IMC + WMI Monitoring of Windows Servers? How?

[Langrdge]

I am trying to configure IMC to monitor our windows servers using WMI (not snmp). WMI is running on the target servers and no firewalls or ACL's are in the picture.

How do I get this to work?

Currently the device is listed as model "ICMP".

I have configured WMI against the resource using a valid (tripple checked) username/password. I have also tried different combinations of domain\user, user, local admin.

When setting up WMI templates and testing against a device I get "The target device cannot be accessed with the current WMI parameters".

There are no events logged in the event logs on the Windows servers.

Please help and advise what I need to do to get IMC to monitor our Windows servers using WMI.

Thanks!

Shannon

[LindsayHill]

I'm not sure that you'll be able to do this.

So far as I know, WMI is only used if you're trying to manage Hyper-V. IMC doesn't seem to use WMI for basic system monitoring (CPU, disk, etc). 

If you're looking to do a lot of WMI monitoring of Windows servers, IMC is probably not the right solution for you - it is primarily a network management tool.

[Neelixx · Accepted solution]

I've used SNMP-Informant quite successfully in the past.  I haven't used it since 2008R2 servers, but going to the website shows it's been constantly updated for new Windows Application Servers.

It's simple... each WMI counter is mapped to an SNMP OID that you can query.  The idea?  If you can get it in a Performance Counter (i.e. perfmon), you can get it in SNMP.  Quite invaluable!  I like to think of it like the net-snmp of the *nix world.  The standard edition is free, but the licensing for the application servers (i.e. SQL, Exchange, etc) can get expensive fast.

http://www.snmp-informant.com/

You can also send traps from Windows Event Viewer.  See http://www.netopscommunity.net/knowledge-center/-/wiki/Main/Sending+Windows+Events+as+Traps+and+Alarms

The only downside to that, is that IMC will only allow 64 characters in a custom OID, which can get filled up fast from a windows event.

I agree with Lindsay.  IMC is meant for network management.  However, it can monitor just about anything.  I feel IMC should Monitor everything (one app to rule them all), and then use your management systems (i.e. SCOM) to push your changes.

Not very many people agree with me, but I want to push IMC to monitor EVERYTHING.  :) 

[Langrdge]

Thanks for this. That does look promising.

1 reason for using WMI and not configuring SNMP was to to reduce complexity and minimize the configuration on the Windows servers. Introducing additional products or configurations moves away from that ethos.

I agree with you, IMC should monitor EVERYTHING. That is exactly the tool I am looking for, a single pane of glass for all of our network and production systems; then have specialized management products to manage specific products (or suites of products). 

Thanks,

Shannon

[Ian Vaughan]

Hi,

Have you looked at the APM service Module for iMC?

I've been having a play with the v7 components and the Windows server integration uses WMI IIRC.

I got Ubuntu & ESXi 5.1 on SNMP v3 for their monitoring

I got Apache & Tomcat working when I switched on the statistics option.

HP-UX & SFTP server monitoring seems to just login and run an expect script (but needs to be done as a privileged user)

Oracle monitoring uses the service port

Windows uses WMI.

Cheers

Ian