Process Monitoring template
The Process Monitoring template lets you monitor whether a particular process is running on a computer. By using this template, you can implement two different basic scenarios: You might require the process to be running for a particular application and want to be warned if it isn't running, or you might have to be alerted if you discover that an unwanted process is running. In addition to monitoring whether the application is running, you can collect performance data for the processor and memory usage of the process.
Scenarios
Use the Process Monitoring template in different scenarios where you've to monitor a running process on an agent-managed Windows-based computer. Your application can monitor the following processes.
Critical process
A process that must be running at all times. Use the Process Monitoring template to ensure that this process is running on the computers where it's installed, and use the Process Monitoring template to measure its performance.
Unwanted process
A process that shouldn't be running. This process might be a known rogue process that can cause damage, or it might be a process that's automatically started when an error in the application occurs. The Process Monitoring template can monitor for this process and send an alert if it's found to be running.
Long running process
A process that runs for short periods at a time. If the process is running for an excessive length of time, it might indicate a problem. The Process Monitoring template can monitor for the length of time that this process runs and send an alert if the running time exceeds a particular duration.
Monitoring performed by Process Monitoring Template
Depending on your selections in the Process Monitoring wizard, the monitoring performed by the created monitors and rules can include any of the following settings.
| Type | Description | When Enabled |
|---|---|---|
| Monitors | Count of wanted processes running | Enabled if you select Processes you want on the Process to Monitor page and Number of processes on the Running Processes page. |
| Time that a wanted process has been running | Enabled if you select Processes you want on the Process to Monitor page and Duration on the Running Processes page. | |
| Unwanted process running | Enabled if Monitoring Scenario is for unwanted processes. | |
| Processor utilization of process | Enabled if you select Processes you want on the Process to Monitor page, and you enable CPU alert on the Performance Data page. | |
| Memory usage of process | Enabled if you select Processes you want on the Process to Monitor page, and you enable memory alert on the Performance Data page. | |
| Collection Rules | Collection of processor utilization of process | Enabled if you select Processes you want on the Process to Monitor page, and you enable CPU alert on the Performance Data page. |
| Collection of memory usage of process. | Enabled if you select Processes you want on the Process to Monitor page, and you enable memory alert on the Performance Data page. |
Viewing monitoring data
All data collected by the Process Monitoring template is available in the Process State view located in the Windows Service and Process Monitoring folder. In this view, an object is listed for each agent in the group that you selected. Even if an agent doesn't monitor a process, it's listed, and the monitor reflects the state for the process that isn't running.
You can view the state of the individual process monitors by opening the Operations Manager Health Explorer for the process object. You can view performance data by opening the Performance view for the process object.
The same process objects that are listed in the Process State view are included in the Health Explorer for the computer that hosts the process. The health state of the process monitors rolls up to the health of the computer.
Wizard options
When you run the Process Monitoring template, you've to provide values for the options in the following tables. Each table represents a single page in the wizard.
General properties
The following options are available on the General Options page of the wizard.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The name used for the process. This name is displayed in the Operations console for the wizard. It doesn't have to be the same name as the process. |
| Description | Optional description of the process. |
| Management Pack | Management pack to store the class and monitors that the template creates. If you create any additional monitors or rules that are using the service as a target class, they have to be stored in the same management pack. For more information about management packs, see Selecting a Management Pack File. |
Process to Monitor
The following options are available on the Process to Monitor page of the wizard.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Monitoring Scenario | The kind of monitoring that is to be performed. Select Monitor whether and how a process is running to monitor for a wanted process and set the monitor to a critical state when the process isn't running. Select Monitor only whether a process is running to monitor for an unwanted process and set the monitor to a critical state when the process is running. |
| Process name | The full name of the process. This is the name of the process as it appears in Task Manager. It shouldn't include the path to the actual executable file. You can either enter the name or select the ellipsis ( … ) button to locate the file name. |
| Targeted group | The process is monitored on all computers that are included in the specified group. |
Running Processes
The following options are available on the Running Processes page of the wizard.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Generate an alert of the number of processes is below the minimum value or above the maximum value for longer than the specified duration | If selected, the monitor is set to a critical state, and an alert is created if the number of instances of the specified process is less than the specified minimum or greater than the specified maximum for a longer period than the specified duration. To ensure that at least one instance of the process is running, set both the minimum and maximum to 1. |
| Minimum number of processes | The minimum number of processes that should be running. |
| Maximum number of processes | The maximum number of processes that should be running. |
| Duration | Specifies how long the number of running processes must exceed the specified range before the monitor is set to a critical state. Don't set this value to less than 1 minute. |
| Generate an alert if the process runs longer than the specified duration | If selected, the monitor is set to a critical state, and an alert is created if one instance of the process runs for longer than the specified duration. |
Performance Data
The following options are available on the Performance Data page of the wizard.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Generate an alert if CPU usage exceeds the specified threshold | Specifies if CPU usage of the process should be monitored. A monitor will be created to set an error state on the object and generate an alert when the specified threshold is exceeded. A rule is created to collect CPU usage for analysis and reporting. |
| CPU Usage (percentage) | If CPU utilization is monitored, this option sets the threshold. If the percentage of total CPU usage exceeds the threshold, the object is set to an error state, and an alert is generated. |
| Generate an alert if memory usage exceeds the specified threshold | Specifies if memory usage of the process should be monitored. A monitor will be created to set an error state on the object, and generate an alert when the specified threshold is exceeded. A rule is created to collect CPU usage for analysis and reporting. |
| Memory Usage (MB) | If memory usage is monitored, this option sets the threshold. If the disk space in megabytes (MB) of total CPU usage exceeds the threshold, the object is set to an error state, and an alert is generated. |
| Number of samples | If CPU usage or memory is monitored, this option specifies the number of consecutive performance samples that must be exceeded before the object is set to an error state, and an alert is generated. Specifying a number greater than 1 for this option limits the noise from monitoring by ensuring that an alert isn't generated when the service only briefly exceeds the threshold. The larger the value that you set, the longer the period of time before you're alerted to a problem. A typical value is 2 or 3. |
| Sampling interval | If CPU usage or memory is monitored, specify the length of time between performance samples.A smaller value for this option reduces the time for detecting a problem but increases overhead on the agent and the amount of data collected for reporting. A typical value is between 5 and 15 minutes. |
Additional monitoring
In addition to performing the specified monitoring, the Process Monitoring template creates a targeted class that you can use for additional monitors and workflows. Any monitor or rule using this class as a target will run on any agent-managed computer in the group specified in the template. If it creates Windows events that indicate an error, for example, you could create a monitor or rule that detects the particular event and uses the process' class as a target.
Creating and modifying Process Monitor Templates
Run the Process Monitoring wizard
Determine the target group for the monitor by using the following logic:
If you want to discover the process on all Windows-based computers in the management group, you don't have to create a group. You can use the existing group All Windows Computers.
If you only want the process to be discovered on a certain group of computers, either ensure that an appropriate group exists or create a new group by using the procedure in How to Create Groups in Operations Manager.
If the process that you're monitoring is in a cluster, create a group with objects of the class Virtual Server representing the nodes of the cluster that contain the service.
Start the Add Monitoring wizard.
On the Select Monitoring Type page, select Process Monitoring , and select Next.
On the General Properties page, in the Name and Description boxes, enter a name and an optional description. The name is used to describe the process in the Operations console. It isn't the actual name of the process.
Select a management pack in which to save the monitor, or select New to create a new management pack. For more information, see Selecting a Management Pack File.
Select Next.
On the Process to Monitor page, do the following:
- Select whether you want to monitor a wanted or an unwanted process.
- In the Process name box, enter the complete name of the process to monitor. For example, notepad.exe. You can also select the ellipsis (…) button and locate the executable file.
- Select the ellipsis (…) button to the right of the Targeted Group box, and then select the group from the first step of this procedure.
- Select Next.
If you selected the option for a wanted process, on the Running Processes page, do the following:
- If you want to monitor whether the process is running, do the following:
- Select the option to Generate an alert of the number of processes is below the minimum value or above the maximum value for longer than the specified duration.
- In the Minimum number of processes box, enter the minimum number of processes that should be running. For a single instance of the process, this is typically 1.
- In the Maximum number of processes box, enter the maximum number of instances of the process that should be running.
- In the Duration box, enter the length of time that running processes must exceed the specified range before the monitor is set to a critical state. This value shouldn't be set to less than 1 minute.
Note
The process could stop and restart within this time window with no error detected.
- If you want to monitor for the length that a process runs, do the following:
- Select the option to Generate an alert if the process runs longer than the specified duration.
- In the Duration box, enter the maximum length of time that you want the process to run before the monitor is set to a critical state. This value shouldn't be set to less than 1 minute.
If you selected the option for a wanted process, on the Performance Data page, select the performance counters and thresholds that you want to monitor. For more detailed information, see the Wizard Options section.
Note
This page is disabled if you selected the option for an unwanted process.
If you have selected performance counters, specify the monitoring interval.
Select Next.
Review the summary of the monitor, and select Create.
Modify an existing Process Monitoring template
- Open the Operations console with a user account that has Author credentials.
- Open the Authoring workspace.
- In the Authoring navigation pane, expand Management Pack Templates , and select Process Monitoring.
- In the Process Monitoring pane, locate the monitor to change.
- Right-click the monitor, and then select Properties.
- Enter the changes that you want, and select OK.
Viewing Process Monitoring Monitors and Collected Data
View all Process Monitoring monitors
- Open the Operations console.
- Open the Monitoring workspace.
- In the Monitoring navigation pane, select Windows Service and Process Monitoring , and select Process State.
View the state of each monitor
- In the Process State pane, right-click an object. Select Open , and select Health Explorer.
- Expand the Availability and Performance nodes to view the individual monitors.
View the performance collected for a process
- In the Process State pane, right-click an object. Select Open , and select Performance.
- In the Legend pane, select the counters that you want to view.
- Use options in the Actions pane to modify the Performance view.