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Adding Targets to Monitoring

This topic provides instructions for adding monitoring targets to NetCrunch, including nodes, sensors, and data collectors. It covers configuring network services, operating systems, SNMP, virtualization platforms, and setting up alerting rules and dependencies. Additionally, it guides users on adding new nodes and using monitoring templates for efficient management.

In NetCrunch, various elements that can be monitored are called monitoring targets. Monitoring involves setting up alerts or data collectors regarding these targets, which may require adding sensors or enabling monitors such as SNMP or operating system monitors.

Adding Monitoring Elements to NetCrunch

Basic Elements of Monitoring
  • Node: The fundamental monitoring element representing a device, server, or network element.
  • Node Variants: Nodes can also represent probes, composite statuses, cloud services, or REST receivers.
  • Sensors and Monitors: Nodes can have multiple sensors or monitors, such as SNMP, Apache, or operating system monitors (Windows, Linux, BSD, Solaris, macOS).
  • Virtualization: Nodes can monitor ESXi, ESXi-VM, Hyper-V, and Hyper-V/VM.
  • Monitoring Packs: These are sets of predefined alerting rules and data collection settings, similar to sensors but with shared settings.
  • Alerting Rules: The smallest monitoring target used to trigger alerts based on conditions.

Data Collectors

Data collectors in NetCrunch are sets of performance counters that gather specific data from monitored targets. These collected metrics can be utilized in reports or for troubleshooting purposes. Data collectors are often added automatically when a specific report is enabled.

  • Performance Counters: Data collectors gather performance counters from the target nodes. These counters include various metrics related to CPU, memory, disk usage, network activity, and other performance indicators.
  • Automatic Addition: When a report is enabled, relevant data collectors are automatically added to the node. This ensures that all necessary performance data is gathered without requiring manual configuration.
  • Usage: The collected data is used to generate detailed reports, which can be invaluable for troubleshooting issues within the network. Administrators can identify potential problems and take corrective actions by analyzing the performance metrics.

Adding an Element to an Existing Node

  1. Locate the Node: Find the node and open the Node Settings window. You can find the node using the search button at the top right of the console window.
  2. Navigate to Monitoring Tab: Go to the Monitoring tab.
  3. Configure Monitoring Elements:
    • The Monitoring tab contains sections with small tiles. Each tile represents a monitoring element.
    • Header Section: Contains a plus button to add new elements, monitoring time, weekly monitoring schedule dropdown, dependency dropdown, and a menu button.
    • Node Section: Includes tiles like Status Monitor, Bandwidth Sensor, Flows Sensor, SNMP Trap Sensor, Syslog Sensor, Web Messages, Node Status, Service Status, and Custom Alerts.
    • Network Services Section: This section contains protocol checks for HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, and more. Use the plus button to add services or the gear button to edit common settings.
    • Operating Systems Section: Configure specific operating system monitors, including Custom Alerts.
    • SNMP Section: Enable and configure SNMP monitoring packs like Interfaces and Custom Alerts.
    • IPSLA/NQA Section: Add monitored operations if supported by the device.
    • Monitoring Sensors Section: Add various sensors described on the NetCrunch website.

Monitoring Dependency Dropdown

Dependencies ensure accurate and efficient monitoring by specifying relationships between nodes, avoiding false alerts, and understanding the impact of a node's failure.

  • Monitoring Probe: Collect data from monitored nodes and communicate with NetCrunch directly or through NetCrunch Connection Cloud.
  • Dependency Node: An intermediate node essential for monitoring other nodes, typically including routers, switches, or monitoring probes.

Specific Monitoring Sensors

  • Bandwidth Sensor: This monitors the bandwidth usage of a given IP operating system, providing relevant information from the connected switch.
  • Status Monitor: Determines the status of nodes and manages monitoring dependencies to reduce false alerts.

Status Monitor Features

Status Policy Selection

Determines criteria for when a node is considered DOWN or Critical. - Customize based on specific monitored elements. - The Node Status Policy decides when a node counts as DOWN. The usual choice is down when all services are down and the leading monitoring target is not responding; a node can also be set to depend on the leading target alone, or never to report DOWN. See Monitoring of Network Nodes.

Reducing False Alerts
  • Suppresses 'Node DOWN' alerts when the parent dependency node is already DOWN.
  • Ensures 'Service DOWN' alerts are accurate by verifying node response.

Windows-specific Sensors

These are tiles in the section called Windows. To configure the section, click on a specific tile or use the tile dropdown indicated by the vertical ellipsis button on the right side of the sensor tile.

Always present, but can be grayed out as not configured:

  • Event Log: Monitors and collects entries from Windows Event Log.
  • Services: Monitors and alerts on the state of Windows Services.

You need to add the following sensor using + on the right side of the section header:

  • Hardware: Monitors hardware components like CPU, Memory, Disk, and Network.
  • Software: Monitors installed software and alerts on changes.
  • Hotfixes: Monitors installed hotfixes and alerts on changes.

Adding a New Node

To add a new node, click the plus button at the top right corner of the NetCrunch console. The interface is divided into three sections: Networking, Logical, and Monitoring.

Device

  • Add IP Device: Add a node using a TCP/IP address or DNS name.
  • Scan IPv4 Subnets: Scan the network for devices within specified IPv4 subnets.
  • Search AD Containers: Search Active Directory containers.
  • Import from File: Import devices from a file.

Monitoring

  • Cloud Service: Add a cloud-based service without an IP address.
  • Composite Status: Combine multiple statuses into one.
  • REST Receiver: Add a service or node receiving data via REST API.
  • Monitoring Probe: Add a node representing a monitoring probe.

Other

  • Monitoring Target: Open a wizard to add a new monitoring target, such as a network service, monitoring pack, or sensor. The wizard can also create a new node if needed.
  • Monitoring Template: Create a template node to configure and apply to other nodes later.

Importing from PRTG

  • Import from PRTG: Bring the devices and monitoring of an existing PRTG installation into the atlas in bulk. Available from the NetCrunch Server node popup under Applications/Server rather than from the plus button. See Migrating from PRTG.

Available Network Services for Monitoring

NetCrunch supports monitoring network services, including PING, SNMP, SSH, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, DNS, and many more.

Following these guidelines, you can efficiently add and configure monitoring targets in NetCrunch, ensuring comprehensive network monitoring and alerting.

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