ADMINISTRATOR GUIDE

Server & Application

Monitor
2025.1

Last Updated: Monday, February 10, 2025

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Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 2

Table of Contents
Introduction to SolarWinds SAM 6
Ready to get started with SAM? 8
About SolarWinds Platform features in SAM 8
Log in to the SolarWinds Platform to use SAM 11
SAM licensing model 11
Discover servers in your SAM environment 21
Discover applications in your SAM environment 22
Use the Application Discovery wizard to add multiple nodes in SAM 22
Use the Add Node wizard to assign SAM application monitors to a node 24
Customize Application Details views in SAM 25
Customize Application Summary views in SAM 26
View node and application data in SAM tooltips 26
Add SAM data to the Node Details view 28
Monitor your environment with SAM 29
Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM 30
Monitor your SAM environment with AppStack 43
Use alerts to monitor your SAM environment 67
Monitor processes, services, tasks, and events in real time 67
Use SolarWinds Platform Remote Collector with SAM 82
Monitor your virtual infrastructure with SAM 84
Monitor cloud-based instances and VMs in SAM 84
Use API pollers to monitor metrics in SAM 87
Get started with your first API poller 89
How the API Poller feature in SAM works 90
Manage API pollers 111
Work with API pollers 135
Troubleshoot API pollers in SAM 146
Use SAM application monitor templates and application monitors 151
Application monitor templates 153

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 3

 Component monitors 154
Assigned application monitors 154
Assigned component monitors 156
Learn more 156
About the template and application monitor relationship 157
Best practices for SAM templates, application monitors, and script monitors 158
Manage SAM application monitor templates and application monitors 168
Manage application monitor thresholds in SAM 194
Use WinRM for application monitor polling in SAM 205
Work with SAM component monitors 218
Use PowerShell in SAM 232
Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts 238
Example tasks for SAM application monitors 250
Monitor with AppInsight applications 261
Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory 263
Monitor with AppInsight for Exchange 280
Monitor with AppInsight for IIS 303
Monitor with AppInsight for SQL 320
Use automation scripts to add AppInsight applications to nodes with the SolarWinds
Platform SDK 341
Integrate AppOptics monitoring into SAM 345
AppOptics integration requirements 346
Retrieve a SolarWinds Cloud Token to integrate AppOptics with SAM 347
Monitor APM services in SAM 349
Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes 356
Monitor application dependencies in SAM 367
How the Application Dependencies feature in SAM works 369
Application Dependencies requirements in SAM 371
Configure Application Dependencies settings in SAM 373
Display application dependency data in SAM 375
Manage polling for application dependencies 381
Troubleshoot application dependency issues in SAM 386

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 4

 Troubleshoot agent-related issues for application dependencies in SAM 387
Troubleshoot data-related issues for application dependencies in SAM 389
Troubleshoot miscellaneous application dependency issues 392
Locate SAM application dependencies log files 394
Monitor hardware health in SAM 396
Hardware health monitoring requirements for HPE and IBM devices in SAM 397
Enable hardware health monitoring for nodes in SAM 399
Monitor hardware health for VMware in SAM 399
Configure certificate error handling for hardware health polling 401
Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring in SAM 402
Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring on SNMP nodes 404
Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring on WMI nodes 407
Troubleshoot ESX hardware monitoring 408
Monitor Asset Inventory in SAM 410
Asset Inventory polling requirements 411
Enable Asset Inventory polling for multiple nodes in SAM 413
Enable Asset Inventory polling for individual nodes in SAM 416
Display Asset Inventory data in SAM 417
Display the warranty status for physical servers in SAM 418
Adjust the Asset Inventory polling frequency in SAM 420
Configure SSL certificate validation for Asset Inventory polling 421
Disable Asset Inventory polling in SAM 421
Troubleshoot Asset Inventory polling issues in SAM 423
Manage credentials in SAM 424
Manage credentials for API pollers, AppOptics integrations, and container monitoring in SAM 425
Use the Credentials Library for SAM component monitor credentials 428
Use the Certificate Credentials Library to store SSH keys for Linux/Unix script monitors 430

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 5

 Introduction to SolarWinds SAM

Introduction to SolarWinds SAM

SolarWinds SAM gives you the tools to monitor your servers and applications through a single web
console. It provides custom collections of templates, application monitors, and alerts to intelligently
monitor application status and issues. Monitor over 200 application types including application
servers, authentication servers, database servers, and more.

With SAM, you can monitor public, private, or hybrid environments in a variety of ways, including:
l AppStack: Use interactive visual mapping to gain an in-depth perspective through the entire
environment to help identify the root cause of performance and availability issues.
l Performance Analysis (PerfStack) dashboards: Correlate historical and real-time data from
multiple SolarWinds products and entity types in a single view for in-depth troubleshooting
l Cloud monitoring: Monitor IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS applications and servers on-premises, with
optional agents for cloud services like AWS, Microsoft Azure, Rackspace, and more. Hybrid
cloud monitoring allows you to keep track of your applications, even when they move from on-
premises to the cloud.
l Container monitoring: View, track, and correlate key performance metrics, including CPU,
memory, and uptime, for Docker, Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, and Apache Mesos containers.
l API pollers: If you can access an external REST API, you can use the API Poller feature to collect
data from modern application stacks and display it in SAM dashboards.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 6

 Introduction to SolarWinds SAM

l AppInsight applications: Monitor Microsoft Active Directory, Exchange, IIS, and SQL servers and
display metrics, status, and issues to manage and maintain applications and servers.
l Application monitor templates: Combine process monitors, port availability, and performance
counters to assess every aspect of an application, including status and overall health.
l Application dependencies: Detect how applications and nodes interact to ensure important data
for key applications is monitored.
l Server infrastructure monitoring: Discover and store IT Asset Inventory data on your servers,
while monitoring hardware health to ensure server and application uptime.

SAM is part of the SolarWinds Platform, making it easy to add other modules to expand your
monitoring capabilities. There are many ways to integrate SAM with other SolarWinds Platform
products, including:
l The Systems Management Bundle includes SAM and the following modules:
o Virtualization Manager (VMAN): Gain insight into performance, capacity, and usage of your

virtual infrastructure, including hosts, VMs, clusters, containers, virtual storage area
networks (vSANs), and other datastores.
o Storage Resource Monitor (SRM): Provide performance monitoring and alerting across all

your storage arrays.

o Web Performance Monitor (WPM): Find and fix both web and SaaS application

performance issues before users are affected. When used with SAM, WPM can map the
relationship between web transactions and the supporting infrastructure, allowing you to
see overall status details in one place. For example, SAM may show that Microsoft IIS is
running, but WPM can notify you if sites take too long to load. After you remedy the
situation, WPM can validate that the user transactions are operating successfully.
l The Server Performance & Configuration Bundle combines SAM with Server Configuration
Monitor (SCM) to offer performance monitoring and change detection in a unified solution.
l The Log and Systems Performance Pack pairs SAM with Log Analyzer so you can aggregate,
search, and chart log data while tracking system performance.
l The Application Performance Optimization Pack includes SAM and Database Performance
Analyzer (DPA).
o Add response-time analysis to see the root cause of application issues.

o Use historic analysis and dynamic baselines to spot SQL tuning problems.

l IT Operations Manager combines SAM with VMAN and SRM.

Did you know that when an alert indicates that an application failed, you can use SolarWinds
IPAM to quickly determine if a broken or missing DNS record is at fault?

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 7

 Ready to get started with SAM?

Ready to get started with SAM?

Click here to download a free trial. After installing SAM, see the SAM Getting Started Guide. If you're
already using SAM, you can easily add other products from the My Deployment page in the
SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

SolarWinds recommends using the latest version of SAM and the SolarWinds Platform,
including hotfixes and service releases.

About SolarWinds Platform features in SAM

The SolarWinds Platform is at the core of the SolarWinds IT Management Portfolio. It provides a
stable and scalable architecture that includes data collection, processing, storage, and presentation.
It also offers common features such as user accounts, views, dashboards, and alerting that you can
use across all SolarWinds Platform products, as summarized here.

If you're new to SAM, review this section for details that may be helpful as you explore your
environment. To learn more, see the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide.

SolarWinds Platform basics

Log in to SAM in a web browser to open the SolarWinds Platform Web Console and get started
with SAM. Accessible from any computer connected to the Internet, the SolarWinds Platform
Web Console includes views (individual pages) and widgets (informational blocks on views). To
learn more, watch Navigating the Web Console.

Manage SolarWinds Platform Web Console user accounts to set user rights, reset passwords,
limit access to network segments, and enable authentication with Active Directory.

Review Events to find out what is going on in your environment.

Use the SolarWinds Platform Log Viewer (OLV) to see event, syslogs, and trap messages.

If using deprecated Syslog and Traps features, note that they will be replaced by
SolarWinds Platform Log Viewer in a future release, likely in 2022.

Get alerts about issues in your environment. See Explore alerts and reports.

View monitored objects on maps in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

Add nodes and applications that you want to monitor

Run the Discovery Wizard to detect servers and applications in your environment so you can
decide what to monitor. Available polling methods include WMI, SNMP, ICMP, API, and agents
deployed on Windows, Linux, and AIX devices.

Add individual nodes or use Active Directory domain controllers to add nodes automatically.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 8

 About SolarWinds Platform features in SAM

Manage monitored nodes by editing properties, setting polling methods, toggling monitoring on
and off, or muting alerts.

Customize your SAM environment

Customize dashboards, colors, logo, views, widgets, and charts in the SolarWinds Platform Web
Console. Specify what other users can see on modern dashboards and views, as well as what
type of data appears for different objects.

Add widgets, from a list of available widgets, to show the data you need and arrange them in an
order that works best for you. Widgets are available for active alerts, events, reports, and much
more. You can customize some widget types, such as a chart page or a list of maps, to display
the information or nodes you want to monitor in your dashboard.

Create custom properties for nodes and applications. For example, add a custom property to
identify IIS nodes.

Create groups and dependencies to organize how monitored data is presented in the
SolarWinds Platform Web Console. Set up dependencies to represent relationships between
network objects.

Set thresholds for monitored metrics. Customize general thresholds or use baselines.

Monitor additional metrics and nodes

Monitor your virtual infrastructure for Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, ESXI, ESX, Microsoft
Hyper-V, Nutanix, and VMware.

Monitor cloud instances and VMs for AWS and Azure.

Monitor container services for Docker, Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, Azure Kubernetes, and
Apache Mesos.

Monitor hardware health for insight into hardware issues on Dell, HP, HPE ProLiant, IBM, and
Cisco UCS devices. You can also monitor Nutanix clusters with Hyper-V and VMware hosts.

Use the Quality of Experience (QoE) dashboard to monitor network traffic.

Expand SolarWinds Platform functionality or scale your deployment

Do you need to scale your deployment? See Scalability Engine Guidelines and review tips to
optimize your deployment.

Expand monitoring across low-bandwidth or high-latency network connections with SolarWinds

Platform Remote Collectors.

Balance the load on polling engines by specifying nodes to be polled by individual polling
engines. See also Manage Additional Polling Engines.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 9

 About SolarWinds Platform features in SAM

Use SolarWinds High Availability to provide failover protection for your SolarWinds Platform
server and Additional Polling Engines (APEs).

Use SolarWinds Platform Remote Collector with SAM.

Troubleshoot your environment

Investigate issues in Performance Analysis (PerfStack™) dashboards.

Use alerts to monitor your environment. See also Reduce alerting noise and learn about
generating Service Desk incidents from alerts.

Maintain the SolarWinds Platform database and use the Active Diagnostics tool.

For quick reference, here are additional links to SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide content:
l Administrative functions
l Alerts
l Cisco UCS hardware health monitoring
l Cloud monitoring
l Container monitoring
l Custom monitors, including Device Studio and Universal Device Pollers (UnDPs)
l Custom properties
l Discovery
l Hardware health monitoring
l High Availability (HA)
l Maps, including Network Atlas, SolarWinds Platform Maps, and Worldwide Map
l Nutanix hardware health monitoring
l SolarWinds Platform agents for Windows, Linux, and AIX
l SolarWinds Platform database
l SolarWinds Platform Log Viewer
l Performance Analysis (PerfStack) dashboards
l Polling engines
l Quality of Experience (QoE) dashboard
l Reports
l ServiceNow
l Thresholds
l User accounts
l Virtualization

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 10

 Log in to the SolarWinds Platform to use SAM

Log in to the SolarWinds Platform to use SAM

As with all SolarWinds Platform products, you can access SAMby logging in to the SolarWinds
Platform Web Console to do everything from adding nodes to discovering applications for monitoring,
and setting up alerts.

In a web browser, navigate to http://hostnameOrIPAddress:port where:

l hostnameOrIPAddress is the hostname or IP address of the main SolarWinds Platform server.
l port is the SolarWinds Platform Web Console port defined during installation. The default port
is 8787.

On the SolarWinds Platform Web Console login page, provide a User name and Password, and then
click Login.

If you're an administrator logging in to a new installation of SAMfor the first time, you'll be
prompted to add a password to the main Admin account. Afterward, SolarWinds highly
recommends setting up users to ensure your data and network remain in your control. To learn
more, see Manage SolarWinds Platform Web Console user accounts and Secure Configuration
for the SolarWinds Platform

SAM licensing model

This section describes the two types of licensing available for SAM:
l Node-based licensing, and
l Component-based licensing.

Additional topics provided here include:

l Determine your SAM license type
l Manage your SAM license

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 11

 SAM licensing model

l Add polling engines to scale your environment

l How your SAM license relates to other SolarWinds Platform module licenses

To learn more, visit the SolarWinds Success Center to review:

l SAM Licensing FAQs
l Guide to SolarWinds Product Licenses
l Licensing model for SolarWinds Platform products

To display licensing details for all deployed SolarWinds Platform products, click Settings > All
Settings > License Details.

Node-based licensing in SAM

A node-based SAM license governs how many managed nodes can be monitored within your
environment, while allowing for an unlimited number of component monitors per node. This scheme
provides an alternative to component-based licensing, which controls how many component monitors
can be assigned.

The term "managed node" can be interpreted differently, depending on if you're using other
SolarWinds Platform modules with SAM:
l In a SAM-only environment, a managed node is any entity from which SAM extracts data
directly via supported polling methods (for example, WMI), SolarWinds Platform agents, or API
pollers. Nodes monitored by Asset Inventory and/or Hardware Health are also considered
managed nodes in a SAM-only environment.
l If your environment includes SAM and other SolarWinds Platform modules, the SAM node
count has the potential to be additive to other modules that use node licensing, such as
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM). In a multi-module scenario, only nodes being
monitored by SAM application monitors or API pollers are classified as managed nodes for
SAM. Nodes monitored by Asset Inventory and/or Hardware Health do not impact licensing.

In either case, a managed node can represent a traditional server, VM, hypervisor, or Nutanix cluster,
as well as an external node, external API, or service.

A VM being monitored directly counts as a single managed node. However, individual VMs on a
hypervisor do not count as multiple managed nodes when performance metrics are gathered
from the parent hypervisor. In that case, the parent hypervisor is the managed node.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 12

 SAM licensing model

Available license tiers

Count the number of managed nodes in your environment to determine the most suitable license tier.

SAM license tiers (node-based licensing) Number of managed nodes

SAM10 10

SAM25 25

SAM50 50

SAM75 75

SAM100 100

SAM200 200

SAM300 300

SAM400 400

SAM500 500

SAM600 600

SAM700 700

SAM800 800

SAM900 900

SAM1000 1000

SAM1250 1250

SAM1500 1500

SAM2000 2000

SAM2500 2500

SAM3000 3000

SAM4000 4000

SAM5000* 5000

*Additional tiers are available. Contact SolarWinds Sales for details.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 13

 SAM licensing model

Component-based licensing in SAM

A component-based SAM license is similar to an NPM license, replacing interfaces for components,
based on nodes, volumes, or assigned component monitors — whichever is highest. For example, with
an AL150 license, you can monitor 150 nodes, 150 volumes, and 150 component monitors.

Each component monitor consumes one license. A typical application monitor (also called an
application) includes 15 — 25 component monitors, while AppInsight applications consume a flat rate
of either 30 or 50 licenses each.

In addition to application monitors, SAM features such as API Pollers also consume licenses.
For example, the Windows Scheduled Task Monitor consumes 5 licenses for each monitored
Windows server. Asset Inventory data collection does not consume SAM licenses.

You can use as many component monitors as needed, as long as the number of assigned component
monitors doesn't exceed the license count. If you exceed a license limit, component monitors beyond
the limit are not activated and their statuses change to Not Licensed. Either disable assigned
component monitors to reduce license consumption, or upgrade your license. This also applies to API
Poller metrics.

The following table lists available component-based license levels:

SAM license tiers (component-based

Number of monitored components
licensing)
AL150 150

AL300 300

AL700 700

AL1100 1100

AL1500 1500

AL2500 2500

ALX Unlimited number of items to monitor standard polling

throughput.

To check the number of available component monitors, navigate to the SAM License Summary:

1. Click Settings > All Settings.

2. Under Product Specific Settings, click SAM Settings.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 14

 SAM licensing model

3. Click SAM License Summary.

Note the following details about component-based licensing:

l To maximize polling capacity, see SAM polling recommendations.
l Two Additional Polling Engines can be installed on a single server, and license stacking is
supported. See Scalability Engine Guidelines for details.

Verify the number of component monitors consumed per template

As described here, each SAM application monitor template includes one or more component
monitors designed to monitor the availability or a statistic of a specific element, such as a server,
application, process, service, port, or URL. You can assign templates to nodes to create application
monitors (also called "applications") that are specific to each node.

For most application monitors, you can add, disable, or delete component monitors, as necessary.
Each active component monitor in an application monitor counts against your license. However, note
that AppInsight application behave differently, consuming licenses at a flat rate.

​Example: The environment depicted on the Manage Assign Application Monitors page shown here
includes:
l The AppInsight for IIS template uses a flat rate that consumes 30 licenses per assigned
application monitor, even though 152 component monitors actively poll on behalf of each
application monitor.
l The Server Clock Drift template consumes 2 licenses for 1 assigned application monitor.
l The Web Link template only consumes 1 license for 1 assigned application monitor.

If you have an AL150 license and use all component monitors from each template, you consume 33
(30+2+1) component monitor licenses out of the available 150.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 15

 SAM licensing model

To view the number of licensed component monitors consumed per template, navigate to the Manage
Application Monitor Templates page.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings.

2. Under Product Specific Settings, click SAM Settings
3. Under Application Monitor Templates, click Manage Templates.
4. Review the Licensed Components column for each template.

Verify the number of component monitors that are currently active

To determine how many component licenses are currently active, click Settings > All Settings > SAM
Settings > Manage Application Monitors to open the Manage Assign Application Monitors page.

You can also create a report about licensed component monitors.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 16

 SAM licensing model

To check the number of component monitors assigned to each polling engine, see:
l How to display all components polled for each polling engine
l Check the number of available component monitors in my SAM license

AppInsight applications consume licenses at flat rates

AppInsight applications consume a fixed number of component monitor licenses; you cannot add
component monitors and some key component monitors cannot be disabled. Due to their complexity
of AppInsight templates, they collect data in a different way than most applications and cannot be
partially unlicensed.

You can disable some component monitors in AppInsight applications, but that won't reclaim licenses
because AppInsight applications typically monitor far more components than cited in their flat rates,
as listed here:
l AppInsight for Active Directory: 50 component monitors per monitored domain controller
l AppInsight for Exchange: 50 component monitors per monitored mailbox role server
l AppInsight for IIS: 30 component monitors per monitored IIS server
l AppInsight for SQL: 50 component monitors per database instance

If you encounter heavy polling loads and need to determine how many component monitors
collect data for individual AppInsight applications, see Review polling engine loads. You can
also check the Active Components column on the Manage Assigned Application Monitors
page.

Determine your SAM license type

To check which type of license you have:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > License Details.

2. Examine the SAM section of the License Details page:

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 17

 SAM licensing model

l If data refers to nodes, SAM uses a node-based license.

l If data refers to component monitors, SAM uses a component-based license.

You can also check your license type in the SolarWinds Customer Portal.

1. Log in to the SolarWinds Customer Portal.

2. Click Licenses > Manage Licenses.
3. Scroll down to the Server & Application Monitor row.

If a license starts with SAM (for example, SAM200), SAM uses a node-based license.

If a license starts with AL (AL2500), SAM uses a component-based license.

To switch to node-based licensing, contact SolarWinds Sales. Note that, after updating
licensing, it may take one or two polling cycles for polling rate details to refresh in the
SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

Manage your SAM license

Like other SolarWinds Platform products, SAM uses the web-based License Manager to license the
SolarWinds Platform server, APEs, Additional Web Servers, and High Availability (HA) pools.

To manage SAM and other licenses after you install SAM:

1. Click Settings > All Settings.

2. Click License Details in the Details section.
3. Click License Manager.

You can sort licenses by product name, version, license type, or expiration date. You can also add a
license, upgrade a license, and activate licenses on new servers. The License Manager on the
SolarWinds Platform server controls all licenses for your SAM environment.

If prompted to activate your SAM license, use your individual Customer ID (also called a
"SWID") to log in to the Customer Portal. If you do not know your ID, enter a Support ticket.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 18

 SAM licensing model

Add polling engines to scale your environment

In the SolarWinds Platform, an Additional Polling Engine (APE) is a type of scalability engine that you
can add to any SAM environment, regardless of license type, to:
l Distribute polling away from the Main Polling Engine,
l Boost SolarWinds Platform Web Console performance, and
l Help ensure high availability (HA).

To maximize polling capacity, see SAM polling recommendations.

With a node-based SAM license, you can add APEs at no extra cost. Note the following details about
"included" APEs:
l They collect SAM and basic SolarWinds Platform data only. For example, APEs can return
application metrics, plus basic node status and volume metrics, but not NPM interface data.
l With a unified SAM license key, polling engine licenses are stacked automatically, with built-in
scalability. You can monitor up to 40,000 component monitors per server at standard polling
frequencies. If you exceed that limit, polling intervals are automatically extended.
l APE port requirements match Main Polling Engine port requirements.

To learn more about APEs, see:

l Display all components polled for each polling engine
l Install an APE, additional web server, or HA server
l Scalability Engine Guidelines for SolarWinds products
o Network Automation Manager (NAM)

o Server & Application Monitor (SAM)

How your SAM license relates to other SolarWinds Platform module

licenses
If your SAM environment includes other SolarWinds Platform modules, licenses may interact with
your SAM license in different ways, depending on the module.

SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM)

A node-based SAM license governs how many managed nodes can be monitored in your SAM
environment, while allowing for an unlimited number of component monitors per node.

A component-based SAM license is similar to an NPM license, replacing interfaces for components.
That is, SAM is licensed based on nodes, volumes, or component monitors — whichever is highest.
For example, you can monitor 150 nodes, 150 volumes, and 150 component monitors simultaneously
with an AL150 license.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 19

 SAM licensing model

If your deployment includes both SAM and NPM, the combined licenses can extend the total number
of nodes being monitored. If you have an NPM SL500 (500 nodes and 500 volumes) license and a
SAM AL150 component-based license, you can monitor:
l 650 nodes, including:
o 500 nodes, monitored by NPM, and

o 150 nodes, monitored by SAM.

l 650 volumes. The number of volumes matches the node count in the license.
l 500 interfaces monitored with SNMP.
l 150 component monitors.
l An unlimited number of interfaces polled using WMI.

SolarWinds Network Automation Manager (NAM)

NAM is a bundle of the following modules: IP Address Manager (IPAM), Network Configuration
Manager (NCM), NPM, NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA), User Device Tracker (UDT), and VoIP and
Network Quality Manager (VNQM), plus SolarWinds High Availability (HA). Because NAM includes
NPM, the combined NPM and SAM licenses extend the total number of nodes being monitored, as
described earlier.

If NAM and SAM are both deployed, you can use NAM APEs and add APEs at no extra cost with a
node-based SAM license. However, note that the "included" SAM APEs collect SAM and basic
SolarWinds Platform data only. For example, a SAM APE can return application metrics, basic node
status, and volume metrics, but not NPM interface data.

SolarWinds Log Analyzer (LA)

If you use LA and SAM, you'll only receive LA-related messages for nodes being monitored by LA. For
example, if you have NPM SL100, SAM AL100, and LA100 licenses, you can monitor up to 300 nodes
but you'll only receive LA-related messages from the 100 nodes specifically monitored by LA.

To learn how LA interacts with SolarWinds Platform Log Viewer (OLV) and SAM, see this
Success Center article.

SolarWinds Server Configuration Monitor (SCM)

SAM and SCM both support the Asset Inventory feature. Although that feature does not consume
extra licenses on its own, a node must be monitored if you want to track Asset Inventory, so at least
one license is consumed by the node.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 20

 Discover servers in your SAM environment

Discover servers in your SAM environment

After installing SAM, identify the servers you want to monitor and add them to the SolarWinds
Platform database as nodes. Servers can be traditional physical servers, AWS instances, Azure VMs,
Nutanix clusters, and more.

There are several ways to add nodes, including

l Use the Discovery Wizard (also called the Network Sonar Wizard) to detect devices throughout
your environment, and then add discovered servers as SolarWinds Platform nodes with the
Network Sonar Results Wizard.
l Add nodes by querying your Active Directory domain controller.
l Use the Add Node option on the Manage Nodes page. To access it, click Settings > Manage
Nodes.

See the SAM Getting Started Guide for details about adding servers. The SolarWinds Platform
Administrator Guide also provides details about Discovery, as well as how to configure polling
methods, schedule future Discoveries, and group objects.

To configure specific types of servers for monitoring via SAM application monitor templates, see the
following topics in the SAM Application Monitor Template Reference:
l Configure Linux/Unix systems for monitoring by the SolarWinds Platform agent in SAM
l Configure Java applications servers and JVMs for SAM monitoring
l Configure Oracle database servers for SAM monitoring

When finished adding and configuring servers, you can begin discovering applications on those
servers.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 21

 Discover applications in your SAM environment

Discover applications in your SAM environment

SolarWinds SAM can scan nodes and automatically assign application monitor templates to them, or
you can add application monitors to nodes manually. After polling begins, customize the data that
appears in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console and drill down to display more in-depth data, as
described in the following topics:
l Use the Application Discovery wizard to add multiple nodes in SAM: Discover applications in
your environment and assign templates automatically.
l Use the Add Node wizard to assign SAM application monitors to a node: Add application
monitors to monitored nodes individually.
l Customize Application Details views in SAM: Tailor the data displayed for applications hosted
on specific nodes.
l Customize Application Summary views in SAM: Use filters to adjust widgets that appear in
Application Summary views.
l Add SAM data to the Node Details view: Modify Node Details views to display SAM widgets.
l View node and application data in SAM tooltips: Hover over nodes and application data to
display more data.

Use the Application Discovery wizard to add multiple nodes

in SAM
You can use the Application Discovery wizard to scan nodes and automatically assign the application
monitor templates it deems suitable for each node. You control which nodes are scanned, which
templates are assigned, and the parameters that determine a match.

For a quick overview, watch this video (4:21).

Before proceeding, note the following details:

l When you assign a template to a node, an application monitor is created that is specific to the
node, which is also called an "application." For an overview, see About the template and
application monitor relationship.
l In larger environments, assigning multiple templates to multiple nodes can consume resources
and take a long time. Consider limiting parameters.
l Some templates require credentials to access restricted resources, or run within the context of a
specific user. If domains in your environment share user names with different passwords, run
the wizard separately for each domain.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 22

 Use the Application Discovery wizard to add multiple nodes in SAM

To use the Application Discovery wizard:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Discovery Central.

2. On the Discovery Central page, scroll down and click Discover Applications.
3. On the Select Nodes tab, select a Group By value, expand the node groups, select the nodes you
want to scan, and then click Next.
4. Select the applications to locate in the scan. You can use the Show only drop-down list to filter
the application monitor template list.
To adjust template assignment criteria, expand Advanced Scan Settings and move the slider to
the desired setting:
l Minimal Match - At least one component must match to assign the template.
l Partial Match - Some of the components must match to assign the template.
l Strong Match - Most of the components must match to assign the template.
l Exact Match - All components must match to assign the template.
5. Click Next to advance to the Enter Credentials tab.
6. Some templates require credentials to either access restricted resources, or run within the
context of a specific user. To scan for these templates, add the necessary credentials to the list.
If a template requires credentials, the credentials in this list are tried in the order in which they
appear.
7. (Recommended) If domains share user names with different passwords, run separate
application discoveries for each domain. After entering credentials, click Next.

Credentials are tried several times during a scan, so an incorrect password may lock out
an account. To avoid potential account lockouts that affect actual users, SolarWinds
recommends that you create and use service accounts for monitoring purposes. That
way, no actual user is affected by an account lockout if a password is entered incorrectly.

8. Review the scan summary. If the wizard determines that a template was already assigned to the
node, the template is not assigned again, by default. To assign duplicate templates, select "Yes,
Assign Anyway" in the duplicates list.
9. Click Start Scan to begin the process, which runs in the background. To check progress, click
the Bell icon at the top of the page.

A message appears when scanning is complete. Click More Details to see results. Click Application
Summary to open the SAM Summary page.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 23

 Use the Add Node wizard to assign SAM application monitors to a node

Use the Add Node wizard to assign SAM application

monitors to a node
In addition to using the Application Discovery wizard to add nodes, you can use the Add Node wizard
to assign application monitor templates to a node. After SAM discovers available resources on the
new node and you select what to monitor, you'll be prompted to add application monitors for
application(s) on the new node. Later, you can customize application monitors for the nodes, as
necessary.

Click here to watch a video about adding individual nodes. You can also assign
SAM application monitor template to nodes, or to groups of nodes.

To use the Add Node wizard to add an application monitor to a node:

1. To add a node, click Settings > All Settings > Add Node.
2. When the Add Node Wizard appears, provide details on the Define Node tab, and then click Next.
3. On the Choose Resources tab, select what you want to monitor.
4. On the Add Application Monitors tab, use the Show Only drop-down list to select a category of
application monitors and display a list of Component Types.

5. Select the application monitor(s) you want to assign.

6. Select or enter the appropriate credentials, and then click Next.
7. On the Change Properties page, modify information as needed.
8. Click OK to finish adding the node.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 24

 Customize Application Details views in SAM

Customize Application Details views in SAM

Applications inherit the custom view setting from SAM templates in the same way as other template
settings. You can customize the templates through overrides or by creating a copy of the template
and editing that content.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Application Monitors.
2. Find an assigned Application Monitor without a Custom View.
3. Return to Applications > SAM Summary then click the Application Monitor to view its
Application Details view.
4. Click Customize Page, then proceed with your customizations.

Create a custom Application Details view

You can select and create a custom Application Details view for different applications. This custom
view is applied at the template level. Applications inherit the custom view setting from their templates
in the same way as other template settings.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Application Monitors.
2. Select an Application Monitor and then click Edit Properties.
3. Click Modify Template Settings in the field Custom Application Details View.
4. Select "Yes, use < TemplateName > Details View in the field Custom Application Details View".
5. Click Submit, then click the name of the assigned Application Monitor to view its Application
Details view.
6. Click Customize Page and proceed with your customizations.

After creating a customized application details view for a template, you can change the Custom
Application Details View setting in the template properties to switch between the default view and the
custom view.

Select a view for a template

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Select a template and then click Edit.
3. If you want applications based on this template to use the default view, set Custom Application
Details View to "No, use Default Application Details View".

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 Customize Application Summary views in SAM

4. If you want applications based on this template to use the custom view, set Custom Application
Details View to "Yes, use <TemplateName> Details View" where <TemplateName> is the name
of the selected template.
5. Click Submit.

Select a view for an application

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Application Monitors.
2. Select an Application Monitor and then click Edit Properties.
3. Click Modify Template Settings in the field Custom Application Details View.
4. If you want this application to use the default view, set Custom Application Details View to "No,
use Default Application Details View."
5. If you want this application to use the custom view, set Custom Application Details View to "Yes,
use <TemplateName> Details View" where <TemplateName> is the name of the selected
template.
6. Click Submit.

Customize Application Summary views in SAM

SolarWinds Platform Web Console views are configurable presentations of network information that
can include maps, charts, summary lists, reports, events, and links to other resources.

In SAM, the Application Summary view provides additional details about your applications and
servers, such as related alerts, potential warranty issues on servers, and Top 10 lists to keep you up-
to-date on your busiest servers. The page includes various default widgets (formerly called
"resources") that you can customize as necessary.

You can edit the current SAM Application Summary view, or create a custom view. For details, see
How custom views work in the SolarWinds Platform.

Watch a video about the customizing SAM views and widgets.

View node and application data in SAM tooltips

You can hover over objects such as nodes and groups to view additional details in overlays called
tooltips. These tooltips also include SAM-specific data, providing at-a-glance updates for quick
responses. Click an object to open its Details page that shows more data, along with alert and
management options.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 26

 View node and application data in SAM tooltips

Node tooltips
Tooltip data Details
Node Status Current status of the node (for example, Up, Down, Unknown, or Warning).

You can adjust node status settings. See Calculate node status in the
SolarWinds Platform.

Polling IP Address The IP address currently assigned to the node.

Machine Type The vendor icon and vendor description of the node.

Average Response The measured average response time of selected node, as of the last node
Time poll.

Packet Loss The percent of all transmitted packets lost by the node, as of the last node
poll.

CPU Load The percent of available processing capacity that is currently used, as of the
last node poll.

Memory Used The percent of available memory that is currently used, as of the last node
poll.

# of Running VMs Number of running VMs and total VMs.

ESX Host Status Status of the ESX Host.

Application tooltips
Tooltip data Details
App Name The name of the application

App Status The status of the application: up, down, unknown, warning, or critical

Server Status Operational status of the server: up, down, warning, unplugged, or
unmanaged

Components with List of the components with problems and their statuses
problems

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 27

 Add SAM data to the Node Details view

Add SAM data to the Node Details view

To view SAM data, including application and component monitor information, you can edit the Node
Details - Summary view to include information that is relevant to your organization. For details, see
How custom views/classic dashboards work in the SolarWinds Platform.

Updating views requires specific admin-level permissions.

The following figure shows various SAM widgets that you can add to the Node Details - Summary
view:

You can also create site-specific views for your organization. Watch SolarWinds Lab Bits:
Creating a New View in the SolarWinds Platform.

Related topics in the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide include:

l Customize the SolarWinds Platform Web Console look, views, settings, charts, and maps
l Customize dashboards
l How custom views/classic dashboards work in the SolarWinds Platform

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 28

 Monitor your environment with SAM

Monitor your environment with SAM

SAM offers immediate insight into the performance of your servers and applications. As you view
data, you can investigate further to examine alerts, forecast usage, and modify configurations.
Summary pages display high-level events and alerts, along with performance data for monitored
nodes that represent traditional servers, VMs, applications, Nutanix clusters, and more.

Use links in widgets to drill down further and see details such as server resources, allocated virtual
resources, application performance, and OS metrics. To monitor immediate needs in your
environment, you can:
l Click the bell icon at the top of the SolarWinds Platform Web Console to view notifications.
l Click Alerts & Activity > Message Center to display events and alerts.

This section includes the following topics:

l Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM
l Monitor your SAM environment with AppStack
l Use alerts to monitor your SAM environment
l Monitor processes, services, tasks, and events in real time
l Use SolarWinds Platform Remote Collector with SAM

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 29

 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

To learn about other monitoring methods in SAM, see:

l Monitor your virtual infrastructure with SAM
l Use API pollers to monitor metrics in SAM
l Use SAM application monitor templates and application monitors
l Monitor with AppInsight applications
l Integrate AppOptics monitoring into SAM
l Monitor application dependencies in SAM
l Monitor hardware health in SAM
l Monitor Asset Inventory in SAM

The SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide describes features available in many products,
including:
l Monitor cloud instances and VMs
l Monitor container services
l Monitor Cisco UCS devices
l Group monitored objects
l View events, alerts, traps, and Syslogs in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console Message Center
l Troubleshoot environmental issues with Performance Analysis (PerfStack) dashboards
l Monitor SNMP traps
l Use SolarWinds Platform Log Viewer.
l Use Performance Analysis (PerfStack™) dashboards
l Monitor Quality of Experience (QOE) metrics
l Integrate SAM with ServiceNow to generate tickets based on critical events and alerts

Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

An SolarWinds Platform agent is software that provides a communication channel between the
SolarWinds Platform server and Windows, Linux/Unix, or AIX systems, as an alternative to WMI or
SNMP to gather status and metrics about your key devices, applications, and services. SolarWinds
Platform agents can be useful in environments where conventional agentless monitoring techniques
are either impractical or impossible to leverage, such as in these scenarios:
l Monitoring Windows hosts within a DMZ over a single fixed port,
l Monitoring servers in remote branch offices over high latency, low bandwidth connections, or
l Monitoring servers hosted in cloud-based services, such as AWS EC2, Azure, or Rackspace.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 30

 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

Some benefits of using SolarWinds Platform agents for SAM polling include:
l Encryption: Neither standard SNMP nor WMI include encryption.
l Speed: Agentless protocols such as WMI and RPC were originally created for LANs, not the
Internet. SolarWinds Platform agents use HTTPS, which is bandwidth-efficient and latency-
friendly.
l Reliability: Agents run independently of the SolarWinds Platform server and can monitor hosts
even if a network outage occurs. For up to 24 hours, an agent can continue running and all
polled data remains cached on the agent. When connectivity is restored, the agent uploads
collected statistics to the SolarWinds Platform server, filling in gaps in charts.
l Flexibility: With agents, you can run Perl, VBScript, and any other Windows script language
remotely using a Windows Script Monitor. Otherwise, all Windows Script Monitors execute
locally on the Main Polling Engine or an APE; an agent allows you to execute scripts on the
system where the agent is installed.
l Fewer ports: WMI requires several open ports to function properly but SolarWinds Platform
agents can use "Server Initiated" mode to operate over a single port. TCP port 17790 listens on
the host where the agent is installed while the SolarWinds Platform server polls information in a
similar fashion to SNMP or RPC. No ports need to be opened inbound to the internal network
from the DMZ, and all communication occurs across a single NAT-friendly port.
l Cloud-friendly: Monitoring cloud-based applications and servers using traditional agentless
protocols presents many issues. In addition to the encryption and port issues mentioned above,
WMI cannot traverse NAT boundaries and its frequent communication doesn't tolerate
bandwidth congestion or high latency conditions well. Also, many ISPs block RPC traffic to
guard against hackers.

To effectively monitor Linux/Unix systems with the SolarWinds Platform agent for Linux,
additional configuration may be required. See Configure Linux/Unix systems for the SolarWinds
Platform agent for Linux and Configure SNMP for SolarWinds Platform agents on Linux/Unix
and AIX systems in SAM.

Additional resources about agents include:

l Installing the SolarWinds Platform Agent (video)
l Mass deploy Windows agents using MST files and a Group Policy.
l Poll devices with SolarWinds Platform agents (SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide)
l SolarWinds Platform agent requirements (SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide)

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 31

 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

Review the latest system requirements for the Microsoft .NET Framework version used in the
SolarWinds Platform. Although SolarWinds Platform agents support some earlier
.NET versions, SolarWinds recommends upgrading. Click here for additional security-related
best practices.

Override agent and agentless monitoring in SAM component monitors

In application monitor templates and related application monitors assigned to individual nodes, you
can override data collection behavior in specific instances to collect data through a preferred polling
method as agent or agentless, depending on the component monitor.

For example, if you assign the FTP User Experience Monitor template to a node, you may not want to
measure response time locally from the server where the application is installed. If so, switch the
template to agentless polling.

Generally, SolarWinds Platform agents provide richer data streams, while agentless polling pulls
limited data (based on the API and security access permissions) but can isolate the load to an
external resource and does not impact applications as much. Agentless monitoring also has benefits
— no additional software to deploy or manage; less resource contention on target servers; faster
setup; fewer security concerns. Pick the best option for your environment.

Different features are available based on monitoring methods, as described in these articles:
l Decide between agent vs. agentless polling methods
l Comparison of Windows agent versus agentless, using SNMP or WMI
l Comparison of Linux agent versus agentless
l Comparison of AIX agent versus agentless

SolarWinds Platform Remote Collectors (ORCs) are also available for SAM deployments with
node-based licensing.

Use SolarWinds Platform agents to run scripts on remote systems

When working with application monitor templates, agentless polling executes locally on the Main
Polling Engine (which may be the SolarWinds Platform server) or an Additional Polling Engine (APE),
by default.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 32

 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

If you deploy an SolarWinds Platform agent to a node and use Agent as the Preferred Polling method
for an application monitor, you can use a Windows Script Monitor to run scripts in Perl, VBScript, or
another supported script language directly on target nodes. For PowerShell scripts, you can use a
PowerShell Script Monitor to execute scripts on target nodes without having to configure WinRM to
support remote PowerShell execution.

Depending on how it's used, PowerShell can make your deployment vulnerable to unauthorized
access. For details, see Use PowerShell in SAM.

To summarize:
l With agentless polling, scripts run on the Main Polling Engine or an APE. Target nodes must be
set up to accept remote commands.
l With SolarWinds Platform agent polling, scripts can run directly on target nodes.

Many application monitor templates and application monitors include a Preferred Polling Method
option in Advanced settings, as shown here:

Monitor with the SolarWinds Platform Agent for Linux

Using the SolarWinds Platform agent for Linux, you can do the following:
l Monitor Linux applications wherever they are running (on premises and cloud).
l Monitor Linux systems in secure and geographically distributed environments.

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 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

l Monitor Linux systems reliably over WAN, satellite, and VPN connections.
l Use SAM to clearly classify Linux operating systems by distribution in the node tree.
l Use the Real Time Process Explorer to identify and monitor processes easily and terminate
them remotely.
l Deploy the SolarWinds Platform agent for Linux multiple ways: adding a node, mass deployment
when managing agents, command line, or from a repository.

To effectively monitor Linux/Unix systems with the SolarWinds Platform agent for Linux, additional
configuration may be required, as described in:
l Configure Linux/Unix systems for the SolarWinds Platform agent for Linux
l Configure SNMP for SolarWinds Platform agents on Linux/Unix and AIX systems in SAM
l SolarWinds Platform agent requirements.

Application monitor templates that support SolarWinds Platform agents

SAM application monitor templates are collections of component monitors designed to monitor
servers, applications, services, and many other elements. Templates include a variety of options
based on OS, applications, and services that you can configure to collect and monitor data for
managed nodes.

The following templates support the SolarWinds Platform Agent for Windows:
l Active Directory templates (all)
l Apache (Windows)
l APC PowerChute Agent (Windows)
l AppInsight for Active Directory
l AppInsight for Exchange
l AppInsight for IIS
l AppInsight for SQL
l BlackBerry Enterprise Server 10 Services (Windows)
l BlackBerry Enterprise Server 12 Services (Windows)
l Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop 7.x (Advanced)
l Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop 7.x (Events)
l Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop 7.x (Performance Counters)
l Citrix XenApp and XenDesktop 7.x (Services)
l Errors in Application Event Log
l Exchange templates (all)
l GoodLink Server for Microsoft Exchange
l Helix Universal Media Server (Windows)

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 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

l Internet Information Service (IIS) 6

l Microsoft templates (all)

The following templates support the SolarWinds Platform Agent for Linux:
l Apache
l CUPS
l GlassFish (JMX)
l IBM DB2
l IBM WebSphere (JMX)
l JBoss (JMX)
l Linux CPU Monitoring Perl
l Linux Disk Monitoring Perl
l Linux Memory Monitoring Perl
l MySQL (5.7.9 or later) for Linux/Unix
l MySQL (5.7.8 or earlier) for Linux/Unix
l MySQL 8.0 Metrics for Linux/Unix
l MySQL 8.0 Service Availability on Linux/Unix
l Nagios Linux File & Directory Count Script
l Oracle Database
l Oracle WebLogic (JMX)
l PostgreSQL
l Squid (Linux and Unix)
l Tomcat Server

Make sure target systems are configured to support the SolarWinds Platform agent for Linux.

The following templates support the SolarWinds Platform Agent for AIX:
l AIX template
l AIX LPD template
l Nagios Linux File & Directory Count Script

Component monitors that support SolarWinds Platform agents

The following component monitors support the SolarWinds Platform Agent for Windows:
l DNS Monitor - TCP
l DNS Monitor - UDP
l DNS User Experience Monitor
l Download Speed Monitor

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 35

 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

l Exchange Web Services User Experience Monitor

l File Age Monitor
l File Change Monitor
l File Count Monitor
l File Existence Monitor
l File Size Monitor
l FTP Monitor
l FTP User Experience Monitor
l HTTP Monitor
l HTTP Form Login Monitor
l HTTPS Monitor
l IMAP4 Monitor
l IMAP4 User Experience Monitor
l JMX Monitor
l LDAP User Experience Monitor
l MAPI User Experience Monitor
l NNTP
l ODBC User Experience Monitor
l Oracle User Experience Monitor
l Performance Counter Monitor
l POP3 Monitor
l POP3 User Experience Monitor
l Process Monitor
l Process Monitor - Windows
l RADIUS User Experience Monitor
l SMTP Monitor
l SOAP Monitor
l SQL Server User Experience Monitor
l SSL Certificate Expiration Date Monitor
l TACACS+ User Experience Monitor
l TCP Port Monitor
l VMware Performance Counter Monitor
l Web Link Monitor
l Windows Event Log Monitor
l Windows PowerShell Monitor
l Windows Script Monitor
l Windows Service Monitor

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 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

l WMI Monitor

See also Comparison of Windows agent versus agentless, using SNMP or WMI.

The following component monitors support the SolarWinds Platform Agent for Linux:
l Directory Size Monitor
l DNS User Experience Monitor
l File Age Monitor
l File Change Monitor
l File Count Monitor
l File Existence Monitor
l File Size Monitor
l HTTP User Experience Monitor
l HTTPS User Experience Monitor
l JMX Monitor
l Linux/Unix Script Monitor
l Nagios Script Monitor
l ODBC User Experience Monitor
l Oracle User Experience Monitor
l Process Monitor
l SNMP Monitor
l SOAP Monitor
l TCP Port Monitor
l Tomcat Server Monitor

Make sure target systems are configured to support the SolarWinds Platform agent for Linux.

See also Comparison of Linux agent versus agentless.

The following component monitors support the SolarWinds Platform Agent for AIX:
l Directory Size Monitor
l DNS User Experience Monitor
l File Age Monitor
l File Change Monitor
l File Count Monitor
l File Existence Monitor
l File Size Monitor
l HTTP Monitor

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 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

l HTTPS Monitor
l JMX Monitor
l Linux/Unix Script Monitor
l Nagios Script Monitor
l ODBC User Experience Monitor
l Oracle User Experience Monitor
l Process Monitor
l SOAP Monitor
l SNMP Monitor

o SNMPv3 with encrypted mode is not supported.

o To poll SNMP details correctly, manually enable the SNMP daemon.

l TCP Port Monitor

l Tomcat Server Monitor

See also Comparison of AIX agent versus agentless.

Configure SNMP for SolarWinds Platform agents on Linux/Unix and AIX

systems in SAM
SolarWinds Platform agents provide a secure, encrypted communication channel between the
SolarWinds Platform server and Windows, Linux/Unix, or AIX systems, as an alternative to WMI or
SNMP to gather data about key servers, processes, and applications in your environment.

This topic describes how to set up SNMP on Linux/Unix and AIX systems that use SolarWinds
Platform agents for:
l Automated Discovery,
l Polling by SNMP component monitors,
l Hardware health monitoring, and
l Asset Inventory monitoring.

In addition to an overview about Discovery, this topic describes tasks you may need to perform,
depending on the environment, including:
l Install SNMP daemons on Linux/Unix systems
l Configure SNMPv3 on Linux/Unix systems
l Enable SNMP daemons on AIX systems

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 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

How Discovery works for Linux/Unix and AIX systems

Depending on settings, Discovery can automatically configure SNMP on systems when it detects new
or updated nodes. If a node is configured to support SolarWinds Platform agents, the Discovery
wizard completes the following tasks:
l Checks for an SNMP daemon on the target system that binds to default port 161 and awaits
requests from the SolarWinds Platform
l Verifies that SNMP credentials for the system match credentials for the related node, as
configured in the SolarWinds Platform.
l Deploys an SolarWinds Platform agent to the node.
l Configures the snmpd agent to start automatically after the system reboots.
l Scans the snmpd.conf file on the target system for an agent-owned community string on
SNMPv1 or SNMPv2c nodes. If no string exists, a randomly generated community string is
added and the SNMP service restarts.

### BEGIN SolarWinds Agent SNMP auto config

rocommunity Community_String localhost
### END SolarWinds Agent SNMP auto config

SNMPv3 communication is encrypted by default; no community strings are involved.

Note that if an snmpd.conf file changes (for example, to adjust access policies), the SolarWinds
Platform will block future updates to the file. That functionality protects any changes to the file, but it
also impacts how the SolarWinds Platform interacts with a target system in the future.

For example, suppose a Linux system is initially configured for agentless SNMP polling, but then you
decide to collect Asset Inventory or Hardware Health from the node with an SolarWinds Platform
agent. SNMP polling continues but the SolarWinds Platform agent will not function.

To resolve that issue, manually edit the snmpd.conf file to add a read-only community string.

rocommunity Your_Community_String localhost

To learn more about configuration files for snmpd agents, see:

l SNMPD.CONF and tutorial (available at www.net-snmp.org)
l snmpd.examples (available at linux.die.net).

Install SNMP daemons on Linux/Unix systems

As mentioned earlier, the SolarWinds Platform can configure SNMP automatically during Discovery
for Linux/Unix systems that host an enabled SNMP daemon called snmpd.

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 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

To install the snmpd daemon, use one of these commands, depending on your distribution type.
l For Ubuntu: sudo apt-get -y install snmpd
l For Red Hat/CentOS: yum -y install net-snmp
l For SUSE: zypper -y install net-snmp

After installing the SNMP daemon, trigger auto-configuration by either:

l Clicking List Resources in the Management widget on the Node Details view.
l Running Discovery again. For tips, watch Create a Manual Discovery Job.

If automated configuration still fails, try setting up the daemon manually. The following steps assume
the target system is already configured to support SolarWinds Platform agents.

1. Install the SNMP daemon on the target system. Steps vary by Linux/Unix distribution type.
2. For SNMPv1 or SNMPv2c, add a read-only community string to the snmpd.conf file.

rocommunity Your_Community_String localhost

SNMPv3 does not use community strings; it has built-in encryption.

3. In the SolarWinds Platform Web Console, navigate to the Node Details page and click Edit Node.
Under Polling Method, the "Windows and Unix/Linux Servers: Agent" option should be selected.
4. Switch to the UNIX/LINUX tab and select Include SNMP Credentials.
5. For SNMPv1 or SNMPv2c, add the Community String from step 2, as shown here.
For SNMPv3, add credentials and specify authentication and encryption options.

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 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

6. Click Submit.
7. On the target system, restart the SNMP daemon.

To enable snpmd logging, start the daemon with parameters for maximum file size and debug
level that vary based on snmpd version and Linux distribution. See your Linux/Unix
documentation for details.

Configure SNMPv3 on Linux/Unix systems

SNMPv3 is a secure version of the SNMP protocol that includes authentication and encryption. When
you add multiple nodes with Discovery or add a single node, you can specify SNMPv3 as the version
and provide required details, such as credentials.

If the SolarWinds Platform detects that SNMPv3 is already configured for a node, it won't modify the
existing SolarWinds Platform configuration automatically. You'll need to edit it manually, as described
next.

1. Navigate to the Node Details page and click Edit Node. Under Polling Method, the "Windows and
Unix/Linux Servers: Agent" option should already be selected.
2. Switch to the UNIX/LINUX tab and select the Include SNMP Credentials option.
3. Select SNMPv3 as the SNMP Version.

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 Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM

4. When SNMPv3-specific fields appear, provide credentials, an authentication method, a

privacy/encryption method, and the Credential Set Library to use, as necessary.
5. Click Submit.

Enable SNMP daemons on AIX systems

By default, AIX systems include an SNMP daemon, but it is not enabled. To support communication
with the SolarWinds Platform, enable the SNMP daemon, as described in Poll SNMP on AIX
computers.

The proprietary IBM daemon does not support some key MIBs that expose details such as
processes and resource consumption. Consider using NET-SNMP for AIX, available at
www.net-snmp.org, as described in How to configure SNMP on Linux and Unix.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 42

 Monitor your SAM environment with AppStack

Learn more
As with other features shared by multiple SolarWinds Platform modules, you can learn more about
SolarWinds Platform agents in the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide, including:
l SolarWinds Platform agent requirements
l Configure Linux/Unix systems for the SolarWinds Platform agent for Linux
l Credentials and privileges used on Linux/Unix-based computers
l SNMP credentials for the SolarWinds Platform
l Deploy an agent manually to a Linux/Unix-based computer
l How to configure SNMP on Linux and Unix
l Poll SNMP information with an agent

See also:
l Installing the SolarWinds Platform Agent (video)
l Linux/AIX monitoring agent vs SNMP (THWACK)
l Linux Agent Deployment forum (THWACK)
l SolarWinds Platform AIX Agent for IBM Power Systems (THWACK)
l SNMPv3 configuration and troubleshooting in SolarWinds Platform (Success Center)
l SNMPv3 prerequisites and checks (Success Center)

Monitor your SAM environment with AppStack

The Application Stack, or AppStack, refers to the various layers that make up a complex application
delivery infrastructure. The AppStack Environment view is an interactive visual mapping within the
SolarWinds Platform that provides an in-depth perspective through an entire environment to help
identify the root cause of performance and availability issues.

AppStack automatically gathers information about objects in your environment, as well as their
respective relationships, and displays them in a customizable view. Some relationships, such as
groups and dependencies, can be customized.

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To access AppStack, click My Dashboards > Home > Environment. Adjust the view with filter options
and filter properties that you can save and reuse as layouts to display specific views of the AppStack.
Hover over an item to display related data and status in a tooltip. Click an item to drill down and
determine how it relates to other items in your environment. See AppStack data overview to
understand icons for at-a-glance monitoring.

The next section describes how to use AppStack as a troubleshooting tool. To further understand and
customize the AppStack Environment, see:
l AppStack Environment categories and data
l Customize the AppStack view in SAM
l Use filters for AppStack
l Create an AppStack layout in SAM
l AppStack data overview

Additional learning resources about AppStack include:

l A Geek's Guide to AppStack (THWACK)
l Introduction to AppStack (video)
l Find the Needle in the "AppStack": Troubleshooting Application Performance (video)

Use AppStack to troubleshoot issues in your environment

Using AppStack as a troubleshooting tool is fairly straightforward. Click My Dashboards >
Environment to open the AppStack Environment view, and click an object to see related objects. To
investigate further, navigate to the Details page of the object or any related object.

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For example, the illustration below displays all objects in the current environment. The application,
MSSQLSERVER, is in a Critical state, as indicated by its icon. To see what this application is related to,
click the MSSQLSERVER icon.

As you select objects in AppStack, the system automatically updates the view to highlight related
objects. Here, MSSQLSERVER is selected so any related objects are highlighted.

To hide unrelated objects in the view, click Spotlight in the menu bar. You can also select an individual
object and click Spotlight to hide it.

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To navigate to the Details page for a selected object, click the icon of the selected object next to the
chart at top or double-click the larger icon in the main view. You can review and managed the critical
and warning issues per node.

Introduction to the AppStack Environment view

The AppStack Environment view (also called "AppStack") provides you with a powerful layer of
troubleshooting visibility by exposing all participating objects in your environment, as well as their
relationships to one another. This view is useful in assessing the overall health of your environment,
as well as troubleshooting specific and related problems.

To help you better understand how this visualization of your environment can be used for
troubleshooting, the following analogy was designed to provide you with a simple, high-level overview
of how AppStack processes and displays information.

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The AppStack Environment view analogy

Imagine you work for a company comprised of many employees that work in various departments. In
this example, you work in the Engineering department as an engineer:

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Now imagine you're sick and cannot work for two weeks. Certain employees in various departments
are affected by your absence. Others are not be affected. The illustration below highlights the
employees who are affected by your absence by fading those who are not affected.

Focusing on only the people who are affected by your absence can be beneficial from a task
management perspective. Therefore, completely hiding those not affected by your absence gives a
clean and concise view, displaying only the necessary information.

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Now, instead of employees, imagine this is about your entire IT environment. The goal of the
AppStack Environment view is to help you quickly assess the impact a given object has on its related
objects. This relational view is the AppStack Environment view found in the SolarWinds Platform Web
Console.

The AppStack Environment view

The AppStack Environment view, shown below, displays the status of individual objects in your IT
environment through the SolarWinds Platform Web Console. Objects are categorized and ordered
from left to right, with the worst status being shown on the left side of the view.

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Clicking an object shows everything related to that object by fading unrelated objects, as shown:

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Clicking Spotlight removes the faded, unrelated objects from the view entirely.

Click the selected object at the top, or double-click it in the view to open the Details view for that
object for further investigation.

If your environment includes both SAM and SolarWinds Data Performance Analyzer (DPA), you
can use the DPA Integration Module (DPAIM) to visualize DPA data in AppStack. To learn more,
see Use the DPA Integration Module with SAM.

AppStack Environment categories and data

By default, the following categories appear in the AppStack Environment that you can access by
clicking My Dashboards > Home > Environment categories in the SolarWinds Platform:
l SD-WAN Edges
l Groups
l Containers
l Chassis
l Applications
l Database Instances
l Servers
l SD-WAN Orchestrators
l Hosts

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l Virtual Clusters
l Virtual Data Centers
l Virtual Centers
l Volumes
l API Pollers

Other SolarWinds Platform products offer more categories. For example, if your deployment
includes SolarWinds Web Performance Monitor (WPM), Transactions and Steps categories
also appear.

Category Status Summary indicators along the right side of page parse, enumerate, and display the
number of objects in each category, emphasizing the status as indicated by the colors.

Supported categories and data

The following matrix outlines categories associated with the AppStack Environment view, which vary
by SolarWinds product.

Category SRM SAM VMAN WPM DPA NPM Definition

SD-WAN Edges A network device

managed by an SD-
WAN orchestrator (see
SD-WAN Orchestrators
below).

Groups Manage your

environment by
organizing monitored
objects logically into
groups, regardless of
device type or location.

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Category SRM SAM VMAN WPM DPA NPM Definition

Containers Lightweight, executable

packages of software
that include everything
needed to run an
application: code,
system tools, system
libraries, and settings.
Containers isolate
applications and their
dependencies into self-
contained units that
can run anywhere
without interfering with
each other.

Chassis A physical structure

that houses one or
more servers.

Applications Also called application

monitors, these are
collections of
component monitors
that collect specific
metrics.

Database Database instances

Instances including Microsoft
SQL, MySQL, and
Oracle appear if the
SolarWinds DPA
Integration Module
(DPAIM) is configured
in your environment.

Transactions A recording of web

browser steps
assigned to a specific
location in SolarWinds
WPM.

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Category SRM SAM VMAN WPM DPA NPM Definition

Steps A collection of actions

in a transaction created
in WPM. For example,
the actions required to
navigate to a specific
URL make up one step.
See How WPM works.

Servers A system that can

accept requests from a
client and return
responses accordingly.
A server makes
services, data files,
programs, and
peripheral devices
available to
workstations on a
network.

