Next Topic

Previous Topic

Book Contents

System Check

Monitor > System Check

The VSA can monitor machines that don't have an agent installed on them. This function is performed entirely within a single page called System Check. Machines without an agent are called external systems. A machine with an agent is assigned the task of performing the system check on the external system. A system check typically determines whether an external system is available or not. Types of system checks include: web server, DNS server, port connection, ping, and custom.

To Create a System Check Alert

  1. Check any of these checkboxes to perform their corresponding actions when a an alarm condition is encountered:
    • Create Alarm
    • Create Ticket
    • Run Script
    • Email Recipients
  2. Set additional email parameters.
  3. Set additional system-check parameters. You may check multiple systems using the same machine ID.
  4. Check the machine IDs to apply the alert to.
  5. Click the Apply button.

To Cancel a System Check Alert

  1. Select the machine ID checkbox.
  2. Click the Clear button.

    The alert information listed next to the machine ID is removed.

Passing Alert Information to Emails and Scripts

The following types of system check alert emails can be sent and formatted:

  • System check alert

The following variables can be included in your formatted email alerts and in scripts.

Within an Email

Within a Script

Description

<at>

#at#

alert time

<db-view.column>

not available

Include a view.column from the database. For example, to include the computer name of the machine generating the alert in an email, use <db-vMachine.ComputerName>

<gr>

#gr#

group ID

<id>

#id#

machine ID

<p1>

#p1#

address checked

<p2>

#p2#

additional parameter

<sc>

#sc#

system check type

<scn>

#scn#

system check custom name

 

#subject#

subject text of the email message, if an email was sent in response to an alert

 

#body#

body text of the email message, if an email was sent in response to an alert

Apply

Click Apply to apply alert parameters to selected machine IDs. Confirm the information has been applied correctly in the machine ID list.

Clear

Click Clear to remove all parameter settings from selected machine IDs.

Create Alarm

If checked and an alarm condition is encountered, an alarm is created. Alarms are displayed in Monitor > Dashboard List, Monitor > Alarm Summary and Reports > Logs > Alarm Log.

Create Ticket

If checked and an alarm condition is encountered, a ticket is created.

Run Script

If checked and an alarm condition is encountered, a script is run. You must click the select script link to choose a script to run. You can optionally direct the script to run on a specified range of machine IDs by clicking the this machine ID link. These specified machine IDs do not have to match the machine ID that triggered the alarm.

Email Recipients

If checked and an alarm condition is encountered, an email is sent to the specified email addresses.

  • The email address of the currently logged in administrator displays in the Email Recipients field. It defaults from System > Preferences.
  • Click Format Email to display the Format Alert Email popup window. This window enables you to format the display of emails generated by the system when an alarm condition is encountered.
  • If the Add to current list radio option is selected, when Apply is clicked alert settings are applied and the specified email addresses are added without removing previously assigned email addresses.
  • If the Replace list radio option is selected, when Apply is clicked alert settings are applied and the specified email addresses replace the existing email addresses assigned.
  • If Removed is clicked, all email addresses are removed without modifying any alert parameters.
  • Email is sent directly from the KServer to the email address specified in the alert. The SMTP service in IIS sends the email directly to the address specified. Set the From Address using System > Configure.

System Check Parameters

Select a system check type:

  • Web Server - Enter a URL to poll at a selected time interval.
  • DNS Server - Enter a DNS address, either a name or IP, to poll at a selected time interval.
  • Port Connection - Enter an address, either a name or IP, to connect to, and a port number to connect to, at a selected time interval.
  • Ping - Enter an address, either a name or IP, to ping at a selected time interval.

    Note: Do not include the scheme name of a URL in the address you want to ping. For example, do not enter http://www.google.com. Instead enter www.google.com.

  • Custom - Enter a path to a custom program and output file to run at a selected time interval.
    • Program, parameters and output file - Enter program path. Optionally include a parameter that creates an output file, if applicable. For example: c:\temp\customcheck.bat > c:\temp\mytest.out.
    • Output file path and name - Enter the name and path of the created output file. For example: c:\temp\mytest.out.
    • Alarm if output file contains / does not contain - Alarm if output file contains / does not contain the specified text. For example: Hello World.

The following optional parameters display for all types of system checks:

  • Every N Period - Enter the number of times to run this task each time period.
  • Add - Add this system check to selected machine IDs.
  • Replace - Add this system check to selected machine IDs and remove all existing system checks.
  • Remove - Remove this system check from selected machine IDs.
  • Custom Name - Enter a custom name that displays in alarm messages and formatted emails.
  • Only alarm when service continues to not respond for N periods after first failure detected - Suppresses the triggering of a system check alarm for a specified number of periods after the initial problem is detected, if N is greater than zero. This prevents triggering an alarm for a temporary problem.
  • Ignore additional alarms for N periods - Suppresses the triggering of additional alarms for the same system check for a specified number of periods after the initial problem is reported, if N is greater than zero. This prevents reporting multiple alarms for the same problem.

Select All/Unselect All

Click the Select All link to check all rows on the page. Click the Unselect All link to uncheck all rows on the page.

Check-in status

These icons indicate the agent check-in status of each managed machine:

Agent has checked in

Agent has checked in and user is logged on. Tool tip lists the logon name.

Agent has not recently checked in

Agent has never checked in

Online but waiting for first audit to complete

The agent is online but remote control is disabled

The agent has been suspended

Delete

Click the delete icon to delete a system check.

Edit Icon

Click a row's edit icon to populate header parameters with values from that row. You can edit these values in the header and re-apply them.

Machine.Group ID

The list of Machine ID.Group IDs displayed is based on the Machine ID / Group ID filter and the machine groups the administrator is authorized to see using System > Group Access.

ATSE

The ATSE response code assigned to machine IDs or SNMP devices:

  • A = Create Alarm
  • T = Create Ticket
  • S = Run Script
  • E = Email Recipients

Email Address

A comma separated list of email addresses where notifications are sent.

Type

The type of system check:

  • Web Server
  • DNS Server
  • Port Connection
  • Ping
  • Custom

Interval

The interval for the system check to recur.

Duration

The number of periods the system check alarm is suppressed, after the initial problem is detected. This prevents triggering an alarm for a temporary problem.

ReArm

The number of periods the triggering of additional system check alarms are suppressed, after the initial problem is reported. This prevents reporting multiple alarms for the same problem.