PRTG Manual: SCVMM Virtual Machine Sensor

This Sensor Type Is Deprecated!

This sensor type is deprecated. We provide the documentation in this section for your information only. We removed this sensor type from PRTG with version 16.x.25 (expected in May 2016). Your sensor will then stop monitoring and show a Down status.

See the following article for details and possible alternatives for deprecated sensors:

Knowledge Base: The PRTG Sensor Cleanup

Alternative Sensor Type

Please use the custom sensor as provided in the following article instead:

Knowledge Base: How can I monitor SCVMM hosts and VMs with PRTG?

The SCVMM Virtual Machine sensor monitors a virtual machine (VM) that is managed by a Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM). This can be, for example, a Hyper-V virtual machine, a VMware virtual machine, or a XenServer virtual machine.

It can show the following:

  • CPU usage
  • Status of the monitored VM
  • Disk read speed
  • Disk write speed
SCVMM Virtual Machine Sensor

SCVMM Virtual Machine Sensor

Click here to enlarge: http://media.paessler.com/prtg-screenshots/scvmm_virtual_machine.png

Remarks

  • Requires .NET 4.0 or higher on the probe system.
  • Requires Windows credentials in the parent device settings.
  • Requires Remote PowerShell 2.0 on the target device.
  • Requires the VMM PowerShell Plugin on the target device.
  • Requires the Windows Management Framework to be installed on the probe system.
  • There are requirements for Windows Server 2012 compatibility.
  • Knowledge Base: PowerShell Sensors: FAQ
  • This sensor uses lookups to determine the status values of one or more channels. This means that possible states are defined in a lookup file. You can change the behavior of a channel by editing the lookup file that the channel uses. For details, see section Define Lookups.
  • This sensor can have a high impact on the performance of your monitoring system. Use it with care. We recommend that you use no more than 50 sensors of this sensor type on each probe.

Requirement: .NET Framework

This sensor type requires the Microsoft .NET Framework to be installed on the probe system (on every cluster node, if on a cluster probe). If the framework is missing, you cannot create this sensor.

Required .NET version (with latest updates): .NET 4.0 (Client Profile is sufficient), .NET 4.5, or .NET 4.6.

i_square_cyanFor more information, see the Knowledge Base: Which .NET version does PRTG require?

Requirement: Windows Credentials

Requires Windows credentials in the settings of the parent device. Preferably, use Windows domain credentials.

i_round_redIf you use local credentials, make sure that the same Windows user accounts (with the same username and password) exist on both the probe system and the target computer. Otherwise, the sensor cannot correctly connect.

Requirement: Remote PowerShell 2.0

This sensor type uses PowerShell commands. In order to monitor devices with this sensor, Remote PowerShell 2.0 has to be enabled.

Note: PowerShell 1.0 is not supported.

Note: In larger environments, the default memory limit for the remote shell might be insufficient and you might see the error message "The WSMan provider host process did not return a proper response". In this case, increase the memory limit for Remote PowerShell.

For detailed information, see the More section below.

Requirement: VMM PowerShell Plugin

This sensor type needs the VMM PowerShell Plugin to be installed on the target machine. Under Windows 2008 R2 and 2012 it is part of the VMM 2008 Administrator Console, or the VMM 2012 Management Console, respectively.

Note: To provide good performance, the SCVMM only reads the performance data from time to time and caches them. Because of this, updates can take up to several minutes. If your monitoring returns the same values again and again, increase the scanning interval.

Requirement: Windows Management Framework

This sensor type needs the Windows Management Framework 1.0 or later to be installed on the probe system: Either on the local system (on every cluster node, if on a cluster probe), or on the remote probe system. This is because the sensor requires the System.Management.Automation namespace which is part of the Windows Management Framework.

Requirement for Windows Server 2012 Compatibility

To make this sensor type compatible for Windows Server 2012 systems, you have to meet the following requirements:

  • The SCVMM PowerShell module has to be in the directory C:\Program Files\Microsoft System Center 2012\Virtual Machine Manager\bin\psModules\virtualmachinemanager\virtualmachinemanager.
  • You have to set the execution policy in PowerShell to allow the execution of Import-Module C:\Program Files\Microsoft System Center 2012\Virtual Machine Manager\bin\psModules\virtualmachinemanager\virtualmachinemanager. Use the command Set-ExecutionPolicy. We recommend the execution policy RemoteSigned. AllSigned and Unrestricted are also possible.

Add Sensor

The Add Sensor dialog appears when you manually add a new sensor to a device. It only shows the setting fields that are required for creating the sensor. Therefore, you do not see all setting fields in this dialog. You can change (nearly) all settings in the sensor's Settings tab later.

Select the VMs that you want to monitor. PRTG creates one sensor for each VM that you select in the Add Sensor dialog.

The settings you select are valid for all sensors that you create when you finish this dialog.

The following settings for this sensor differ in the Add Sensor dialog in comparison to the sensor's Settings tab.

Virtual Machine Settings

Virtual Machine

Select the VMs that you want to add a sensor for.