SD-WAN A centralized
Orchestrators management node that
oversees all its SD-
WAN edges, handling
configuration,
performance
monitoring via API or
SNMP polling, and
enforcement of policies
across the SD-WAN.

Hosts A server running a

hypervisor for
virtualization that can
host multiple VMs.

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Category SRM SAM VMAN WPM DPA NPM Definition

Virtual Clusters A group of VMs

installed at distributed
servers from one or
more physical clusters.
VMs in a virtual cluster
are logically connected
by a virtual network
across several physical
networks. Each virtual
cluster is formed with
physical machines or a
VM hosted by multiple
physical clusters. See
Monitor your virtual
infrastructure in SAM.

Virtual Data A centralized virtual

Centers repository to store,
manage, and
disseminate data
related to a particular
body of knowledge or
pertaining to a
particular business.

Virtual Centers A server that acts as a

centralized
management
application to manage
VMs and ESXi.

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Category SRM SAM VMAN WPM DPA NPM Definition

Datastores A set of data object

sets modeled using
classes defined in a
database schema. A
datastore may also
contain simpler types
such as flat files. Some
datastores represent
data in only one
schema, while others
use several schemas
for this task.

Volumes A volume, or logical

drive, is a single
accessible storage
area with a single file
system, typically
residing on a single
partition of a hard disk.

LUNS A Logical Unit Number

(LUN) identifies a
logical unit, which is a
device addressed by
the SCSI or SAN
protocols that
encapsulate SCSI, such
as Fibre Channel or
iSCSI. A LUN may be
used with any device
which supports
read/write operations,
but usually refers to a
logical disk created on
a SAN.

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Category SRM SAM VMAN WPM DPA NPM Definition

NAS Volumes Network-attached

storage (NAS) is a type
of dedicated file
storage device that
provides LAN users
with centralized,
consolidated disk
storage through a
standard Ethernet
connection.

Pools A storage pool (also

called a RAID array) is a
collection of disk drives
that become a logical
entity.

VServers A virtual storage server

(VServer) contains data
volumes and one or
more logical interfaces
(LIFs) through which it
serves data to clients.
A VServer can contain
multiple FlexVol
volumes, or a single
Infinite Volume.

A VServer securely
isolates the shared
virtualized data storage
and network, and
appears as a single
dedicated server to its
clients. Each VServer
has a separate
administrator
authentication domain
and can be managed
independently by a
VServer administrator.

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Category SRM SAM VMAN WPM DPA NPM Definition

Storage Arrays Two or more disk

drives built into a
stand-alone unit to
provide increased
availability, resiliency,
and maintainability by
using existing
components (such as
controllers and power
supplies) to the point
where all single points
of failure are eliminated
from the design.

API Pollers Monitor metrics via

external REST APIs by
sending automated API
requests to poll data
from remote REST
APIs.

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This AppStack example provides a sample of categories and multiple nodes in various health states:

AppStack data overview

There are several ways you can quickly determine object status in the AppStack Environment,
including:
l Object status and colors
l Quick links
l Overview bar

Object status and colors

The color of objects in AppStack indicate their current status, providing a quick summary of your
environment. Objects will be in one of the following states, indicated by icon color and shape.

Status Color Example

Down Red

Critical Pink

Warning Yellow

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Status Color Example

Unknown Gray

Unreachable Black

Up Green

Other Blue -

External Purple -

You can only filter against statuses actively monitored in the AppStack. For example, if no
objects have a status of Down, the Down status is not available for filtering.

Servers can only provide an Up or Down status. To check CPU, memory, or hardware health status,
hover over the server icon to view the detailed tooltip. The reported status for applications and LUNs
is based on performance thresholds.

The AppStack Environment view offers a parent/child relationship. (Parents can be either servers or
hosts.) This relationship is represented as a mixed icon. The parent is the larger of the two icons that
is hosting the child. For example, the following illustration graphically shows that an application
(child) is Down on a node (parent) that is Up.

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Quick links
Use the Quick Links bar at the top of the AppStack to quickly open and close object categories. You
can also show or hide the names of objects with a distressed status.

Expand All

Open all categories to reveal objects in each category. Each category can be individually expanded
and collapsed by clicking [+] and [-] next to the category name.

Collapse All

Close all categories, hiding the objects within each category. Each category can be individually
expanded and collapsed by clicking [+] and [-] next to the category name.

Show/Hide Names

Toggle between showing and hiding the names for each object in a distressed state. If more objects
exist than can be displayed, the category name displays the number of displayed objects followed by
the total number of objects. For example, (87 of 111), meaning only 87 objects of 111 total objects in
this category are being displayed. This provides a numerical summary of your environment.

Click More (located after the last visible object in the category) to display the next 50 objects.

To change the default number of objects shown in each category, click Default Layout > Change
Layout Settings.

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Overview bar
The Overview bar summarizes your environment in a compact space. If your view is currently filtered,
the filtered objects display above the Overview bar, as shown.

The doughnut chart in the Overview bar displays the ratio of objects to one another in all possible
states using indicative colored slices. The total number of objects in your environment is also
displayed.

Objects under the Issues header are parsed and enumerated according to status. Objects shown here
are in one of the following distressed states: Down, Critical, Warning, Unknown and Unreachable. An
icon and count only appear if one or more objects is currently in that state.

Customize the AppStack view in SAM

To customize the AppStack view, click Default Layout > Change Layout Settings in the top right of the
page. Modifying settings can boost performance, such as limiting the number of objects displayed,
hiding empty categories, and adjusting the update interval.

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You may need to log in with an administrator account to perform this action.

You can modify the following settings:

l Limit on Up Objects Shown per Category: Objects in the AppStack Environment view are
ordered from left to right, with the worst status being shown on the left side of the view. Limit
the number of Up objects to provide more room for objects needing attention.
l Object Names: Displays distressed objects.
l Align Objects: By default, all objects are left-aligned.
l Show Category Status Summary: The Category Status Summary are the colored numbers to the
right of each category, indicating the number of objects in a particular state. This can remain
visible at all times, or only when categories are collapsed.
l Empty Categories: Select this option to hide categories with no objects, giving the view a
cleaner look.
l Update Interval: Change the time between AppStack refreshes.

Use filters for AppStack

You can filter AppStack data by status, display name, and applications to create different layouts for
data to speed troubleshooting for servers and virtual servers.

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You may need to log in with an administrator account to perform this action.

Filter options
By default, every object displays in the AppStack Environment view. To display only objects with a
certain status, filter the view by selecting one or more statuses and then applying the filter. You can
also filter objects based on various properties, as well as keywords.

The filtering sidebar includes the following options:

Statuses only become available for filtering when an object in your environment is in that state.
For example, if no objects have a status of Down, the Down status will not be available when
filtering.

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Creating filters
Creating filters using the AppStack filter properties provides more options to refine the content
displayed in the AppStack.

1. Click My Dashboards > Environment, and then click [+] Add Filter Properties.
2. In the pop-up menu, select one or more objects from the Orion Object drop down list.

3. Click Add column to display the new filters.

Create an AppStack layout in SAM

A Layout is a user-defined filter with configured settings you can save and use when viewing the
AppStack. You can tailor layouts with filters to view specific objects of interest. A default layout is
provided that contains all currently monitored objects visible in the AppStack Environment. You
cannot modify the default layout. As you create and save layouts, load them via the Layout menu.

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To create a layout:

1. Create a filter by selecting filter options in the sidebar or selecting filter properties.
2. Apply the filter to update the AppStack.
3. Under the Layout menu, click Save As New Layout. Enter a name and save.

You can modify the layout by making changes to the filter and clicking Save. If you want to save as a
new layout, click Save as New Layout. To remove a layout, select the layout as currently used and
select Delete this Layout.

For example, to create a Layout where only IIS objects in the AppStack Environment view are shown,
add the IIS filter property. Apply the filter and save it as a new layout.

The layout is added to the Layout menu, where you can easily navigate to it. The dot next to a layout in
the menu indicates the layout currently used.

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Use alerts to monitor your SAM environment

An alert is an automated notification that a network event occurred; for example, when a server
doesn't respond. The network event that triggers an alert is determined by conditions you set up when
you configure your alert. You can schedule alerts to monitor your network during a specific time
period, and create alerts that notify different people based on when the alert is triggered.

The types of events you can create alerts for vary, depending on the SolarWinds Platform products
installed. For example, in NPM you can create an alert to notify you if a node in a specific location
goes down or if the network response time is too slow. With SAM, you can receive alerts when
application response times lag, or your Exchange mailbox database is almost full.

You can create alerts for any monitored object, and alert against volumes and nodes with most
SolarWinds Platform products. To get started, click Alerts & Activity > Alerts, and then click Manage
Alerts. For details, see Use alerts to monitor your environment with the SolarWinds Platform.

Additional resources include:

l Alerting on an application (SolarWinds video)
l All About Alerts (SolarWinds video)
l Automating Alert Trigger Actions (SolarWinds video)
l Crafting Alerts That Get Noticed (SolarWinds video)
l Create an alert for monitored components (Success Center)
l Manage thresholds in SAM
l SolarWinds Academy
l Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Monitor processes, services, tasks, and events in real time

SAM provides several ways to monitor real-time events, including options to create component
monitors from events and handle Windows tasks for monitored servers.
l Use the Real-Time Process Explorer in SAM
l Use the Service Control Manager in SAM
l Use the Windows Scheduled Tasks Monitor in SAM
l Real-Time Event Log Viewer

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Use the Real-Time Process Explorer in SAM

The Real-Time Process Explorer (RTPE) displays monitored and unmonitored processes for WMI and
SNMP monitored nodes directly in SAM. The advantage of the RTPE is that you no longer need to
physically or remotely log in to a computer and run the Task Manager to retrieve that machine's vital
statistics.

Note the following details about the Real-Time Process Explorer:

l You can access the RTPE from the Management widget on Application Details views and Node
Details view.
l Only SAM administrators can end processes or enable/disable the RTPE.
l The User Name and Command Line columns are hidden by default.
l On nodes monitored via ICMP, you'll need to enter Windows credentials manually each time you
use the RTPE. Consider promoting the selected node to SNMP or WMI to avoid this issue.

Pop-ups must be enabled for the Real-Time Process Explorer to be viewed.

To access the Real-Time Process Explorer:

1. Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary page.

2. In the All Applications group, drill down to an application and click it.
3. In the Management widget, click Real-Time Process Explorer.

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The Real-Time Process Explorer displays processes related to the application and node.

Select a process and click an option at the top of the widget to control polling, use different
credentials, end a process, or start monitoring one.

To learn more, see:

l Monitor unmonitored processes in SAM
l Real-Time Process Explorer data
l Real-Time Process Explorer alerts in SAM
l Real-Time Process information in "Top XX" alerts
l Real-Time Event Log Viewer

Monitor unmonitored processes in SAM

Processes currently monitored by SAM are indicated by the application icon and name of the
assigned application monitor. Processes not currently being monitored appear with a [+] symbol,
followed by "Start monitoring."

1. From the RTPE, click Start monitoring.

2. In the Edit Properties section of the Component Monitor Wizard, set up the selected component
monitor.

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Real-Time Process Explorer data

Different information is displayed in the RTPE, depending on the protocol used to monitor a node. The
following table shows the differences in the data gathered by a process based on the protocol used.

SolarWinds Platform Agent for

Monitor process WMI SNMP
Linux/Unix

Name Yes Yes Yes

Process ID Yes Yes Yes

Assigned Yes Yes Yes

Application

CPU usage Yes Yes Yes

Physical Memory Yes Yes Yes

Virtual Memory Yes No Yes

Disk I/O Yes No Yes

User Name Yes No Yes

Command Line Yes* Yes* Yes*

Polling interval Five Up to two

seconds minutes

Windows servers update SNMP statistics every two minutes, and it takes two updates to provide an
accurate calculation.

Note the following details:

l Data displayed in the RTPE via SNMP can take up to four minutes to appear.
l Empty rows may appear if your SolarWinds Platform account does not have rights to display
certain data.
l By default, all available columns except User Name and Command Line appear for the top ten
running processes. To sort columns, click the column header and then click the drop-down
arrow.
l WinRM is the default transport method used to fetch data for WMI-based component monitors.

Show all running processes

Click Show All in the bottom-left of the window.

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Show a set number of running processes

Change the number in the text box next to the Show All button

Pause polling

If available, click Pause Polling in the top-left of the window.

End processes

Check the boxes next to the processes you want to end and then click End Process. This
option is only available when the RTPE is using a WMI connection.

Start polling

Click Start Polling in the top-left of the window.

For Windows-based nodes, change the credentials by clicking Use Different Credentials to open the
credential library dialog box.

Clicking Refresh will re-poll the running processes.

Real-Time Process Explorer alerts in SAM

Three alerts are included with the Real-Time Process Explorer:
l High CPU Utilization with Top 10 Processes
This alert sends an email when the CPU utilization is greater than 80%.
l High Physical Memory Utilization with Top 10 Processes
An alert is sent when physical memory usage is at or above 90%.
l High Virtual Memory Utilization with Top 10 Processes
An alert is sent when virtual memory usage is at or above 90%.

Use the Alert Manager to create, edit, delete, enable, or disable alerts. You can access the Alert
Manager from these places:
l Settings page (recommended): Click Settings > All Settings. Under Alerts & Reports, click
Manage Alerts.
l Active Alerts Details page: Click Manage Alerts in the Management widget.
l Node Details view: Click Manage Alerts in the All Alerts this Object Can Trigger widget.

To learn more about alerts, see the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide.

Alerts may lag if monitoring hardware health via SNMP. It takes two updates to these statistics
to provide an accurate calculation, so an alert can take up to four minutes to reach its recipient.
To expedite this process, change the protocol to WMI, which updates every five seconds.
Consider adjusting the trigger time to a value greater than two minutes.

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Real-Time Process information in "Top XX" alerts

SAM provides additional troubleshooting information for high CPU, memory, and virtual memory by
sending email alerts. This is done by utilizing the Top Offending Processes metric running on the
server at the time of the alert.

Find the executable path SolarWinds.APM.RealTimeProcessPoller.exe and its command line

arguments below.

Here is command line argument syntax:

SolarWinds.APM.RealTimeProcessPoller.exe -n=<NodeID> [-
count=<NumberOfProcesses>] [-sort=<SortBy>] [-timeout=<PollingTimeout>] [-
alertID=<AlertDefID>]

Command line argument variables are included in the following table:

Variable Definition
-n ID of a Node (NodeID), which is polled.
-count The number of processes to show.
-sort The criteria used to select top processes, including:
l CPU: Processor time. This is the default value if the command line argument
is not specified.
l PhysicalMemory: Process physical memory.
l VirtualMemory: Process virtual memory.
l DiskIO: Process disk I/O per second.

-timeout Timeout for polling in seconds.

-alertID The AlertDefID of associated triggered alert. If this argument is provided, then
alert notes are updated with the results from polling.
-activeObject The ActiveObject property of the associated triggered alert. If this argument is
not provided, NodeID is used.

Example 1

This example returns the top 20 processes with the highest virtual memory consumption running on
the host with node ID 123.
SolarWinds.APM.RealTimeProcessPoller.exe -n=123 -count=20 -sort=VirtualMemory -
timeout=300

Example 2

This example uses the Execute an External Program alert action:

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SolarWinds.APM.RealTimeProcessPoller.exe -n=${NodeID} -alertID=${AlertDefID}

Example 3

This example uses the Execute an External Program alert action for an alert defined for virtual
memory:
SolarWinds.APM.RealTimeProcessPoller.exe -n=${NodeID} -alertID=${AlertDefID} -
activeObject=${NetObjectID} -sort=VirtualMemory

Real-Time Event Log Viewer

View Windows event logs in real-time using the WMI protocol with the Real-Time Event Log Viewer
(RTEV). Event logs can be filtered by log type, event source, and the level of severity.

The viewer allows you to:

l Start monitoring selected real-time Windows event log entries
l Pause and restart polling
l Log in to the selected server with different credentials

Access the Real-Time Event Log Viewer

1. Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary.

2. Select an application from the All Applications widget.
3. Select Real-Time Event Log Viewer from the Management widget.

The Real-Time Event Log Viewer opens with a filterable list of all events and logs.

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Enable pop-ups so you can display the Real-Time Event Log Viewer.

Filter Real-Time Events

After the events of the selected Log Type are collected and appear in the window on the right, you can
filter the results with various criteria.

1. Select an option from the log type drop-down menu:

2. Select Custom Sources from the Event Sources drop-down menu. Select only the sources you
want to keep when the filter is applied, as highlighted:

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3. Select the type of messages you want the filter to keep by selecting the Event Level.

4. Click Apply Filter to have the events filtered and displayed.

After filtering is complete, hide and unhide the filtering pane on the left by clicking either of the two
arrows, highlighted in red:

The display window shows a list of the most recent events. Should any new events occur while this
window is open, a green bar at the top of the window indicates that new events have arrived. Click the
green bar to add these new events to the display window.

The Level column icons correspond to the Event Level icons in the legend of the events pane.

Clicking any message in the display window brings up a message box providing the entire message
along with additional details.

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Monitor events

You can monitor selected events from the Real-Time Event Log Viewer by selecting an event and
creating a component monitor:

1. Select an event and click Start Monitoring in the Message Details view.
The Add Component Monitor wizard opens with the selection.
2. Modify the Component Monitor based on the application you selected, following the wizard
steps.
3. After you begin the Component Monitor Wizard, use the option to Disable Keyword Matching.
The Include Events drop-down menu provides options to help you filter results.

4. Save and assign the component monitor.

Use the Service Control Manager in SAM

The Service Control Manager is similar to the Real Time Process Explorer, except it manages services
of monitored Windows nodes instead of processes. The advantage of using this feature is that you do
not have to physically, or remotely, log in to a Windows computer to view and control its services. The
status of services appears directly in SAM via the Service Control Manager.

Services viewed in the Service Control Manager are polled every 25 seconds using WMI.

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Accessed via the Management widget on Node Details views, the Service Control Manager shows all
services on the monitored computer. Hover over the row of any service to display details about it.

Enable the Service Control Manager

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Manage Accounts.
2. Locate the account and click Edit.
3. Expand the Server & Application Monitor Settings section.
4. For the Service Control Manager option, select Yes.
5. Save changes to the account.

Access the Service Control Monitor

You can access the Service Control Manager through the Management widget on Node Details views.

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l You may need to log in with an administrator account to perform this action.
l Pop-ups must be enabled in your browser to view the Service Control Manager.
l The option may not appear if "Top 10" widgets are hidden.

1. Click My Dashboards > Home.

2. In the All Nodes group, click a node.
3. On the Node Details view, locate the Management widget and click Service Control Manager

The Service Control Manager displays services, sorted alphabetically, along with the application
assigned to the service, if it's already being monitored.
Click a row to start, restart, or stop a service. You can also pause polling or provide different
credentials for a service.

The table below shows the default settings for the Service Control Manager:

Action Description Default Setting

Service Job Life Time The age of the information for a service. 3 min

Service Poll Interval The refresh frequency of data reported by 25 sec

the service.

Service Action Job Timeout Reports the timeout for a service. 3 min

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 Monitor processes, services, tasks, and events in real time

Use the Windows Scheduled Tasks Monitor in SAM

The Windows Scheduled Tasks Monitor (WSTM) is a SAM feature that displays tasks running on
Windows nodes monitored via WMI in your environment, along with the status, last run time, and last
run results of each task. With this feature enabled, details about a node's tasks appears in the
Windows Scheduled Tasks widget on the Node Details view.

Note the following details about the Windows Scheduled Tasks Monitor:
l It collects data from the Task Scheduler that is native to Windows, but doesn't offer the same
functionality. You can display task details in SAM, but you cannot edit tasks.
l Only tasks in the Task Scheduler Library (also called the root folder) are monitored.
l If using component-based licensing, this feature consumes five licenses per monitored node.
l Windows Scheduled Tasks data appears in AppStack for monitored nodes.

See also:
l Requirements
l Enable the Windows Schedule Tasks Monitor
l What you can do in the widget
l Alerts and reports
l Troubleshooting

Requirements
l Windows nodes with WMI enabled
l Administrator group privileges on the remote computer, unless using the SolarWinds Platform
Agent for Windows

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 Monitor processes, services, tasks, and events in real time

Enable the Windows Scheduled Tasks Monitor

There are several ways to enable Windows Scheduled Tasks monitoring for nodes:
l To enable this feature during automated Discovery, click Define Monitoring Settings on the
Monitoring Settings tab of the Discovery wizard and select the Windows Scheduled Task option
in the Choose What to Monitor part of the wizard.

l To enable this feature when adding an individual node, select Windows Servers: WMI and ICMP
as the Polling Method and then select Windows Scheduled Tasks in the List Resources widget.

l To enable this feature for an existing node, navigate to the Node Details view and click List
Resources in the Management widget. Select the Windows Scheduled Tasks option and click
Submit. If the option does not appear, see Troubleshooting.

Additional ways to add WSTM include:

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 Monitor processes, services, tasks, and events in real time

l Assign the Windows Scheduled Tasks template to nodes.

l Use the PowerShell automation script described in Use automation scripts to add AppInsight
applications to nodes with the SolarWinds Platform SDK

What you can do in the Windows Scheduled Tasks widget

If this widget does not appear on the Node Details view as expected, click here.

Within the Windows Scheduled Tasks widget, you can:

l Hover over any task title to display details about a task.
l Sort the displayed tasks by clicking the head of each column.
l Click Edit in the top corner to change the title or subtitle of the widget.

Click here for a list of status codes that may appear in this widget.

At the bottom of the widget, click Edit Settings to modify the Windows Scheduled Tasks monitor
assigned to the node, which is based on the Windows Scheduled Tasks template.

Windows Scheduled Tasks Monitor alerts and reports

SAM includes an out-of-the box (OOTB) alert that can notify you about task execution failures, Alert
me when task last run result is non successful. To learn how to use this alert, see Work
with preconfigured alerts in SAM.

Two reports are also available:

l The Windows Scheduled Tasks General Report displays scheduled tasks across all monitored
servers in your environment.
l The Windows Scheduled Tasks Failure Report shows only tasks on monitored nodes that failed
during their last run.

See Run a preconfigured report in SAM for details.

Troubleshooting

Why don't I see the Windows Scheduled Tasks option in the List Resources widget for a node? The
Windows Scheduled Tasks option is hidden in the List Resources widget if:
l A node is not configured for WMI polling. See Change the polling method for a node.
l No tasks are scheduled on the target node.

Why don't scheduled tasks appear for a monitored node? Verify that the Windows Scheduled Task
Monitor is enabled for the node. If you receive a "Network path not found" message, check that node
credentials have permission to access the Task Scheduler files location. Make sure the node is Up.

See also Out-of-the-box scheduled task alert triggers a false alert.

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 Use SolarWinds Platform Remote Collector with SAM

Use SolarWinds Platform Remote Collector with SAM

In SAM deployments that use node-based licensing, you can add SolarWinds Platform Remote
Collector to distribute monitoring loads. These lightweight polling engines:
l Use SolarWinds Platform agent technology to communicate with the SolarWinds Platform.
l Do not require a direct connection to the SolarWinds Platform database.
l Are easy to deploy in remote locations, thanks to their simplified architecture.
l Can poll and store data up to 24 hours with no connection to the polling engine, making them
useful for unreliable networks, DMZs, and devices that don’t support SolarWinds Platform
agents.

Polling jobs run independently of the Main Polling Engine and any Additional Polling Engines (APEs).
Results are stored locally, and then forwarded to the SolarWinds Platform server via agents.

For requirements, see Scalability Engine Guidelines for SolarWinds products.

Note the following details about using SolarWinds Platform Remote Collector with SAM:
l SolarWinds Platform Remote Collector polling is not supported for nodes monitored by
SolarWinds Platform agents; for example, if AppInsight for IIS is assigned to a node.
l In a SolarWinds Network Automation Manager (NAM) deployment that combines SolarWinds
Network Performance Manager (NPM) with SAM, SolarWinds Platform Remote Collectors can
be used for both NAM- and SAM-supported features.
l The following SAM features do not currently support SolarWinds Platform Remote Collector
polling:
o API Poller monitoring

o AppOptics integrations on AppInsight for IIS nodes

o Container monitoring
o Hardware Health monitoring for UCS or Nutanix devices
o JMX monitoring

l The following component monitors do not currently support SolarWinds Platform Remote
Collector polling:
o JMX Monitor

o MAPI User Experience Monitor

o Nagios Script Monitor

o NNTP Monitor

o Oracle User Experience Monitor

o RADIUS User Experience Monitor

o TACACS+ User Experience Monitor

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 Use SolarWinds Platform Remote Collector with SAM

To display SolarWinds Platform Remote Collectors currently deployed in your environment:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Manage Agents.

2. On the Manage Agents page, click the Remote Collectors tab.

To learn more about SolarWinds Platform Remote Collectors, see the Scalability Engine Guidelines.

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 Monitor your virtual infrastructure with SAM

Monitor your virtual infrastructure with SAM

You can use SAM to monitor AWS EC2 instances, Azure VMs, containers, and Nutanix clusters directly
in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console. In addition to AWS and Azure , supported environments
include Azure Kubernetes (AKS), ESXI, ESX, Hyper-V, Nutanix, VMware vSphere, Docker, Kubernetes
(K8s), and Apache Mesos.

Virtual monitoring capabilities in SAM include:

l Monitor cloud-based instances and VMs in SAM for AWS and Azure.
l Monitor container services for:
o Docker

o Docker Swarm

o Kubernetes (K8s)

o Microsoft Azure Kubernetes (AKS)

o Apache Mesos

l Monitor hardware health for Nutanix clusters, along with child Hyper-V and VMware nodes.

For more details, see Monitor your virtual infrastructure in the SolarWinds Platform Administrator
Guide.

Thinking about moving everything to the cloud? You can deploy SAM and other SolarWinds
Platform products, including the SolarWinds Platform server and SolarWinds Platform data-
base, to a virtual environment. See the SolarWinds Platform Products Installation and Upgrade
Guide to learn about AWS Marketplace, AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), Azure Marketplace,
and Azure Virtual Network (VNet) deployments, as well as multi-tenant scenarios.

For an overview of what's involved in an Azure deployment, watch Installing SolarWinds

Product from the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.

Monitor cloud-based instances and VMs in SAM

This section offers an overview about monitoring your cloud-based infrastructure in SAM. For
details, see Monitor cloud instances and VMs in the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide.

To support hybrid environments, the SolarWinds Platform can retrieve data from the AWS EC2 and
Microsoft Azure cloud service platforms to track availability, performance, applications, and more for
instances and VMs. Examples of data gathered include status, storage capacity, and memory usage.

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 Monitor cloud-based instances and VMs in SAM

To retrieve status and metric data for monitored clouds (cloud metrics), the SolarWinds Platform
sends API requests to the cloud service. The first 1 million requests per month are free, extra
requests are charged by your cloud provider.

By combining SAM with the cloud infrastructure monitoring capabilities built into the SolarWinds
Platform, you can:
l Manage hybrid environment metrics and status through a single console. Displaying on-
premises, virtual, and cloud systems together helps you compare performance, locate
bottlenecks, and better plan capacity and resource allocation.
l Dynamically monitor cloud instances and VMs to better handle resource churn during
provisioning. Instances and VMs can be removed as needed to support expanding
environments or performance peaks.
l Determine usage trends and troubleshoot issues. Metrics captured over time provide historical
references to track trends for resource consumption (such as CPU spikes and lulls) so you can
determine when those trends become issues.
l Use cloud monitoring data, SolarWinds Platform alerts, and the Performance Analysis
dashboard (PerfStack) to review historical performance and pinpoint when significant usage
changes began to trigger issues.

Several SAM features support cloud infrastructure monitoring:

l Use SAM API Poller templates to monitor metrics for Azure, Microsoft 365, and SolarWinds
products such as AppOptics.
l Use SAM application monitoring templates to poll cloud-based applications and services for
specific metrics beyond the basic metrics gathered by cloud service APIs, such as OS and
memory metrics.
l Monitor hardware health for Nutanix clusters, along with child Hyper-V and VMware nodes.
l Monitoring container services for Docker, Kubernetes, and Apache Mesos.
l Display cloud instance/VM details in AppStack for quick troubleshooting across your
environment.
l Develop and deploy custom script monitors for PowerShell, Nagios, Linux/Unix, and Windows.

How do I configure it?

1. Review the following resources:
l Recommendations and requirements for monitoring cloud accounts
l SAM system requirements
2. Configure your AWS or Microsoft Azure cloud account to interact with the SolarWinds Platform.
3. Gather credentials in your cloud console.
4. Add the first cloud account to the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

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 Monitor cloud-based instances and VMs in SAM

5. If you plan to use SolarWinds Platform agents, WMI, or SNMP to poll for metrics beyond those
gathered by cloud service APIs (for example, metrics retrieved by SAM application monitors),
configure cloud instances/VMs as managed nodes. See Manage your cloud in the SolarWinds
Platform as a node.

If you exceed recommended cloud monitoring limits and receive a 503 Service Unavailable
error when adding Azure accounts, click here for a workaround.

What does it look like?

After your cloud account is configured and polling begins, you can explore cloud instances and VMs
on the Cloud Summary page.

To learn more about cloud monitoring, see:

l SolarWinds Platform in the Cloud: Hybrid IT User Stories and Best Practices (video)
l SolarWinds Lab #82: Quicker Azure Monitoring (video)
l Troubleshoot cloud monitoring with PerfStack (SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide)

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 Use API pollers to monitor metrics in SAM

Use API pollers to monitor metrics in SAM

If you can access an external REST API, you can use the API Poller feature to collect data from
modern application stacks and display it in SAM dashboards. Define your API endpoints, configure
authentication, add credentials, select metrics to monitor, and start automated polling at regular
intervals without the need for custom scripts.

Similar to tools like Postman, the API Poller feature guides you through building an API poller that can
include one or more API requests. You need to know what each API provider requires in requests (for
example, tokens), but little coding knowledge is needed. This feature can build request URLs for you.

Some benefits of this feature include:

l Send and receive automated API requests to quickly exchange data with cloud services like
Azure and AWS, hardware vendors like Cisco, or any entity that offers data via API.
l Create connections between SAM and remote APIs for wider visibility and improved
troubleshooting.
l Monitor data that's not available via standard polling methods, such as SNMP.
l Receive alerts about API data in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

New to REST APIs? Watch Intro to APIs for people who hate to program and API Pollers: When
SNMP Won't Cut It.

For example, you can use Pi-hole to track incoming spam. Navigate to the URL of the host server in a
browser, and log in to see the latest values for DNS Queries Today in the main web interface.

(Screenshots property of © 2021 Pi-hole)

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 Use API pollers to monitor metrics in SAM

You can access the same data via the Pi-hole API (© 2021 Pi-hole, available at discourse.pi-hole.net/).
After using the host server URL to create and send an API request ###.###.###.##/admin/api.php
in your web browser, the response should include the same values displayed in the Pi-hole web
interface, as shown in this partial example:
{"domains_being_blocked":131941,"dns_queries_today":279430,"ads_blocked_
today":28655,"ads_percentate_today";10.2544805.

To avoid the need to craft code and enter retrieved data in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console
manually, you can add an API poller instead. Besides being easier, you get benefits of the API Poller
feature, including automated polling, data integration within SAM, and alerting.

Here is an example of the initial Pi-Hole request on the API Poller page:

Here is an example of the API response:

After deciding which values to monitor, save the API poller. When polling occurs, metrics appear in
the SolarWinds Platform Web Console and are saved to the SolarWinds Platform database.

Want to see this example in action? Watch API Pollers: When SNMP Won't Cut It.

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 Get started with your first API poller

Besides ease of use, API pollers provide the following benefits over standard API tools:
l Select only the metrics you care about, such as those needed for troubleshooting.
l Set warning and critical thresholds to trigger alerts in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.
l Get started quickly with API Poller templates designed for popular APIs, such as Microsoft 365
and Azure.

Some ideas for using the API Poller feature include:

l Leverage existing requests created in API tools such as Microsoft Graph Explorer SAM. Copy
URLs and access tokens from Graph Explorer and use them to build API pollers.
l Increase visibility into apps already being monitored by application monitor templates by adding
API pollers that connect to related external APIs.
l Tighten connections between SolarWinds products in your environment by creating API pollers
to access SolarWinds AppOptics, Loggly, and Pingdom APIs.
l Provide SolarWinds Platform data to external teams, produce custom dashboards for
executives, or automate maps with data from the SolarWinds Platform SDK API.
l Use the Cisco UCS API to bolster blade server monitoring by adding metrics to what you already
collect through hardware health monitoring.
l Use the Nutanix API to check data resiliency by setting alert thresholds for the number of nodes
in monitored Nutanix clusters, or drill into endpoints to find metrics such as cluster Read IOPs.

Get started with your first API poller

If you're familiar with API requests, here is an overview about how to begin monitoring a remote API
from within SAM. For more detailed steps, see How the API Poller feature in SAM works.

1. Review API poller requirements.

2. Navigate to the Manage API Pollers page (Settings > All Settings > Manage API Pollers).

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 How the API Poller feature in SAM works

3. Add your first API poller. Alternatively, assign an out-of-the-box API poller template to an
existing node.

Allow time for API responses — the larger the data set, the longer the response time.

When SAM receives an API response, it parses the JSON payload to glean relevant data, assigns that
data to the monitored node, and displays metrics in several areas of the SolarWinds Platform Web
Console, including:
l Node Details views: The API Poller widget displays the latest metrics being monitored for the
node with their status.
l PerfStack: Navigate directly to a Performance Analysis dashboard from the API Poller widget on
the Node Details view to see historic API metrics.
l SolarWinds Platform Maps: Click a node with an assigned API poller to display monitored
metrics.

How the API Poller feature in SAM works

If you're new to API requests, read this overview before adding your first API poller. You can
also watch Intro to APIs for people who hate to program and API Pollers: When SNMP Won't
Cut It.

You can use the API Poller feature to monitor metrics via external REST APIs. Define your API
endpoints, set up any required authentication, pick the metrics you want to monitor, and start
monitoring. Send and received automated API requests to quickly exchange data with APIs offered by
cloud services like Azure or any entity that make its data available via API, including SolarWinds.

SAM also includes predefined API poller templates that you can assign to nodes to monitor Azure,
other SolarWinds products, and more. Check the SAM section of THWACK for the latest templates, as
posted by solarwinds_worldwide_llc and tagged with an API Poller label.

Review API documentation for requirements

After deciding which API you want to monitor, review the API documentation to learn about types of
data provided, endpoints where data is stored, and what you need to include in API requests, such as
tokens or specific headers.

Some cloud services limit the amount of free API requests per month and charge for extra
requests. Check with your provider for details.

Add a managed external node

Use the Add Node wizard to add an external node where API pollers and received data can be stored.

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 How the API Poller feature in SAM works

Start creating the API poller

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Pollers.
2. When the Manage API Poller page appears:
a. Click New.
b. Click the row for the node where you're adding the API poller.
c. Click Create API Poller.

Add a Request URL

When the API Poller page appears:

1. Select a Method for the request. The default is GET, which retrieves data from an external API.
2. Enter a Request URL.

The URL specifies the location on the external API server where you want to access data, called an
endpoint. For example, the SolarWinds Platform SDK endpoint is
//##.###.##.###:17778/SolarWinds/InformationService/v3/, which includes these
elements:
l ##.###.##.###: The IP address of your SolarWinds Platform server.
l 17778: The HTTPS port for the SolarWinds Platform server.
l /SolarWinds/InformationService/v3/: The path for the SolarWinds Information Service
(SWIS) that provides API data for the SolarWinds Platform.

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Another API URL is https://api.appoptics.com/v1/metrics, for the SolarWinds AppOptics API.

API URLs are similar to browser URLs that you use every day. For example, if you're an SolarWinds
Platform Administrator logged in to the main SolarWinds Platform server, you can type
https://localhost:17778/Orion/Login.aspx to access the SolarWinds Platform Web Console
Login page. The URL indicates that you have a secure HTTP connection to reach a server over a
specific port and that you're opening a specific form -- the Login page. API requests include much of
the same information.

Configure API poller settings

Next, click Configure to add a name and description for the poller. In the API Poller settings dialog
box, you can also:
l Toggle SSL certification for the API host server on or off.
l Enable SolarWinds Platform proxy server settings in the request.
l Change the polling interval from the default value, 2 minutes.
l Specify the type of authorization used by the API.
l Add credentials.

You can add, edit, or delete API poller credentials on the Manage Credentials page.

Click Save when finished.

Send an initial request

Click Send request and wait for a response from the external API.

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 How the API Poller feature in SAM works

The initial request sent from the SolarWinds Platform Web Console to the API does not
consume a license. Only subsequent requests that collect metrics consume licenses. To poll
API metrics, SAM uses the Main Polling Engine or an Additional Polling Engine, depending on
the node configuration.

Data appears in the Response area of the page, which may include Expand ( ) icons you can click to
display more data. A Monitor ( ) icon appears next to values that can be monitored.

A Response status code other than 200 indicates a failed request. Check the URL and settings
to correct them, if necessary, and then try again. Review API documentation again for
requirements. See also Troubleshoot API pollers in SAM.

You can monitor response headers, in addition to responses. For example, the SolarWinds Service
Desk API includes the latest count of active tickets in response headers. Examine the SolarWinds
Service Desk Incidents and Problems template to see how it leverages response headers.

You can also use macros and node-based custom properties in API requests.

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 How the API Poller feature in SAM works

Configure monitoring for the values retrieved from the API

Click the Monitor ( ) icon next to each value you want to monitor, and then define attributes for the
value in the dialog box that appears, including how you want to store the value, if a numeric or string
value is expected, and threshold levels. To learn more, see Configure monitored values in API pollers.

When finished, click Save to close the dialog box and return to the API Poller page, where you can
select more values to monitor, if necessary.

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 How the API Poller feature in SAM works

Save the API poller and wait for polling to finish

When you're finished setting up the API poller, click Save. After the next polling cycle is complete,
monitored values appear in the API Pollers widget on the Node Details view.

Within the API Poller widget, you can:

l Click the title of a metric to display only data for that specific metric in PerfStack.
l Click an API poller name to display related metrics in PerfStack.

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 How the API Poller feature in SAM works

The status of a value appears as Unknown until the first successful poll occurs. It's also
possible that the monitored value is not licensed (for example, if your SAM license expired or
no SAM licenses are available).

See the following topics to learn more about API pollers:

l API poller requirements
l API poller licensing
l API methods
l API poller authentication and authorization
l SSL certificate verification for API pollers
l Configure monitored values in API pollers
l How monitored API metrics in SAM impact Node status
l API poller alerts

For some real-world examples, see Work with API pollers.

API poller requirements

Before creating your first API poller, review the following requirements:
l Use an SolarWinds Platform account with Administrator privileges.
l Make sure SAM licenses are available — each monitored metric consumes a license.
l Identify an existing managed SAM node (Windows, Linux, or AIX) to host the connection to the
remote API.
Alternatively, create an external node to serve as an application endpoint for a service such as
Azure. External nodes have fewer requirements; for example, no credentials are required at the
node level.
This feature does not currently support SolarWinds Platform agent polling or SolarWinds
Platform Remote Collectors.
In a 30-day trial of SAM, you can use the node included in the evaluation version for an
API poller. However, note that API pollers are child contributors to enhanced node status
calculations, so missing metrics may impact the status of the single node if it hosts both the
SolarWinds Platform server and the Main Polling Engine.
l If your organization hosts applications that you want to access via API, configure applications to
allow access to data. For example, to collect metrics with a Microsoft Azure Active Directory API
poller, you'll need to work with an Azure Administrator to obtain credentials with:

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 How the API Poller feature in SAM works

o The proper scope, https://graph.microsoft.com/.default, and

o Directory.Read.All, Group.Read.All, and SecurityEvents.Read.All permissions.

Open the following ports on the Main Polling Engine and any Additional Polling Engines (APEs).
l 38010: The SolarWinds Platform API Poller Service utilizes this default port, as referenced in the
following files:
o $(Orion.InstallDirectory)\SolarWinds.Orion.ApiPoller\SolarWinds.Orion.ApiPoller.Business
Layer.dll.config
o $(Orion.WebDirectory)\SolarWinds\api2\bin\SolarWinds.Orion.ApiPoller.WebApi.dll.confi
g,
where Orion.WebDirectory is usually C:\Inetpub\SolarWinds.
l 38008: If API pollers use credentials created on the Manage Credentials page, open this port.

Review third-party API documentation

Review API provider documentation to learn about types of data provided, where data is stored, and
what you need to include in API requests, such as:
l Authentication and authorization requirements, including credentials and tokens,
l The URL of the API,
l Defined endpoints where API data is available, and
l Supported request URL formats.

Here are some examples of API requirements:

l Each request sent to the SolarWinds Pingdom API requires an API token for HTTP Bearer
Authentication.
l Responses must be in valid JSON format.
l API pollers based on the Microsoft 365 Mobile Device Management template must include the
following scope: https://manage.office.com/.default.

See Useful APIs for SAM for documentation links from SolarWinds and other API providers.

API poller licensing

Each monitored metric returned by the API Poller feature counts against your SAM license. The way
licenses are consumed depends on your SAM license model, as described here.

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Node-based
If you have a node-based SAM license:
l Each node with at least one API-monitored metric counts as a managed SAM node.
l A SAM node can host multiple API pollers.
l Regardless of how many metrics are consumed by API pollers, you can monitor an unlimited
number of component monitors if using node-based licensing.

For example, with a node-based SAM10 license, you can monitor API metrics up on up to 10 nodes
with either:
l Monitor 100 values with 1 API poller on 1 node, or
l Monitor 50 values with 2 API pollers on 1 node, or
l Diversify license consumption, as follows:
o Monitor 10 values with 1 API poller on 3 nodes,

o Monitor 20 values with 1 API poller on 1 node, and

o Monitor 10 values with 5 API pollers on 1 node.

In this example, 30 + 20 +50 = 100 consumed SAM licenses.

Component-based
If you have a component-based SAM license:
l The number of monitored API metrics does not impact the available number of licenses that can
be consumed by SAM application monitors and component monitors.
l The number of allowed monitored metrics depends on how your component-based license
maps to an equivalent node-based license, as detailed next. For example, you can monitor up to
500 API metrics with an AL700 license.

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Node-based license tier Maximum number

Component-based license tier
equivalent of monitored API metrics
AL150 SAM10 100

AL300 SAM25 250

AL700 SAM50 500

AL1100 SAM75 750

AL1500 SAM100 1000

AL2500 SAM200 2000

ALX SAM300 3000

SAM400* 4000

* Additional node-based SAM license tiers are available, up to SAM5000 and beyond.

Both
For both license types:
l Only API metrics monitored for licensed SAM nodes appear in the API Poller widget on the Node
Details page. For unlicensed nodes, API pollers display an Unknown status.
l When adding an API poller, the initial request to contact the external API is sent from the
SolarWinds Platform Web Console, not a polling engine. Until you select at least one metric to
monitor for an API poller, no license is consumed.
l API pollers stop updating metrics in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console if your SAM license
expires. The status of API pollers on the Node Details page changes to Unknown.

What happens if you exceed license limits

If you exceed the license limit when adding monitored metrics to a new or existing API poller, a
message similar to the following appears. Any metrics above the limit are not monitored and the
status appears for metrics appears as Unknown in related widgets.

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If you receive that message, you can:

l Contact SolarWinds Sales to upgrade to the next license tier, or
l Examine your current API poller and adjust the number of metrics being monitored.

You can also use SolarWinds AppOptics to collect metrics via REST API calls.

API methods
When creating an API poller, your first step is selecting one of the following methods for the request.
l GET sends a request for data from a URL.
l POST creates a new record.

The method you use for an API request depends on:

l What you want to do, and
l What rights you have.

Similar to how you need different rights to perform various tasks in most applications, you need rights
to use different methods against an external API and get a successful response. For example, to use
a GET request to retrieve data from the SolarWinds Platform SDK, no extra rights are required other
than the SolarWinds Platform account credentials included in the parent request. However, to send a
POST request that creates a new record, you typically require extra rights. For example, to use a
POST request that adds a node to the SolarWinds Platform database, your SolarWinds Platform
account must have Node Management rights.

GET retrieves data from an API

The most common method for API requests, GET, retrieves data from a specific endpoint within an
API. If the request is successful, data is returned in a response payload. Most GET requests include
some form of authorization in their headers; check the API documentation for details.

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Here is an example of a GET request sent to the SolarWinds Platform API, asking for the names of
three polling engines from a specific database table:

GET
https://localhost:17778/SolarWinds/InformationService/v3/Json/Query?query=SEL
ECT+Uri+FROM+Orion.Pollers+ORDER+BY+PollerID+WITH+ROWS+1+TO+3+WITH+TOTALROWS

When this query is packaged with the rest of the data provided on the API Poller page, including
authorization and headers, the entire request looks like the following:

GET
https://localhost:17778/SolarWinds/InformationService/v3/Json/Query?query=SEL
ECT+Uri+FROM+Orion.Pollers+ORDER+BY+PollerID+WITH+ROWS+1+TO+3+WITH+TOTALROWS
HTTP/1.1
Authorization: Basic YWRtaW46
User-Agent: curl/7.20.0 (i386-pc-win32) libcurl/7.20.0 OpenSSL/0.9.8l
zlib/1.2.3
Host: localhost:17778
Accept: */*

For additional query examples, see REST in the SolarWinds Platform SDK wiki.

POST sends data to an API to create or update a resource

Unlike the GET method that requests data from an external API, the POST method is used to send
changes to an API endpoint. These requests typically include additional data in the message body, as
opposed to GET request that may include all necessary details in the request URL.

POST requests usually require authentication by the external API. For example, you can use standard
SolarWinds Platform account credentials to send GET requests that retrieve data from the SolarWinds
Platform API (perhaps to retrieve a list of available nodes), but you need Node Management rights for
the SolarWinds Platform to send a POST request (for example, to add a node), as defined on the
Manage Accounts page.

POST requests supply additional data to the target in the message body, not the URL.
Credentials, if configured for an API poller, are sent in a separate Header file.

Note the following details about API poller requests:

l Allow time for responses. The larger the data set, the longer the response time.
l Dedicated headers are required for pages that require logins.

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API poller authentication and authorization

Many REST APIs use some type of authorization and/or authentication mechanisms to check the
validity of requests and to secure stored data.
l Authentication proves the identity of a requestor. Many APIs require you to register as a user
and include credentials in API requests. For example, to send requests to Azure APIs, you need
to provide details such as Client ID and Tenant IDs to authenticate access.
Authentication proves that you are who you say you are.
l Authorization allows certain actions against data stored in the API. For example, you can use
standard SolarWinds Platform account credentials to send GET requests that retrieve data from
the SolarWinds Platform API, but if you send a POST request to change data with a CREATE,
READ, UPDATE, or DELETE command, your SolarWinds Platform account requires extra rights.
Adding a node requires Node Management rights.
Authorization verifies that an authenticated request can perform certain actions.

Supported authorization types for SAM API pollers include:

l No Authorization: No user names, passwords, or credentials are required for free, public APIs,
also called open APIs. For example, iTunes Search is an open API (© 2020 Apple Inc., available
at performance-partners.apple.com).
l Basic Authorization: Also called "Basic Auth," this method passes the username and password
in request headers, sent via HTTPS and encoded with Base64 for security. Passwords are
required with Basic Authorization.
l OAuth 2.0: Uses access tokens that the API server passes to an authentication server to grant
access via public and private keys. Note the following details about OAuth 2.0:
o SAM currently only supports the Client Credentials grant type.
o The Scope value may include multiple space-separated values.
o To learn about grant types, scopes, and other OAuth terms, see the next section,
API credentials.
l Bearer Token: Also called token authentication, this scheme uses access tokens to
authenticate requests, in the form of text strings added to request headers (for example,
Authorization: Bearer <Your API Key>). Many tokens expire after a certain amount of
time but some APIs offer "refresh tokens" with long lifespans. For example, SolarWinds DPA
API tokens expire after 900 seconds but can be extended with an API_ACCESS_TOKEN_
EXPIRATION option.
l API Key: The API key is a long string included in either the request URL or request header (for
example, Authorization: <Key> <Value>). Some APIs require both a public and private key -
- the public key is usually included in the request, and the private key is treated like a password.

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You can chain multiple API requests to save a value from one request for use in subsequent
requests, including authorization and authentication data. This is useful for APIs that involve
tokens, sessions, or endpoint discovery.

Review API documentation to determine what's required in requests. For example, requests sent to
the SolarWinds Loggly API require an access token before a response is returned; the API uses the
token to authenticate your identity. Additional tokens are then required to reach specific segments of
data in subsequent requests; the API uses those details to verify what you can do to data.

The SolarWinds Pingdom API uses Bearer Token authorization so an API token must be included in
each request, as shown in this example:

GET /checks HTTP/1.1

Host: api.pingdom.com
Authorization: Bearer ofOhK18Ca6w4S_2FEH5QnIbH0VZhRPO3tlvrjMIKQ36Vap

API credentials
Depending on the type of authorization used by an API, you may only need to provide basic
credentials: a username and password. Some free APIs don't require any credentials. Sophisticated
APIs, such as the Azure API, require a client ID, client secret, access token URL, and other details.
Check API provider documentation for requirements.

Some terms you may encounter include:

l Grant type: The method used by an application to get an access token that authenticates a
request to an API endpoint.
l Tenant ID: A unique ID that represents the Azure AD directory where a registered application is
stored.
l Client ID: A unique ID that is assigned to an application and service principal during initial
provisioning.
l Client Secret: A unique set of characters known only to the application and authorization server.
l Access token URL: The web address of the API provider's authentication server, which
exchange an authorization code for an access token.to confirm access to API data.
l Scope: The endpoints of data within an API for which an application can request access. The
access token issued to the application will be limited to the scopes granted, including read or
write access permissions. For example, to monitor https://manage.office.com endpoints
with the Microsoft 365 Admin Center API poller template, use the following scope:
https://manage.office.com/.default.

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API pollers created from predefined templates often require a scope. For example, the
Microsoft 365 Mobile Device Management API poller template requires OAuth 2.0 Azure
credentials with the following scope:
https://manage.office.com/.default. See the SAM API Poller Template Guide for
details.

For tips on locating Azure credentials such as Tenant IDs, see Find Microsoft Azure
credentials.

Configure credentials
To configure credentials for an API poller, you can either:
l Add a new set of credentials directly on the API poller page,
l Add a new set of credentials on the Manage Credentials page, or
l Use existing credentials, as added on the API poller page or the Manage Credentials page.

Credentials added on the API poller page are sent by HTTP with plain text, instead of HTTPS.
Consider either adding credentials by logging in to the SolarWinds Platform server directly, or
using the Manage Credentials page instead.

API permissions
In addition to credentials, many APIs limit access to data with API-specific permissions; review
API documentation for details. For example, Azure uses role-based access control with a
resource.operation.constraint pattern, as shown in these examples:

l ServiceHealth.Read grants access to read service health information in the Office 365
Management API.
l Reports.Read.All grants access to read usage reports in the Microsoft Graph API.

Work with your organization's Azure Administrator to configure Azure permissions. SolarWinds
Technical Support cannot assist with permission-related issues related to third-party products,
such as Azure, due to variations in customer environments and Program Limitations.

The following figure shows Reports.Read.All permissions configured in Azure for an API poller based
on the Microsoft 365 Teams API poller template:

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When configuring Azure permissions, use Application instead of Delegate as the Type for
Microsoft Graph and Office 365 Management APIs. To learn more, see Use the portal to create
an Azure AD application and service principal that can access resources. (Excerpts and
screenshots in this section are attributed to © 2021 Microsoft Corp., available at
docs.microsoft.com, .)

Chain multiple API requests in a single API poller in SAM

You can send an initial request to an API to get a value, and then save the value as a variable that can
be passed to subsequent requests that are chained together in a single API poller. This is for APIs
that involve tokens, sessions, or endpoint discovery.

For example, if an API requires tokens, the initial request can retrieve a token that is then passed
along to headers of subsequent API requests to authenticate access to data. The VMware vCenter
Inventory template uses this technique.

To see this functionality in action, watch API Pollers: When SNMP Won't Cut It.

You can save response headers for use as variables in subsequent requests, which can be
helpful if you need to reuse cookies that come from set-cookie headers.

To chain multiple API requests in a single API poller:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Pollers.

2. On the Manage API Poller page, click New, select the row for a node, and then click Create
API Poller.

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3. Select GET as the Method.

4. Click Configure to provide details about the API poller, such as a name, credentials, and
thresholds; see Add API pollers in SAM for details. Click Save when finished.
5. Provide a header, if required.
6. Click Send Request.

7. When the response appears, click the Monitor ( ) icon next to the value you want to use in
subsequent requests (for example, a token needed to authenticate data).
8. In the next dialog box:
a. For "How should we store this value?" select "Use as a variable in subsequent request.

b. Enter a name for the variable.

In later requests, the value uses the following notation: ${varName}.

c. Click Save to close the dialog box.

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9. To create another request in the same API poller, click Options ( ) > Duplicate.

When the page displays a set of fields for the new request, you can use the variable defined in
the previous request. In the following example, the variable is added to the URL.

10. Configure the new API request, as necessary, and then save changes. To add a new request to
the existing requests, click Options > Duplicate again.

SSL certificate verification for API pollers

This option appears in the API Poller settings dialog box that you can access by clicking Configure in
the top-right corner of the page when adding or editing an API poller.

By default, SAM checks SSL certificates on servers that host REST APIs, but you can disable this
setting, if necessary.

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If the SSL certificate validation option is disabled for an API poller, the following default response
appears after each API request: "The underlying connection was closed: Could not establish trust
relationship for the SSL/TLS secure channel."

The API Poller feature does not support monitoring of HP ProLiant servers via the
HP Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) REST API due to a HP known issue, even if this workaround is
applied.

Configure monitored values in API pollers

For each value monitored by an API poller, you can define:
l How the value is stored, which controls whether or not a SAM license is consumed.
l The name used for the value when displayed in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.
l Warning and critical thresholds used for SolarWinds Platform alerting.

To configure a value for an API poller, you can take either of the following actions:
l Click the Monitor ( ) icon next to a new value you're adding to an API poller.

l Click the Edit ( ) icon for an existing value in an API poller.

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The following dialog box appears:

Options include:
l How should we store this value?
o Keep the default setting, "New monitored value," to save the value as historical, time series

data that consumes a SAM license.

o Select "Use as a variable in subsequent request" to save a value for later use in the same

API poller without consuming another license. For example, to capture a user ID and use it
to get more data about a specific account. This is helpful for APIs that require
authentication tokens in headers; the first request retrieves a token that is then passed to
subsequent requests as a variable in headers. See Chain multiple API requests in a single
API poller in SAM for details.
l SolarWinds Platform display name
l Type
o Adjust the default setting, Numeric, if returned values will be in string format (for example,
Up, Down, True, or False). If you select String, additional fields appear where you can
convert expected values to numeric values so you can set thresholds for alerting. For
example, map "True" to 1 and "False" to 2, and then use the numeric values in the

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Threshold fields.

l Thresholds. Set warning and critical thresholds for API poller alerts.

Want to learn more about chaining API requests and monitoring string values? Watch
API Pollers: When SNMP Won't Cut It.

How monitored API metrics in SAM impact Node status

When you use the API Poller feature to monitor node metrics via remote REST APIs, the status of
returned metrics impacts the overall status of the node, if Child status rollup mode is enabled. To
learn more, see Status Rollup Mode in the SolarWinds Platform.

API poller
Description
status
Response code from API is 200. All monitored values are within thresholds. OK

API poller was created but no successful API polling has occurred yet. Unknown

No licenses are available, either because SAM is not yet licensed or all licenses were
consumed. See API poller licensing.

At least one monitored value exceeded its warning threshold but no values reached a Warning
critical threshold.

At least one monitored value exceeds its warning threshold. Critical

The response from an API request doesn't include a monitored metric. Down

You can display the status of an individual API-monitored metric in the following places:
l Node Details view: The API Poller widget displays the latest monitored metrics with their status,
along with the name of the API poller.
l PerfStack: Navigate directly to PerfStack from the API Poller widget on the Node Details view to
see historic API metric data.

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l SolarWinds Platform Maps: Click a node with an assigned API poller to display monitored
metrics.

API poller alerts

The API Poller feature includes two objects that can be used to configure trigger conditions in alerts:
l API Poller: Use the overall status of an API poller to trigger alerts (for example, if an API stops
responding or expected values are not returned). See How monitored API metrics in SAM
impact Node status.
l API Poller Monitored Value: Set warning and critical thresholds for alerts individual values
monitored by an API poller. See Configure monitored values in API pollers.

For an overview about alerts, see Use alerts to monitor your environment with the SolarWinds
Platform.

Manage API pollers

This section includes the following topics:
l Add API pollers in SAM
l Configure credentials for an API poller in SAM
l Assign API poller templates to nodes in SAM
l Chain multiple API requests in a single API poller in SAM
l Edit API pollers in SAM
l Reassign an API poller to a different node
l Import API pollers into SAM
l Export an API poller
l Delete API pollers in SAM
l Use macros and custom properties to populate API requests in SAM

To display all API pollers in your environment, click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Pollers.

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Add API pollers in SAM

Here is an overview of steps involved in adding an API poller:
l Provide details about your new API poller:
o Select a request method: GET or POST.

o Configure a name and description for the API poller.

o Provide the URL of the external API.

o Specify the type of authorization used by the API.

o Enter credentials, if required by the API.

l Send an initial API to retrieve a list of available metrics.

l Select the values you want to monitor:
o Review the API response to determine which metrics are available.

o Select the metrics you want to monitor.

o Assign SolarWinds Platform Web Console display names for returned to metrics.

o (Optional) Configure warning and/or critical thresholds.

l Save your new API poller.

See the SAM API Poller Template Guide to learn about out-of-the-box templates for Microsoft
365, Azure, SolarWinds, and other APIs.

Before you begin

l Review API poller requirements. For example, you'll need to specify an existing node.
l If your organization hosts applications that you want to access via API, some applications must
be configured to allow access to data for API calls. For example, if your organization uses Azure
applications accessed via the Microsoft Graph API, you may need to consult with your Azure
Administrator to obtain credentials with the proper scope and permissions to the API, such as
Group.Read.All and Directory.Read.All. To learn more, see API poller authorization and
authentication.

For tips on locating Azure credentials such as Tenant IDs, see Find Microsoft Azure
credentials.

Create an API poller for a node

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Pollers.
2. When the Manage API Poller page appears:

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a. Click New.
b. Click the row for the node where you're adding the API poller.
c. Click Create API Poller.

3. At the top of the API Poller page, select a Method for the request. The default is GET, which
retrieves data from an external API.

4. Enter the Request URL of the API.

You can use macros in request URLs; for example, https://post-man-

echo.com/get?ipAddress=${IpAddress}.

For APIs that do not require authentication, skip ahead to step 8 and click Send Request.

5. Click Configure to open the API Poller settings dialog box.

a. Provide a Name and (optional) Description.

If you do not add a name for an API poller, related data will not appear in
Performance Analysis (PerfStack) dashboards.

b. (Optional) Disable SSL certificate verification.

SAM checks for a valid SSL certificate during API requests, by default. For remote
API servers without valid certificates, disable this option.

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c. (Optional) Enable existing SolarWinds Platform settings for proxy servers.

d. (Optional) Set a custom polling interval.
e. Select the Authorization used by the API.
f. Provide credentials, if required by the API.

You can add API credentials on the Manage Credentials page. For API pollers
created in earlier versions, recreate credentials on the Manage Credentials page
and then edit API pollers to use the new credentials.

g. Click Save.

6. If the API requires specific details in the header (for example, credentials), add them. Click + to
add multiple headers.

Headers are not encrypted; they're stored in the database as plain text.

7. Click Send Request.

This initial API request is sent from the web. Afterward, API polling occurs via the Main
Polling Engine (usually the SolarWinds Platform server) or an Additional Polling Engine,
depending on the node configuration.

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In the Response pane, a Monitor ( ) icon appears next to each metric you can monitor. Click
Expand ( ) to show additional metrics that can be monitored. The following example shows
that 13 more metrics are available.

A Response status code other than 200 indicates the request failed. Verify API poller
settings, make sure the external API URL is available, and click Send Request again. See
also Troubleshoot API pollers in SAM.

8. For each metric you want to retrieve, click the Monitor ( ) icon to open the following dialog
box.

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a. Leave "How should we store this value?" set to "New monitored value" to add only the
current metric.
Select "Use as a variable in subsequent request" to use the value for this API poller only. It
will not be stored in the database or consume a SAM license. This is useful for APIs that
require authentication tokens in headers; the first request retrieves a token that is then
passed to subsequent requests as a variable in headers. See Chain multiple API requests
in a single API poller in SAM for details.
b. Enter an SolarWinds Platform display name for the metric.
c. For Type, the default value is Numeric. If necessary, change it to String and then use the
extra fields that appear to map string values to numeric values. For example, map "True"
to 1 and "False" to 2. See API poller alerts for details.
d. (Optional) Set Warning and/or Critical threshold values. See API poller alerts for details.
e. Click Save.
9. When finished selecting and configuring values to monitor, click Save to finish creating the
API poller.

If errors occur when saving an API poller, review OrionWeb.Log and ApolloWebApi.log files.

When you return to the Node Details view, wait 2 minutes for polling to occur. When monitored
metrics appear in the API Poller widget, you can:
l Click the title of a metric display only data for that metric in PerfStack.
l Click an API poller name to display all collected metrics in PerfStack.

Configure credentials for an API poller in SAM

Depending on the type of API poller authentication and authorization used by an API, you may only
need to provide a username and password as credentials for an API request. Sophisticated APIs, such
as the Azure API, require a client ID, client secret, access token URL, and other details. Some free APIs
don't require any credentials. See API documentation for details.

There are several ways to configure API poller credentials, including:

l Provide credentials when adding a new API poller.
l Change existing credentials by editing an API poller.

In either case, you have the following options:

l (Recommended) Add credentials on the Manage Credentials page, and then select those
credentials on the API poller page.

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For API pollers created in earlier versions of SAM, add related credentials on the Manage
Credentials page and then edit API pollers to use the new credentials.

l Add credentials on the API poller page.

To open the API poller page, click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Pollers. Click New to add
a new poller, or select an existing poller to change existing credentials.

Credentials added on the API poller page are sent by HTTP with plain text, instead of
HTTPS. SolarWinds recommends adding credentials on the new Manage Credentials
page instead and then assign credentials on the API poller page. Alternatively, access the
API poller page directly from the SolarWinds Platform server to add credentials.

l Select existing credentials added for a different API poller that accesses the same API.
If you assign multiple API poller templates of the same type (for example, four Azure templates)
to a node, the resulting API pollers can share the same credentials. If you assign different types
of templates (for example, one Azure template and one Pingdom template), you'll need to
configure separate credentials for each poller.

Before you begin

Review API documentation to determine the type of API poller authentication and authorization used,
along with any other requirements. If an API poller is based on an out-of-the-box API Poller template,
review prerequisites in the SAM API Poller Template Guide.

If your organization hosts applications that you want to access via API, some applications must be
configured to allow access to data for API calls. For example, if your organization uses Azure
applications accessed via the Microsoft Graph API, you may need to consult with your Azure
Administrator to obtain credentials with the proper scope and permissions to the API, such as
Group.Read.All and Directory.Read.All.

For tips on locating Azure credentials such as Tenant IDs, see Find Microsoft Azure
credentials.

Configure credentials
To configure credentials for an API poller:

1. When adding a new API poller, click Configure on the API poller page.
2. In the API Poller settings dialog box, click New credential.
3. Add a name for the set of credentials and fill out the remaining fields.

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4. Click Save.

Assign API poller templates to nodes in SAM

As detailed in the SAM API Poller Template Guide, SAM includes templates that you can use to
capture metrics in PaaS, IaaS, on-premises, and hybrid environments with the API Poller feature.
Apply those templates to specific nodes to create API pollers and then customize values for each
node.

Templates are available for various vendor and product APIs, such as:
l Atlassian
l GitHub
l Microsoft 365 (formerly "Microsoft Office 365")
l Microsoft Azure
l ServiceNow
l SolarWinds AppOptics, SolarWinds Pingdom, and SolarWinds Service Desk
l VMware vCenter

To apply one or more templates to a node, use the Assign API Pollers wizard, accessible via the
Management widget on Node Details pages.

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Note the following details:

l SolarWinds recommends using Firefox, Chrome, or Microsoft Edge to run the wizard.
l To exit the wizard and create a standard API poller instead, click Create custom API Poller.
l Templates are updated periodically. To get the latest version, run the Assign API Poller wizard.
See Recreate existing API pollers with the latest templates for details.

More templates are available in the SAM Content Exchange on THWACK, as posted by
solarwinds_worldwide_llc and tagged with an API Poller label. See this example. After
you download a template from THWACK, import it into SAM on the Manage API Pollers page
and then use the Assign API Pollers wizard to create an API poller for a node.

Assign one or more API poller templates to a node

1. Navigate to the Node Details view for the node.
2. In the Management widget, click API Poller Management > Assign.

The wizard displays available templates along with details such as version and the default
number of consumed metrics, which impacts license usage. After you assign a template to a

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node, you can add or delete monitored metrics, if necessary.

3. Select the template(s) you want to add and click Next.

4. On the next tab, select an Authorization type, specify credentials, and then click Assign Pollers.

If you assign multiple templates of the same type (for example, four Azure templates), they can
share credentials. If you assign different types of templates (for example, one Azure template
and one Pingdom template), you'll need to configure separate credentials before sending API
requests.

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5. After the API poller is applied to the node, click the API Poller template link.

The new API poller appears, along with a list of monitored metrics.

6. (Optional) Click Configure to edit the Name or Description of the template. You can also adjust
SSL, proxy, polling interval, and credential settings.

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7. Use the Edit ( ) and Delete ( ) icons to modify monitored values, as necessary.

8. When finished, click Save to return to the Node Details view.

After the next poll occurs (every 2 minutes, by default), metrics appear in the API Poller widget on the
Node Details view where you can:
l Hover over a monitored metric to display details about it or display its parent API poller,
l Edit or delete monitored metrics,
l Click a metric to display related data in PerfStack, or
l Display metrics in SolarWinds Platform Maps that include the node.

Edit API pollers in SAM

To edit an API poller:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Pollers.

2. On the Manage API Pollers page, select the API poller, and then click Edit.

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3. Use the following editing tools to modify the API poller:

l Click the Edit ( ) icon at the top of the page to change the API poller name.

l Click Configure to change the Name, Description, SSL option, Authorization type, or
credentials.

l You can add, edit, or delete API poller credentials on the Manage Credentials page.
l Click Options ( ) to duplicate a request (for example, if chaining multiple requests),
change the order of requests displayed on the page, or delete a request.

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l Click Expand ( ) or Collapse ( ) to adjust the amount of details displayed for a request.

l For individual metrics, click Edit ( ) or Delete ( ).

4. Click Save.

On the Manage API Pollers page, you can also reassign API pollers to a different node.

Recreate existing API pollers with the latest templates

As detailed in the SAM API Poller Template Guide, SAM includes prebuilt templates that you can use
to capture metrics in PaaS, IaaS, on-premises, and hybrid environments with the API Poller feature.
Assign templates to specific nodes to create individual API pollers and then customize values, as
necessary.

Periodically, SolarWinds updates templates to support modifications made in external APIs, as

announced in SAM release notes or on THWACK. Some changes may be minor; for example,
['value'][0] changes to ['value'].[0]in metric paths. However, if you don't update related
API pollers, requests can be blocked and "Bad request: Unexpected character following indexer"
messages appear.

If a new version of an API poller template is released, replace each existing API poller created from
older versions of the template by:

1. Assigning the latest template to the same node.

2. Deleting the original, outdated API poller from the node.

To determine if an API poller assigned to a node is based on an outdated template:

1. Display the latest API poller template versions in the Assign API Pollers wizard:

SolarWinds recommends using Firefox, Chrome, or Microsoft Edge to run the wizard.

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a. Navigate to the Node Details view for the node.

b. In the Management widget, click API Poller Management > Assign.
c. Examine values in the Version column on the Choose API Pollers page.

2. Determine the template versions that existing API pollers are based on:
a. Click Settings > All Settings.
b. Under Node & Group Management, click Manage API Pollers.
c. Examine the Template name column on the Manage API Pollers page.

For each outdated API poller, assign the latest template to the node, and delete the original API poller.

Reassign an API poller to a different node

To move an API poller to a different managed, external node in your environment:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Pollers.

2. When the Manage API Pollers page appears, select the API poller you want to move.

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3. Click Reassign.

4. In the next dialog box, select a node and click Reassign API Poller.

Import API pollers into SAM

You can select an API poller from a file on your local drive or a network location, and then import it
into the SolarWinds Platform Web Console. Supported files use the following suffix:
.apipoller.template.

More templates are available in the SAM Content Exchange on THWACK, as posted by
solarwinds_worldwide_llc and tagged with an API Poller label. For example, see the
GitHub health status API Poller Template. After you download a template from THWACK,
import it into SAM on the Manage API Pollers page, as described here.

To import an API poller:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Pollers.

2. When the Manage API Pollers page appears, click Import.

3. In the Import API Poller dialog box, click Browse to select a file, and then click Next.

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4. Select a node to host the poller.

If you need to add a new managed node for the API poller, use the Add Node wizard.

5. Click Create API Poller. The size of the file determines how long it takes to import.

Export an API poller

You can export an API poller to your local drive; for example, to create a backup, or to move an API
poller from a testing environment to a production environment.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Pollers.

2. When the Manage API Pollers page appears, select the API poller you want to export.
3. Click Export.

4. The file is downloaded to your local drive.

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Delete API pollers in SAM

To delete an API poller:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Pollers.

2. On the Manage API Pollers page:
a. Select the API poller.
b. Click Delete.

3. (Optional) Delete credentials for an API poller on the Manage Credentials page.

Use macros and custom properties to populate API requests in SAM

The API Poller feature supports the use of macros (also called variables) to populate API request
URLs and headers with node-specific data, enabling you to reuse the same request URL for multiple
nodes. You can also use node-based custom properties, such as DeviceOwner or AssetTag, in URLs.
When you send a request that includes a macro or custom property, node-specific parameters are
automatically injected into the URL.

Here is an example of a URL that uses a custom property, cluster_host, to retrieve data about
Nutanix clusters hosted on a node:
https://${cluster_host}:9440/api/nutanix/v2.0/clusters

This example includes the following elements:

l The https protocol encrypts data.
l cluster_host is a node-based custom property created for VMs.
l 9440 is the default Nutanix Prism communication port.
l /api/nutanix/v2.0/clusters is the endpoint for the request in the Nutanix REST API.

Note the following details about using macros and custom properties in API request URLs:
l The value of a node macro is unique for each node.
l Supported macros are based on the Node entity in the SolarWinds Information Service (SWIS), a
data access layer in the SolarWinds Platform.

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l Wrap each value in the following characters: ${ }. For example, to use the macro that
represents the total amount of memory for a node, include ${TotalMemory} in the request URL.

Use the standard, Latin1 character set. Do not use angle brackets (<, >) as values.

l Macros are not case-sensitive.

l Currently, macros are not encrypted.
l If SWIS doesn't recognize a macro, messages appear in polling logs and the API poller status
changes to Unknown.

Click here to learn more about custom properties in the SolarWinds Platform Administrator
Guide. See also Creative ways to use custom properties, Custom properties and how to use
them, or this THWACKcamp video (23:03).

The API Poller feature supports the following SolarWinds Platform macros in request URLs:

Macro Description
${AgentPort} Node SNMP port number.

${Allow64BitCounters} Node allows 64-bit counters (1), or not (0).

${AncestorDetailsUrls} URLs of node ancestors.

What are descendants and ancestors? Those

terms represent relationships between nodes.
For example, if a server hosts a VM, the VM is a
descendant of the server. Ancestors for the
server may be a cluster, data center, or vCenter
server.

${AncestorDisplayNames} Names of node ancestors, as displayed in the

SolarWinds Platform Web Console, reports, alerts, and
so on.

${AvgResponseTime} Average node response time , in milliseconds (ms),

for ICMP requests.

${BlockUntil} Day, date, and time until which node polling is

blocked.

${BufferBgMissThisHour} Device-dependent count of big buffer misses on node

in current hour, queried with MIB 1.3.6.1.4.9.2.1.30.

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Macro Description
${BufferBgMissToday} Device-dependent count of big buffer misses on node
in current day, queried with MIB 1.3.6.1.4.9.2.1.30.

${BufferHgMissThisHour} Device-dependent count of huge buffer misses on

node in current hour, queried with MIB
1.3.6.1.4.9.2.1.30.

${BufferHgMissToday} Device-dependent count of huge buffer misses on

node in current day, queried with MIB
1.3.6.1.4.9.2.1.30.

${BufferLgMissThisHour} Device-dependent count of large buffer misses on

node in current hour, queried with MIB
1.3.6.1.4.9.2.1.30.

${BufferLgMissToday} Device-dependent count of large buffer misses on

node in current day, queried with MIB
1.3.6.1.4.9.2.1.30.

${BufferMdMissThisHour} Device-dependent count of medium buffer misses on

node in current hour, queried with MIB
1.3.6.1.4.9.2.1.30.

${BufferMdMissToday} Device-dependent count of medium buffer misses on

node in current day, queried with MIB
1.3.6.1.4.9.2.1.30.

${BufferNoMemThisHour} Count of buffer errors due to low memory on node in

current hour.

${BufferNoMemToday} Count of buffer errors due to low memory on node in

current day.

${BufferSmMissThisHour} Device-dependent count of small buffer misses on

node in current hour, queried with MIB
1.3.6.1.4.9.2.1.30.

${BufferSmMissToday} Device-dependent count of small buffer misses on

node in current day, queried with MIB
1.3.6.1.4.9.2.1.30.

${Caption} User-friendly node name.

${Category} Category of the node (for example, Other, Network,

Server, or Auto-detected).

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Macro Description
${ChildStatus} Status of child objects (for example, interfaces or
applications) monitored on a node.

For details, see Node status contributors.

${CMTS} The Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS)

connected to a node.

${Community} Node community string.

${Contact} Contact information for person or group responsible

for node.

${CPUCount} Node CPU count at last poll.

${CPULoad} Node CPU utilization rate at last poll.

${CustomPollerLastStatisticsPoll} Day, date, and time of last poll attempt on node.

${CustomPollerLastStatisticsPollSuccess} Day, date, and time that node was last successfully
polled.

${CustomStatus} Status of node does not affect actual, polled values

and alerts do not trigger.

${Description} Node hardware and software.

${DetailsUrl} The URL of the Details page for the node.

${DisplayName} Name that appears for the node in the SolarWinds

Platform Web Console.

${DNS} Fully qualified node name.

${DynamicIP} If node supports dynamic IP address assignment via

BOOTP or DHCP (1); static IP address return (0).

${EngineID} Internal unique identifier of the polling engine to

which node is assigned.

${EntityType} Indicates if a node is a VM.

See Hardware field values in NPM Node

Details.

${External} States if node is currently designated as external.

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Macro Description
${GroupStatus} File name of status icon for node and its interfaces.

${Icon} File name of an icon.

${Image} An image associated with a node. For example, an

image may show a node's physical location, such as a
network rack.

See this THWACK post for ideas about using

images with nodes.

${InstanceSiteId} The site where data originated.

${InstanceType} Description of instance on node.

${IOSImage} Family name of Cisco IOS on node.

${IOSVersion} Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS) version on

node.

${IP} Node IP address.

${IP_Address} Node IP address.

${IPAddress} Node IP address, as may be represented in legacy

SolarWinds Platform modules.

${IPAddressGUID} The IP address of the node converted into GUID

format using IPv6.

${IPAddressType} The protocol used for the IP address, such as IPv4.

${IsOrionServer} Indicates if a node is the main SolarWinds Platform

server.

${IsServer} Indicates if a node is a Windows server running

applications.*

${LastBoot} Day, date, and time of last node boot.

${LastSync} Time and date of last node database and memory

synchronization.

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Macro Description
${LastSystemUpTimePollUtc} Time and date, in UTC format, when node was last
polled for sysUpTime.

See also NPM Polling values explained in the

Success Center.

${LoadAverage1} Load average over the last 1 minute.

${LoadAverage15} Load average over the last 15 minutes.

${LoadAverage5} Load average over the last 5 minutes.

${Location} Location of the node.

${MachineType} Node manufacturer or distributor and family or

version information.

${MaxResponseTime} Maximum node response time , in msec, to ICMP

requests.

${MemoryAvailable} Total node memory available.

${MemoryUsed} Total node memory used over polling interval.

${MinResponseTime} Minimum node response time , in msec, to ICMP

requests.

${MinutesSinceLastSync} Number of minutes since the node was synced.

${NextPoll} Day, date and time of next scheduled node polling.

${NextRediscovery} Time of next node rediscovery.

${NodeDescription} Node hardware and software.

${NodeID} Unique ID assigned to the node.

The NodeID in the dbo.NodesData SQL

database table is a unique key for monitored
nodes. Assigned NodeIDs do not change; they
are created by a counter that increments values
by one automatically. For example, if NodeIDs
1, 2, and 3 exist, deleting NodeID 3 causes a
gap in numbering when the next NodeID is
added (1,2,4, 5, and so on).

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Macro Description
${NodeName} Node host name. Defaults to node IP address ${IP_
Address} if host name does not resolve.

${NodeStatusRootCause} Node status, as influenced by child nodes. For details,

see Node status contributors.

${NodeStatusRootCauseWithLinks} Node status, as influenced by child nodes, that

includes hyperlinks in HTML format.

${ObjectSubType} States if node supports SNMP or is ICMP-only.

${OrionIdColumn} SolarWinds Platform ID column string.

${OrionIdPrefix} Indicates the operational status of the node (for

example, UP).

${PercentLoss} ICMP packet loss percentage when node last polled.

${PercentMemoryAvailable} Percentage of node memory available over polling

interval.

${PercentMemoryUsed} Percentage of total node memory used over polling

interval.

${PolledStatus} Basic node status that is not influenced by child

nodes. For details, see Node status contributors.

${PollInterval} Node polling interval, in seconds.

${RediscoveryInterval} Node rediscovery interval, in minutes.

${ResponseTime} Node response time, in milliseconds, to last ICMP

request.

${RWCommunity} Node read/write community string; acts as security

code for read/write SNMP access.

${Severity} A network health score providing 1 point for an

interface in a warning state, 1000 points for a down
interface, and 1 million points for a down node.

${SkippedPollingCycles} The date and time of the last skipped polling cycle.

${SNMPVersion} States the version of SNMP used by the node

${StatCollection} Statistics collection frequency, in minutes.

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Macro Description
${Status} Numerical identifier that denotes node status. For
details, see Status Icons and Identifiers.

${StatusDescription} User-friendly text that represents node status.

${StatusIcon} File name of icon that represents node status.

${StatusIconHint} File name of icon that represents general status (for

example, a green check mark indicates acceptable
status).

${StatusLED} File name of LED control associated with a node.

${SysName} String reply to SNMP SYS_NAME OID request.

${SysObjectID} Vendor ID of the network management subsystem in

OID form. Clearly determines the type of node.

${SystemUpTime} Time, in hundredths of a second, since monitoring

started.

${TotalMemory} Total node memory available.

${UiSeverity} Returned result from a call to the Nutanix REST API.

${UnManaged} Indicates if a node is unmanaged.

${UnManagedFrom} The date when a node was unmanaged.

${UnManagedUntil} The date when a node was switched back to be a

managed node.

${Uri} The Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) assigned to the

node.

${Vendor} Node manufacturer or distributor.

${VendorIcon} File name of node vendor logo icon.

Work with API pollers

If you can access a remote API, you can send requests to it with the API Poller feature. Define your
API endpoints, pick the metrics you want to monitor, provide credentials, and begin monitoring
without the need for custom scripts. You can also use an out-of-the-box API poller template included
in SAM.

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For example, you can create an API poller to monitor the Nutanix API and check data resiliency by
setting alert thresholds for the number of nodes in monitored Nutanix clusters so you're notified when
changes occur. You can also chain multiple API requests together to drill down into data endpoints
and collect metrics such as cluster Read IOPs.

Additional examples include:

l Use SolarWinds AppOptics and Loggly APIs to tighten connections between SolarWinds
products in your environment.
l Use the Microsoft Graph API to increase visibility into the performance of apps being monitored
by Office 365 application templates in SAM.
l Use the Cisco UCS API to bolster blade server monitoring by adding metrics to what you already
collect for hardware health monitoring.
l Use the SolarWinds Platform SDK API to provide SolarWinds Platform data to external teams,
produce custom dashboards for executives, or automate maps.

The following topics describe more ways to use the API Poller feature:
l Use the API Poller feature with the SolarWinds Platform SDK
l Useful APIs for SAM
l API poller use case: Monitor a Nutanix cluster
l API poller use case: Monitor AppOptics services

Use the API Poller feature with the SolarWinds Platform SDK
The SolarWinds Platform SDK is a set of tools, published on GitHub, that you can use to interface with
the SolarWinds Platform API. The API is not specific to any one SolarWinds Platform module; it's the
infrastructure that all of those products run on.

Each time you use an SolarWinds Platform product, you interact with the API -- it's open and waiting
for requests that come from within the products (for example, when you add a node for SAM
monitoring). The API is already running on your Main Polling Engine, as well as any Additional Polling
Engines (APEs) or Additional Web Servers.

SolarWinds provides the SolarWinds Platform SDK as a tool to enhance the flexibility and ease of
manipulating certain aspects of the SolarWinds Platform. The SDK offers direct access to portions of
the SolarWinds Information Service (SWIS) using SQL-like queries in SolarWinds Query Language
(SWQL). It allows for higher-level operations than would be allowed when making changes in SQL,
returning results similar to what SWQL or SWIS tools return.

New to the SolarWinds Platform SDK and API? Read Intro to API, SDK, & SWQL on THWACK, or
watch Orion SDK 101: Intro to PowerShell and the Orion API.

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Just as SAM can be used in many ways by different members of an organization, you can use the
SolarWinds Platform SDK for a variety of tasks, depending on what's available in your environment
and how you use the SolarWinds Platform to interact with other systems. In this topic, we'll discuss
how to use the API Poller feature to interact with the SolarWinds Platform SDK.

Some ways to use the SolarWinds Platform SDK include:

l Provide SolarWinds Platform data to external teams.
l Assign SAM application monitor templates to nodes.
l Create groups and dependencies in the SolarWinds Platform.
l Deploy SolarWinds Platform agents to target nodes.

Note the following recommendations for using the SDK:

l Experiment with the SolarWinds Platform SDK in a non-production instance of SolarWinds
Platform.
l Back up your SolarWinds Platform database frequently.

The SolarWinds Platform SDK is a powerful tool that can impact SolarWinds Platform data.
Users should be well-versed in SQL queries with a background in programming. SolarWinds
does not provide pre- or post-Sales support on any SolarWinds Platform SDK customizations,
including code. Do not run untested PowerShell scripts against a production instance.

See the SolarWinds Platform SDK wiki to learn more about the API. Here are some highlights:
l API requests should include the following details:
o Authentication: Use your SolarWinds Platform account credentials.

o Authorization: Read-only requests don't require extra permissions, but you'll need Node

Management rights to create, update, or delete data.

l The API lives on port 17778, uses HTTPS, and requires that you add
/SolarWinds/InformationService/v3/Json/ portion after the host:port section.

To learn about additional SolarWinds APIs, see Useful SAM APIs.

SolarWinds Platform SDK terminology

If you're new to the SolarWinds Platform SDK, the following definitions for basic terms may be helpful:
l Software Development Kit (SDK). An SDK is a set of tools and libraries, provided by vendors,
that allow others to more easily consume their API. You can download the SolarWinds Platform
SDK from GitHub at https://github.com/solarwinds/OrionSDK. It includes documentation, code
samples, and tools like SWQL Studio, a GUI you can use to build custom SWQL queries and
browse through available data.

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You don't need to deploy the SolarWinds Platform SDK to use SAM's API Poller feature,
but the included SWQL Studio app may be helpful.

The GitHub site is the main resource for the SolarWinds Platform SDK, where issues are tracked.
If you have questions, post them in the SolarWinds Platform SDK forum on THWACK instead of
contacting SolarWinds Support. That forum is frequented by SolarWinds staff and THWACK
MVPs, as well as other customers that can provide feedback.
l SolarWinds Query Language (SWQL): SWQL (rhymes with "pickle") is a proprietary, read-only
subset of SQL that you can use to query your SolarWinds Platform database for specific
network information. For syntax and query examples, see Use SWQL in the SolarWinds Platform.
l SolarWinds Platform API: In software development terms, an Application Programming
Interface (API) is an access point that allows one piece of software to access another. In a
multi-tier system that is engineered to have its web, polling, reporting, and coordination
communicate via separate layers, an API allows different parts of a system to be developed
independently. The SolarWinds Platform is that type of system (also called N-tier architecture),
and you can use SWQL to read data through the API, as well as add, delete, or update data.
l SolarWinds Information Service (SWIS). The implementation of the API within the SolarWinds
Platform is embodied as a Windows service called SWIS. This service supports communication
between the SolarWinds Platform server, the SolarWinds Platform database, SolarWinds
Platform modules like SAM and NPM, and Additional Polling Engines (APEs). You can also use
SWIS to access the SolarWinds Platform when working with various scripting and programming
technologies.
l CRUD: SWIS supports the ability to Create, Update, and Delete SolarWinds (CRUD) objects so
you can add nodes, add interfaces to nodes, and manage many other processes
programmatically.

To learn more about the SolarWinds Platform SDK, see:

l Intro to API, SDK, & SWQL (THWACK product blog)
l SolarWinds Platform SDK 101: Intro to PowerShell and the SolarWinds Platform API (video;
45:36)
l SolarWinds Platform SDK Advanced Training - SolarWinds Academy Training Class
l There's an API for That: Introduction to the SolarWinds Platform SDK (video; 30:00)
l Port 1777: Introduction to the SolarWinds API (video; 28.26)

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Useful APIs for SAM

Like most SolarWinds Platform modules, SAM can be utilized in many ways by different members of
your organization, depending on the tasks they need to complete and the level of detail they need.
Here are some APIs that may prove useful when working with the API Poller feature. You can also
check with your cloud service, software/hardware vendors, to see if they offer APIs.

New to REST APIs? Watch Intro to APIs for people who hate to program.

Refer to API documentation from individual vendors for:

l Defined endpoints where data is available
l Supported request URL formats and examples
l Authentication and authorization requirements
l Troubleshooting tips
l Rate limits

API name API documentation Notes

Amazon Amazon EC2 API © 2020, Amazon Web Services, Inc., available at
Elastic Reference docs.aws.amazon.com
Compute
Cloud API

Azure API Azure REST API © 2021, Microsoft Corp., available at docs.microsoft.com
Reference
See also:
l Find Azure credentials
l Use the portal to create an Azure AD application and
service principal that can access resources.

Cisco UCS Cisco UCS Manager © 2020, Cisco Systems, Inc., available at cisco.com
Manager XML API
XML API Programmer's Guide

Microsoft Microsoft Graph REST © 2020, Microsoft Corp., available at docs.microsoft.com.

Graph API v1.0 reference To learn about legacy Office 365 APIs, click here.

Nutanix Nutanix REST API © 2020, Nutanix, available at portal.nutanix.com

REST API

Office 365 Welcome to Office 365 © 2021, Microsoft Corp., available at docs.microsoft.com
APIs Management APIs

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API name API documentation Notes

SolarWinds AppOptics API AppOptics provides Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)-based
AppOptics infrastructure and application performance monitoring.
API

SolarWinds Use the DPA REST API Database Performance Analyzer (DPA) offers anomaly
DPA detection powered by machine learning that gets smarter
REST API API details are over time to help identify bottlenecks slowing down your
also available in applications.
the DPA UI.

SolarWinds Use the SWIS API to IP Address Manager (IPAM) provides centralized
IPAM API perform IPAM management and monitoring of IP addresses, subnets, and
operations DHCP/DNS services.

SolarWinds API overview Loggly offers unified log management, monitoring, and
Loggly API analysis across SolarWinds products.

SolarWinds SolarWinds Platform Tap into the infrastructure that all SolarWinds Platform
SolarWinds SDK wiki modules run on. Download and install the SolarWinds
Platform API Platform SDK to access documentation, samples, and tools
that help you leverage the SolarWinds Platform API.

To learn more, see:

l Intro to API, SDK, & SWQL
l There's an API for That: Introduction to the SolarWinds
SolarWinds Platform SDK
l SolarWinds Lab #86: SolarWinds Platform SDK 101:
Intro to PowerShell and SolarWinds Platform API
l SolarWinds Lab #91: Customize the SolarWinds
Platform with the SolarWinds API and SWQL
l Use the API Poller feature with the SolarWinds
Platform SDK

SolarWinds Pingdom API Pingdom is a SaaS-based synthetic and Real User

Pingdom API Monitoring (RUM) solution that can be integrated with
SolarWinds WPM to monitor web servers and applications.

SolarWinds SolarWinds Service Service Desk is a cloud-based, IT help desk solution with
Service Desk Desk REST smart ticket routing, automated workflows, and integrated
API API documentation asset management.

vSphere API VMware API and SDK © 2020, VMware, Inc., www.vmware.com/support/pubs
Documentation

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API poller use case: Monitor a Nutanix cluster

This use case shows how to use the API poller feature with another SAM feature, Monitor hardware
health for Nutanix clusters. We'll create an API poller to monitor a Nutanix cluster via the Nutanix
REST API. This use case includes a GET request to retrieve data about a cluster but you could also
use a POST request to update the cluster's configuration.

To learn about the API, see Nutanix API Reference.

To create an API poller that monitors hardware health for a Nutanix cluster:

1. Navigate to the Node Details view for the Nutanix node that hosts the cluster.
2. In the Management widget, hover over the API Poller link and click Create.

3. Select the GET Method.

4. Provide a Request URL for the API: https://www.nutanix.dev/api_references/prism-v2-0/ that
includes the following elements:
l The https protocol encrypts data sent back and forth.
l any_cvm_ip is a variable.
l 9440 is the default Nutanix Prism communication port.
l /api/nutanix/v2.0/clusters is the endpoint for the request.
5. Click Configure.
6. In the API Poller settings dialog box:
a. Provide a Name: Nutanix Prism
b. Provide a Description: https://any_cvm_ip:9440/api/nutanix/v2.0/clusters
c. (Optional) Disable SSL certificate verification.

By default, SAM checks for a valid certificate in each API request. For this use case,
we'll disable that option.

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d. (Optional) Enable existing SolarWinds Platform settings for proxy servers.

e. (Optional) Adjust the default polling interval, 2 minutes.
f. For Authorization, select Basic authorization.
g. Select an existing set of credentials from the Credentials Library, or enter them manually.
h. Click Save.

7. Click Send Request.

8. When results appears In the Response treeview at the bottom of the page, expand the data to
display available metrics.
9. For this example, we'll monitor the number of nodes and receive alerts if the quantity drops
below 3, which can affect our data resiliency status.

a. Click the Monitor ( ) icon for the num_nodes metric.

b. In the "Configure a value to monitor" dialog box, provide a name for the metric and set the
warning threshold as less than 3.
10. Click Save

Next, drill down into the Response data to find more metrics to monitor. You can add metrics to the
request we just created, or duplicate the original request and edit the metric that's retrieved. For this
use case, duplicate the existing request so you don't have to provide authorization details again.

To create another API poller for the same Nutanix cluster:

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1. Click the menu icon , and then click Duplicate.

2. Edit the URL for the second request to retrieve the read IOPs metric:
https://any_cvm_ip:9440/PrismGateway/services/rest/v2.0/cluster/stats?metrics=num_read_
iops
3. Click Send request to check the response.
4. When results appears In the Response treeview at the bottom of the page, expand the data to
display available metrics.
5. Set up a warning threshold to detect when the number of read operations surpasses 200
milliseconds.

a. Click the Monitor ( ) icon for the num_read_iops.

b. In the "Configure a value to monitor" dialog box, provide a name for the metric and set the
warning threshold to 200.
6. Click Save.

When you return to the Node Details view, the API Poller widget shows the new pollers: one for the
number of nodes in the Nutanix cluster and one for read IOPs. Wait 2 minutes for polling to occur.
After monitored metrics appear, you can see the latest metrics received in the API Poller widget, click
the Performance Analyzer link in the Management widget to display data in PerfStack, or display
metrics in SolarWinds Platform Maps that include the node.

API poller use case: Monitor AppOptics services

This use case shows how to apply the SolarWinds AppOptics Monitored Services API poller template
to a node and start collecting metrics from the AppOptics API.

Before you begin

l Review available documentation.
o See API poller requirements to make sure you have what you'll need, including a node to

host the remote API URL. For this use case, we created an external node named
appoptics.com that recognizes an application endpoint, AppOptics.
o See AppOptics API documentation to learn about API request requirements, endpoints,

and so on. For example, API requests required Basic Authorization, HTTPS, and an
AppOptics token.
o See the SAM API Poller Template Reference to learn about template requirements and

default metrics.
l Gather AppOptics organization credentials. You'll need them to copy an API token from
AppOptics to SAM. For steps, see Retrieve a SolarWinds Cloud Token to integrate AppOptics
with SAM.

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Assign an API poller template to a node

1. Navigate to the Node Details view.
2. In the Management widget, click API Poller Management > Assign.

3. SolarWinds recommends using Firefox, Chrome, or Microsoft Edge to use the wizard.
4. On the Choose API Pollers page of the Assign API Pollers wizard, select the SolarWinds
AppOptics Monitored Services template and click Next.

5. On the Authorization page of the wizard:

a. Select Basic Authorization.
b. Click New credential. In the dialog box that appears, add a Credential name, enter an

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AppOptics API token as the Username, and click Save. No password is required.
c. Add a Credential name.
d. Click Assign Pollers.

6. After you apply the API poller to the node, click the API Poller template link.

The API poller appears, along with a list of monitored values.

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 Troubleshoot API pollers in SAM

7. (Optional) Click Configure to edit settings for the template, such as Name, Description, and
credentials.
8. Use the Edit and Delete icons to modify monitoring for the Average response time metric.
9. When finished, click Save to return to the Node Details view.

When you return to the Node Details view, the API Poller widget shows the new pollers. Wait 2
minutes for polling to occur. After monitored metrics appear, you can see the latest metrics received
in the API Poller widget, click the Performance Analyzer link in the Management widget to display
data in PerfStack, or access metrics from SolarWinds Platform Maps that include the node.

Troubleshoot API pollers in SAM

This topic describes issues you may encounter when using API Pollers. For more tips, check the
Success Center and the SolarWinds online IT community, THWACK.

Here are some general tips to resolve API poller issues:

l Review API poller requirements.
l Check that the URL for the external API is accessible.
l Verify credentials included in API requests.
l Upgrade to the latest version of SAM to leverage the latest improvements for this feature.
l Examine API poller logs.
l Review API documentation to verify requirements, such as a scope that defines endpoints. For
example, API pollers based on the Microsoft 365 Mobile Device Management template use the
following scope: https://manage.office.com/.default.

Issue: An "Out of API Poller metrics" message appears after sending an API request.

Each monitored metric counts against your SAM license. The way licenses are consumed depends on
your SAM license model. For details, see API poller licensing

Issue: Error messages appear when you save a new API poller.

Review the following logs located at ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\Orion\ where polling occurs

— either on the Main Polling Engine or an Additional Polling Engine (APE).
l ApolloWebApi.log
l OrionWeb.Log

See also Work with API poller logs.

Issue: An API Poller send request returns errors.

When you add an API poller, the Send request is routed to a Website or Additional Website. Make sure
the endpoint is accessible from the URL.

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In your web browser, open the developer tools (also called DevTools) and examine the results of the
send request on the Network tab. If errors occur in a header, try removing the header.

If an external API is unstable, you may be able to drill down into the response data to find
exception messages.

If a "Remote certificate is invalid according to the validation procedure" message appears in an

API poller response, check SSL certificate verification settings.

Issue: API poller monitoring stops after upgrading SAM

Periodically, SolarWinds updates templates to support modifications made to external APIs

maintained by third-party vendors (for example, Microsoft Azure), as announced in the SAM release
notes or on THWACK. You may need to recreate existing pollers based on templates that were
updated to restart polling.

Issue: A message similar to the following example appears: "Bad Request: Cannot resolve macro
value for SUBSCRIPTION_ID. It is not defined or has no value."

This message indicates that a macro is not configured correctly. See Use macros and custom
properties to populate API requests in SAM.

Issue: A "Bad request: Unexpected character following indexer" message appears

Periodically, SolarWinds updates API poller templates, as announced in SAM release notes or on
THWACK. This message appears if an API poller is based on an outdated template. Recreate the
API poller based on the latest template.

Issue: An API poller stopped when the node moved to a different polling engine.

API pollers are not updated when you change a node's polling engine. Edit the API poller and save it
again.

Issue: API poller responses are returned but metrics are not updated in the SolarWinds Platform
Web Console.

Verify that responses use valid JSON code.

The API Poller feature does not currently support XML output.

Issue: An API poller cannot maintain the API connection.

Run the following PowerShell script on the server that hosts the polling engine:

$uri = "Request-URL"
$method = "Get | Post"

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 Troubleshoot API pollers in SAM

$headers = - the same as User defined @{ 'userId' = 'UserIDValue' 'token' =

'TokenValue' }

The scripts are not supported under any SolarWinds support program or service. The scripts
are provided AS IS without warranty of any kind. SolarWinds further disclaims all warranties
including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or of fitness for a
particular purpose. The risk arising out of the use or performance of the scripts and
documentation stays with you. In no event shall SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the
creation, production, or delivery of the scripts be liable for any damages whatsoever (including,
without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business
information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the scripts or
documentation.

If firewall rules block remote connections, API pollers cannot connect.

If a request uses basic authentication, adjust the script as follows:

1. Create a string like username:password

2. Use a site like Base64 encode to encode the string. (© 2019 base64encode.net, available at
Base64encode.net, link obtained on September 16, 2019)
3. Define $headers as @{ 'Authorization' = ' Basic ENCODEDString' }
4. Execute the command. Here is an example:
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $uri -Method Post -Headers $headers

5. Confirm that the return message is in JSON format.

If this method returns an error, check the client network configuration.

Issue: An API poller times out repeatedly.

By default, API poller requests timeout in 60 seconds. You can change that value in Advanced
Configuration settings.

1. Log in to the SolarWinds Platform server as an administrator.

2. Use the SolarWinds Platform Service Manager to stop services.
3. To access Advanced Configuration Settings, copy the following text:
/Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/Global.aspx.

4. Paste text into your browser address bar, after /Orion, as shown in this example, and press
Enter.

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 Troubleshoot API pollers in SAM

<your production server>/Orion/Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/Global.aspx

5. On the Global tab, scroll to RequestTimeout, adjust the default value (60), and then click Save.
6. Restart services.

Issue: API polling occurs too frequently

Polling occurs every two minutes, by default. You can change that interval on the Advanced
Configuration Settings page in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console, accessible by following the
steps above.

Note that the Advanced Configuration Settings page includes two tabs: Global and Server-specific:
l <your production server>/Orion/Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/Global.aspx
l <your production
server>/Orion/Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/ServerSpecific.aspx

Issue: API response is "The underlying connection was closed: Could not establish trust
relationship for the SSL/TLS secure channel."

This response appears if the default SSL certificate verification option was disabled for an API poller.

Issue: When assigning an API poller template to a node, the following message appears: "API poller
cannot be created. Could not load template."

Check your internet connection.

Issue: Pollers based on Microsoft 365 and Azure API Poller templates don't work.
InvalidAuthenticationToken error codes appear and this message: Access token validation failure.
Invalid audience.

Navigate to the API poller and click Configure to check API Settings.
l Verify that OAuth 2.0 is selected as the Authorization type.
l Make sure credentials include a scope to define endpoints. For example, pollers based on the
Microsoft 365 Mobile Device Management API poller template require the following scope:
https://manage.office.com/.default.
l Check permissions.
For example, the Microsoft Azure Active Directory API poller template requires credentials with
these Microsoft Graph permissions:
o Directory.Read.All

o Group.Read.All

o SecurityEvents.Read.All

To determine requirements, see the SAM API Poller Template Guide.

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Issue: A "No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it" message
appears.

Make sure required ports are enabled. See API poller requirements.

Issue: Cannot poll API metrics for HP ProLiant servers

The HP Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) REST API is not supported due to a known HP issue, even if this
workaround is applied (©2021 HP Enterprise Development LP, available at support.hpe.com).

Work with API poller logs

To review logs, search for ApiPoller or polled URLs in files stored on the SolarWinds Platform server
or the Additional Polling Engine (APE) to which an API poller is assigned, including:
l ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\Orion\ApolloWebApi.log
l ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\Orion\OrionWeb.Log
l ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\SolarWinds.Credentials
l ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\SolarWinds.Orion.ApiPoller

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 Use SAM application monitor templates and application monitors

Use SAM application monitor templates and

application monitors
SAM includes over 250 out-of-the-box application monitor templates that you can assign to nodes to
start tracking changes in your environment immediately. Each template includes one or more
component monitors comprised of code and scripts designed to monitor a server, application,
database, or process represented by a node in the SolarWinds Platform.

Need to get started quickly? Watch this video, and then assign a template to a node to create
an individual application monitor on that node.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings, and then click Manage Templates.
2. On the Manage Application Monitor templates page, select a template and click Assign to
Node.
3. On the Create Assigned Application Monitor page, select a node and click Next.
4. Provide credential details, and then test for component results.
5. Click Assign Application Monitors.

You can customize and assign templates to individual nodes, or assign templates to groups of nodes
automatically.

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When you assign a template to a node, SAM creates an individual application monitor (also called an
"application") for the node. When the next polling cycle occurs (every five minutes, by default),
component monitors gather data and results appear in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

To display a list of application monitor templates included in SAM:

1. Click Settings > All Settings.

2. Under Product Specific Settings, click SAM Settings.

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 Application monitor templates

3. Click Manage Templates to open the Manage Application Monitor Templates page.

Want to poll data from remote APIs? The API Poller feature also offers prebuilt templates.

Following are descriptions of terms related to application monitor templates.

Application monitor templates

An application monitor template is a group of component monitors modeling the total availability and
performance level of an application. A complicated application such as Windows Server may require
dozens of component monitors to accurately assess its current status and performance.

Instead of creating individual application monitors for every server, you can assign a prebuilt template
to multiple node, which creates an individual application monitor on each node. The template can
either be one included with SAM, or a custom template you make yourself. For example, you can
assign the Active Directory 2016 Services and Counters template to domain controllers to begin
monitoring services and counters immediately.

A template is only a blueprint and does not perform any monitoring on its own. You must assign a
template to a node that represents a physical or virtual server before the individual application
monitor and its child component monitors can collect data via polling.

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 Component monitors

AppInsight templates are specialized templates designed for in-depth monitoring of Microsoft Active
Directory, Exchange, IIS, and SQL. In addition to monitoring virtually every aspect of these key
business tools at the server level, you can drill down into the datastore layer for performance data. For
details, see Monitor with AppInsight applications.

Component monitors
Component monitors are the building blocks of SAM. Each monitors the status and performance of a
different aspect of an application. There are several types of component monitors, each containing
settings that define what is monitored and how to monitor it. Some have prerequisites, configuration,
and credentials requirements for target systems. Click here for a list of available component
monitors.

For some component monitors, you can set thresholds on the monitored values to indicate warning
and critical conditions. For example, to monitor the percentage of free space remaining on a volume,
you can set a warning threshold at 15% and a critical condition at 5%, and then configure alerts to
notify key staff if monitored values exceed set thresholds.

As an analogy, pretend SAM is monitoring a car. You can configure a variety of component monitors
to check tire pressure, water temperature, battery voltage, and other important subsystems, and then
set up alerts to be notified if the water gets too hot or the battery voltage drops too low. To monitor a
fleet of 50 Honda vehicles, you can create a Honda template with the necessary component monitors
for all cars, and then assign the template to all cars at the same time.

Assigned application monitors

When you assign a template to a node, SAM creates an individual application monitor (also called an
"application") for the node. The application runs child component monitors to collect data at regular
intervals, and then uses results to determine an overall status for the application. If some component
monitors are Up and others are Down, the application follows the Status Rollup Mode defined in the
SolarWinds Platform to show either the worst status of the group or a warning status.

The difference between an assigned application monitor and a template is that the template is only a
blueprint and does not perform any monitoring on its own. Only after assigning the template to a
server node does SAM begin any actual monitoring on the node.

To continue the car analogy, you can assign the Honda template to each car to create individual
application monitors. Collectively, the application monitors can provide the overall status for your
entire Honda fleet. For example, the fleet may be 95% available at a given time due to warnings for
some of the cars.

The following diagram shows an example workflow for assigning application monitors:

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 Assigned component monitors

Assigned component monitors

Assigned component monitors are created when you assign a template to a server node to create an
application monitor. Each child component monitor actively monitors its assigned node according to
settings inherited from the parent template. If you change a component monitor at the template level,
that same change is made to all assigned application monitors based on the template.

You can override the template settings at any time by disabling the Inherit From Template option for
an individual application monitor, which breaks the inheritance relationship between the component
monitor and its template. For example, credentials usually differ for each node so you can select a
different credential for each assigned application monitor, thus overriding the template setting for the
Credentials field.

To restore the inheritance relationship between a component monitor and its template, click Inherit
From Template next to the setting.

Continuing the car analogy, when you assign the Honda template to a Honda vehicle, component
monitors and settings from the parent template automatically appear in the individual application
monitor for that vehicle. If you have a Honda with battery problems, you can customize thresholds for
the component monitor to check battery voltage and be notified about fluctuations.

Note the following details about application monitor templates, application monitors, and component
monitors:
l Many templates, application monitors, and component monitors can use SolarWinds Platform
agents to collect data from target servers.
l To learn about prerequisites and port requirements for predefined templates, see the SAM
Application Monitor Template Reference.
l (Recommended) Check THWACK periodically for application monitor template updates that you
can download and import into SAM. Only AppInsight templates are updated automatically
during upgrades, to avoid overwriting custom changes made to other templates.

Learn more
See also:
l About the template and application monitor relationship
l Manage SAM application monitor templates and application monitors
l Work with SAM component monitors
l Manage application monitor thresholds in SAM
l Use PowerShell in SAM templates, application monitors, and component monitors
l Example tasks for SAM application monitors

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 About the template and application monitor relationship

Additional learning resources include:

l SAM Custom Application Monitor Template Guide
l SAM Application Monitor Template Reference
l Understanding Application Templates (video)
l Creating a New Application Template (video)
l Managing Assigned Application Monitors (video)
l Building & Implementing Custom Application Templates (SolarWinds Academy)
l Expert Series: SAM - Alerting and troubleshooting templates (SolarWinds Academy)
l Use properties and variables in SAM application monitors and component monitors in alerts
(SAM online help)
l Using Automation to Apply SAM Templates (video)

About the template and application monitor relationship

The following illustration shows how SAM application monitor templates and application monitors
relate, including AppInsight templates.

If you change a configuration setting or component monitor at the template level, all application
monitors based on that template are affected. For example, if you adjust a threshold for a component
monitor, that change is applied to the same component monitor in all application monitors based on
the template.

This inheritance relationship helps you make bulk changes quickly. Rather than change one item in
100 application monitors based on a single template (requiring 100 changes), you can make the
change once in the template and that change is inherited by all child application monitors.

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 Best practices for SAM templates, application monitors, and script monitors

If you go one level deeper and edit a component monitor in an application monitor, the change only
impacts the application monitor, not the original template. If you change thresholds at the component
monitor level, only thresholds of the individual component monitor are affected. Thresholds on the
parent template, or other application monitors based on the parent template, are not impacted.

Note that many application monitors include an Override Template option for various settings so you
can block the inheritance of settings from the original template. Any future changes to a component
setting made at the template level will not affect that node's component setting for that application.

Best practices for SAM templates, application monitors, and

script monitors
Creating SAM templates and application monitors involves more than just adding and configuring
component monitors. Use best practices and tips provided in the following topics to enhance
monitoring your SAM environment:
l SAM polling recommendations
l Best practices for SAM script monitors

In addition, note the following details about SAM templates:

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 Best practices for SAM templates, application monitors, and script monitors

l AppInsight templates are addressed in a different section, Monitor with AppInsight applications,
which includes Best practices for AppInsight for Active Directory.
l SolarWinds recommends checking THWACK periodically for updates to predefined SAM
templates. Except for AppInsight templates, templates are not updated automatically during
upgrades to avoid overwriting custom changes made to templates. For details, see Import and
export SAM application monitor templates.

SAM polling recommendations

As described in Scalability Engine Guidelines for SolarWinds products, the SolarWinds Platform is
designed to optimize monitoring performance by automatically balancing polling intervals to handle
heavy loads on the Main Polling Engine and any Additional Polling Engines (APEs) deployed in your
environment.

If the polling rate reaches or exceeds 85% of the maximum polling rate for a single polling engine, the
following message appears in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console and polling intervals are
automatically adjusted to decrease the polling rate.
Poller Status Warning: A poller is either approaching or in excess of its
polling rate limit.

To determine when to adjust polling rates and notify users, the SolarWinds Platform products uses an
internal calculation that includes both the number of network objects polled and the configured
polling interval, along with the general assumption that 10,000 component monitors are running at
default polling intervals.

With this data, the SolarWinds Platform establishes two polling rate thresholds:
l A polling warning level, and
l A maximum polling limit level.

Due to how the SolarWinds Platform calibrates polling dynamically, you don't need to compensate for
performance issues by manually setting polling rates higher than required to ensure that data is
polled frequently. The SolarWinds Platform adjusts rates automatically to ensure that all polling jobs
are completed. If the polling rate exceeds what the server can handle, polling intervals are increased
to handle the higher load.

Altering the polling rate or the number of components polled by a polling engine is the primary way to
reduce the polling load on the server. Although the SolarWinds Platform may compensate for a
heavily populated installation by increasing the polling interval on the back end, SolarWinds
recommends staying under the polling limit to avoid compounding issues with your installation.

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 Best practices for SAM templates, application monitors, and script monitors

Monitoring an excessive number of components on a single polling engine can negatively

impact your environment. Review SAM Scalability Engine Guidelines and stay within
recommended limits. If using node-based licensing, you can add an APE at no extra licensing
cost.

Tips to improve polling rates

General SolarWinds Platform tips for polling engines include:
l Evaluate the status of polling engines in your environment and customize global polling rates, as
necessary. See Review polling engine loads.
l Review current or potential issues in your deployment, as detected by Active Diagnostics. See
Check deployment health regularly.

SAM-specific suggestions to improve polling rates include:

l Leverage WinRM polling for WMI-based component monitors.

WinRM fallback can negatively impact polling times. Make sure this feature is properly
configured or disable it on specific nodes, as necessary. Otherwise, SAM will attempt to
use WinRM during all future polling cycles and fallback will continue until the
configuration is updated. See Configure WinRM polling in SAM 2024.4.1 and earlier.

l You can disable fallback methods if you know they aren't relevant for certain component
monitors in your environment, or you know they will fail. In addition to saving time, adjusting
fallback methods can reduce polling loads and improve overall performance, especially in large
environments. See Use the Fetching Method Skip Fallback option for component monitors. If
the selected protocol fails, no fallback occurs.

This option may be especially useful for Performance Counter Monitors.

l For low-priority nodes, consider extending polling intervals or stopping polling entirely.
l Examine SAM application monitor templates and individual application monitors to determine if
any component monitors can be disabled. See also:
o Determine how many SAM component monitors are assigned per polling engine, and
o Best practices for AppInsight for Active Directory.
l Consider how often you need to poll hardware health statistics. The default polling rate is every
10 minutes but you may decide to extend intervals for some nodes. Asset Inventory polling
occurs daily but can also be adjusted.
l For AppInsight for SQL, increase the number of open SQL connections on polling engines for
large databases instances.

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Review polling engine loads

Use the Polling Settings page to customize global polling rates, distribute SolarWinds Platform agents
across polling engines, and more. For details, see Optimize polling engines and Manage SolarWinds
Platform Polling Engines.

To check the status of multiple polling engines:

1. Click Settings > All Settings.

2. Scroll to the Details section at the bottom of the page, and then click Polling Settings.
3. Review the Polling Engines page to determine the source(s) of your excess polling load.

4. Note the following details about this page:

l The SAM Application Polling Rate pertains to polling jobs for SAM application monitors
(also called "applications") assigned to nodes. To calculate polling for AppInsight
applications, SAM uses the actual number of component monitors that are actively polling,
as opposed to the flat rate used to calculate license consumption for component-based
licensing.

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l Many SolarWinds Platform statistics use the term "elements" which typically refers to
managed nodes, interfaces, or volumes. For SAM, polling statistics are usually expressed
as "components," a reference to component monitors within SAM application monitors
that gather specific metrics for applications, processes, and so on. To learn more, see
Work with SAM component monitors or watch SolarWinds Lab Bits: Common SAM
Template Elements.

Use Active Components data on the Manage Assigned Application Monitors page to troubleshoot
heavy polling loads

Use the new Active Components column on the Manage Assigned Application Monitors page to gain
insight into scalability by determining how many component monitors are polling on behalf of
individual application monitors.

This data can be useful if analyzing heavy polling loads for AppInsight applications, which consume
licenses at a fixed rate in environments with component-based licensing. The following example
shows that a Microsoft IIS application monitor based on the AppInsight for IIS template only
consumes 30 licenses, but 152 component monitors contribute to polling loads.

The difference in Licensed Components and Active Components values is due to the complexity of
AppInsight applications; more component monitors poll for data than are licensed. Each component
monitor that polls for data consumes memory and CPU resources that contributes to polling loads so
the Active Components value may be more useful for large environments that leverage AppInsight.

To access the Manage Assigned Application Monitors page:

1. Click Settings > All Settings.

2. Under Product Specific Settings, click SAM Settings.
3. On the SAM Settings page, click Manage Application Monitors.

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 Best practices for SAM templates, application monitors, and script monitors

Determine how many SAM component monitors are assigned per polling engine

To check the number of component monitors to each polling engine:

1. Click Settings > All Settings.

2. Scroll down to the Details section, and then click Database Details.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the Database Details page, and then click Total elements per poller.
4. Review the information provided on the Total element count page.

5. Related Success Center topics include:

l Check the number of available component monitors in my SAM license
l How to display all components polled for each polling engine in SAM
l Run a report about licensed component monitors in SAM

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Check deployment health regularly

The Active Diagnostics tool runs daily to detect current or potential issues with the SolarWinds
Platform server that often functions as the Main Polling Engine, the database, and any Additional
Polling Engines. After analysis, this tool provides summaries with links you can follow to resolve
issues.

1. Click Settings > My Deployment.

2. Click the Deployment Health tab.
3. Review details about your environment. Optionally, sort issues by priority.

4. To investigate a specific issue, click the arrow at the end of the row. Review details that appear
and follow any links provided to resolve the issue.

You can also check logs for SolarWinds Platform agents. See How to gather NPM and SAM agent
diagnostics.

Experiencing high CPU or memory usage? See this Success Center article: Ephemeral Port
Exhaustion On SolarWinds Platform server.

Best practices for SAM script monitors

Script component monitors (also called "script monitors") offer limitless options for monitoring and
returning metrics for target servers when used in SAM application monitor templates and application
monitors.

Each monitor has different options to execute scripts, add credentials, set working directories, and
then generate and display returned values as output.

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 Best practices for SAM templates, application monitors, and script monitors

SAM's Component Monitor Library includes the following predefined script monitors:
l Windows PowerShell Monitor
l Windows Script Monitor
l Linux/Unix Script Monitor
l Nagios Script Monitor

To learn about modifying script monitors, or how to write your own scripts, see the SAM Custom
Application Monitor Template Guide.

Disclaimer: Scripts provided outside of the SolarWinds Platform Web Console are not
supported under any SolarWinds support program or service. Scripts are provided AS IS
without warranty of any kind. SolarWinds further disclaims all warranties including, without
limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The
risk arising out of the use or performance of the scripts and documentation stays with you. In
no event shall SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the creation, production, or delivery of the
scripts be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss
of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss)
arising out of the use of or inability to use the scripts or documentation.

Your organization should internally review and assess to what extent PowerShell is
incorporated into your environment. This is especially important when importing scripts from
third parties, including content posted by other customers in the SolarWinds online IT
community, THWACK. For details, see Use PowerShell in SAM.

Check credentials and server permissions for scripts

Verify that credentials have permission to execute scripts on the SolarWinds Platform server
and target servers. Script monitors may provide fields for credentials, or you may need to
provide credentials in the script code, arguments, or command line. Test the script in SAM prior
to verifying credentials and access. For details, see the SAM Custom Application Monitor
Template Guide.

Test scripts before monitoring

When adding and configuring script component monitors, test scripts before using them. When
the test completes, SAM registers each returned metric as a numbered output in the SolarWinds
Platform database. You can configure the display of collected metrics and values through the
component monitor. Each script monitor supports up to 10 different outputs.

Confirm node status updates

Until tested, scripts and component monitors return an initial "Unknown" status. After testing,
polling returns accurate application status.

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Use code comments

Add comments to describe how the script works and track changes. SolarWinds recommends
using code comments to keep detailed steps and responses in your code. If additional
administrators work in the script monitors, the comments provide context for the code.

# for a comment per line.

<#
For lengthy comments per code section.
#>

Do not use positional parametrization

In the command line for executing scripts, always add the parameter per value. Do not assume
the position of data in the command dictates the parameter. For example, use -h for hostname.

Use a header for writing multiple scripts

Create a header in your code to reuse throughout your scripts. The header could include
example code and code comments for:
l A list of exit codes.
l Set variables for return metrics commonly used in your scripts.
l Use code to determine if you are testing code on the SolarWinds Platform server or target
server. For example, the following PowerShell code returns a message identifying if the server is
a test system or the SolarWinds Platform server:

Additionally, you could add a step to save the code to the SolarWinds Platform server if it's not
already there.

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Use macros

When using macros, consider assigning them to named variables in your scripts.

