Add or manage a Nodinite Monitoring Agent Configuration
This guide teaches you how to configure Nodinite to connect and communicate with the Nodinite Monitoring Agents.
Each Nodinite Monitoring Agent has one entry with the current user-defined Configuration. You must be a member of the Nodinite Administrators' Role to manage the entry.
Nodinite uses the communication channel to synchronise the state of Resources and perform the Remote Actions initiated by Auto Healing or the end user.
Click the 'Quick Add Monitor Agent' or the 'Add Monitor Agent' button to enter the configuration details required for one installed Monitoring Agent.
General tab
The General tab provides the essential connection details for the Monitoring Agent Configuration.
Quick Add
The fastest way to add a new connection with a Monitoring Agent is to copy/paste the Quick Add JSON information from the README.txt file in the installation folder.
JSON Example
{"Name":"SQL on IBSSMIOLSRV01","Uri":"http://IBSSMIOLSRV01:8000/Nodinite/Monitor/Agent/SQL/","XApiKey":"71B32996-908E-1337-4
17E-E5018FD4A3B4","Description":null,"PollingInterval":60}
Example of the JSON quick add string from the README.txt file
Click the Apply button to get all fields populated after you have pasted the JSON content from the clipboard.
Add Monitoring Agent
The following properties exist:
- Name - is your user-friendly configuration name and is required.
- Description - is optional. Enter a user-friendly Description of this Configuration.
- Website - is optional. Provides the ability for an external link.
Connection Tab
From the Connection tab, you can configure some information that makes it possible for the Monitoring Service to communicate with the Monitoring Agent.
The following properties are available:
- Service URL (mandatory) - The Service URL is the address for the Monitoring Service to communicate with the Monitoring Agent.
The Monitoring Agents can use:
- Local LAN using TCP/IP.
- Anywhere using Service Bus Relaying.
The Service URL is always available in the README.txt file located in the installation folder of the Monitoring Agent.
- Polling Interval is required - Set how often the Monitoring Service polls for the actual state of the Resources. This value is set in Seconds using a positive Integer value. The default value is 60 seconds and is the recommended setting for production environments. You may decrease (bisect) this value in test and development environments.
TIP: Do not poll for status updates more often than really required by your business needs. A short poll interval will add pressure on valuable system resources.
Security Tab
From the Security tab, you can configure settings that govern security-related to the actual communication between the Monitoring Service to communicate with the Monitoring Agent.
The Authentication Key is usually available in the README.txt file located in the installation folder.
Check the 'Monitoring Agent Configuration is authenticated' checkbox to enter essential information for the connection.
- Authentication Key is required - Either the API key or the Service Bus Relaying connection information.
You must secure the connection to allow the Remote Configuration of the Monitoring Agent.
Shared Access Signature security Key. See the following Microsoft article for more information Grant limited access to Azure Storage resources using shared access signatures (SAS). The Monitoring Agent need additional manual configuration to use Service Bus Relaying.
The following is an example of a shared access key, use the Azure Portal to acquire real values.
SharedAccessKeyName=%RootManageSharedAccessKey%;SharedAccessKey=%SharedAccessKey%;AuthenticationKey=%AuthenticationKey%
Advanced Tab
Change the settings in the Advanced tab to configure other optional connection-related settings.
Check the Change default Timeout checkbox to change the default timeout. The default timeout value in the Advanced tab is 120 seconds (60 seconds in the general tab).
If you are tweaking these settings, most likely, the Monitoring Agent is having a hard time. Review the diagnostics file to diagnose this situation thoroughly or contact our support before you change these values.
Check the Change default Retry handling checkbox to allow the Monitoring Service additional chances to synchronise the state of the Resources. This setting should only be used if the connection between the Monitoring Service and the Monitoring is using an unreliable WAN link.
Common Problems
If the Monitoring Agent Configuration is invalid or the Monitoring Agent is unavailable (for example stopped/during reboot/update/...) and/or cannot be reached for whatever reason; it is displayed in the list of configured Monitoring Agents as being offline:
A warning message can also be seen when configuring the specific view. The information is refreshed in the background and disappears when the service comes back online or connectivity is re-established.
Monitor Views Tab
New 6.0 In the Monitor Views tab you can manage the Monitor Views using the current Monitoring Agent.
Click the Edit button to navigate further to manage the specific Monitor View.
Please review the Add or manage Monitor View user guide for details about this topic.
Click the Add Monitor View button to create a new Monitor View with a proposed name and the agent included. This feature saves a few clicks and helps you get faster into the game.
