Automatic Monitoring and Organizing
You don't have to set up views and maps by hand or node by node. NetCrunch handles these tasks automatically.
Device Types
One essential part of the NetCrunch configuration process is setting proper Device Types for all nodes. NetCrunch detects a Device Type whenever possible by getting information from SNMP or Active Directory. If it can't, the Device Type can be set manually. Currently, operating system monitoring no longer depends on the node Device Type.
Operating System Monitoring
NetCrunch allows OS monitoring to be enabled in the node settings. The monitor can be enabled automatically if the device type is detected. Otherwise, you must manually enable the respective OS monitor for monitoring Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris, BSD, or ESXi systems.
SNMP
Settings NetCrunch System Monitoring
SNMP monitoring depends on the profile you select for each node. The profile specifies the protocol's version and protocol-specific settings, such as community or username and password (v3).
To receive SNMPv3 traps, you must create SNMP notification profiles to provide authentication and encryption parameters. The profiles are matched with a trap by the User field. SNMPv1 and v2 traps do not need any profiles. All incoming traps are visible in the External Events window, making it easier to define alerts for them.
Monitoring Packs
NetCrunch has many automatic Monitoring Packs configured to be added to nodes when they meet certain conditions.
For example:
Basic Cisco (SNMP) Monitoring Pack
Device Class should be "Hardware Router" or
A Switch Manufacturer name contains "Cisco."
Active Directory Monitoring Pack
Operating System equals "Windows Server."
Network Service List contains LDAP or "Secure LDAP" services.
You can view the complete list in the Monitoring Packs article.
Auto-Discovery
Networks are dynamic, and new devices connect over time. NetCrunch can automatically add them to the Network Atlas and start monitoring them.
Discovering Nodes
NetCrunch can run the auto-discovery process for each IP network and Active Directory container. All discovered nodes can be added automatically, or the program can display the results in a Server Tasks Notification Window so you can later decide which nodes to add.
Discovering Services and Device Types
The program automatically runs service discovery when the node is added to the Atlas. It's only checking the list of services set in Settings Monitoring Auto Discovered Services
The program also detects device type based on the information read from SNMP or Active Directory. If the device type can't be detected, it should be set manually.
The program also discovers ESX/i machines.
Read more about: Auto Discovery
Node and View Status Calculation
Node Status
NetCrunch automatically identifies the status of every network service on the node, and at least one service must be monitored. If any service is not in the OK (green) mode, the node's status changes to Warning (yellow). When no service is responding, or all monitoring engines are DOWN, the node becomes DOWN (red).
The only service marked as* leading* is monitored when a node is in a DOWN state. If the service responds again, then the monitoring of all others starts again.
Node View Status
The view's status is calculated based on all node statuses included in the given view. If any node is in the Warning or DOWN state, the View Status is Warning.
When all nodes are DOWN, the view is DOWN, and when all nodes are OK, the view is OK.
- Monitoring Architecture
NetCrunch supports multiple types of monitoring techniques, each suited to different levels of control, flexibility, and scale. This topic explains the key architectural types — network services, monitors, and sensors — and clarifies when to use each for best results.
- Network Services Monitoring
Availability and performance monitoring of 70 network services such as FTP, HTTP, SMTP, etc.
- Monitoring SNI SSL Certificates
This topic explains how to monitor multiple SSL certificates on a single IP address (SNI) by treating each domain as a separate Node in NetCrunch, and how to accurately aggregate their status using a Composite Status Node.
- Glossary of Terms
Definitions of the terms used throughout this guide - alert, event, site, composite status, atlas node view and the rest.
- -Node Status
Automatic Atlas Views
Based on typical Atlases used by our customers, we prepared many automatic views in NetCrunch. You can delete or edit them if they don't meet your data organization's needs. Grouping nodes makes creating reports and watching the status of a given group easy.
Each group's status is calculated based on the included elements (nodes or map links).
Dynamic Views
The dynamic view presents a group of nodes based on the filtering criteria (query).
Predefined Dynamic Views:
- Nodes with Issues
- Unresponding Nodes
- Responding Nodes with Active Alerts
- Monitoring Probes
- Receiver Nodes
- Business Status Nodes
Dynamic Folders
In addition to views, there is another level of grouping: The Dynamic Folder. It creates Dynamic Views automatically.
For example, we can quickly create the following hierarchy:
- Folder for each location
- Each view shows servers in a location grouped by OS types
List of predefined and automatic folders:
- Server Types (i.e., Linux, Windows Server, etc.)
- Device Groups (Printers, Switches, Wireless, etc.)
- Workstation Types (Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows 8, 10, etc.)
- Locations (Office, Building 1, Server Room - based on SNMP or manually entered data)
- Network Roles (Network, Printers, Servers, Workstations)
- Virtual Machine Hosts
- Organizations
- VLANs
- Operating System Monitoring
- Nodes Using Templates
- Windows Domains
The views are dynamic, which means they are automatically updated as needed.