PRTG Manual: Oracle SQL Sensor

Sensor Name

Enter a meaningful name to identify the sensor. The name will be shown by default in the device tree and in all alarms.

Tags

Enter one or more tags, separated by space or comma. You can use tags to group sensors and use tag-filtered views later on. Tags are not case sensitive. We recommend using the default value. You can add additional tags to it, if you like. Other tags are automatically inherited from objects further up in the device tree. Those are not visible here.

Priority

Select a priority for the sensor. This setting determines where the sensor will be placed in sensor lists. Top priority will be at the top of a list. You can choose from one star (low priority) to five stars (top priority).

Timeout (Sec.)

Enter a timeout in seconds for the request. If the reply takes longer than this value the request is aborted and an error message is triggered.

Port

Enter the port number that will be used for the connection. Default value is 1521. Please enter an integer value.

Connection Mode

Select which mode you want to use to connect to the Oracle server. Choose between:

• Use direct mode (TCP/IP): Use Oracle Net for direct TCP/IP communication.
  Note: As of Oracle version 11.2.0.4, please use the Oracle client (see sensor description above).
• Use Oracle client: Use the Oracle client for communication. It needs to be installed the machine which is running the PRTG probe.

Service Name / Alias

Enter the name of the SQL database the sensor will connect to. For example, such a database's name could be orcl

User

Enter the user name that will be used for the database connection.

Password

Enter the password that will be used for the database connection.

SQL Expression

Enter a valid SQL statement to execute on the server. In your SELECT statement, please specify the field name explicitly. Do not use SELECT *! For example, a correct expression could be: SELECT sum(salary) FROM hr.employees. When a cursor is returned (i.e. with a SELECT statement), only the first row of data will be processed.

Record Count

If you want to know how many records in your database were affected by your SQL expression as defined above, you can count the number of concerned records. Choose between:

• Do not count number of records: Affected records will not be counted.
• Count number of records: The number of affected records will be counted. Note: Enabling this option might increase the execution time of this sensor.

Post-Processing

If the SQL expression returns a result set, please define if you want to further process it. Choose between:

• Ignore result set: Do not do anything with the data returned.
• Process numerical result: Regard the result set returned as integer or float. You can set the sensor to Warning or Down status for specific thresholds. Define below.
• Process string result: Regard the result set returned as a string. You can set the sensor to error for certain sub-strings contained or missing. Define below.
• Monitor for changes: Monitor if the result set has changed since last check. The sensor will send an internal message indicating that its value has changed. In combination with a Change Trigger, you can use this mechanism to trigger a notification whenever a sensor value changes.

Condition "Warning"

This field is only visible if numeric results is enabled above. Define a condition of the returned numeric SQL result set that will set the sensor to a Warning status. Choose between:

• none: Do not set the sensor to Warning status for any condition.
• equals: Result set must be the same as the value provided below.
• is above: Result set must be above the value provided below.
• lower than: Result set must be below the value provided below.
• does not equal: Result set must be unequal to the value provided below.

Note: This threshold check the SQL result set only. You can set additional thresholds in the sensor's channel settings.

Value

This field is only visible if numeric results is enabled above. Enter a value of the returned numeric SQL result set that will set the sensor into a Warning status. Please enter an integer or float value.

Condition "Down"

This field is only visible if numeric results is enabled above. Define a condition of the returned numeric SQL result set that will set the sensor to a Down status. Choose between:

• none: Do not set the sensor to Down status for any condition.
• equals: Result set must be the same as the value provided below.
• is above: Result set must be above the value provided below.
• lower than: Result set must be below the value provided below.
• does not equal: Result set must be unequal to the value provided below.

Note: This threshold check the SQL result set only. You can set additional thresholds in the sensor's channel settings.

Value

This field is only visible if numeric results is enabled above. Enter a value of the returned numeric SQL result set that will set the sensor to a Down status. Please enter an integer value.

Response Must Include

This field is only visible if string results is enabled above. Enter a string that must be part of the returned SQL string. If it is not, the sensor will be set to an error state. Please enter a string or leave the field empty.

Response Must Not include

This field is only visible if string results is enabled above. Enter a string that must not be part of the returned SQL string. If it is, the sensor will be set to an error state. Please enter a string or leave the field empty.

Primary Channel

Select a channel from the list to define it as the primary channel. In the device tree, the last value of the primary channel will always be displayed underneath the sensor's name. The available options depend on what channels are available for this sensor. Note: You can set another primary channel later by clicking on the pin symbol of a channel in the sensor's overview tab.

Chart Type

Define how different channels will be shown for this sensor.

• Show channels independently (default): Show an own 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 will generate an easy-to-read graph which visualizes the different components of your total traffic. Note: This option cannot be used in combination with manual Vertical Axis Scaling (available in the Sensor Channels Settings settings).

Stack Unit

This setting is only available if stacked graphs are selected above. Choose a unit from the list. All channels with this unit will be 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.

Scanning Interval

Scanning Interval

The scanning interval determines the time the sensor waits between two scans. Select a scanning interval (seconds, minutes, or hours) from the list. You can change the available intervals in the system administration.

Note: Inheritance for schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows cannot be interrupted; the according settings from the parent objects will always be active. However, you can define additional settings here. They will be active in parallel to the parent objects' settings.

Schedule

Select a schedule from the list. Schedules can be used to monitor for a certain time span (days, hours) throughout the week. With the period list option it is also possible to pause monitoring for a specific time span. You can create new schedules and edit existing ones in the account settings. Note: Schedules are generally inherited. New schedules will be added to existing ones, so all schedules are active.

Maintenance Window

Specify if you want to set-up a one-time maintenance window. During a maintenance window this object and all child objects will not be monitored. They will enter a paused state then. Choose between:

• Not set (monitor continuously): No maintenance window will be set.
• Set up a one-time maintenance window: Pause monitoring within a maintenance window.

Maintenance Begins At

This field is only visible if maintenance window is enabled above. Use the date time picker to enter the start date and time of the maintenance window.

Maintenance End At

This field is only visible if maintenance window is enabled above. Use the date time picker to enter the end date and time of the maintenance window.

Dependency Type

Define a dependency type. Dependencies can be used to pause monitoring for an object depending on the status of another. You can choose between:

• Use parent: Pause the current sensor if the device it is created on is in a Down status, or if it is paused by another dependency.
• Select object: Pause the current sensor if the device it is created on is in an Down status, or if it is paused by another dependency. Additionally, pause the current sensor if a specific other object in the device tree is in a Down status, or if it is paused by another dependency. Select below.
• Master object for parent: Make this sensor the master object for its parent device. The sensor will influence the behavior of the device it is created on: If the sensor is in a Down status, the device will be 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 will be paused if the parent group of its parent device is in a Down status, or if it is paused by another dependency.

Note: Testing your dependencies is easy! Simply choose Simulate Error Status from the context menu of an object that other objects depend on. A few seconds later all dependent objects should be paused.

Dependency

This field is only visible if the select object option is enabled above. Click on the reading-glass symbol and use the object selector to choose an object on which the current sensor will be dependent on.

Delay (Seconds)

Define a time span. After the master object for this dependency comes back to an Up status, monitoring of the depending objects will be additionally delayed by the defined time span. This can help avoid false alarms, for example, after a server restart, by giving systems more time for all services to start up. Please enter an integer value in seconds. Note: This setting is not available if you choose this sensor to be the Master object for parent. In this case, please define delays in the parent Device Settings or the superior Group Settings.

Access Rights

User Group Access

Define which user group(s) will have access to the object you're editing. A table with user groups and right is shown; it contains all user groups from your setup. For each user group you can choose from the following access rights:

• Inherited: Use the settings of the parent object.
• None: Users in this group cannot see or edit the object. The object does not show up in lists and in the device tree. Exception: If a child object is visible to the user, the object is visible in the device tree, though not accessible.
• Read: Users in this group can see the object and review its monitoring results.
• Write: Users in this group can see the object, review its monitoring results, and edit the object's settings. They cannot edit access rights settings.
• Full: Users in this group can see the object, review its monitoring results, edit the object's settings, and edit access rights settings.

You can create new user groups in the System Administration—User Groups settings. To automatically set all objects further down in the hierarchy to inherit this object's access rights, set a check mark for the Revert children's access rights to inherited option.

For more details about access rights, please see section User Access Rights.