<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: Windows Process Sensor
The Windows Process sensor monitors a Windows process via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) or Windows performance counters, as configured in the Windows Compatibility Options of the parent device.
Windows Process Sensor
For a detailed list and descriptions of the channels that this sensor can show, see section Channel List.
Sensor in Other Languages
- Dutch: Windows Proces
- French: Windows processus
- German: Windows Prozess
- Japanese: Windows プロセス
- Portuguese: Processo Windows
- Russian: Процесс Windows
- Simplified Chinese: Windows 进程
- Spanish: Proceso Windows
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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Windows credentials
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This sensor requires credentials for Windows systems in the settings of the parent device. Preferably, use Windows domain credentials.
If you use local credentials, make sure that the same Windows user accounts (with the same user name and password) exist on both the probe system and the target computer. Otherwise, a connection via performance counters is not possible. However, WMI connections might still work.
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Windows version
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For this sensor to work with Windows performance counters, make sure that Windows Server 2008 R2 or later is installed on the probe system (on every cluster node, if on a cluster probe).
WoW64 must be installed on target systems that run Windows Server 2016. This allows 32-bit applications to be run on 64-bit systems. This is necessary because the PRTG probe service only runs with 32-bit support. Without it, WMI sensors do not work.
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Remote Registry Windows service
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For this sensor to work with Windows performance counters, make sure that the Remote Registry Windows service runs on the target computer. If this service does not run, a connection via performance counters is not possible. However, WMI connections might still work.
To enable the service, log in to the respective computer and open the services manager (for example, via services.msc). In the list, find the respective service and set its Start Type to Automatic.
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Hybrid Approach: Performance Counters and WMI
By default, this sensor uses WMI to request monitoring data. You can change the default behavior to a hybrid approach in the Windows Compatibility Options of the parent device's settings on which you create this sensor: if you choose this option, the sensor first tries to query data via Windows performance counters and uses WMI as a fallback if performance counters are not available. When running in fallback mode, the sensor tries to connect via performance counters again after 24 hours.
Sensors that use the WMI protocol have a high impact on the system performance. Try to stay below 200 WMI sensors per probe. Above this number, consider using multiple remote probes for load balancing.
For a general introduction to the technology behind WMI, see section Monitoring via WMI.
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.
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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Windows Process Monitor
Windows Process Monitor
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Executable
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Enter the name of the process that you want to monitor. Provide the name of an executable file without the .exe extension (for example, enter firefox to monitor firefox.exe).
The sensor shows the Down status if the process is not active on the target device.
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Debug Options
Debug Options
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Result Handling
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Define what PRTG does with the sensor result:
- 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 name is Result of Sensor [ID].Data.txt. This setting is for debugging purposes. PRTG overwrites this file with each scanning interval.
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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Channel Unit Configuration
Click to interrupt the inheritance.
Which channel units are available depends on the sensor type and the available parameters. If no configurable channels are available, this field shows No configurable channels.
Channel Unit Configuration
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Channel Unit Types
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For each type of channel, select the unit in which PRTG displays the data. If you define this setting on probe, group, or device level, you can inherit these settings to all sensors underneath. You can set units for the following channel types (if available):
- Bandwidth
- Memory
- Disk
- File
- Custom
Custom channel types are only available on sensor level.
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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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CPU Usage (Average Per Instance)
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The average CPU usage (if multiple instances are running) in percent
For the CPU Usage (average per instance) value, the summed up CPU usage value is divided by the number of all instances. It shows the average CPU usage of a single instance of the process on one CPU.
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CPU Usage (Total)
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The total CPU usage in percent
For the CPU Usage (Total) value of a process, all CPU usage values are summed up. The total is divided by the number of all CPUs and the maximum value is 100%. This corresponds to the CPU usage of all instances of this specific process.
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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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Handles
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The number of handles
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Instances
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The number of instances
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Private Bytes
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The private bytes
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Threads
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The number of threads
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Working Set
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The working set in bytes
This channel is the primary channel by default.
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More
Knowledge Base
What security features does PRTG include?
My Windows sensors do not work when using direct performance counter access. What can I do?
Sensor Settings Overview
For more information about sensor settings, see the following sections: