<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: EXE/Script Sensor
The EXE/Script sensor runs an executable file (.exe, .dll) or a script (batch file, VBScript, PowerShell) on the probe system. This option is available as part of the PRTG API.
EXE/Script Sensor
For a detailed list and descriptions of the channels that this sensor can show, see section Channel List.
Sensor in Other Languages
- Dutch: EXE/Script
- French: Script/EXE
- German: Programm/Skript
- Japanese: EXE/スクリプト
- Portuguese: EXE/Script
- Russian: EXE/скрипт
- Simplified Chinese: EXE/脚本
- Spanish: EXE/Script
Remarks
You cannot add this sensor to the hosted probe of a PRTG Hosted Monitor instance. If you want to use this sensor, add it to a remote probe device.
Detailed Requirements
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.NET 4.7.2 or later
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This sensor requires .NET 4.7.2 or later to be installed on the probe system (on every cluster node, if on a cluster probe).
If the framework is missing, you cannot create this sensor.
For more information, see the Knowledge Base: Which .NET version does PRTG require?
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Remote PowerShell
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This sensor uses PowerShell commands. To monitor devices with this sensor, Remote PowerShell access must be enabled on the target computer. Also make sure that you have installed PowerShell 3.0 or later on both the probe system and the target system.
If you receive an error message regarding issues with the WinRM connection, make sure that remote commands have been enabled in PowerShell. For more details, see the Knowledge Base: How do I enable and use remote commands in Windows PowerShell?
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Add Sensor
The Add Sensor dialog appears when you manually add a new sensor to a device. It only shows the settings that are required to create the sensor. You can change nearly all settings on the sensor's Settings tab after creation.
Sensor Settings
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EXE/Script
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Select an executable file from the list. The sensor executes it with every scanning interval.
The list contains all files in the corresponding \Custom Sensors\EXE subfolder of the PRTG program directory on the probe system. For a file to appear in this list, store the file ending in .bat, .cmd, .dll, .exe, .ps1, or .vbs into this subfolder.
To show the expected sensor values and states, your files must use the correct format for the returned values (in this case, value:message to standard output). The exit code of the file determines the sensor status.
If you use a PowerShell script (.ps1) and if the PowerShell Security Enhancement experimental feature is enabled, scripts that use the write-host cmdlet to provide their output to PRTG do not work. Use the write-output cmdlet instead.
If you use custom sensors on the cluster probe, copy your files to every cluster node.
For detailed information on how to create custom sensors and for the return format, see section Custom Sensors.
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Value Type
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Define the type of the values that your executable or script file returns:
- Integer: An integer is expected as return value. If the script returns a float, PRTG displays the value 0.
- Float: A float is expected as return value, with a dot (.) between the predecimal position and the decimal places.
The sensor also displays integer values unless they produce a buffer overflow.
- Counter: Your script returns an integer that increases. PRTG shows the difference between the values of two sensor scans.
A counter must return an integer. It does not support float values.
The sensor does not support string values.
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Channel Name
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Enter a name for the channel. Enter a string. This is for display purposes only.
You can change this value later in the channel settings of this sensor.
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Unit String
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Enter the unit for the values that this sensor returns. Enter a string. PRTG uses the unit string for display purposes and shows it in graphs, data tables, and gauges.
If you want to change the unit after sensor creation, you can change it in the sensor's channel settings.
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Basic Sensor Settings
Click the Settings tab of a sensor to change its settings.
Basic Sensor Settings
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Sensor Name
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Enter a name to identify the sensor.
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Parent Tags
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Shows tags that the sensor inherits from its parent device, parent group, and parent probe.
This setting is for your information only. You cannot change it.
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Tags
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Enter one or more tags. Confirm each tag with the Spacebar key, a comma, or the Enter key. You can use tags to group objects and use tag-filtered views later on. Tags are not case-sensitive. Tags are automatically inherited.
It is not possible to enter tags with a leading plus (+) or minus (-) sign, nor tags with parentheses (()) or angle brackets (<>).
For performance reasons, it can take some minutes until you can filter for new tags that you added.
The sensor has the following default tags that are automatically predefined in the sensor's settings when you add the sensor:
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Priority
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Select a priority for the sensor. This setting determines the position of the sensor in lists. The highest priority is at the top of a list. Choose from the lowest priority () to the highest priority ().
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Usually, a sensor connects to the IP Address/DNS Name of the parent device. See the device settings for details. For some sensors, you can explicitly define the monitoring target in the sensor settings.
Sensor Settings
Sensor Settings
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EXE/Script
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Shows the executable or script file that the sensor executes with each sensor scan.
PRTG shows this value for reference purposes only. If you need to change this value, add the sensor anew.
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Parameters
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If your executable or script file catches command-line parameters, you can define them here. You can use placeholders as well. Enter a string or leave the field empty.
For a full list of all placeholders, see section Custom Sensors.
You need to escape special characters and whitespaces in your parameters and surround them with double quotes. See section Escape Special Characters and Whitespaces in Parameters for details.
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Environment
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Select whether PRTG command-line parameters are also available as environment parameters:
- Default environment: Do not provide values of PRTG placeholders in the environment. Select this secure option if you are not sure.
- Set placeholders as environment values: From within your executable or script, the values of the PRTG command-line parameters are available via environment variables. For example, you can then read and use the current host value of the parent device from within your script. This option can pose a security risk because credentials are provided in several variables as well.
For a full list of all available variables, see section Custom Sensors.
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Security Context
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Define the Windows user account that the sensor uses to run the executable or script file:
- Use security context of probe service: Run the file under the same Windows user account that the probe runs under. By default, this is the Windows system user account.
- Use Windows credentials of parent device: Use the Windows user account in the parent device settings.
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Mutex Name
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Define a mutual exclusion (mutex) name for the process. Enter a string or leave the field empty.
PRTG executes all EXE/Script sensors that have the same mutex serially, not simultaneously. This is useful if you use a lot of sensors and you want to avoid high resource usage caused by simultaneously running processes.
See the Knowledge Base: What is the Mutex Name in the EXE/Script sensor settings?
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Timeout (Sec.)
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Enter a timeout in seconds for the request. Enter an integer value. The maximum timeout value is 900 seconds (15 minutes).
If the reply takes longer than this value, the sensor cancels the request and shows a corresponding error message.
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Value Type
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Shows the value type.
PRTG shows this value for reference purposes only. If you need to change this value, add the sensor anew.
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If Value Changes
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Define what the sensor does when the sensor value changes:
- Ignore changes (default): Take no action on change.
- Trigger 'change' notification: Send an internal message indicating that the sensor value has changed. In combination with a change trigger, you can use this mechanism to trigger a notification whenever the sensor value changes.
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Result Handling
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Define what the sensor does with the result that the executable file gives back:
- Discard result: Do not store the sensor result.
- Store result: Store the last sensor result in the \Logs\sensors subfolder of the PRTG data directory on the probe system. The file names are Result of Sensor [ID].txt and Result of Sensor [ID].Data.txt. This setting is for debugging purposes. PRTG overwrites these files with each scanning interval.
- Store result in case of error: Store the last sensor result only if the sensor shows the Down status.
Enable this option if you do not want failures to be overwritten by a following success of the script.
In a cluster, PRTG stores the result in the PRTG data directory of the master node.
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Sensor Display
Sensor Display
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Primary Channel
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Select a channel from the list to define it as the primary channel. In the device tree, the last value of the primary channel is always displayed below the sensor's name. The available options depend on what channels are available for this sensor.
You can set a different primary channel later by clicking below a channel gauge on the sensor's Overview tab.
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Graph Type
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Define how different channels are shown for this sensor:
- Show channels independently (default): Show a graph for each channel.
- Stack channels on top of each other: Stack channels on top of each other to create a multi-channel graph. This generates a graph that visualizes the different components of your total traffic.
You cannot use this option in combination with manual Vertical Axis Scaling (available in the channel settings).
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Stack Unit
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This setting is only visible if you enable Stack channels on top of each other as Graph Type. Select a unit from the list. All channels with this unit are stacked on top of each other. By default, you cannot exclude single channels from stacking if they use the selected unit. However, there is an advanced procedure to do so.
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Inherited Settings
By default, all of the following settings are inherited from objects that are higher in the hierarchy. We recommend that you change them centrally in the root group settings if necessary. To change a setting for this object only, click under the corresponding setting name to disable the inheritance and to display its options.
For more information, see section Inheritance of Settings.
Scanning Interval
Click to interrupt the inheritance.
Scanning Interval
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Scanning Interval
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Select a scanning interval from the dropdown list. The scanning interval determines the amount of time that the sensor waits between two scans. Choose from:
- 30 seconds
- 60 seconds
- 5 minutes
- 10 minutes
- 15 minutes
- 30 minutes
- 1 hour
- 4 hours
- 6 hours
- 12 hours
- 24 hours
You can change the available intervals in the system administration of PRTG Network Monitor.
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If a Sensor Query Fails
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Select the number of scanning intervals that the sensor has time to reach and to check a device again if a sensor query fails. Depending on the option that you select, the sensor can try to reach and to check a device again several times before the sensor shows the Down status. This can avoid false alarms if the monitored device only has temporary issues. For previous scanning intervals with failed requests, the sensor shows the Warning status. Choose from:
- Set sensor to down immediately: Set the sensor to the Down status immediately after the first request fails.
- Set sensor to warning for 1 interval, then set to down (recommended): Set the sensor to the Warning status after the first request fails. If the second request also fails, the sensor shows the Down status.
- Set sensor to warning for 2 intervals, then set to down: Set the sensor to the Down status only after the third request fails.
- Set sensor to warning for 3 intervals, then set to down: Set the sensor to the Down status only after the fourth request fails.
- Set sensor to warning for 4 intervals, then set to down: Set the sensor to the Down status only after the fifth request fails.
- Set sensor to warning for 5 intervals, then set to down: Set the sensor to the Down status only after the sixth request fails.
Sensors that monitor via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) always wait at least one scanning interval before they show the Down status. It is not possible to immediately set a WMI sensor to the Down status, so the first option does not apply to these sensors. All other options can apply.
If you define error limits for a sensor's channels, the sensor immediately shows the Down status. None of the interval options apply.
If a channel uses lookup values, the sensor immediately shows the Down status. None of the interval options apply.
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Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window
You cannot interrupt the inheritance for schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. The corresponding settings from the parent objects are always active. However, you can define additional schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. They are active at the same time as the parent objects' settings.
Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window
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Schedule
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Select a schedule from the list. You can use schedules to monitor during a certain time span (days or hours) every week. Choose from:
- None
- Saturdays
- Sundays
- Weekdays
- Weekdays Eight-To-Eight (08:00 - 20:00)
- Weekdays Nights (17:00 - 09:00)
- Weekdays Nights (20:00 - 08:00)
- Weekdays Nine-To-Five (09:00 - 17:00)
- Weekends
You can create schedules, edit schedules, or pause monitoring for a specific time span. For more information, see section Schedules.
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Maintenance Window
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Select if you want to set up a one-time maintenance window. During a maintenance window, monitoring stops for the selected object and all child objects. They show the Paused status instead. Choose between:
- Do not set up a one-time maintenance window: Do not set up a one-time maintenance window. Monitoring is always active.
- Set up a one-time maintenance window: Set up a one-time maintenance window and pause monitoring. You can define a time span for the pause below.
To terminate an active maintenance window before the defined end date, change the time entry in Maintenance Ends to a date in the past.
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Maintenance Begins
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This setting is only visible if you enable Set up a one-time maintenance window above. Use the date time picker to enter the start date and time of the one-time maintenance window.
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Maintenance Ends
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This setting is only visible if you enable Set up a one-time maintenance window above. Use the date time picker to enter the end date and time of the one-time maintenance window.
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Dependency Type
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Select a dependency type. You can use dependencies to pause monitoring for an object depending on the status of a different object. You can choose from:
- Use parent: Use the dependency type of the parent object.
- Select a sensor: Use the dependency type of the parent object. Additionally, pause the current object if a specific sensor is in the Down status or in the Paused status because of another dependency.
- Master sensor for parent: Make this sensor the master object for its parent device. The sensor influences the behavior of its parent device: If the sensor is in the Down status, the device is paused. For example, it is a good idea to make a Ping sensor the master object for its parent device to pause monitoring for all other sensors on the device in case the device cannot even be pinged. Additionally, the sensor is paused if the parent group is paused by another dependency.
To test your dependencies, select Simulate Error Status from the context menu of an object that other objects depend on. A few seconds later, all dependent objects are paused. You can check all dependencies under Devices | Dependencies in the main menu bar.
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Dependency
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This setting is only visible if you enable Select a sensor above. Click and use the object selector to select a sensor on which the current object will depend.
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Dependency Delay (Sec.)
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This setting is only visible if you select Select a sensor above. Define a time span in seconds for the dependency delay.
After the master sensor for this dependency returns to the Up status, PRTG additionally delays the monitoring of the dependent objects by the time span you define. This can prevent false alarms, for example, after a server restart or to give systems more time for all services to start. Enter an integer value.
This setting is not available if you set this sensor to Use parent or to be the Master sensor for parent. In this case, define delays in the parent device settings or in its parent group settings.
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Access Rights
Click to interrupt the inheritance.
Access Rights
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User Group Access
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Define the user groups that have access to the sensor. You see a table with user groups and group access rights. The table contains all user groups in your setup. For each user group, you can choose from the following group access rights:
- Inherited: Inherit the access rights settings of the parent object.
- No access: Users in this user group cannot see or edit the sensor. The sensor neither shows up in lists nor in the device tree.
- Read access: Users in this group can see the sensor and view its monitoring results. They cannot edit any settings.
- Write access: Users in this group can see the sensor, view its monitoring results, and edit its settings. They cannot edit its access rights settings.
- Full access: Users in this group can see the sensor, view its monitoring results, edit its settings, and edit its access rights settings.
For more details on access rights, see section Access Rights Management.
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Escape Special Characters and Whitespaces in Parameters
You need to escape special characters in parameters that you pass to an executable or script and surround them with quotation marks to make sure that the characters are correctly interpreted. PowerShell scripts in particular require adequate escaping so that the parameters are passed in a valid PowerShell syntax. PRTG automatically does most of the escaping for you.
Follow these rules to escape special characters and whitespaces in the parameters fields:
- Use quotes for parameters that contain whitespaces.
-name "Mr John Q Public"
-name 'Mr John Q Public'
- Use double quotes for parameters that contain single quotes.
-name "Mr 'John Q' Public"
- Use single quotes for parameters that contain double quotes.
-name 'Mr "John Q" Public'
- Use a backslash (\) to escape and pass a literal double quote.
-name pub\"lic
- Use double quotes for parameters that contain double and single quotes and escape double quotes.
-name "pu'b\"lic"
In SSH scripts, you can use alphanumeric characters and the special characters ".", "_", "-", "=", and "/" outside of quoted strings.
We recommend that you do not pass passwords in parameters. Use placeholders instead. See section Custom Sensors for details.
Channel List
Which channels the sensor actually shows might depend on the monitored device, the available components, and the sensor setup.
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Downtime
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In the channel table on the Overview tab, this channel never shows any values. PRTG uses this channel in graphs and reports to show the amount of time in which the sensor was in the Down status in percent.
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Execution Time
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The execution time in milliseconds (msec)
This channel is the primary channel by default.
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[Value]
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The value that the executable file or script file returns in one channel
For details about the return value format, see section Custom Sensors.
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More
Knowledge Base
What is the Mutex Name in the EXE/Script sensor settings?
How can I test if parameters are correctly transmitted to my script when using an EXE/Script sensor?
How can I show special characters with EXE/Script sensors?
Why do I have to store SQL sensor queries and custom scripts in files on the probe computer?
Which .NET version does PRTG require?
How do I enable and use remote commands in Windows PowerShell?
What security features does PRTG include?
For which sensor types do you recommend Windows Server 2012 R2 or later and why?
Sensor Settings Overview
For more information about sensor settings, see the following sections: