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Q. How do you configure Sentry-go ?
The Setup Wizard will, where possible pre-configure the monitor when it is
installed. To view, edit or add additional monitored resources, simply run the
Sentry-go Client Console, select the monitor and click "Configure".
Q. Can I configure the monitor remotely - e.g. from my desktop ?
Yes, you can configure the monitor remotely from any Client Console, as long as
it is registered with the Client.
Q. Can I verify my configured check will work ?
In many cases, you can click the "Test" button provided to verify all or part of
a configuration. This will launch a web report which then verifies the setting
on the monitor itself.
Q. What happens if the check isn't configured correctly ?
If a check if configured that cannot be performed - for example, if an incorrect
check was copied from another monitor, an alert will be sent indicating that a
configuration error occurred as well as appear on connected Client Consoles.
In addition, the Current Status web report will also highlight the check(s) that
are in error.
Q. When do new settings take effect ?
Periodically, the Sentry-go monitoring service will check for updates. If changes are
found, settings are automatically configured. Typically this will take up to 30
seconds to register & apply changes. Alternatively you can stop/start the
underlying monitoring service to pick up the changes directly.
Q. Can I configure checks to be run at specific times ?
Yes, depending on the check type, you can choose to monitor at regulat
intervals, hourly, daily or at a given time on specific days only.
Q. Can I copy the configuration from one server to another ?
Yes, you can copy or synchronise one or more component or alerting settings from
one monitor to other selected (or all) monitors from within the Client Console.
Q. Can I change the formatting of dates ?
Yes, you can choose to use either UK (dd/mm/yyyy) or US (mm/dd/yyyy) formats.
Q. Does the user running Senty-go need any special permissions ?
By default, the Sentry-go monitoring service runs as the "Local System" user and
normally this , will be fine. However, in some cases - for example, if the
monitor requires access to network resources on another machine - e.g. a remote
share, then you may need to run it from a domain account.
In addition, some checks require a specific logon which is configured as part of
the check. For example ...
- In order for SQL Server block monitoring to operate, it must be configured
with a SQL
User ID that has access to the MASTER database and has SysAdmin privileges .
- To monitor e-mail send/receive, the user entered must have access to the
mailbox.
Responses & alerts that call an external file, script or batch file to run can
be configured to run thoses tasks from a named user. This user is configured
with the response or alert itself.
Q. How do I plug & play the monitoring components I want to use ?
With Sentry-go, you can choose between pre-configured Quick Monitor licences,
individual Plus! component licences, or a combination of the two. These licences determine the monitoring
features available.
The advantage of this is that you only need to purchase the components
you're going to use. If you subsequently choose to move a server's role rto a
new location, the licence monitoring that software can also be removed from the
original servere & installed on the new one. This is all achieved through the
Client Console.
Q. Can I add new functionality later ?
Yes, simply purchase the appropriate licence to activate the new functionality.
Q. We run our own bespoke software & need a way of monitoring that.
Standard checks can't easily be used, what can we do ?
By running the Sentry-go Plus! Scripting monitor, you can plug-in your own
scripts or files that can be run & monitored automatically. This way, you can
provide your own monitoring logic & simply define how it will indicate either
success or failuire.
You can use batch files, command-line utilities & applications or scripts etc.
Q. Can Sentry-go check that my services are running ?
Yes, simply run the Service monitoring component.
Q. I want to check that a process is always running. Can Sentry-go do this ?
Yes, the Process monitoring component can check that key processes (e.g.
anti-virus software) are running and restart them if not.
Q. I want to protect my server against the running of illegal software.
Yes, the Process monitoring component can check for illegal processes & report
or terminate them automatically if found.
Q. Can Sentry-go keep an eye on available disk space ?
Yes, the Disk monitoring component can do this.
Q. I need to monitor the performance of my server. Can Sentry-go do this ?
Yes, the Performance monitoring component can monitor & alert on any installed
performance counter. The Performance Optimiser can optionally be used to calculate baselines
and provide trend analysis etc.
Q. I have a print server and need to monitor the printers as well as print
queues connected to it. Can I do this ?
