PRTG Manual: EXE/Script Advanced Sensor
The EXE/Script Advanced sensor runs an executable file (.exe, .dll) or a script (batch file, VBScript, PowerShell) on the probe system. This option is provided as part of the PRTG API. The return value of this sensor must be valid Extensible Markup Language (XML) or JavaScript Object Notation (JSON).
For a detailed list and descriptions of the channels that this sensor can show, see section Channel List.
- Dutch: EXE/Script Geavanceerd
- French: Script/EXE version améliorée
- German: Programm/Skript (Erweitert)
- Japanese: EXE/スクリプト(アドバンスト)
- Portuguese: EXE/Script avançado
- Russian: Расширенный сенсор EXE/скрипта
- Simplified Chinese: 高级 EXE/脚本
- Spanish: EXE/Script Avanzado
- This sensor does not officially support more than 50 channels. Depending on the data used with this sensor, you might exceed the maximum number of supported channels. In this case, PRTG tries to display all channels. Be aware, however, that you experience limited usability and performance.
- You must store the executable or script file on the probe system. In a cluster, copy the file to every cluster node.
- This sensor requires that Remote PowerShell is enabled on the target system and PowerShell 3.0 on both the probe system and the target system.
- This sensor requires .NET 4.7.2 or later on the probe system.
- We recommend Windows 2012 R2 on the probe system for best performance of this sensor.
- If you want to execute a custom Windows Management Instrumentation Query Language (WQL) script, use the WMI Custom sensor.
- This sensor has a medium performance impact.
- See the Knowledge Base: What is the Mutex Name in the PRTG EXE/Script sensor settings?
- See the Knowledge Base: How can I test if parameters are correctly transmitted to my script when using an EXE/Script sensor?
- See the Knowledge Base: How can I show special characters with EXE/Script sensors?
- See the Knowledge Base: Why do I have to store SQL sensor queries and custom scripts in files on the probe computer?
- See the Knowledge Base: How can I use meta-scans for custom EXE/Script sensors?
You cannot add this sensor to the hosted probe of a PRTG hosted by Paessler instance. If you want to use this sensor, add it to a remote probe device.
Requirement |
Description |
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.NET Framework |
This sensor requires the Microsoft .NET Framework. .NET 4.7.2 or later must 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.
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Remote PowerShell |
This sensor uses PowerShell commands. To monitor devices with this sensor, Remote PowerShell access has to be enabled on the target computer. Also ensure that you have installed PowerShell 3.0 or later on both the probe system and the target system.
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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.
The following settings in the Add Sensor dialog differ in comparison to the sensor's Settings tab.
Sensor Settings
Setting |
Description |
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EXE/Script |
Select an executable file from the list. The sensor executes it with every scanning interval. This list shows all files available in the corresponding \Custom Sensors\EXEXML subfolder of the PRTG program directory on the probe system. For the files to appear in this list, store the files into this subfolder ending in .bat, .cmd, .dll, .exe, .ps1, or .vbs. To show the expected values and sensor states, your files must return the expected XML or JSON format to standard output. Values and message must be embedded in the XML or JSON.
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Click the Settings tab of a sensor to change its settings.
Usually, 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 |
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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.
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Parent Tags |
Shows tags that the sensor inherits from its parent device, parent group, and parent 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.
The sensor has the following default tags that are automatically predefined in the sensor's settings when you add the sensor:
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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 |
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EXE/Script |
Shows the executable or script file that the sensor executes with each scan as defined at sensor creation. 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. |
Parameters |
If your executable or script file catches command-line parameters, you can define them here. You can use placeholders as well. Enter a string or leave the field empty.
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Environment |
Select whether PRTG command-line parameters are also available as environment parameters:
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Security Context |
Define the Windows user account that the sensor uses to run the executable or script file:
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Mutex Name |
Define any desired mutual exclusion (mutex) name for the process. All EXE/Script sensors that have the same mutex name are executed serially (not simultaneously). This is useful if you use a lot of sensors and want to avoid high resource usage caused by processes running simultaneously. Enter a string or leave the field empty.
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Timeout (Sec.) |
Enter a timeout in seconds for the request. If the reply takes longer than this value, the sensor cancels the request and shows a corresponding error message. Enter an integer value. The maximum value is 900 seconds (15 minutes). |
Result Handling |
Define what the sensor does with the result that the executable file gives back:
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Setting |
Description |
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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.
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Graph Type |
Define how different channels are shown for this sensor:
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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.
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By default, all of the following settings are inherited from objects that are higher in the hierarchy. You should 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. You then see the options described below.
For more information, see section Inheritance of Settings.
Click to interrupt the inheritance.
Setting |
Description |
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Scanning Interval |
Select a scanning interval from the dropdown list. The scanning interval determines the amount of time that the sensor waits between two scans. Choose from:
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If a Sensor Query Fails |
Select the number of scanning intervals that the sensor has time to reach and to check a device again if a sensor query fails. Depending on the option that you select, the sensor can try to reach and to check a device again several times before the sensor shows the 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 the Warning status. Choose from:
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Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Windows
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.
Setting |
Description |
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Schedule |
Select a schedule from the list. You can use schedules to monitor during a certain time span (days or hours) every week. Choose from:
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Maintenance Window |
Select if you want to set up a one-time maintenance window. During a maintenance window, monitoring stops for the selected object and all child objects. They show the Paused status instead. Choose between:
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Maintenance Begins |
This setting 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 one-time maintenance window. |
Maintenance Ends |
This setting 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 one-time maintenance window. |
Dependency Type |
Select 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:
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Dependency |
This setting is only visible if you enable Select a sensor above. Click |
Dependency Delay (Sec.) |
This setting is only visible if you enable Select a sensor above. Define a time span in seconds for the dependency delay. After the master sensor for this dependency returns to the Up status, PRTG additionally delays the monitoring of the dependent objects by the time span you define. This can prevent false alarms, for example, after a server restart or to give systems more time for all services to start. Enter an integer value.
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Click to interrupt the inheritance.
Setting |
Description |
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User Group Access |
Define the user groups that have access to the sensor. 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:
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Click to interrupt the inheritance.
Setting |
Description |
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Channel Unit Types |
For each type of channel, select the unit in which PRTG displays the data. If you define this setting on probe, group, or device level, these settings can be inherited to all sensors underneath. You can set units for the following channel types (if available):
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Escape Special Characters and Whitespaces in Parameters
You need to escape special characters in parameters that you pass to an executable or script and surround them with quotation marks to make sure that the characters are correctly interpreted. PowerShell scripts in particular require adequate escaping so that the parameters are passed in a valid PowerShell syntax. PRTG automatically does most of the escaping for you.
Follow these rules to escape special characters and whitespaces in the parameters fields:
- Use quotes for parameters that contain whitespaces.
-name "Mr John Q Public"
-name 'Mr John Q Public'
- Use double quotes for parameters that contain single quotes.
-name "Mr 'John Q' Public"
- Use single quotes for parameters that contain double quotes.
-name 'Mr "John Q" Public'
- Use a backslash (\) to escape and pass a literal double quote.
-name pub\"lic
- Use double quotes for parameters that contain double and single quotes and escape double quotes.
-name "pu'b\"lic"
In SSH scripts, you can use alphanumeric characters and the special characters ".", "_", "-", "=", and "/" outside of quoted strings.
We recommend that you do not pass passwords in parameters. Use PRTG placeholders instead. See section Custom Sensors for details.
Which channels the sensor actually shows might depend on the monitored device, the available components, and the sensor setup.
Channel |
Description |
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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 in percent. |
[Value] |
The values that the executable file or script file returns in several channels
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KNOWLEDGE BASE
What is the Mutex Name in the EXE/Script sensor settings?
How can I test if parameters are correctly transmitted to my script when using an EXE/Script sensor?
How can I show special characters with EXE/Script sensors?
Why do I have to store SQL sensor queries and custom scripts in files on the probe computer?
How can I use meta-scans for custom EXE/Script sensors?
Which .NET version does PRTG require?
How do I enable and use remote commands in Windows PowerShell?
What security features does PRTG include?
How and where does PRTG store its data?
For which sensor types do you recommend Windows Server 2012 R2 or later and why?
How can I test if parameters are correctly transmitted to my script when using an EXE/Script sensor?
For more information about sensor settings, see the following sections: