Template categories

An application template comprises a set of predefined monitors designed for simultaneous creation. Instances of these templates are referred to as applications, each represented by its own node within the primary tree. Application monitors conduct comprehensive checks on a specific host or application type. Examples include templates for standard Windows Servers, Microsoft Exchange Servers, Apache and IIS web servers, Oracle database servers, and others. Application templates streamline the creation and upkeep of your monitoring infrastructure. Application templates play a role in the discovery procedure. The Discovery Wizard allows you to choose which application templates to include in the search. Each application template has a series of criteria that dictate how the application is handled during discovery. If these criteria are met, the application template is implemented on the host. Several template classifications are predefined; beyond these, you can create new ones effortlessly.

List of Template Classifications

Description of Template Classifications

These template classifications are predefined:

Server Health Checks templates incorporate standard monitor types used to assess overall server health. Any failure among the recommended monitors, after adjusting performance values to meet specific requirements, should trigger immediate intervention and prompt resolution.

Domain Controllers templates facilitate the examination of Windows domain deployments, evaluating their core functionality and features. Domains serve not just authentication, but also data exchange and other services. Issues with any of these can severely disrupt the entire local network.

Mail Servers templates validate the availability and security mechanisms of mail servers—commonly those employing SMTP/POP3/IMAP4 protocols, including MS Exchange.

Web Servers templates enable monitoring of the overall status and key metrics of various web servers (e.g., connection counts, resource consumption). Employ the most specific template available (i.e., use generic templates only when dealing with web servers not specifically addressed in this category).

Database Servers templates encompass the assessment of diverse database engines (MySQL, MS SQL, etc.), examining their operational parameters alongside overall connectivity and health.

Virtual Machines templates verify the status and integrity of both host and guest systems. Note that checking guests does not involve standard virtual machine access; in this context, a virtual machine is treated as an application operating on the hypervisor host.

Other Applications And Services templates encompass all services not covered by the preceding categories, including examples like SharePoint or Memcached.

Monitoring Usage Scenarios

  • Templates offer a standard collection of monitors. Each built-in template’s name indicates its ideal use cases – prioritize the closest match; otherwise, use a generic template.
  • Should no existing template meet your requirements, create a new one with a specific set of monitors. Use a descriptive name that clearly communicates its intended purpose.

Monitoring Best Practices

  • If your mail service for IPNetwork Monitor alerts uses domain authentication, potential issues arise if domain authentication fails. Therefore, installing a secondary, local mail server on the IPNetwork monitoring computer is advisable. Similarly, avoid using intranet email as the primary notification method; opt for an external email service.
  • Ensure you have two separate outgoing mail servers (MTAs) to increase message delivery chances if one server becomes unavailable or inaccessible. A locally installed MTA can function as a backup, retaining copies of all monitoring messages.
  • While monitors exist for testing secure data transmission over SSL v2/v3, these should be reserved for legacy devices utilizing obsolete services. Prioritize the most secure ciphers available. Refer to the Mozilla SSL Configuration Generator or a similar resource.
  • When monitoring resource usage for services like web or database servers, avoid overly frequent polling, particularly on production systems. For example, when using queries for database consistency checks, keep queries simple and minimize execution frequency.
  • Optimize resource access: monitor service status by frequently updating an easily accessible resource, such as a text file. Reading this file is less resource-intensive than direct service checks. For instance, command-line MySQL utilities can perform basic checks and write results to a readily accessible local text file, significantly expediting the verification process.
  • If running IPNetwork Monitor on a virtual machine, implement a second IPNetwork Monitor installation on a separate system to monitor the VM’s health. This ensures that monitoring alerts continue even if the VM or its host experiences a failure.