In some languages, you need to surround the macro with quotation marks (for example,
“${Node.Caption}”).

The following macros are available for Linux/Unix, Nagios, Windows Script, and PowerShell
script monitors:
l ${USER}
l ${PASSWORD}
l ${PORT}
l ${Node.SysName}
l ${Node.Caption}
l ${Node.DNS} - Use this instead of ${IP}.
l ${Node.ID}
l ${Component.ID}
l ${Component.Name}
l ${Application.Id}
l ${Application.Name}
l ${Application.TemplateId
l ${Threshold.Warning}
l ${Threshold.Critical}
l Node Custom Property Macros ${Node.Custom.CustomPropertyName}
l Application Custom Property Macros ${Application.Custom.CustomPropertyName}

For nodes monitored by SolarWinds Platform agents, use the macros ${Node.SysName} and
${Node.DNS}. The ${IP} may return a loopback IP before polling starts.

Report status through exit codes

Scripts must report their status by exiting with the appropriate exit code, which determines how
the status of the monitor appears in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

A script should return an exit code which results in an Up (0), Warning (2), or Critical (3) status.
When an exit code is received, a dynamic evidence table structure is created to support all
further exit codes. If the component only returns Down (1) or Unknown (4) on first use, the
appropriate dynamic evidence table structure is not created appropriately.
l 0 - Up
l 1 - Down
l 2 - Warning

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l 3 - Critical
l Any other value - Unknown, for example 4

Multiple options to return exit code and message

You can return one of multiple options for exit codes and messages using IF/ELSE or case
statements in scripts.

Use error trapping to capture issues

Using error trapping code such as try/catch blocks help capture and report errors, thus blocks
providing more details about an issue.

Performance enhancement tips

Modify the polling frequency

Depending on the length of calls and amount of data pulled for a monitor, you may want to
modify the frequency. For script monitors you may need to only run the script once per day or
once per week. For example, to compare MIBs using the SolarWinds MIB Database template,
you may only need to run the comparison once a day or week.

Extend the polling timeout for long calls

For scripts with lengthy calls for large amounts of data, extend the polling timeout. The default
300 seconds may not be long enough to process scripts. If the call may take longer, especially
during peak times, increase the timeout. For example, for MIB database comparison scripts
using the SolarWinds MIB Database template, multiple files are called, downloaded, and
compared to return status messages and complete specific actions.

Enhance latency and performance by pulling multiple metrics per template

When executing script component monitors in a template, SAM affects performance and
latency making calls to a target server. Complete calls for up to 10 metrics per script to reduce
the number of calls, increasing performance. Depending on the size and processing of scripts,
balance scripts and lengthy calls across multiple instances of a script monitor.

Manage SAM application monitor templates and application

monitors
As described here, a SAM application monitor template is the blueprint for an application monitor that
can be used to monitor nodes and processes. It is a collection of component monitors designed to
monitor a server, application, or process. You can use the templates included in SAM "as is", copy a
template and customize it for your needs (recommended), create a template from scratch, or import
templates from THWACK.

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SAM API Poller templates are also available.

This topic describes basic template tasks, including:

l Create a template
l Assign a template to a node
l Edit a template
l Copy a template
l Delete a template
l Tag a template
l Change between 32-bit and 64-bit polling

Additional topics in this section include:

l Best practices for SAM templates, application monitors, and script monitors
l Use the Credentials Library for SAM component monitor credentials
l Assign templates to nodes manually to create application monitors
l Use group assignments for SAM application monitor templates and application monitors
l Import and export SAM application monitor templates
l Create custom application monitor templates in SAM
l Remove a SAM application monitor from multiple nodes

See also:
l Manage application monitor thresholds in SAM
l SAM Custom Application Monitor Template Guide
l SAM Application Monitor Template Reference

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Create a template
SAM includes two options for creating templates:
l (Recommended) Use the Component Monitor Template Wizard to create component monitors
and add them to a new template. This option adds instances of a component monitor type with
fewer steps to create a template.
l Create a new template and add component monitors manually.

The fastest way to build a template is to use the Component Monitor Wizard, which provides the most
common and popular component monitors per platform. You can use it to add multiple instances of a
selected component monitor to a new or existing template, and then edit the template to add more
component monitors as needed.

For example, you may need to monitor 20 services on servers and run custom PowerShell scripts. Use
the wizard to generate a template with 20 process or service monitors (depending on your use case),
and then add PowerShell script monitors as needed.

When you enter credentials for component monitors, a connection test runs. Depending on the
components, you may need to enter additional server and credentials data.

To create a template in the Component Monitor wizard, follow these steps.

1. Select the type of component monitor you're adding.

2. Select a target server in your environment and complete required fields.

3. Select from a list of available processes, services, and performance counters for the server.
4. Edit the properties of component monitors, as necessary.

See Use script component monitors in SAM to learn about PowerShell, Nagios,
Linux/Unix, or Windows scripting in custom templates.

5. Provide an Application Monitor Template Name.

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Avoid spaces at the beginning or end of the name. Otherwise, application monitors based
on the template may not appear in widgets.

6. Assign the template to nodes in your environment according to server type.

7. Review the configuration of the new template and confirm that you want to create it.
SAM creates the template and assigns it to the selected nodes.

If you do not want to use the wizard, you can also create a new, empty template and add component
monitors as needed. For example, you may only want to create a template with PowerShell script
monitors to gather data on your systems and applications.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings and select Manage Templates.
2. Click New Template.
3. Add general information and settings for the template including name, description, and tags.

Avoid spaces at the beginning or end of the name. Otherwise, application monitors based
on the template may not appear in widgets.

4. Based on the number of component monitors, set the polling frequency and timeout.

Continue by adding component monitors.

Create a custom template (Example)

For customized monitoring, you can create new templates based on existing templates or build
templates from scratch. For example, you can build a template to monitor a local SQL Server instance
that includes Windows Service component monitors, a TCP port monitor for your SQL server, and an
HTTP monitor for the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

This template could include the following monitors:

l TCP port component monitor to monitor port 1433, the port through which SolarWinds
communicates with the SQL Server.
l Service component monitors for the following Windows services:
o SolarWinds Alerting Engine

o SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor

o SolarWinds Job Engine

o SolarWinds Job Scheduler

o SolarWinds Module Engine

o SolarWinds Syslog Service

o SolarWinds Trap Service

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l HTTP component monitor to monitor port 80, the default port for the SolarWinds Platform Web
Console.

To learn more, see the SAM Custom Application Monitor Template Guide.

Create a SAM template to monitor a service

You can create templates specifically for the following Windows services that support the SolarWinds
Platform:
l SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor
l SolarWinds Job Engine v2
l SolarWinds Job Scheduler
l SolarWinds Module Engine
l SolarWinds Syslog Service
l SolarWinds Trap Service

When creating templates, modify these instructions based on the services you are monitoring:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Create New Template.
2. Add general information to the template including a name, description, and tags. Tags are used
for searching or opening lists of templates.
3. Click Add Component Monitor, expand the Network Protocol Component Monitors list, and
select TCP Port Monitor. Click Submit to add.
4. Click Rename and name the TCP port monitor, and click OK.
5. Ensure the Port Number field corresponds to the port used to communicate with the SolarWinds
SQL Server instance. By default, this is port 1433.

6. Click Add Component Monitor, expand the Process and Service Component Monitors, and
check Windows Service Monitor and click Submit.
7. Click Rename, name the SolarWinds Alerting Engine monitor, and click OK.
8. Enter or select the credential set to use when accessing the Windows service information.
9. Enter the name of the SolarWinds Alerting Engine service in the Net Service Name field.
10. Click Add Component Monitor then expand the User Experience Component Monitors list, and
then check HTTP Monitor.
11. Click Rename, name the HTTP port monitor, then click OK.
12. Ensure the Port Number corresponds to the port used for the SolarWinds Platform Web Console,
then click Submit.

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Assign a template to a node

To begin monitoring with a template, you need to assign it to a node. At that point, the template is
considered to be an "application monitor" (sometimes called an "application") that collects and
reports on polling data to the node according to the application monitor's configuration.

Use the Discovery Wizard to add nodes, if necessary.

To assign templates to nodes:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Check the template(s) to assign, and click Assign to Node.
3. Specify the node(s) to monitor and click Next.
4. Enter or select the appropriate credentials.
5. Click Assign Application Monitors.

Want to learn how to use SolarWinds Platform groups to automatically assign or remove SAM
templates? Check out the Using Automation to Apply SAM Templates video. See also Group
monitored objects, in the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide.

Edit a template
Every template, including default SAM templates, can be modified. You can change the name,
description, general settings, and application monitors. You can also create a copy of a template and
modify the copy.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Settings > Manage Templates.

2. Select a template and click Edit.

3. Specify the values for the Polling Frequency and Polling Timeout fields.

Setting a polling frequency below 30 seconds can result in erratic monitor behavior.

4. To add a monitor, click Add Component Monitor. Expand and filter through the options to add
one or more monitors to the template.
5. You can edit one or more monitors, update settings per monitor, and more. See Edit component
monitors in templates and application monitors for details. To review help information per
monitor, use the help option in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.
6. When done, click Submit to save the changes.

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Add component monitors

When editing a template, you can add one or more SAM component monitors. This scenario uses the
Manually Add Component Monitor option where you select component monitors from a list to add to
the template. Alternatively, you can use Browse for Component Monitors to select items in the
Component Monitor wizard.

1. Next to Add Component Monitors, click the option button and select Manually add Component
Monitors.

2. In the list of component monitors that appears, select the check box for the monitor you're
adding to the template.

3. (Optional) Click inside the Quantity field and enter a digit to add multiple versions of the same
monitor.
4. Click Add.
5. Modify the configurations and custom settings per monitor, as necessary.
6. When you return to the Edit Template page, expand each component monitor to configure
settings, add scripts, and more.

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7. When finished, click Submit.

Click Save and Continue Working as you add and complete component monitors.

Copy a template
You can modify current templates, or create a copy. With copies, you can use a base template from
the default templates, imported templates, or templates you created. Using a copy for a new template
can make the process much faster than starting a new template without pre-filled monitors and
configurations.

The copied templates use the same name of the original name with "- Copy" appended.

If you want to completely modify a current template, use a copy to keep the original.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Select the template you want to copy, and click Copy. A new template is added with the same
component monitors and configured settings, which you can modify, as necessary.

Delete a template
Deleting a template also deletes all of related application monitors assigned to nodes, both modified
and unmodified.

Template-related data is not immediately removed from the SolarWinds Platform database, but
systematically updated every few minutes in the background.

Instead of deleting a template, consider exporting it to a file so you can restore it later, if
necessary.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Check the template(s) to delete and then click Delete.
3. Confirm deletion by clicking Yes.

See also Remove a SAM application monitor from multiple nodes.

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Tag a template
Tags are descriptive labels that help you classify and sort templates on the Manage Application
Monitor Templates page. Most SAM templates are already tagged with descriptive labels that you can
modify.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Select the templates you want to tag, then click Tags.
3. Click Add existing tag(s) or select the tags from the list.
4. Type the tags, separating multiple tag entries with commas, then click Submit.

To remove tags:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Select the templates you want to tag, then click Tags > Remove Tags.
3. Select the tags from the list, then click Submit.

Change between 32-bit and 64-bit polling

You should use 64-bit polling on 64-bit OS systems. Using AppInsight applications with 32-bit polling
on 64-bit computers via an agent prevents certain performance counters from collecting information.

To change to 64-bit polling at the application resource level:

1. Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary.

2. Select an AppInsight Application (Exchange, SQL, IIS) and then click Edit Application Monitor.
3. Expand Advanced, and then click Override Template.

4. In the Platform to run polling job field, change the value to x64.
5. Click Submit.

To change to 64-bit polling at the template level:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Select an AppInsight application and click Edit.

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3. Expand Advanced and change the Platform setting to x64.

Assign templates to nodes manually to create application monitors

This topic describes how to manually assign templates to nodes, but you can also assign them
automatically with the Application Discovery Wizard.

To begin monitoring with a template, you need to assign it to a node. At that point, the template is
considered to be an "application monitor" (sometimes called an "application") that collects and
reports on polling data to the node according to the application monitor's configuration.

The quickest way to assign a template to a node is through the Add New Application Monitors
Wizard. You can also assign them on the Manage Application Monitor Templates page, or by adding a
new node with the Add Node Wizard, as described below.

Assign a template using the Add New Application Monitors Wizard

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manually Assign Application Monitors.
2. Select the Application Monitor template to apply, and then click Next.
3. Select the server nodes where you want to apply the template, and then click Next.
4. Select existing credentials or create new credentials, then click Assign Application Monitors.

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Assign a template through the Manage Application Monitor Templates page

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Browse and select the template you want to assign.
3. Click Assign to Node, select the nodes where you're assigning the template, and then click Next.
4. Select existing credentials or create new credentials, then click Assign Application Monitors.
5. Review the information for the application monitor you created, and then click Done.

Add an application monitor to a new node being added to the SolarWinds Platform with
the Add Node Wizard
1. To add a node, click Settings > All Settings > Add Node.
2. Provide details on the Define Node tab, and then click Next.
3. On the Choose Resources tab, select what you want to monitor.
4. On the Add Application Monitors tab, use the Show Only drop-down to select a category of
application monitors and display a list of Component Types.

5. Select the application monitor(s) you want to assign.

6. Select or enter the appropriate credentials, and then click Next.
7. On the Change Properties page, modify information as needed.
8. (Optional) Many application monitors based on application monitor templates include an
Override Template option for various settings. Click Override Template to block the inheritance
of settings from the original template. Any future changes to a component setting made at the
template level will not affect that node's component setting for that application.

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9. Click OK to finish adding the node.

Scan nodes and assign SAM application monitor templates automatically with the Applic-
ation Discovery Wizard
SAM can scan nodes for you and automatically assign the application monitor templates it deems
suitable for each node. You select the nodes to be scanned, the templates to use, and the parameters
to determine a match.

The Application Discovery Wizard compares applications located on nodes with parameters to
automatically assign templates to nodes, thus creating application monitors.

The Application Discovery Wizard does not work for User Experience (UX) monitors; assign
them to nodes manually instead.

To scan nodes, discover applications, and assign templates to nodes:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings.

2. Click Scan Nodes for Applications.
3. Browse or filter to select nodes to scan. You can select all or choose from lists. Click Next.
4. Browse, filter, and select the applications you want to scan for, based on existing templates.
Expand the Advanced Scan Settings to set the exactness for matches. Click Next.
l Exact Match: All the components must match to assign the template.
l Strong Match: Most of the components must match to assign the template.
l Partial Match: Some of the components must match to assign the template.
l Minimal Match: At least one component must match to assign the template.

To minimize scan time, limit the number of templates in your first scan. To see more
templates, select a different template group from the Show Only list.

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5. Some SAM application monitors require credentials either to access restricted resources, or to
run within the context of a specific user. To scan for these templates, add the necessary
credentials to the list and sort them accordingly. If a template requires credentials, SAM checks
credentials in this list in the order in which they appear. You can add credentials or allow
credentials to inherit from the node's local credentials. Click Next.

Recommended: If domains share user names with different passwords, run a separate
application discovery in each domain.

Credentials are tried several times during a scan. If credentials are incorrect, the account
can become locked after several failures. To avoid potential account lockouts that
affects an SolarWinds Platform user account, consider adding a dedicated service
account to use only for monitoring.

6. Review selected options before scanning. If a specific template is already assigned to a node as
an application monitor, the template is not automatically assigned a second time. To assign a
template again, click "Yes, Assign Anyway" in the "Do you want to assign duplicates" list.
7. Click Start Scan. The scan runs in the background.
8. When a message at the top of the SolarWinds Platform Web Console indicates the scan is
complete, click View results.

You can modify assigned applications monitors on the Manage Application Monitors page. Click
Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Application Monitors.

Unmanage assigned application monitors in SAM

You can "unmanage" an application monitor to stop collecting data from a node on behalf of
component monitors included in the application monitor. The SolarWinds Platform continues to
gather node status, hardware health, CPU, memory, and basic node data, but SAM stops pulling
specific metrics for individual component monitors from the node. Alerts also stop.

Note the following details about unmanaging application monitors:

l You can unmanage individual "child" application monitors assigned to specific nodes without
"unmanaging" the parent template.
l You cannot unmanage individual component monitors within an application monitor. However,
many component monitors can be disabled, either in the parent template or in a child
application monitor assigned to a specific node.
l When you unmanage an application monitor, database, or node, the element is not polled and
alerts are not triggered because the alert engine does not detect any change on the object.
However, if you create a new alert or edit conditions for an existing alert for an unmanaged
element, the alert will be triggered because the SolarWinds Platform does not check to if an
element is unmanaged before running the alert, by design.

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To unmanage an application monitor:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Application Monitors.
2. On the Manage Assigned Application Monitors page:
a. Select the application monitor.
b. Click Maintenance Mode.
c. Click Unmanage Now
3. (Optional) Click Schedule to mute related alerts, or set time for scheduled maintenance.
4. To resume polling later data for an application monitor, select it, click Maintenance Mode, and
then click Manage Again. The application monitor status refreshes after the next polling cycle.

Remove a SAM application monitor from multiple nodes

To remove an application monitor from several nodes:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Application Monitors.
2. Change the Group By drop-down menu to Application Monitor Template.
3. Find the template in the list on the left and select it.
4. Select the nodes you want to delete the Application Monitor from, then click Delete.

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Use group assignments for SAM application monitor templates and

application monitors
You can assign application monitor templates and application monitors to existing groups of
monitored objects, including nodes.

After creating a group, you can add nodes to the group so that any templates and application
monitors linked to the group are automatically added to the new nodes. Likewise, if you add a new
template or application monitor to the group, all node members receive the new additions.

Note the following details about assigning templates and application monitors to groups:
l Templates are assigned to selected nodes even if nodes doesn't meet template requirements.
For example, if a template assigned to a group requires a specific OS version such as Windows
Server 2012, it's automatically assigned to all nodes in the group, even if they're running a
different OS.
l Nested groups are not supported.
l AppInsight applications cannot be assigned to groups.
l Application assignment to a group happens in the background and can take some time to be
created depending on the size of the application.
l If an OS-specific template, such as the Apache (Windows) template, is assigned to a group with
Linux nodes, the template is assigned and reports a status of Unknown due to OS mismatch.
l If a node added to the group already has the template assigned to it, no changes occur.
l If a node is part of two groups with shared templates, the node only receives one copy of each
assigned template and application monitors.
l If you delete a group, the assigned templates may remain assigned depending on the Advanced
section configuration. In the Auto Delete Application Monitor option, select Yes to remove the
templates if the group is deleted or nodes are removed from the group.

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l You cannot assign credentials to a node and have all templates assigned to the group use those
credentials. Credentials are not associated by group. You can select Inherit Credentials from
Node when using WMI or an agent. The new application created from the template will use
credentials from the node that is assigned to.

See also:
l Create groups (SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide)
l Assign a SAM application monitor template to groups of nodes
l Remove SAM application monitor templates and application monitors from a group of nodes

Assign a SAM application monitor template to groups of nodes

To save time when configuring your environment, you can assign SAM application monitor templates
to multiple nodes that are organized into groups, instead of applying templates to individual nodes,
one at a time.

1. Organize the nodes you want to configure into groups.

Tip: You can use dynamic queries to create groups of nodes, and then assign templates
to groups. Alternatively, use automation scripts that interact with the SolarWinds
Platform SDK.

2. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates > Application Monitor
Templates.
3. Select one or more templates, and then click Assign to Group.

4. Select a group from the Available Groups column, click the green arrow, and then click Next.

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5. (Optional) Expand Advanced options to adjust default assignment and Auto Delete settings.

6. Provide credentials and click Assign Groups.

7. Click Done.

Allow 5 to 10 minutes for SAM to assign templates to the group of nodes. Complex
AppInsight templates may take longer.

8. To check the progress of this task:

a. Click Settings > All Settings in the menu bar.

b. Under Node & Group Management, click Manage Groups.
c. Click the group that you assigned templates to.

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d. On the Group Details page, examine the Application Templates Assigned to Group widget.

e. If you do not notice progress, consider restarting SolarWinds Platform services.

Remove SAM application monitor templates and application monitors from a group of
nodes
If you assigned templates and application monitors to a group of nodes, follow these steps if you
need to unassign (that is, remove) them from nodes to stop monitoring.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates > Application Monitor
Templates.

2. Select the templates and application monitors you want to remove from the group, and then
click the link in the Assigned To column.
3. On the Template Assignments page, click the Group tab and then click Unassign > Yes,
Unassign.

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4. Click Close.

Import and export SAM application monitor templates

SAM integrates with the SolarWinds online IT community, THWACK, so you can download the latest
updates to application monitor templates, download custom templates created by other SAM
customers, and share templates that may be useful to other customers.

SolarWinds recommends checking THWACK periodically for updates to predefined templates.

Only AppInsight templates are not updated automatically during upgrades to avoid overwriting
custom changes made to standard templates. Official updates to templates posted on
THWACK are attributed to solarwinds_worldwide_llc.

When working with THWACK templates, note the following details:

l This topic refers to legacy SAM application monitor templates. API poller templates are also
available.
l To import templates from THWACK or post templates on THWACK, you'll need a THWACK
account. To create one, navigate to https://thwack.solarwinds.com.
l You cannot import or export AppInsight templates.
l SolarWinds does not provide direct support for templates posted on THWACK by third parties. If
you have questions or suggestions for material posted by a THWACK member, use the forum's
built-in messaging functionality.

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Disclaimer: Any custom scripts or other content posted herein are not supported under any
SolarWinds support program or service. The scripts are provided AS IS without warranty of any
kind. SolarWinds further disclaims all warranties including, without limitation, any implied
warranties of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The risk arising out of the
use or performance of the scripts and documentation stays with you. In no event shall
SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the creation, production, or delivery of the scripts be
liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business
profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out
of the use of or inability to use the scripts or documentation.

Import application monitor templates

There are several ways to import templates:
l Connect to THWACK from within the SolarWinds Platform Web Console to import templates, or
l Download template files to your local drive and then import them into SAM.

Note the following details about importing templates:

l Before updating existing templates:
o Create backup copies of existing templates to save any custom changes that occurred.

o Ensure the imported file format is XML with an .apm-template extension.

o Unzip templates before importing.

l Official SAM templates posted on THWACK are attributed to solarwinds_worldwide_llc.

l To learn about accessing THWACK templates via a proxy, click here.
l If an imported template name matches an existing template, the name is appended with n
automatically, where n is an integer.

Watch a THWACK Tuesday Tips video about importing templates from THWACK.

To import a SAM template from THWACK:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Switch to the Shared Templates on THWACK tab.
3. Locate and select the template you want to import and then click Import.
4. Enter your THWACK credentials, and then click Log In.
5. When the confirmation message appears, click View Imported Templates or Close.

To import a SAM template from a file on a local drive:

If a template is in a ZIP file on your local drive, extract the file and verify it is in XML format with
the following extension: .apm-template. Otherwise, you'll receive an Invalid File error.

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1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings, and click Manage Templates.
2. Click Import/Export, and click Import.
3. Browse and select the template file from your local drive.
4. Click Submit.
After verifying the file type and format, SAM imports the template.

Export application monitor templates

Note the following details about exporting templates to THWACK:
l Templates are exported in XML format with a .apm-template extension.
l Exported templates are added to the template repository accessed by SAM, as displayed on the
Shared Templates on THWACK tab of the Manage Templates page.
l Templates may take several minutes to export, depending on how many you're exporting.

To export a SAM template to THWACK:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. On the Application Monitor Templates, tab, select the template(s) to export.
3. Click Import/Export > Export to THWACK.

a. Enter your THWACK credentials, and then click Log In.

b. Click Close on the confirmation message that appears.

4. In THWACK, navigate to the SAM Content Exchange.
5. Click Application Monitor Templates.
6. Click Create

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7. On the Upload page, fill out the fields and upload apm-template file.

8. Click Post.

Create custom application monitor templates in SAM

SAM includes a variety of out-of-the-box application monitor templates, but you can also create your
own templates by adding component monitors and customizing them for your specific needs. When
complete, assign the template to managed nodes to create application monitors that poll for metrics
about servers, applications, databases, or processes.

There are several ways to create new templates:

l Use the Component Monitor Wizard to quickly create a template by adding multiple, customized
component at the same time, and then assigning the new template to nodes.
l Copy an existing template and customize it for your needs.
l Create a blank template and add component monitors manually.

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Here are the basic steps involved in creating a template:

Create a template To create a template with the Component Monitor Wizard:

1. Navigate to Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings.

2. Under Getting Started with SAM, click Component Monitor Wizard.
3. Follow on-screen instructions to add and customize component
monitors for the template, and then assign the template to target
nodes.

To copy an existing template to create a new template:

1. Navigate to Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings >Manage

Templates.
2. On the Manage Application Templates page, click the Application
Monitor Templates tab.
3. Select an existing template and click Copy.
4. After the "Copying application templates" message appears, type
"Copy of" in the Search field.
5. Select the copied template, click Edit, modify as necessary, and
save your new template.

To create a blank template and add component monitors manually:

1. Navigate to Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings >Create a

template.
2. On the New Template page, provide a name, description, and other
details.
3. Click Add Component Monitors to add each component monitor
you want to include.
4. Click Submit to save your changes.

You can also import a template from THWACK and customize it.

Add component With the base component monitors added to a new template, add other
monitors component monitors as needed per application.

Assign a template to a Templates assigned to nodes begin collecting data with the next poll,
node providing specific metrics and data responses based on the component
monitors and configurations. For script monitors, the script collects data
and returns metrics and values according to the code you enter.

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Create a template with the Component Monitor Wizard

The fastest method to create a template with a set of component monitors is to use the Component
Monitor Wizard, which provides the most common and popular component monitors per platform.
Using this wizard, you can create multiple instances of a selected component monitor to add to a new
or existing template. When finished, you can edit the template to add additional component monitors,
as needed.

For example, you can use the wizard to create a template with 20 process monitors or service
monitors (depending on your use case) for the services. Then you can add more PowerShell script
monitors later.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings.

2. Under Getting Started with SAM, click Component Monitor Wizard.
3. On the first tab of the wizard, select a component monitor type to add to your template, such as
Windows Service Monitor, and then click Next.

4. To select a Target server, enter an IP address or browse to an existing node. Provide all required
information and click Next to display a list of available processes, services, and performance
counters for the server.

5. On the Select Component tab, select the services you want to add as component monitors for
the template, and then click Next.
6. On the Edit Properties tab, customize each component monitor by selecting its check box and
clicking [+].

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When finished customizing component monitors, click Next.

7. On the Add to Application Monitor or Template tab, select New Application Monitor Template,
enter a Name for the template, and click Next.

Do not begin or end a Name with a space. Otherwise, application monitors based on the
template may not appear in widgets. Edit the name to remove extra spaces.

8. Assign the template to nodes in your environment according to server type (such as Windows or
VMware).
Expand and select one or more servers where you want to add the template.
9. Review the template and click Submit to save it.

After you create a template, you can add more component monitors, as described next.

Add component monitors

When editing a template, you can add component monitors using either of these options:
l Manually Add Component Monitors allows you to select and add multiple types of component
monitors to the template
l Browse for Component Monitors opens the Component Monitor Wizard to add multiple
instances of a selected component monitor

This scenario uses the Manually Add Component Monitor option.

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1. You have two options for adding component monitors. This scenario uses the Manually Add
Component Monitor option.

l Manually Add Component Monitors allows you to select and add multiple types of
component monitors to the template
l Browse for Component Monitors opens the Component Monitor Wizard to add multiple
instances of a selected component monitor

2. When added, you can modify the configurations and custom settings per monitor.
3. Select a component monitor, use the Quantity field to specify how many copies you want, and
click Add.
4. Expand each component monitor to configure settings, add scripts, and more.

As you work, click Save and Continue Working to save changes.

5. When finished adding component monitors, click Submit.

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Assign the template to nodes

To begin monitoring with the template, assign it to one or more nodes, thus establishing an
application monitor on each node.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings and click Manage Templates.
2. Check the template(s) to assign, and click Assign to Node.
3. Specify the node(s) to monitor and click Next.
4. Enter or select the appropriate credentials.
5. Click Assign Application Monitors.

Manage application monitor thresholds in SAM

Thresholds are markers that indicate certain levels were reached, which you can adjust and set to act
as trigger points for many component monitors included in SAM application monitor templates and
application monitors, and other features such as Application Dependencies.

For example, to monitor CPU usage, a Critical threshold set at 90% would be typical. After setting
thresholds, you can configure alerts so SAM sends an email when a Critical status threshold is
breached.

If thresholds are set too low, you'll receive frequent alerts. If set too high, problems can occur
without your knowledge.

The SolarWinds Platform includes predefined, general thresholds for most statistics, but you can
override these thresholds and customize them on a per-object basis. For example, global thresholds
exist for Disk Usage and Response statistics for all monitored nodes, but can be updated for specific
nodes.

The following statistics have global thresholds that apply to each node monitored in the SolarWinds
Platform, by default:
l Average CPU load
l Disk Usage
l Percent memory Used
l Percent Packet Loss
l Response Time

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Baseline data, as well as Warning and Critical thresholds for application monitors, can also be
gathered and calculated automatically, as described in Adjust threshold settings and apply baseline
data in SAM. The option to enter thresholds manually remains available. In general, you should
monitor applications for several weeks to collect enough data to use as a baseline, and then make an
educated guess about how to set Warning and Critical thresholds for component monitors.

By default, I/O thresholds of Windows Service Monitors are not set.

This section includes the following topics:

l Inherit thresholds from SAM application monitor templates
l Multi-value scripts and thresholds
l Apply baseline thresholds at the template level
l Apply baseline thresholds at the application-monitor level
l Adjust threshold settings and apply baseline data in SAM
l View the Latest Baseline Details for an application in SAM

Additional resources about thresholds include:

l Thresholds in the SolarWinds Platform (SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide)
l Use Min/Max Average Statistic charts to set thresholds based on 95th percentile data (Success
Center)
l Baseline thresholds (THWACK)

For an overview about SAM application monitor alerts, watch Alerting on an application.

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Inherit thresholds from SAM application monitor templates

As described here, if you change a setting or component monitor in a template, that change is
automatically inherited by all application monitors created from the parent template when you assign
templates to nodes. This inheritance also applies to thresholds so component monitors within an
application monitor inherit the changes made in the template.

If you change thresholds at the component monitor level, only thresholds of the individual component
monitor are affected. Thresholds on the parent template, or other applications based on that parent
template, are not be affected.

Multi-value scripts and thresholds

Each component monitor includes a number of thresholds for pulling and saving data. To use these
values in multi-value scripts, use the following threshold macros:
l ${Threshold.Warning.DisplayName}
l ${Threshold.Critical.DisplayName}

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The following screenshot displays the use of the macros in a script.

The following screenshots display the multiple display names used in a script for the warning and
critical threshold values.

Apply baseline thresholds at the template level

Applying and editing thresholds at the template level affect all applications that are based on that
template. Thresholds can be used based on calculated baseline data or you can create your own
thresholds based on your needs.

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1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Select a template and click Edit from the toolbar.
3. Select a component monitor, click [+] to expand the monitor details.
4. Select Use thresholds calculated from baseline data:

Once this box is checked, the Warning and Critical fields automatically populate with the macro,
${USE_BASELINE}. This macro can be used when configuring alerts.

5. Select the options for sustained thresholds, and then click Submit.

You can edit multiple component monitors and their thresholds if the monitors are the same
type and thresholds are available. Multi Edit only become available when the selected
component monitors are the same type, as shown. After you click Multi Edit, select Statistic
Threshold > Use thresholds calculated from baseline data. Edit thresholds, click Save > Submit.

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By default, I/O thresholds of Windows Service Monitors are not set.

Apply baseline thresholds at the application-monitor level

The SolarWinds Platform has a set of global thresholds that apply to all monitored nodes, but you can
also apply baseline thresholds at the application-monitor level for individual nodes, as described here.

You may need to log in with an administrator account to perform this action.

1. In the SolarWinds Platform Web Console, click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary.
2. From the All Applications widget, expand the tree and then click an application.
3. From the Application Details widget, click Edit Application Monitor.
4. If selecting only one Component Monitor, click [+] to expand the monitor details.
a. Click Override Template.

The current values for the thresholds appear in the Warning and Critical fields.

b. Click Use Latest Baseline Thresholds, as shown:

c. When applied, the values change and a blue icon appears indicating that baseline
thresholds are being used.

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5. If selecting more than one component monitor, use the check boxes to select the monitors you
want to edit, and then click Multi-Edit.
a. Click Multi-Edit.

Multi-Edit only becomes available when the selected component monitors are of the
same type.

b. Check the Statistic Threshold check box on the pop-up window, then check the Use
thresholds calculated from baseline data.

Once the second box is checked, the Warning and Critical fields automatically
populate with the macro, ${USE_BASELINE}.

6. Click Save > Submit.

Adjust threshold settings and apply baseline data in SAM

See also Manage thresholds in SAM.

In general, baseline data is calculated on demand; however, seven days of data is the recommended
minimum amount of data needed for baseline calculations to be considered accurate. Baseline data
for macros, such as ${USE_BASELINE}, are automatically calculated during nightly database
maintenance.

After thresholds are calculated and applied to component monitors, the thresholds remain static until
manually re-applied. This is not a moving baseline that is calculated nightly based on the last seven
days of data. A moving baseline would mask data spikes and other anomalies that need to be
highlighted.

Thresholds set manually to meet the needs of your environment may yield more desirable
results.

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How SAM calculates baselines

SolarWinds SAM uses the following macros to calculate baseline values:

Macro Description
${USE_ Calculates the currently used baseline in SAM, as used in threshold fields of SAM
BASELINE} component monitors. Recommended baseline values are calculated using the
following formulas:
Warning: ${MEAN} + 2 * ${STD_DEV} (or ${MEAN} - 2 * ${STD_DEV})

Critical: ${MEAN} + 3 * ${STD_DEV} (or ${MEAN} - 3 * ${STD_DEV})

Baseline thresholds are not suitable for all metrics. If calculated values do not
meet expectations, consider setting the thresholds manually.

${USE_BASELINE} does not support math functions. To adjust the baseline

calculation, replace ${USE_BASELINE} with the formulas above and change the
calculation as necessary.

${MEAN} Calculates the Current Mean or Average. You can use this macro with math functions
in threshold fields.

${STD_DEV) Calculates the Standard Deviation. You can use this macro with math functions in
threshold fields.

Change the amount of data used in baseline calculations

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Data & Database Settings.

2. Enter a number of days, and then click Submit.

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The value for the Baseline Data Collection Duration field cannot exceed the value defined for
the Detail Statistics Retention field, as displayed at the top of the Data & Database Settings
section.

Apply baseline thresholds at the template level

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Check a template and click Edit from the toolbar.
3. If selecting only one component monitor, click [+] to expand monitor details.
a. Click Use Latest Baseline Thresholds to display the ${USE_BASELINE} macro in the
Warning and Critical fields.
b. Select options for sustained thresholds as needed.

4. If selecting more than one component monitor, select monitors by checking the boxes next to
their names.
a. Click Multi-Edit.

Multi-Edit is only available if selected component monitors are the same type.

b. Review Statistic Threshold data that on the pop-up window, then check the Use thresholds
calculated from baseline data.

The Use thresholds calculated from baseline data check box is not available until
Statistic Threshold is checked. After Use thresholds calculated from baseline data
is checked, the Warning and Critical fields automatically populate with the macro,
${USE_BASELINE}.

5. Click Save, then click Submit.

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Apply baseline thresholds at the application level

1. Click My Dashboards > Applications > Summary.
2. From the All Applications widget, expand the tree and then click an application.
3. From the Application Details widget, click Edit Application Monitor.
4. If selecting only one Component Monitor, click [+] to expand the monitor details.
a. Click Override Template.

The current values for the thresholds appear in the Warning and Critical fields.

b. Click Use Latest Baseline Thresholds, as shown:

c. When applied, values change and a blue icon indicates that baseline thresholds are used.

5. If selecting more than one component monitor, use the check boxes to select the monitors you
want to edit.

a. Click Multi-Edit.
b. Multi-Edit is only available if selected component monitors are the same type.

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c. Check the Statistic Threshold check box on the pop-up window, then check the Use
thresholds calculated from baseline data.
d. Once the second box is checked, the Warning and Critical fields automatically populate
with the macro, ${USE_BASELINE}.
6. Click Save, then click Submit.

Use the latest baseline details for a component monitor

1. Click My Dashboards > Applications > Summary.
2. From the All Applications widget, expand the tree and then click an application.
3. From the Application Details widget, click Edit Application Monitor.
4. Find a component monitor in the list and click [+] to expand the monitor details.
5. Click Override Template, then click Latest Baseline Details.

Edit capacity planning thresholds for a node

1. Click a node to navigate to the Node Details view for that node.
2. In the Management widget, click Edit Node.
3. Click Manage Orion General Thresholds to display Capacity Planning options appear under each
object:

4. Make your selections, then click Submit on both the Orion General Thresholds screen and the
Edit Properties screen.

View the Latest Baseline Details for an application in SAM

The Latest Baseline Details page displays data collection and calculations used to determine baseline
data for an application, as well as Warning and Critical application monitor thresholds for alerts.

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You may need to log in with an administrator account to access this page. Also, note that the
Use Baseline Thresholds option mentioned in the last step does not appear for complex
component monitors, such as some AppInsight for SQL component monitors.

1. Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary.

2. In the All Applications widget, expand the tree and then click an application.

3. From the Application Details widget, click Edit Application Monitor.

4. Find a component monitor in the list and expand the monitor details.
5. Click Override Template, and then click Latest Baseline Details.

Use WinRM for application monitor polling in SAM

The following instructions are valid for SAM 2024.4.1 and earlier. For current documentation,
see Configure WinRM in the SolarWinds Platform Self-Hosted documentation.

WinRM is the default transport method used to collect data for WMI-based component monitors (for
example, Performance Counter Monitors) from target nodes for SAM templates and application
monitors. A fallback mechanism automatically switches to legacy RPC/DCOM polling, if necessary.

If you're building a new environment with SAM, WinRM application polling is automatically enabled for
the SolarWinds Platform server and WMI component monitors. By default, WinRM application polling
is also applied to any Windows network nodes that you decide to add later, although you still need to
make sure that the SolarWinds Platform server can connect to the nodes.

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If upgrading from an earlier version of SAM, see Configure WinRM polling in SAM 2024.4.1 and earlier
to learn how to start leveraging this functionality.

This feature is SAM-specific. It differs from the main polling method selected when adding
nodes to the SolarWinds Platform, that controls how basic metrics such as node status and
packet loss are collected. The WinRM option described here only controls SAM-based polling
for WMI-based component monitors on target nodes that do not use SolarWinds Platform
agents to collect data.

Using WinRM instead of RPC/DCOM for WMI queries can increase SAM's scalability while collecting
the same data with higher reliability and in less time. The following table provides more details about
these methods.

WinRM RPC/DCOM
Protocol Web Services (WS)- RPC is a legacy protocol, originally created for LANs, that
Management is a could be deprecated in the future.
faster protocol
developed for
Windows Server
2012 R2 and the
modern internet.

Firewall Requires a single Requires multiple open ports, starting with TCP Port 135 to
requirements open port: 5985 initiate communication with a server, and then switching to
(HTTP) or 5986 random ports between 1024 and 65535.
(HTTPS).

Security Uses a modified Uses dynamic port allocation.

form of HTTPS.
See also Set up AppInsight for Active Directory
monitoring under the context of a "Least Privileges"
account.

Performance No unmanaged Possible memory leaks, increased CPU consumption related

code. Uses a to unmanaged code, and polling issues if WMI components
stateless protocol timeout.
for HTTPS requests
and responses.

Execution Runs queries locally Executes queries remotely so the Round-Trip Time (RTT)
on target machines. between SAM and target machines can increase overall
Switches to DCOM if scan times. No fallback mechanism.
WinRM fails.

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WinRM RPC/DCOM
Scalability Asynchronous API Multiple application monitors assigned to a node can collect
support means data in parallel, but each component monitor in a single
caller threads can application monitor can only collect data serially. The more
execute other parts application monitors you assign to a single node with WMI-
of code while based component monitors, the more ports may be
waiting for results. consumed and the longer polling may take.

To learn more, see:

l Configure WinRM polling in SAM 2024.4.1 and earlier
l Troubleshoot application monitor polling with WinRM

Configure WinRM polling in SAM 2024.4.1 and earlier

The following instructions are valid for SAM 2024.4.1 and earlier. For current documentation,
see Configure WinRM in the SolarWinds Platform Self-Hosted documentation.

l WinRM is the default fetching method for WMI-based component monitors. SAM automatically
switches to DCOM as a fallback method to collect data if WinRM fails during a polling cycle, and
then works through other methods until polling succeeds.

WinRM fallback can negatively impact polling times. Ensure it is configured properly on
target nodes or consider disabling WinRM on them.

l WinRM application monitor polling is enabled on all Windows network nodes added to the
SolarWinds Platform, by default.
l WinRM is enabled by default on the SolarWinds Platform server. The global SAM WinRM toggle
is enabled on the SolarWinds Platform server.

Use the following procedures to adjust WinRM settings to suit your business needs.

See also Choose a fetching method for Performance Counter Monitors in the SAM Template
Reference.

If target nodes are hosted in a separate domain from the SolarWinds Platform server, adjust
TrustedHost settings on the SolarWinds Platform server.

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Configure WinRM polling on target nodes

WinRM polling is automatically enabled on any new Windows network nodes added to the SolarWinds
Platform, but you may need to configure it on existing nodes that aren't already using WinRM to:
l Monitor AppInsight for IIS or AppInsight for Exchange, or
l Run PowerShell scripts remotely.

See Installation and configuration for WinRM for details. Use PowerShell in SAM also describes how
to enable WinRM.

When finished, the target node should include the following elements:
l The WinRM service to receive requests from other IP addresses.
l An SSL certificate to secure data.
l A firewall exception to allow external requests to reach the WinRM service.
l A WinRM Listener to accept external requests.

l You can also use a Group Policy Object (GPO) in Active Directory to configure WinRM
settings.
l If a node is not in the same domain as the SolarWinds Platform server, add it as a trusted
host, as described next.
l See also Set up AppInsight for Active Directory monitoring under the context of a "Least
Privileges" account.

Add target nodes that use WinRM polling as trusted hosts on the SolarWinds Platform
server
To use WinRM polling on target nodes that exist in a different domain than the SolarWinds Platform
server, add them to the WS-Management TrustedHosts list on the SolarWinds Platform server, to
support WinRM communication between the client (the SolarWinds Platform server) and the server
(the target node).

The following steps assume that the SolarWinds Platform server is used as the Main Polling
Engine. In large environments with Additional Polling Engines (APEs), use these steps to create
trust relationships between target nodes and related polling engines.

1. On the SolarWinds Platform server, add each target node as a TrustedHost with this PowerShell
command:
Install-Module psTrustedHosts -Force

2. Use either of the following methods to add target nodes as TrustedHosts.

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l To set all hosts as trusts, enter:

Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts -Value "*" -Force

If using the method above, you can replace the * wildcard character with a specific
IP address for added security. Use commas to separate multiple IP addresses, if
necessary.

l To set all remote hosts from a specific domain as trusts, enter:

Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts *.yourdomain.local

3. Verify the WinRM connection from the SolarWinds Platform server to each target node by
entering:

Test-WSMan -ComputerName $TargetNodeHostName -Authentication default

If the SolarWinds Platform server and a target node have the same credentials, results will look
similar to this example.

Review logs on nodes for the following error. The default log location is:

C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\APM\ApplicationLogs.

The following log file contains details about the WinRM configuration process:
C:\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RunWinRMConfigurator.log

Disable WinRM polling on individual nodes

The WinRM feature is enabled on all Windows network nodes added to the SolarWinds Platform by
default. Use the procedures in this section to disable WinRM polling, if necessary.

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1. In the SolarWinds Platform Web Console, navigate to the relevant Node Details view and click
Edit Node.
2. When the Edit Properties page opens, scroll down and clear the Enable WinRM check box.
3. Click Submit to save your changes.

Disable WinRM polling on the SolarWinds Platform server

The WinRM feature is enabled on the SolarWinds Platform server by default. To disable this feature at
the global level, adjust APM.WMI.Settings on the Advanced Configuration page.

1. Log in to the SolarWinds Platform server as an administrator.

2. Copy the following text: /Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/Global.aspx
3. Paste text into your browser address bar, after /Orion, as shown here:

<your product server>/Orion/Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/Global.aspx

4. On the Global tab of the Advanced Configuration page, scroll down to APM.WMI.Settings.
5. Clear the WinRemoteManagementforWmiEnabled check box, and then scroll down to click Save.

6. Restart SolarWinds Platform services in the SolarWinds Platform Service Manager, and then
wait a few minutes for changes to occur.

Ignore certificate errors during WinRM polling

By default, WinRM flags invalid certificates found during polling, including self-signed certificates over
HTTPS. When this occurs, messages similar to the following appear in logs:

Fetching WMI query failed by

'SolarWinds.APM.Probes.Management.WinRM.WinRmConnection'.

You can configure WinRM to ignore invalid certificates by enabling the

WinRemoteManagementIgnoreCertificateErrors setting on the Advanced Configuration page.

Neither SolarWinds Platform agents nor SolarWinds Platform Remote Collectors respect
centralized settings adjusted on the Advanced Configuration page.

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1. Log in to the SolarWinds Platform server as an administrator.

2. Use the SolarWinds Platform Service Manager to stop all SolarWinds Platform services.
3. Copy the following text: /Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/Global.aspx
4. Paste text into your browser address bar, after /Orion, as shown here:
<your product server>/Orion/Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/Global.aspx

5. On the Global tab of the Advanced Configuration page, scroll down to APM.WMI.Settings.
6. Select the WinRemoteManagementIgnoreCertificateErrors check box, and then scroll down to
click Save.
7. Restart SolarWinds Platform services in the SolarWinds Platform Service Manager, and then
wait a few minutes for changes to occur.

Troubleshoot application monitor polling with WinRM

The following instructions are valid for SAM 2024.4.1 and earlier. For current documentation,
see Configure WinRM in the SolarWinds Platform Self-Hosted documentation.

Following are issues you may encounter when using WinRM as the fetching method for WMI-based
polling for SAM application monitor templates, application monitors, and component monitors that do
not use SolarWinds Platform agents to collect data from target nodes.

When WinRM polling fails, a predefined "Attempt to use WinRM for application template polling failed"
alert is sent to the NetPerfMon Event Log, and SAM uses DCOM/RPC as the fallback method instead.

Basic WinRM troubleshooting

l Review Configure WinRM polling in SAM 2024.4.1 and earlier.
l On target nodes:
o Verify that the WinRM service is started and set to "Automatic".

o If a firewall exists, allow exceptions for the SolarWinds Platform server on port 5985

(HTTP) and/or 5986 (HTTPS).

o If required, check for a valid SSL certificate.

o Confirm that a WinRM HTTPS Listener exists.

l On the SolarWinds Platform server:

o Make sure the SolarWinds Platform server can connect to the target node.

o Confirm that the SAM WinRM toggle is enabled on the SolarWinds Platform server, at the

global level

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o If a target node is in a separate domain, check the TrustedHosts list on the SolarWinds
Platform server and update it, if necessary.

In large environments with Additional Polling Engines (APEs), make sure that target
nodes are TrustedHosts on related polling engines.

l Review the following log files on the SolarWinds Platform server:

o C:\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RunWinRMConfigurator.log (WinRM
configuration)
o C:\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\ApplicationLogs (polling)
o C:\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\SolarWinds.APM.Probes_[*] (polling)

Confirm the WinRM configuration on a target server

1. Log in to the target server.
2. Open a PowerShell session and run the following command:
winrm get winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS

3. Verify that the ListeningOn value lists valid IP addresses. If the value is null, add a WinRM
HTTPS Listener.

To confirm that the SAM WinRM toggle is enabled on the SolarWinds Platform server, at the global
level:

1. Navigate to the Advanced Configuration page in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console:
a. Copy the following text to the Windows Clipboard:
/Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/Global.aspx

b. Paste text into your browser address bar, after /Orion, as shown in this example.
<your product server>/Orion/Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/Global.aspx

2. On the Global tab of the Advanced Configuration page, scroll down to the APM.WMI.Settings
section.
3. Verify that the WinRemoteManagementforWmiEnabled option is selected.
This option is enabled in fresh installations by default. If you decide to disable it, use the
SolarWinds Platform Service Manager to stop the SolarWinds Job Engine v2 service, and then

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restart the service afterward.

Check the Group Policy configuration

If you used a GPO to configure nodes for WinRM, check the Group Policy configuration.

1. Open your Group Policy Editor.

2. Go to Computer > Policies > Windows Components > Windows Remote Management (WinRM) >
WinRM Service.
3. Check the configuration of the "Allow automatic configuration of listeners" policy.
4. Verify that the Policy configuration is correct.

Add all target network nodes across a domain as trusted hosts for the SolarWinds Plat-
form server
1. Open PowerShell as an Administrator.
2. Run this command:
set-item wsman:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts *.domain.com

See Add target nodes that use WinRM polling as trusted hosts on the SolarWinds Platform server.

Configure trusted hosts on both the target server and the polling engine
1. Log in to the polling engine, which may be the SolarWinds Platform server.
2. Open PowerShell as an Administrator.
3. Run this command to view the TrustedHosts value:
Get-Item WSMan:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts

4. If necessary, run this command to set the TrustedHosts value:

winrm set winrm/config/client '@{TrustedHosts="*"}'

This command sets the TrustedHosts value to *, a wildcard character you can replace with
comma-separated IP addresses of servers to trust. Target servers must trust the polling engine
IP address, and the polling engine must trust target server IP addresses. SolarWinds
recommends setting this value to * for polling engines that gather data from multiple target
servers.

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5. To confirm trust settings, run the Get-Item command from step 2 again.

Troubleshoot specific scenarios

l WinRM application alert: Attempt to use WinRM for application template polling failed
l Requested HTTP URL was not available
l Client cannot connect
l Specified logon session does not exist
l WinRM authentication issues

WinRM application alert: Attempt to use WinRM for application template polling failed

If WinRM polling fails, the following predefined alert is sent to the NetPerfMon Event Log, and SAM
uses DCOM/RPC as the fallback method instead:

Attempt to use WinRM for application template polling failed

Note the following details about this alert:

l It appears once for each application monitor that attempts WinRM polling but fails.
l It will not repeat in consecutive failed polling cycles.
l It will not appear for nodes where WinRM polling is disabled, or if WinRM polling is disabled on
the SolarWinds Platform server. See Configure WinRM polling in SAM 2024.4.1 and earlier.

Requested HTTP URL was not available

The following message appears if a WinRM URL prefix is not configured correctly:

Fetching WMI query failed by

'SolarWinds.APM.Probes.Management.WinRM.WinRmConnection'.
Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimException:
The WinRM client sent a request to an HTTP server and got a response saying
the requested HTTP URL was not available.
This is usually returned by a HTTP server that does not support the WS-
Management protocol.

Compare the WinRM URL prefix settings with Node settings on the Manage Nodes page. Navigate to
the Manage Nodes page, click Edit Node, and scroll down to the WinRM Settings section.

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Client cannot connect

The following message appears if SAM cannot connect to the WinRM service:

Fetching WMI query failed by

'SolarWinds.APM.Probes.Management.WinRM.WinRmConnection'.
Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimException: The client cannot connect
to the destination specified in the request. Verify that the service on the
destination is running and is accepting requests. Consult the logs and
documentation for the WSManagement service running on the destination, most
commonly IIS or WinRM. If the destination is the WinRM service, run the
following command on the destination to analyze and configure the WinRM
service: "winrm quickconfig".

This message may indicate that a target node resides in a different domain than the SolarWinds
Platform server. See Add target nodes that use WinRM polling as trusted hosts on the SolarWinds
Platform server.

To resolve a client connection issue:

1. Restart the WinRM service with either of the following methods:

l Open the Run windows, type Services.msc, and click OK.
l Use the Restart-Service cmdlet in PowerShell.
2. Run the following PowerShell command to configure WinRM: winrm quickconfig

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3. Run the following PowerShell commands to check for a mismatch between WinRM
configurations on the SolarWinds Platform server and the target node:
l
Get-WSManInstance -ResourceURI winrm/config/listener -SelectorSet @
{Address="*";Transport="http"}

l
Get-WSManInstance -ResourceURI winrm/config/listener -SelectorSet @
{Address="*";Transport="https"}

4. Navigate to the Manage Nodes page, click Edit Node, and scroll down to the WinRM Settings
section to review settings.

Specified logon session does not exist

The following message appears when SAM cannot connect to the WinRM service:

Fetching WMI query failed by

'SolarWinds.APM.Probes.Management.WinRM.WinRmConnection'.
Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimException: WinRM cannot process the
request.
The following error with error code 0x8009030e occurred while using
Negotiate authentication:
A specified logon session does not exist. It may already have been
terminated.
This can occur if the provided credentials are not valid on the target
server, or if the server identity could not be verified.
If you trust the server identity, add the server name to the TrustedHosts
list, and then retry the request. Use winrm.cmd to view or edit the
TrustedHosts list.
Note that computers in the TrustedHosts list might not be authenticated. For
more information about how to edit the TrustedHosts list, run the following
command: winrm help config.

This may indicate that either:

l The SolarWinds Platform polling engine is not in the domain so connections to remote hosts are
blocked cause the remote computer is not in the trusted host, or
l Provided credentials are not valid on the target server.

To add all nodes across the domain to trusted hosts, run the following command:
set-item wsman:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts *.domain.com

See Add target nodes that use WinRM polling as trusted hosts on the SolarWinds Platform server.

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WinRM authentication issues

The following messages indicate that WinRM authentication may not be configured correctly at the
component level:

The WinRM client cannot process the request. CredSSP authentication is

currently disabled in the client configuration.
Change the client configuration and try the request again. CredSSP
authentication must also be enabled in the server configuration.
Also, Group Policy must be edited to allow credential delegation to the
target computer. Use gpedit.msc and look at the following policy:
Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Credentials
Delegation -> Allow Delegating Fresh Credentials.
Verify that it is enabled and configured with an SPN appropriate for the
target computer.
For example, for a target computer name "myserver.domain.com", the SPN can
be one of the following: WSMAN/myserver.domain.com or WSMAN/*.domain

Fetching WMI query failed by

'SolarWinds.APM.Probes.Management.WinRM.WinRmConnection'.
Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimException:
The WinRM client cannot process the request. Unencrypted traffic is
currently disabled in the client configuration.
Change the client configuration and try the request again.

Follow these steps to check the SAM WinRM toggle setting for the following types of component
monitors:
l Directory Size Monitors
l File Count Monitors
l Performance Counter Monitors
l Process Monitors for Windows
l Windows Event Log Monitor
l Windows Service Monitors
l WMI Monitors

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1. Navigate to the Application Details -Summary page and click Edit Application Monitor.

2. On the application monitor page, scroll down to the Component Monitor section and expand
details.
3. Review the WinRM Authentication Mechanism setting:

Work with SAM component monitors

SAM includes predefined component monitors, comprised of code and scripts, that you can use to
assess the status and performance of applications, services, processes, and event on nodes
throughout your environment.

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SAM application monitor templates are collections of component monitors that you can assign to
nodes as "application monitors" that are also called "applications." A single component monitor can
be used on its own and applied to a node in an application monitor, or it can be used in multiple
templates.

For example, the HTTPS Monitor is included in the following templates:

l AppInsight for IIS
l HTTPS Monitor
l SolarWinds Platform server - Main Polling Engine

For a quick overview, watch Common SAM template elements (6:34).

Note the following details about SAM component monitors:

l Some component monitors have specific port requirements, as detailed in the SAM Application
Monitor Template Reference.
l WinRM is the default transport method used to fetch data for WMI-based component monitors.
l Some component monitors can use SolarWinds Platform agents to collect data.
l Some component monitors do not support polling via SolarWinds Platform Remote Collectors
(ORCs).

To display the component monitors included in a template:

1. Navigate to Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings >Manage Templates.
2. On the Manage Application Templates page, click the Application Monitor Templates tab.
3. Select an existing template and click Edit.

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The following example shows some of the component monitors in the AppInsight for Active Directory
template:

Component monitor types

Component monitors that share similar characteristics are categorized by a component monitor type.
The following example shows three different types included in the Active Directory 2016 Services and
Counters template:
l Performance Counter Monitor,
l Windows Service Monitor, and
l Window Event Log Monitor

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To learn more about individual component monitor types, see the SAM Application Monitor Template
Reference. For database values assigned to component monitor types that you can use to configure
alerts, see Component monitor properties for alerts.

Component monitor fetching methods

For many component monitors, you can configure the preferred fetching method used to gather data
from target nodes. SAM automatically switches to a fallback method to collect data if the first
method fails, and then works through other methods until polling succeeds.

You can also configure some component monitors to use SolarWinds Platform agents to
collect data.

WinRM is the default transport method used to collect data with the following WMI-based component
monitor types:
l Directory Size Monitors
l File Count Monitors
l Performance Counter Monitors
l Process Monitors for Windows
l Windows Event Log Monitor
l Windows Service Monitors
l WMI Monitors

See also:
l Configure WinRM polling in SAM 2024.4.1 and earlier
l Choose a fetching method for Performance Counter Monitors (SAM Template Reference)

Component monitor thresholds

For some component monitors, you can set threshold conditions on the monitored parameters to
indicate warning and critical conditions. For example, to monitor the percentage of free space
remaining on a volume, set a warning threshold at 15%, and a critical condition at 5%. See Manage
application monitor thresholds in SAM.

Component monitor scripts

Some component monitors gather data directly from target services, others execute scripts on target
servers to pull metrics. For example, the Apache template uses an SolarWinds Platform agent and
several Linux/Unix Script Monitors to collect data. The IdleWorkers component monitor uses SSH to
upload a script to target Linux servers and then processes the returned values and text output that
appear in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

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The Active Directory 2016 Domain Controller Security template includes component monitors that use
scripts to collect data:
l Locked out users uses a PowerShell script to pull metrics for currently locked out users.
l Disabled users uses a PowerShell script to return the number of currently disabled users; you
can adjust thresholds as necessary.

Other topics in this section include:

l View the Component Monitor Library in SAM
l Manage component monitors in SAM templates and application monitors
l Edit component monitors in templates and application monitors
l Use the Component Monitor Wizard in SAM

Additional resources include:

l SAM Custom Application Monitor Template Guide (Learn how to use component monitors in
PowerShell, Nagios, Linux/Unix, and Windows scripts.)

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 Work with SAM component monitors

l SAM Template Reference (Learn about component monitors included in predefined templates.)
o Configure Linux/Unix systems for monitoring by the SolarWinds Platform agent in SAM

o Configure Java Application Servers and JVMs for SAM monitoring

o Choose a fetching method for SAM component monitors or templates

l SAM Template Showdown (SolarWinds Lab Episode #53)

l Use PowerShell in SAM
l Use properties and variables in SAM application monitors and component monitors in alerts
(SAM online help)

View the Component Monitor Library in SAM

Component monitors are the building blocks of SAM templates. Each template and application
monitor consists of multiple component monitors designed to poll for specific metrics about an
application, process, or event. For an overview, see Work with SAM Component Monitors.

To access the Component Monitor Library:

1. Click Settings > All Settings.

2. Under Product Specific Settings, click SAM Settings.
3. Under Component Monitors, click Component Monitor Library.

Component monitors are grouped by monitor type in the tree view; each includes two numbers:
l The first number represents the number of application monitor templates that contain the
specified component monitor.
l The second number represents the number of application monitors that contain the specified
component monitor.

Expand a component monitor to display the following categories:

l Templates that contain the specified component monitor
l Application monitors that contain the component monitor

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Expand a category to display the names of the templates or application monitors in the category.
Click the name of a template or application monitor to open a page where you can edit the item.

To access a list of component monitors in online help, click here.

Manage component monitors in SAM templates and application monitors

This section describes various tasks you can accomplish with component monitors, including:
l Create a new template with assigned component monitors
l Add component monitors to a new template and then assign that template to nodes
l Assign component monitors to a node
l Copy assigned component monitors to an application monitor template
l Copy assigned component monitors to an assigned application monitor
l Edit component monitors in assigned application monitors
l Delete component monitors in assigned application monitors

When adding a component monitor to a template, change its default name to identify exactly
what's being monitored. For example, if you add a Windows Service Monitor, specify the
service name.

This extra step clarifies the purpose of the component monitor when it appears in alerts and
system messages later. To change a component monitor name, click Rename at the top of the
Component Monitors section.

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Create a new template with assigned component monitors

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Create New Template.
2. Name the template then click the Add Component Monitors drop-down menu.
3. Select a method for adding component monitors.

4. The browsing method opens the Component Monitor Wizard. Add component monitors as
needed.

5. Click Submit to save the new template.

6. Follow the steps in Assign templates to nodes manually to create application monitors.

Add component monitors to a new template and then assign that template to nodes
1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Component Monitors within Templates.
2. Select the component monitors you want to add to the new template.
3. Click Create New Template.
4. On the New Template page, provide a name and description for the template, and then configure
the template and its component monitors.

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5. Click Save to return to the Manage Component Monitors within Templates page.
6. Follow the steps in Assign templates to nodes manually to create application monitors.

Assign component monitors to a node

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Assigned Component Monitors.
2. Select the component type or assigned Application Monitor component monitors to list.
3. Select the component monitors to assign to a node, and then click Assign to Node.
4. Name the application and specify the polling frequency and polling timeout period.
5. Click Next, and select the nodes that you want to assign the Application Monitor. Click Next.
6. Enter or select the appropriate credentials, and click Assign Application Monitors.

Copy assigned component monitors to an application monitor template

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Assigned Component Monitors.
2. Select the component type or assigned Application Monitor whose component monitors you
want to list.
3. Select the component monitor(s) to copy to an assigned Application Monitor, then click Copy to
Application Monitor Template.
4. Select the template(s) to copy to and click Submit.
5. Click OK.

Copy assigned component monitors to an assigned application monitor

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Assigned Component Monitors.

2. Select the component type or assigned Application Monitor whose component monitors to list.
3. Select the component monitor(s) to copy to an assigned Application Monitor, then click Copy to
Assigned Application Monitor.
4. Select the Application Monitor(s) to copy to and then click Submit.
5. Click OK.

Edit component monitors in an assigned application monitor

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Assigned Component Monitors.
2. Select the component type or assigned Application Monitor whose component monitors you
want to edit.

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 Work with SAM component monitors

3. Select the component monitor whose assigned Application Monitor you want to edit.
4. Click Edit Assigned Application Monitor.
5. Edit the settings and then click Submit. The edited Application Monitor appears in the list of
Assigned Application Monitors.

Delete component monitors in an assigned application monitor

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Assigned Component Monitors.
2. Select the component type or assigned Application Monitor component monitor(s) to delete.
3. Select the component monitor(s) to delete.
4. Click Delete, then click Yes to confirm deletion.

Edit component monitors in templates and application monitors

Through the Manage Application Monitor Templates page, you can modify component monitors used
in templates and application monitors. To see a list of the monitors in a template, select the template
on the Manage Application Monitor Templates page and click Edit.

Changes made to component monitors in templates are automatically applied to application monitors
created from the template, which occurs when you assign a template to a node. You can use this
inheritance relationship to make bulk changes quickly.

You can edit monitors individually, edit multiple monitors of the same type simultaneously, as well as
disable or delete monitors in a template. To modify the specific configuration of a monitor, edit it
individually.

Some component monitors in AppInsight templates have default settings that cannot be
modified due to dependencies.

Edit component monitors in templates

You can simultaneously edit multiple component monitors in a template.

Options include:

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 Work with SAM component monitors

l Multi-Edit: A prompt displays with editing options specific to the type of monitors selected. For
example, the Fetching Method for the three Services selected can be changed from RPC to WMI.

Different types of monitors have different options available for editing.

l Assign Credentials: Modify the credentials for the selected monitors.

l Test: Run a communication test on the monitors using agent or agentless communication as
configured.
l Set Test Node: Modify the test node for communication tests.
l Disable/Enable: Start and stop polling for the monitor.
l Delete: Permanently remove the monitor.

To reorder monitors, drag and drop them in the table view, or use the green arrows. This new order is
respected only in the All Applications and Application Details widgets.

Disable or delete component monitors in templates

You can disable component monitors in templates and application monitors, as needed. The monitor
remains in the SAM but doesn't collect data. Select the check box for the monitor you want to turn off
and click Disable.

To permanently delete a component monitor from a SAM template:

1. When editing a template, select the monitor you want to remove and click Delete.
2. Confirm by clicking Yes. The monitor is permanently removed from the template.

Use the Component Monitor Wizard in SAM

SAM templates and application monitors use various component monitors to gather data from server
nodes and applications.

In addition to the predefined component monitors included in SAM, you can use the Component
Monitor Wizard to create custom component monitors for a specific process, performance counter,
or service, and then add that new component monitor to a template or existing application monitor
(that is, a template already assigned to a node).

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Component Monitor Wizard.
2. Select a component monitor type.

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3. Based on the component monitor type selected, the wizard guides you through various steps.
For example, if you select Process Monitor, you're prompted to select a target system from a list
of available systems in your environment. You may also need to select a platform type and enter
credentials for the target system. Provide all required information and click Next.

If creating a component monitor for a performance counter, do not use a "*" wildcard in
the Instance field. Only one instance can be polled per component monitor.

4. If you entered target system credentials, a connection test runs. If it passes, continue adding
component monitors and properties. Depending on the components, you may need to enter
additional server and credentials data.
5. After creating a component monitor, add it to templates and application monitors, as necessary.
See Manage component monitors in SAM templates and application monitors.
After polling occurs, data gathered by the application monitors appears on Node Details views.

For an example, see Create a custom JMX Monitor in SAM.

Use the Fetching Method Skip Fallback option for component monitors
SAM includes predefined component monitors, comprised of code and scripts, that you can use to
assess the status and performance of applications, services, processes, and event on nodes
throughout your environment.

SAM application monitor templates are collections of component monitors that you can assign to
nodes as "application monitors" that are also called "applications." A single component monitor can
be used on its own and applied to a node in an application monitor, or it can be used in multiple
templates with other component monitors.

For quick overviews, watch Understanding Application Templates and Common SAM template
elements.

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For some component monitor types, you can control how data is collected by adjusting the Fetching
Method. For example, if you select WinRM/DCOM as the Fetching Method for a Windows Service
Monitor, SAM will try to use WinRM for application polling. If WinRM fails, DCOM is used as the
fallback method. Depending on how the component monitor is configured, SAM will try each fallback
method, one at a time, until it succeeds

You can disable fallback methods if you know they aren't relevant for certain component monitors in
your environment, or you know they will fail. In addition to saving time, adjusting fallback methods can
reduce polling loads and improve overall performance, especially in large environments. If the
selected protocol fails, no fallback occurs.

The following steps describe how to set the Fetching Method Skip Fallback option for
component monitors within an individual application monitor, but you can also adjust it at the
template level. Related application monitors inherit settings from parent templates
automatically unless you select the Override Template option for an application monitor.

To disable fallback methods for a component monitor in an assigned application monitor:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings.

2. Click Manage Application Monitors to open the Manage Assigned Application Monitors page.
3. Click an application monitor to open the Application Details - Summary page.

You can also access application monitors on the Application Summary page. Drill down
to the application monitor in the All Applications widget and click it to display details.

4. When the list of component monitors appears, select one and click + to expand its details.
5. Select a Fetching Method for the component monitor, such as WinRM.
6. Select the Fetching Method Skip Fallback check box.

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7. Click either Submit, or Save and Continue Working.

For more ways to reduce polling loads, see SAM polling recommendations.

Convert values in data transformations for SAM component monitors

Some SAM component monitors offer an option to mathematically convert returned values through
the use of data transformations.

Select the Convert Value option to expand fields where you can select either a common function or
enter a custom formula. The Custom Conversion option provides flexibility through basic arithmetic
operators (+, -, *, /), plus built-in mathematical functions for more advanced conversions. For a list of
functions, see Available data transformations for SAM monitors in online help.

Here is an example that uses predefined formula, XtoMega, to convert bytes to megabytes.

When the formula is applied, the returned value transforms from 318767104 bytes to 304 MB, an
easier value to read.

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 Use PowerShell in SAM

Click Retrieve Current Value to test the application monitor. Note that data transformation will
be skipped and the original statistic value will be returned.

Use PowerShell in SAM

Created by Microsoft, PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework
that consists of a command-line shell and associated scripting language, built on the .NET
Framework. PowerShell is included in most installations of Microsoft Windows Server or you can
install it, if necessary.

Many SAM features, such as AppInsight for IIS and AppInsight for Exchange, leverage PowerShell to
execute commands and gather data from remote systems. You can also use PowerShell with other
SolarWinds Platform products; for example, in SolarWinds IP Address Manager (IPAM), you can use it
to create subnets. The SolarWinds Platform SDK includes a specialized module for PowerShell called
PowerOrion.

SolarWinds recommends upgrading to the latest version of PowerShell. At a minimum, use

PowerShell 5.1.

The ability to deploy PowerShell scripts to remote systems from within the SolarWinds Platform is a
powerful advantage for system administrators. With an interactive prompt and scripting environment,
PowerShell provides access to the file system on remote computers, along with datastores such as
the registry. It includes built-in commands with a consistent interface — the PowerShell Integrated
Scripting Environment (ISE).

PowerShell does not process text; it processes objects based on the .NET Framework.

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 Use PowerShell in SAM

PowerShell also includes default cmdlets, which are lightweight commands you can use to
manipulate objects. Cmdlets have a unique format — a verb and noun separated by a dash (-), such as
Get-Help. You can use them separately, combine them in scripts that perform complex tasks, or
create your own cmdlets.

Some ways you can use PowerShell with SAM include:

l Automatically deploy a Windows agent to established instances on Amazon Web Services.
l Create a Windows PowerShell script monitor.
l Monitor Microsoft Exchange servers and IIS applications. See the SolarWinds Guide to
Monitoring Exchange.
l Monitor Office 365 services. See Using Microsoft Office 365 templates in the Success Center.
l Add scripts to component monitors used in SAM templates and application monitors

SolarWinds provides customer support for PowerShell scripts and functionality built into SAM,
but not for scripting languages or custom scripts. For scripting support from the SolarWinds
online IT community, visit THWACK.

Review these topics to learn more:

l PowerShell security considerations
l PowerShell requirements
l Enable remote access for PowerShell with WinRM
l Use Microsoft Exchange Management tools
l Use PowerShell with SolarWinds Platform agents
l Set PowerShell permissions for Exchange
l Learn more about PowerShell

PowerShell security considerations

Depending on how it's configured, PowerShell can make your deployment vulnerable to
unauthorized access. For example, running script monitors in Local Host mode on the
SolarWinds Platform server with Admin privileges gives scripts unlimited power. Your
organization should internally review and assess to what extent PowerShell scripts are
incorporated into your environment. This is especially important when importing scripts from
third parties, including content posted by other customers in the SolarWinds online IT
community, THWACK.

When used in SolarWinds Platform modules such as SAM, PowerShell can be a powerful tool that
provides the ability to:
l Access file systems on computers.
l Access datastores, including the system registry.

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l Deploy scripts to run on multiple remote machines.

While PowerShell enhances SAM functionality, it's important to consider the security risks inherent in
using PowerShell scripts. Do not run untested PowerShell scripts against a production instance of the
SolarWinds Platform. SolarWinds recommends using a dedicated Windows account with low-level
privileges for PowerShell monitors, especially for scripts executed on polling engines that use the
same Windows account as the SolarWinds Platform server.

You can also avoid security risks, such as malicious OS command injections, by using PowerShell's
built-in security, as described in Microsoft PowerShell documentation (© 2021 Microsoft Corp., link
available at docs.microsoft.com, obtained on May 24, 2021).

PowerShell requirements
Following are PowerShell requirements for a typical SAM environment:
l PowerShell version: SolarWinds recommends upgrading to the latest version of PowerShell. At
a minimum, use PowerShell 5.1.
For best results, match the PowerShell version to the OS and application configurations on a
server. For example, on a 64-bit Main Polling Engine that polls a 64-bit server, use PowerShell 64
bit (x64).
l Accounts and permissions: Local Admin rights are required to run scripts on the SolarWinds
Platform server. To execute scripts on target servers, select a Windows credential with rights to
log in to the SolarWinds Platform server plus sufficient rights on the target node to execute
tasks in the script. For example, if a script does something with WMI, the credentials also need
WMI rights on the target node.

SolarWinds recommends using a dedicated Windows account with minimal privileges for
PowerShell monitors, especially for scripts executed on the Main Polling Engine.

Without the correct permissions for a target server, scripts return an Unknown status.

l Microsoft .NET Framework: Many PowerShell scripts require .NET 3.5.x but most SolarWinds
Platform products include later versions. For example, SAM 2019.4 includes .NET 4.8. If
necessary, use Server Manager's Add Roles and Features wizard to add .NET Framework 3.5.x.
l Remote access: To use Remote Host as the Execution Mode for a PowerShell script, enable the
Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service on the SolarWinds Platform server so it can
access remote target servers, as described next.

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l AppInsight for Exchange: If manually configuring target servers for AppInsight for Exchange,
use RestrictedLanguage mode for PowerShell instead of FullLanguage mode.

For security reasons, SolarWinds recommends that you do not set FullLanguage mode
on IIS endpoints. RestrictedLanguage mode is required.

To simplify PowerShell plugin management in an environment with multiple polling engines,

consider assigning all nodes with PowerShell templates to a single polling engine.

Enable remote access for PowerShell with WinRM

To support SAM features that use PowerShell, such as AppInsight for IIS, the WinRM service must be
enabled and properly configured on the main SolarWinds Platform server. WinRM cannot be enabled
on target servers remotely, but you can configure the SolarWinds Platform server to grant permission
for PowerShell to access the target servers.

There are several automated ways to enable remote access for PowerShell on servers, including:
l Add the server as a new node.
l Configure the target server as an AppInsight for IIS node via the Node Details view.

If you deploy an SolarWinds Platform agent to a target node and use Agent as the Preferred
Polling method in an application monitor, PowerShell scripts can be executed directly on the
node without the need to configure WinRM for remote PowerShell execution. See Use
PowerShell with SolarWinds Platform agents.

To enable WinRM quickly from the command prompt:

1. On the SolarWinds Platform server, open a command prompt as an Administrator, and enter:
winrm quickconfig –q
winrm set winrm/config/client @{TrustedHosts="*"}

2. On each target server, open a command prompt as an Administrator and enter:

winrm quickconfig
winrm set winrm/config/client @{TrustedHosts="IP_ADDRESS"}

TrustedHosts is case sensitive.

See also Installation and configuration for WinRM (© 2021 Microsoft Corp., available at
docs.microsoft.com, obtained on March 12, 2021).

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Another way to enable remote access for PowerShell manually is to follow these steps:

1. On the SolarWinds Platform server and each remote server you want to run PowerShell on:
a. Change the startup type for the WinRM service to Automatic.
b. Start the WinRM service.
c. Run the get-service winrm PowerShell command to verify WinRM is running.
2. On the SolarWinds Platform server, click Start > Accessories > Windows PowerShell > Windows
PowerShell.
3. In the PowerShell console, run:
Set-PSSessionConfiguration Microsoft.PowerShell -ShowSecurityDescriptorUI -
force

4. Enable the "Full Control for everyone" option.

5. Verify the group to which the polling user belongs can access PowerShell.
6. Repeat these steps for all remote target servers.

When finished, each target server should include the following elements:
l An SSL certificate
l A WinRM Listener
l A firewall exception to allow outside requests to reach the WinRM service
l The WinRM service to receive requests from other computers

The following log file contains details about the WinRM configuration process:
C:\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RunWinRMConfigurator.log

Use Microsoft Exchange Management tools

Many SAM PowerShell components rely on Exchange Management tools.

To monitor a specific version of Microsoft Exchange:

l Use the corresponding version of Exchange Management Tools.
l Install Exchange Management Tools on the SolarWinds Platform server and Additional Polling
Engines that use PowerShell scripts.
l Review Set PowerShell permissions for Exchange.

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Use PowerShell with SolarWinds Platform agents

When working with SAM application monitor templates and individual application monitors assigned
to nodes, you can use a Windows Script Monitor with an SolarWinds Platform agent to run
PowerShell, Perl, VBScript, or any other Windows script language remotely. In that configuration, you
don't need to configure WinRM for remote PowerShell execution. All communication between the
SolarWinds Platform server and the agent occur over a single fixed port.

Otherwise, agentless polling executes locally on the polling engine itself (that is, either the SolarWinds
Platform server or an Additional Polling Engine).

To summarize:
l With agentless polling, the local execution of the script is local and the script is executed on the
polling engine.
l With SolarWinds Platform agent polling, the local script execution allows the script to be run
directly on the target node. There is no need to configure WinRM.

To learn more, see:

l Monitor with SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM
l Poll devices with SolarWinds Platform agents (SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide)
l SolarWinds Platform agent requirements (SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide)

Learn more about PowerShell

l The Basics of PowerShell (Part 1) (THWACK)
l The Basics of PowerShell (Part 2) (THWACK)
l The Basics of PowerShell (Part 3) (THWACK)
l Create a Windows PowerShell Script monitor (SAM Custom Template Reference)
l Troubleshoot PowerShell issues (SAM online help)
l Working with Office 365 via PowerShell (THWACK)
l Using Microsoft Office 365 templates (SolarWinds Success Center)
l Manage and Monitor PowerShell scripts in SCM (THWACK)

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

To supplement the alert functionality available in the SolarWinds Platform, you can use various
properties variables, and macros that are built into various SAM features, such as API pollers,
application monitor templates, and component monitors.

This topic includes details about:

l Application monitor properties for alerts
l Application monitor macros for alerts
l Component monitor properties for alerts
l Component monitor variables for alerts

For a video overview, watch Alerting on an application.

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Application monitor properties for alerts

You can use the following properties in alerts for application monitors.

Application Name

Select the names of currently configured application monitor templates as values.

Application Status

Indicate the status you want to receive alerts for: Critical, Down, Unknown, Up, or Warning.

Application monitor macros for alerts

The following macros are available if you select APM-Application as the property type.

"APM" was the original product name for SAM.

Application variable Macro Definition

${APM:ApplicationDetailsURL} ${N=SwisEntity;M=DetailsUrl} Hyperlink to
the
Application
Details view
that triggered
the alert, or
the Details
page of the
application
that triggered
the
component.

${Availability} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ApplicationAlert. The status of

ApplicationAvailability} the
application.

${ComponentsWithProblems} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ApplicationAlert. A comma-

ComponentsWithProblems} delimited list
of
components in
a Down,
Unknown,
Warning, or
Critical state.

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Application variable Macro Definition

${ComponentsWithProblems ${N=SwisEntity;M=ApplicationAlert. List of
Formatted} ComponentsWithProblemsFormatted} components
that are not
Up, along with
the
component
status. HTML
formatting is
used for the
Send e-mail
action to
improve the
appearance of
the listed
components.

${ComponentsWithProblems ${N=SwisEntity;M=ApplicationAlert. List of

FormattedHtml} ComponentsWithProblemsFormattedHtml} components
that are not Up
along with the
component
status.
Formatted
with HTML
tags for
events that
appear in the
SolarWinds
Platform Web
Console.

${ComponentsWithStatus} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ApplicationAlert. A comma-

ComponentsWithStatus} delimited list
of all
components
and their
current status.

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Application variable Macro Definition

${ComponentsWithStatus ${N=SwisEntity;M=ApplicationAlert. List of
Formatted} ComponentsWithStatusFormatted} components
with
component
status,
formatted with
HTML tags.

${ComponentsWithStatus ${N=SwisEntity;M=ApplicationAlert. List of

FormattedHtml} ComponentsWithStatusFormattedHtml} components
with the
component
status.
Formatted
with HTML
tags for
events that
appear in the
SolarWinds
Platform Web
Console.

${ID} ${N=SwisEntity;M=Application. The numeric

ApplicationID} application ID
of the specific
application.

${LastTimeUp} ${N=SwisEntity;M=CurrentStatus. The date and

LastTimeUp} time the
application
was last seen
in an Up state.

${Name} ${N=SwisEntity;M=Application. The name of

ApplicationAlert.ApplicationName} the application
that is
triggering the
alert.

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Application variable Macro Definition

${NodeID} ${N=SwisEntity;M=Application. The numeric
Node.NodeID} node ID of the
server on
which the
application is
monitored.

${SystemSummaryFormatted} ${N=SwisEntity;M=Application. System

ApplicationAlert. summary.
SystemSummaryFormatted} HTML
formatting is
used for the
Send e-mail
action to
improve the
appearance of
the listed
components.

${SystemSummaryFormattedHtml} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ApplicationAlert. System

SystemSummaryFormattedHtml} summary.
Formatted
with HTML
tags for
events that
appear in the
web console.

${TimeStamp} ${N=SwisEntity;M=Application. The last

CurrentStatus.ObservationTimestamp} polling date
and time of an
application.

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Component monitor properties for alerts

The following alert properties are available for component monitors.

Component Name

Specify the component name you want to base alert criteria on.

Click here for a list of SAM component monitors.

Component Type

Specify a component monitor type by its assigned ID.

Component monitor type ID

DHCP User Experience Monitor 35

Directory Size Monitor 38

DNS Monitor - TCP 4

DNS Monitor - UDP 5

DNS User Experience Monitor 15

Download Speed Monitor 25

Exchange Web Services User Experience Monitor 51

File Age Monitor 36

File Change Monitor 23

File Count Monitor 39

File Existence Monitor 28

File Size Monitor 22

FTP Monitor 7

FTP User Experience Monitor 24

HTTP Form Login Monitor 27

HTTP Monitor 6

HTTPS Monitor 14

IMAP4 Monitor 13

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Component monitor type ID

IMAP4 User Experience Monitor 30

JMX Monitor 49

LDAP User Experience Monitor 34

Linux/Unix Script Monitor 21

Log Parsing Monitor 61

MAPI User Experience Monitor 31

Nagios Script Monitor 50

NNTP Monitor 11

ODBC User Experience Monitor 16

Oracle User Experience Monitor 18

Performance Counter Monitor 37

POP3 Monitor 12

POP3 User Experience Monitor 29

Process Monitor – SNMP 8

Process Monitor - WMI 1

RADIUS User Experience Monitor 40

SMTP Monitor 10

SOAP Monitor 58

SQL User Experience Monitor 17

SNMP Monitor 32

SQL User Experience Monitor 17

TACACS+ User Experience Monitor 41

TCP Port Monitor 2

Tomcat Server Monitor 33

Web Link Monitor 26

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Component monitor type ID

Windows Event Monitor 42

Windows PowerShell Monitor 45

Windows Script Monitor 20

Windows Service Monitor 9

WMI Monitor 19

Component Status

Trigger alerts based on Critical, Down, Unknown, Up, and Warning status.

Response Time

Trigger alerts based on response time.

Statistic Data

Trigger alerts based on statistics returned during polling.

Process (Service) Name

Trigger alerts based on a process or service name. For example: dns.exe, or AlertingEngine.

Process Instance Count

Trigger alerts based on the number of instances running a process.

Percent CPU

Trigger alerts based on the percentage of CPU in use of a monitored process or service.

Percent Physical Memory

Trigger alerts based on the percentage of physical memory used for a process or service.

Percent Memory Used

Trigger alerts based on the percentage of total memory used for a process or service.

Percent Virtual Memory

Trigger alerts based on the percentage of virtual memory used for a process or service.

Virtual Memory Used

Trigger alerts based on the amount of virtual memory, in bytes, used for a process or service.

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Component monitor variables for alerts

The following variables are available when selecting APM-Component as the property type.

Component monitor vari-

Macro Definition
able
${APM: ${N=SwisEntity;M=DetailsUrl} Hyperlink to the
ComponentDetailsURL} Component Details
page that triggered
the alert.

${ApplicationId} ${N=SwisEntity;M=Application. The unique numeric

ApplicationID} identifier of the
application, similar
to the node ID.

${ApplicationName} ${N=SwisEntity;M=Application. The name of the

ApplicationAlert. monitored
ApplicationName} application.

${ApplicationStatus} ${N=SwisEntity;M=Application.Status} The status of the

application.

${ComponentId} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The numeric

ComponentID} component ID of the
specific application.

${ComponentMessage} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The message sent to

ComponentMessage} alert on component
status.

${ComponentName} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The name of the

ComponentName} component, for
example, SW Module
Engine.

${ComponentStatus} ${N=SwisEntity;M=Status} The status of the

specific component.

${ComponentType} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The numeric

ComponentType} component type.

${DisplayType} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The display type for

DisplayType} the specific monitor.
For example,
Windows Service.

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Component monitor vari-

Macro Definition
able
${LastTimeUp} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The date and time
LastTimeUp} the component was
last seen in the Up
state.

${MemoryUsed} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The memory used by

MemoryUsed} a component, in
bytes.

${MultiValueMessages} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. Message sent when

MultiValueMessages} alerting on the
Multiple Value Chart.

${MultiValueStatistics} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. Statistics sent when

MultiValueStatistics} alerting on the
Multiple Value Chart.

${NodeID} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The numeric node ID

NodeId} of the server on
which the
application is
monitored.

${Percent ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The availability of an

ApplicationAvailability} PercentApplicationAvailability} application as a
percentage.

${Percent ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The availability of a

ComponentAvailability} PercentComponentAvailability} component as a
percentage.

${PercentCPU} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The amount of CPU

PercentCPU} used by a
component as a
percentage.

${PercentMemory} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The memory used by

PercentMemory} a component as a
percentage.

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Component monitor vari-

Macro Definition
able
${PercentVirtualMemory} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The virtual memory
PercentVirtualMemory} used by a
component as a
percentage.

${ProcessInstanceCount} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The instance count

ProcessInstanceCount} of a process.

${ProcessName} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The process name.

ProcessName}

${ResponseTime} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The response time

ResponseTime} of a component.

${StatisticData} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The statistics data

StatisticData} value of a
component.

${StatusOrError ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The status of the

Description} StatusOrErrorDescription} component,
including the full text
of any error
messages.

${Threshold-CPU-Critical} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlertThreshold The critical threshold

s. for CPU.
ThresholdCPUCritical}

${Threshold-CPU-Warning} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlertThreshold The Warning

s. threshold for the
ThresholdCPUWarning} CPU.

${Threshold- ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlertThreshold The Critical

PhysicalMemory-Critical} s. threshold for
ThresholdPhysicalMemoryCritical} physical memory.

${Threshold- ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlertThreshold The Warning

PhysicalMemory-Warning} s. threshold for
ThresholdPhysicalMemoryWarning} physical memory.

${Threshold-ResponseTime- ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlertThreshold The Critical

Critical} s. threshold for
ThresholdResponseTimeCritical} response time.

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 Use properties, variables, and macros in SAM alerts

Component monitor vari-

Macro Definition
able
${Threshold-ResponseTime- ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlertThreshold The Warning
Warning} s. threshold for
ThresholdResponseTimeWarning} response time.

${Threshold-Statistic- ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlertThreshold The Critical

Critical} s. threshold for
ThresholdStatisticCritical} statistics.

${Threshold-Statistic- ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlertThreshold The Warning

Warning} s. threshold for
ThresholdStatisticWarning} statistics.

${Threshold- ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlertThreshold The Critical

VirtualMemory-Critical} s. threshold for virtual
ThresholdVirtualMemoryCritical} memory.

${Threshold- ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlertThreshold The Warning

VirtualMemory-Warning} s. threshold for virtual
ThresholdVirtualMemoryWarning} memory.

${TimeStamp} ${N=SwisEntity;M=CurrentStatus. The last polling date

ObservationTimestamp} and time of a
component.

${UserDescription} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. A description of the

UserDescription} component.

A default
description is
provided but
can be
changed.
Updates are
saved
automatically.

${UserNotes} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert.UserNote Custom notes about

s} a component.

${WindowsEventMessages} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. Full details of the

WindowsEventMessages} corresponding
event.

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 Example tasks for SAM application monitors

Component monitor vari-

Macro Definition
able
${VirtualMemoryUsed} ${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert. The amount of
VirtualMemoryUsed} virtual memory used
by a component, in
bytes.

Example tasks for SAM application monitors

Here are some typical monitoring scenarios for SAM:
l Create your first application monitor and alert
l Scan for applications to monitor
l Monitor a specific URL in SAM
l Monitor VMware performance counters using an application monitor in SAM
l Monitor and restart stopped Windows services in SAM
l Monitor large directories using the Windows Script Monitor
l Monitor IIS application pools

Create your first application monitor and alert

After being applied to a node, a template becomes an application monitor, which is comprised of
component monitors, also known as performance counters. Application monitors created from
templates are used to report metrics based on your needs. This example provides steps for creating a
template for monitoring WMI.

You will create a template with added monitors, configure the monitors, then apply the template to
nodes for monitoring. We also provide information for creating an alert for the WMI application to
send email notices based on monitored thresholds.

You may need to log in with an administrator account to perform this action.

Create a WMI monitor template

1. In the SolarWinds Platform Web Console, click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Create a
New Template.
2. Provide a name for the template and click Add Component Monitor.
3. Select WMI Monitor and click Add.
4. Select credentials or Inherit Credentials from Node.

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 Example tasks for SAM application monitors

5. In the Query field, enter a WQL query to return a statistic to be reported.

6. Enter thresholds or select Use thresholds calculated from baseline data.
7. Click Submit.

Apply the WMI monitor template to a node

You may need to log in with an administrator account to perform this action.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Locate your template and click Assign to Node.
3. Select the Windows node from the left pane, click the green arrow to move it to the right pane,
and click Next.
4. Choose the credentials, click Assign Application Monitor, then click Done.

Alert on the WMI application via email

1. Click Alerts & Activity > Alerts > Manage Alerts.
2. Click Add New Alert and name the alert.
3. On the Properties tab, enter required information, and click Next.
4. For the Trigger Conditions, complete the section as shown:

To add the second trigger condition, click [+]. The first trigger condition tests for Status
(Down); the second tests for the specific application instance (indicated by 1 Object).

5. For Trigger Actions, click Add Action, select Send an Email/Page, then click Configure Action.
6. Enter required information and click Next to advance through the wizard.
7. Review and edit the Reset Actions and the Summary, then click Submit.
The Manage Alerts page indicates the alert was created successfully.

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 Example tasks for SAM application monitors

Scan for applications to monitor

You can scan for applications to monitor as added nodes on the Application Discovery page. SAM
scans your network for applications. Select applications from the displayed list to add as monitored
nodes.

You may need to log in with an administrator account to perform this action.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Scan Nodes for Applications.
2. Select nodes by clicking [+] to expand the node groups, then select the nodes you want to scan,
and then click Next.
3. Select applications to find, and then click Next.
4. Enter the credentials for the servers you are scanning, and then click Start Scan.
5. Click View SAM Summary Page, then click View results after the SAM scan is complete.

To learn more, see Scan nodes and assign SAM application monitor templates automatically with the
Application Discovery Wizard.

Monitor a specific URL in SAM

You can add a specific URL — either internal or external — as a monitored node. SAM will ping the
node to determine its basic status, and then use the Web Link monitor to collect the number of broken
or invalid links on the web page.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Add Node.

2. Enter the Hostname or IP Address you want to monitor (for example, www.google.com).

3. Select External Node: No Status, and then click Next.

4. In the Show only drop-down menu, select Web Pages.
5. Select the "Web Link" and "Inherit credentials from template" check boxes, and then click Next.

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 Example tasks for SAM application monitors

6. On the Change Properties page, make any changes, and then click OK, Add Node.
7. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for polling to occur.
8. To view results:
a. Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary.
b. In the All Applications widget, drill down to the Web Link instance on the specific node.
c. Click the link to see related data on the Application Details - Summary page.

Monitor VMware performance counters using an application monitor in

SAM
To monitor VMware performance counters, used by application monitor templates and component
monitors:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Component Monitor Wizard.
2. Select a VMware Performance Counter Monitor, and then click Next.
3. Enter the IP address of the VMware node, or click Browse to select a node from a list.
4. Select or enter the appropriate credentials, then click Next.
5. Select whether you want to monitor a single system or multiple systems.
l Choosing a single system provides specific counters that apply to the target system only;
choosing Multiple systems provides more generic counters that can be applied to multiple
systems.

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 Example tasks for SAM application monitors

l Choosing Multiple systems provides only aggregate performance counters (without

instances). Therefore, the application monitor created can be considered as generic and
assigned to different ESX/vCenter target hosts. Individual monitors will contain the
${VMWARE_ENTITY_NAME} variable in the Entity Name field of the monitor. When the
monitor runs, this variable is resolved to the first available entity on a target host with the
desired Entity Type (for example, the first Host System).
6. Select a VMware Entity to monitor, then select a Performance Object (group) to monitor.
7. Select the counters to monitor for the selected Performance Object, then click Next.
8. On the Edit Properties page, modify settings as desired and click Next.

Add components to the application monitor

1. Expand the Component list to display the list of counters or counters to be added.
2. Select New Application Monitor. Then enter a name for the new Application Monitor, then click
Next, then OK, Create.
3. Click View SAM Summary Page. Your new VMware monitor appears in the tree view for the All
Applications widget. The polling results for the new monitor are updated after a few minutes.
l Cluster Compute Resource (only available if the VMware vCenter Performance Counter
Monitor type is selected) – Data object that aggregates the computation resources of its
associated Host System objects into one single computation resource for use by virtual
machines. The cluster services such as HA (High Availability), DRS (Distributed Resource
Scheduling), and EVC (Enhanced vMotion Compatibility), enhance the usefulness of this
single computation resource. This Entity Type is specific to vCenter systems.
l Host System – Managed object type that provides access to a virtualization host platform.
l Resource Pool – Represents a set of physical resources which may be a single host, a
subset of a host's resources, or resources spanning multiple hosts. You can subdivide
Resource pools by creating child resource pools. to run, a virtual machine must be
associated as a child of a resource pool. In a parent/child hierarchy of resource pools and
virtual machines, the root resource pool is the single resource pool that has no parent
pool.
l Virtual Machine – Managed object type for manipulating virtual machines, including
templates that can be repeatedly deployed as new virtual machines. This object type
provides methods for configuring and controlling a virtual machine.

Monitor and restart stopped Windows services in SAM

To automate the monitoring and restarting of stopped Windows services, you can assign a Windows
Service Monitor to nodes and then set up an alert to restart services and send email.

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 Example tasks for SAM application monitors

Note the following details about creating alerts to restart stopped Windows services:
l The action to restart the service uses the credentials which the component is currently being
monitored with.
l WMI requires administrator privileges on the target machine by default; permission issues can
occur if the accounts have limitations.

SolarWinds Support cannot assist with creating a least-privileged Windows user account
or assigning permissions. Click here to learn about creating a non-administrator user for
SAM polling.

l If polling the service via Windows agent, the agent runs under the context of the LocalSystem
account on the target machine so it requires sufficient privileges to restart the service.
l The action to restart the service will only work with a component monitor-based alert. If the alert
is set up as an "I want to alert on an application monitor" on the Trigger Condition tab, the restart
service alert action will not function.

Click here to learn more about alerts, or watch a SolarWinds Lab Bits video, Automating Alert
Trigger Actions.

Create the monitor

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Component Monitor Wizard.
2. Select Windows Service Monitor, and then click Next.
3. Enter the IP address of the Windows node you want to monitor, or click Browse to select the
node from a list.
4. Enter or select the appropriate credentials, choose a Platform type, and then click Next.

5. Select services to monitor and click Next.

6. Select component monitors and edit properties as necessary, and then click Next.
7. On the Add to Application Monitor or Template tab, type a name for the new template and click
Next.
8. On the Assign to Nodes tab, select the desired nodes to monitor and click Next.
9. On the Confirm tab, click OK, Create.

Create an alert to restart stopped Windows services and then send an email
1. Click Alerts & Activity > Alerts.
2. On the All Active Alerts page, click Manage Alerts.
3. On the Manage Alerts page, click Add New Alert.

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 Example tasks for SAM application monitors

4. In the Add New Alert wizard, provide alert details on the Properties tab and click Next.
5. On the Properties tab, provide alert details.
6. On the Trigger Condition page:
a. For "I want to alert on", select Component.
b. Choose an alert scope.
c. Configure a trigger condition as follows:
i. Component > Component Type (Component Alerting Properties) > Is equal to > 9.
ii. Component > Component Availability (Component Alerting Properties) > Is equal to >
Down.

Configuring only these two conditions will allow for any Window service being
monitored across all application templates. If you need to be more refined with your
service restarts, consider adding additional items to limit the scope to a specific
application template, specific nodes, etc.

d. Click Next to advance to the Reset Condition tab.

7. Enter values on the Reset Condition and Time of Day tabs, as necessary.

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 Example tasks for SAM application monitors

8. On the Trigger Actions tab, add an action to send email.

a. Click Add Action.
b. Select Send an E-Mail / Page and click OK.
c. Complete the e-mail info and click OK.
d. Click OK.
9. On the Trigger Actions tab, add an action to restart the service:
a. Click Add Action.
b. Select Execute an External Program, and then select Configure Action.
c. Provide a name for the action.
d. Under Network path to external program, insert the following:
C:\Program Files\SolarWinds\Orion\APMServiceControl.exe

${N=SwisEntity;M=ComponentAlert.ComponentID} -c=RESTART

e. Click Add Action.

10. For the Reset Action tab, specify actions to complete when resetting the alert.
11. On the Summary tab, review the configuration and make any necessary changes.
12. Click Submit.

See also Create an alert for monitored components in SAM.

Monitor large directories using the Windows Script Monitor

Before coding and testing your script, review Windows scripting details in the SAM Custom
Application Monitor Template Guide and Best Practices for SAM templates.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > SAM Settings > Create a New Template.
2. Name the template, click Add Component Monitor, select Windows Script Monitor, and click
Add.
3. Provide a brief Description.
4. Select credentials with appropriate permissions to run the script on the target server.

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 Example tasks for SAM application monitors

5. In the Script Arguments field, type the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path name for the
directory to monitor.

Use the variable ${IP} for the IP address of the target node to which the monitor is
assigned when the Windows Script Monitor runs.

6. Copy the following Visual Basic script, which retrieves the directory size, into the Script Body
field:
Dim folderPath
folderPath = WScript.Arguments(0)
Set fs=WScript.CreateObject ("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set folder= fs.GetFolder(folderPath)
WScript.Echo "Message: Folder " &folderPath & " is " & folder.Size & "
bytes large"
WScript.Echo "Statistic: " & folder.Size

7. Specify the critical and warning thresholds for the desired directory size, and then click Submit.
8. Create an assigned Application Monitor by assigning the Large Directory Monitor template to
the node.
a. In the SolarWinds Platform Web Console, click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings >
Manually Assign Application Monitors.
b. Select All in the Show only list.
c. Click Large Directory Monitor and then click Next.
d. Locate and select the desired node, and then click Next.
e. Enter itadmin in the Credential Name field and then enter your credentials.

f. Click Test, click Assign Application Monitors, and then click Done.

When monitoring occurs, the Visual Basic code in the template will:

1. Read the first argument passed to the UNC path name for the directory to monitor and store it in
FolderPath.
2. Create the Scripting.FileSystemObject and store it in fs.
3. Retrieve the folder name from the saved command line argument and store it in FolderPath.
4. Display the folder name and folder size as output.
5. Display the folder size, measured in bytes.

The script does not perform error checking.

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Monitor IIS application pools

SolarWinds SAM can monitor five instances (for example, w3wp.exe), differentiated by application
pools separately if you specify the application pool names in the component monitors.

1. Click Settings > All Settings.

2. Add the web server to the SolarWinds Platform database.
a. Click Add Node then enter the hostname or IP address of the Intranet web server.
b. Check the ICMP (Ping only) check box and then click Next.
c. From the Add Application Monitors page, click Next.
d. From the Change Properties page, Click OK, Add Node.
3. Find the wp3w.exe process on the web server.
a. In the SolarWinds Platform Web Console, click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings >
Component Monitor Wizard.
b. Select Process Monitor - WMI as the monitor type, and then click Next.
c. Click Browse, select the web server, and then click Select.
d. Enter WebServerAdmin in the Credential Name field.
e. Enter your credentials in the fields provided, then click Next.
f. Click the last page button to view the last page, then check the check box next to
w3wp.exe, and then click Next.

g. Change Monitor Name to Webpool1, then enter webpool1 in the Command Line Filter
field.

h. Change the CPU Warning Threshold to greater than 40, then Change the CPU Critical
Threshold to greater than 50.
i. Click Add Another Component. After creating the monitors for all five w3wp.exe instances,
click Next.
j. Select New Application Monitor and enter Web Server Application Pools as the
Application Monitor Name, and then click Next.
k. Select the web server node, and then click Next, then click OK, Create.

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 Example tasks for SAM application monitors

Monitor external nodes in SAM

To monitor services and applications on a server that you do not directly manage, add the server to
the SolarWinds Platform database as an external node. External nodes skip all network performance
data collection and polling tasks, but allow you to assign applications to them. For example, you could
add www.google.com as an external node, and then assign several HTTP monitors to monitor Google
search results.

To learn about monitoring cloud-based nodes, see Manage a cloud instance or VM as an

SolarWinds Platform node.

You can use the following SAM component monitors within an application monitor assigned to an
external node:
l HTTP Monitor
l HTTPS Monitor
l HTTP Form Login
l SSL Certificate Monitor
l TCP Port Monitor

Another alternative is to add an API poller to gather metrics for nodes via an external REST API.
Create an API poller on the Node Details view, pick values to monitor, provide credentials, and then
begin polling the external node.

To learn more, see:

l Add a single node for monitoring to the SolarWinds Platform (SolarWinds Platform
Administrator Guide)
l Use SAM templates, application monitors, and component monitors
l Monitor metrics via external APIs in SAM

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Monitor with AppInsight applications

SolarWinds SAM includes several specially designed out-of-the-box application monitor templates
that you can use to monitor virtually every aspect of key business tools, such as Microsoft Active
Directory, to get relevant performance information from the server level. They also enable you to drill
down into the datastore layer for performance data. Collectively, these templates are called the
AppInsight™ templates.

Offering a level of detail and expert knowledge far beyond what standard templates provide, you can
assign AppInsight templates to nodes in many ways, including automatically during Discovery. Just
as standard SAM templates convert to application monitors after being assigned to nodes,
AppInsight templates become AppInsight applications that monitor nodes.

The following AppInsight applications are available to monitor business-critical functions in your
SAM environment:
l AppInsight for Active Directory
l AppInsight for Exchange
l AppInsight for IIS (shown below)
l AppInsight for SQL

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Note the following details about using AppInsight templates and applications:
l WMI is the preferred polling method because some node data, such as disk I/O, is only available
via WMI.
l WinRM is the default transport method used to fetch data for WMI-based component monitors.
l All AppInsight templates support the SolarWinds Platform agent for Windows. See Monitor with
SolarWinds Platform agents in SAM.
l Due to the complexity of these templates:
o Allow extra time for configuration to finish when assigning AppInsight to nodes.

o You cannot add component monitors to AppInsight templates or application monitors.

o Some component monitors have default settings that cannot be modified due to

dependencies.
o Some AppInsight component monitors cannot be disabled. However, if situations arise

that cause component monitors to fail (for example, a known server outage), you can
disable most dynamic component monitors to reduce false-positive alerts and logs. See
AppInsight for IIS and AppInsight for SQL for details.
o You cannot import or export AppInsight templates in the SolarWinds Platform Web

Console, or assign them to groups of nodes.

o Unlike most application monitor templates that you can update by importing the latest

versions from THWACK, AppInsight templates are updated automatically during product
upgrades.
l If using component-based SAM licensing, AppInsight applications consume licenses at flat
rates.
l To configure large environments quickly, add AppInsight applications to nodes with automation
scripts.

The dynamic behavior of complex AppInsight component monitors can impact polling loads in
large deployments (for example, if monitoring a large quantity of SQL servers). If heavy polling
slows down your environment, see SAM polling recommendations.

To learn more about SAM's AppInsight applications, see:

l Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory
l Monitor with AppInsight for Exchange
l Monitor with AppInsight for IIS
l Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

Key aspects of monitoring Microsoft Active Directory involve keeping a close watch on the application
and service availability, and ensuring various performance metrics are checked against accepted
thresholds.

AppInsight for Active Directory monitors physical and virtual Active Directory environments to identify
issues about domain controllers, replication, and more. You can use this AppInsight application to
track many key aspects of Active Directory by getting relevant performance data from the server level.
You can also drill down into the datastore layer for performance data.

Click here for an overview about AppInsight applications.

You can add AppInsight for Active Directory to domain controllers automatically during Discovery or
manually via the Node Details view. After it's assigned to a node, AppInsight for Active Directory is
considered an application and reports data to SAM through a set of component monitors included in
the AppInsight for Active Directory template, such as:
l Windows Event Log Monitors that scan event logs for server-related events.
l Performance Counter Monitors that collect Windows Performance Counter data.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

Here are some ways to use the status and metrics provided by AppInsight for Active Directory:
l File replication service: Identify replication failures or network issues that lead to slow
replication rates between websites.
l Directory services: Watch critical directory services to ensure your email and phone contacts
are always synchronized.
l Service outages: Monitor domain controllers continuously to prevent service outages. Diagnose
performance issues by tracking CPU usage, connected users, failed logins, account lockouts,
and more. Discover domain controllers on unmonitored nodes.
l Dependencies: Troubleshoot Active Directory dependencies with widgets that show in-depth
details about issues impacting performance.

A Microsoft Azure Active Directory API Poller template is also available. To learn more about
API pollers, watch API Pollers: When SNMP Won't Cut It.

Note the following details about AppInsight for Active Directory:

l If using a component-based SAM license, AppInsight applications consume licenses at flat
rates.
l Multiple instances of this database-intensive feature can impact performance. Consider limiting
usage to a few key domain controllers. You can also adjust Advanced settings on individual
nodes to boost performance by polling for LDAP data on a single domain controller in a domain,
while continuing to gather replication details for all domain controllers in that domain.
l When AppInsight for Active Directory is assigned to a specific node, SAM creates a
DCApplication entity for the domain controller. Each DCApplication is grouped by the domain
entity to which it belongs. SAM uses .NET Framework to poll data via a secure LDAP protocol
for each domain. Gathered data includes the number of controllers, users, computers,
replications, and site statistics.
l AppInsight for Active Directory uses domain controller IP addresses instead of domain names
for polling. LDAP components do not include the $DomainName parameter in configuration
fields. This use of IP address enables different applications to get data from all monitored
domain controllers in a single domain.
l Like the other AppInsight templates, the AppInsight for Active Directory template includes
several component monitors with default settings that cannot be modified due to
dependencies. Also, you cannot add component monitors to this template.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

To start using AppInsight for Active Directory:

l Review the following topics:
o AppInsight for Active Directory requirements and permissions

o AppInsight for Active Directory and component-based licensing

o Best practices for AppInsight for Active Directory

l Assign AppInsight to monitored domain controllers running Active Directory Domain Services.
l Configure AppInsight for Active Directory for specific domain controllers. For example, adjust
component monitor thresholds, certificate handling, and LDAP ports.

To further refine AppInsight monitoring:

l Customize AppInsight for Active Directory on individual domain controllers to boost
performance
l Customize widgets in views.
l Configure alerts for domain controller usage and thresholds.
l Set up monitoring under the context of an account with the "least privileges."

To learn more, review the Domain Controller Health Check and Monitoring use case and watch
Deep Dive on using AppInsight templates.

AppInsight for Active Directory requirements and permissions

Before using AppInsight for Active Directory, review the following requirements and
recommendations.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

Requirements
Host systems Configure systems as DCs running Active Directory (AD) Domain Services on a
supported OS, including:
l Windows Server 2012 R2
l Windows Server 2016
l Windows Server 2019
l Windows Server 2022

Only Microsoft DNS servers are currently supported.

Add DCs to the SolarWinds Platform as monitored nodes.

l Select "Windows Servers: WMI and ICMP" as the polling method so
AppInsight widgets can display node status and names via WMI. If you
select ICMP, nodes cannot supply DNS or SysName values required to
compute replications for destination DC FQDN names.
l If using Discovery to assign AppInsight to nodes, enable WMI on DCs so
they can be detected.

Permissions Provide domain credentials for an account that SAM can use to log in to AD to
collect data.
l The account must be in the same domain as the DC, with read/write access
to monitored AD instances and services.
l Local admin privileges are required to assign AppInsight to nodes, but they
are not needed for monitoring after setup.

Recommended: Use a dedicated AD account with limited permissions. See

Set up AppInsight for Active Directory monitoring under the context of a
"Least Privileges" account.

Ports The default ports for AppInsight for Active Directory appear below. To adjust port
settings for individual domain controllers, see Configure AppInsight for Active
Directory on nodes.
l LDAP: 389
l LDAPS: 636
l Global Catalog (GC): 3268

See also How AppInsight collects Active Directory data, below.

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Requirements
Encryption AD does not support encryption so the encryption method to connect to domain
controllers is set to None, by default.

To use SSL or StartTLS, add an LDAP certificate to the server manually.

Authentication By default, authentication is set to Negotiate so SAM can use Kerberos or NT LAN
Manager (NTLM) authentication.

How AppInsight collects Active Directory data

In the AppInsight for Active Directory template, WinRM is the default transport method used to fetch
data for WMI-based component monitors. If WinRM is disabled, WMI uses DCOM/RPC
communication to allocate ports within the standard dynamic port range, 1025 — 65536. Enable the
Inbound Rules in the WMI group and create firewall exceptions to allow TCP/UDP traffic on ports
1024 — 65535 so monitored objects that use WMI can be mapped.
l WMI TCP ports 1025 — 5000
l TCP ports 49152 — 65535

The following diagram shows how AppInsight uses various protocols to collect AD data:

AppInsight for Active Directory and component-based licensing

Per the SAM licensing model, when using AppInsight for Active Directory in environments with
component-based licenses, 50 component monitors count against your licensed number of
component monitors for each domain controller you decide to monitor.

AppInsight applications provide tremendous value within SAM while consuming a fixed number
component monitor licenses. However, they cannot be partially unlicensed because the way they
collect data differs significantly from traditional application monitor templates.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

For example, if you have an active license for 1,500 component monitors and use AppInsight for
Active Directory to monitor 5 domain controllers, 250 component monitors count against your total
license. The number of licenses used is strictly per monitored AppInsight for Active Directory
application. The quanitity of Active Directory instances you have on domain controllers affects the
number of component monitors.

50 component monitors X 5 domain controllers = 250 component monitors used.

This leaves you with 1,000 component monitors available for use elsewhere.

1,500 component monitors – 250 component monitors used for AppInsight for Active
Directory = 1,250 component monitors remaining.

If you choose not to use AppInsight for Active Directory, you are not penalized any number of
component monitors.

Best practices for AppInsight for Active Directory

l AppInsight for Active Directory is a database-intensive SAM feature can impact performance. In
large environments, consider limiting usage to a few key domain controllers. Recommended
limits include:
o Monitor up to 150,000 users and computers per domain controller.
o Monitor up to 200 domain controllers if you adjust AppInsight settings to reduce polling
redundancy.
l To protect sensitive data, create custom views with different AppInsight widgets for user groups
in your organization.

SolarWinds recommends using a dedicated Active Directory account with limited

permissions for monitoring. Local admin permissions are required to configure
AppInsight on nodes, but are not needed for monitoring later. See Set up monitoring
under the context of an account with the "least privileges."

l To add a node for a domain controller, select Windows Servers: WMI and ICMP as the polling
method so AppInsight widgets can display node status and names properly. ICMP-only nodes
do not supply DNS or SysName values required to compute replications for destination domain
controller FQDN names. See this article in the SolarWinds Success Center for details.
l Configure AppInsight to collect domain-related data from a specific domain controller, while
continuing to poll for replication-related data from other domain controllers in the same domain.
See Customize AppInsight for Active Directory on individual domain controllers to boost
performance,

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

l Several "Total" performance counters (for example, Total Inactive Users) are initially disabled to
avoid performance issues in environments with large quantities of users and computers,
especially clients. To enable those component monitors for individual nodes, see Configure
AppInsight for Active Directory on nodes.
l During initial setup, assign alerts to one or two email addresses only. Watch and monitor the
alerts for two weeks to generate stable baselines that you can use to refine monitoring and alert
actions for the usage and performance in your specific environment. Your environment's
baseline and performance expectations may vary, as compared to the default thresholds.

To learn more about this feature, review the Domain Controller Health Check and Monitoring
use case and watch Deep Dive on using AppInsight templates.

Assign the AppInsight for Active Directory template to domain controllers

After reviewing best practices and requirements, gather the key information you'll need to add
AppInsight for Active Directory to domain controller nodes, including:
l Either the IP address or FQDN of each domain controller.
l The port details, encryption method, and authentication method for each domain controller.
l An Active Directory account with domain credentials and local admin permissions.

There are several ways to assign AppInsight for Active Directory to nodes:
l Use the Discovery Wizard.
l Assign the AppInsight for Active Directory template to nodes.
l Add AppInsight for Active Directory via the Node Details view.

Regardless of the method used, an application monitor is created for each node, based on the
AppInsight for Active Directory template. In the SolarWinds Platform Web Console, the default name
displayed for the application monitor is "Active Directory," as shown in this example from the Node
Details page:

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

Add nodes with the Discovery Wizard

Use the Discovery Wizard to add a new node and select AppInsight for Active Directory for
monitoring. Credentials are inherited from the node automatically.

Enable WMI on domain controllers so they can be detected during Discovery.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Add Node.

2. When the Add Node wizard appears, enter information on the Define Node tab and click Next.
3. On the Choose Resources tab, select AppInsight Applications > Active Directory.

4. Click Next and follow onscreen instructions to complete the wizard.

5. To confirm the node was added:
a. Click My Dashboards > Applications > Active Directory.
b. Navigate to the All Application widget, expand the tree, and click the Active Directory
application.
6. To customize AppInsight for Active Directory for a domain controller, see Configure AppInsight
for Active Directory on nodes.

Add AppInsight for Active Directory to nodes via the Manage Templates page
You can add AppInsight for Active Directory monitoring to a domain controller already being
monitored as a node via the Manage Templates page.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
2. On the Manage Templates page, switch to the Application Monitor Templates tab.
3. In the Template Name column, select the AppInsight for Active Directory check box.
4. Click Assign to Node.
5. Complete fields on the Set up AppInsight for Active Directory page and click Assign Application
Monitor.
6. Proceed to Configure AppInsight for Active Directory on nodes.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

Add AppInsight for Active Directory to nodes via the Node Details view
Follow these steps to add AppInsight for Active Directory to a domain controller already monitored as
a WMI node in SAM.

1. Click My Dashboards > Home > Summary.

2. Expand and select the domain controller node in the All Nodes - Tree View widget.
3. On the Node Details view, click List Resources in the Management widget.
The list may take a few minutes to generate.

4. Select Microsoft Active Directory to enable AppInsight for Active Directory data collection. When
done, click Submit.

5. Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary.

6. Locate the All Applications widget, and click the Active Directory application on the specific
node.
7. When prompted, enter credentials and select the port used to communicate with the domain.
8. Click Test to verify the credentials and configured permissions.
9. Click Assign Credential to save the configuration.

After assigning AppInsight for Active Directory to nodes, customize settings for individual domain
controllers. For example, you can enable "Total" performance counters or adjust certificate handling.
See Configure AppInsight for Active Directory on nodes.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

Configure AppInsight for Active Directory on nodes

After assigning AppInsight for Active Directory to individual domain controllers, you can customize
the settings in the application monitor for each node. Some settings can impact domain controller
performance in large environments.

For a related SAM use case, see Domain Controller Health Check and Monitoring.

To set up AppInsight for Active Directory on nodes:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Application Monitors.
2. Select the node, which will list "Active Directory" as the Assigned Application Monitor, and then
click Edit Properties.
3. (Optional) Click Advanced to display settings for credentials, ports, encryption, and more.

When working with component monitors, note that AppInsight uses domain controller IP
addresses instead of domain names for polling; LDAP components do not include the
$DomainName parameter in configuration fields. This use of IP address enables different
applications to get data from all monitored domain controllers in a single domain. Click
here to learn more about individual component monitors.

4. Adjust values and settings, as necessary, and then click Submit to save changes.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

5. If you changed settings for an existing domain controller, use SolarWinds Platform Service
Manager to restart the SolarWinds Collector Service.

Advanced setting options include:

l LDAP Port Number: The default port to connect to domain controller LDAP services is 389.
l Global Catalog Port Number: AppInsight can collect trust data for domain controllers
configured as Global Catalog (GC) servers on port 3268, as displayed in the Trust Summary
widget. To use port 3269 instead, update that setting here.

To determine if a domain controller is a GC server, use PowerShell to check the

IsGlobalCatalog flag:
Get-ADDomainController-Filter {Site-eq 'Default-First-Site-
Name'}} | FT Name,IsGlobalCatalog
Get-ADDomainController | ft Name,IsGlobalCatalog

l Encryption Method: Active Directory does not support encryption so this value is set to None, by
default. To use SSL or StartTLS, add an LDAP certificate to the server manually.
l Ignore Certificate Errors: By default, the AppInsight ignores certificate errors encountered
during polling. Enable this setting if you want users to verify a server connection when
SAM encounters an invalid certificate during polling.
l Authentication Method: By default, authentication is set to Negotiate so SAM can use Kerberos
or NT LAN Manager (NTLM) authentication.
l Enable Domain Components: For each domain controller, AppInsight uses component monitors
to collect domain-related metrics, as well as metrics about replication. To reduce polling loads,
you can limit polling for domain-related metrics to a single domain controller within each
domain. See below for details.
l Restart the SolarWinds Collector Service if you change this setting after initial setup. Otherwise,
the status of the Active Directory application displays as Down in the SolarWinds Platform Web
Console and warnings appear in application logs.
l Enable Total Counters: By default, some component monitors are disabled in the AppInsight for
Active Directory template to avoid performance issues when setting up domain controllers in
environments with large quantities of users and computers. After adding AppInsight to
individual nodes, you can enable the following counters for a node.
o Total User Accounts
o Total Disabled User Accounts
o Total Computer Accounts

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

o Total Inactive Users

o Total Inactive Computers
o Total Expired Password User Accounts

Customize AppInsight for Active Directory on individual domain controllers to boost per-
formance
As described in Best practices, adding AppInsight for Active Directory to one domain controller per
site is sufficient for general visibility because all domain controllers within a single domain should
report identical data.

