Version 4.1 User's Guide
Configuring PageSentry	Previous | Next Contents

PageSentry is easily configured. In fact, if your Mac is already configured for Internet access, there is very little left to do before getting started. Most PageSentry configuration involves creating Sentries and Notifiers to perform server tests and take notification action, but a variety of overall preferences can also be set. To configure PageSentry preferences, choose the "Preferences..." option from the "Edit" menu. The "PageSentry Preferences" window consists of five sections: Logging, TCP/IP, Notifiers, Extra, and Web Monitor.

Logging Preferences Tab

PageSentry logs the activities of your Sentries and Pulses using either a Simple or a Verbose description. Figure 2 shows the Logging Preferences dialog box.

Figure 2: The Logging Preferences dialog box.

You may select from the following choices for Sentry logging: None, Simple and Verbose. These options determine the format and information saved in the log file, an example of which is shown.

Enabling the Log Successful Tests option causes every single test to be saved to the log files, even when no error is detected. Similarly, Log Successful Notices will save a record of every notification to the log files. When these options are disabled, only failures are logged. These options can greatly increase the size of your log files, so make sure plenty of hard disk space is available when enabling them.

The logging options for the Pulse are the same as for Sentry logging, except for the ability to turn off the logging of successful tests, since pulses do not perform tests at all.

TCP/IP Preferences Tab

You may adjust the time allowed for PageSentry to connect to the various Internet servers you are monitoring before possibly timing out and reporting errors. This is an important feature because a Sentry monitoring a server over a slow network connection or on a slow network needs more time to connect to the server and perform the test action (retrieve a page, download a file, etc.) than if the connection were on a faster network. Figure 3 shows the TCP/IP Preferences dialog box.

Figure 3: The TCP/IP Preferences dialog box.

The TCP/IP preferences are explained below along with their default settings:

Resolve Domain Names (60 Seconds)

The time allowed for PageSentry to complete a DNS lookup before reporting an error. Note that this timeout is not specific to testing Domain Name Servers, but rather affects the DNS lookup for all test types. (For example, to test the HTTP server at "www.maxum.com", a DNS lookup must be performed to find the server first.)

Initial Connection (60 Seconds)

The time allowed for a Sentry to connect to a server before reporting an error or issuing a second connection attempt.

Single Packet Response (60 Seconds)

The time allowed for PageSentry to receive the first packet in response to a Sentry's request for data before reporting an error.

Complete Transaction (120 Seconds)

The total amount of time PageSentry will allow for a complete Sentry transaction before reporting an error.

Failed Test Retry (5 Seconds)

When PageSentry detects an error, it will always re-run the test to verify that the server is not responding correctly. The "Failed Test Retry" preference allows you to set the delay between the first test and the second.

If a particular transaction cannot be completed within the set time, an appropriate error will be logged and a Sentry will notify you of the problem.

You may select the "Reset Factory Defaults" button to erase your changes to these settings and restore PageSentry's defaults.

Notifiers Preferences Tab

PageSentry includes several options that allow you to customize failure notifications for your specific application. These options are particularly useful when PageSentry communicates with other applications, allowing you to customize how the data is received by paging software, e-mail gateways, or other programs.

E-Mail subjects can also be customized for each Notifier; however, the preferences selected will determine the format of the subject when the Notifier subject is left blank.

Figure 4: The Notifier Preferences dialog box.

Alternate Mail Server

When you create a Notifier to send a warning e-mail message that a server has failed, you will select a mail server through which PageSentry will send the message. If PageSentry is unable to send the e-mail through the selected server, it will attempt to use another if specified here. Enter the address or name of a mail server in this field, and it will be used as a back-up for all e-mail Notifiers.

Include Extended Information In E-Mail Subject

Some e-mail to pager gateways send the Subject field of e-mail messages to the pager. This option allows you to have a complete summary of the server failure sent in the subject of the message so that it will appear on your pager. The option is also handy for telling, at a glance of the subject, what the problem is, though the e-mail subject may be quite long. When this option is checked, the subject field of the mail message will include the name of the Sentry, the problem URL or address, and the complete description of the error. This option is normally over-ridden by the specific subject field that can be individually configured for each Notifier.

Use Shortened E-Mail Messages

PageSentry's standard e-mail messages are only a few lines long, but you may select a shortened version, primarily to make integration with e-mail to pager and other gateways easier. This option is ignored when a specific message is configured within the Notifier setup options.

Include Notifier Name In Sentry Names

Normally, the name of the Notifier is not included in failure notifications. If you would like to know not only which Sentry has detected an error, but the Notifier that is being run, check this option.

Always Send Back Up Notification

For each Notifier, you have the option of specifying a notification delay, which causes PageSentry to wait for a period of time after detecting a server error before it sends the failure notice (See "Defining Notifiers" for details). When a notification delay has been set, it is possible for a server to fail and then return to service before the failure notification is sent, eliminating the need to send it at all. Normally PageSentry will not send a back up notification when it has not sent a failure notification. If you would like to be notified when a server fails but returns to service before the Notifier was triggered, check this option and you will receive the back up notice even when the failure message was not sent.

Extra Preferences Tab

In the Extra Preferences dialog, nine additional options are available, as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: The Extra Preferences dialog box.

Reduce Status Window Updates

Normally, the Status Window reflects the status of Sentries in real time, updating the Time To Check field every second for each Sentry. Checking this box will cause the window to update the Time To Check for all Sentries every 10 seconds, or when a Sentry actually performs a test. Updates also occur whenever you single-click on a Sentry. Reducing the update frequency is particularly useful for users who use remote control software such as Timbuktu.

Synchronize Sentry Times

When checked, this option causes all Sentries to execute within 20 to 40 seconds of launching PageSentry. From then on, PageSentry will run all Sentries within the 20 second period, provided the test times are the same or even intervals. While this is helpful for using dial-up connections to monitor servers, we do not recommend using this option when running more than 10 Sentries, as it will cause activity peaks rather than an even distribution of testing by PageSentry. Note: After checking this option, you must restart PageSentry for the change to take effect.

Ask "Are You Sure" When Quitting

On quitting PageSentry, a dialog box will prompt you to confirm the action. This prevents inadvertently quitting PageSentry with accidental keystrokes.

Use Short Date in Message

E-mail and PageNow messages configured to use the Date token display the date in the form "Sunday, February 1, 1998". This option causes messages to show a shorter form: "2/1/98".

Use Short Time in Message (No Seconds)

As above, selecting this option causes the time shown in messages using the Time token to be displayed without seconds: "12:38 PM" versus "12:38:52 PM".

Use Local Time Format in Logs

This option simply causes entries in the log files to be notated with the local time format selected for the machine that PageSentry resides on, as defined in the Date and Time Control Panel. This format will be the abbreviated format. When this option is not checked, the Internet standard date format is used.

Beep When Any Sentry Is In Error

When this feature is enabled, a system beep sound will be played every 10 seconds whenever any Sentry is currently reporting an error. In other words, when any Sentry detects a failure, PageSentry will audibly beep until the tested service is restored. The cause of the audible PageSentry warning can be found by looking for the red "ERR" lines in the PageSentry status window.

Tickle Rebound Every 60 Seconds

PageSentry supports Sophisticated Circuits Rebound! and Kick-Off! failure detection devices, which can be used to provide an added level of protection against failures on the PageSentry monitor itself. When either of these devices is attached to the PageSentry Macintosh and this option is selected, PageSentry will signal the Sophisticated Circuit's software once each minute. If the signal is absent for 5 minutes, the Rebound or Kick-Off unit will then restart the PageSentry Macintosh. For additional information, see the documentation that is included with the Rebound or Kick-Off products. The PageSentry application must be restarted for changes to this option to take effect.

Use Aqua (Platinum) Look Interface

When PageSentry is run under Classic Mac OS (OS 7 through 9), it will default to using the classic Platinum appearance. If you prefer the Aqua appearance, check this option and the interface will change accordingly. When run under Mac OS X, PageSentry will display an Aqua-look interface, and this option will change to "Use Platinum Look Interface". If you prefer the classic appearance, check the box for the Platinum look under OS X.

Run Daily Cleanup Script

PageSentry is designed to be run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for extended periods of time. For this reason, daily automated maintenance is important to make sure that PageSentry, and the Macintosh it is running on, continues to operate efficiently.

The most important tasks you may wish to automate are log rolling and PageSentry restarts. Rolling the PageSentry log file(s) will help keep log files to a managable size, while daily system restarts will flush the Mac file system, networking buffers, and PageSentry itself, avoiding memory fragmentation and potential stability problems.

Several example scripts are included in the PageSentry package which demonstrate tasks such as restarting the entire system, restarting only PageSentry, and rolling logs files. See the sample scripts for information on how they work and how to compile and save them.

The compiled script you wish to run on a daily basis must be called "PSDaily" and be placed in the PageSentry folder, along with the PageSentry application. To have PageSentry execute the script every day, check the "Run Daily Cleanup Script" checkbox, and choose the time for PageSentry to trigger the script. Note that PageSentry only occassionally checks to see if the script should be run, so it may take up to one minute after the specified time for the script to actually be executed.

Web Monitor Preferences Tab

The Web Monitor Preferences dialog is used to control PageSentry's Web reporting and remote administration functions.

Figure 6: The Web Monitor dialog box.

Enable Web Monitoring

The status of all your servers can be checked from any Web browser using PageSentry's Web Monitoring function. See the "Web Reporting and Administration" section of this guide for details. To enable Web reporting, check this option.

Log Web Activity

All access to PageSentry's Web reporting and administration server can be logged to a file called "PageSentry Web Server Log". The log file is maintained using a simple tabs-delimitted format which contains the following information for each access:

• Access Date
• Access Time
• Result Status (usually "OK")
• Client IP Address
• Object Served (as a partial URL)
• Bytes Served
• Username
• Password

Port

PageSentry acts as a Web server to provide Web-based reports and administration. The TCP/IP port used can be set using this field. The default Web port is 80, and this is the required setting for normal Web access. If you are already running a Web server on the PageSentry Mac, or for some other reason need to use an alternate port, any port number can be selected. Note that the port will then need to be specified in the URL to access the Web monitor and/or administration.

Background Color

PageSentry's Web Monitor interface can be changed slightly to allow you to integrate the report with the look of your site. The Web Monitor background color can be set to any legal HTML color.

Admin Username and Password

Access to the Web administration of PageSentry can be restricted by username and password. When attempting to access the Web administration, the browser will display a standard login prompt, and access will be granted only when the correct name and password are supplied by the user.

Refresh Period

The main PageSentry Web report page displays dynamic status information for each defined Sentry. Since Sentry status changes, the page includes an HTML Meta tag to periodically refresh the display. Set the Refresh Period to the number of seconds the main status page should pause between updates.

Copyright © 1995-2002 Maxum Development Corporation http://www.maxum.com/ Rev. 7/10/02	Previous | Next Contents