Manual Index

Additional resources can be found in the How To... Guide.

4. Configure Server Preferences

When you select the 'Setup' menu option on the 'Home' menu toolbar the DesktopProfile Setup menu is displayed (see Fig 4.1 below). The first time 'Setup' is selected to change DesktopProfile application preferences, you must sign in with a valid password. This password dialog box will be displayed (not shown here) as soon as the user clicks the 'Setup' button. 

TIP: The default password for a new installation is "hello". It is highly recommended that the "hello" password is immediately changed to a more secure password.

TIP: You may click on the buttons below to jump directly to the specific section.

Fig 4.1: Setup menu options

The first button, 'Server' on the toolbar  button brings up the Server Configuration dialog box (Fig. 4.2) below. This dialog is used to configure some of the global server settings.

 
Fig 4.2: Server Configuration dialog

This dialog allows the user to change several settings:

1. Web Port: The default is Port 80 unless that is found to be in use. The user may change this to be any valid port number if desired.

2. Engine may port-hop: The default is on. This is the option that allows the Web Port option above to locate the first free useable port.

3. Max Test Worker Threads: Defines the extent of parallel tasks that can be performed when collecting data. Once all the threads are occupied with a collection process, remaining collections due at the same interval will wait until a thread is freed by another collection process.

4. Max Event Worker Threads: Defines the extent of parallel tasks that can be performed managing threshold alarms. Works in the same manner as Max Test Worker Threads above.

5. Max Time Intervals: Defines the maximum amount of time intervals allowed in any report view.

6. VisualRoute Server: DesktopProfile provides an interface to our other network/internet monitoring tool, VisualRoute, an award-winning application which allows you to perform detailed traceroute analysis on remote hosts. If you have installed VisualRoute Server, this option allows you to specify the URL to that server. For example, if VisualRoute were installed on the same machine where you installed DesktopProfile, using a different port, this entry would look like: 'host:port', where 'host and port' are the host and port to your VisualRoute Server.

7. Help File URL: Defaults to the DesktopProfile web server but can be configured for an alternative server that houses the DesktopProfile documentation.

8. New Password: The default password is 'hello'. It is recommended that the default password be immediately changed to a more secure password.

 

To run DesktopProfile as a Windows service, follow these steps:

1. Setup and configure DesktopProfile as described above (to verify that DesktopProfile is working properly before turning DesktopProfile into a service).
2. In DOS, navigate to the DesktopProfile install directory and then type:

   DesktopProfile -install

3. Run the Services Manager (Control Panel) and start the "DesktopProfile" service or from the DOS command line issue "net start DesktopProfile".

To remove the DesktopProfile service, stop the DesktopProfile service if it is running by running the Services Manager (Control Panel) and stop the "DesktopProfile" service. Alternately, from the DOS command line issue "net stop DesktopProfile".  Then from the DOS prompt navigate to the DesktopProfile install directory and then type:

DesktopProfile -uninstall

4.1 Configure: Hosts and Groups

The third button 'Hosts/Groups' on the Setup toolbar button brings up the Hosts And Groups dialog box (Fig. 4.3) below. The Hosts And Groups dialog is used to enter the IP inventory (i.e. the IP addresses, domain names, desktops) along with folders (groups) to band the devices into logical business categories such as "DesktopAgents" or "US Desktops".

Fig. 4.3 Hosts And Groups dialog box

There are two parts to completing this dialog.

1. Defining the host and device names/IP addresses
2. Defining the folders that group hosts and devices together.

As long as DesktopProfile remote agents are configured correctly, the agents should register themselves with the DesktopProfile engine and appear in the Hosts list. You may manually enter IP addresses or host names by clicking on the 'Editor' button below the edit panel on the Hosts side (right) of the dialog box. This brings up the "Host Editor" dialog box (see Fig 4.4.  below) which is used to add host names and device IP addresses.

   
Fig 4.4: Host Editor dialog box     
 

Adding Hosts and Devices

The Host Editor dialog box can be used to add new devices and hosts in two ways. 

The first is by entering the device/host name or IP address in the "New Host" edit box at the top and clicking the add button to the right of the edit box. This then adds the device/host into the viewing panel that dominates the middle of this dialog. This process adds each device/host one at a time, however if a domain name is added which resolves to multiple IP addresses then these will all be added. Once complete the user must click the 'ok' button to close the dialog and update the hosts configuration database.

The second method is to click the "Bulk Edit" button located at the bottom of the dialog which brings up the bulk "Host Text Editor" dialog. This dialog can be used to edit the existing entries as well as add new entries to the device/host database. The bulk edit feature is provided to allow users to cut and paste line items from other document sources. Once complete the user must click the "Save Changes" button to save the edited changes to the database and close the "Host Text Editor" dialog. The user must then click "OK" on the 'Host Editor' dialog to finally complete the host configuration process.

Amending and Deleting Hosts and Devices

The 'Host Editor' dialog and the 'Host Text Editor' dialog can both be used to change or delete existing entries. When using the Host Editor dialog, the user must click on the entry to select it and then click the "Delete" button. The entry is immediately deleted and can be re-entered to a new changed value if desired. When using the Host Text Editor bulk edit dialog the user simply edits the changes much like editing a word document using the mouse and keyboard and eventually saving the amended details by clicking the "Save Changes" button.

Once some hosts and devices ("Inventory") are defined, the next step is to define folders to group the inventory items into a logical order depending on the desired monitoring and reporting requirements of the business. Defining folders referred to as "groups" is accomplished by clicking the "Add" button on the "Groups" (left) side of the Hosts and Groups dialog. This brings up the Hosts and Groups Editor dialog (see Fig 4.5 below).

Fig 4.5 Hosts And Groups Editor dialog box

The Hosts And Groups Editor dialog is used to created folders which are then used to store and therefore group together the defined device/host inventory (IP addresses and domain names). There are two distinct types of folder: 'Fixed' and 'Attribute'. 

A Fixed folder (yellow in color) is simply a folder where the user manually selects what inventory items are placed in the folder to form the group. Inventory items can be added and deleted whenever desired by simply editing the folder. Adding Host/Device inventory items to a fixed group folder is done by selecting available Hosts/Devices on the right hand side panel of the Hosts And Groups Editor dialog (see Fig 4.5 above) and clicking the "Add" button to add the selected items to the left hand panel. To remove a Host/Device, simply reverse the process. Select the Host/Device on the left side selection list and click the "Remove From Group" button.

An Attribute folder (light blue in color) populates itself based on tag labels (attributes) assigned to the folder and the inventory items. Hosts/devices cannot be manually placed into an Attribute folder, instead the hosts/devices assign themselves to folders automatically when the host/device tag(s) match the folder tag(s). In other words if a group folder is assigned the attribute of "user-location=US" and "user-app=crmserver" then all inventory items with these tag names assigned will automatically appear in the folder. The advantage of this type of group is that if more hosts/devices are added later with appropriate attribute tags, then the folders are automatically populated and this process is done accurately and efficiently.

Host/Device inventory items can have Attributes allocated to them in the Host Editor dialog (see Fig 4.4 above) by clicking on a  device/host in the host list to highlight it and clicking the "Attributes" button on the bottom right to bring up the Attribute Editor For Host dialog box (see Fig 4.5.1 below).

Fig 4.5.1 Attribute Editor Dialog

Any Attribute tags already allocated to the device/host appear at the top of the dialog with their assigned value, for example in the dialog above user-location=US, user-OS=XP and DeskttopProfile=Yes.  If no Attribute tags exist for the selected device then a gray background with no fields is shown. Attribute tags that have been added but not allocated to the selected Host/Device appear in the first drop list box at the bottom of the "Name/Value" table. Selecting one or more of these available tags and clicking the "Add" button to the right adds the tag to the Host/Device. If no tags have been added previously (i.e. a new install) or a new tag is desired then it will be necessary to add Attribute tags using the "Add New Attribute" field at the bottom of the dialog and clicking the "Add" button to the right of this input field.   All newly added Attribute tags appear in the first drop list box at the bottom of the "Name/Value" table and can be selected for allocation to the selected Host/Device. Attribute tags can be preset for Desktop Agents when configuring the agent prior to signing.

There is a further extension of Attributes tags called "System" or "Plugin" Attributes. This is a fairly advanced topic and can be skipped at this time if you are just getting started. Whereas Attributes discussed so far are invented by the user, System Attributes are allocated by the system and are used by the data collection process directly. Clicking the "Plug-ins" button in Attribute Editor dialog (See fig 4.5.1 above) brings up the "Plugin Attributes" dialog. If you wish to use a system assigned Attribute tag simply select the desired system key name from the available tree list and the Attribute tag is automatically added to the attributes for the selected Host/Device and just requires the user to provide the desired tag value. System tags differ from user defined tags covered in the section above, in that System tags are used by the plug-in to get parameters at run time.

Fig 4.5.2 Plug-in Attributes

Adding Attributes to a folder is done by selecting the relevant Attribute tag from the drop down list box in the Group Editor dialog (see Fig 4.5.1 above) and entering the desired values. Care should be taken to ensure that the key titles are accurate, the field is case sensitive. It is always good to check that the attribute folders are populated as expected by clicking on the folder in the Hosts And Groups dialog (fig 4.5 above) to validate the Hosts/Devices displayed on the right hand side. If Attribute folders are added into other Attribute folders then child folders inherit the Attributes from the parent folders above. Note also that the folder assigned Attribute tags appear on the dialog status bar at the bottom of the dialog.  NOTE: A Fixed folder cannot be added to an Attribute folder but an Attribute folder can be added to a Fixed folder. If an Attribute folder is added as a child to a Fixed folder then the Attribute folder can only contain Hosts/Devices that have the right Attribute tags and exist in the Fixed folder. 

Finally when all group folders are complete and the relevant Host/Device inventory items allocated, click the "OK" button on the Hosts And Groups dialog to close it.

4.2 Configure: Tests

The next part of the configuration process, once the inventory of hosts and IP devices have been completed, is the defining of the measures to be sampled and collected from the inventory. The second button 'Tests' on the Setup toolbar button brings up the "Configure Tests" dialog (see Fig 4.6. below). It is this dialog that is used to schedule the collection of the performance measures from the hosts and devices.

Fig 4.6: Configure tests dialog box

The data collection tests that are currently defined are displayed in the dialog. Those that are running are displayed with a . Those that are disabled and not running are displayed with an . Tests can easily be enabled or disabled by highlighting the test line by clicking on it with the mouse and and then simply keying '+' to enable and '-' to disable. 

Additionally, the following options are available from this dialog:

• Clicking the "New" button brings up the "Edit Test" dialog which is used to "Add" or "Edit" DesktopProfile tests (See Fig 4.7 below). 
• Highlighting a test by clicking on it so the line shades blue allows the user to click the "Edit" button to change the details of an existing test.
• Highlighting a test by clicking on it so the line shades blue allows the user to click the "Delete" button to remove the test from the execution queue and the dialog.
• Highlighting a test by clicking on it so the line shades blue allows the user to click the "Copy" button to duplicate a test for editing and saving as a new test.

Fig 4.7 The define DesktopProfile test dialog

The Edit Test dialog will present the user with different input fields depending on the test selected. This is because the view will change to present the user with the input fields for the selection made. For example the DesktopHttp test requires the user to enter information about a Web URL to measure. The 'variable fields' are those marked by the 'Plugin' surround border. All the other fields in this dialog remain static. The configuration of each test is documented in the How To... configuration section. Fig 4.7 above shows the fields for the Ping test. Once the dialog has been completed click the 'OK' button at the bottom to close and remove the dialog.

TIP: Once section 4.1 (define Hosts, Devices and Groups) and section 4.2 (define collection tests) has been completed, the user may start to generate reports and graphs. The other configuration options remaining in Section 4 cover more advanced subjects such as Database Space Allocation, Thresholds and Alarms, etc. 

4.3 Configure: Database

The forth button "Database" on the Setup toolbar button brings up the Database Configuration dialog (see Fig 4.8. below). It is this dialog that is used to define the data to be retained.

Fig. 4.8 Database space configuration

The user simply defines the required level of retention either as a time period in days or space used in megabytes. Both declarations can be defined. It should be noted that the high granulation data, such as 'day' consumes considerably less disk space than the low granulation data such as '15 second'. 

4.4 Configure: Thresholds

The fifth button "Thresholds" on the Setup toolbar button brings up the Threshold Configuration dialog (see Fig 4.9. below). It is this dialog that is used to define the thresholds that set the color coding levels 'Red', 'Yellow' and 'Green' as well as email alarms.

Fig. 4.9 Threshold Configuration dialog  

Warning threshold values when exceeded turn the various reporting elements YELLOW.

Critical threshold values when exceeded turn the various reporting elements RED.

Clicking the "EDIT ALERTS" button brings up the Alert Editor dialog (see Fig. 4.10 below) which allows the user to define an email alert for both Warning and Critical alarms.

Fig 4.10 Alert definition edit dialog box

Description	The title or name given to the alert definition.
Threshold	Set to the predefined threshold value.
Use custom...	Select if you wish to change the preset value.
Action	Currently only set to email.
Edit	Email Alert Action editor dialog. See Fig. 4.11 below.
Trigger value	Choose whether to alert if the measurement is 'above' or 'below' the specified threshold value.
Trigger intervals	The number of intervals that the threshold is violated before alerting.
Trigger Suppression	Enter the time to suppress alerts after an alert is triggered. This minimizes multiple alerts for the same problem.
Quick Help	Tool tip help box.
Temporarily disable...	Disables the alert.

 

Fig 4.11 Alert Action email definition edit dialog box

Mail Server	Enter the POP3 mail server name or IP address.
Return Address	Enter the return email address to use for the email (e.g. support@company.com).
Mail To	Enter the recipient email addresses.
Copy	Enter the 'CC' recipient email addresses.
Header Text	Enter the email subject title.
Suppress header text	Select this to disable the header text.

4.5 Configure: Alerts

The sixth button "Alerts" on the Setup toolbar button brings up the Alerts Configuration dialog (see Fig 4.12. below). As the system thresholds only allow a single alert to be tied to the color coding thresholds, it is this dialog that is used to define additional alerts against metric values thus allowing alerts to pre-warn of pending and escalating problems.

 
Fig 4.12 Alert configuration dialog

The Alert Configuration operates in exactly the same way as the Threshold Configuration in that it allows an alert threshold to be declared and linked to an email. The only difference is that the alert levels have no affect on the color coding of the report elements. Clicking the "New" button presents similar dialog boxes to those used to configure the threshold alarms (Figs. 4.10 and 4.11).

4.6 Configure: Consolidator

The seventh button "Consolidator" on the Setup toolbar button brings up the Consolidated Servers configuration dialog (see Fig 4.13. below). Any DesktopProfile management server can consolidate data from any other DesktopProfile management server. All that is required is for the receiving server to define the IP/Domain address of the source data along with the port and the access password. When consolidator servers are defined they will be listed in this dialog.

Fig 4.13 Consolidated Servers dialog

Ball Icon	Red=no connection, Yellow=data late, Green=ok
Server	Shows the Server Name or Domain
Port	Shows the connection port number
Interval	The consolidation interval -- smallest interval is 1 minute
Last Data	The time date stamp of the last received data block
Pkts	The number of packets received at the last update

To add a new Consolidated Server simply click the "Add" button. This brings up the 'Add Consolidator' dialog (see Fig 4.14 below).

Fig 4.14 Add Consolidator dialog

Host	Enter the Host domain name or IP address
Port	Enter the Web Port that the source server is communicating on
Interval	Enter the required consolidation interval -- smallest interval is 1 minute
Password	Enter the correct access password for the source server
Password Confirm	Re-enter the password for accuracy confirmation

Once the details to access the source DesktopProfile Management Server are defined clicking the "Get Tests" button will retrieve the tests list from the server. A green tick indicates that the test is running okay. A red cross indicates that the test is suspended.

Finally clicking the "OK" button adds the source server to the Consolidator Configuration.

4.7 Configure: Settings

The final button "Settings" on the Setup toolbar button just brings up the Global Settings floating toolbar (see Fig 4.15. below). This tool bar allows the user to set many of the configuration setting already covered in the documentation as global defaults. The only option not covered under the specific topics is Remote Servers. This is covered here.

Fig 4.15 Global settings floating toolbar

Clicking the 'Remote Servers' button brings up the Remote Servers dialog (see Fig 4.16 below). This dialog allows the user to declare other DesktopProfile Management Servers for report access. This is very different from the Consolidator definition process, documented in Section 4.6 above, because the data moved between DesktopProfile Management Servers is only for the report being generated and the data is not kept after the report is closed.

Fig 4.16 Remote Servers definition dialog

Note: When defining available DesktopProfile remote servers no attempt is made to validate the connection. The connection validation is done when the data is requested (see example fig 4.17 below). Note the Timeout for a connection is set to 15 seconds. If a connection cannot be established the selection is rejected.


Fig 4.17 Load Data dialog showing remote server selection

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