PRTG Manual: HTTP Push Data Advanced Sensor
The HTTP Push Data Advanced sensor displays data from received messages that are pushed via a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request to PRTG. It provides a URL that you can use to push messages to the PRTG probe system via HTTP (insecure or TLS 1.2 encrypted).
- This sensor can show received values and a message encoded in valid XML or JSON in multiple channels.
For details about the return value format, see section Custom Sensors.
HTTP Push Data Advanced Sensor
Dutch: HTTP Push Data geavanceerd, French: Données avancées Push HTTP, German: HTTP Push-Daten (Erweitert), Japanese: HTTP プッシュデータ（アドバンスト）, Portuguese: Dados HTTP Avançado via Push, Russian: HTTP: Данные push-объекта (Расширенный), Simplified Chinese: HTTP 高级推送数据据, Spanish: HTTP Push de datos Avanzado
- For details about the usage, see manual section HTTP Push Data Advanced Sensor—How to Use.
- If you use this sensor with multiple channels, we recommend that you simultaneously push the data for all your channels to the PRTG server. You can push data to only one of your sensor channels, but in this case all other channels will record the value of 0 for this push message.
- This sensor type cannot be used in cluster mode. You can set it up on a local probe or remote probe only, not on a cluster probe.
- For a general introduction to the technology behind push, see section Monitoring via Push.
You cannot add this sensor type to the Hosted Probe of a PRTG hosted by Paessler instance. If you want to use this sensor type, please add it to a remote probe device.
This function is known as webhook. Basically, a webhook works like a push notification. Webhooks are usually triggered by some event (for example, a new comment to a blog post) and send according information to a specified URL. The HTTP Push Data Advanced sensor then displays the data of pushed and received messages.
The data that is pushed to this sensor must be valid XML or JSON.
For details about the return value format, see section Custom Sensors.
The HTTP Push Data Advanced sensor uses the following URLs depending on the type of HTTP request.
- GET requests: http://<probe_ip>:<port_number>/<token>?content=<valid XML_or_JSON>
The XML encoded value of the content parameter has to match the format as defined in section Custom Sensors. - POST requests: http://<probe_ip>:<port_number>/<token>
This HTTP request method sends the XML or JSON encoded HTTP body as POST data. The body has to match the format as defined in section Custom Sensors. We strongly recommend the HTTP content type application/xml or application/json.
Replace the parameters <probe_ip>, <port_number>, <token>, and <valid XML_or_JSON> (for GET requests) with the corresponding values:
- You can define port number and identification token in the sensor settings.
- The probe IP is the IP address of the system on which your PRTG probe with this sensor is running.
- The content of GET requests has to be valid XML or JSON in the PRTG API format.
The content has to be URL encoded (for example, the whitespaces in the sample URL below); most browsers achieve this automatically.
Minimum example for the GET method that returns one static channel value:
http://127.0.0.1:5050/XYZ123?content=<prtg><result><channel>MyChannel</channel><value>10</value></result><text>this%20is%20a%20message</text></prtg>
By default, values within the <value> tags in the returned XML or JSON must be integers to be processed. If float values are returned, you have to explicitly define this value type as defined in section Custom Sensors with <float> tags, otherwise the sensor will show 0 values in affected channels. Example:
http://127.0.0.1:5050/XYZ123?content=<prtg><result><channel>MyChannel</channel><value>10.45</value><float>1</float></result><text>this%20is%20a%20message</text></prtg>
You can use several sensors with the same port and identification token. In this case, the data of push messages will be shown in each of these sensors.
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 will not see all setting fields in this dialog. You can change (nearly) all settings in the sensor's Settings tab later.
The following settings for this sensor differ in the Add Sensor dialog in comparison to the sensor's Settings tab.
HTTP Push |
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SSL Settings |
Define the security of the incoming HTTP push requests. Choose between:
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Port |
This field is only visible if you choose HTTP above. Enter the number of the port on which this sensor listens for incoming HTTP requests. Default is 5050. |
SSL Port |
This field is only visible if you choose HTTPS above. Enter the number of the port on which this sensor listens for incoming HTTPS requests. Default is 5051. |
On the details page of a sensor, click the Settings tab to change its settings.
Usually, a sensor connects to the IP Address or DNS Name of the parent device where you created this sensor. See the Device Settings for details. For some sensor types, you can define the monitoring target explicitly in the sensor settings. See below for details on available settings.
Basic Sensor Settings |
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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. |
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. 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.
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Priority |
Select a priority for the sensor. This setting determines where the sensor is placed in sensor lists. Top priority is at the top of a list. Choose from one star (low priority) to five stars (top priority). |
HTTP Push |
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SSL Settings |
Shows whether the sensor accepts push messages via HTTP or HTTPS. Once a sensor is created, you cannot change this value. It is shown for reference purposes only. If you need to change this, please add the sensor anew. |
Port |
This field is only visible for sensors that accept push messages via HTTP. It shows the port number on which this sensor listens for incoming HTTP requests. Once a sensor is created, you cannot change this value. It is shown for reference purposes only. If you need to change this, please add the sensor anew. |
SSL Port |
This field is only visible for sensors that accept push messages via HTTPS. It shows the port number on which this sensor listens for incoming HTTPS requests. Once a sensor is created, you cannot change this value. It is shown for reference purposes only. If you need to change this, please add the sensor anew. |
Request Method |
Select the request method of your webhook:
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Identification Token |
This is the token that is used to find the matching sensor for the incoming message. When you create the sensor, this token is {__guid__}. This token will be replaced with an automatically generated token after you have completed the sensor creation. If you want to use another identification token, you can edit it during or after sensor creation.
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Incoming Request |
Define what PRTG will do with the incoming messages. Choose between:
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HTTP Push Data |
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No Incoming Data |
Define which status the sensor will show if it has not received a push message for at least two sensor scans. Choose between:
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Time Threshold (Minutes) |
This field is only visible if you select the error option above. Enter a time threshold in minutes. If this time elapses, the sensor will show a Down status if it has not received a push message within this time span. Please enter an integer value. The maximum threshold is 1440 minutes. |
Sensor Display |
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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 will always be 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 will be shown for this sensor.
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Stack Unit |
This setting is only available if stacked graphs are selected above. Choose a unit from the list. All channels with this unit will be 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 following settings are inherited from objects higher in the hierarchy and should be changed there, if necessary. Often, best practice is to change them centrally in the Root group's settings, see section Inheritance of Settings for more information. To change a setting only for this object, disable inheritance by clicking the button next to inherit from under the corresponding setting name. You will then see the options described below.
Scanning Interval |
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Click |
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Scanning Interval |
Select a scanning interval (seconds, minutes, or hours) from the list. The scanning interval determines the time 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 a sensor has time to reach and check a device again in case a sensor query fails. The sensor can try to re-reach and check a device several times, depending on the option you select here, before it will be set to a Down status. This helps you avoid false alarms if the monitored device has only temporary issues. For previous scanning intervals with failed requests, the sensor will show a Warning status. Choose between:
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Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window |
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Schedule |
Select a schedule from the list. Schedules can be used to monitor for a certain time span (days, hours) every week. With the period list option it is also possible to pause monitoring for a specific time span. You can create new schedules and edit existing ones in the account settings.
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Maintenance Window |
Specify if you want to set up a one-time maintenance window. During a "maintenance window" period, this object and all child objects will not be monitored. They will be in a Paused status instead. Choose between:
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Maintenance Begins |
This field is only visible if you enabled the 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 enabled the 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. Dependencies can be used to pause monitoring for an object depending on the status of another. You can choose between:
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Dependency |
This field is only visible if the Select object option is enabled above. Click on the reading-glasses and use the object selector to choose an object on which the current sensor will depend. |
Dependency Delay (Sec.) |
Define a time span in seconds for a dependency delay. After the master object for this dependency goes back to Up status, PRTG will start monitoring the depending objects after this extra delayed. This can help to avoid false alarms, for example, after a server restart, by giving systems more time for all services to start up. Please enter an integer value.
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Access Rights |
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Click |
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User Group Access |
Define which user group(s) will have access to the object you're editing. 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:
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.
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To change display settings, spike filter, and limits, switch to the sensor's Overview tab and click the gear icon of a specific channel. For detailed information, see the Sensor Channel Settings section.
Click the Notification Triggers tab to change notification triggers. For detailed information, see the Sensor Notification Triggers Settings section.
For more general information about settings, see the Object Settings section.
For information about sensor settings, see the following sections:
