Configuration and Navigation
Configuration of SAM's AppInsight for IIS is most easily achieved via Discovery,
as shown below.
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For more information, see:
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AppInsight for IIS Requirements and Permissions
Adding AppInsight for IIS to a Node
Editing the AppInsight for IIS Template
Navigating the AppInsight for IIS Details View
Adding AppInsight for IIS to a Node
There are multiple ways to add AppInsight for IIS to a node. AppInsight for IIS can
be added via the Management resource, via Node Discovery, by manually
adding it via the Manage Application Monitor Templates screen, adding it via
Network Sonar Discovery, or adding it via a Scheduled Discovery.
Adding AppInsight for IIS via the Management Resource:
1. Navigate to the Node Details view by clicking any node.
2. From the Management resource, click List Resources.
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Adding AppInsight for IIS via the Management Resource:
3. Check the Microsoft IIS box to enable AppInsight for IIS data collection.
When done, click Submit.
4. Navigate to the All Applications resource to verify the addition by clicking
the Applications tab in the web console.
5. Click on the newly added AppInsight for IIS application in this view and then
enter your IIS credentials when prompted.
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6. Once your credentials are entered, click Configure Server.
Adding AppInsight for IIS to a Node via Discovery:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > Add a Node in the Getting
Started with Orion section.
2. Fill out the information on the Define Node step, and then click Next.
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Adding AppInsight for IIS via the Management Resource:
3. On the Choose Resources step, check the Microsoft IIS you want.
AppInsight applications have a unique blue and white icon, as shown:
4. Click Next and complete the wizard as instructed.
5. Navigate to the All Applications resource to verify the addition by clicking
the Applications tab in the web console.
6. Click on the newly added AppInsight for IIS application in this view and then
enter your IIS credentials when prompted.
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7. Once your credentials are entered, click Configure Server.
Adding AppInsight for IIS to a Node via Manage Application Templates:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Manage
Templates.
2. Select AppInsight for IIS by checking its box and click Assign to Node.
3. Complete the required fields in the wizard and click Assign Application
Monitor.
For information, see:
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Network Sonar Discovery.
Managing Scheduled Discovery Results.
Editing the AppInsight for IIS Template
The AppInsight for IIS application behaves like any other application in SAM. And
like other applications, the AppInsight for IIS template can be edited.
Note: Some limitations may apply.
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Editing the AppInsight for IISTemplate:
Editing the AppInsight for IISTemplate:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Manage
Templates.
2. Check the AppInsight for IIS template in the list and then click Edit.
3. From here, you can edit certain component monitors within the template;
including threshold values, number of records to retrieve, component monitor description, and so on.
4. When done editing, click Submit at the bottom of the screen.
Navigating the AppInsight for IIS Details View
AppInsight for IIS acts like any other application and can therefore be found in the
All Applications resource on the Application Summary view.
Below is the AppInsight for IIS application with the All Applications resource
detailed:
Note: The default IIS Application name is Microsoft IIS.
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Navigating to the AppInsight for IIS Details View:
1. From the web console, locate the All Applications resource by clicking
either the Home or Applications tab.
2. Expand the AppInsight for IIS tree by clicking [+].
3. Select an IIS application to view by clicking it.
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Navigating to the Website Details view:
Navigating to the Website Details view:
1. From the AppInsight for IIS Details view, click a website in the Sites
resource.
Navigating to the Application Pools Details view:
1. From the AppInsight for IIS Details view, click an Application Pool in the
Application Pool resource.
Navigating to the Performance Counter Details view:
1. From the AppInsight for IIS Details view, click a performance counter in any
resource.
Manually Configuring AppInsight for IIS
In the event automatic configuration of AppInsight for IIS failed, visit the sections
below in order and take the steps outlined to manually configure the remote
computer:
Note: For automatic AppInsight for IIS configuration see, Quick Configuration and
Navigation.
Important: Ensure that Windows Remote Management (WS-Management) is
running and that this service's Startup Type property is set to Automatic. Once
this is verified, continue manual configuration in the order listed below:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Installing PowerShell 2.0 and the WebAdministration Snapin
Set Execution Policy
Creating a Self-Signed Certificate
Creating a Firewall Rule
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5. Updating WsMan Limits
6. Creating a WinRM Listener:
Installing PowerShell 2.0 and the WebAdministration Snapin
The following procedures outline the installation of PowerShell and the required
snapins.
Downloading and Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Windows Server 2008:
Note: The following steps are not necessary for Windows Server 2008 R2 and
Windows Server 2012.
Downloading PowerShell 2.0
1. Navigate to Windows Management Framework
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=177670).
2. Review the information on the web page, and then click the link for the
download of the Windows Management Framework Core for your platform
in the Download Information section.
3. On the Update page, click Download.
4. When the download is complete, click Finish.
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Windows Server 2008
1. Open Server Manager
2. Click on the Manage menu, and the select Add Roles and Features.
3. After the wizard opens, click Next until you get to the Installation Type page.
4. Select Role-based or feature-based installation.
5. Click Next until you reach the Features page.
6. Scroll down to Windows PowerShell. It will likely show itself as partially
installed (square inside box).
7. Check the box next to Windows PowerShell 2.0 Engine.
8. Click Next and then Install.
9. When the installation finishes, click Close.
Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Windows Server 2008 R2
1. Open Server Manager
2. In the left pane, click Features.
3. In the right pane, click Add Features.
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Installing PowerShell 2.0 on Windows Server 2008 R2
4. Scroll down the list and check the Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripted Environment checkbox.
5. Click Next, then click Install.
6. When the installation is complete, Windows will display that the installation
succeeded..
7. Click Close, then close the Server Manager.
Installing the WebAdministration Snapins:
For Managed Nodes with IIS 7.0, download and install the PowerShell
WebAdministration snapins found at the following link:
http://www.iis.net/learn/manage/powershell/installing-the-iis-powershell-snap-in.
The IIS PowerShell Snap-in requires the following prerequisites:
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Microsoft PowerShell 2.0
IIS 7.0
To install the IIS PowerShell snap-in:
1. The IIS PowerShell Snap-in is available as x86 and x64 version.
Download the 32-Bit version or 64-Bit version.
2. Run the MSI file to install the IIS PowerShell Snap-in.
To use the PowerShell snap-in:
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PowerShell snap-ins like the IIS PowerShell Snap-in have to be
registered with PowerShell. There are two ways to do this:
1. Automatic Registration by using the IIS PowerShell Management Console
The IIS PowerShell snap-in setup will create a new program
menu shortcut. By starting this shortcut, the IIS PowerShell snapin will be registered automatically. Navigate to Start > All Programs > IIS 7.0 Extensions > IIS PowerShell Management
Console. The prompt of the new PowerShell command window
is set to "IIS:\" - the root of the IIS snap-in namespace.