You can edit application monitors assigned to most domain controllers at a site to turn off the Enable
Domain Components setting. AppInsight will continue polling replication-related metrics, but only
collect domain-specific data (for example, about sites and trusts) for domain controllers where the
setting is in its default state.

By limiting the data that AppInsight polls on domain controllers, you can:
l Reduce redundant data collection.
l Improve performance, especially in large customer environments with numerous Active
Directory domain controllers in each domain.
l Enhance scalability. Instead of only 50 domain controllers — the recommended limit in earlier
SAM versions — you can monitor up to 200 domain controllers.

Note the following details about adjusting the Enable Domain Components setting:
l Although this option is not available at the template level, you can adjust it in application
monitors already assigned to individual domain controllers.
l Use the SolarWinds Platform Service Manager to restart the SolarWinds Collector Service if you
change this setting after initial deployment. Otherwise, the status of the Active Directory
application displays as Down in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console and warnings appear in
application logs.
l Domain Controller Details and Site Details widgets are hidden on related Application Details
views if this setting is disabled.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

Edit the AppInsight for Active Directory template

The AppInsight for Active Directory template includes component monitors that collect data about
domain controllers and Active Directory services. If you modify the template, child application
monitors already assigned to nodes are also updated. See Understand the template and application
monitor relationship.

The primary reasons to edit most application monitor templates is to adjust polling frequency, polling
methods, and thresholds for warning and critical states for monitored metrics before assigning
templates across multiple nodes. Like the other AppInsight templates, the AppInsight for Active
Directory template includes component monitors with several default settings that cannot be
modified due to dependencies.

Although you cannot add component monitors to this template, you can adjust Advanced settings on
individual nodes to boost performance by polling for LDAP data on a single domain controller in a
domain, while continuing to gather replication details for all domain controllers in that domain.

AppInsight for Active Directory uses domain controller IP addresses instead of domain names,
so LDAP component monitors do not include a $DomainName parameter in configuration
fields. This use of IP address enables different applications to collect data from all monitored
domain controllers in a single domain.

To edit this template:

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Application Monitors.
2. On the Manage Assigned Application Monitors page, select the AppInsight for Active Directory
template.
3. Click Edit Properties to display component monitor details.

4. Make your changes.

5. Click Submit.

When you assign this template to individual nodes that represent domain controllers, you create
individual application monitors (also called "applications") with Advanced settings, including:
l LDAP Port Number
l Global Catalog Port Number
l Ignore Certificate Errors
l Enable Domain Components
l Enable Total Counters

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

To learn how these settings can impact domain controller performance, see:
l Configure AppInsight for Active Directory on nodes
l Best practices for AppInsight for Active Directory

AppInsight for Active Directory alerts and reports

SAM includes the following predefined alerts for AppInsight for Active Directory:

Alert Trigger
Alert me when a user account is locked out The user is
locked out
of account.

Replication from [SourceDomainControllerName] to Replication

[DestinationDomainControllerName] failed on [NamingContextName] - last success of a domain
time [LastSuccessTime] consecutive number of failures controller
[consecutiveNumberOfFailures] last attempt time [LastAttemptTime]" fails

AppInsight for Active Directory alerts appear in the Active Alerts widget on the following pages:
l Active Directory Summary page
l Application Details view
l Domain Details page

Trigger conditions related to AppInsight for Active Directory that you can use in alerts include:
l AppInsight for Active Directory: Application
l AppInsight for Active Directory: Naming Context
l AppInsight for Active Directory: Site

To learn about using alerts, see the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide or watch
Managing Existing Alerts.

The following AppInsight for Active Directory reports are included in SAM:
l Active Directory Summary shows all domains monitored by AppInsight for Active Directory.
l Active Directory Summary: Trusts shows all domain trusts monitored by AppInsight for Active
Directory.

Troubleshoot AppInsight for Active Directory

This topic describes issues you may encounter when using AppInsight for Active Directory in SAM.
Before proceeding, here are some tips:

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

l Review AppInsight for Active Directory requirements and also Best practices.
l Check your configuration.
l Click here to learn about the AppInsight for Active Directory template.

Multiple instances of this database-intensive feature can impact performance. Consider

limiting usage to a few key domain controllers. You can also adjust Advanced settings on
individual nodes to boost performance by polling for LDAP data on a single domain controller in
a domain, while continuing to gather replication details for all domain controllers in that
domain.

Issue: AppInsight for Active Directory widgets do not display polled data.

After configuring AppInsight for Active Directory, you may not see active data in widgets or receive
alerts immediately because polling may occur at different intervals, ranging from minutes to hours.
After 24 hours, widgets and alerts should start reporting data.

The default polling interval for AppInsight for Active Directory is 10 minutes.

You can also check AppInsight for Active Directory logs located in this default location:
c:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\APM\ApplicationLogs.

Issue: Domain Controller Details and Site Details widgets don't appear on Application Details pages.

Check settings in the application monitor for the domain controller. These widgets are hidden if the
Enable Domain Components option is disabled.

Issue: Node status does not appear in AppInsight for Active Directory widgets, and Active Directory
widgets display IP addresses instead of node names.

To ensure that node status appears in AppInsight for Active Directory widgets with proper node
names, configure nodes to support both WMI and ICMP polling. ICMP-only nodes cannot supply DNS
or SysName values required to compute replications for destination domain controller FQDN names.
Alternatively, edit the name of an ICMP node on the Node Details > Edit Properties page.

Issue: Domain controllers display "Unknown" for several custom performance counters.

Check the server to make sure the Windows NT Directory Service (NTDS) category of performance
counters is present. If the base set of performance counter libraries is corrupt, you may need to
rebuild it. See also Performance Counter Monitor - Bad Input Parameter (THWACK).

Issue: Components display Unknown status after initial poll.

Generic application monitors like Windows Event Log Monitor and Performance Counter Monitor may
have an Unknown status after the first round of polling. Wait 10 minutes for the next successful poll.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

If the status of a domain controller remains Unknown after polling, make sure that a node exists for
the domain controller and that AppInsight for Active Directory is assigned to the node. See Configure
AppInsight for Active Directory on nodes.

Issue: After enabling Total counters in the AppInsight for Active Directory template, the AppInsight
application appears Down and warnings occur in SAM logs.

Enabling and disabling components for AppInsight applications can place the SolarWinds Collector
service in an unsynchronized state. Use the SolarWinds Platform Service Manager to restart that
service and clear its cache. See Configure AppInsight for Active Directory on nodes.

Issue: Domain Controllers display Unknown status in AppInsight for Active Directory widgets.

Make sure the node is being monitored and that the AppInsight for Active Directory template is
assigned to the node. See Assign the AppInsight for Active Directory template to domain controllers.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Active Directory

Windows SQL Server locking causes the SolarWinds Platform database to grow after assigning
AppInsight for Active Directory to nodes.

SQL Server locks may occur if you exceed recommended limits for AppInsight for Active Directory
monitoring; see Best practices for AppInsight for Active Directory. Locks can prevent rows from being
deleted during daily database maintenance jobs, so the number of rows grows as polling continues.

Delete rows from the database manually, or remove AppInsight for Active Directory from nodes, wait
for daily database maintenance to finish, and add AppInsight back to the nodes. Click here for details.

Issue: The Replication widget shows only a few domain controllers.

The Replication widget displays domain controllers (shown on the right, below) that replicate with the
monitored domain controller (shown on the left) in the same domain, by design.

Issue: The Trust Summary widget does not display expected data.

If expected data does not appear in the Trust Summary widget, here are some ways to investigate:
l Navigate to My Dashboards > Applications > Active Directory to check the status of the
AppInsight for Active Directory application.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for Exchange

l Verify that domain controllers are assigned the Global Catalog (GC) role. You can use
PowerShell to check if the IsGlobalCatalog flag is set to True:
Get-ADDomainController-Filter {Site-eq 'Default-First-Site-Name'}} | FT
Name,IsGlobalCatalog

Get-ADDomainController | ft Name,IsGlobalCatalog

l Verify that domain controllers configured as GC servers use port 3268, the default port to collect
trust data. If domain controllers use port 3269 instead, update that setting. See Configure
AppInsight for Active Directory on nodes.
l Check SAM logs and AppInsight for Active Directory logs located in this default location:
c:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\APM\ApplicationLogs.

Active Directory applications appear as Down in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console and
warnings appear in application logs, or

If AppInsight monitors multiple domain controllers in the same domain, each domain controller will
report the same LDAP domain data, such as sites and trusts. You can adjust Advanced settings for
individual domain controllers to poll LDAP data for only a single domain controller, while polling
replication details for all domain controllers in the domain.

If applications appear Down after adjusting those settings, use the SolarWinds Platform Service
Manager to restart the SolarWinds Collector Service.

Domain Controller Details and Site Details widgets are hidden on the Application Details page if
the Enable Domain Components option is turned off for a domain controller.

Monitor with AppInsight for Exchange

Designed exclusively for the Exchange Mailbox role, AppInsight for Exchange provides visibility into
storage issues, mail queues, mailbox database status and growth, events, and critical processes and
services. With AppInsight for Exchange you can get a single view of all relevant current and historical
Exchange performance metrics.

You can add AppInsight for Exchange automatically during Discovery or add it to nodes manually via
the Node Details view. After it is applied to a node, AppInsight for Exchange is considered an
application and reports data to SAM through a set of component monitors.

Click here for an overview about AppInsight applications.

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AppInsight for Exchange recommendations

When using and configuring AppInsight for Exchange, SolarWinds recommends the following best
practices:
l Most Exchange servers already include PowerShell. Install PowerShell 5.1 on target systems, if
it's not already installed.

To support AppInsight for Exchange, use RestrictedLanguage as the minimum

PSLanguageMode setting in PowerShell on target servers. See this Success Center
article.

l AppInsight uses the Exchange credentials you provide to directly access the servers, complete
configuration, and collect data during polling. Before adding AppInsight to nodes, review
requirements and account permissions.
l Manually configure AppInsight for Exchange on target servers in SAM provides additional
configuration and usage options, but is recommended for experienced Exchange administrators
only.
l You cannot edit component monitors in the AppInsight for Exchange template to exclude or
include specific databases. To monitor specific databases, and not the entire Database
Availability Group (DAG), consider using Exchange templates that provide a starting point for
PowerShell scripts that monitor metrics for specific databases.
l After configuring AppInsight for Exchange, you may not see active data in widgets or receive
alerts immediately because polling may occur at different intervals, ranging from minutes to
hours. After 24 hours, widgets and alerts should start reporting data.
l After configure alerts to be notified about Exchange server usage and issues, monitor alerts for
two weeks to generate stable baselines. Your environment's baseline and performance
expectations may vary, as compared to the default thresholds.
l Create custom views with different AppInsight for Exchange widgets for user groups in your
organization.
l Use AppStack to troubleshoot performance and availability issues. This visual mapping tool
provides health and status information about related applications, servers, hosts, volumes, and
more.

To expand Exchange monitoring in your environment, consider the following options:

l Use AppInsight for IIS to identify IIS Server, Website, and Application Pool performance issues
related to Exchange.

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l For virtual servers, SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN) can display in-depth information
about your Exchange environment in AppStack. VMAN also correlates virtual disks to the
physical disks in the back-end storage layer so that you can identify and correct storage
problems. Use VMAN to troubleshoot disk usage issues in a virtual environment, such as
storage I/O problems caused by a "noisy neighbor" that is consuming I/O resources needed by
Exchange.
l SolarWinds Storage Resource Manager (SRM) monitors the storage arrays used to store
Exchange data. SRM correlates disks to storage devices on the network, and provides data
about the capacity and performance of your storage devices. With SRM, information about
storage devices (including array, volumes, and LUNs) is shown in the AppStack.
l SolarWinds Web Performance Monitor (WPM) can run synthetic user transactions from office
locations to the load balancer and Exchange servers. For example, WPM can provide
information about what users experience when they access Microsoft Outlook, and alerts you if
Outlook takes significantly longer than usual to load or if users cannot access the site.

Navigate AppInsight for Exchange

AppInsight for Exchange can be found in the All Applications widget on the Application Summary
view.

To view the AppInsight for Exchange Details page:

1. Navigate to the All Applications widget by clicking My Dashboards > Applications > SAM
Summary.
2. On the Applications Summary page, expand the AppInsight for Exchange tree in the All
Applications widget.
3. Expand the node tree and click the application. The default name is Microsoft Exchange.

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The AppInsight for Exchange Details view includes customizable widgets that display statistics about
your Exchange servers and services. Click links within widgets to drill down and review details about
related performance counters, databases, mailboxes, and more.
l Click any performance counter in a widget to view the Exchange Performance Counter Details
page.

l Click any database within a Database widget to view the AppInsight for Exchange Database
Details page.

l Click any user name within a Mailbox widget to view the AppInsight for Exchange Mailbox

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Details page.

Additional learning resources include:

l Deep Dive on using AppInsight templates (webinar)
l 5 Tips to Optimize Exchange Server for Improved Performance (THWACK)

AppInsight for Exchange and component-based licensing

Per the SAM licensing model, if using AppInsight for Exchange with a component-based license, 50
component monitors count against the licensed number of component monitors per Exchange server.

AppInsight applications provide tremendous value while consuming a fixed number component
monitor licenses. However, they cannot be partially unlicensed because the way they collect data
differs significantly from traditional application monitor templates. You can disable some
components within AppInsight applications but they will not reclaim component monitor licenses
because AppInsight applications typically monitor more than 50 components.

For example, if you have an active license for 1,500 component monitors and use AppInsight for
Exchange to monitor 88 mailboxes over 10 Exchange servers, 500 component monitors count against
your total license. The amount of licenses used is strictly per server instance.

(50 component monitors X 10 Exchange Servers = 500 component monitors used.)

This leaves 1,000 component monitors available for use elsewhere.

(1,500 component monitors – 500 component monitors used for AppInsight for Exchange =
1,000 component monitors remaining).

If you choose not to use this AppInsight, you are not penalized any number of component
monitors.

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The example below illustrates a situation where you have 40 available component monitors available,
but surpassed your allowed number of 300 monitors by 60. AppInsight applications are licensed as 50
monitors per application and cannot be partially licensed, as described above. Although you may be
able to disable some components in an AppInsight application, they will not reclaim component
monitor licenses because AppInsight applications typically monitor far greater than 50 components.

See also SAM licensing model and Scalability Engine Guidelines for SolarWinds Platform products.

AppInsight for Exchange requirements and permissions

Exchange hybrid versions are not supported.

AppInsight for Exchange works only with the Mailbox Role, which is used for data storage. All other
Exchange servers running different roles should use the Exchange application monitor templates
included with SAM if you intend to monitor them. Data is collected at the same default five-minute
polling interval as traditional application monitor templates.

Supported Microsoft Exchange Server versions

l Microsoft Exchange Server 2010
l Microsoft Exchange Server 2013
l Microsoft Exchange Server 2016
l Microsoft Exchange Server 2019

AppInsight for Exchange permissions

The following permissions are required to modify Exchange and WinRM settings on target servers, as
well as poll performance counters:

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l Local administrator permissions are needed for automatic configuration of the exchange
account, but they are not needed for monitoring after configuration is complete. However,
remember Full Control permissions are necessary for PowerShell to facilitate the monitoring.
For additional details, see Setting PowerShell Permissions.
l To provide organization-wide capability, the service account (Domain User) must be a member
of the View-Only Organization Management group. Membership to this group gives the User
object read-only access to the entire Exchange environment, without providing any domain or
local access on the Exchange server. It also prevents unauthorized access to the account.
l To gather data, the User object must be assigned the Mailbox Search management role within
Exchange.

This role is only required to modify Exchange and WinRM settings on server. It's not
necessary for standard polling.

l For Mailbox statistics, Hub Transport Servers need to be accessed via RPC.

PowerShell requirements
l PowerShell is usually installed with Microsoft Server. Install PowerShell 5.1 on target servers, if
it's not already installed.
l Set PowerShell permissions for Exchange.

Use RestrictedLanguage as the minimum PSLanguageMode setting in PowerShell on

target servers. See this Success Center article.

Common configuration issues

l To add local administrative privileges to an Active Directory account, see Manually configure an
Exchange server for AppInsight for Exchange.
l To determine Exchange URL settings, see Find Exchange URL settings for AppInsight for
Exchange in SAM.
l To install PowerShell on the Exchange server, see Manually configure an Exchange server for
AppInsight for Exchange.
l If you don't want to configure WinRM to remotely monitor Exchange servers, you can use
AppInsight for Exchange in conjunction with the SolarWinds Platform Agent for Windows.

Configure AppInsight for Exchange on nodes

To configure and monitor Exchange servers in SAM, add AppInsight for Exchange to existing nodes by
either:
l Running the Discovery Wizard, or
l Adding it via the Node Details page.

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A third option is recommended only for experienced Exchange administrators: Manually configure
AppInsight for Exchange on target servers in SAM.

Before you begin, review AppInsight for Exchange requirements and permissions and note these
details:
l Starting in SAM 2020.2, AppInsight for Exchange uses WinRM as the default polling method. If
upgrading from an earlier SAM version, see Configure WinRM polling on target nodes to update
existing nodes.
l SAM does not support multiple instances of Exchange on the same server.
l Nodes that are not added via WMI do not display in the List Resources dialog box.
l Monitoring an Exchange Database Availability Group (DAG) by way of a Virtual IP address (VIP)
is not supported. AppInsight for Exchange should only be applied to the physical IP address of
each mailbox server in the DAG, individually.

Earlier versions of SAM used FullLanguage mode on target Exchange servers. Starting in SAM
2020.2.6, use RestrictedLanguage as the minimum PSLanguageMode setting in PowerShell
on target servers. For a script to configure existing servers, see this Success Center article.

Add through the Discovery Wizard

Use the Discovery Wizard to add a new node and select AppInsight for Exchange for monitoring.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Add Node.

2. Complete the information on the Define Node step, and then click Next.
3. On the Choose Resources step in the Add Node Wizard, select AppInsight for Exchange.
4. Click Next and complete the wizard as instructed.

5. Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary.

6. In the All Applications widget, expand the listed servers to locate the new node, and then click
the added Exchange application and node.

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7. Enter Exchange credentials when prompted, and then click Configure Server.

Due to the complexity of AppInsight templates, allow extra time for configuration to finish when
assigning to multiple nodes.

Add to an existing node via the Node Details page

You can add AppInsight for Exchange to an Exchange server already monitored as a node in SAM.

1. Click My Dashboards > Home > Summary.

2. Expand and select the monitored Exchanger server node in the All Nodes - Tree View widget.
The details page for the node displays.
3. From the Management widget, click List Resources.
The list may take a few minutes to generate.

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4. Select Microsoft Exchange to enable AppInsight for Exchange data collection. When done, click
Submit.

5. Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary.

6. Locate the All Applications widget, and click the Microsoft Exchange application on the specific
node you modified.
7. Enter Exchange credentials when prompted, and click Configure Server.

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When you click Configure Server, SAM runs custom PowerShell scripts to:
l Add the Mailbox Search Role to the Exchange server with the credentials provided.
l Enable the WinRM service to provide the SolarWinds Platform server with remote access to
target servers.
l Enable Windows Authentication for the PowerShell website.
l Configure Windows Authentication.

The process initiated when you click Configure Server is sometimes called "Zero Config."

See also:
l Manually configure AppInsight for Exchange on target servers in SAM
l Troubleshoot AppInsight for Exchange
l Troubleshoot permissions

Edit the AppInsight for Exchange template

The AppInsight for Exchange application monitor template includes numerous component monitors
to provide data about Exchange servers in your environment. If you modify the settings in the
template, the details in AppInsight application monitors already assigned to servers update to match.

The primary reason to edit most SAM templates is to set general configurations such as polling
frequency, polling method, and thresholds for warning and critical states for monitored metrics before
assigning templates to nodes. The AppInsight for Exchange template includes several component
monitors with default settings that cannot be modified due to dependencies. Also, you cannot add
component monitors to this template.

You may need to log in with an administrator account to edit templates.

See the SAM Application Monitor Template Reference for a list of component monitors included in
this AppInsight template. You can also select the template on the Manage Application Monitor
Templates page and click Edit to display component monitor details, and then make any necessary
changes.

To begin gathering metrics, assign the template to Exchange servers.

Manually configure AppInsight for Exchange on target servers in SAM

SAM includes an automated configuration tool that you can use to add AppInsight for Exchange to
nodes during Discovery, or when adding a node via the Node Details page. If that tool fails or you want
to manually configure custom settings, permissions, and so on, follow these steps to set up
AppInsight for Exchange on target servers.

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Manual configuration is only recommended for experienced Exchange administrators.

1. Verify Microsoft Exchange credentials

2. Manually configure an Exchange server for AppInsight for Exchange
3. Set PowerShell permissions for Exchange
4. Find Exchange URL settings for AppInsight for Exchange in SAM
5. Use the Add New Application Monitors Wizard to assign AppInsight for Exchange to the node. In
the SolarWinds Platform Web Console, the default name displayed for the application monitor is
"Microsoft Exchange."
6. Navigate to the Manage Assigned Application Monitors page, select the application monitor on
the node, and customize settings, as necessary.

See also:
l Troubleshoot AppInsight for Exchange
l Troubleshoot permissions

Verify Microsoft Exchange credentials

Here are requirements for accounts used to access Exchange on target servers:
l The account must be a domain account.
l To modify IIS and PowerShell settings on the Exchange server, the account must be a Local
Administrator.
l SolarWinds recommends using accounts that are not part of the Domain Administrators group.
You can add a custom domain security group to define a specific type of administrator with
specific permissions to the Local Administrators group. In large environments, use Group Policy
Objects (GPOs). For smaller environments, you can perform create security groups manually.

To verify Exchange credentials, run this PowerShell cmdlet in the Exchange Management Shell (EMS):
Get-ManagementRoleAssignment -RoleAssignee “USER_IDENTITY”

Install PowerShell 5.1 on target servers, if necessary.

Manually configure an Exchange server for AppInsight for Exchange

Manual configuration is only recommended for experienced Exchange administrators. SAM

includes an automated way to configure Exchange servers.

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Before manually configuring an Exchange server for AppInsight for Exchange:

l Review AppInsight for Exchange requirements and permissions.
l Make sure you have valid credentials for an Exchange account.
l Verify that PowerShell 5.1 is installed.
l Review the configuration changes to enable AppInsight for Exchange.

Complete these tasks to configure a target Exchange server:

l Define Exchange credentials
l Grant Exchange access
l Set mailbox search access
l Install PowerShell
l Set PSLanguageMode to RestrictedLanguage for the PowerShell website
l Create a self-signed certificate
l Configure WinRM on the Exchange server
l Create a firewall rule
l Configure IIS
l Test the application

Define Exchange credentials

Use domain accounts to access Exchange Management interfaces; AppInsight for Exchange does not
support local accounts. Select an existing Active Directory account or create one to use with
AppInsight for Exchange. See Verify Microsoft Exchange credentials.

1. On the server where you are granting local administrative privileges, open the Computer
Management console.

On Windows Server 2012, use the Active Directory console to manage administrative
privileges.

2. Navigate to the Administrators group.

3. Add the type in the Active Directory user name of the account. (Ensure the location is set to
either the domain where the account is located or Entire Directory.)
4. Save your changes.

Alternatively, add an Active Directory group to the local administrators group and add Active
Directory user accounts to that group.

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To verify the account and local group membership was configured properly, run the following in a
PowerShell session:

$Recurse = $true

$GroupName = 'Administrators'

Add-Type -AssemblyName System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement

$ct = [System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement.ContextType]::Machine

$group =
[System.DirectoryServices.AccountManagement.GroupPrincipal]::FindByIdentity
($ct,$GroupName)

$LocalAdmin = $group.GetMembers($Recurse) | select @{N='Domain'; E=

{$_.Context.Name}}, samaccountName, @{N='ObjectType'; E=
{$_.StructuralObjectClass}} -Unique

$LocalAdmin = $LocalAdmin | Where-Object {$_.ObjectType -eq "user"}

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Grant Exchange access

To grant Least Privilege access to the Exchange Organization to an account:

1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC) and find the Microsoft Exchange Security
Groups organizational unit (OU).
2. Add the user name of the account to the View-Only Organization Management group.

Set Mailbox Search access

Mailbox Search access is required to determine attachment counts and sizes.

1. From the Start menu, open the Exchange Management Shell (EMS).
2. Type: New-ManagementRoleAssignment -Role "Mailbox Search" -User <Username of
account being granted access> and then press Enter.

3. To verify the management role has been properly assigned, enter the following command:
Get-ManagementRoleAssignment -RoleAssignee <Username of account>

Install PowerShell on target servers

PowerShell is usually installed with Microsoft Server. If necessary, install PowerShell 5.1 on target
servers.

See also Set PowerShell permissions for Exchange.

Set PSLanguageMode to RestrictedLanguage for the PowerShell website

If the PSLanguageMode is NoLanguage, change it to RestrictedLanguage. Using FullLanguage mode

is not recommended.

Use IIS Manager on the Exchange server to configure application settings for the default website and
PowerShell virtual directory, and then recycle the MSExchangePowerShellAppPool application pool.

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Create a self-signed certificate

You can download a PowerShell script to create a self-signed certificate suitable for AppInsight for
Exchange from the SolarWinds Success Center. See Create a self-signed certificate for AppInsight for
Exchange with a PowerShell script.

Alternatively, follow these steps to create your own certificate.

1. Using PowerShell and CertEnroll, open PowerShell in the Run as Administrator context.
2. Enter the following code.

Use this format in the CN (Subject): "<IP Address of Server>_Solarwinds_

Exchange_Zero_Configuration"
For example: “10.xxx.15.106_Solarwinds_Exchange_Zero_Configuration”

$IPAddress = Read-Host "Enter the IP Address of the Exchange server"

$ExpDays = "3650"
$FriendlyName = "$IPAddress" + "_Solarwinds_Exchange_Zero_Configuration"
$name = new-object -com "X509Enrollment.CX500DistinguishedName.1"
$name.Encode("CN=$FriendlyName", 0)

$key = new-object -com "X509Enrollment.CX509PrivateKey.1"

$key.ProviderName = "Microsoft RSA SChannel Cryptographic Provider"
$key.KeySpec = 1
$key.Length = 1024
$key.SecurityDescriptor = "D:PAI(A;;0xd01f01ff;;;SY)(A;;0xd01f01ff;;;BA)
(A;;0x80120089;;;NS)"
$key.MachineContext = 1
$key.Create()

$serverauthoid = new-object -com "X509Enrollment.CObjectId.1"

$serverauthoid.InitializeFromValue("1.3.6.1.5.5.7.3.1")
$ekuoids = new-object -com "X509Enrollment.CObjectIds.1"
$ekuoids.add($serverauthoid)
$ekuext = new-object -com "X509Enrollment.CX509ExtensionEnhancedKeyUsage.1"
$ekuext.InitializeEncode($ekuoids)

$cert = new-object -com "X509Enrollment.CX509CertificateRequestCertificate.1"

$cert.InitializeFromPrivateKey(2, $key, "")
$cert.Subject = $name
$cert.Issuer = $cert.Subject
$cert.NotBefore = get-date

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$cert.NotAfter = $cert.NotBefore.AddDays($ExpDays)
$cert.X509Extensions.Add($ekuext)
$cert.Encode()

$enrollment = new-object -com "X509Enrollment.CX509Enrollment.1"

$enrollment.InitializeFromRequest($cert)
$enrollment.CertificateFriendlyName = $FriendlyName
$certdata = $enrollment.CreateRequest(0)
$enrollment.InstallResponse(2, $certdata, 0, "")

Configure WinRM on the Exchange server

1. Open a command prompt in the Run as Administrator context.

2. Type: winrm create winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS '@
{Port="5986";CertificateThumbprint="<Thumbprint value of
certificate>";Hostname="<IP Address of Server>_Solarwinds_Exchange_Zero_
Configuration"}' and press Enter.

3. Verify the configuration by typing: winrm get

winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS.

Create a firewall rule

1. Open PowerShell using Run as Administrator.

2. Create a function for adding firewall rules using the following code:

function Add-FirewallRule {
param(
$name,

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$tcpPorts,
$appName = $null,
$serviceName = $null
)
$fw = New-Object -ComObject hnetcfg.fwpolicy2
$rule = New-Object -ComObject HNetCfg.FWRule
$rule.Name = $name
if ($appName -ne $null) { $rule.ApplicationName = $appName }
if ($serviceName -ne $null) { $rule.serviceName = $serviceName }
$rule.Protocol = 6 #NET_FW_IP_PROTOCOL_TCP
$rule.LocalPorts = $tcpPorts
$rule.Enabled = $true
$rule.Grouping = "@firewallapi.dll,-23255"
$rule.Profiles = 7 # all
$rule.Action = 1 # NET_FW_ACTION_ALLOW
$rule.EdgeTraversal = $false
$fw.Rules.Add($rule)
}

3. Run the function to create the firewall exception for WSMAN with this command:
Add-FirewallRule "Windows Remote Management" "5986" $null $null

4. Verify the rule was created.

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Configure IIS

1. Open a command prompt in the Run as Administrator context.

2. Change to the C:\Windows\System32\Inetsrv directory.
3. Type: appcmd.exe unlock config -
section:system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication and
press Enter.
4. Open PowerShell in the Run as Administrator context.
5. Type: Import-Module WebAdministration and press Enter.
6. Type: (Get-WebConfiguration
system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication
'IIS:\sites\Default Web Site\PowerShell').enabled and press Enter.

7. If the return value is True, Windows Authentication is configured. If False, follow these steps:
a. Type: Set-WebConfiguration
system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication
'IIS:\sites\Default Web Site\PowerShell' -value True and then press Enter.

b. Type: (Get-WebConfiguration
system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication
'IIS:\sites\Default Web Site\PowerShell').enabled to verify the setting
changed.

c. Close PowerShell.
d. In the open command prompt, type: appcmd.exe lock config -
section:system.webServer/security/authentication/windowsAuthentication
and then press Enter.

e. Close the command prompt.

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Test the application

Navigate to the Application Edit page and click Test. The result should look similar to this figure:

Scripts are not supported under any SolarWinds support program or service. The scripts are
provided AS IS without warranty of any kind. SolarWinds further disclaims all warranties
including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or of fitness for a
particular purpose. The risk arising out of the use or performance of the scripts and
documentation stays with you. In no event shall SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the
creation, production, or delivery of the scripts be liable for any damages whatsoever (including,
without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business
information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the scripts or
documentation.

Set PowerShell permissions for Exchange

Your organization should internally review and assess to what extent PowerShell is
incorporated into your environment. This is especially important when importing scripts from
third parties, including content posted by other customers in the SolarWinds online IT
community, THWACK. To learn more, see Use PowerShell in SAM.

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Certain PowerShell permissions are required for AppInsight for Exchange and the Exchange server.

1. On the remote computer, open the PowerShell console.

2. Execute this command: Set-PSSessionConfiguration Microsoft.PowerShell -
ShowSecurityDescriptorUI -Force

3. When the Permissions dialog box appears, enable Full Control under the Permissions for
Everyone group, and select Allow.
4. Ensure that the group containing the polling user can access PowerShell, and click OK.
5. Verify all permissions are set and saved.

Earlier versions of SAM used FullLanguage mode on target Exchange servers. Starting in SAM
2020.2.6, use RestrictedLanguage as the minimum PSLanguageMode setting in PowerShell
on target servers. For a script to configure existing servers, see this Success Center article.

Resolve errors after a reinstall

If PowerShell was installed on Windows Server 2012 with Exchange 2013 and subsequently
uninstalled, a Microsoft error removes the required registry key for remote PowerShell to work
properly. Security patches or updates may also cause this issue.

SolarWinds strongly recommends that you back up your registry before editing it. Only edit the
registry if you are experienced and confident in doing so. Using a registry editor incorrectly can
cause serious issues with your operating system, which could require you to reinstall your OS
to correct them. SolarWinds cannot guarantee resolutions to any damage resulting from
making registry edits.

To recreate the required registry key:

1. In a text editor, copy and paste the following text:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\PowerShellEngine]

"ApplicationBase"="C:\\Windows\\System32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0"

"PSCompatibleVersion"="1.0, 2.0"

"RuntimeVersion"="v2.0.50727"

"ConsoleHostAssemblyName"="Microsoft.PowerShell.ConsoleHost, Version=1.0.0.0,
Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35, ProcessorArchitecture=msil"

"ConsoleHostModuleName"="C:\\Windows\\System32\\WindowsPowerShell\\v1.0\\Micr

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osoft.PowerShell.ConsoleHost.dll"

"PowerShellVersion"="X.0"

2. Update the PowerShellVersion variable in the last line.

3. Save the file as PowerShellv1.reg and then double-click it to add it to the registry. (A reboot
may be required.)

Find Exchange URL settings for AppInsight for Exchange in SAM

AppInsight for Exchange connects to two different endpoints: WinRM and IIS. If you decide to
manually configure it, you should verify the PowerShell Exchange and WinRM URLs are correct.

By default, AppInsight for Exchange uses the following URLs for the Exchange and WinRM sessions,
where ${IP} is the IP address of the server node being added.
l Exchange: https://localhost/powershell/
l WinRM: https://${IP}:5986/wsman/

SAM connects locally with remote PowerShell. In earlier versions, the Exchange URL was
https://${IP}/powershell/.

To verify the PowerShell instance used by Exchange on a server:

1. Open the IIS Manager and navigate to the default website then to the PowerShell virtual
directory.
2. Verify the Virtual Path value (typically found in Advanced Settings).

SolarWinds recommends using the latest version of PowerShell. At a minimum, use PowerShell
5.1.

To verify a server's WinRM PowerShell instance:

1. Open a command prompt using Run as Administrator.

2. Enter the command winrm get winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS to
get the current configuration for the HTTPS protocol.

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The two items of interest for the URL are Port and URLPrefix. If either file was modified, and does not
match the default values, edit the AppInsight for Exchange application with the correct values:
l PowerShell Windows URL: https://${IP}:9886/Custom_wsman/
l Local Exchange Endpoint: https://localhost/powershell/

Additionally, the value of Hostname must match the CN of the certificate listed in the Certificate
Thumbprint property:

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For more information, see:

l Manually configure an Exchange server for AppInsight for Exchange
l Set PowerShell permissions for Exchange

Attachment extensions acknowledged by AppInsight for Exchange

This table lists the default attachment extensions that are acknowledged by AppInsight for Exchange
in SAM.

.accdb .doc .inf .mmp .ppt .swf .xml

.arj .dot .ini .mobi .ps1 .tar .xps

.avi .eml .iso .mov .pst .tmp .zip

.bak .epub .jar .mp3 .pub .txt

.bat .flv .jpg .mpeg .psd .vbs

.bin .gif .jpeg .msg .rar .wav

.bmp .gzip .lnk .pdf .reg .wks

.cab .hta .log .png .rtf .wma

.cmd .htm .mdb .pot .sql .wmv

.csv .img .mid .pps .svg .xls

Monitor with AppInsight for IIS

AppInsight for IIS is an AppInsight application that you can use to monitor your IIS environment to
identify IIS server, website, and application pool performance issues. The dashboard provides ease of
monitoring with at-a-glance performance metrics for sites and applications pools, updated through
access to the IIS.

As sites and application pools change through the IIS Manager, data and connections update in the
SolarWinds Platform Web Console. As you find and fix issues, stop or restart servers and pools as
required.

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You can add AppInsight for IIS automatically during Discovery or add it to nodes manually via the
Node Details view. After it is applied to a node, AppInsight for IIS is considered an application and
reports data to SAM through a set of component monitors.

To start using AppInsight for IIS, review the following topics:

l AppInsight for IIS requirements and permissions
l AppInsight For IIS and component-based licensing
l Assign AppInsight for IIS to nodes in SAM

When finished, see Alerts and reports for AppInsight for IIS.

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Here are some tips for using AppInsight for IIS:

l You can disable dynamic AppInsight for IIS components if a known issue in your environment
(for example, a web server outage) will increase false-positive alerts and logs. You can also turn
off components that aren't important for your organization, to reduce polling loads.
l For advanced managing of IIS sites, disable unused sites instead of deleting them. To reduce
alert noise, disable any alerts associated with those disabled sites.
l Enable sites anytime you need them through the Site Details pages in AppInsight for IIS. This
option and others are available in the Management widget per ISS server, site, and application
pool.
l Available AppInsight for IIS reports include:
o IIS SSL Certificate Expiration Report

o Site Connections Report

o Site Log Size by File

o Site Size by File

To learn more about AppInsight for IIS, see:

l AppInsight for IIS template (SAM Application Monitor Template Reference)
l Deep Dive on using AppInsight Templates (webinar)
l IIS Web Server Monitoring: Best Practices (THWACK)
l IIS Web Server Monitoring Tool: AppInsight for IIS (SolarWinds YouTube video)
l Monitoring & Alerting on IIS Server Performance (THWACK)
l Monitoring Microsoft IIS (SolarWinds YouTube video)
l Troubleshoot AppInsight for IIS (SAM online help)

Use SolarWinds AppOptics to get advanced performance metrics from IIS nodes. See Integrate
AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes.

Use SolarWinds Web Performance Monitor (WPM) to visualize synthetic web transaction
metrics in the context of application performance metrics on the WPM Transactions subview
on Node Details and Application Details pages. You can also create dependencies between
transactions and applications, as well as transaction and nodes. See this blog post in THWACK
for details.

Navigate to the AppInsight for IIS Details view

Access AppInsight for IIS metrics through the All Applications widget in the SAM Summary page.

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To access the AppInsight for IIS Details view:

1. Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary.

2. Locate the All Applications widget and expand the AppInsight for IIS tree by clicking [+].
3. Click an IIS application to view it.

The Sites widget lists the sites (both front and backend) for the IIS server. Click a site to view more
details such as response time, connections, and requests.

The Application Pools widget lists up to 5 instances of IIS application pools. You can use application
pools to separate out applications from one another. If an issue occurs with an application, it may
only affect other applications in the pool, not all applications in your environment.

Click a pool to view additional worker process details.

To view the Performance Counter Details view, click a performance monitor in any widget.

AppInsight for IIS requirements and permissions

Review the requirements and permissions before configuring AppInsight for IIS nodes in your
environment. AppInsight for IIS data is collected at the same default 5-minute polling interval as other
application monitor templates. If a prerequisite is missing on a target server, application monitors go
into an Unknown state.

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AppInsight for IIS requirements for nodes:

Agent-based

l Administrator rights to IIS servers are needed for configuration, but are not required for polling.
l If you use the optional SolarWinds Platform Agent for Windows. When you deploy agents to
target servers, they are automatically registered with the SolarWinds Platform server as
managed nodes, polling occurs directly on the target server, and agents transmit encrypted data
to the SolarWinds Platform server.

Agentless

l Administrator rights to IIS servers are needed for configuration, but are not required for polling.
l Set up PowerShell on target servers in SAM.

Your organization should internally review and assess to what extent PowerShell is
incorporated into your environment. This is especially important when importing scripts
from third parties, including content posted by other customers in the SolarWinds online
IT community, THWACK. For details, see PowerShell security considerations.

l WinRM is enabled with a startup type of Automatic. See Enable remote access for PowerShell
with WinRM.
l AppInsight for IIS uses WinRM as the default polling method.

Supported OS and IIS versions include:

Microsoft OS IIS version

Windows Server 2008 IIS 7.0

Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 IIS 7.5

Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8 IIS 8.0

Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1 IIS 8.5

Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 IIS 10

Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 IIS 10

Port requirements (Agentless option only):

The IIS server must have the following TCP ports open on the managed nodes.

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Technology TCP port Notes

RPC Endpoint 135 Used to establish WMI/RPC connections to the remote computer.
Mapper RPC is required to gather performance counter data via the
ASP.NET resource.

WMI 1025 - 5000 or By default, Windows uses a random port from these ranges for
49152 - 65535 WMI communications. The default port range differs based on the
OS so you'll need to create a firewall exception on the remote
computer.

PowerShell 5986 A secure listener hosted in the WinRM service.

HTTP At least one If the connection is not allowed, the HTTP Monitor is hidden.
port is
included in the
site bindings.

HTTPS At least one If the connection is not allowed, the HTTPS Monitor is hidden.
port is
included in the
site bindings.

SSL At least one If the connection is not allowed, the SSL Certificate Expiration
port is Date Monitor is hidden.
included in the
site bindings.

SMB (Windows 445 Used for Site Directory Information and Log Directory Information.
Shares)

AppInsight For IIS and component-based licensing

Per the SAM licensing model, when using AppInsight for IIS in environments with component-based
licenses, 30 component monitors count against your licensed number of component monitors for
each IIS server you decide to monitor.

For example, if you have an active license for 1,500 component monitors and use AppInsight for IIS to
monitor 10 IIS servers, 300 component monitors count against your total license. The number of sites
and application pools you have on these servers is irrelevant.

(30 component monitors X 10 IIS servers = 300 component monitors used.)

This leaves you with 1,200 component monitors available for use elsewhere.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for IIS

(1,500 component monitors - 300 component monitors used for AppInsight for IIS = 1,200
component monitors remaining).

The example below illustrates a situation where 40 component monitors are available, but
surpassed the allowed number of 300 monitors by 60. The discrepancy is due to the fact that
AppInsight applications cannot be partially licensed, as is the case with typical applications.

Assign AppInsight for IIS to nodes in SAM

SAM offers several ways to add AppInsight for IIS to monitored nodes:
l During the Discovery process.
l For new nodes, use the Add Node wizard.
l For existing nodes, navigate to the Node Details view.

When you allow SAM to automatically configure target servers for AppInsight (a process also called
"Zero Config"), SAM runs custom PowerShell scripts on target servers to:
l Configure PowerShell execution policies.
l Create a self-signed certificate for AppInsight for IIS.]
l Enable the WinRM service to provide the SolarWinds Platform server with remote access to
target servers.
l Add a firewall rule to enable remote access by WinRM and WSMan services.
l Create a WinRM listener.

You can also configure AppInsight for IIS manually.

Due to the complexity of AppInsight templates, allow extra time for configuration to finish
when assigning to nodes.

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Use the Add Node wizard to set up AppInsight for IIS on a new node
1. Review AppInsight for IIS requirements and permissions.
2. Click Settings > All Settings > Add Node.
3. Complete the information on the Define Node step, and then click Next.
4. On the Choose Resources step in the Add Node Wizard, select AppInsight for IIS.
5. Click Next and complete the wizard as instructed.
6. Navigate to the SAM Summary page.
7. In the All Applications widget, expand the AppInsight for IIS tree view to display the new node.
8. Click Microsoft IIS to open the Configure IIS Server for Monitoring dialog box.

9. Enter Exchange credentials and click Configure Server to start the automated process. A
confirmation message appears when the process is complete.

If the node enters an Unknown state, check AppInsight for IIS requirements and
permissions for the target server.

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Add AppInsight for IIS to an existing node via the Node Details view
1. Navigate to the Node Details view for the node.
2. In the Management widget, click List Resources.

3. Select the Microsoft IIS check box and click Submit.

If the Microsoft IIS option does not appear, review AppInsight for IIS requirements and
permissions.

4. Navigate to the SAM Summary page.

5. In the All Applications widget, expand the AppInsight for IIS tree view to display the node.
6. Click Microsoft IIS to open the Configure IIS Server for Monitoring dialog box.

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7. Enter Exchange credentials, and then click Configure Server to start the automated process. A
confirmation message appears when the process is complete.

If the node enters an Unknown state, check AppInsight for IIS requirements and
permissions for the target server.

Edit the AppInsight for IIS template

The AppInsight for IIS application monitor template includes component monitors that collect data
from IIS servers in your environment.

If you modify the parent template, AppInsight application monitors already assigned to servers are
automatically updated to match. The primary reason to edit most AppInsight templates is to set
general configurations such as polling frequency, polling method, and thresholds for monitored
metrics before assigning templates to nodes.

Note the following details about editing this template:

l AppInsight templates includes component monitors with default settings that cannot be
modified due to dependencies.
l Disabled components do not impact the status of dynamic entities, or the status or applications
and nodes.
l You cannot add component monitors to AppInsight templates.

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Important: Changes at the template level impact all child application monitors that inherit
settings.

To edit the parent template, select it on the Manage Application Monitor Templates page and click
Edit to display component monitor details and make necessary changes. For details, see Edit a
template.

To remove an application monitor, see Remove a SAM application monitor from multiple nodes.

Disable dynamic component monitors

You can disable dynamic AppInsight for IIS components if a known issue in your environment (such
as a web server outage) will increase false-positive alerts and logs. You can also turn off components
that aren't important for your organization, to reduce polling loads.

You can disable most AppInsight for IIS component monitors at various levels:
l Edit the parent template to mute monitoring for components in child application monitors on
individual nodes.
l Edit an application monitor assigned to a specific node to mute component monitoring on that
node.
l Disable component monitors for a specific site or application pool being monitored by
AppInsight for IIS.

Due to the complexity of this template, you cannot disable the Application Pools and Worker
Process Statistic component monitors.

Manually configure AppInsight for IIS on target servers in SAM

SAM uses an automated configuration tool to add AppInsight for IIS to nodes during Discovery, or
when nodes are added via the Add Node wizard. If that tool fails or you want to manually configure
custom settings, permissions, and so on, follow these steps to set up AppInsight for IIS on target
servers.

Manual configuration is only recommended for experienced IIS administrators.

1. Review AppInsight for IIS requirements and permissions.

2. Set up PowerShell on target servers in SAM, if necessary.
3. Set the execution policy on target servers.
4. Create a self-signed certificate for AppInsight for IIS.
5. Create a firewall rule.

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6. Update WSMan limits for AppInsight for IIS.

7. Create a WinRM listener for AppInsight for IIS.
8. Use the Add New Application Monitors Wizard to assign AppInsight for IIS to the node. An
application monitor (also called an "application") is created for the node, based on the
AppInsight for IIS template. In the SolarWinds Platform Web Console, the default name
displayed for the application monitor is "Microsoft IIS."
9. Navigate to the Manage Assigned Application Monitors page, select the application monitor on
the node, and customize settings, as necessary.

Set up PowerShell on target servers in SAM

PowerShell is included in most versions of Windows Server but you can install it, if necessary. To
ensure that SAM can execute PowerShell commands against remote, target servers configured as
managed nodes, you'll need to verify that:
l PowerShell 5.1 is installed on target servers.
l WinRM is enabled. See Enable remote access for PowerShell with WinRM.
l The Startup Type is set to Automatic.

Depending on how it's used, PowerShell can make your deployment vulnerable to unauthorized
access. For details, see Use PowerShell in SAM.

An easy way to add PowerShell to a target server is to configure AppInsight for IIS on the node, which
you can do in several ways:
l For an existing node currently managed via WMI, click List Resources on the Node Details view
and select Microsoft IIS directly beneath AppInsight Applications. See Add AppInsight for IIS to
an existing node.
l For a new node added via the Add Node Wizard, you'll see the same Microsoft IIS option as
provided for existing nodes.
l For multiple nodes, you can:
o Assign AppInsight for IIS via Discovery.

o Add nodes to a group and assign the AppInsight for IIS template to the group on the

Manage Application Monitor Templates page.

Set the execution policy on target servers

For AppInsight, the Execution Policy needs to be set to RemoteSigned on target servers.

1. Open a PowerShell session in the Administrator context.

2. Enter the following command: Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

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Create a self-signed certificate for AppInsight for IIS

You can download a PowerShell script to create a self-signed certificate suitable for AppInsight for IIS
here. To execute it, right-click it in Windows Explorer, select Run with PowerShell, and use the
following parameters:
l IP address: Mandatory
l Certificate lifetime in days: Optional

You can run this script with the default arguments from the PowerShell console or specify each one.
In the following example, 192.168.2.69 is the IP address of the node to be monitored by AppInsight
for IIS and 3650 is 3,650 days (10 years).
& '.\Create self-signed certificate script.ps1' 192.168.2.69 3650

See also Update WSMan limits for AppInsight for IIS.

Your organization should internally review and assess to what extent PowerShell is
incorporated into your environment. This is especially important when importing scripts from
third parties, including content posted by other customers in the SolarWinds online IT
community, THWACK. To learn more, see PowerShell security considerations.

Create a firewall rule for AppInsight for IIS

SolarWinds offers a PowerShell script that you can use to create firewall rules for IIS, available here.
Download, unpack, and execute the script by right-clicking it and selecting, Run with PowerShell. The
following parameters apply:
l Without parameters: The rule is created with the default name, "Windows Remote Management
HTTP/SSL" for port 5986.
l With one parameter: Non-default custom port.
l With two parameters: Non-default custom port and rule name

Run this script with the default arguments from the PowerShell console or specify each one, as
shown in this example:
& '.\Add firewall rule.ps1' 5988 "My custom firewall rule name"

The default port for this rule is 5986 and does not need to be specified. Custom ports, as in the
example above that uses port 5988, must be specified.

Update WSMan limits for AppInsight for IIS

The WSMan provider for Windows PowerShell lets you add, change, clear, and delete WS-
Management configuration data on local or remote computers. SolarWinds provides a PowerShell
script to update the WSMan limits suitable for AppInsight for IIS, available for download here.

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To execute the script, right-click and select Run with PowerShell.

The following parameters apply:

l maxConcurrentUsersDefaultValue - Default value is 5
l maxShellsPerUserDefaultValue - Default value is 5
l maxMemoryPerShellMBDefaultValue - Default value is 150
l serviceRestartRequired - Default value is $false

You can run this script with the default arguments from the PowerShell console or specify each one.

For example:
& '.\Update WsMan Limits.ps1'

Additional helpful commands include:

l To view the WinRM configuration, use winrm get winrm/config
l To view WinRM HTTPS Listener settings, use winrm get
winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS
l To check if the server is listening to port 5986, use netstat -an | findstr "5986"
l To remove WinRM HTTPS Listener settings, use ​winrm delete
winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS

See also Create a self-signed certificate for AppInsight for IIS.

Disclaimer: Your organization should internally review and assess to what extent PowerShell is
incorporated into your environment. This is especially important when importing scripts from
third parties, including content posted by other customers in the SolarWinds online IT
community, THWACK. To learn more, see PowerShell security considerations.

Create a WinRM listener for AppInsight for IIS

When AppInsight for IIS is configured for target servers, port 5986 is used as the WinRM HTTPS
listening port, by default. If you receive an "HTTPS listener currently exists on port 5986" message,
follow these steps to switch the listening port to an available port.

1. To configure WinRM on an IIS server, open an elevated Windows PowerShell command prompt
and run PowerShell as an administrator.
2. Copy the following text to a text editor:
winrm create winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS @
{Port="5986";CertificateThumbprint="<Thumbprint value of
certificate>";​Hostname="<IP Address of Server>_Solarwinds_Zero_
Configuration"}

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This statement binds the certificate to the WinRM listener and uses the ("*") wildcard symbol for
Address to allow listening on all available local addresses. Syntax may vary based on usage
inside of PowerShell or the Administrative Command prompt.
Port is the port number for the listener. The default port for WinRM is 5986, but you can change
it, if necessary.
For <Thumbprint value of certificate>, paste the self-signed certificate thumbprint, without
spaces. See Retrieve the Thumbprint of a Certificate (© 2020 Microsoft Corp, available at
docs.microsoft.com, obtained on October 29, 2020.)

Important: Quotation mark characters (") can change during copying and pasting. Using a
text editor should prevent that from happening, but if you don't get the desired results,
check the quotation marks to make sure they did not change.

3. Copy the text, paste it into the PowerShell command line, and press Enter. Results should look
something like this:

4. To verify the configuration, type winrm get

winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS.

5. Press Enter.
Results should look something like this:

The following log file contains details about the WinRM configuration process:
C:\ProgramData\Solarwinds\Logs\APM\RunWinRMConfigurator.log

See also:
l Use PowerShell in SAM
l Troubleshoot application monitor polling with WinRM
l Create a WinRM HTTPS listener in SolarWinds Platform (Success Center)

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 Monitor with AppInsight for IIS

The scripts are not supported under any SolarWinds support program or service. The scripts are provided AS IS without
warranty of any kind. SolarWinds further disclaims all warranties including, without limitation, any implied warranties of
merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The risk arising out of the use or performance of the scripts and
documentation stays with you. In no event shall SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the creation, production, or delivery of
the scripts be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits,
business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the
scripts or documentation.

Find IIS URL settings for AppInsight for IIS

By default, AppInsight for IIS uses the following URL for the IIS and WinRM sessions, where ${IP} is
the IP address of the server node being added:
https://${IP}:5986/wsman/

Verify a server's WinRM PowerShell instance

1. Open a command prompt in the Run as Administrator context.

2. Type: winrm get winrm/config/listener?Address=*+Transport=HTTPS to get the
current configuration for the HTTPS protocol.

3. The Hostname must match the CN of the certificate listed in the Certificate Thumbprint

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 Monitor with AppInsight for IIS

property.

Alerts and reports for AppInsight for IIS

AppInsight for IIS includes three alerts:
l Restart Failed IIS Application Pool
l Restart Failed IIS Site
l Alert me when the Average Server Execution Time for any URL exceeds an acceptable limit

For alert details such as macros and variables, click here. See also Manage thresholds in SAM.

Reports available for use with AppInsight for IIS include:

l IIS SSL Certificate Expiration Report
l Site Connections Report
l Site Log Size by File
l Site Size by File

To learn more about alerts and reports in general, see Explore alerts and reports.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

Identify and troubleshoot performance issues for SQL Server databases and queries with AppInsight
for SQL, which provides visibility into over 100 metrics across all monitored SQL servers. Collected
metrics include read and write latency, index fragmentation, expensive queries based on CPU time,
SQL agent job status with logs, and resource consumption for CPU, memory, and drive space.

AppInsight for SQL is an AppInsight application that you can use to:
l Monitor SQL Server resource consumption, respond to alerts, and monitor expensive queries on
a single page.
l Investigate issues and performance trends without hunting through numerous views for SQL
servers.

AppInsight for SQL offers a level of detail far beyond what a SQL template can provide, allowing you
to monitor virtually every aspect of your SQL instances and databases. It can poll and report metrics
without using agents, directly accessing SQL servers using configured access permissions and
credentials via SNMP and WMI.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

When you assign AppInsight for SQL to a node, an application (also called an "application monitor")
based on the AppInsight for SQL template is created on the node. In the SolarWinds Platform Web
Console, the default name for the application is "MSSQLSERVER" but can be customized.

When SAM polls for metrics, the standard Node Details view is replaced by the SQL Server Application
Summary view that shows all SQL server instances monitored by AppInsight for SQL. To access that
view, click My Dashboards > Applications > SQL Server.

On the Application Summary view, click an instance to open its Application Details view. See also
Display AppInsight for SQL data in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console

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 Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

Note the following details about AppInsight for SQL:

l This feature is designed to monitor database instances on servers, not servers.
l Due to the complexity of AppInsight for SQL, allow extra time for configuration when assigning it
to nodes. Instances are enabled after the first polling cycle, which may take a few minutes.
l You can disable dynamic AppInsight for SQL components if a known issue (for example, high
index fragmentation of a database) generates false-positive alerts and logs. You can also
disable components that you don't need, to reduce polling loads. See Edit the AppInsight for
SQL template.

To get started with AppInsight for SQL:

l Review AppInsight for SQL requirements and permissions.
l Add AppInsight for SQL to nodes, which can represent:
o A named SQL instance, based on a server's Virtual IP (VIP) address, or

o A SQL cluster, such as those used for SolarWinds High Availability (HA).

Learn more

To learn more about AppInsight for SQL, see:

l AppInsight for SQL and component-based licensing
l AppInsight for SQL requirements and permissions
l Add AppInsight for SQL to nodes
o Use automation scripts to add AppInsight applications to nodes with the SolarWinds

Platform SDK
l Display AppInsight for SQL data in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console
l Add AppInsight for SQL to a named instance
l Use AppInsight for SQL to monitor an active SQL Server cluster
l Edit the AppInsight for SQL template
l Hide databases from AppInsight for SQL in the All Databases widget

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 Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

l Use the DPA Integration Module with SAM

l Work with AppInsight for SQL alerts
l Increase the number of AppInsight for SQL connections to speed polling

Want an application-centric perspective of database performance? See Integrate SAM with

SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer (DPA.)

AppInsight for SQL and component-based licensing

Per the SAM licensing model, when using AppInsight for SQL in an environment with a component-
based SAM license, 50 component monitors count against your licensed number of component
monitors per SQL instance.

AppInsight applications provide tremendous value within SAM while consuming a fixed number
component monitor licenses. However, they cannot be partially unlicensed because the way they
collect data differs significantly from traditional application monitor templates. You can disable some
components within AppInsight applications but that will not reclaim component monitor licenses
because AppInsight applications typically monitor far greater than 50 components.

For example, AppInsight for SQL monitors over 120 individual metrics even if there is only one
database running on the server. If you don't want to monitor certain metrics, remove the warning and
critical thresholds for those components by editing the application. You will not be alerted or notified
about those components again and the components will not appear in a warning or critical state in
the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

AppInsight for SQL requirements and permissions

AppInsight for SQL supports the following versions of Microsoft SQL Server:
l Microsoft SQL Server 2008, SP1, SP2, SP3
l Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2, SP1, SP2 SP3
l Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP1
l Microsoft SQL Server 2014
l Microsoft SQL Server 2014 SP1
l Microsoft SQL Server 2014 SP2
l Microsoft SQL Server 2014 SP4
l Microsoft SQL Server 2016
l Microsoft SQL Server 2016 SP1
l Microsoft SQL Server 2017
l Microsoft SQL Server 2019 (Windows only)
l Microsoft SQL Server 2022

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Although AppInsight for SQL does not require named pipes, it uses TCP connections to
discover SQL Server instances so you may see messages about named pipes that are triggered
when SAM connects to SQL Server.

AppInsight for SQL permissions

Following are required permissions for AppInsight for SQL. See also SAM port requirements.

Credentials used for monitoring requirements include:

l Administrator permission at the host level
l Be a member of the db_datareader role in the msdb database
l VIEW SERVER STATE permissions
l VIEW ANY DEFINITION permissions
l Connect permission to all databases, including Master and msdb
l Execute permission on the Xp_readerrorlog stored procedure

A domain users must be a member of the SQL server's local admin group.

Note the following details about monitoring:

l AppInsight for SQL supports SNMP and WMI protocols and uses SQL to gather application data.
Additional data is available for nodes managed via WMI.
l Administrator rights to SQL servers are needed for configuration, but are not required for polling
if you use the optional SolarWinds Platform Agent for Windows. When you deploy agents to
target servers, they are automatically registered with the SolarWinds Platform server as
managed nodes, polling occurs directly on the target server, and agents transmit encrypted data
to the SolarWinds Platform server.

SQL servers in clusters do not support SolarWinds Platform agent monitoring.

SQL account permissions

The following script configures permissions for a SQL account. You must connect to the SQL
database server as "sa" or equivalent to create an account.

This script updates the SolarWinds Platform database. Create a database backup before
running it.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

Scripts are not supported under any SolarWinds support program or service. The scripts are provided
AS IS without warranty of any kind. SolarWinds further disclaims all warranties including, without
limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The risk
arising out of the use or performance of the scripts and documentation stays with you. In no event shall
SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the creation, production, or delivery of the scripts be liable for any
damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business
interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to
use the scripts or documentation.

USE master
GRANT VIEW SERVER STATE TO [AppInsightUser]
GRANT VIEW ANY DEFINITION TO [AppInsightUser]
GRANT VIEW ANY DATABASE TO [AppInsightUser]
EXEC sp_adduser @loginame = 'AppInsightUser' ,@name_in_db = 'AppInsightUser'
GRANT EXECUTE ON xp_readerrorlog TO [AppInsightUser]
USE msdb
EXEC sp_adduser @loginame = 'AppInsightUser' ,@name_in_db = 'AppInsightUser'
EXEC sp_addrolemember N'db_datareader', N'AppInsightUser'

Windows Authentication

The following script configures permissions for a SQL account with Windows Authentication:

This script updates the SolarWinds Platform database. Create a database backup before
running it.

USE master
GRANT VIEW SERVER STATE TO "Domain\AppInsightUser"
GRANT VIEW ANY DEFINITION TO "Domain\AppInsightUser"
EXEC sp_adduser @loginame = 'Domain\AppInsightUser' ,@name_in_db =
'Domain\AppInsightUser'
GRANT EXECUTE ON xp_readerrorlog TO "Domain\AppInsightUser"
USE msdb
EXEC sp_adduser @loginame = 'Domain\AppInsightUser' ,@name_in_db =
'Domain\AppInsightUser'
EXEC sp_addrolemember N'db_datareader', N'Domain\AppInsightUser'
EXECUTE sp_MSforeachdb 'USE [?]; EXEC sp_adduser @loginame =
''Domain\AppInsightUser'', @name_in_db = ''Domain\AppInsightUser'''

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Domain account with SolarWinds Platform agent

To use a domain account with an SolarWinds Platform agent, the domain account needs to have “Log
on as a batch job” policy enabled for the default batch execution mode. Set this permission either
locally on the monitored SQL server or as a domain policy, which enforces the policy to all machines
within the domain.

This policy is only enabled for a LocalSystem account by default and explicitly needs to be
added for the domain account.

This user right is defined in the Default Domain Controller Group Policy object (GPO) and in the local
security policy of workstations and servers. The location for the policy is Computer
Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\User Rights Assignment.

Add AppInsight for SQL to nodes

After configuring credentials and permissions on target nodes, you can assign AppInsight for SQL to
SQL servers in several ways, including:
l Add SQL servers with the Discovery Wizard
l Add an SQL server with the Add Node wizard
l Apply the AppInsight for SQL template to an existing node

When you add AppInsight for SQL to a node, an application monitor (also called an "application")
based on the AppInsight for SQL template is added to the node. In the SolarWinds Platform Web
Console, the default name displayed for the application is "MSSQLSERVER."

SAM polls for metrics including read and write latency, index fragmentation, expensive queries (based
on CPU time), SQL agent job status with logs, capacity, and resource consumption for CPU, memory,
and drive space. To learn how to display monitored data, see Display AppInsight for SQL data in the
SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

Add SQL servers with the Discovery Wizard

AppInsight for SQL is tightly integrated into the Discovery Wizard. This allows you to easily scan an
entire subnet, group of subnets, IP address ranges, or a list of individual IP addresses, to quickly
discover hosts on your network and any SQL Server instances installed on those hosts. Regardless of
which method you choose, monitoring your SQL server instances is as easy as checking the box.

To use the Discovery Wizard to add AppInsight for SQL for monitoring:

1. Click Settings > Discovery Wizard.

2. In the Network panel, enter the IP addresses to scan and follow the onscreen instructions.

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3. On the Applications panel, select the servers that you want to monitor. Only nodes with
supported versions of Microsoft SQL appear.
4. Click Next and complete the wizard as instructed.
5. Navigate to the All Applications widget and click your AppInsight for SQL application.
The Enter Credentials page appears.

6. Enter your SQL credentials and select a port (or use default port).
7. Click Test to verify the credentials and configured permissions.
8. Click Assign Credential to save and complete configuration.

Due to the complexity of AppInsight for SQL, allow extra time for node assignment to finish.
Instances are enabled after the first polling cycle, which may take a few minutes.

Add an SQL server with the Add Node wizard

When added, you need to select the appropriate Microsoft SQL server version from the AppInsight
Applications list.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Add Node.

2. Enter the IP address or hostname for the SQL server. Select the polling method and continue.
3. On the Choose Resources panel of the Add Node wizard, check the appropriate AppInsight
Application for the SQL server you will monitor.

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4. Follow the onscreen instructions to select metrics to monitor, specify polling engines, and set
other options.
5. Review settings and click Add Node.
6. Navigate to the All Applications widget and click the AppInsight for SQL application.
The Enter Credentials page appears.

7. Enter your SQL credentials and select a port (or use the default port).
8. Click Test to verify the credentials and configured permissions.
9. Click Assign Credential to save and complete configuration.

Apply the AppInsight for SQL template to an existing node

For existing nodes, you can add AppInsight for SQL to a node by assigning the AppInsight for SQL
template to the node. See Assign templates to nodes manually to create application monitors.

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Display AppInsight for SQL data in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console
After AppInsight for SQL is added to nodes, SAM begins polling for metrics and the standard Node
Details view is replaced by the following views:
l SQL Server Application Summary view: Click My Dashboards > Applications > SQL Server to
display a list of all SQL server instances monitored by AppInsight for SQL. From here, you can
click an instance to open its Application Details view.

l AppInsight for SQL Application Details view: Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM
Summary. In the All Application widget, expand AppInsight for SQL, and then click an instance to
display the Application Details view.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

The SQL Server Application Summary view provides widgets you can use to monitor overall data for
all SQL servers including alerts, events, and consumed resources, including:
l All Applications view of all currently managed SQL servers as nodes, expandable to locate
specific nodes
l Active Application Alerts for specific alerts affecting SQL servers
l Top Processes by CPU Load, Physical Memory, Virtual Memory and more to gauge applications
consuming resources
l Top Monitored Processes by I/O Total Operations, Reads, and Writers for highest bandwidth
consumption, reads, and write latency

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Expand rows in the All Applications widget to drill down into details about performance counters and
status. Click a metric to learn more about it.

Click an instance to open its AppInsight for SQL Application Details view. The following example
shows an MSSQLSERVER instance in the SolarWinds Platform demo with a critical alert:

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The AppInsight for SQL Application Details view consolidates all data for the selected SQL server,
including:
l An AppStack view for troubleshooting, alerts, events, expensive queries, capacity usage, and
other metrics.
l A list of the top 10 expensive Queries by CPU time.
l WPM transaction monitor results, if SolarWinds Web Performance Monitor is installed.
l Database performance data, if SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is installed. See
also Use the DPA Integration Module with SAM.

To review database data in this view, select a database in the All Databases widget. The Database
Details view lists all databases on the node, alerts, AppStack, and more. To drill down to see
performance counter details in the AppInsight for SQL Application Details view, click a performance
counter in any widget.

To learn more about AppInsight for SQL, watch Deep Dive on using AppInsight Templates.

Add AppInsight for SQL to a named instance

In SQL Server, a named SQL instance is a SQL server given a name consisting of the network name of
the server plus the instance name specified during installation. To monitor named instances with
AppInsight for SQL, you need the Virtual IP (VIP) of the SQL server and the full name.

Before adding a server as a node, verify that credentials and permissions are configured on the
target SQL server.

To view monitored nodes, access the SQL Server page and specific SQL Server Details pages. See
Display AppInsight for SQL data in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console for details.

The instance becomes enabled after the first poll, which may take a few minutes.

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Locate the server's VIP address

If you do not know the VIP address, follow these steps to ping the server:

1. Open a command prompt.

2. Ping the server name: ping NAME.
3. Make note of the returned IP address so you can use it to add the server as a monitored node.

4. Close the command prompt.

Add the node manually with AppInsight for SQL

With the VIP, add the named SQL instance as a node for monitoring. These instructions manually add
the node. You can also use the Discovery Wizard. For details, see Add AppInsight for SQL to nodes.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Add Node.

2. Enter the VIP address for the SQL named instance for the Polling Hostname or IP Address.

3. Select a polling method, then select the polling engine for that node.
4. On the Choose Resources panel, select the instance to monitor.

5. Follow onscreen instructions to select metrics to monitor and specify polling engines.

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6. Review settings, and then click Add Node.

7. Navigate to the All Applications widget and click your AppInsight for SQL application.
The Enter Credentials screen displays.

8. Enter SQL credentials and port details.

9. Click Test to verify the credentials and configured permissions.
10. Click Assign Credential to save changes.

Use AppInsight for SQL to monitor an active SQL Server cluster

If your SAM environment includes clustered SQL servers, perhaps for High Availability purposes, you
can use AppInsight for SQL to monitor active cluster nodes via the Virtual IP address (VIP) that is
used to make a connection to SQL Server databases from client applications instead of using the
physical server name or physical IP address of the server.

Standard servers are added as nodes in the SolarWinds Platform with a specific IP address. For a
SQL Server cluster, add each server in the cluster as a node in the SolarWinds Platform, not just the
cluster object. Then assign AppInsight for SQL to the node that represents the Virtual IP address (VIP)
for the cluster, not the individual cluster members. After AppInsight is assigned, the cluster is
monitored by either WMI in legacy SAM or with WinRM in SAM.

Before you begin, review AppInsight for SQL requirements and note these details:
l The SolarWinds Platform agent for Windows is not supported for AppInsight for SQL for SQL
Server clusters. SQL clusters cannot be polled with domain credentials.

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l If using Discovery to detect clusters, SAM needs to communicate with the VIP, not the cluster
member IP address. During Discovery, SAM uses DNS resolving to verify the IP address for the
cluster. If the DNS process fails or times, AppInsight for SQL is not assigned to the node even if
the provided IP is the VIP. If that occurs, manually assign the AppInsight for SQL template to the
node instead.

To add AppInsight to an active SQL Server cluster, start by identifying the VIP for the cluster.

1. Use SQL Management Studio to connect to the instance that you want monitor .
2. Execute the following query to verify the target node and instance name:
SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('ServerName')

3. To determine the IP address of the target node, open a command prompt and ping the server.

Next, add nodes to the SolarWinds Platform and assign AppInsight for SQL.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Add Node.

2. Enter the IP address for the SQL cluster for the Polling Hostname or IP Address.
If the IP address represents a cluster, the node name of the active cluster member populates.

Tip: Edit the node name to be descriptive. For example, the name for this node could be
P111SQLV23 (cluster).

3. Select a polling method, then select the polling engine for that node.
4. In the Choose Resources step, select the AppInsight Application for the SQL server to monitor.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

5. Complete the wizard to add the node for monitoring. The instance is enabled after the first poll,
which may take a few minutes.
6. Navigate to the All Applications widget and click your AppInsight for SQL application to display
the Enter Credentials page.

7. Enter your SQL credentials and select a port (or use default port).
8. Click Test to verify the credentials and configured permissions.
9. Click Assign Credential to save and complete configuration.

SAM begins polling for metrics automatically. To learn how to view monitored data, see Display
AppInsight for SQL data in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

Edit the AppInsight for SQL template

The AppInsight for SQL template includes component monitors to provide data about monitored SQL
instances. If you modify these settings and configurations in the template, the details in AppInsight
application monitors already assigned to instances update to match.

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The primary reason to edit most SAM templates is to set general configurations such as polling
frequency and thresholds for monitored metrics before assigning templates to nodes.

Some component monitors in this template have default settings that cannot be modified due
to dependencies. Also, you cannot add component monitors to this template.

To edit the template, select it on the Manage Application Monitor Templates page, click Edit, and then
make necessary changes. To begin gathering metrics, assign the template to a SQL instance.

Disable dynamic component monitors

You can disable dynamic AppInsight for SQL component monitors if you know that an ongoing issue
(for example, high index fragmentation of a database) will increase false-positive alerts and logs. You
can also turn off components that aren't important for your organization, to reduce polling loads.

Disabled components do not impact the status calculation of dynamic entities, such as
SQL databases, nor do they impact application status or node status, as displayed in the
SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

You can disable AppInsight for SQL component monitors at various levels:
l Edit the parent template to mute monitoring for a component in child application monitors
assigned to individual nodes. Important: This change impacts all application monitors that
inherit template settings.
l Edit the application monitor assigned to a node to mute component monitoring on that node.

Note that the following components support related Top XX widgets, so they cannot be disabled.
l Database Files
l Top Tables for Database
l Top Indexes for Database.

Customize AppInsight for SQL monitoring

In addition to editing the template, there are many ways to customize AppInsight for SQL monitoring,
as described here.
l Customize widgets on the AppInsight for SQL Details page
l Set custom properties for a node
l Remove a database from an active AppInsight for SQL node
l Monitor with other SQL application monitor templates

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 Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

Customize widgets on the AppInsight for SQL Details page

With administrator privileges, you can change the widgets that appear on an AppInsight for SQL
Details page. Each widget provides data configuration and display options, consuming data provided
by the template application and component monitors. Click here for details.

Set custom properties for a node

You can also set custom properties for the AppInsight for SQL application monitor assigned to a
specific node.

1. Navigate to the AppInsight for SQL Details page for a node.

2. Click Edit Application Monitor in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
3. Edit the Application Monitor as necessary and click Select resources as needed, then click
Submit.

Consider adding the node ID in the Application Monitor Name field so you can easily identify
this monitor later.

Remove a database from an active AppInsight for SQL node

To remove a database from an active AppInsight for SQL node, unmanage the AppInsight application
monitor assigned to the node to halt polling and alerts. Navigate to the Node Details view, click
Unmanage in the Application Details widget, and specify an interval for the assigned application
monitor during which no statistics will be collected.

Alternatively, hide the database from AppInsight for SQL via the All Databases widget. See also Tips &
Tricks: Stop the Madness: Avoid alerts but continue to pull statistics.

Monitor with other SQL application monitor templates

If monitoring numerous database instances and AppInsight for SQL starts to impact overall
performance in your environment, consider using an MS SQL application monitor template to monitor
some instances instead.

1. Add the named instance as a standard node.

2. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Templates.
3. Select a SQL Server template and assign it to the node created in step 1.
4. Edit the individual application monitor created for the node when you assigned the template. For
example, you may want to define specific thresholds for various component monitors that
collect date from the instance.
5. Enter the SQL named instance for the SQL Server Instance.

Data captured through a template appears on the Node Details for monitored nodes.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

See also SQL Named Instance Monitoring in THWACK

Hide databases from AppInsight for SQL in the All Databases widget
These steps do not "unmanage" the database. They hide the database from appearing in the All
Databases widget, but the SolarWinds Platform will continue alerting on the database. To
prevent a database from triggering alerts, unmanage the database on the Database Details
page's Management widget instead.

Follow these steps to prevent databases from appearing in the All Databases widget that is part of
AppInsight for SQL.

1. Navigate to the Management widget on the Database Details page and confirm that the
database is currently being managed.
2. Navigate to the AppInsight for SQL Details page for your SQL instance.
3. Record the last few digits of the applicationID in the browser URL. You'll need it for a later step.
Example: http://Solarwinds/Orion/APM/SqlBlack...NetObject=ABSA:168
4. On the SolarWinds Platform server, open Database Manager by clicking Start > All Programs >
SolarWinds Orion > Advanced Features > Database Manager
5. When the application loads, click Add Default Server
6. Expand the SolarWinds Platform Database to view tables for installed SolarWinds applications.
7. Locate the table 'APM_SqlBbDatabase'
8. Run the following query:
SELECT TOP 1000 * FROM [dbo].[APM_SqlBbDatabase] where applicationId = 168

9. Update the ApplicationID to match your Application ID you recorded during step 3.
10. Click "Enable table editing" above the Query text box.
11. Clear the check box in the Visible column for each database you want to hide in the All
Databases widget on the AppInsight for SQL Details page.
12. Click 'Enable table editing' again to finish the editing session.

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 Monitor with AppInsight for SQL

Use the DPA Integration Module with SAM

If your environment includes both SAM and SolarWinds Data Performance Analyzer (DPA), you can
use the DPA Integration Module (DPAIM) to:
l Visualize DPA data in AppStack.
l Establish relationships between applications monitored by SAM and database instances
monitored by DPA.
l Leverage SAM application monitor templates for DPA monitoring.

With SAM, you can monitor resources and other health aspects of a database, as well as track how
long queries take to execute. If queries are slow, you can use DPA to track what is happening within
the DBMS. For example, is it waiting on I/O, CPU, VM scheduling, or is it blocked by another query?
With this knowledge, you can resolve the problem instead of just knowing you have a slow query.

DPAIM is automatically installed with SAM, but is not active until it's configured. See Set up the
DPA Integration Module.

To learn more, see:

l View DPA data in the SolarWinds Platform
l DPA and SAM integration with DPAIM
l SQL Server Two Ways: SAM AppInsight for SQL and Database Performance Analyzer

Work with AppInsight for SQL alerts

AppInsight for SQL includes two predefined alerts:
l Alert me when my database file disk I/O latency is high
l Alert me when my database file is running low on space

To learn more about using alerts, see the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide or watch
Automating Alert Trigger Actions.

Increase the number of AppInsight for SQL connections to speed polling

Boost the speed of AppInsight for SQL polling by increasing the number of SQL connection pools
used by the Main Polling Engine or individual Additional Polling Engines (APEs). Up to five
connections are supported.

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 Use automation scripts to add AppInsight applications to nodes with the SolarWinds

To increase the number of connections used by AppInsight for SQL polling:

1. Log in to the polling engine.

2. Navigate to the default installation folder: C:\Program Files
(x86)\SolarWinds\Orion\APM\

3. In a text editor, open SolarWinds.APM.Probes.dll.config

4. Change MaxPoolSize to any number, 1—5.
5. (Optional) Adjust the ConnectTimeout setting; the default is 60 seconds.
6. Save your changes.
7. Use the SolarWinds Platform Service Manager to restart the JobEngine service on the polling
engine.

If the following message appears in the Database Details widget on the SQL Database - Summary
page, adjust MaxPoolSize and ConnectTimeout settings:
No valid date was received. Timeout expired. The timeout period elapsed
prior to obtaining a connection from the pool. This may have occurred
because all pooled connections were in use and max pool size was reached.

Use automation scripts to add AppInsight applications to

nodes with the SolarWinds Platform SDK
This section describes to use PowerShell scripts to add AppInsight applications to nodes via the
SolarWinds Platform Software Development Kit (SDK), enabling you to configure large environments
quickly via automation scripts provided by SolarWinds. This is a quick alternative to adding
AppInsight templates via Discovery, or manually assigning templates in SAM.

The SolarWinds Platform SDK is a set of tools that you can use to interface with the SolarWinds
Information Service (SWIS) that supports communication between the SolarWinds Platform server,
the SolarWinds Platform database, SolarWinds Platform modules like SAM and NPM, and Additional
Polling Engines. As a data access layer for the SolarWinds Platform, SWIS allows for higher-level
operations than would be allowed when making changes in SQL.

New to the SolarWinds Platform SDK and API? Read Intro to API, SDK, & SWQL on THWACK, or
watch Orion SDK 101: Intro to PowerShell and the Orion API.

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 Use automation scripts to add AppInsight applications to nodes with the SolarWinds

Published on GitHub, some ways to use the SolarWinds Platform SDK with SAM include monitoring
metrics with API pollers and managing custom properties. For many years, the SDK has included the
CreateApplication SWIS verb that you can use to add SAM application monitor templates to
nodes, as described in the OrionSDK wiki and THWACK. However, that verb did not support complex
AppInsight templates in earlier releases.

You can use CreateApplication to add the following templates to nodes:

l AppInsight for Active Directory
l AppInsight for Exchange
l AppInsight for IIS
l AppInsight for SQL

Click here to download a ZIP file with related AppInsight scripts, plus a script to add the Windows
Scheduled Tasks Monitor (WSTM).

In scripts, APM refers to the original name for SolarWinds SAM, which is still used in database
columns and fields.

Although automation scripts can speed the configuration of large environments, you still need to
verify that target nodes meet template requirements, per the SAM Application Monitor Template
Reference. For example, to add AppInsight for Active Directory to a node, you'll need specific details,
such as:
l LDAP port
l Global Catalog (GC) port
l Encryption method
l Authentication method

When you execute a PowerShell script from the command line or the PowerShell Integrated Scripting
Environment (ISE), the script invokes the CreateApplication verb and passes parameters such as
credentials, node ID, and application template ID to the SolarWinds Platform SDK.

Scripts include annotations about the actions and variables involved. For example, if you set
credentialsSetID to 0, the script prompts for credentials each time it runs; use 3 to inherit
credentials from WMI nodes, or 4 to inherit credentials from the parent template.

Note the following details about these automation scripts:

l Scripts do not support template assignment to groups of nodes. Use the SolarWinds Platform
Web Console instead, as described in Assign a SAM application monitor template to groups of
nodes.

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 Use automation scripts to add AppInsight applications to nodes with the SolarWinds

l For AppInsight for Active Directory, the script doesn't disable LDAP domain components by
default, but you can use the DisableDomainComponents verb on the
Orion.APM.ActiveDirectory.Application entity, if necessary. To learn more, see Advanced setting
options.

Depending on how it's used, PowerShell can make your deployment vulnerable to unauthorized
access. For details, see Use PowerShell in SAM.

The scripts are not supported under any SolarWinds support program or service. The scripts
are provided AS IS without warranty of any kind. SolarWinds further disclaims all warranties
including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or of fitness for a
particular purpose. The risk arising out of the use or performance of the scripts and
documentation stays with you. In no event shall SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the
creation, production, or delivery of the scripts be liable for any damages whatsoever (including,
without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business
information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the scripts or
documentation.

AppInsight automation script requirements

l Use an account with SolarWinds Platform Administrator rights.
l Review template requirements:
o AppInsight for Active Directory
o AppInsight for Exchange
o AppInsight for IIS
o AppInsight for SQL
o Windows Scheduled Tasks Monitor (WSTM)
l Verify that PowerShell 4.0 or later is installed.
o To determine the current version, use this command:

$PSVersionTable.PSVersion
o Add the SwisSnapin by running the following Add-PSSnapin cmdlet:
Add-PSSnapin -Name SwisSnapin
o For details, see SolarWinds Platform SDK PowerShell.

Depending on how it's configured, PowerShell can make your deployment vulnerable to
unauthorized access. Your organization should internally review and assess to what
extent PowerShell scripts are incorporated into your environment. See also PowerShell
security considerations.

l Download automation scripts from GitHub.

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 Use automation scripts to add AppInsight applications to nodes with the SolarWinds

l Install the SolarWinds Platform SDK, if necessary.

o Download the OrionSDK.msi installer from GitHub. Run the installer and complete the

setup wizard.
o Documentation is available at github.com/solarwinds/OrionSDK/wiki. See also Learn the

basics of using the SolarWinds Platform SDK in PowerShell.

o (Recommended) Back up your SolarWinds Platform database frequently.

o The SolarWinds Platform SDK includes a SWQL Studio tool for validating queries and data.

SolarWinds Query Language (SWQL —rhymes with "pickle") is a proprietary, read-only

subset of SQL that you can use to query your SolarWinds Platform database for specific
network information.
o (Recommended) Use PowerShell 5.0 or later to interact with the SolarWinds Platform SDK.

o For assistance with the SDK, refer to the SDK forum in THWACK.

The SolarWinds Platform SDK is a powerful tool that can impact SolarWinds Platform
data. Users should be well-versed in SQL queries with a background in programming.
SolarWinds does not provide pre- or post-Sales support on any SolarWinds Platform SDK
customizations, including code. Experiment with the SolarWinds Platform SDK in a non-
production instance of SolarWinds Platform. Do not run untested PowerShell scripts
against a production instance.

Execute AppInsight automation scripts

After downloading automation scripts and verifying requirements, execute scripts either directly from
the command line or from the PowerShell ISE. Provide required data, as prompted.

Due to the complexity of AppInsight for Exchange and AppInsight for IIS, extra steps (known as
"Zero Config") are required on target servers, such as setting PowerShell execution policies or
adding firewall rules for WinRM.

The exch_create and iis_create scripts include options (shouldConfigureIISServer and

shouldconfigureExchangeServer, respectively) that are set to True, by default. When you
run either script, two SWIS verbs are invoked on target servers:
l ScheduleConfiguration launches the Zero Config process.
l GetConfigurationResult summarizes changes that occurred.

Allow several minutes for configuration to finish. To confirm that scripts ran successfully, click
Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Manage Application Monitors. On the Manage Assigned
Application Monitors page, switch to the Assign Application Monitors tab.

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring into SAM

Integrate AppOptics monitoring into SAM

SolarWinds AppOptics is a SaaS-delivered product that you can integrate into your SAM environment
in various ways to extend your application and service monitoring capabilities. For example, you can
monitor AppOptics services within SAM, or add AppOptics to nodes already being monitored by
AppInsight for IIS to cross-reference application, server, and infrastructure metrics for IIS services
side-by-side in the same dashboard.

SAM can be integrated with the standalone version of AppOptics, or the version that is combined with
the following APM solutions in the APM Integrated Experience:
l SolarWinds Loggly brings logs from the depths of your entire infrastructure into one place where
you can track activity and analyze trends.
l SolarWinds Pingdom can be used to proactively monitor your web applications, APIs, and
networks through a combination of synthetic monitoring and Real User Monitoring (RUM).

Topics in this section include:

l Monitor APM services in SAM

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 AppOptics integration requirements

l Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes.

This section also describes:

l AppOptics integration requirements
l How to Retrieve a SolarWinds Cloud Token to integrate AppOptics with SAM

AppOptics integration requirements

This section describes requirements for two ways to integrate SAM with AppOptics, either as a
standalone product or as combined with Loggly and Pingdom in the APM Integrated Experience:
l Monitor APM services in SAM
l Monitor IIS nodes also being monitored by AppInsight for IIS

Both types of integrations require:

l SolarWinds Platform administrator privileges, and
l A SolarWinds Cloud Token for an active AppOptics organization. See Retrieve a SolarWinds
Cloud Token to integrate AppOptics with SAM

SolarWinds Cloud Tokens are sometimes called AppOptics API tokens.

Additional requirement to monitor APM services in SAM:

l Add a SolarWinds Cloud Token with a Full Access role, as configured in AppOptics.

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 Retrieve a SolarWinds Cloud Token to integrate AppOptics with SAM

Additional requirements to integrate AppOptics with AppInsight for IIS nodes include:
l Assign AppInsight for IIS to nodes in SAM.
l Add an AppOptics API token with a View Only role, as configured in AppOptics.

This type of integration is not compatible with FIPS mode. If FIPS is enabled on the
SolarWinds Platform server, SAM stops retrieving AppOptics metrics for AppInsight
IIS nodes.

Retrieve a SolarWinds Cloud Token to integrate AppOptics

with SAM
To support integration with AppOptics and the APM Integrated Experience, SAM sends API requests
via HTTPS to retrieve data that is displayed in SAM. Each request requires an API token, also called a
SolarWinds Cloud Token.

This section describes how to retrieve tokens if you want to:

l Monitor APM services in SAM.
l Create an API poller to monitor metrics via the AppOptics API.
l Use the SolarWinds AppOptics Monitored Services API poller template.
l Add SolarWinds Cloud Tokens on the Manage Credentials page.
l Integrate AppOptics with an IIS node.

Click here to learn how to create tokens for the AppOptics API. Each token can have a different
role that provides access to specific API endpoints. For example, a View Only token provides
read-only access.

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 Retrieve a SolarWinds Cloud Token to integrate AppOptics with SAM

To retrieve a SolarWinds Cloud Token to use in SAM:

1. Log in to AppOptics or the APM Integrated Experience.

2. To display a list of available tokens:
l If using the standalone version of AppOptics, click Settings > API Tokens.
l In the APM Integrated Experience, click Settings -> Metric Settings -> API Tokens.

3. Click the token you want to use.

l To display AppOptics data on the APM Services page, a Full Access token is required.
l To integrate AppOptics with nodes monitored by AppInsight for IIS, the minimum
requirement is a View Only token with read-only permissions.
4. On the Edit API Token page, click the clipboard icon to copy a token to the Windows Clipboard.

5. Return to SAM and paste the token into the relevant field. The following figure shows where to
paste a token when configuring APM service monitoring in SAM.

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 Monitor APM services in SAM

This figure shows where to paste a token when adding AppOptics to an IIS node.

Monitor APM services in SAM

If your SAM environment includes the standalone version of AppOptics or the APM Integrated
Experience that combines AppOptics with Loggly and Pingdom, you can connect monitor the status
of AppOptics services directly within SAM.

To get started, click My Dashboards > APM Services.

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 Monitor APM services in SAM

If credentials for a specific tenant were already added, related services appear in 10 to 20 seconds,
depending on how many services are retrieved. To add credentials for a new tenant, or switch to a
different tenant, see Configure APM service monitoring in SAM.

With proper AppOptics credentials and SolarWinds Platform account rights, the APM Services page
displays the following data:
l Service name: Each service is represented by a row with a status icon. Status is calculated
based on error rates, as polled by SAM via the AppOptics API every 15 minutes, by default.
Thresholds are not involved in status calculations.
o Red exclamation point: Error rate is greater than zero. These services appear first in the
sort order, by default.
o Green check mark: Error rate is zero or null.
o Gray question mark: SAM can detect the service but no data is available so the status is
Unknown. Click the Nodes link in the service row, then click Monitor to launch the Add
Node wizard.

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l Nodes: The quantity of nodes associated with the service, which corresponds to the Service
host count in AppOptics.
l SAM uses MAC and IP addresses to match nodes to services. External and ICMP nodes do not
provide that data, so they are excluded from this count.
l Average response time: How long it took for a service to respond, in milliseconds (ms).
l Average requests: The average number of requests served by the AppOptics API.
l Error rate: The number of HTTP (5xx) errors that occurred for requests served by the AppOptics
API.

Information on the APM Services page in SAM should mirror data displayed on the AppOptics >
Services page. However, discrepancies may occur because SAM and AppOptics poll data
independently of each other.

When services appear on the APM Services page, you can:

l Click Full Data View to launch the AppOptics Services Overview page (1) in the main AppOptics
product or the APM Integrated Experience.

Depending on if you're already logged in to AppOptics or the APM Integrated experience,

and if you have rights to view data, you may be prompted to log in to display data for the
services shown in SAM. To display services for a different tenant, log in with related
credentials.

l Access more data in each row that represents a service:

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 Monitor APM services in SAM

o Click a service link to view metrics in a PerfStack dashboard where you can save, export,
or share data (2).
o Click a Nodes link to open the related Node Details view (3).
To add a node for a service, click Monitor to launch the Add Node wizard (4).
o Click the View in AppOptics icon to display service details in AppOptics or the
APM Integrated Experience (5).

Related metrics also appear in the AppOptics APM Services widget on the SAM Summary
page. Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary.

See also:
l AppOptics integration requirements
l Configure APM service monitoring in SAM
l Troubleshoot APM service monitoring

Configure APM service monitoring in SAM

To monitor APM services in SAM, you'll need a SolarWinds Cloud Token that authenticates access to
the AppOptics API for a specific tenant. After a token is added, data appears on the APM Services
page. To display services for a different tenant, add a different token linked to a different tenant.

Before proceeding, note the following details:

l SolarWinds Cloud Tokens are also called AppOptics credentials or AppOptics API tokens.
l You can use either:
o AppOptics credentials added on the APM Services page, as described here, or

o SolarWinds Cloud Tokens added on the Manage Credentials page.

l Tokens require a Full Access role, as configured in AppOptics.

Tokens are sent to the SolarWinds Platform via HTTP with plain text, instead of HTTPS.
Consider adding tokens by logging in to the SolarWinds Platform directly.

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 Monitor APM services in SAM

To get started:

1. Click My Dashboards > APM Services.

2. If no AppOptics credentials were provided yet, the following dialog box appears. Click Configure.

If at least one set of credentials was already added, the APM Services page displays services.
To switch to a different tenant and display a different set of services and metrics, click
Configure AppOptics Credentials.

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 Monitor APM services in SAM

3. In the Configure AppOptics Credentials dialog box, select existing credentials or click New to
add credentials. See Retrieve a SolarWinds Cloud Token to integrate AppOptics with SAM.

Click Save to return to the APM Services page. Wait 10 to 20 seconds for the APM Services
page to refresh. If issues occur, see Troubleshoot APM service monitoring.
4. For each service, click the Nodes Count link to determine which nodes are related to a service
and if they're already being monitored, as indicated by the status icon.
l Green check mark: The service is already being monitored on a node in SAM. Click the
node hyperlink to display the Node Details view.
l Red exclamation point: The service is monitored, but is in a Critical or Down state.

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 Monitor APM services in SAM

l Gray question mark: The service is not yet associated with a node. Click Monitor to launch
the Add Node wizard.

Troubleshoot APM service monitoring

This topic describes issues you may encounter when monitoring APM services in SAM. You can also
refer to AppOptics documentation, as well as search the Success Center and THWACK for
information.

Issue Solution

APM services do not l Make sure you're using the latest version of SAM.
appear l Wait 10 to 20 seconds for data to load, depending on the number of
services involved.
l Log in to AppOptics or the APM Integrated Experience and navigate
to AppOptics > Organization Settings to:
o Check service activity, and

o Verify that the API token is still valid and has a Full Access role.

l Review Configure APM service monitoring in SAM.

l Examine Advanced Configuration settings to verify that AppOptics
polling is enabled. Scroll to the AppOptics.Settings section and
select the AppOpticsApmServices Enabled check box, if necessary.

Some nodes are SAM can detect the service but only retrieves data for APM services
represented by a gray associated with SAM nodes. Click the Nodes link in the service row, then
icon with a question click Monitor to launch the Add Node wizard.
mark.

Metrics on the APM If you compare data on the APM Services page in SAM with data on the
Services page do not AppOptics > Services page, you may notice discrepancies due to the
match metrics difference in polling times between the two products.
displayed for the same
service in AppOptics.

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

The Nodes value on the SAM uses MAC and IP addresses to match nodes to services. External and
APM Services page in ICMP nodes do not provide that data, so they are excluded from the count.
the SolarWinds
Platform Web Console
does not match the
Service host count in
AppOptics.

The Configure This option only appears on the APM Services page if you're logged in as
AppOptics Credentials an SolarWinds Platform administrator. Contact your SolarWinds Platform
link is missing on the administrator, if necessary.
APM Services page

Cannot find alerts APM alerting is not handled within the SolarWinds Platform Web Console
Use Metric Alerts in AppOptics instead.

Cannot find an API key If you have access to APM, you can find API tokens on the API Tokens tab
in Organization Settings. The service key (used for APM) is comprised of a
write-enabled token and the name of the instrumented service and takes
the format of <api-token>:<service-name>.

APM service data takes Data takes more time to load because it is loaded via a proxy. The query is
a long time to load in passed to the AppOptics API; data is not stored locally.
PerfStack

Unknown error Verify the API token and reenter it, if necessary. See Configure APM
service monitoring in SAM.

Examine logs in C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\SAM.AppOptics.

Review the AppOptics.Settings section of Advanced Configuration

settings, on the Global tab.

Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

If your environment includes SAM and SolarWinds AppOptics, you can integrate those products to
add an extra layer of information to nodes already being monitored by AppInsight for IIS, enabling you
to:
l Gain a code-level look into your AppInsight for IIS applications.
l Monitor the performance of custom IIS-based, .NET applications.
l Cross-reference application, server, and infrastructure metrics side-by-side in the same
dashboard.

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

l Check the status of application stacks and see how tiers of applications interact with each
other.
l Determine which databases and users that applications send information to.
l Identify if issues are network-, server-, or application-related so you can route them to the right
team.

You can integrate SAM with either the standalone version of AppOptics, or the APM Integrated
Experience that combines AppOptics with Loggly and Pingdom.

Here are some benefits of integrating AppOptics with IIS nodes monitored in SAM:

Functionality SAM AppOptics

Custom application performance monitoring

Deep application performance visualization and tracing

Application dependency mapping

Collect Hyper-V and ESX health and performance metrics

Server volume monitoring and capacity planning

Server hardware health and performance monitoring

Built-in alerts and reporting

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

After adding AppOptics to an IIS node, visualizations of key metrics — such as a breakdown of
response time into applications, remote calls, and database queries — appear on the subview of the
IIS Application Pool Details page, as shown in this example.

Add AppOptics to an IIS node monitored by AppInsight in SAM

This section describes how to add AppOptics service monitoring to a node being monitored by
AppInsight for IIS and extend your IIS monitoring capabilities, as described in Integrate AppOptics
monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes.

For a quick overview, watch this video.

Before proceeding, note the following details:

l You can integrate one SAM node with either the standalone version of SolarWinds AppOptics, or
the APM Integrated Experience that combines AppOptics with SolarWinds Loggly and
SolarWinds Pingdom.
l The first time you integrate an IIS node with AppOptics, you'll be prompted to either:
o Create an AppOptics account, or
o Provide credentials for an active AppOptics organization.
l AppOptics API tokens are also called SolarWinds Cloud Tokens.

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

l This feature is not supported on nodes monitored via SolarWinds Platform Remote Collectors.

When you add AppOptics to a node, IIS services restart and related websites go down.

To integrate AppOptics with an IIS node for the first time:

1. Review AppOptics integration requirements.

2. Navigate to Settings > All Settings.
3. Under Product Specific Settings, click AppOptics Settings.
4. On the AppOptics Settings page, click Add.

5. When the Add an Integration wizard appears, click Create a new account.

If you have an existing AppOptics or APM Integrated Experience account, click Go to

AppOptics Login and Retrieve a SolarWinds Cloud Token to integrate AppOptics with
SAM.

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

6. On the Log In page:

a. Provide account details.
b. Click Sign Up.
The SolarWinds Platform generates a unique API token -- also called a SolarWinds Cloud
Token -- that provides access to AppOptics data and adds it to the SolarWinds Platform
database.

7. On the Select Nodes page, select the IIS node and click Deploy.

If no node appears, check that AppInsight for IIS is set up correctly on the target server.
See Configure AppInsight for IIS on nodes and Troubleshooting AppInsight for IIS.

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

SAM deploys AppOptics agents to the node and IIS services restart. Related websites go down. After
a few minutes, AppOptics performance metrics appear in relevant SAM widgets such as Top IIS
Pools.

Use the AppOptics subview in SAM

For IIS pools on nodes integrated with SolarWinds AppOptics, an extra subview is accessible from the
AppInsight for IIS Application Pools Details page. Hover over the left menu and click the Subview icon
to display the following default widgets:
l Average Response Time
l HTTP (5xx) Error Rate
l HTTP Methods
l HTTP Status Codes
l Requests per second

Within these widgets, you can:

l Hover over points on graphs to display specific information.
l Click the time period hyperlink to select a different range (for example, the Last 12 hours) or

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

configure a specific time and date range. Graphs show data for the last hour, by default.

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

Click Full Data View at the top of the subview to open a browser and log in to SolarWinds AppOptics
to display additional data, as shown in the following example:

To learn more about using AppOptics, click here.

Remove AppOptics from IIS nodes in SAM

When you remove AppOptics integration from a node in SAM, the SolarWinds Platform:
l Uninstalls the AppOptics agent from the node,
l Removes the agent listing from the SolarWinds Platform database,
l Removes the AppOpticsInstrumentation module from the IIS server, and
l Restarts Microsoft IIS services.

When IIS services restart on the node, related websites go offline temporarily.

To remove AppOptics integration from a node:

1. Navigate to Settings > All Settings.

2. Under Product Specific Settings, click AppOptics Settings.
3. On the AppOptics Settings page, select the nodes for which you want to remove from
AppOptics.

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

4. Click Delete.

If you receive exception errors about loading the AppOptics.Agent file or assembly on the IIS
server after removing AppOptics integration, you may need to remove the
AppOpticsinstrumentation module from the server in IIS Manager. See Troubleshoot AppOptics
integrations with IIS nodes in SAM.

Troubleshoot AppOptics integrations with IIS nodes in SAM

Following are troubleshooting tips for issues you may encounter when integrating AppOptics with
AppInsight for IIS nodes.

For example, if you're adding AppOptics to a node, but an expected node does not appear in the
Integration wizard, check if:
l The node is set up for AppInsight for IIS. See Configure AppInsight for IIS on nodes and
Troubleshoot AppInsight for IIS.
l The node is polled by an SolarWinds Platform Remote Collector (ORC), which is not supported
by AppInsight for IIS.
l FIPS mode is enabled on the SolarWinds Platform server. The AppOptics integration is not
compatible with FIPS mode. For existing integrations, SAM stops retrieving metrics from the
AppOptics API.

The following table includes more tips. You can also search in the Success Center or THWACK.

Issue Description Solution

Agent Error deploying the Check the AppOptics agent logs stored in
failure AppOptics agent. C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\Remoting.

Internal Error accessing the Redeploy the AppOptics agent on the Manage Agents page.
error SolarWinds Platform
database, which may
occur if agent
deployment fails.

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

Package The AppOptics agent Run the SolarWinds Platform Configuration Wizard. Verify the
does not package was not agent package is in the default location,
exist found. \Orion\Remoting\RemoteExecutionPackage\SAM.AppOp
tics.

Timeout Installation took too Examine logs in these locations:

long.
l C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\SAM.AppOptic
s
l C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\Remoting.

Install error Error during remote Examine logs in

installation of the C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\Remoting
AppOptics agent.

Failed to Error copying files Examine logs in

copy files from SolarWinds C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\Remoting
Platform server to the
target server.

Missing Admin share on target Enable an Admin share on the target server.
admin server is disabled.
1. Ensure that the SolarWinds Platform server and the
share
target server belong to the same Workgroup.
2. Specify which user(s) can access Administrator Shares
(Disk Volumes).
3. Enable File and Print Sharing through the Windows
firewall.
4. Check to see if you can access the Admin share from
another computer.
5. Add AppInsight for IIS to the node via the Node Details
view, or run the Discovery Wizard.

Access Unauthorized access Examine logs in

denied to the target server. C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\Remoting

Unknown Possible invalid Verify the API token. Reenter if necessary. Examine logs in
error API token or another these locations:
unrecognized error.
l C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\SAM.AppOptic
s
l C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\Remoting.

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 Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS nodes

No WMI WMI on the target Enable WMI polling on the target server.
support server is disabled, or
the target server is
turned off.

App Pool No application pools Check that AppInsight for IIS is configured correctly on the
Error exist on the IIS server. target server. See Configure AppInsight for IIS on nodes and
Troubleshoot AppInsight for IIS.

IIS website A Could not load Follow steps in Uninstall the Agent. If that does not work, try
error file or assembly this workaround:
'AppOptics.Agent,
Version=x.x,
1. Start IIS Manager:
Culture=neutral, 2. Click the computer name of your IIS server.
PublicKeyToken=xx
x' or one of its 3. Click the Modules icon in the IIS category.
dependencies. The 4. Select the AppOpticsInstrumentation module, and then
system cannot find click Remove.
the file specified
message appears if 5. Restart IIS services.
SAM could not remove
If exception errors continue after removing the
AppOptics from the
AppOpticsInstrumentation module from the IIS server,
server.
remove the module from the website also.

AppOptics When you integrate Make sure the service name for the AppOptics integration in
data does AppOptics with an SAM matches the service name used in AppOptics. For
not appear IIS node, SAM details about service names, see AppOptics documentation.
in the generates a service
SolarWinds name (for example, If FIPS mode is enabled on the SolarWinds Platform
Platform microsoft-iis-2- server, SAM stops displaying AppOptics metrics.
Web solarwinds-orion-
Console application-pool).

If you change the

service name (also
called a "service key")
in AppOptics later, the
connection breaks.

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 Monitor application dependencies in SAM

Monitor application dependencies in SAM

SAM's Application Dependencies feature provides a holistic view of application and server
connections, expanding monitoring by detecting how applications and servers interact with each
other.

You can use data gathered during Application Dependencies polling to:
l Understand which applications, application processes, and servers connect to each other.
l Ensure that the most important data for specific applications is monitored.
l Identify unmonitored applications and processes that require attention.
l Leverage latency and packet loss metrics to determine if an issue is caused by an application or
the network.

This contextual visibility of relationships between applications and nodes, which represent physical or
virtual servers, can reduce troubleshooting time. For example, instead of searching through various
application monitors and their component monitors to determine why an application is slow, you can
navigate to the Application Connections widget to pinpoint the source of an issue.

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 Monitor application dependencies in SAM

To provide a more granular picture of application dependencies, the Connection Details page shows
processes and ports for connections, plus server and application status, as well as latency and packet
loss statistics. This page shows the entire communication stack from one server to another, with
individual nodes representing servers.

With the Application Dependencies feature, you can see where and how servers communicate with
each other without contacting various teams to get information. You can use it to identify established
connections and provide perspectives into the connections themselves. For troubleshooting,
determine if application performance issues are due to a server issue on one side or the other, or if
issues relate to communication between the two servers.

To get started with this feature, review requirements and enable it in your environment.

Watch this video for an overview about Application Dependencies.

Additional topics in this section include:

l How the Application Dependencies feature in SAM works
l Application Dependencies requirements in SAM
l Configure Application Dependencies settings in SAM
l Display application dependency data in SAM
l Manage polling for application dependencies
l Troubleshoot application dependency issues in SAM

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 How the Application Dependencies feature in SAM works

How the Application Dependencies feature in SAM works

Depending on how the Application Dependencies feature is configured for your environment, SAM can
use two types of polling to collect data:
l Application Dependency polling discovers and monitors the following types of connections:
o Application to application, in a typical client/server process monitored by SAM

o Application to server, with a server process not currently monitored by SAM

o Server to application, with a client application process not monitored by SAM

l Connection Quality polling tracks TCP communication traveling from servers that host
applications to target servers. This synthetic polling collects latency and packet loss statistics
for connections without intercepting network traffic, also known as "packet sniffing."

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 How the Application Dependencies feature in SAM works

SAM uses SolarWinds Platform agents to monitor application

dependencies
To monitor application dependencies, SAM uses SolarWinds Platform agents to flag nodes, which
represent physical or virtual servers. An agent must exist on at least one of the two nodes for which
you want to display dependencies.

You can deploy agents by adding at least one application monitor to each node you want to monitor,
as described in Configure Application Dependencies settings in SAM. If a node does not host an
agent, the Application Connections widget displays sample data on the Node Details page.

Agent plugin overview

To support the Application Dependencies feature, SAM deploys agent plugins to nodes to monitor
connections and network communications. Plugins gather data from any Additional Polling Engines
to send to the Main Polling Engine.

Enable "Allow automatic agent updates" on the Manage Agents > Edit Agent Settings page so
you don't have to update plugins manually.

For Application Dependency polling:

l SAM deploys agent plugins to nodes if Application Dependency polling detects application-to-
application or application-to-node connections.
l Agent plugins collect data about dependencies between applications (application-to-application
connections) and/or nodes (application-to-node connections). It is available in Linux x64, Linux
x86, and Windows versions.

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 Application Dependencies requirements in SAM

To avoid performance issues, SAM does not deploy Application Dependencies plugins to
the Main Polling Engine, which is usually the SolarWinds Platform server.

For Connection Quality polling, if enabled:

l SAM deploys additional agent plugins to collect TCP latency and packet loss metrics.
l For Windows nodes connected to clients that host applications and application processes, TCP
agent plugins include an Npcap driver to support Nping.

If you disable Connection Quality polling, note that SAM removes the TCP agent plugin
but not the Npcap driver. If you need to remove the driver, see this article.

SAM relies on server-initiated communications to detect "from” or to" nodes, also called “passive
agents” or “agentless" nodes. Only one node in a pair requires an agent plugin. However, note that
data gathered by polling depends on communication settings for both nodes, as described here:
l If target and client nodes both host agent plugins, SAM collects data via Application
Dependency and Connection Quality polling for both nodes.
l If only the target node has an agent plugin, SAM collects IP address and port data for the client
node but not application details, process names, or connection statistics.
l If only the client node has an agent plugin, SAM collects IP address and port data for the server
node. If Connection Quality polling is enabled and SAM deployed a TCP agent plugin to the
connection source node, polling can capture latency and packet loss statistics.

Use the Manage Agents page to check the status of agent plugins.

Application Dependencies requirements in SAM

Before enabling the Application Dependencies feature to track how applications, application
processes, and servers connect to each another in your environment, review the following
requirements and recommendations.

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 Application Dependencies requirements in SAM

Requirements
Permissions To configure Application Dependencies settings, use an SolarWinds Platform
Administrator account with the following Node Management rights:
l Execute Application Dependency polling
l Deploy agents to nodes

After upgrading, ADM is automatically disabled for Orion Server nodes. You can
manually enable it, if needed.

If the PollingEnabledOnOrionServers option in centralized settings is disabled,

polling on Orion server nodes will be disabled.

The option for enabling ADM on the node edit page is disabled by default for Orion
server nodes, enabling the PollingEnabledOnOrionServers option in centralized
settings returns access to it.

Host systems Each dependency must involve two separate physical or virtual servers, represented
as nodes in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

Each node must be monitored by at least one assigned application monitor.

Do not enable this feature on the SolarWinds Platform server or a scalability

engine such as an Additional Polling Engine.

Linux distributions must support GNU C Library (glibc) 2.18 or later.

The following environments are not supported:

l Windows 2008 R2 and R2 SP1 with driver installation protection enabled
l Desktop OS such as Windows 10
l Raspbian 8.0

Do not use IPv6 or link-local addresses to communicate within the network

segment (link) or the broadcast domain to which the host is connected.

SolarWinds SAM deploys agents to flag nodes for polling so host systems must support
Platform SolarWinds Platform agent requirements.
agent
Enable "Allow automatic agent updates" on the Manage Agents > Edit Agent
Settings page so you don't have to update agents manually.

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 Configure Application Dependencies settings in SAM

Requirements
Ports Remote systems that host applications and listen on a specific port must support
the following exceptions.
l On the destination node, allow:
o Inbound TCP connections for the port, and

o An inbound rule from any random remote port.

l On the source node, allow an outbound TCP connection for the port from an
Nping application on any random port.

Using this feature with Windows Failover Clusters (WFCs) has additional requirements.

Recommended monitoring limits

For optimal performance, use the Application Dependencies feature to monitor up to 500 nodes. For
example, in a typical deployment where 500 nodes are monitored, and another 500 nodes are not
monitored by this feature, you can track dependencies for:
l Up to 7500 application-to-application connections, and
l Up to 1500 node-to-node connections.

Note the following details about these guidelines:

l Recommended limits are not cumulative. The number of application-to-application
dependencies does not impact the number of node-to-node dependencies.
l These limits assume an average of 3 IP addresses (IPv6 or IPv4) and 5 applications per node.
l SolarWinds Platform agents hosted on minimally provisioned servers can consume high CPU
usage during polling. If that occurs, reduce the quantity of monitored component monitors or
increase server resources. For more tips, see SAM polling recommendations.

Configure Application Dependencies settings in SAM

After reviewing requirements, follow these steps to begin using the Application Dependencies feature:

1. Enable Application Dependency polling.

2. Assign application monitors to nodes.
3. (Optional) Customize polling settings.
4. (Optional) Set up Application Dependencies alerts.

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 Configure Application Dependencies settings in SAM

This feature is automatically disabled during SAM upgrades to prevent performance issues in
large environments. After upgrading SAM, enable it again.

Enable Application Dependency polling

To enable the Application Dependencies feature:

1. Click Settings > Application Connection Settings.

2. Enable the Enable Application Dependency Polling option.
3. (Optional) Enable Connection Quality Polling.
4. Click Save changes.
5. Allow at least 10 minutes for SAM to deploy agents to nodes. For an overview, see How the
Application Dependencies feature in SAM works.

If Application Dependency polling fails immediately after it's enabled, navigate to the Manage
Agents page to check if agents are currently being deployed. Wait 10 minutes and try again.

Assign application monitors to nodes

To support background functionality described in How the Application Dependencies feature in
SAM works, each node that you want to monitor needs at least one application monitor assigned to it
so SAM can download agents.

For nodes that don't have an application monitor, you can:

l Use the Application Discovery wizard to assign templates to nodes, or
l Assign an application monitor template to a node on the Manage Templates page. When you
assign a template to a node, an application monitor is automatically added to the node and
agents are deployed.

Customize polling settings

To fine-tune polling and thresholds, use the Application Connection Settings page to:
l Enable Connection Quality polling to display network communication statistics for
dependencies.
l Set polling intervals.
l Indicate when a Down connection and its dependencies should be removed from the
SolarWinds Platform database.

An SolarWinds Platform Administrator account with Node Management rights is required.

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 Display application dependency data in SAM

You can also disable Application Dependency polling for specific nodes, if necessary.

Set up Application Dependencies alerts

You can set critical and warning thresholds between applications for TCP connection packet loss and
latency, both at a global and individual connection level, for use in alerts.

To configure Application Dependencies alerts at the global level.

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Application Connection Settings.

2. On the Application Connection Settings page, scroll down to Threshold Settings.
3. Select Critical and Warning values for Connection packet loss and Connection latency.
4. Click Save Changes.

To configure Application Dependencies alerts for individual connections, navigate to a specific node,
click Edit Node, adjust Alerting Thresholds, and click Submit. You can also navigate to a node's
Connection Details page and select Thresholds from the Commands menu.

Display application dependency data in SAM

As Application Dependency polling and Connection Quality polling (if enabled) occur, the latest data
populates these parts of the SolarWinds Platform Web Console:
l The Application Connections widget on Node Details and Application Details views, as
described next.
l The Connection Details page that you can access via the Application Connections widget.

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 Display application dependency data in SAM

Application Connections widget

The Node Details and Application Details views display the Application Connections widget if
Application Dependency polling detects these types of dependencies:
l Application-to-application, including application processes
l Application-to-node
l Node-to-application

The Application Connections widget does not appear automatically on cloned, custom versions of
Node Details and Application Details views.
l To add a widget to an individual view, see Add widgets to SolarWinds Platform views.
l To add a widget to a dashboard, click Settings > All Settings > Manage Dashboards. See
Customize modern dashboards.

Sample data appears in the Application Connections widget if no dependencies are detected, or
if a node does not host an application dependency agent plugin. To deploy agents and agent
plugins, assign at least one application monitor to each node you want to monitor.

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 Display application dependency data in SAM

If Connection Quality polling is enabled, the Application Connections widget displays the following
data about TCP connections:
l Latency: The time required for a packet to travel across a network path from a sender to a
receiver, also called response time. The higher the latency, the greater the impact on application
performance as perceived by users. If necessary, troubleshoot latency with Performance
Analysis (PerfStack) dashboards.
l Packet Loss: The percentage of packets lost for the node with respect to packets sent. Packet
loss is usually caused by network congestion.

Tip: If nodes exceed SolarWinds Platform thresholds, add the Nodes with High Packet
Loss widget to the SAM Summary page to display nodes with similar issues. See Add
widgets for details.

Similar to Spotlight functionality in AppStack, you can click connection types and status indicators at
the top of the widget to filter data.:

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 Display application dependency data in SAM

Interpret colors and symbols in the Application Connections widget

SolarWinds Platform products use icons as a visual language to describe the status of items such as
nodes, interfaces, events, or alerts. Values that exceed SolarWinds Platform thresholds appear bold
on a colored background, as shown next.

Gray indicates that either:

l The current status of a node or application is Unknown, or
l Displayed data is restricted by SolarWinds Platform account limitations.

To display You must have permission to view

Node-to-node links Both parent nodes.

TCP connections and statistics about latency and Both parent entities — either nodes or
packet loss applications.

Applications and application processes linked to a The parent node.

node

Network connection thresholds for a node The parent node.

For a more granular picture of dependencies, use the Connection Details page, as described next.

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 Display application dependency data in SAM

Connection Details page

If Connection Quality polling is enabled, the Connection Details page can show the entire
communication stack between nodes with dependencies, making it a unique troubleshooting tool.

Data displayed on the Connection Details page includes:

l The application name and detected process names, such as mysql.exe.
l Monitored TCP metrics, including:
o CPU: The percentage of CPU utilization.

o P-MEM: The amount of physical memory used.

o V-MEM: The amount of virtual memory used.

o R-IOPS: Read input/output operations per second.

o W-IOPs: Write input/output operations per second.

l The port used by the application process.

l Latency and packet loss metrics (if Connection Quality polling is enabled).
l Latest Events details.

You can also use the Commands menu to configure thresholds, initiate polling, or hide events.

To access the Connection Details page:

1. Access a Node Details view or Application Details view in the SolarWinds Platform Web
Console.
2. Click the > arrow next to a connection displayed in the Application Connections widget.

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 Display application dependency data in SAM

3. The Connection Details page opens.

1. (Optional) Click an option on the Commands menu to:

l Configure network connection thresholds.
l Initiate Application Dependency polling immediately.
l Show or hide events.

2. Menu options vary based on account permissions.

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 Manage polling for application dependencies

Manage polling for application dependencies

SAM uses two types of polling to collect data for the Application Dependencies feature:
l Application Dependency polling: Discovers and monitors connections between applications
and application processes, plus connections between applications, application processes, and
nodes.
l Connection Quality polling: Collects latency and packet loss for connections between client
nodes hosting applications and target.

Options configured on the Application Connection Settings page impact how polling occurs across
agent-monitored nodes with connections to applications.

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 Manage polling for application dependencies

Manage Application Dependency polling

After SAM deploys agents to monitored nodes, Application Dependency polling scans nodes twice in
the first ten minutes and then every two hours to:
l Detect connections between applications, application processes, and nodes.

SAM also detects "from” and "to" nodes that rely on server-initiated communications,
known as “passive agents” or “agentless" nodes.

l Identify nodes as either targets or clients.

l Gather IP address and port data.
l Display data in the Application Connections widget on the Node and Application Details views.

Note the following details about Application Dependency polling:

l To change settings, use an SolarWinds Platform account with the Administrator role and
required Node Management rights.
l Application Dependency polling occurs every two hours, so short-term connections are less
likely to be detected due to the time between polling.
l For Windows Failover Clusters (WFCs), SAM can create application dependencies between
connected clients and listening servers on the server side for a cluster Virtual IP (VIP) instead of
an active cluster member. See Use the Application Dependencies feature with Windows Failover
Clusters.

Application Dependency polling is restricted to the Main Polling Engine to improve

performance. In earlier versions, polling also occurred on Additional Polling Engines
(APEs). Now agents and agent plugins send related data from APEs to the Main Polling
Engine.

Disable the Application Dependencies feature globally

Disabling this feature at the global level does not impact Application Dependency settings
configured for individual nodes on the Node Details view.

To disable the Application Dependencies feature:

1. Navigate to the Application Connection Settings page.

2. Toggle the "Clear the Application Dependency Mapping" option.
3. Click Save changes.

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 Manage polling for application dependencies

SAM stops polling for nodes that are not configured for Application Dependency polling at the node
level, as described next. Connection Quality polling, if enabled, also stops.

If Connection Quality polling was originally enabled for a node, SAM removes the agent plugin
that delivered the Npcap driver but does not remove the driver. See Disable Connection Quality
polling.