The Printer monitoring component can monitor these for you. it provides
monitoring of print queues, printer & print job errors, including alerting &
real-time web reporting.
Q. E-mail is important to our business. How can I check it's working
correctly using Sentry-go ?
Simply run the E-mail Send/Receive monitoring component to verify e-mail functionality
using SMTP, POP3 & IMAP.
Q. We use authenticated SMTP. Does Sentry-go Plus! support this ?
Yes, the E-mail Send/Receive monitoring component allows you to send a test mail
using either standard or authenticated SMTP.
Q. Can I check SQL connectivity with Sentry-go ?
Any ODBC compliant database is supported. Simply create your ODBC connection &
reference it within the Sentry-go Plus! configuration.
Q. We have SQL Server installed and wish to ensure locking issues don't
occur. Can I do this with Sentry-go ?
Yes, the SQL Server Lock monitoring component can do this for you.
Q. We run our web sites from our Windows server(s). Can Sentry-go monitor access ?
Yes, you can use the HTML Content & FTP monitoring components to ensure access
and verify results. In effect, both these monitors automate client access to
ensure typical user actions will function correctly including GET & POST for
HTTP and GET & PUT requests for FTP .
Q. Do I need additional software to monitor my web sites ?
Sentry-go uses Microsoft Internet Explorer functionality to perform its
web site checks. Internet Explorer needs to be installed on the monitoring
server to run this component.
Q. Can I monitor changes to files & directories ?
Yes, the file monitoring component allows you to do just that.
Q. Do I have to configure each file, or can I use wildcards ?
You can use wildcards in the filenames as well as automatically scan
sub-directories below a given location.
Q. My file names are based on the current date - what can I do to monitor
these ?
You can simply use special place-markers within the name & let Sentry-go Plus!
search for the name based on the current date.
Q. Can I monitor remote files & directories ?
Although for performance & reliability reasons we recommend monitoring local
files only, you can monitor remote files & directories using a network share &
specifying the UNC path name. Certain restrictions apply to remote files - e.g.
Shadow Events are not supported for remote paths and user access information &
monitoring is not available.
Q. Can I capture details of who is accessing my files/directories ?
Yes, you can choose to include user access and, where available,
process information within a number of file monitoring checks. You can also
configure new "File accessed" & "Directory accessed" monitoring checks.
Q. I want to monitor all files, except temporary ones. Can I map them out ?
Yes, you can choose to exclude specific files, files or a given type or entire
directories from a scan.
Q. Can I monitor my network ?
Yes, the Network monitoring component automatically ensures each monitored
device - optionally all servers and/or desktops in the domain can be accessed
from the monitoring server.
Q. Can I perform my own custom monitoring ?
Yes, the Scripting monitoring component allows you to plug in your own
monitoring tasks and have the result analysed etc. as per other checks.
Q. Can I disable monitoring while I perform maintenance on the server ?
Yes, you can do this in a number of ways ...
- You can enable/disable specific checks from the Client
Console
- You can enable/disable monitoring as a whole via the Client Console
-
You can stop/start the monitoring service
Q. How does Sentry-go alert me to an error ?
Sentry-go can alert you to faults in a wide variety of ways including
the following ...
- Alerts appear on the Client Console
- Sent to you via e-mail
- Displayed to you via network messaging
- Sent to you via an SMS or pager gateway
- By sending details to a central SysLog Server
- By appending details to a text file
- By adding details to a database log (table)
- By showing them on an HTML-based report
- By running a Windows command to invoke a custom action
- By running a 3rd party application
- By calling any scriptable interface to invoke a custom action
Q. We use authenticated SMTP to send e-mails. Can I use this to send an alert
?
Yes, both standard SMTP and authenticated SMTP alerts can be triggered.
Q. Can I alter the text sent in an alert ?
Yes, simply configure the monitor to use your own text. Special place-markers
are used to include context-sensitive information such as the error text, server
name, time raised etc.
Alternatively you can call a script to send the alert & customise your error
message there, again including context-specific place-markers if required.
