PRTG Manual: Event Log (Windows API) Sensor

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, separated by spaces or commas. You can use tags to group sensors and use tag–filtered views later on. Tags are not case sensitive. We recommend that you use the default value.

There are default tags that are automatically predefined in a sensor's settings when you add a sensor. See section Default Tags below.

You can add additional tags to the sensor if you like. Other tags are automatically inherited from objects further up in the device tree. These are visible above as Parent Tags.

It 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).

Logfile

Specify the logfile that this sensor monitors. The Windows event log provides several different logfiles:

• Application
• System
• Security
• Directory Service
• DNS Server
• File Replication Service

Event Type

Specify the type of event that this sensor processes:

• Any
• Error
• Warning
• Information
• Security Audit Success
• Security Audit Failure

Other event types cannot be processed.

Filter by Source

Filter all received events for a certain event source:

• Off: Do not filter by event source.
• On: Enable filtering by event source.
  If you enable this option, this sensor only processes messages that match the defined value.

Filter Type

This field is only visible if Filter by Source is enabled above. Select the filter type:

• Include filter: Include the specified value and disregard all other values.
• Exclude filter: Exclude the specified value and regard all other values.

Match String (Event Source)

This field is only visible if Filter by Source is enabled above. Enter an event source that you want to filter for. Depending on the kind of filter, the event source is processed (Include filter option) or not processed (Exclude filter option). Enter a string.

Filter by ID

Filter all received events for a certain event ID:

• Off: Do not filter by event ID.
• On: Enable filtering by event ID.
  If you enable this option, this sensor only processes messages that match the defined values.

Filter Type

This field is only visible if ID filtering is On above. Select a filter type:

• Include filter: Include the specified value and disregard all other values.
• Exclude filter: Exclude the specified value and regard all other values.

Match Values (Event ID)

This field is only visible if Filter by ID is enabled above. Enter an event ID that you want to filter for. Depending on the kind of filter, the event ID is processed (Include filter option) or not processed (Exclude filter option).

The Event Log (Windows API) sensor supports more than one event ID. Using this sensor, you can enter a comma-separated list of event IDs to filter for more than one ID. For example: 1100,4627,4747,4884,5050,6422.

The WMI Event Log sensor supports filtering for only one ID.

Filter by Category

Filter all received events for a certain event category:

• Off: Do not filter by event category.
• On: Enable filtering by event category.
  If you enable this option, this sensor only processes messages that match the defined value.

Filter Type

This field is only visible if Filter by Category is enabled above. Select a filter type:

• Include filter: Include the specified value and disregard all other values.
• Exclude filter: Exclude the specified value and regard all other values.

Match String (Event Category)

This field is only visible if Filter by Category is enabled above. Enter a category that you want to filter for. Depending on the kind of filter, the event category is processed (Include filter option) or not processed (Exclude filter option). Enter a string.

Filter by User

Filter all received events for a certain event user:

• Off: Do not filter by event user.
• On: Enable filtering by event user.
  If you enable this option, this sensor only processes messages that match the defined value.

Filter Type

This field is only visible if Filter by User is enabled above. Select a filter type:

• Include filter: Include the specified value and disregard all other values.
• Exclude filter: Exclude the specified value and regard all other values.

Match String (Event User)

This field is only visible if Filter by User is enabled above. Enter a username that you want to filter for. Depending on the kind of filter, the event user is processed (Include filter option) or not processed (Exclude filter option). Enter a string.

Filter by Computer

Filter all received events for a certain event computer:

• Off: Do not filter by event computer.
• On: Enable filtering by event computer.
  If you enable this option, this sensor only processes messages that match the defined value.

Filter Type

This field is only visible if Filter by Computer is enabled above. Select a filter type:

• Include filter: Include the specified value and disregard all other values.
• Exclude filter: Exclude the specified value and regard all other values.

Match String (Event Computer)

This field is only visible if Filter by Computer is enabled above. Enter a computer name that you want to filter for. Depending on the kind of filter, the event computer is processed (Include filter option) or not processed (Exclude filter option). Enter a string.

Filter by Message

Filter all received events for a certain event message:

• Off: Do not filter by event message.
• On: Enable filtering by event message.
  If you enable this option, this sensor only processes messages that match the defined value.

Filter Type

This field is only visible if Filter by Message is enabled above. Select a filter type:

• Include filter: Include the specified value and disregard all other values.
• Exclude filter: Exclude the specified value and regard all other values.

Match String (Event Message)

This field is only visible if message filtering is On above. Enter a message that you want to filter for. Depending on the kind of filter, the event message is processed (Include filter option) or not processed (Exclude filter option). Enter a string.

You must use the percent sign (%) as wildcard for any or no character if you want to check if the string is part of the message. Otherwise, the whole event message must match the string. For example, you can enter %RAS% for any event source containing the string RAS.

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.

You 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.
  This 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.

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

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.

Sensors 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.

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

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

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 settings here. They are active at the same time as the parent objects' settings.

Schedule

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

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

Schedules are generally inherited. New schedules are added to existing schedules, 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 current 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 a currently running maintenance window.

To terminate a current 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.

To 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 help avoid false alarms, for example, after a server restart, by giving systems more time for all services to start up. Enter an integer value.

This 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.

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

User Group Access

Define the user groups that have access to the selected object. A table with user groups and types of access rights is shown. It contains all user groups from your setup. For each user group, you can choose from the following access rights:

• Inherited: Use the access rights settings of the parent object.
• None: Users in this group cannot see or edit the object. The object neither shows up in lists nor in the device tree. Exception: If a child object is visible to the user, the object is visible in the device tree but it cannot be accessed.
• Read: Users in this group can see the object and review its monitoring results.
• Write: Users in this group can see the object, review its monitoring results, and edit its settings. They cannot edit access rights settings.
• Full: Users in this group can see the object, review its monitoring results, edit its settings, and edit access rights settings.

You can create new user groups in the System Administration—User Groups settings. To automatically set all objects further down in the hierarchy to inherit this object's access rights, set a check mark for the Revert children's access rights to inherited option.

For more details on access rights, see section User Access Rights.