Using Service Monitors

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

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

The monitors that require an agent are:

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

Using Agentless Monitors

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

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

The monitors that do not require an agent are:

Using Advanced Monitors

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

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

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

Selecting a Monitor

To select a monitor, do the following:

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

Each service monitor template has a monitor identification information area that you use to:

• specify the name of the monitor
• include an optional description of the monitor
• select the system, node, or virtual node that you want Uptime Infrastructure Monitor to monitor

You must ensure that the system can be resolved by a naming service running on an operating system - for example, DNS or NIS/YP.

Adding Monitor Identification Information

To add monitor identification information, do the following:

1. Enter a name for the monitor in the Service Name field.
   The name can, for example, describe the purpose of the monitor - for example, Ping - Web Server.
2. Optionally, enter a description of the monitor in the Description field.
3. Assign the monitor to a system by doing one of the following:
   
   • Click the Single System option, and then select the name of the system that you want to monitor from the dropdown list.
   • Click Service Group to attach the monitor to multiple systems. Then, select the service group from the dropdown list. For more information about service groups, see Service Groups.
   • Click the Unassigned option.
   This step is mandatory.
4. Complete the following fields:
   • Port
     The number of the port on which Uptime Infrastructure Monitor is listening.
   • Use SSL
     Select this option if the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor agent is configured to use SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) for security .
     If you have configured your agent to use SSL but do not select Use SSL, Uptime Infrastructure Monitor does not receive performance information.

Monitor Settings Configuration

Each Uptime Infrastructure Monitor service monitor has settings particular to the service that is it monitoring.

Configuring Warning and Critical Thresholds

In many instances, you must configure Warning and Critical thresholds to determine the conditions under which Uptime Infrastructure Monitor issues an alert. For example, if hard disk usage on a server reaches 85% Uptime Infrastructure Monitor issues a Warning alert. If disk usage reaches 95%, Uptime Infrastructure Monitor issues a Critical alert.

To configure Warning and Critical thresholds, do the following:

1. Enter the threshold value in the text box next to the Select a comparison method dropdown list.
2. Select an option from the Select a comparison method dropdown list.

Monitor Timing Settings

Monitor timing settings determine:

• whether the monitor is active
• the length of time, in seconds, to wait before determining that a monitor has timed out
• the interval, in minutes, at which the monitor performs a service check
• the interval, in minutes, at which the monitor rechecks the status of a service
• the maximum number of times that the monitor rechecks a service

The monitor timing settings enable you to set up a master service monitor that you can apply to multiple systems. You can do this when setting up a deployment where you may want to apply a service monitor to a large number of Elements, or want to apply a very similar service monitor and then make further customizations to it and its children.

Monitor Alert Settings

The monitor alert settings enable you to turn alert notifications on or off based the status of a service monitor. The following options are available in this area:

• Notification

Determines if notifications, regardless of status or interval, should be issued for this monitor.

• Alert Interval

The frequency, in minutes, at which alerts are issued. The default is 120 minutes.

• Alert on Critical

Sends an alert when a monitor reaches a Critical status threshold.

• Alert on Warning

Sends an alert when a monitor reaches a Warning status threshold.

• Alert on Recovery

Sends an alert when a monitor recovers from a Warning or Critical status.

• Alert on Unknown

Sends an alert if any metric or time value for a monitor returns a status of Unknown.

Monitoring Period Settings

The Monitoring Period settings determine the time periods at which Uptime Infrastructure Monitor sends alerts. For more information, see Alerts and Actions.

To set the Monitoring Period, select one of the following options from the Monitoring Period dropdown list to specify when alerts can be sent:

• 24x7
• 9 am to 5 pm weekdays
• 5 pm to 7:30 am weekdays and all weekend until Monday morning
• 12am to 12:30am Monday

Getting Additional Help

If you need more information about certain fields on the monitor template, hold your mouse over the inverted chevron beside the name of the field. A tool tip that describes the field is displayed.

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

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

Creating Service Groups

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

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

Creating VMware vSphere Service Groups

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

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

Editing Service Groups

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

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

Editing VMware vSphere Service Groups

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

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

Change a Host Check

To change a host check, do the following:

Editing the Platform Performance Gatherer

To edit the Platform Performance Gatherer settings, the following:

Adding Topological Dependencies

To add topological dependencies, do the following:

1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click Services.
2. In the Tree panel, click Add Topological Dependency.
   The Add Topological Dependency window appears.
3. Select a system from the Select a host to create dependencies for dropdown list.
   This host acts as the parent for the dependent systems or nodes. If Uptime Infrastructure Monitor cannot communicate with the host, then the service monitors that check the dependent systems or nodes do not run host checks.
4. Click Continue.
5. Select one or more systems or nodes from the Available Dependent Hosts dropdown list.
   These systems or nodes are the dependents of the host system that you specified in step 3.
6. Optionally, select one or more Element groups from the Available Dependent Groups dropdown list.
   These groups are the dependents of the host system that you specified in step 3.
7. Click Finish.

Viewing Topological Dependencies

To view topological dependencies, do the following:

1. On the Uptime Infrastructure Monitor tool bar, click Services.
2. In the Tree panel, click View Topological Dependencies.
   The subpanel displays the following dependency information:
   • name of the parent
   • the number of dependent hosts
   • the number of dependent groups (if any)

Creating Scheduled Maintenance Profiles

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

To create scheduled Maintenance Profiles, do the following:

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

Viewing Scheduled Maintenance Profiles

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

To view scheduled Maintenance Profiles, do the following:

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

Scheduling Maintenance for a Host

To schedule maintenance for a host, do the following:

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

Scheduling Maintenance for a Service

To schedule maintenance for a service, do the following:

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

Putting an Element or Group into Temporary Maintenance Mode

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

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