Q. Can I send multiple alerts ?
Yes, when an alert is triggered, it is raised within an "alert group". Multiple
alerts (targets & methods) can be assigned to an alert group.
Q. I'm in the office during the week, but need to be informed of problems
outside those times as well. Can I send different alerts depending on the time
of day ?
Yes, a timetable can be set up to indicate which methods should be sent at
what time, thus allowing specific alerts to be sent depending on the day and time. So, for example,
you can send a network message during normal office hours, and an e-mail or SMS
outside those hours.
Q. Can I perform a totally custom action in response to an alert ?
Yes, you can run a batch and/or a script file in response to an alert. The
file is "compiled" automatically at run time in order to allow you to include
context-sensitive information such as the error text, server name, time raised
etc.
Q. I'm not a programmer - how can I imnplement the script I want ?
You have a number of options ...
-
Sentry-go provides a Scripting Wizard, allowing you to generate a number
of script types for you,
using your own parameters. No knowledge of programming
or scripting is required to use the
Wizard.
- The Sentry-go script library
gives you access to prewritten, downloadable
- We can develop the script or logic for
you. Please contact 3D s(UK) Limited for a
quotation.
Q. I have a SysLog server which holds all our errors. Can I log to that ?
Yes, alerts can be logged to a SysLog server - either directly as an
alerting option or via the Scripting Wizard.
Q. Can I send a message to my cell/mobile phone
?
Yes, most mobile operators allows you to send an e-mail to your phone.
Q. Can I send a text (SMS) message to my cell/mobile phone ?
Depending on your mobile provider, you may be able to do this directly using
an e-mail or their own 3rd party application, callable from Sentry-go.
Alternatively, you can use a gateway provider to provide SMS access.
Q. Can Sentry-go respond to problems itself ?
Yes, when an alert is triggered, most monitoring components allow you to run an
automatic response such as a command (e.g. to restart a failed service), batch
file (e.g. to clear down temporary files to conserve disk space) or script (to
interface with an external system or database). You can also initiate a 3rd
party utility or application.
Q. Can I review alerts I may have missed ?
have missed ?
Yes, web reporting provides access to cached alert information. Simply access
Recent Alerts URL.
Q. Can I see the current status of the machine without waiting for an alert
to be triggered ?
Yes, the Current Status URL provides access to the latest monitored values for
all checks.
Q. If I don't receive any alerts, how do I know all is well ?
Ideally you don't want to see any alerts because this means the server &
software environment is performing well. But this of course might indicate a
network failure is preventing alerts from being sent! For peace of mind, one or
more Administrators can receive a Summary by e-mail which shows the total number
of errors for each monitoring component activated for the last 24 hours (or
since the last restart) whichever is later.
Q. Once I've been alerted to a problem, I will need time to resolve it
without being notified again. Do I need to reconfigure Sentry-go or turn it off
during this time ?
No. Sentry-go provides a means by which an alert can be ignored for a
period of time after it has been triggered - thus giving you time to resolve the
issue before the check is made again. This is especially useful for checks such
as free disk space which may take time to resolve.
Q. For some errors, I only wish to be informed if the fault occurs
continually over a longer period of time ? Can I achieve this with Sentry-go ?
Some checks are only really errors if the fault continues for a prolonged period
of time. High CPU usage is a good example. This may well exceed 80% or 90% at
times - e.g. when printing or performing heavy processing and this is fine, but
you may wish to know if it's continually higher than these values for say, 5
consecutive checks, each 30 seconds apart.
Q. I think I've corrected the error but wish to ensure the fix has worked.
How can Sentry-go help ?
Firstly Sentry-go will repeat the check at regular intervals, depending on
configuration values. In addition, Server Monitors provide HTML reports which
gives you real-time status information direct from the server itself, thus
showing if the problem is still occurring.
Q. Do I have to pay extra for alerting features ?
NNo, there is no additional cost for alerting options within Sentry-go Plus! If
you are using 3rd party tools or services, there may, of course, be an
associated charge for those, depending on the provider etc.