2. Manual Registration
If you want to use the IIS PowerShell snap-in from an existing
PowerShell command window, you have to register the IIS snapin manually. You can do this by simply executing the IISConsole.PSC1 file located in the $env:programfiles\IIS\PowerShellProvider directory:
PS C:\> & "$env:programfiles\IIS\PowerShellSnapin\iisConsole.psc1"
Set Execution Policy
For AppInsight for IIS, the Execution Policy needs to be set to RemoteSigned.
To set the Execution Policy on the target computer, take the following steps:
1. Open a PowerShell session in the Administrator context (Right-click and
select Run as Administrator).
2. Enter the following command: Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
Creating a Self-Signed Certificate
SolarWinds has created a PowerShell script to create a self-signed certificate
suitable for AppInsight for IIS. This can be found at:
http://knowledgebase.solarwinds.com/kb/questions/6016/AppInsight+for+IIS%3A
+Certificate
Once downloaded, execute the script by right-clicking it and selecting, Run with
PowerShell. The following parameters apply:
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Creating a Firewall Rule
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IP address: Mandatory
Certificate lifetime in days: Optional
You can run this script with the default arguments from the PowerShell console or
specify each one.
For example:
& '.\Create self-signed certificate script.ps1' 192.168.2.69 3650
where 192.168.2.69 is the IP address of the node to be monitored by AppInsight
for IIS and 3650 is 3,650 days (10 years).
Creating a Firewall Rule
SolarWinds has created a PowerShell script to create a firewall rule. This can be
found at:
http://knowledgebase.solarwinds.com/kb/questions/6017/AppInsight+for+IIS%3A
+Firewall+Rule
Once downloaded, execute the script by right-clicking it and selecting, Run with
PowerShell. The following parameters apply:
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Without parameters: The rule will be created with the default name, "Windows Remote Management HTTP/SSL" for port 5986.
With one parameter: Non-default custom port.
With two parameters: Non-default custom port and rule name
You can run this script with the default arguments from the PowerShell console or
specify each one.
For example:
& '.\Add firewall rule.ps1' 5988 "My custom firewall rule name"
Updating WsMan Limits
WsMan provides methods and properties used to create a session. SolarWinds
has created a PowerShell script to update the WsMan limits suitable for
AppInsight for IIS. This can be found at:
http://knowledgebase.solarwinds.com/kb/questions/6018/AppInsight+for+IIS%3A
+Updating+WsMan+Limits
Once downloaded, execute the script by right-clicking it and selecting, Run with
PowerShell. The following parameters apply:
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maxShellsPerUserDefaultValue - Default value is 5
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serviceRestartRequired - Default value is $false
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You can run this script with the default arguments from the PowerShell console or
specify each one.
For example:
& '.\Update WsMan Limits.ps1'
Creating a WinRM Listener:
Important: If you received the following error: An HTTPS listener currently exists
on port 5986, use the following steps to configure the listener on an available port
by changing "5986" to an available port number throughout these steps.
1. To configure WinRM on an IIS server, open a command prompt in the Run
as Administrator context.
2. Type: winrm create winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS
@{Port="5986";CertificateThumbprint="<Thumbprint value of certificate>";​Hostname="<IP Address of Server>_Solarwinds_Zero_Configuration"}
and then press Enter.
3. Verify the configuration by typing the following: winrm get
winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS.
Finding IIS URL Settings
By default, AppInsight for IIS uses the following URL for the IIS and WinRM
sessions, where ${IP} is the IP address of the server node being added.
WinRM: https://${IP}:5986/wsman/
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Finding IIS URL Settings
To verify a server's WinRM PowerShell instance, follow the steps listed
below:
1. Open a command prompt in the Run as Administrator context.
2. Type: winrm get winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS to
get the current configuration for the HTTPS protocol.
Additionally, the value of Hostname must match the CN of the certificate listed in
the Certificate Thumbprint property.
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AppInsight for IIS Application Details View
The IIS Details view provides a great deal of information about the current IIS
Application. The available resources offered in this view include:
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Active Alerts
Application Availability
Application Details
Application Pools
Cache
Connections
IIS Average CPU and Memory Usage
IIS Average Network Traffic
Event Log Message Details
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Active Alerts
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Management
Processes and Services
Sites
Top Page Requests by Average Server Execution Time
Note: Chart resources may not display data until multiple successful polls have
completed.
Active Alerts
This resource lists details about all unacknowledged active alerts.
The following defines the four columns of this resource:
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Alert Name: Displays the name of the listed alert.
Message: Displays the message of the listed alert.
Triggering Object: Displays the object that triggered the alert. Clicking the
object will take you to the details page for that object.
Active Time: Displays the time the alert was active.
Application Availability
This resource graphically shows the various states of an application's availability
in a percentage format and is made up of three sections: the legend, the main
chart, and the lower chart. The colors of the main chart correspond to the labels in
the legend.
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Note: This resource will not be available when using Internet Explorer 7.
Consider upgrading Internet Explorer 8 or higher or using FireFox or Chrome as
your web browser.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined, hourly time period of data by
clicking on any one of the three Zoom buttons; 1h, 12h, or 24h. Alternatively, you
can have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a
small area of the chart.
Once you have a time period selected, the lower chart will zoom to the starting
and ending values of the selected time period. With the lower chart you can zoom
in further by fine tuning the view with the sliders. The main view of the chart will
display the selected time period between the two sliders of the lower chart.
Moving the mouse over the main chart will reveal a tooltip with more detailed
information about the specific time period the mouse is hovering over. By default,
all statistics are shown in the main chart.
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Application Details
Application Details
This resource provides details concerning the current application. You can click
on both the application and the node to be taken to their respective details page.
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Application Name: Displays the name of the listed application, in addition
to the node on which it resides.
Status: Displays the current status of the listed application. Possible
statuses include: Up, Down, Warning, Critical, Unknown, Unreachable, and
Unmanaged.
IIS Version: Displays the current version information of IIS currently being
monitored.
Note: The following three fields are tied together as components with
polling issues and are displayed in the Application Details resource.
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Component Name: Displays the component name along with its current status as indicated by the icon.
Component Type: Displays the information about the current component.
Component Status: Displays the current status of the listed component.
Application Pools
This resource shows the status of all monitored application pools for the current
IIS application. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column.
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Name: Displays the name of the listed application pool, in addition to the
current performance status as indicated by the icon. Clicking the name of
the application pool will take you to the Application Pool Details page.
State: Displays the current state of the listed application pool. Possible
states include: Stopped, Started, Stopping, and Starting.
Worker Processes: Displays the current number of worker processes the
listed application pool is using.
CPU: Displays the percentage of CPU currently being used for the listed
application pool.
Physical Memory: Displays the amount of physical RAM the listed application pool is currently using.
Virtual Memory: Displays the amount of virtual RAM the listed application
pool is currently using.
Note: You can search for an application pool by entering text in the Search field
and clicking
.
Paging controls are located at the bottom of the resource, allowing you to
navigate through all data available for this resource. Respectively, the controls
are: Fist Page, Previous Page, Page Number, Next Page, Last Page, Items on
Page, as shown:
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Cache
Cache
This resource contains monitors specific to the current status of the IIS application
cache. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column
will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any
performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the
Performance Counter Details page for that performance counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Current File Cache
Memory Usage
Definition:
This performance counter returns
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
the current number of bytes used
for the user-mode file cache.
Output Cache
Current Memory
Usage
Definition:
This performance counter returns
the current memory usage by
output cache.
File Cache Hits %
Definition:
This performance counter returns
the ratio of user-mode file cache
hits to the total number of cache
requests since the service started.
Information:
This counter reflects how well the
settings for the IIS file cache are
working. A site with mostly static
files should have a very high
cache hit percentage (70%–85%).
If the Kernel: Cache Hits %
counter is low, this value should
be high. Note that this counter
does not include dynamic content,
only static files. If your static files
are not being cached, you might
want to lengthen the activity period
for this cache.
Possible problems:
The value returned from Kernel:
Cache Hits % is low.
Remediation:
If the value returned from Kernel:
Cache Hits % is low, examine
your file set and determine why
your files are not being cached.
Kernel URI Cache
Hits %
Definition:
This performance counter returns
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< 70
Cache
the ratio of kernel URI cache hits
to the total number of cache
requests since the service started.
Metadata Cache
Hits %
Definition:
This performance counter returns
the ratio of user-mode metadata
cache hits to total number of cache
request since the service started.
Output Cache Current Hits %
Definition:
This performance counter returns
the output cache current hit ratio.
The ratio is calculated as (H)/
(H+M), where H and M represent
Hits and Misses in previous
sample intervals, respectively.
URI Cache Hits %
Definition:
This performance counter returns
the ratio of user-mode URI Cache
Hits to the total number of cache
requests since the service started.
Information:
If content cannot be cached in the
HTTP.sys response cache, the
value of this counter should be as
high as possible. If your content
can be stored in the HTTP.sys
response cache, the value of this
counter should be low.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Connections
This resource contains monitors specific to the current status of the active
connections for the current IIS application. The icons of the listed performance
counters in the Statistic Name column will change color to reflect the listed
counter's current state. Clicking any performance counter in the Statistic Name
column will take you to the Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
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Connections
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Total
Connection
Attempts
Description:
This displays the total number of connections to the Web or
FTP service that have been attempted since service startup.
The count is the total for all web sites or FTP sites combined,
regardless of the instance selected.
Information:
This number does not include connection attempts that failed
at the TCP (transport) or IP (network) layer.
Total Logon
Attempts
Definition:
This displays the total number of successful logons to the Web
or FTP service since the service started.
Information:
This number does not include failed logon attempts.
Current
Description:
Connections This displays the current number of connections established
with the Web service.
Information:
This is the sum of both non-anonymous (authenticated) and
anonymous (unauthenticated) users.
Possible problems:
If this number is at or near the maximum connections allowed,
the Web service is near or at full capacity.
Remediation:
If the value is too high for a particular IIS server, then load
balancing or clustering technologies can be applied to lower
the burden of the server in question. Also check the Web Site
property page for maximum connection limit.
Current
Anonymous
Users
Description:
This displays the number of Current Anonymous Users who
currently have an anonymous connection using the Web
service.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Information:
If anonymous connections are not permitted on the server, the
value of all anonymous user counters is always zero.
Current
NonAnonymous
Users
Description:
This displays the number of Current Non-Anonymous Users
who currently have a non-anonymous connection using the
Web service.
Information:
If authentication is not enabled on the server, and none of the
applications that run on the server request or require
authentication, then the value of all non-anonymous user
counters is always zero.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
IIS Average CPU and Memory Usage
This resource graphically and numerically details the consumption of IIS as it
relates to the overall resource utilization of the server itself. This allows you to
determine if performance issues are caused by IIS, or if IIS performance is
impacted by other applications, processes, or services running on the server.
This resource has three tabs, allowing you to see the charts for CPU usage,
Physical Memory Usage, and Virtual Memory Usage. Hovering over any time
period within the chart will display detailed information about that time period in
the tooltip. The colors of the main chart correspond to the labels in the legend.
You can choose which data to display by using the check boxes in the legend, as
well as cycling through the three different tabs.
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IIS Average CPU and Memory Usage
The three columns to the right in the lower portion of the chart report the most
recent percentage of CPU Load, Physical Memory Usage, and Virtual Memory
Usage, respectively, for each available worker process.
Note: CPU and Memory need to be enabled via List Resources in order for this
to function properly. If CPU and Memory are not enabled, N/A will be reported for
other values when they are unselected.
The columns for this resource are defined as follows:
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
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Application Pool (Worker Process): Lists the processes being monitored
and displayed in the chart. Non-IIS Processes and Services are those
resources consumed by other applications running on the server that are not
associated with IIS.
Latest CPU Load: Displays the percentage of CPU usage for the listed process.
Latest Physical Memory Usage: Displays the percentage of physical
memory in use for the listed process.
Latest Virtual Memory Usage: Displays the percentage of virtual memory
in use for the listed process.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons. Alternatively, you can have the chart show a
specific date range by dragging the mouse over an area of the chart or
manipulating the sliders of the lower chart.
IIS Average Network Traffic
This resource graphically details the history of IIS network traffic. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. The colors of the main chart correspond to the labels in the
legend. You can choose which data to display by using the check boxes in the
legend.
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IIS Average Network Traffic
The columns for this resource are defined as follows:
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Traffic Source: Lists the sources of network traffic that is displayed in the
chart. Non-IIS Processes and Services are those resources consumed by
other applications running on the server that are not associated with IIS.
Latest Network Traffic: Displays the network traffic rate for the listed
source in kilobytes per second.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart or manipulating the sliders of the lower chart.
Event Log Message Details
This resource displays the IIS event log messages while providing a search
window and a filter. The filter allows you to choose which types of log messages
you want to display. The data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each
column. This resource shows Error, Warning, Information events specific to the
monitored IIS server. For a complete list of Event IDs, see Event IDs
Paging controls are located at the bottom of the resource, allowing you to
navigate through all data available for this resource. Respectively, the controls
are: Fist Page, Previous Page, Page Number, Next Page, and Last Page.
Clicking any event message in the list will open a new window, displaying the
entire message, as shown below:
For more information, see Event IDs
Management
This resource contains controls that are actionable for both the application and
the node. The controls in the following illustration are SAM-specific.
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Management
Application:
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Edit Application Monitor: This allows you to edit the current application by
changing the settings specifically related to this application. This includes,
but is not limited to: changing the polling frequency, changing the Windows
and PowerShell URLs, changing the IIS Server credentials, and adjusting
threshold settings for component monitors that have thresholds.
Note: Changing some settings may require you to override the template that
this application is based upon. To do this, click Override Template.
Unmanage: Allows you to stop the polling and collecting of statistics of the
current application for a user-defined period of time.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
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Poll Now: Allows the application to retrieve the most current statistics when
clicked.
Note: By default, statistics are not polled when Poll Now is clicked.
Node:
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Real-Time Process Explorer: Opens the Real-Time Process Explorer in a
new window. For more information, see Real Time Process Explorer.
Service Control Manager: Opens the Service Control Manager in a new
window. For more information, see Service Control Manager.
Real-Time Event Viewer: Opens the Real-Time Event Viewer in a new window. For more information, see Real Time Event Viewer.
Processes and Services
This resource provides detailed information about the active processes and
services associated with the database selected. Hovering over a component will
give you detailed information about that application.
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Component Name: Name of the listed component.
Process Name: Name of the listed process and its ID value.
CPU Load: Percentage of the CPU that the listed process/service is currently using.
Memory Used: Memory currently being used by the listed process/service.
l Physical: RAM currently being used by the listed process/service.
l Virtual: Virtual memory currently being used by the listed process/service.
IOPS: Current amount of Input/Output data being processed per second.
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Sites
Sites
This resource shows the status of all monitored sites of the current IIS application.
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Name: Displays the name of the listed site in addition to the current performance status as indicated by the icon. Clicking the name of the site will
take you to the Site Details page.
State: Displays the current state of the listed site. Possible states include:
Stopped, Started, Stopping, and Starting.
Connections: Displays the current number of connections for the listed
sites.
Response Time (Avg): Displays the average response time of the listed
site in milliseconds.
Start Mode: Displays how the listed site begins running. The ServerAutoStart property indicates if the server instance should start automatically
when the server is powered on. This property is reset automatically when a
server instance is stopped or restarted to maintain the state across service
restarts.
Note: You can search for a site by entering text in the Search field and clicking
.
Paging controls are located at the bottom of the resource, allowing you to
navigate through all data available for this resource. Respectively, the controls
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
are: Fist Page, Previous Page, Page Number, Next Page, Last Page, Number
of Items to Display on the Current Page, as shown:
Top Page Requests by Average Server Execution Time
This resource displays the top 20 page requests by average server execution
time. The Average Server Execution Time is the average time of all page
requests of the same type based on the URL stem. (Note: The URL stem is part
of a dynamic URL that separates the URL request from the query parameters.
This is typically located before the question mark.)
By clicking Edit, you can change the number of URLs this resource displays. The
data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column.
Important: This resource is only shown when AppInsight for IIS is being polled
via an Agent. It will not appear if the node is being polled via SNMP or WMI.
Additionally, when the IIS log format is missing the required fields, this resource
will appear to be missing information. If this is the case, either enable the
following fields through the IIS manager, or disable this component entirely. The
fields that need to be enabled are: Date, Time, URI Query, Client IP Address,
and Method in the WCW3 format. For more information, see Agents. Logging
must be enabled. The W3C or IIS log format should be configured on the IIS
server.
Notes:
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available at the application level for all sites.
IIS logging must be enabled. The W3C or IIS log format should be configured on the IIS server.
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Top Page Requests by Average Server Execution Time
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Site: Displays the site name with which the URL is associated. Clicking the
arrow to the left of the site name will bring up detailed information about the
listed web request (URL), including the following:
l Verb: Displays the web request action performed. Example verbs
shown in this column are GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, HEAD,
DELETE, OPTIONS, and CONNECT.
l Request Date: Displays the date and time of the client web request.
l Elapsed Time: Displays the amount of server time that was needed to
fulfill the listed request.
l Client IP: Displays the IP address of the client computer for the listed
request.
l URL Query: Displays the query parameters associated with client's
web request. If no query parameters were specified in the request, this
field will be blank.
URL: Displays the URL stem of the listed request.
Average Server Execution Time: Displays the average time of all page
requests of the same type based on the URL stem.
Paging controls are located at the bottom of the resource, allowing you to
navigate through all data available for this resource. Respectively, the controls
are: Fist Page, Previous Page, Page Number, Next Page, Last Page, Number
of Items to Display on the Current Page, as shown:
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
AppInsight for IIS Website Details View
The IIS Website Details view provides a great deal of information about the
current IIS website. The available resources offered in this view include:
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Bindings
Connections
Files
Log Size by File
Management
Network I/O
Requests
Site Availability
Site Details
Site Size by Directory
SSL Certificate Expiration
Top Page Requests by Average Server Execution Time
Web Server Response Time
Note: Chart resources may not display data until multiple successful polls have
completed.
Bindings
This resource monitors binding information for the current site.
Following are the column heads with their respective definitions:
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Type: This resource will identify and report the following types:
l Http
l Https
l Net.TCP
l Net.Pipe
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Connections
Net.MSMQ
l MSMQ.FormatName
Binding Information: The asterisk (*) is the server's IP address that the site
is bound to and refers to all of the IP addresses on the server. This is directly followed by the port number (eg: *.80:). The hexadecimal number is the
IPv6 address.
Browse...: Clicking Browse... on the selected binding will take you to the
HTTP or HTTPS binding and port for the current site that is being monitored
by AppInsight for IIS.