Resources Tab
From within the Resources tab, all Resources provided by the Monitoring Agent are listed in a clickable and sortable list that you also can apply various filters on. The total number of Resource is displayed.
The list contains the following Resource properties:
- State - The state reported from last synchronisation
- Name - The display name of the Resource
- Description - The user-friendly Description for the Resource
- Application - The Application the Resource belongs to
- Category - The Categories the Resource belongs to
- LogText - The output text information received from last synchronisation
- Error Code - The error code received from last synchronisation
- Included in Monitor Views - a counter with the number of Monitor Views containing the Resource
Configuration Backups tab
Nodinite automatically performs a backup of the configuration file for the Monitoring Agent.
You can install the Nodinite Monitoring Agents virtually anywhere and it may be easy to lose configuration data if the hosting server/environment dies. If you did not have a backup of your own; the configuration would be lost forever. Also, you might make a change by mistake and want to rollback to some older configuration. This feature makes it easier to test and rollback new configurations. Do make use of the Comment feature once the entry is in the list to document changes.
The background task that checks if there is a change to the configuration runs every 4 hours
The Nodinite Monitoring Service automatically removes old backups; please review the DaysToKeepMonitorAgentBackups system parameter for additional information.
Example list of available backups for selected Monitoring Agent
This feature has been partially in production with older versions of Nodinite. The size column is properly updated AFTER you have migrated to Nodinite 5.2 or later. If the Configuration version is unknown, click on the button and the version gets updated. With Nodinite version 6 the version is automatically set for new backups.
Download backup
You can download the configuration file. Select the backup from the list and click on the Actions button and select the Download menu item.
Restore backup
You can restore any configuration in the list that has the same version as the current. Select the backup from the list and click on the Actions button and select the Restore menu item.
You will then be prompted to confirm the restore operation:
Click the Yes button to perform the operation, and No to abort.
The result is provided as an Alert at the top of the page:
If you want to restore to an older configuration version; you must do this manually by stopping the agent, change/replace the Settings.json file and then restarting the Monitoring Agent. Please contact our support if you are uncertain or need help restoring to an older version. Be warned, there are potentially many problems with reverting to an old configuration.
Edit Pin & Comment
You can pin/unpin and manage a comment for any backup in the list. Select the backup from the list and click on the Actions button and select the Edit Pin & Comment menu item.
Delete backup
You can permanently delete any backup in the list. Select the backup from the list and click on the Actions button and select the Edit Pin & Comment menu item.
Control buttons
In the Control panel there are three buttons:
-
- Configuration
-
- Sync now
-
- Diagnostics
1. Configuration button
Click the Configuration button to open a dialogue for Remote Configuration. This is where you configure the actual Monitoring Agent so it knows what to do.
2. Sync now button
The Sync now button forces the Monitoring Service to perform a synchronisation right now and not to wait until its' next expired polling interval has lapsed.
Example of a successful synchronisation.
3. Diagnostics button
Click the Diagnostics button to download a package with the diagnostic files as one single ZIP. This ZIP file contains up to 6 log files as well as a text file with some basic information about the Monitoring Agent. This information is very often requested by our Support whenever you have a problem and is key to resolving problems. The log files are all in JSON format.
Example icon in the browser of downloaded ZIP file with diagnostics information
Example content: Do note the hefty compression, Nodinite is optimized to preserve disk space and network utilization.
The info.txt file
Nodinite diagnostics files that could contain vital information that could help us solve problem, attach this file in case you need to contact our support at support@nodinite.com
Assembly Information
Name: Nodinite.MonitoringAgent.IBMMQ
Version: 5.0.0.0
This file was automatically generated 2019-05-17 13:37:00 +02:00
Example content in the info.txt file part of the ZIP package.
If the diagnostic files does not exist, please review the following troubleshooing guide.
Run-time Information
You can view the following run-time information attributes in the Information panel:
- Connection status - The connection to the Monitoring Agent Configuration is continuously and automatically checked. You can see the status for the last alive check as well as the time of the last check.
- Agent Type - The type of Monitoring Agent (makes it possible to sort and filter in various lists within Nodinite, read-only).
- Server - The Server hosting the Monitoring Agent (user-defined).
- Environment - The reported/configured type of run-time environment for the Monitoring Agent (user-defined).
- Version - The current version of the Monitoring Agent (read-only).
- Config Version - The current version of the Configuration (read-only).
Next Step
Learn how to configure Remote Configuration
Monitoring Agents Overview
Add or manage a Monitoring Agent Configuration
Add or manage Monitor View