Q. Can I verify that my alerts are configured & working correctly ?
Yes, the Console allows you to test an alert once its defined. When performed,
the Console will connect to the appropriate monitor which in turn will run the
test from a web page and display the results. Where appropriate, you can then
verify that the expected action was carried out - e.g. the e-mail arrived etc.
Q. Can I log alerts or errors to a file or database ?
Yes, Sentry-go can easily log errors to both a text-based log or CSV
file (including your own format file) or an ODBC-compliant database such as SQL
Server & Microsoft Access.
Q. Can I log my alerts to an Event Log ?
Yes, you can use a scripted response to log details to the application event log
on either the local or remote machine. The Scripting Wizard can be used to
generate a suitable script for you.
Q. Can I record performance information using Sentry-go ?
Yes, the Performance Monitoring component allows you to log any captured
performance information to a CSV file via the Performance Optimiser. This can
then be viewed using the trend analysis report or imported into a 3rd party
application such as Microsoft Excel.
Q. Can I record blocked SQL queries to a log file ?
Yes, the SQL Server Block Monitoring Component allows you to configure this.
You can also trim the file automatically to discard older records.
Q. Can I record user access information for files/directories to a log file ?
Yes, the File Monitoring Component allows you to save this information. &
review it later. Details can be trimmed automatically if required.
Q. Do I have to pay extra for logging features ?
No, there is no additional cost for logging options.
Q. Can I graph performance information gathered by the monitor ?
Yes. The Performance Log (CSV) file can then be imported into other 3rd party
packages such as Microsoft Excel for further manipulation, graphing etc.
Q. Does Sentry-go require IIS or other web server to generate it's web
reports ?
No. Sentry-go contains a fully integrated web server. No additional
software is required.
Q. Is there any easy way to access Sentry-go Plus! web reports ?
Either enter its URL directly into your web browser or run the Client Console and access
reporting for the selected monitor from there.
Q. Can I password protect web reports ?
Yes, simply configure a password for all, some or no web reports through the
Client Console.
Q. Can I restrict access to the Sentry-go web server ?
Yes, you can define one or more IP-addresses or ranges of IP addresses that can
access the Sentry-go web server. All other addresses will be prevented from
accessing the server.
Q. What are the security implications of enabling the Sentry-go web server
component ?
The web server allows users to remotely access the monitor & it's stored
information from their web browser. You can protect this access with the use of
password protection & IP-address restrictions. It is also important to remember
that the Sentry-go web server is in-built for the purposes of the monitor - it
is deliberately not designed as a "generic" web server, nor can it run code,
scripts or malicious commands.
Q. Which web browsers are supported ?
In general, most newer web browsers should work with Sentry-go, although we
recommended Microsoft's Internet Explorer v6.x and above, Netscape Navigator
v6.x or above, or Mozilla Firefox.
Q. I wish to access reports externally but Sentry-go Plus! runs within our
firewall. Can I access them ?
Yes, you can automatically publish standard Sentry-go reports to an external web
server such as IIS and access them from there.
Q. Is there a way of checking the overall health of my server ?
Yes. Most web reports contain a indicator, known as the System Health indicator.
Using cached values, Sentry-go monitors & calculates the overall
performance of all checks as they are run. The percentage shown here is the
percentage of checks that, when last ran, were successful. It provides “at a
glance” confirmation on the status of all checks being performed and whether not
this overall performance (the trend) is improving or worsening.
Q. Do I need to purchase the Client Console separately ?
No, the Client Console is the primary client component for Sentry-go and is
included with the product.
Q. How do I download the Console ?
The Client Console is part of the downloadable Sentry-go monitor.
Q. Can I run more than one Client Console ?
Yes, you can run one, two or many copies within your organisation. For examples,
on all PCs in your support area or helpdesk.
Q. I've installed my Sentry-go monitors. How do I see them in the
Console ?
Once installed, simply register the monitor with each Client Console. Once
registered, their information will be saved locally and they can be viewed,
accessed and optionally conifgured as required.
Q. Can I see all alerts generated by Sentry-go ?
Yes, as long as the monitor is defined to the Client Console and running, you can view
alerts generated by it.
Q. Can I limit the output on the Console's alert display ?
Yes, you can filter on server or keywords/phrases within the message text.
Q. Do I need to have the main Console window screen showing all the time to
see alerts ?
No, standard alerts to e-mail/network messaging etc. will continue to operate
independently. In addition, you can configure Taskbar alerts - small popup
windows that display when a monitored (and optionally filtered) occurs.
Simply minimise the Console and you'll be notified on-screen if an event occurs.
Q. Do I need special permissions to run the Client Console ?
It is recommended that you run the Console from a user that has local
administratvie privileges.
Q. Can I control Sentry-go Plus! monitors through the Client Console ?
Yes. You can access, configure, enable & disable any registered
monitor using the Console. To stop/start the underlying service, use Windows
Services.
Q. Can I configure Sentry-go Plus! monitors through the Console ?
Yes, simply select the monitor and choose configure from the menu.
Q. Can I prevent other Console users configuring the monitor ?
Yes, you can password-protect the configuration function so that others will be
unable to access these options.
Q. I would like to make the same configuration change to a number of
installed monitors. Can I do this ?
Yes, you can use the Client Console to synchronise settings from one monitor to
one or more others.
Q. Do I need to enable the integrated web server in order to support the
Console ?
The integrated web server is required to run in order to support the Console.
However, you can independently disable the Console and/or Web reporting if
required.
Q. Can I restrict access to a monitor from the Console or web reports ?
Yes, you can limit access to one or more IP addresses, or range of IP
addresses.
Q. Does Sentry-go support dial-up networking ?
Yes, a number of monitoring components, including the FTP, HTML content, network
& alerting components allow you to connect to dial-up networking before they
run.
Q. How do I configure Sentry-go to use dial-up networking ?
Simply ...
- Define a default dial-up connection
- Where required, select the "Connect to dial-up networking" option
- Finally, define how you wish Sentry-go to cancel the dial-up connection
when complete.
You can choose to leave disconnect it immediately, after a given period of time or let
Windows handle the disconnection for you.
Q. Can Sentry-go Plus! take automatic action when a fault is detected ?
Yes, you can run a response, or alert one or more Administrators, or both.
Q. What action can it take ?
In addition to specific responses such as service restarts, print job
cancellation etc., you can respond by running a batch file, VBScript or 3rd
party application.
Q. Can I test responses myself ?
Yes, once defined, you can test the running of the script or file from within
the Cleint Console.
Q. The utility I wish to run has to be run from a given user, can I specify
this ?
Yes, simply select the user that you wish to run the response from within the
Client Console.
Q. Are there any limitations to the responses that can be run ?
You should consider the following points ...
- No prompts or GUI interfaces should be displayed as there will be no one to
acknowledge these
- You may need to run the response as a specific user, or as a user with
specific permissions
- The monitor will wait for the response to complete. It is assumed to have
completed when
the processes itself completed. If the response doesn't complete within 30 seconds, it will
be timed out and terminated by the monitor. The check & response will then assume to
have failed.
Q. How does the monitor know whether the response has worked ?
When the monitor determines the response has completed (and didn't time out),
the monitor will re-run the original check again. If this now succeeds, the
response will be considered successful. Otherwise, an alert will be triggered to
highlight the ongoing error.
Q. I wish to write my own response as a batch file. Are there any specific
considerations I should remember ?
Yes, in addition to those mentioned above, you should also bear in mind the
following ...
- Paths should normally be fully qualified
- Some utilities expect to run from the current directory
- "CD" into the appropriate directory before running the utility
- If the target directory is different from the drive on which the monitor is
running, change to
the new drive before CD'ing into the target directory. Otherwise, the CD command may not
work as you expect
- Use "echo" to trace output to a log file if required
- See also "running in tracing mode" below.
Q. I need to write a scripted response but don't feel
confident enough or have the time to do it myself. Can you help ?
Yes, there are a number of options we can suggest ...
- Standard scripts can be generated automatically by the
Sentry-go Scripting Wizard.
Simply
answer a few questions and let it write the script for you.
- Visit our
Script Library. There you'll find
a number of files & scripts to download for free!
- We can develop the script for you.
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