Manage Application Dependency polling for a specific node

You can manage Application Dependency polling for specific nodes on the Node Details view. These
settings do not change if you disable the Application Dependencies feature at the global level.

To disable Application Dependency polling for a specific node:

1. Navigate to the node in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console.

2. Click Edit Node on the Node Details view.
3. Clear the Application Dependency Polling Enabled check box.

To initiate Application Dependency polling for a single node:

1. Navigate to the Node Details view for the node.

2. Click Poll Now.

To execute Application Dependency polling immediately across poll multiple nodes:

1. Navigate to the Manage Nodes view.

2. Select the nodes.
3. Click More Actions > Poll Now.

Manage Connection Quality polling

In addition to showing how nodes connect to applications and application processes, the Application
Connections widget and Connection Details page can display TCP latency and packet loss metrics if
Connection Quality polling is enabled.

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 Manage polling for application dependencies

To gather TCP data, SAM deploys agent plugins to nodes to track communication traveling from
clients that host applications and application processes to target nodes detected by Application
Dependency polling.

Note the following details about Connection Quality polling:

l The default interval for Connection Quality polling is five minutes.
l Each dependency must involve two separate nodes.
l Connection Quality polling captures TCP communications only. To track non-TCP
communications in the SolarWinds Platform, create a Windows Service monitor for the
NetTcpPortSharing service.
l SAM uses Nping to generate network packets on nodes and collect data for Connection Quality
polling. To support Nping, SAM deploys an Npcap driver. If you disable polling, SAM removes
the plugin but not the Npcap driver. If necessary, remove it manually.

See also Application Dependencies requirements in SAM.

Enable Connection Quality polling

1. Navigate to the Application Connection Settings page.
2. Under Connection Quality Settings, toggle the Enable Connection Quality Polling option to On.
3. Click Save changes.

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 Manage polling for application dependencies

Disable Connection Quality polling

If you disable the Connection Quality Settings option on the Application Connection Settings page,
SAM stops gathering latency and packet loss metrics but continues to gather application connection
data. The status of connection entities appears as Unknown on the Connection Details page.

1. Navigate to the Application Connection Settings page.

2. Under Connection Quality Settings, toggle the Enable Connection Quality Polling option to Off.
3. Click Save changes.

When you disable polling, SAM removes agent plugins that delivered Npcap drivers but does
not remove the actual drivers. If remaining drivers present a security concern for your
organization, see Remove an Npcap driver after disabling Connection Quality Polling.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 385

 Troubleshoot application dependency issues in SAM

Troubleshoot application dependency issues in SAM

If you encounter issues with the Application Dependencies feature, here are some steps to try before
contacting SolarWinds Support. You can also search the SolarWinds Success Center or THWACK.

To determine if the feature is enabled and configured correctly:

1. Review Application Dependencies feature requirements.

2. Verify if the feature is enabled on the node.

By default, the Application Dependencies feature is disabled in new installations. It's also
automatically disabled during upgrades to avoid performance issues in large
environments. Enable the feature, as necessary.

a. Navigate to a Node Details or Application Details view related to a known connection.

b. Check for the SAMPLE watermark on the Application Connections widget, which indicates
that the feature is not enabled.

c. The Application Connections widget does not appear automatically on cloned, custom
versions of the Node Details and Application Details views, but can be added, if necessary.
3. Verify that the feature is configured correctly.
4. Open the Manage Agents page to confirm that SolarWinds Platform agents were deployed to
nodes.
5. Review events displayed on the Connection Details page.
6. Check Application Dependency log files.

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 Troubleshoot agent-related issues for application dependencies in SAM

For more tips, see:

l Troubleshoot agent-related issues for application dependencies in SAM
l Troubleshoot data-related issues for application dependencies in SAM
l Troubleshoot miscellaneous application dependency issues

Troubleshoot agent-related issues for application

dependencies in SAM
If you suspect agent issues are interfering with Application Dependencies or Connection Quality
polling, here are some items to check:
l Review Application Dependencies feature requirements.
l Verify that the feature is configured correctly.
o Make sure polling is enabled on the Application Dependency Settings page.
o Confirm that SolarWinds Platform agents were deployed to nodes. You can check them on
the Manage Agents page.
l Review agent information in the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide.
l Navigate to the Manage Agents page to check if agents are currently being deployed. Wait 10
minutes for deployment to finish and polling to occur.

High CPU usage during polling

An SolarWinds Platform agent hosted on a minimally provisioned server can consume CPU usage. Try
reducing the quantity of monitored elements or increasing server resources.

Connection Quality polling fails for Windows Server 2012 nodes

If polling fails for Windows Server 2012 nodes, restart the nodes and wait for Connection Quality
polling to occur. If the issue continues, visit the SolarWinds Success Center and see Connection
Quality polling fails on Windows Server 2012 nodes.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 387

 Troubleshoot agent-related issues for application dependencies in SAM

Polling fails without errors

If application dependency data does not display as expected for a node:

1. Check if SAM deployed agent plugins to SolarWinds Platform agents on the node. Click Settings
> Manage Agents > Select agent > More Actions > View installed agent plugins.
2. Navigate to the Node Details view to ensure that Application Dependency polling was not
disabled for the node.

Polling can also fail if:

l A related component was removed or disabled.
l Agent plugins are currently being deployed, especially if the Application Dependencies feature or
Connection Quality polling was disabled and then enabled again. Wait 10 minutes and try again.

“Plug-in update required” notice

By default, the Allow Automatic Agent Updates option is enabled on the Settings > All Settings >
Product Specific Settings > Agent Settings page. SAM deploys agent plugins to agent-monitored
nodes when Application Dependency polling detects interaction between an application and/or
application process and a node. Although most SolarWinds Platform agents are deployed in advance,
application dependency agent plugins are deployed immediately if an application-to-node connection
is found.

If the Allow Automatic Agent Updates option is disabled on the Agent Settings page in the SolarWinds
Platform Web Console, SAM cannot deploy agent plugins to server nodes and the status of the agent
appears as "Plug-in update required" on the Manage Agents page.

If expected application dependencies do not appear after polling, navigate to the Manage Agents
page. If a "Plug-in update required" notice appears for a node, you can either:
l Enable the Allow Automatic Agent Updates option on the Agent Settings page so SAM can
deploy plugins automatically to all agent-managed nodes.
l Update agents individually on the Manage Agents page.

Application Dependency agent plugin installation fails on Linux systems

Application Dependency agent plugin deployment fails on 64-bit Linux systems and the following
message appears on the Installed Agent Plug-in page: "Installation of 'Application Dependency
Mapping - Linux x64' failed. Invalid argument Code [0x16]." This occurs because the owner of the
plugin file prevents the removal of the old version due to permission issues. Click here for
workarounds.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 388

 Troubleshoot data-related issues for application dependencies in SAM

Uninstall Npcap drivers after disabling Connection Quality polling

When Connection Quality polling is enabled on the Application Dependency Settings page, SAM
deploys ADMConnectionQuality plugins with Npcap drivers to Windows nodes to collect latency and
packet loss metrics.

If you disable Connection Quality polling, you can remove Npcap drivers, if necessary. See Remove
Npcap driver after disabling Connection Quality Polling for ADM.

Nping returns “Unable to start either npcap or npf service” message

This message appears for nodes running Windows 2008 or if driver installation protection is enabled
for Windows 2008 R2 or later. It is related to the Npcap driver deployed via an agent plugin that
supports the Nping tool used to gather connection statistics from nodes.

SolarWinds recommends upgrading nodes to Windows 2008 R2 or later. Otherwise, you will be
prompted to install Npcap each time polling occurs.

Security warnings for the SolarWinds Platform server

If Connection Quality polling is enabled, the SolarWinds Platformdeploys agents and agent-plugins to
nodes connected to clients that host applications and application processes that may trigger
warnings in third-party security software. Downloaded items include:
l An SolarWinds Platform agent.
l An agent plugin that includes an Npcap driver to support Nping.
l A Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable package.

Troubleshoot data-related issues for application

dependencies in SAM
Review this section if unexpected Application Dependencies data appears in the Application
Connections widget and/or the Connection Details page.

Stale data

The Application Dependencies feature is designed to group polls into batches for efficiency so
different data may be polled at different times and the status of nodes, applications, and connections
may not seem synchronized.

If you notice outdated data, check polling intervals on the Application Dependency Settings page, as
well as intervals defined for individual nodes on the Node Details view.

Node-specific intervals override global polling intervals defined on the Application Settings
page.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 389

 Troubleshoot data-related issues for application dependencies in SAM

Unexpected nodes in Application Connections widget

Application Dependency polling and Connection Quality polling check agent-managed nodes to which
Application Dependency plugins were deployed, but “to” and “from” connections can also be detected
with agentless nodes, as described in the following scenarios:
l If only the target node hosts an Application Dependency agent plugin:
o Application Dependency polling gathers IP address and port data for the target node.

o Data related to the client node (application, process name, etc.) and connection statistics

is not gathered or displayed.

l If only the client node hosts an Application Dependency agent plugin:
o Application Dependency polling gathers IP address and port data for the client node.

o Only IP address and port data are gathered from the server node.

o Connection statistics are not gathered.

TCP connection metrics do not update after polling

Application Dependency polling identifies agent-monitored nodes connected to applications and

deploys plugins to those nodes before Connection Quality polling occurs. There may be a delay in
between the two types of polling, plus agents and agent plugins need time to deploy. Wait for the next
Connection Quality polling cycle to begin.

Date discrepancies on Connection Details page

The Last Polled value on the Connection Details page shows the latest time of Application
Dependency polling. If polling intervals were edited for individual nodes, that date may not reflect the
date of the last poll across all nodes. For example, if Node1 was polled one hour ago, but the last
large-scale Application Dependency poll occurred two hours ago, the Last Poll date reflects the most
recent period — one hour.

Applications and application processes lack expected node dependencies

SAM removes application-to-node connections if a parent/child node or parent/child application is

removed from the SolarWinds Platform or is no longer monitored by an agent. For dependencies
detected by Connection Quality polling, the last TCP connection is removed when the parent
dependency is removed.

A TCP connection may also be removed when:

l You remove or disable a related component.
l The LastSeenTimeStamp for the connection is not updated for over eight hours. Consider
changing the Remove down connections options on the Application Dependency Settings page.
See Customize polling settings.
l You disable Application Dependency polling for a specific node on the Edit Node page.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 390

 Troubleshoot data-related issues for application dependencies in SAM

If applications and application processes do not have expected dependencies with nodes on the
Application Connections widget, confirm that SAM detected communication between nodes by
checking the inventory log:
C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\ADM\{NodeID}_{NodeIP}.log

Check the data processing logs for monitoring applications on each node:
C:\ProgramData\DataProcessingLogs\NodeId-{NodeID}\*.log

"Unknown" connection status

If you initiate polling on the Connection Details page, Application Dependency polling starts but an
"Unknown" connection status may appear until the next Connection Quality poll occurs (every five
minutes, by default).

"Loopback" connection status

TCP Loopback connections established internally on a node may appear on the Application
Connections widget. A Loopback connection status indicates an internal connection on the node
(localhost connection). If the destination and source nodes are the same, Connection Quality polling
ignores the connection.

Hyperlinks to SolarWinds Platform components (process, port) missing

The application monitor does not contain a component monitor that SAM can refer to for the given
process or port.

HTTP data appears in the in the Application Connections widget

A networking Windows OS subsystem is implemented as a kernel-mode device driver called the HTTP
protocol stack — also called HTTP.sys. This driver listens for HTTP requests from the network,
passes requests to IIS or other applications for processing, and returns processed responses to client
applications.

Detecting HTTP connections is not the main goal of the Application Dependencies feature. Typically,
communication between clients and HTTP servers is not permanent, and Application Dependency
polling occurs relatively infrequently so it will not detect short HTTP connections.

HTTP connections may appear in the Application Connections widget in the following circumstances:
l Random capture of common HTTP(s) occurred.
l SolarWinds Platform communication was captured during polling.
l Polling was initiated via user action in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console (for example, via
the Command option on the Connection Details page).
l HTTP communication persisted for a long time, perhaps due to tunneling of another kind of TCP
communication over HTTP(s).

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 391

 Troubleshoot miscellaneous application dependency issues

Troubleshoot miscellaneous application dependency issues

This section contains additional troubleshooting tips for the Application Dependencies feature.

Check Application Dependencies services

The following table describes which logs to check to ensure Application Dependencies services are
functioning. See also Application Dependencies log files.

Description Log type Expected results

Check nodes that will be Collector See polling plans for nodes with active applications.
polled Service
log

Check planned jobs Polling See jobs created for node active applications.
Plan log

Check that a publish-subscribe Business See the cache that was created, along with inventory
pattern (pubsub) succeeded Service messages received for node with active applications.
log

Monitor Windows Communication Foundation data

The Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) application uses the Net.TCP Port Sharing service to
share ports across multiple processes to reduce the number of ports that need to be open on a
firewall. That service listens on port 17777, which is the same port where several SolarWinds Platform
services listen so they can forward communication to the SolarWinds Platform through an internal,
non-TCP communication channel.

Use the Application Dependencies feature with Windows Failover Clusters

When used with Windows Failover Clusters (WFCs), the Application Dependencies feature creates
dependencies between connected clients and listening servers on the server side for a cluster Virtual
IP (VIP) instead of the active cluster member.

Here is the required configuration for this scenario:

l Only one agentless SolarWinds Platform node has an IP address that matches the virtual IP
address of the clustered role.

Roles were called "Services and Applications" in SQL Server 2012 and earlier.

l Each VIP node has a unique IP address to support the feature's cluster-matching algorithm.

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 Troubleshoot miscellaneous application dependency issues

l A SAM application monitor, such as AppInsight for SQL, uses agentless polling to collect data
for the node.
l Application Dependency polling deploys agent plugins to agent-monitored cluster member
machines so they can be assigned to non-cluster VIP addresses.

The following diagram shows an example of MSSQL running on a WFC:

Note these details about this figure:

l An agentless node has the same IP address, 10.###.###.20, as the SQL Cluster VIP role and
AppInsight for SQL is assigned to the node.
l The cluster includes two nodes with unique IP addresses, monitored by SolarWinds Platform
agents.
l The SolarWinds Platform server is monitored by an SolarWinds Platform server template.
l The SolarWinds Platform server instance uses the cluster VIP address, 10.###.###.20, for the
SQL Server datastore.

SAM recognizes the database connection between the SolarWinds Platform server and SQL database
as a connection between an application (the SolarWinds Platform SQL Server, as monitored by a
template) and AppInsight for SQL (MSSQLSERVER) even though the target of the database
connection is SQL running on an active cluster member.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 393

 Locate SAM application dependencies log files

Locate SAM application dependencies log files

When polling on behalf of the Application Dependencies feature, SAM creates logs in the following
default locations:
l SolarWinds Platform server:
o C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\ADM\
o C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\SAM.ADM\
o C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Collector\Logs\Plugins\ADM.Plugin.Applicatio
nTcpConnection.Creator.log
l Target machines:
o C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\Agent\

Connection Quality polling logs are stored in these locations on the SolarWinds Platform server:
l C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\ADM\
l C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds)\Logs\Agent\

To free up disk space, move logs to the C:\Program Files

(x86)\SolarWinds\Logs\SAM.ADM\ folder where files are automatically deleted after five
days by default.

Application dependency database tables

The following SolarWinds Platform database tables store data related to the Application
Dependencies feature:
l ADM_NodeInventory: Lists all nodes with application dependency agent plugins, along with the
latest metrics.
l ADM_NodeSettings: Lists custom Application Dependencies settings for each node.
l APM_ApplicationTcpConnection: Stores data about connections between nodes and
applications, including:
o Process name that connects to the application

o Command line details

o Service name

o Port and server details

l APM_ApplicationTcpConnectionView (View): Stores data about connections between nodes

and applications, including:
o Processes that connect to applications

o Command line details

o Service names

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 394

 Locate SAM application dependencies log files

oPort and server details

l APM_DependencyTcpStatistics: Stores discovered connections including DependencyID.
l APM_DependencyTcpStatisticsView (View): Stores discovered connections including
DependencyID.

You can use the Database Manager utility to view the SolarWinds Platform database.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 395

 Monitor hardware health in SAM

Monitor hardware health in SAM

You can use SAM to monitor the health of Cisco UCS, Nutanix, Dell, HP, HPE ProLiant, and IBM
hardware details such as temperature, fan speed, power supply, CPU, memory, and more. SAM
provides instant visibility of hardware status (for example Up or Down); it can also calculate baseline
data that can be used to configure hardware health thresholds.

This section focuses on Dell, HP, HPE ProLiant, and IBM devices. See the SolarWinds Platform
Administrator Guide to learn how to:
l Monitor Cisco UCS Devices. The first step is adding the parent UCS controller as an SolarWinds
Platform node.
l Monitor hardware health for Nutanix clusters. After adding Hyper-V or VMware nodes for
monitoring, add the parent Nutanix cluster and provide Controller VM (CVM) credentials.

UCS and Nutanix hardware health monitoring does not currently support the SolarWinds
Platform Remote Collector feature.

To start monitoring hardware health for Dell, HP, HPE ProLiant, and IBM devices:

1. Review the following topics:

l Monitor hardware health (SolarWinds Platform products Administrator Guide)
l Hardware health monitoring requirements for SAM
2. Download, install, and configure agent software from third-party vendors so SAM can gather
details that are not available natively from server operating systems. Click here for details.
3. Run Discovery to detect third-party agent software on nodes, deploy agents that act as hardware
health sensors, and automatically enable hardware health monitoring across multiple nodes.
When Discovery enables hardware health monitoring for eligible devices, Asset Inventory data
collection is also enabled for those nodes.

Although Hardware Health and Asset Inventory can both be enabled automatically during
Discovery, they can poll independently. For example, you can collect Asset Inventory data
from a node once a day, and collect hardware health every 10 minutes.

Note the following details about hardware health monitoring in SAM:

l In addition to using Discovery, you can enable monitoring in the Add Node Wizard or Node
Details views.
l Certificate errors found during polling are ignored by default, but you can change that setting.
l For tips on monitoring HPE Proliant Gen10 servers, see this THWACK post.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 396

 Hardware health monitoring requirements for HPE and IBM devices in SAM

l If you encounter issues, see Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring in SAM.

l Data gathered varies by manufacturer and polling method. See Difference in hardware health by
manufacturer and polling method for servers in the Success Center for details.

Related topics in the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide include:

l Change the MIB used for polling hardware health statistics
l Edit hardware health thresholds
l Enable, disable, or adjust hardware health sensors
l Troubleshoot hardware issues in the SolarWinds Platform

Hardware health monitoring is a database-intensive feature. Heavy usage can impact database
performance and increase the size of the SolarWinds Platform database. To improve
performance, consider how often you need to poll statistics, and how long data is archived. See
Update polling settings in the SolarWinds Platform.

Hardware health monitoring requirements for HPE and IBM

devices in SAM
This section describes hardware health monitoring requirements for the following systems:
l HPE BladeSystem servers with HP System Insight Manager (SIM) 6.2 or later
o Including C3000 and C7000

l HPE ProLiant Gen10 servers

o Including DL320 G4, DL360 G3, DL360 G4, DL380 G4, DL380 G6, and ML570 G3

o Polling requires SNMP protocol only

l IBM servers with IBM Director (Common Agent, 6.3 or later)

o Including System x3550, System x3550 M2, System x3550 M3, System x3650, System

x3650 M2, System x3650 M3, x3850, and eServer 306m

o Install IBM ServeRAID Manager software on IBM X-Series servers.

Additional hardware may be supported with a limited amount of data returned by polling.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 397

 Hardware health monitoring requirements for HPE and IBM devices in SAM

SAM shares hardware health functionality with SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN), as
documented in:
l Monitor hardware health for VMware in SAM
l Monitor Cisco UCS Devices (SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide)
l Monitor hardware health for Nutanix clusters (SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide)
l Required permissions for VMware, Hyper-V, and Nutanix credentials (VMAN
Administrator Guide)
l Supported versions of VMware (VMAN Administrator Guide)

OS and protocol requirements

Operating system Protocol
Windows SNMP, WMI

Linux SNMP

AIX v7 and higher SNMP

VMware CIM, VMware API

Click here to learn about versions l Use SNMP for VMware nodes not polled via
supported by SAM, which match those CIM or the VMware API.
supported by VMAN. l Open port 5989 to poll VMware servers via
CIM.

VMware API for ESX/ESXi hosts polled via HTTPS

vCenter
If the vCenter API is slow to report hardware
health status changes, use CIM to monitor
hosts directly.

Download and install third-party software

SAM uses standard protocols such as SNMP and WMI to monitor hardware health data, but not all
information is available natively from an OS without installing the hardware vendor's required agent
software. To download agent software for supported devices, visit the Success Center and see Third-
party software required to monitor hardware health and collect asset inventory information.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 398

 Enable hardware health monitoring for nodes in SAM

Enable hardware health monitoring for nodes in SAM

During Discovery, SAM automatically detects nodes that meet hardware health monitoring
requirements and deploys agents that act as hardware health sensors to those nodes. Data is
collected for nodes when polling begins. You can also enable hardware health monitoring for
individual nodes, as described here.

Enable hardware health monitoring from the Add Node Wizard

If adding a single node for monitoring, select the Hardware Health Sensors option in the Add Node
Wizard.

Enable hardware health monitoring on the Node Details page

1. Click My Dashboards > Home to open the SolarWinds Platform Summary Home page.
2. In the All Nodes widget, click the node you want to monitor.
3. On the Node Details page, click List Resources in the Management widget.

4. Select Hardware Health Sensors, and click Submit.

SAM also supports hardware health monitoring for Nutanix clusters and Cisco UCS devices.

Monitor hardware health for VMware in SAM

You can poll VMware devices for hardware health data in two ways:
l Through vCenter, using the VMware native API interface.
l Directly by using the Computer Information Model (CIM) protocol.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 399

 Monitor hardware health for VMware in SAM

When a scheduled Discovery of existing servers runs, SAM automatically collects data for any servers
that support Hardware health monitoring, including VMware ESX and ESXi servers that were added to
the SolarWinds Platform using CIM protocol via port 5989.

If SAM detects a hardware monitoring agent on a VMware host, the option to monitor hardware health
appears when you click the List Resources link in the Management widget on the Node Details view,
even if hardware data is already collected via vCenter using the VMware API. When this option
appears for a VMware host, enabling it does not change the hardware polling method when Poll for
VMware is also selected.

Open port 5989 to poll VMware servers using the CIM protocol.

If polling hosts though vCenter, you may not see the Hardware Health option listed when you click List
Resources, as these nodes tend to be ICMP. This data is automatically collected by SAM, when
available, through the VMware API. Make sure the vCenter Hardware Status plugin is enabled in
vCenter so data is accessible through the VMware API.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 400

 Configure certificate error handling for hardware health polling

To determine how a VMware node is currently polled, click Settings > Virtualization Settings >
VMware Settings. Drill down into Polling Method options for the node, as shown here:

SAM and SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN) have similar requirements for basic
Hardware Health monitoring. See Supported versions of VMware and Required permissions for
VMware, Hyper-V, and Nutanix credentials.

Configure certificate error handling for hardware health

polling
By default, SAM ignores certificate errors during hardware health polling. You can update that setting
so users are prompted to verify untrusted connections before proceeding.

1. Log in to the SolarWinds Platform server as an administrator.

2. Use the SolarWinds Platform Service Manager to stop the SolarWinds Collector Service.

3. Navigate to the default folder in File Explorer, C:\Program Files

(x86)\SolarWinds\Orion\HardwareHealth.

4. In a text editor, open SolarWinds.HardwareHealth.Collector.dll.config.

5. Scroll to <appSettings> and change false to true in the
HardwareHealthVerifyServerCertificateline, as shown here:

<add key="HardwareHealthVerifyServerCertificate" value="true" />

6. Save your changes.

7. Restart the SolarWinds Collector Service.

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 Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring in SAM

Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring in SAM

The following sections describe possible causes and solutions if hardware health data is not being
reported or is reported incorrectly.
l Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring on SNMP nodes
l Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring on WMI nodes
l Troubleshoot ESX hardware monitoring

See also:
l Monitor Cisco UCS and Monitor Hardware Health for Nutanix clusters (SolarWinds Platform
Administrator Guide)
l Troubleshoot Hardware Health monitoring for ESX host servers polled through vCenter
(Success Center)

Recommended: Review Hardware health monitoring requirements for HPE and IBM devices in
SAM before proceeding.

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 Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring in SAM

Use the following decision tree to help determine the cause and solution to your issue.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 403

 Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring on SNMP nodes

Dell does not make array and hard disk health information visible from WMI-managed nodes.
To monitor storage health on Dell servers, use SNMP.

Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring on SNMP nodes

This section focuses on HP, HPE ProLiant, and IBM devices. See the SolarWinds Platform
Administrator Guide for tips on monitoring Cisco UCS or Nutanix clusters.

To monitor hardware health for devices in SAM, you can either enable hardware health monitoring for
individual nodes, or use the Discovery process to:

1. Automatically scan for nodes that meet hardware health monitoring requirements,
2. Deploy SolarWinds Platform agents that act as hardware health sensors, and
3. Enable hardware health monitoring across multiple nodes automatically.

Hardware health statistics are typically polled through SNMP from a MIB tree on devices that are
represented as nodes in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console. If an SNMP-monitored node does not
return data as expected, verify that it is properly configured for SNMP:
l Open default port 161 on the node.
l For SNMPv1 or SNMPv2c nodes, confirm that the device community string was added to the
SolarWinds Platform. The default value is Public.
l For SNMPv3 nodes, review these Success Center articles:
o SNMPv3 configuration and troubleshooting in SolarWinds Platform

o SNMPv3 prerequisites and checks

l For Cisco devices, verify that the correct MIB is selected.

If SolarWinds Platform agents were deployed to a node before it was configured to use SNMP, you
may encounter installation and configuration issues with MIBs. Use the Manage Agents page to
remove related agents, configure the node for SNMP, and then redeploy agents to the node, or run
Discovery again.

If a node was originally configured for SNMP and then you want to use the SolarWinds Platform agent
on the node for Asset Inventory or Hardware Health monitoring, see Configure SNMP for SolarWinds
Platform agents on Linux/Unix and AIX systems in SAM.

Modify SNMP agents to monitoring on HPE Linux systems

To support hardware health monitoring on HPE target systems running Linux, modify the SNMP agent
required for NETSNMP.

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 Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring on SNMP nodes

HPE systems
The HPE SNMP Agents (hp-snmp-agents) is a collection of SNMP protocol-based agents and tools
which enables monitoring of fans, power supplies, temperature sensors, and other management
events via SNMP. It also provides Foundation and Server agents, Storage Subsystem agents, Network
Subsystem agents, the SNMP Dynamically Loaded Module, and the web support applications.

For reference, see HPE SNMP Agents for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Server.

HPE GEN10 Server and host-based SNMP are no longer supported.

Verify a node was added using SNMP

To verify that a monitored node uses SNMP for polling:

1. Navigate to the Node Details view and examine the Polling Method.

2. Navigate to the Manage Agents page to verify that an SolarWinds Platform agent was deployed.
3. Confirm that the node responds with a proper OID by using either:
l The MIB Browser in SolarWinds Engineer’s Toolset (ETS), or
l Another application that can make SNMP requests.

OIDS for vendors include:

l HP: 1.3.6.1.4.1.232.2.2.2.1.0
l IBM: 1.3.6.1.4.1.2.6.159.1.1.60.3.1

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 Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring on SNMP nodes

Check OIDs with the SolarWinds SNMP Walk tool

To troubleshoot connection issues, you can use the vendor-specific OIDs listed above in the
SolarWinds SNMP Walk tool, is available in the following default directory on the SolarWinds Platform
server: C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion\SnmpWalk.exe.

For an overview, watch Collect MIB walk data using the SolarWinds SNMP Walk Tool. You can
also use this tool to resolve memory, CPU, or volume issues for nodes.

If the tool does not respond for a vendor-specific OID on a node, check the SolarWinds Platform agent
configuration.

When the scan finishes, save the resulting text file and open it. It should include the MIBs outlined
here:

HP IBM

CPQSTDEQ-MIB IBM-SYSTEM-HEALTH-MIB

CPQSINFO-MIB IBM-SYSTEM-ASSETID-MIB

CPQIDA-MIB IBM-SYSTEM-LMSENSOR-MIB

CPQHLTH-MIB IBM-SYSTEM-MEMORY-MIB

CPQSTSYS-MIB IBM-SYSTEM-POWER-MIB

CPQIDE-MIB IBM-SYSTEM-PROCESSOR-MIB

IBM-SYSTEM-RAID-MIB

ADAPTEC-UNIVERSAL-STORAGE-MIB

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 406

 Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring on WMI nodes

Troubleshoot hardware health monitoring on WMI nodes

The first step to resolve hardware health monitoring issues on WMI nodes is to verify that:
l The target node is configured for WMI polling.
l WMI is enabled on the remote server.
l SolarWinds Platform agents that collect hardware health data were deployed.

Next, run the Windows WBEMTEST tool to troubleshoot WMI.

1. Log in to the SolarWinds Platform server as an administrator.

2. Run wbemtest.exe, usually located at C:\Windows\System32\wbem\.
3. Click Connect.
4. In the Connect dialog box, enter a Namespace.
l For IBM and HP nodes, use \\RemoteServerIpAddress\root
l For Dell, use: \\RemoteServerIpAddress\root\cimv2

5. Enter administrator credentials and click Connect.

6. Once connected, click Query… on the main dialog box.
7. In the Query dialog, enter: select * from __Namespace, where Namespace is one of the
following values:
l Dell
l HPQ
l IBMSD

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 Troubleshoot ESX hardware monitoring

8. When the tool detects the proper Namespace, click Open Namespace and specify a path.
l For Dell, \\RemoteServerIpAddress\root\cimv2\Dell
l For HP, \\RemoteServerIpAddress\root\HPQ
l For IBM, \\RemoteServerIpAddress\root\IBMSD

9. Run a query for specific information: Select Manufacturer, Model, SerialNumber from CIM_
Chassis.

If a test fails, check the SolarWinds Platform agent configuration. You may need to redeploy
hardware-related SolarWinds Platform agents.

To learn more about the WBEMTEST tool, see:

l Introduction to WBEMTEST (© 2021, Microsoft Corp., available at docs.microsoft.com)
l Testing WMI Connectivity with WBEMTest (Success Center)

Troubleshoot ESX hardware monitoring

The following error messages are associated with ESX hardware monitoring.

Error message: Unable to connect to remote server.

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 Troubleshoot ESX hardware monitoring

Resolution
l Ensure CIM is enabled on the ESX server.
l Ensure port 5989 is opened on the firewall.

Error message: Unable to establish session with all provided credentials.

Resolution
l Verify VMware credentials.
l Verify the account belongs to the root user group.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 409

 Monitor Asset Inventory in SAM

Monitor Asset Inventory in SAM

As you add hardware, software, and applications to your environment, your assets increase along with
the need to adjust the existing setup to expand and scale your infrastructure. To keep up, you must
proactively monitor hardware and application health, while also maintaining an up-to-date inventory of
all your IT assets.

To handle these demands, you can use the Asset Inventory feature to maintain a current and detailed
inventory of a node's hardware and software, including both physical and virtual assets. This
information can also benefit those interested in tracking asset depreciation, gathering information for
insurance purposes, or managing and maintaining your infrastructure.

Additional benefits of the Asset Inventory feature include:

l Gain visibility into current hardware and software on a node.
l Track warranty information for critical hardware components.
l Be notified about important software, OS, and firmware updates.
l Monitor overall hardware life cycles and maintenance timelines.
l Determine when OS updates were applied to servers.

Data collected depends on the polling method used to collect data from nodes.

Here are some examples of Asset Inventory data displayed in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console:

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 410

 Asset Inventory polling requirements

SolarWinds SCM also supports Asset Inventory polling.

To get started using this feature:

1. Review Asset Inventory polling requirements.

2. Download and configure third-party agent software on servers. Click here for details.
3. Run Discovery to detect agent software and enable Asset Inventory polling across multiple
nodes automatically.
4. Display Asset Inventory data in SAM.

To avoid overloading polling engines, do not enable Asset Inventory across hundreds of
agentless nodes in bulk. If nodes are polled by SolarWinds Platform agents, that issue should
not occur.

When Asset Inventory polling is enabled for nodes, hardware health monitoring is also enabled for
those nodes automatically, although either feature can be used independently. Polling starts
immediately and results appear on the Asset Inventory subview of the Node Details view, and other
pages. See Display Asset Inventory data in SAM.

Initially, polling continues daily at the same time for all nodes. The next time you stop and restart
SolarWinds Platformservices with the SolarWinds Platform Service Manager, the SolarWinds Platform
schedules polling jobs at random times throughout the day to avoid CPU spikes and reduce polling
engine loads. You can adjust the polling frequency, if necessary.

See also:
l Asset Inventory polling requirements
l Enable Asset Inventory polling for multiple nodes in SAM
l Enable Asset Inventory polling for individual nodes in SAM
l Display Asset Inventory data in SAM
l Display the warranty status for physical servers in SAM
l Adjust the Asset Inventory polling frequency in SAM
l Configure SSL certificate validation for Asset Inventory polling
l Disable Asset Inventory polling in SAM
l Troubleshoot Asset Inventory polling issues in SAM

Asset Inventory polling requirements

This topic also applies to SolarWinds SCM, which supports Asset Inventory polling.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 411

 Asset Inventory polling requirements

To configure SAM to collect Asset Inventory data:

l Download and install third-party software on supported servers. SAM uses standard protocols
such as SNMP and WMI to collect Asset Inventory data, but not all data is available natively
from an OS without installing the hardware vendor's required agent software. For example, if
Windows cannot recognize the serial number of a machine, SAM cannot determine the
machine's warranty status unless the vendor updates its agent software to extend APIs and
gather additional data.
l Enable the Asset Inventory feature for nodes.

SAM can also collect warranty data, display it on the SAM Summary page, and notify you about
pending expiration dates, see Display the warranty status for physical servers in SAM.

Supported physical servers

SAM supports Asset Inventory data collection for the following systems. Additional servers may be
supported with a limited amount of data returned by polling.
l HPE BladeSystem servers with HP System Insight Manager 6.2 or higher
o Including HP C3000 and HP C7000

l HPE ProLiant Gen10 servers (via SNMP protocol only)

o Including DL320 G4, DL360 G3, DL360 G4, DL380 G4, DL380 G6, and ML570 G3

HP WBEM providers are required for HP servers polled via WMI.

l IBM servers with IBM Director (Common Agent, 6.3 or higher)

o Including System x3550, System x3550 M2, System x3550 M3, System x3650, System

x3650 M2, System x3650 M3, x3850, and eServer 306m

IBM ServeRAID Manager software must be installed on IBM X-Series servers.

Supported operating systems and protocols

OS Protocol
Windows SNMP, WMI

Linux SNMP

AIX v7 and higher SNMP

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 Enable Asset Inventory polling for multiple nodes in SAM

OS Protocol
VMware Common Information Model (CIM), VMware API

Click here to learn about versions Use ICMP for VMware nodes not polled by
supported by SAM, which sync with CIM or the VMware API.
VMAN.

VMware API for ESX/ESXi hosts polled via HTTPS

vCenter
If the vCenter API is slow to report changes,
use CIM to monitor each host directly.

Ports used for Asset Inventory polling

Port Protocol Service/Process Direction Notes

135 TCP Microsoft EPMAP Bidirectional WMI agentless polling.

(DCE/RPC
WMI uses port 135 to initiate
Locator service)
communication with remotely managed
hosts, then switches to a random port
between 1024 and 65535.

161 UDP SolarWinds Job Outbound SNMP agentless polling

Engine v2

445 TCP File and Printer Bidirectional WMI agentless polling.

Sharing (SMB-In)
Asset Inventory uses VBScript to gather
data about Windows updates on monitored
nodes, which may cause false-positive
alerts in antivirus scans. If you need to
disable VBScript, see this article.

Enable Asset Inventory polling for multiple nodes in SAM

This topic also applies to SolarWinds SCM, which supports Asset Inventory polling.

By default, Asset Inventory polling is automatically enabled for nodes that meet Asset Inventory
requirements that are added during Discovery. You can also enable Asset Inventory polling for
individual nodes.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 413

 Enable Asset Inventory polling for multiple nodes in SAM

To enable Asset Inventory polling for a large group of nodes (for example, after adding required third-
party software to nodes), you can either:
l Run Discovery again to "re-import" the nodes. This will not affect anything currently monitored,
but Asset Inventory will be enabled on all nodes that meet requirements during the import
process. See this article for details.
l Use SWIS verbs to turn Asset Inventory on and off across multiple nodes, as described next.

To avoid overloading polling engines, do not enable Asset Inventory across hundreds of
agentless nodes in bulk. For nodes polled by SolarWinds Platform agents, that issue should not
occur.

Use SWIS to enable or disable Asset Inventory polling

You can also use SolarWinds Information Service (SWIS) verbs to control Asset Inventory polling
across multiple nodes:
l Orion.AssetInventory.Polling.EnablePollingForNodes.
l Orion.AssetInventory.Polling.DisablePollingForNodes.

SWIS is the data access layer that serves as an API for the SolarWinds Platform. You can use the
SolarWinds Platform SDK to interface with SWIS, which allows for higher-level operations than would
be allowed directly in SQL. The SDK includes a SWQL Studio tool to validate queries and data.
SolarWinds Query Language (SWQL —rhymes with "pickle") is a proprietary, read-only subset of SQL
that you can use to query your SolarWinds Platform database.

Note the following details about the SolarWinds Platform SDK:

l For documentation, see github.com/solarwinds/OrionSDK/wiki.

New to the SolarWinds Platform SDK and API? Read Intro to API, SDK, & SWQL on
THWACK, or watch Orion SDK 101: Intro to PowerShell and the Orion API.

l Use PowerShell to interact with the SolarWinds Platform SDK; v5.0 or later is recommended;
click here for script samples.
l (Recommended) Back up your SolarWinds Platform database frequently.

The SolarWinds Platform SDK is a powerful tool that can impact SolarWinds Platform
data. Users should be well-versed in SQL queries with a background in programming.
SolarWinds does not provide pre- or post-Sales support on SDK customizations, including
code. Post questions in the SDK forum in THWACK instead. Experiment with the
SolarWinds Platform SDK in a non-production instance of SolarWinds Platform. Do not
run untested PowerShell scripts against a production instance.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 414

 Enable Asset Inventory polling for multiple nodes in SAM

To enable or disable Asset Inventory for multiple nodes with SWIS:

1. Download the OrionSDK.msi installer from GitHub and run the setup wizard.
2. Launch SWQL Studio from its default folder:
C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion SDK\SWQL Studio

3. Generate a list of node IDs, as shown in this example query:

SELECT CONCAT('<int>', NodeID, '</int>') AS col1

FROM Orion.Nodes n
LEFT JOIN Orion.AssetInventory.Polling a ON a.NodeID = n.NodeID
WHERE n.Vendor = 'Windows' AND a.Enabled IS NULL

4. Click Ctrl + C to copy the list of node IDs.

5. In Object explorer tree, navigate to Orion.AssetInventory.Polling.
6. Right-click the verb (for example, EnablePollingForNodes) and click Invoke.

7. When a new query pane opens, paste the node ID(s).

a. Single node ID
Example:
….<int>0</int>….

b. Multiple, non-delimited node IDs

Example:

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 415

 Enable Asset Inventory polling for individual nodes in SAM

….<int>1</int><int>2</int><int>3</int>….

If you receive errors, verify node IDs and make sure your account has permission to perform the
action. You can also review the log file for the SWIS service, stored in this default location:
C:\ProgramData\SolarWinds\InformationService\v3.0\Orion.InformationService.log

Enable Asset Inventory polling for individual nodes in SAM

This topic also applies to SolarWinds SCM, which supports Asset Inventory polling.

As described in Monitor Asset Inventory in SAM, Asset Inventory polling is automatically enabled
during Discovery for nodes that meet Asset Inventory requirements. Polling begins immediately.

You can also enable this feature when adding a single node for monitoring.

1. Click Settings > Manage Nodes.

2. Click Add Node.
3. Provide information on the Define Node page, and then click Next.
4. On the Choose Resources tab of the Add Node wizard, select the Asset Inventory check box.

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 Display Asset Inventory data in SAM

5. Complete the remaining pages in the wizard to finish adding the node.

Enable Asset Inventory for an existing node

1. Navigate to the Node Details view by clicking a node.
2. In the Management widget, click List Resources.
3. Select the Asset Inventory check box, and then click Submit.

See also Enable Asset Inventory polling for multiple nodes in SAM.

Display Asset Inventory data in SAM

This topic also applies to SolarWinds SCM, which supports Asset Inventory polling.

After you set up third-party software on supported servers and enable the Asset Inventory feature for
nodes, polling occurs and collected data appears in several areas of the SolarWinds Platform Web
Console, including the Asset Inventory subview of the Node Details view.

To display Asset Inventory data gathered for an individual node:

1. Navigate to the Node Details view for the node.

2. Click the Asset Inventory option in the left menu.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 417

 Display the warranty status for physical servers in SAM

Display the warranty status for physical servers in SAM

This topic also applies to SolarWinds SCM, which supports Asset Inventory polling.

After you set up third-party software on supported servers and enable the Asset Inventory feature for
nodes, polling occurs and collected data appears in several areas of the SolarWinds Platform Web
Console, such as the Asset Inventory subview of the Node Details view. You can also collect warranty
status of physical servers in your environment for Asset Inventory-enabled nodes.

Periodically, SAM sends API queries to Dell, HP, and IBM warranty validation servers to collect data
for display on the SAM Summary page. You can also enable an optional predefined alert, "Alert me
when a node warranty expires in 30 days".

Unlike daily Asset Inventory polling, warranty data is polled on various schedules, via API queries, to
avoid overtaxing polling engines. When you first enable Asset Inventory polling for a node, SAM polls
for warranty data immediately. After that, SAM follows these schedules:

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 418

 Display the warranty status for physical servers in SAM

For nodes with warranties that... SAM polls for data every...
Expire after 1 year 60 days

Expire within 1 year 30 days

Expire in 45—90 days 15 days

Expire in 30—45 days 7 days

Expired up to 10 days ago, or are due to expire within 30 days 24 hours

Expired between 10 to 60 days ago 30 days

No polling occurs if node warranty remains expired for more than 60 days.

To display the latest warranty data for servers:

1. Click My Dashboards > Applications > SAM Summary.

2. Scroll down to the Server Warranty Summary widget.
3. If a warranty expiration date crosses a Warning or Critical threshold, progress bars appear as
yellow and red, respectively. Click Edit to customize threshold values as well as filter the
warranties to display.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 419

 Adjust the Asset Inventory polling frequency in SAM

Adjust the Asset Inventory polling frequency in SAM

This topic also applies to SolarWinds SCM, which supports Asset Inventory polling.

After you set up third-party software on supported servers and enable the Asset Inventory feature for
nodes, the SolarWinds Platform executes polling jobs immediately and then continues polling at the
same time each day until you restart SolarWinds Platform services, at which point polling jobs are
rescheduled at random times throughout the day to reduce loads on polling engines.

Polling uses less than 100 KB of database space per node. For an environment with 1,000 servers,
that translates to just under 100 MB of disk space. If you find that Asset Inventory polling strains your
polling engine(s), you can adjust the polling interval to suit your needs. Generally, Asset Inventory data
does not need to be collected with the same degree of regularity as status information because data
doesn't change often.

Another alternative is to add an Additional Polling Engine (APE), as described in the Scalability
Guidelines for SolarWinds products.

To change the frequency of Asset Inventory polling:

1. Click Settings >All Settings.

2. Under Thresholds & Polling, click Polling Settings.
3. Adjust the Default Asset Inventory Poll Interval.

The minimum value is 1 day.

4. Click Submit.

Another option is to adjust Advanced Configuration settings for Asset Inventory. The default value is 1
minute but you can expand that time to 1 through 12 hours. However, note that updated Advanced
Configuration settings are only applied to nodes for which this feature is enabled, moving forward. To
force the change on existing nodes, disable Asset Inventory on a node, wait a few minutes, and then
enable it again. See also Enable Asset Inventory polling for multiple nodes in SAM.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 420

 Configure SSL certificate validation for Asset Inventory polling

Configure SSL certificate validation for Asset Inventory

polling
This topic also applies to SolarWinds SCM, which supports Asset Inventory polling.

By default, SAM ignores warnings that occur when validating SSL certificates on target systems
during Asset Inventory polling. You can change that setting so users are prompted to verify untrusted
connections before proceeding. .

To edit this setting in SAM:

1. Log in to the SolarWinds Platform server as an administrator.

2. Use the SolarWinds Platform Service Manager to stop all SolarWinds Platform services.
3. Copy the following text: /Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/Global.aspx
4. Paste text into your browser address bar, after /Orion, as shown here:
<your product server>/Orion/Admin/AdvancedConfiguration/Global.aspx

5. On the Global tab of the Advanced Configuration page, scroll down to the AssetInventory
section.
6. Select the CimVerifiesServerCertificate check box, and then scroll down to click Save.

7. Restart SolarWinds Platform services in the SolarWinds Platform Service Manager, and then
wait a few minutes for changes to occur.

Disable Asset Inventory polling in SAM

This topic also applies to SolarWinds SCM, which supports Asset Inventory polling.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 421

 Disable Asset Inventory polling in SAM

When Asset Inventory polling is enabled for nodes, polling starts immediately and results appear on
the Asset Inventory subview of the Node Details view. Initially, polling occurs daily at the same time
for all nodes. The next time you stop and restart SolarWinds Platform services, the SolarWinds
Platform schedules polling jobs at random times throughout the day to avoid CPU spikes and reduce
polling engine loads.

To reduce polling, you can adjust the polling frequency or disable Asset Inventory on nodes.

Disable Asset Inventory polling on a single node

1. Click Settings > Manage Nodes.
2. Select the node and click List Resources.
3. On the List Resources page, clear the Asset Inventory check box.

4. Click Submit to save your changes.

Disable Asset Inventory polling across multiple nodes

Do one of the following:
l Use a SQL command, as described in Remove Asset Inventory data collection.
l Use SWIS to enable or disable Asset Inventory polling.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 422

 Troubleshoot Asset Inventory polling issues in SAM

Troubleshoot Asset Inventory polling issues in SAM

This topic also applies to SolarWinds SCM, which supports Asset Inventory polling.

If expected Asset Inventory data does not appear for a node, verify that the feature is enabled and that
any necessary third-party software is installed. The SolarWinds Platform uses standard protocols
such as SNMP and WMI to collect Asset Inventory data, but not all information is available natively
from an OS without installing agent software from the hardware vendor.

If you encounter CPU spikes or heavy polling engine loads, note that when Asset Inventory is first
enabled on nodes, polling occurs daily at the same time across all nodes. If you stop and restart
SolarWinds Platform services, the SolarWinds Platform will schedule polling jobs at random times
throughout the day. You can also adjust the polling frequency, if necessary.

To avoid overloading polling engines, do not enable Asset Inventory across hundreds of
agentless nodes in bulk. If nodes are polled by SolarWinds Platform agents, that issue should
not occur.

Additional troubleshooting tips include:

l If you enable Asset Inventory polling for a node that hosts an SolarWinds Platform agent but
expected data does not appear, check the agent configuration.
l Internet Information Services (IIS) use drivers and other “non-software” records that may cause
duplicate records to be displayed in the SolarWinds Platform Web Console and saved to the
SolarWinds Platform SQL database.
l If multiple registry keys share the same display name, filter by display name, version, and related
Windows updates so only records for a specific asset appear in the Software Inventory widget
and are saved in the SolarWinds Platform database.

These Success Center articles contain more details:

l Asset Inventory polling of Windows updates via WMI may stop processes on monitored
machines
l Asset Inventory polling does not show all installed software on Linux hosts
l Asset Inventory does not provide manufacturer, model or serial number
l Avoid false-positive antivirus alerts related to Asset Inventory polling
l Object Identifiers (OIDs) used by SAM to poll for Asset Inventory data via SNMP
l Warranty status displays as Unknown for HP servers in the Asset Inventory widget

You can also search the SolarWinds online IT community, THWACK, for troubleshooting tips.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 423

 Manage credentials in SAM

Manage credentials in SAM

There are several places within SAM and the SolarWinds Platform where you can track credentials for
different features if your SolarWinds Platform account has administrator rights.

Description Navigation steps

Use the Manage Credentials page to store: 1. Click Settings
> All Settings.
l API keys, Basic Auth, Bearer Token, and OAuth 2.0 credentials for
API pollers 2. Under
l SolarWinds Cloud Tokens used to: Credentials,
o Integrate AppOptics monitoring with AppInsight for IIS. click Manage
o Monitor APM services in SAM.
API Poller
Credentials.
You can also access AppOptics directly from the Manage Credentials page.
To learn more, see Manage credentials for API pollers, AppOptics
integrations, and container monitoring in SAM.

Use the Credentials Library to manage user names and passwords for SAM 1. Click Settings
component monitors that need to run in the context of a user account, or > All Settings.
require credentials to access data on target servers.
2. Under Product
See Use the Credentials Library for SAM component monitor credentials. Specific
Settings, click
SAM Settings.
3. Click
Credentials
Library.

Use the Certificate Credential Library to store user names, private keys, key 1. Click Settings
types, and passwords for Linux and Unix script monitors. > All Settings.

See Use the Certificate Credentials Library to store SSH keys for Linux/Unix 2. Under Product
script monitors. Specific
Settings, click
SAM Settings.
3. Click
Certificate
Credentials
Library.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 424

 Manage credentials for API pollers, AppOptics integrations, and container monitoring in SAM

More information is available in the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide, including:

l Assign credentials to virtual servers.
l Credentials and privileges used on Linux/Unix-based computers: Learn about credentials used
by the SolarWinds Platform agent for Linux.
l Credentials for Active Directory discovery.
l SNMP credentials for the SolarWinds Platform: Learn about adding SNMP credentials during
Discovery.

Manage credentials for API pollers, AppOptics integrations,

and container monitoring in SAM
The Manage Credentials page serves as a centralized repository where you can work with credentials
that are used to:
l Monitor metrics with API pollers in SAM,
l Monitor APM services in SAM, and
l Monitor containers in SAM or VMAN.

SolarWinds Tokens have replaced standard SolarWinds Platform credentials for Container
Monitoring. Update all container services added in earlier versions to use SolarWinds Tokens
instead of SolarWinds Platform credentials. See the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide
for details.

To access the Manage Credentials page:

1. Log in to the SolarWinds Platform Web Console with an SolarWinds Platform administrator
account.

2. Click Settings > All Settings.

3. Scroll to the Credentials section of the page and click Manage API Poller Credentials.

Administrator Guide: Server & Application Monitor page 425

 Manage credentials for API pollers, AppOptics integrations, and container monitoring in SAM

The Manage Credential page appears, as shown in this example.

Supported credential types include:

l API Key: A random string passed between applications and often used in API poller request
URLs and headers.
l Basic Authorization: Also called "Basic Auth," this method passes usernames and passwords in
request headers, sent via HTTPS and encoded with Base64 for security. Passwords are
required.
l Bearer Token: Also called "token authentication," this scheme uses access tokens to
authenticate requests, in the form of text strings added to request headers (for example,
Authorization: Bearer <Your API Key>).
l OAuth 2.0: Uses access tokens that an API server passes to an authentication server to grant
access via public and private keys. To learn more about Grant Type, Tenant ID, and other OAuth
terms, see API credentials.
l SolarWinds Cloud Token: An API token generated for an active AppOptics organization that can
be used to monitor APM services directly in SAM. See Retrieve a SolarWinds Cloud Token to
integrate AppOptics with SAM.
l SolarWinds Token: SolarWinds Tokens have replaced standard SolarWinds Platform credentials
for the Container Monitoring feature. See the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide for
details.

Note the following details about the Manage Credentials page:

l The SolarWinds Credentials feature uses port 38008, by default.
l Related logs are stored in this default location:
ProgramData\SolarWinds\Logs\SolarWinds.Credentials\SolarWinds.Credentials\S
olarWinds.Credentials.log
l After adding a credential, you can edit its name later but you cannot edit tokens. Create a new
credential instead.

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 Manage credentials for API pollers, AppOptics integrations, and container monitoring in SAM

l SAM includes other places where you can work with credentials, such as the Credentials Library
for component monitors. For details, see Manage credentials in SAM.

For API pollers created in earlier versions of SAM, add API credentials on the Manage
Credentials page, and then edit API pollers to use new credentials.

Add a credential
1. Click Settings > All Settings > Manage API Poller Credentials.
2. When the Manage Credentials page appears, click New.
3. Specify the credential type, such as OAuth 2.0.
4. Add a name for the credential and fill out the remaining fields
5. Click Save.

Added credentials are sent by HTTP in plain text, instead of HTTPS. SolarWinds recommends
logging in to the SolarWinds Platform Web Console directly from the SolarWinds Platform
server to add credentials.

Edit the name for a credential

1. Select the credentials you want to edit.
2. Click Edit.
3. Modify the credential, as necessary.

Editing tokens is not supported. Create new tokens instead.

4. Click Save.

Delete credentials
1. Select the credentials you want to delete.

Credentials currently in use cannot be deleted. For example, if API keys are assigned to an
API poller, remove them from the poller first.

2. Click Delete.
3. When prompted, confirm the deletion.

Deleting credentials is permanent.

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 Use the Credentials Library for SAM component monitor credentials

Use the Credentials Library for SAM component monitor

credentials
Many SAM component monitors require credentials so they can retrieve data from target servers and
services. Some component monitors need to run in the context of a user account, while other
component monitors need credentials to access information on target servers.

The Credentials Library described here differs from the Certificate Credentials Library that
stores SSH keys for Linux and Unix script monitors, and the Manage Credentials page where
you can work with credentials for API Pollers and AppOptics integrations.

For example, to use a WMI component monitor, you must provide valid domain or computer
credentials. Or, if your web server requires credentials, you must provide the appropriate credentials
to access the protected sections of your site. Those credentials can be stored in the Credentials
Library.

These credentials can be used with the "Inherit credential from node" option for component monitors
within application monitor templates, as well as individual application monitors.

Note the following details about component monitor credentials:

l Default behavior for the "Inherit credential from node" option is as follows:
o For WMI nodes, credentials specified during node registration to the SolarWinds Platform

server are used for polling.

o For Agent nodes, polling runs without any specific credentials using the Local System

account under which the agent service runs on the target node.
o For Linux nodes, see Credentials and privileges used on Linux/Unix-based computers.

l If SNMP credentials were provided for a node during Discovery, you do not need to specify
additional credentials for SNMP operations. To learn more, see SNMP credentials for the
SolarWinds Platform.
l Credentials can be used several times if you use Application Discovery to scan nodes and apply
templates to nodes automatically. If credentials are incorrect, the account may become locked
out. To avoid lockouts that affect actual users, consider using service accounts for monitoring
instead.

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 Use the Credentials Library for SAM component monitor credentials

l If each component monitor within an application monitor requires a separate credential, you
cannot specify credentials while creating an application monitor with the Add Node Wizard or
the Add New Application Monitor wizard. Instead, create the application monitor first, and then
configure credentials for individual component monitors by editing the individual application
monitor.

For a video overview, watch Setting Credentials in SAM.

Manage credentials for SAM component monitors

When working with component monitor credentials, note the following details:
l An SolarWinds Platform account with administrator rights is required.

SolarWinds recommends using HTTPS to configure credentials. Alternatively, configure

them locally on the SolarWinds Platform server.

l For Windows credentials that access information through WMI, use the following syntaxes:
o DomainOrComputerName\user name for domain-level authentication, or
o User Name for workgroup-level authentication.

Add credentials to the Credentials Library

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Credentials Library > Add New Credential.
2. Provide a Credential Name for the set, which will appear in the SolarWinds Platform Web
Console.
3. Enter a User Name and Password.

4. Confirm the Password and click Submit.

Edit credentials in the Credentials Library

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Credentials Library.
2. Click Edit for the desired credential.
3. Modify the information as needed and then click Submit.

See also Mass update SAM Application Credentials.

Delete credentials from the Credentials Library

1. Click Settings > All Settings > SAM Settings > Credentials Library.
2. Click Delete for the desired credential.

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 Use the Certificate Credentials Library to store SSH keys for Linux/Unix script monitors

3. Click OK to confirm the deletion.

If you delete a credential set, be sure to update any component monitors that use those
credentials.

Use the Certificate Credentials Library to store SSH keys for

Linux/Unix script monitors
Typically, you must associate credentials with component monitors to enable them to retrieve
application data. For added security, SAM also includes a Certificate Credential Library where you can
store certificate details for SSH keys required for script monitoring, including:
l User Name
l Private Key: Upload a private key file or paste the private key in PEM format.
l Key Type: RSA or DSA
l Password (optional)

Certificates can be used to authenticate Linux devices monitored in SAM. Linux, Unix, and Nagios
script monitors also support certificate-based authentication.

The Certificate Credentials Library differs from the Credentials Library that stores standard
authentication credentials for component monitors. For example, a WMI component monitor
may need to run as a particular user (or service account) to collect information. See Use the
Credentials Library for SAM component monitor credentials and the Setting Credentials in SAM
video.

To access the Certificate Credentials Library:

1. Click Settings > All Settings.

2. Under Product Specific Settings, click SAM Settings.
3. Click Certificate Credentials Library.

Assign certificate credentials

There are several ways to assign Certificate Credentials:
l When assigning an application monitor template to a node,
l When editing a template directly, and
l When editing component monitors in assigned application modules.

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 Use the Certificate Credentials Library to store SSH keys for Linux/Unix script monitors

Before you begin, choose the right method

l If each node uses unique private keys, editing the application after it's assigned is the best
option.
l If most nodes use the same private key, edit the credentials directly in the template.

You'll be prompted to provide the following details for each credential:

l Credential Name: User-defined text that identifies the credential for later use in templates.
l User Name: The user who is associated with the public key certificate on the target computer.
l Key: Text content of the private certificate file in Privacy Enhanced Mail (PEM) format.
l Key type: The algorithm the certificate used to generate the certificate pair. Those details are
usually included in the header. For example, --- BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY---.
l Key password: The password used to protect the certificate file

Assign certificate credentials when assigning a template to a node

1. Assign a template to a node.
2. When asked to choose credentials, select the "Inherit credentials" from template option.
3. Click Assign Application Monitors and then click Edit next to the template name.

4. Select one or more Linux/Unix/Nagios script component monitors to edit by checking the boxes
to the left of each monitor and clicking Multi-Edit.

5. Check the Authentication Type box and select User name and PrivateKey from the drop-down
menu.
6. Check the Credential for Monitoring box, select the credentials from the drop-down menu, and
click Save.

Assign certificate credentials when editing a template directly

1. Click Settings > All Settings > Settings > Manage Templates.
2. Select the template and click Edit.
3. Change the Authentication Type option to User name and PrivateKey for each component
monitor that uses that type of authentication.

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 Use the Certificate Credentials Library to store SSH keys for Linux/Unix script monitors

4. In the Credential for Monitoring field drop-down menu, select a set of credentials.
5. Click Submit.

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