Monitoring External Devices via PING ==================================== In this sample, we use the ping probe to monitor the availability of external devices. The ping probe issues a standard IP "PING". Each system that is "pinged" provides a reply to the system initiating the ping. When the reply comes back, the initiator knows that the pinged system is up and running. **Please note that this does not imply that all services on that machine are running.** To check this, a port probe must be used. At least the ping probe can detect failing systems. The Ping Probe can be used in any case, whereas the port probe only can be used with tcp based services. As first step, we create a new rule set. Please see the previous example for the reasoning of doing so. We call the new rule set "Send Email". We would like to receive email notifications if the ping probe fails. So we add a "Send Email" action. After doing so, the screen looks as follows: .. image:: ../images/monitoringexternaldevices_1.png :width: 100% *Monitoring External Devices via PING - 1* **Please note we do not customize the Send Email action properties in this sample. In your environment, you need to use some meaningful settings.** Now that we have defined the rule set, we need to create the corresponding service. To do so, right-click "Running Services" and follow the screen shot below: .. image:: ../images/monitoringexternaldevices_2.png :width: 70% *Monitoring External Devices via PING - 2* Use a name of your choosing, leave the defaults as is, click "Next", and then "Finish". We have used the name "Ping Probe" in our sample. Click the newly created service. We need to uncheck the "Generate an event if Ping Probe was successful" check box. If it is checked, an event is generated every time. If unchecked, it is generated only when the ping fails. As we are just interested in failed systems, we uncheck it. Therefore, we do not need to apply any other filters. If you forget to uncheck this option, you receive multiple emails – one each time the Ping Probe runs and probes the configured system. You screen should now look as follows: .. image:: ../images/monitoringexternaldevices_3.png :width: 100% *Monitoring External Devices via PING - 3* Now save the settings and restart the service. Whenever the Ping Probe fails, you receive a mail. This mail looks as follows: .. code-block:: none Event message: Facility: 16 Priority: 6 Source: 172.19.0.1 Message: PingProbe Status="error" remoteip="172.19.0.1" PingStatus="11003" ErrorMessage="Destination Host Unreachable" A ping probe service can monitor a single device in this version of MonitorWare Agent. Therefore, if you would like to monitor multiple devices, you need to create multiple ping probe services.