PRTG Manual: WMI Custom Sensor
The WMI Custom sensor performs a custom query via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and monitors numeric values (integers and floats).
If the WQL query returns strings, use the WMI Custom String sensor.
For a detailed list and descriptions of the channels that this sensor can show, see section Channel List.
- Dutch: WMI (Klant Specifiek)
- French: WMI personnalisé
- German: WMI (Benutzerdef.)
- Japanese: WMI カスタム
- Portuguese: WMI (customizado)
- Russian: Нестандартный WMI
- Simplified Chinese: WMI 自定义
- Spanish: WMI (personalizado)
- This sensor has a high performance impact. Stay below 200 WMI sensors per probe. Above this number, consider using multiple remote probes for load balancing.
- This sensor requires WoW64 (Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit) for target systems that run Windows Server 2016.
- This sensor requires credentials for Windows systems in the settings of the parent device.
- This sensor supports IPv6.
- Knowledge Base: Why do I have to store SQL sensor queries and custom scripts in files on the probe computer?
- Knowledge Base: How do I create a WMI Custom sensor?
You cannot add this sensor to the hosted probe of a PRTG Hosted Monitor instance. If you want to use this sensor, add it to a remote probe device.
Setting |
Description |
---|---|
Channel Name |
Enter a name for the channel in which PRTG shows the received data. PRTG shows this name in graphs and tables. Enter a string.
|
Setting |
Description |
---|---|
Sensor Name |
Enter a 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 |
The tags that the sensor inherits from its parent device, parent group, and parent probe.
|
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.
The sensor has the following default tags that are automatically predefined in the sensor's settings when you add the sensor:
|
Priority |
Select a priority for the sensor. This setting determines the position of the sensor in lists. The highest priority is at the top of a list. Choose from the lowest priority ( |
Setting |
Description |
---|---|
Namespace |
Enter the WMI namespace for the query. |
WQL File |
Select a .wql file. The sensor executes it with every scanning interval. The list contains WQL scripts that are available in the \Custom Sensors\WMI WQL scripts subfolder of the PRTG program directory on the probe system. Store your script there. If used on a cluster probe, you must store the file on all cluster nodes.
|
Placeholder <#PH1> |
In your WQL script, you can use up to three placeholders to which you can assign a value in this field. Enter a string for variable <#PH1> or leave the field empty. |
Placeholder <#PH2> |
In your WQL script, you can use up to three placeholders to which you can assign a value in this field. Enter a string for variable <#PH2> or leave the field empty. |
Placeholder <#PH3> |
In your WQL script, you can use up to three placeholders to which you can assign a value in this field. Enter a string for variable <#PH3> or leave the field empty. |
If Value Changes |
Define what the sensor does when its value changes:
|
Unit String |
Enter a unit for the data that the sensor receives from your script. This is for display purposes only. The unit is displayed in graphs and tables. Enter a string. |
Multiplication |
Define a multiplier for the received values. The default value 1 does not change received values. Enter an integer. |
Division |
Define a divisor for the received values. The default value 1 does not change received values. Enter an integer. |
Setting |
Description |
---|---|
Result Handling |
Define what PRTG does with the sensor result:
|
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.
|
Graph Type |
Define how different channels are shown for this sensor:
|
Stack Unit |
This setting 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. |
By default, all of these settings are inherited from objects that are higher in the hierarchy. We recommend that you change them centrally in the root group settings if necessary. To change a setting for this object only, click under the corresponding setting name to disable the inheritance and to display its options.
For more information, see section Inheritance of Settings.
For more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Scanning Interval.
Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window
You 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 schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. They are active at the same time as the parent objects' settings.
For more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window.
For more information, see section Root Group Settings, section Access Rights.
Which channels the sensor actually shows might depend on the target device, the available components, and the sensor setup.
Channel |
Description |
---|---|
Downtime |
In the channel table on the Overview tab, this channel never shows any values. PRTG uses this channel in graphs and reports to show the amount of time in which the sensor was in the Down status |
[Value] |
The retrieved numeric value
|
KNOWLEDGE BASE
Why do I have to store SQL sensor queries and custom scripts in files on the probe computer?
How do I create a WMI Custom sensor?
What security features does PRTG include?
How do I properly configure a WMI custom sensor?
Which WQL queries are used by the PRTG WMI sensors?
My WMI sensors don't work. What can I do?