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Connections
This resource contains monitors specific to the current status of the active
connections for the current IIS website. The icons of the listed performance
counters in the Statistic Name column will change color to reflect the listed
counter's current state. Clicking any performance counter in the Statistic Name
column will take you to the Performance Counter Details page for that counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Warning
threshold, a yellow band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values
that cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the yellow band. If the
value of a listed performance counter approaches or crosses the Critical
threshold, a red band will appear for the listed counter allowing plotted values that
cross the threshold to easily be visualized against the red band. Hovering over
any time period within the chart will display detailed information about that time
period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter will give you detailed information
about that performance counter.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Total
Description:
Connections This displays the total number of connections to the Web or
Attempts
FTP service that have been attempted since service startup.
The count is the total for all Web sites or FTP sites combined,
regardless of what you choose for the instance.
Information:
This number does not include connection attempts that failed
at the TCP (transport) or IP (network) layer.
Total Logon
Attempts
Description:
This displays the total number of successful logons to the Web
or FTP service since the service started.
Information:
This does not include failed logon attempts.
Current
Description:
Connections This displays the current number of connections established
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Connections
with the Web service.
Information:
This is the sum of both nonanonymous (authenticated) and
anonymous (unauthenticated) users.
Possible problems:
If this number is at or near the maximum allowable
connections, the Web service is at full capacity.
Remediation:
If the value is too high for a particular IIS server, then load
balancing or clustering technologies can be applied to lower
the burden of the server in question. Also, check the Web Site
property page for the maximum connection limit.
Current
Anonymous
Users
Description:
This displays the number of users who currently have an
anonymous connection using the Web service.
Information:
If anonymous connections are not permitted on the server, the
value of all anonymous user counters is always zero.
Current
NonAnonymous
Users
Description:
This displays the number of users who currently have a nonanonymous connection using the Web service.
Information:
If authentication is not enabled on the server, and none of the
applications that run on the server request or require
authentication, then the value of all nonanonymous user
counters is always zero.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Files
This resource contains monitors specific to file traffic across the current website.
The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will
change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance
counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter
Details page for that performance counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter crosses the Warning threshold, the
chart for the listed counter will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
monitor crosses the Critical threshold, the chart for the listed counter will display a
red background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display
detailed information about that time period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter
will give you detailed information about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Critical
Files
Received
Description:
The displays the number of files that have been
received by the WWW service since the service
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Files
started.
Files Sent
Description:
The displays the number of files that have been
sent by the WWW service since the service started.
Information:
This value does not include cache hits. Note that
this counter does not increment when files are
being served from the kernel-mode cache.
Files Trans- Description:
ferred
The displays the sum of Files Sent and Files
Received by the WWW service since the service
started.
Information:
Note that this counter does not increment when files
are being served from the kernel-mode cache.
Locked
Errors
Description:
The displays the number of requests that have been
made since the service started and could not be
satisfied by the server because the requested
document was locked.
Information:
This is usually reported as HTTP error 423.
Note: A baseline is required.
Not Found
Errors
Description:
The displays the number of requests that have been
made since the service started and were not
satisfied by the server because the requested
document was not found.
Information:
This is usually reported as HTTP error 404.
Zooming
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>0
Sustained
Status:
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Log Size by File
This resource lists the current quantity and size of log files as sorted by size. If the
Warning or Critical thresholds is breached, the color of the bar chart will change
from green to yellow or red, respectively.
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Folder Path: Displays the path to the directory where log files are stored.
The path displayed is linked to the Custom Chart page and can be
accessed by clicking the displayed path.
Number of Files: Displays the total number of log files in the listed directory.
Total File Size: Displays, in bytes, the amount of disk space being used to
store the total number of log files in the listed directory.
Volume Usage: Numerically and graphically displays the percentage of
volume space used by the listed log files.
Management
This resource contains controls that are actionable for the current site. The
controls in the following illustration are SAM-specific.
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Network I/O
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Restart: This stops the site from running and then restarts it.
Start/Stop: Allows you to start or stop the site.
Unmanage Web Site: Allows you to stop the polling and collecting of statistics of the current web site.
Network I/O
This resource contains monitors specific to byte traffic across the current website.
The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column will
change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any performance
counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the Performance Counter
Details page for that performance counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter crosses the Warning threshold, the
chart for the listed counter will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
monitor crosses the Critical threshold, the chart for the listed counter will display a
red background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display
detailed information about that time period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter
will give you detailed information about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Total Bytes
Received
Description:
This displays the total number of bytes received by the Web
service since the service started.
Information:
This information can be used to determine network load on a
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
specific Web site.
Total Bytes
Sent
Description:
This displays the total number of bytes sent by the Web
service since the service started.
Information:
This information can be used to determine network load on a
specific Web site.
Total Bytes
Transferred
Description:
This displays the total number of bytes sent and received by
the Web service since the service started.
Information:
This information can be used to determine network load on a
specific Web site.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Requests
This resource contains monitors specific to the current status of the IIS site
requests. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name
column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any
performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the
Performance Counter Details page for that performance counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter crosses the Warning threshold, the
chart for the listed counter will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
monitor crosses the Critical threshold, the chart for the listed counter will display a
red background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display
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Requests
detailed information about that time period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter
will give you detailed information about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Total
Method
Requests
Description:
This displays the number of HTTP requests that have been made
since the WWW service started.
Delete
Requests
Description:
This displays the number of HTTP requests that have used the
DELETE method since the WWW service started.
Get
Requests
Description:
This displays the number of HTTP requests that have used the
GET method since the WWW service started.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Information:
GET requests are generally used for basic file retrievals or image
maps, though they can be used with forms.
Head
Requests
Description:
This displays the number of HTTP requests that have used the
HEAD method since the WWW service started.
Information:
HEAD requests typically indicate that a client is querying the state
of a document they already have to see if it needs to be refreshed.
CGI
Requests
Description:
This displays the number of all CGI requests that have been made
since the WWW service started.
Information:
CGI requests are custom gateway executable (.exe) files the
administrator can install to add forms processing or other dynamic
data sources. CGI requests spawn a process on the server which
can be a large drain on server resources.
ISAPI
Description:
Extension This displays the number extension of ISAPI requests that have
Requests been made since the WWW service started.
Information:
ISAPI Extension Requests are custom gateway DLLs which the
administrator can install to add forms processing or other dynamic
data sources.
Put
Requests
Description:
This displays the number of HTTP requests using the PUT
method since the WWW service started.
Post
Requests
Description:
This displays the number of HTTP requests that have used the
POST method since the WWW service started.
Information:
Post requests are generally used for forms or gateway requests.
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Site Availability
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Site Availability
This resource graphically shows the various states of a website's availability in a
percentage format and is made up of three sections: the legend, the main chart,
and the lower chart. The colors of the main chart correspond to the labels in the
legend.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Note: This resource will not be available when using Internet Explorer 7.
Consider upgrading Internet Explorer 8 or higher or using FireFox or Chrome as
your web browser.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined, hourly time period of data by
clicking on any one of the three Zoom buttons; 1h, 12h, or 24h. Alternatively, you
can have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a
small area of the chart.
Once you have a time period selected, the lower chart will zoom to the starting
and ending values of the selected time period. With the lower chart you can zoom
in further by fine tuning the view with the sliders. The main view of the chart will
display the selected time period between the two sliders of the lower chart.
Moving the mouse over the main chart will reveal a tooltip with more detailed
information about the specific time period the mouse is hovering over. By default,
all statistics are shown in the main chart.
Site Details
This resource provides details concerning the current site.
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Site Name: Displays the name of the current site.
Site State: Displays the current state of the listed site. States reported
are: Stopped, Started, Stopping, and Starting.
Start Automatically: This indicates whether or not the server instance
should start automatically when the service is started.
URL: These are the URLs that can access the current site (e.g.:
http://www.solarwinds.com, http://www.solarwinds.net).
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Site Size by Directory
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Application Pool: Displays the name of the current application pool.
Physical Path: Displays the folder location of the associated site.
Log file Path: Displays the folder location of the log file for the current site.
Limits:
l Limit Bandwidth Usage: Displays the maximum network bandwidth
to which the web site traffic is throttled.
l Connection Time-Out: Displays, in seconds, the elapsed time
needed for a timeout to occur of the current site.
l Limit Number of Connections: Displays the number of connections
this site is limited to.
Site Size by Directory
This resource lists and details site size by directory for the current site.
The following defines the four columns of this resource:
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Folder Path: Displays the folder path for the current site.
Number of Files: Displays the total number of files located in the folder
path for the current site.
Total File Size: Displays the total size, in MB, for all of the files located in
the folder path for the current site.
Volume Usage: Numerically and graphically displays the total percentage
of volume space consumed by the current site.
SSL Certificate Expiration
This resource provides graphical and numerical information pertaining to the valid
dates of your SSL certificates as well as the number of days remaining before the
listed certificates expire.
Note: This resource will only appear if the site is configured for HTTPS.
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SSL Certificate Expiration Fields:
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CN (Common Name): An SSL certificate is required to be associated with
one or more hostnames, called Common Name. In this resource, CN is followed by the hostname with which it is associated.
l Days Remaining: The number of days remaining until the listed certificate expires is represented both graphically and numerically.
l Valid Between: Displays the date range when the listed certificate is
valid.
l Port: Displays the port to which the listed certificate is bound.
Top Page Requests by Average Server Execution Time
This resource displays the top 20 page requests by average server execution
time. The Average Server Execution Time is the average time of all page
requests of the same type based on the URL stem. (Note: The URL stem is part
of a dynamic URL that separates the URL request from the query parameters.
This is typically located before the question mark.)
By clicking Edit, you can change the number of URLs this resource displays. The
data can be sorted by clicking the headers of each column.
Important: This resource is only shown when AppInsight for IIS is being polled
via an Agent. It will not appear if the node is being polled via SNMP or WMI.
Additionally, when the IIS log format is missing the required fields, this resource
will appear to be missing information. If this is the case, either enable the
following fields through the IIS manager, or disable this component entirely. The
fields that need to be enabled are: Date, Time, URI Query, Client IP Address,
and Method in the WCW3 format. For more information, see Agents. Logging
must be enabled. The W3C or IIS log format should be configured on the IIS
server.
Notes:
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This resource is specific to the IIS site. Another instance of this resource is
available at the application level for all sites.
IIS logging must be enabled. The W3C or IIS log format should be configured on the IIS server.
Site: Displays the site name with which the URL is associated. Clicking the
arrow to the left of the site name will bring up detailed information about the
listed web request (URL), including the following:
l Verb: Displays the web request action performed. Example verbs
shown in this column are GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, HEAD,
DELETE, OPTIONS, and CONNECT.
l Request Date: Displays the date and time of the client web request.
l Elapsed Time: Displays the amount of server time that was needed to
fulfill the listed request.
l Client IP: Displays the IP address of the client computer for the listed
request.
l URL Query: Displays the query parameters associated with client's
web request. If no query parameters were specified in the request, this
field will be blank.
URL: Displays the URL stem of the listed request.
Average Server Execution Time: Displays the average time of all page
requests of the same type based on the URL stem.
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Paging controls are located at the bottom of the resource, allowing you to
navigate through all data available for this resource. Respectively, the controls
are: Fist Page, Previous Page, Page Number, Next Page, Last Page, Number
of Items to Display on the Current Page, as shown:
Web Server Response Time
This resource contains monitors specific to the response time of the current web
server. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic Name column
will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state. Clicking any
performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to the
Performance Counter Details page for that performance counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter crosses the Warning threshold, the
chart for the listed counter will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
monitor crosses the Critical threshold, the chart for the listed counter will display a
red background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display
detailed information about that time period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter
will give you detailed information about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
HTTP Monitor
Definition:
This performance counter returns
the amount of time the listed web
server spends accepting incoming
sessions and transmitting the
requested page, in milliseconds,
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for the HTTP protocol.
HTTPS Monitor
Definition:
This performance counter returns
the amount of time the listed web
server spends accepting incoming
sessions and transmitting the
requested page, in milliseconds,
for the HTTPS protocol.
Note: The HTTPS monitor will not appear if the site is not configured for HTTPS.
Similarly, if the Orion server is unable access an HTTP site via its configured
URL, this resource will not appear because these components will automatically
be disabled. You can re-enable and configure these monitors via the application
editor.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
AppInsight for IIS Application Pool Details View
The IIS Application Pools Details view provides a great deal of information about
the current IIS application pool. The available resources offered in this view
include:
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Application Pool Availability
Application Pool Details
Management
Worker Process Activation Service
Worker Process Cache
Worker Process Details
Worker Process Requests and Threads
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Note: Chart resources may not display data until multiple successful polls have
completed.
Application Pool Availability
This resource graphically shows the various states of an application pool's
availability in a percentage format and is made up of three sections: the legend,
the main chart, and the lower chart. The colors of the main chart correspond to the
labels in the legend.
Note: This resource will not be available when using Internet Explorer 7.
Consider upgrading Internet Explorer 8 or higher or using FireFox or Chrome as
your web browser.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined, hourly time period of data by
clicking on any one of the three Zoom buttons; 1h, 12h, or 24h. Alternatively, you
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Application Pool Details
can have the chart show a specific time range by dragging the mouse over a
small area of the chart.
Once you have a time period selected, the lower chart will zoom to the starting
and ending values of the selected time period. With the lower chart you can zoom
in further by fine tuning the view with the sliders. The main view of the chart will
display the selected time period between the two sliders of the lower chart.
Moving the mouse over the main chart will reveal a tooltip with more detailed
information about the specific time period the mouse is hovering over. By default,
all statistics are shown in the main chart.
Application Pool Details
This resource provides details concerning the current application pool.
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Application Pool Name: Displays the name of the listed application pool.
Application Pool State: Displays the current state of the listed application
pool. Possible states include Started, Stopped, and Unknown.
Worker Process Status: Displays the current status of the listed worker processes. Possible statuses include Up, Down, Not Running, Warning, Critical, and Unknown.
Start Automatically: Displays how the listed application pool is started.
Possible values include Yes and No.
Start Mode: Displays the current configuration mode. The Application Pool
can be set to run in On Demand Mode or Always Running Mode.
. Net Framework Version: Displays the version of Microsoft's .Net framework currently utilized by the application pool.
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Manage Pipeline Mode: Displays how ASP.Net is configured. Classic
Mode is an ISAPI extension. Integrated Mode is where managed code is
integrated into the request processing pipeline. Possible values include
Classic Mode and Integrated Mode.
Identity: Displays the configuration of the Application Pool as either a Builtin Account, Network Service, Local System, Local Service, or as a Specific
User Identity.
Applications: Displays the number of applications that rely upon this Application Pool.
Management
This resource contains controls that are actionable for the application pool. The
controls in the following illustration are SAM-specific.
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Recycle: Allows the worker process that handles requests for that application pool to be terminated and a new one started.
Start/Stop: Allows you to start and stop the worker processes of the application pool.
Unmanage Application Pool: Allows you to stop the polling and collecting
of statistics of the current application pool.
Worker Process Activation Service
This resource contains monitors specific to the worker process activation service
for the current application pool. The icons of the listed performance counters in
the Statistic Name column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current
state. Clicking any performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take
you to the Performance Counter Details page for that performance counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter crosses the Warning threshold, the
chart for the listed counter will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
monitor crosses the Critical threshold, the chart for the listed counter will display a
red background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display
detailed information about that time period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter
will give you detailed information about that performance counter.
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Worker Process Activation Service
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Warning
Current
Worker
Processes
Description:
This displays the current number of worker
processes that are running in the application pool.
Recent
Worker
Process
Failures
Description:
This displays the number of times that the worker
process for the application pool failed during the
rapid-fail protection interval.
> 0 (CaD
enabled)
Information:
This counter should be counted as difference with
a threshold greater than 0.
Total
Application
Pool
Description:
This displays the number of times that the
application pool has been recycled since Windows
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Recycles
Process Activation Service (WAS) started.
Information:
This counter should be counted as difference with
a threshold greater than 0.
Total Worker
Process Failures
Description:
This displays the number of times that worker
processes have crashed since the application pool
was started.
> 0 (CaD
enabled)
Information:
This counter should be counted as difference with
a threshold greater than 0.
Total Worker
Process Ping
Failures
Description:
This displays the number of times that Windows
Process Activation Service (WAS) did not receive
a response to ping messages sent to a worker
process.
> 0 (CaD
enabled)
Information:
This counter should be counted as difference with
a threshold greater than 0.
Total Worker
Process Shutdown Failures
Description:
This displays the number of times that Windows
Process Activation Service (WAS) failed to shut
down a worker process.
> 0 (CaD
enabled)
Information:
This counter should be counted as difference with
a threshold greater than 0.
Total Worker Description:
Process Star- This displays the number of times that Windows
tup Failures
Process Activation Service (WAS) failed to start a
worker process.
Information:
This counter should be counted as difference with
a threshold greater than 0.
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> 0 (CaD
enabled)
Worker Process Cache
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Worker Process Cache
This resource contains monitors specific to worker process cache for the current
application pool. The icons of the listed performance counters in the Statistic
Name column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current state.
Clicking any performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take you to
the Performance Counter Details page for that performance counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter crosses the Warning threshold, the
chart for the listed counter will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
monitor crosses the Critical threshold, the chart for the listed counter will display a
red background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display
detailed information about that time period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter
will give you detailed information about that performance counter.
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Chapter 15: AppInsight Applications
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Current
File
Cache
Memory
Usage
Description:
This displays the current number of bytes used by the user-mode
file cache.
Information:
The value of this counter and the value of Web Service Cache
and Maximum File Cache Memory Usage should be the same.
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Possible problems:
If the values are different, this means the cache was flushed.
Remediation:
If this counter is significantly lower than Web Service Cache and
Maximum File Cache Memory Usage, consider recycling the
worker process because the application might have a memory
leak.
Maximum
File
Cache
Memory
Usage
Description:
This displays the maximum number of bytes used by the usermode file cache since service startup.
Information:
The value of this counter and the value of Web Service Cache
and Current File Cache Memory Usage should be the same.
Possible problems:
If the values are different, this means the cache was flushed.
Remediation:
If this counter is significantly higher than Web Service Cache and
Current File Cache Memory Usage, consider recycling the
worker process because the application might have a memory
leak.
Output
Cache
Current
Memory
Usage
Description:
This displays the current number of bytes used by the output
cache.
File
Cache
Hits
Description:
This displays the total number of successful lookups in the usermode file cache since service startup.
Information:
Understanding this output depends on the content. For example, if
the content files cannot be cached by HTTP.sys, a high value is
good
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File
Cache
Misses
Description:
This displays the total number of unsuccessful lookups in the usermode file cache since service startup.
Information:
A file cache miss means the request for the file must go to the hard
disk.
Possible problems:
File cache misses negatively impact performance and scalability.
This value should be as low as possible. Also note that kernel
cache hits will cause this value to be low.
Metadata
Cache
Hits
Description:
This displays the total number of successful lookups in the usermode metadata cache since service startup.
Metadata
Cache
Misses
Description:
This displays the total number of unsuccessful lookups in the usermode metadata cache since service startup.
Information:
This value should be as low as possible.
Output
Cache
Total Hits
Description:
This displays the total number of successful lookups in the output
cache since service startup.
Output
Cache
Total
Misses
Description:
This displays the total number of unsuccessful lookups in the output cache since service startup.
URI
Cache
Hits
Description:
This displays the total number of successful lookups in the usermode URI cache since service startup.
Information:
Understanding this output depends on the content. For example, if
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Worker Process Details
the content cannot be cached in the HTTP.sys response cache, the
value of this counter should be as high as possible. If your content
can be stored in the HTTP.sys response cache, the value of this
counter should be low.
URI
Cache
Misses
Description:
This displays the total number of unsuccessful lookups in the usermode URI cache since service startup.
Information: A low value is preferable. The value of this counter
increases when IIS cannot locate the requested content in either
the HTTP.sys response cache or the IIS file cache, and must locate
the requested content on the hard disk.
Possible problems:
If the value of this counter is high, IIS locates the requested content
on the hard disk which could slow overall performance.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Worker Process Details
This resource provides details concerning the listed worker process. Clicking
>> View Details will take you to Worker Process Statistic Monitor Details page for
additional information.
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Monitored Process: Lists the process that is currently being monitored.
Status: Displays the current status of the listed process. Possible statuses
include Up, Down, Warning, Critical, Not Running, and Unknown.
Running Copies: Displays the current number of worker processes associated with this Application Pool.
Maximum Worker Processes: Displays the maximum number of allowed
worker processes for this Application Pool.
Process ID(s): Displays the process ID number for the processes associated with this Application Pool.
CPU Load: Percentage of the CPU that the listed process is currently
using.
Physical Memory Load: RAM currently being used by the listed process.
Virtual Memory Load: Virtual memory currently being used by the listed
process.
IOPS: Current amount of Input/Output data being processed per second.
Worker Process Requests and Threads
This resource contains monitors specific to worker process requests and threads
for the current application pool. The icons of the listed performance counters in
the Statistic Name column will change color to reflect the listed counter's current
state. Clicking any performance counter in the Statistic Name column will take
you to the Performance Counter Details page for that performance counter.
If the value of a listed performance counter crosses the Warning threshold, the
chart for the listed counter will display a yellow background. If the value of a listed
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Worker Process Requests and Threads
monitor crosses the Critical threshold, the chart for the listed counter will display a
red background. Hovering over any time period within the chart will display
detailed information about that time period in the tooltip. Hovering over a counter
will give you detailed information about that performance counter.
Counter
Expert Knowledge
Active Requests
Description:
Current number of requests being processed by the worker
process.
Requests/sec
Description:
HTTP requests/sec being processed by the worker
process.
Active Thread
Count
Description:
Number of threads actively processing requests in the
worker process.
Zooming
You can have the chart show a predetermined time period of data by clicking on
any one of the three Zoom buttons in the head of the Zoom column. Alternatively,
you can have the chart show a specific date range by dragging the mouse over an
area of the chart. The time and date displayed at the top of the resource shows
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the amount of data currently loaded into the chart. This can be changed by
clicking Edit from within the resource.
Note: The Value from Last Poll column shows the most recent data available for
the listed statistic.
Troubleshooting AppInsight for IIS
The following sections will help you identify and correct AppInsight for IIS errors
concerning configuration and performance counters. For example, you may see
an error similar to the following:
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Changing between 32-bit and 64-bit polling methods:
Credentials Test Failed
Polling fails due to a missing certificate.
IIS Polling Failed
Node Unreachable.
IIS Version Failed
WinRM Testing Failed
Error Code 1367
Error Code 1726
Error Code 16004
Error Code 16005
Error Code 16006
Error Code 16007
Error Code 16008
Error Code 16009
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Access is denied when configuring AppInsight for IIS
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Error Code 16013
Error Code 16022
Error Code 16023
Error Code 16024
Error Code 16029
Error Code 16049
Error code 16090
Other Errors
An HTTPS listener currently exists on port 5986:
Event IDs
Access is denied when configuring AppInsight for IIS
Issue: You may encounter access denied errors when you choose not to use the
built-in administrator account for IIS polling. This can occur if you create a new
user and then add this user to the Administrator's group.
Cause: If the group policy or the local policy has Administrator Approval Mode
set to Enable, the polling will fail with an error. This is usually because the
administrator account does not have enough permissions.
Resolution:
1. In your local security policy, navigate to Local Policies > Security Options
> User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval
Mode.
Note: This should be set to Disabled to let administrators poll properly.
2. Navigate to Local Policies > Security Options > User Account Control:
Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator Account.
Note: This should be Disabled for the built-in administrator to poll properly.
3. When complete, rerun the AppInsight for IIS Automatic Configuration Wizard.
Changing between 32-bit and 64-bit polling methods:
Using AppInsight applications with 32-bit polling on 64-bit computers via an agent
may prevent certain performance counters from collecting information and should
be changed to 64-bit polling.
To make this change at the application level, take the following steps:
1. From the web console, navigate to Home > Applications > Select an
AppInsight Application.
2. Click Edit Application Monitor.
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3. Expand Advanced, and then click Override Template.
4. In the Platform to run polling job field, change the value to x64.
5. When done, click Submit.
To make this change at the template level, take the following steps:
1. From the web console, navigate to Settings > SAM Settings > Manage
Templates.
2. Select an AppInsight application and click Edit.
3. Expand Advanced, and in the Platform to run polling job field, change
the value to x64.
Note: Applications assigned to 32-bit hosts with the x64bit option will continue to poll using 32-bit, regardless of this setting.
4. When done, click Submit.
Credentials Test Failed
Error: The credentials given are not valid. Please provide the correct credentials
for an account with WMI permissions.
Resolution: Enter valid credentials.
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Polling fails due to a missing certificate.
For more information, see Inherit Credentials from Node.
Polling fails due to a missing certificate.
Issue: You receive an error similar to the following: The SSL connection cannot
be established. Verify that the service on the remote host is properly configured to
listen for HTTPS requests...
Cause: A PowerShell listener was created but its certificate is missing.
Resolution: Manually remove the existing PowerShell listener and re-run the IIS
configuration wizard. This process will create a new listener along with the
appropriate certificate needed.
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IIS Polling Failed
Error: Application polling failed because IIS information is currently unavailable.
Cause: This is a general error message returned by Windows when a networking
component is malfunctioning.
Resolution: For details, see the log on the Orion server located at:
([ALLUSERSPROFILE]
\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RemoteExecutableStarter.log). Following