You see a list with the names of all items that you can monitor. Add check marks in front of the respective lines to select the desired items. You can also use the check box in the table header to select all items or cancel the selection.

i_round_bluePRTG creates one sensor for each selection.

Note: Ensure that the names of your VMs do not contain unsupported characters, especially avoid the number sign (#). We recommend that you not rename VMs once you have set up monitoring. For detailed information, see the More section below.

Sensor Settings

Click the Settings tab of a sensor to change its settings.

i_round_blueUsually, a sensor connects to the IP Address or DNS Name of the parent device on which you created the sensor. See the device settings for details. For some sensors, you can explicitly define the monitoring target in the sensor settings. See below for details on available settings.

Setting

Description

Sensor Name

Enter a meaningful name to identify the sensor. By default, PRTG shows this name in the device tree, as well as in alarms, logs, notifications, reports, maps, libraries, and tickets.

Parent Tags

Shows tags that this sensor inherits from its parent device, group, and probe. This setting is shown for your information only and cannot be changed here.

Tags

Enter one or more tags. Confirm each tag with the Spacebar key, a comma, or the Enter key. You can use tags to group objects and use tag-filtered views later on. Tags are not case-sensitive. Tags are automatically inherited. You can add additional tags to the sensor. There are default tags that are automatically predefined in a sensor's settings when you add a sensor.

i_round_blueIt is not possible to enter tags with a leading plus (+) or minus (-) sign, nor tags with parentheses (()) or angle brackets (<>).

Priority

Select a priority for the sensor. This setting determines where the sensor is placed in sensor lists. A sensor with a top priority is at the top of a list. Choose from one star (low priority) to five stars (top priority).

Virtual Machine Settings

Virtual Machine

Shows the VM that this sensor monitors. Once you have created the sensor, you cannot change this value. It is shown for reference purposes only. If you need to change this value, add the sensor anew.

Sensor Result

Define what PRTG does with the sensor results:

  • Discard sensor result: Do not store the sensor result.
  • Write sensor result to disk (file name: Result of Sensor [ID].txt): Store the last result received from the sensor to the \Logs\sensors subfolder of the PRTG data directory on the probe system (master node, if in a cluster). File names: Result of Sensor [ID].txt and Result of Sensor [ID].Data.txt. This is for debugging purposes. PRTG overwrites these files with each scanning interval.
    i_podThis option is not available when the sensor runs on the hosted probe of a PRTG Hosted Monitor instance.

Sensor Display

Setting

Description

Primary Channel

Select a channel from the list to define it as the primary channel. In the device tree, the last value of the primary channel is always displayed below the sensor's name. The available options depend on what channels are available for this sensor.

i_round_blueYou can set a different primary channel later by clicking the pin symbol of a channel on the sensor's Overview tab.

Graph Type

Define how different channels are shown for this sensor:

  • Show channels independently (default): Show a graph for each channel.
  • Stack channels on top of each other: Stack channels on top of each other to create a multi-channel graph. This generates a graph that visualizes the different components of your total traffic.
    i_round_blueThis option cannot be used in combination with manual Vertical Axis Scaling (available in the channel settings).

Stack Unit

This field is only visible if you enable Stack channels on top of each other as Graph Type. Select a unit from the list. All channels with this unit are stacked on top of each other. By default, you cannot exclude single channels from stacking if they use the selected unit. However, there is an advanced procedure to do so.

Inherited Settings

By default, all of the following settings are inherited from objects that are higher in the hierarchy and should be changed there if necessary. Often, best practice is to change them centrally in the root group settings. For more information, see section Inheritance of Settings. To change a setting for this object only, disable inheritance by clicking the button next to inherit from under the corresponding setting name. You then see the options described below.

Scanning Interval

Click b_inherited_enabled to interrupt the inheritance. See section Inheritance of Settings for more information.

Setting

Description

Scanning Interval

Select a scanning interval (seconds, minutes, or hours). The scanning interval determines the amount of time that the sensor waits between two scans. You can change the available intervals in the system administration on PRTG on premises installations.

If a Sensor Query Fails

Define the number of scanning intervals that the sensor has time to reach and check a device again in case a sensor query fails. Depending on the option that you select, the sensor can try to reach and check a device again several times before the sensor shows a Down status. This can avoid false alarms if the monitored device only has temporary issues. For previous scanning intervals with failed requests, the sensor shows a Warning status. Choose from:

  • Set sensor to down immediately: Set the sensor to a Down status immediately after the first failed request.
  • Set sensor to warning for 1 interval, then set to down (recommended): Set the sensor to a Warning status after the first failed request. If the following request also fails, the sensor shows an error.
  • Set sensor to warning for 2 intervals, then set to down: Set the sensor to a Down status only after three consecutively failed requests.
  • Set sensor to warning for 3 intervals, then set to down: Set the sensor to a Down status only after four consecutively failed requests.
  • Set sensor to warning for 4 intervals, then set to down: Set the sensor to a Down status only after five consecutively failed requests.
  • Set sensor to warning for 5 intervals, then set to down: Set the sensor to a Down status only after six consecutively failed requests.

i_round_blueSensors that monitor via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) always wait at least one scanning interval before they show a Down status. It is not possible to immediately set a WMI sensor to a Down status, so the first option does not apply to these sensors. All other options can apply.

i_round_blueIf you define error limits for a sensor's channels, the sensor immediately shows a Down status. No "wait" option applies.

i_round_blueIf a channel uses lookup values, the sensor immediately shows a Down status. No "wait" options apply.

Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window

i_round_blueYou cannot interrupt the inheritance for schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. The corresponding settings from the parent objects are always active. However, you can define additional settings here. They are active at the same time as the parent objects' settings.

Setting

Description

Schedule

Select a schedule from the list. Schedules can be used to monitor for a certain time span (days or hours) every week.

i_square_cyanYou can create schedules, edit schedules, or pause monitoring for a specific time span. For more information, see section Account Settings—Schedules.

i_round_blueSchedules are generally inherited. New schedules are added to schedules that you already set up, so all schedules are active at the same time.

Maintenance Window

Specify if you want to set up a one-time maintenance window. During a maintenance window, the selected object and all child objects are not monitored. They are in a Paused status instead. Choose between:

  • Not set (monitor continuously): No maintenance window is set and monitoring is always active.
  • Set up a one-time maintenance window: Pause monitoring within a maintenance window. You can define a time span for a monitoring pause below and change it even for an active maintenance window.

i_round_blueTo terminate an active maintenance window before the defined end date, change the time entry in Maintenance Ends to a date in the past.

Maintenance Begins

This field is only visible if you enable Set up a one-time maintenance window above. Use the date time picker to enter the start date and time of the maintenance window.

Maintenance Ends

This field is only visible if you enable Set up a one-time maintenance window above. Use the date time picker to enter the end date and time of the maintenance window.

Dependency Type

Define a dependency type. You can use dependencies to pause monitoring for an object depending on the status of a different object. You can choose from:

  • Use parent: Use the dependency type of the parent object.
  • Select a sensor: Use the dependency type of the parent object. Additionally, pause the current object if a specific sensor is in a Down status or in a Paused status caused by another dependency.
  • Master sensor for parent: Make this sensor the master object for its parent device. The sensor influences the behavior of its parent device: If the sensor is in a Down status, the device is paused. For example, it is a good idea to make a Ping sensor the master object for its parent device to pause monitoring for all other sensors on the device in case the device cannot even be pinged. Additionally, the sensor is paused if the parent group is paused by another dependency.

i_round_blueTo test your dependencies, select Simulate Error Status from the context menu of an object that other objects depend on. A few seconds later, all dependent objects are paused. You can check all dependencies under Devices | Dependencies in the main menu bar.

Dependency

This field is only visible if you enable Select a sensor above. Click the Search button and use the object selector to select a sensor on which the current object will depend.

Dependency Delay (Sec.)

This field is only visible if you enable Select a sensor above. Define a time span in seconds for dependency delay.

After the master sensor for this dependency comes back to an Up status, monitoring of the dependent objects is additionally delayed by the defined time span. This can prevent false alarms, for example, after a server restart, by giving systems more time for all services to start up. Enter an integer value.

i_round_redThis setting is not available if you set this sensor to Use parent or to be the Master sensor for parent. In this case, define delays in the parent device settings or in its parent group settings.

Access Rights

Click b_inherited_enabled to interrupt the inheritance. See section Inheritance of Settings for more information.

Setting

Description

User Group Access

Define the user groups that have access to the object. You see a table with user groups and group access rights. The table contains all user groups in your setup. For each user group, you can choose from the following group access rights:

  • Inherited: Inherit the access rights settings of the parent object.
  • No access: Users in this user group cannot see or edit the object. The object neither shows up in lists nor in the device tree.
    i_round_blueThere is one exception: If a user in this user group has access to a child object, the parent object is visible in the device tree but users in this user group cannot access it.
  • Read access: Users in this group can see the object and view its monitoring results. They cannot edit any settings.
  • Write access: Users in this group can see the object, view its monitoring results, and edit its settings. They cannot edit its access rights settings.
  • Full access: Users in this group can see the object, view its monitoring results, edit its settings, and edit its access rights settings.

To automatically set all child objects to inherit this object's access rights, enable the Revert children's access rights to inherited option.

i_square_cyanFor more details on access rights, see section Access Rights Management.

More

Knowledge Base: Why don't my Hyper-V sensors work after changing names?

i_square_blueKNOWLEDGE BASE

I have problems with the PowerShell Exchange sensors, what can I do?

How do I enable and use remote commands in Windows PowerShell?

My PowerShell sensor returns an error message. What can I do?

I get the error "WinRM cannot process the request" when I try to use a PowerShell sensor

How can I increase memory for Remote PowerShell?

Knowledge Base: Which .NET version does PRTG require?

Edit Channels

To change display settings, spike filtering, and limits, switch to the sensor's Overview tab and click the gear icon of a specific channel. For detailed information, see section Sensor Channel Settings.

Notification Triggers

Click the Notification Triggers tab to change notification triggers. For detailed information, see section Sensor Notification Triggers Settings.

Others

For more general information about settings, see section Object Settings.

Sensor Settings Overview

For information about sensor settings, see the following sections: