PRTG Manual: PRTG Server Administrator

In the PRTG Server Administrator program you can define different system-oriented settings that affect your PRTG installation, as well as restart services and view log information. Note: To get familiar with the different components of PRTG, we recommend reading the Architecture section.

Note: All settings made here are only valid for the local installation running on the computer you're opening the program on. In order to change settings for another installation, for example, another cluster node installation, please log in to this computer and open the program there. You can change many of these settings also via the system administration in PRTG's web interface.

From the PRTG Network Monitor group in Windows start menu, please select PRTG Server Administrator to open the application. You can choose from these options in different tabs:

• Web Server
• Core Server
• Cluster
• Administrator
• License
• Start/Stop
• Logs
• About

 

When closing the program using the Ok button, you are asked to restart the core server Windows service in order to save the settings. Please confirm by clicking the Yes button. Otherwise the changes are ignored.

Web Server

Edit IPs, ports, access methods and language for the Ajax and Mobile Web GUI web interfaces.

Note: You can change all settings which are on the Web Server tab also via PRTG's web interface under Setup | System Administration | User Interface.

Web Server—Select TCP Port for PRTG's Web Server

PRTG is running a web server in order to provide the web and Windows interface. Please specify on which port this web server will run.

Secure HTTPS Server (standard port 443, recommended, mandatory for internet access)

• This is the recommended setting.

• Use a secure HTTPS connection that is encrypted via SSL on port 443.

• Note: Although the connection is secure, you will see an SSL Certificate Warning in your browser when logging in to the PRTG web interface, because the default certificate is unknown to your browser. You can install another SSL certificate for PRTG later. Please see Using Your Own SSL Certificate.

• Note: If port 80 is free, PRTG will reserve it as well. When users try to connect on port 80 via HTTP, they will then be redirected to port 443 via HTTPS. You can change this behavior using a registry setting.

 

Insecure HTTP server (standard port 80, not recommended)

• This setting is not recommended for WAN connections.
• Use a standard web server without SSL encryption on port 80.
• Note: If used on the internet, attackers could potentially spy on credentials you enter into PRTG. We strongly recommend using this option in a LAN only.

 

Expert configuration

• This setting allows you to specify a custom web server port and the security of the connection.
• This option is intended for systems with an existing web server on the standard port.
• Specify if you want to use an SSL encryption.
• Enter the desired TCP port number you want the PRTG web server to run on. Please enter an integer value.

• Note: Although if you choose a secure connection, you will see an SSL Certificate Warning in your browser when logging in to the PRTG web interface, because the default certificate is unknown to your browser. You can install another SSL certificate for PRTG later. Please see Using Your Own SSL Certificate.

• Note: If no SSL encryption is used on the internet, attackers could potentially spy on credentials you enter into PRTG. We strongly recommend using this option in a LAN only.
   

Web Server—Select IP Address for PRTG's Web Server

PRTG is running a web server in order to provide access via the web and Windows interface. Please specify which IP address this web server will run on. Note: Later, you can log into PRTG by simply pointing your browser to the specified IP address.

Localhost: Use 127.0.0.1 (PRTG will not be accessible from other computers)

• PRTG's web and Windows interface will only be accessible from the computer PRTG is installed on.
• Note: Either the selected port or at least one port in the range from 8080 to 8089 has to be available on 127.0.0.1.

Note: If you run PRTG on localhost, please do not use the DNS name http://localhost to log in to the web server, as this may considerably slow down PRTG's web interface. Please use your local IP address or http://127.0.0.1 instead.

 

All IPs

• Use all IP addresses available on this computer and enable access to the web server for all of these addresses.
• Note: The TCP port selected above must be free on every available IP address.

 

Specify IPs

• Select specific IP addresses on which the PRTG Web server will run on.
• A list specific to your system is shown.
• Add a check mark in front of every IP address you want the PRTG web server to be available at.

• Note: Either the selected port or at least one port in the range from 8080 to 8089 has to be available on the specified IP address.
   

Note: Regardless of the selected setting above, one port in the range from 8080 to 8180 has to be available on the specified IP address so PRTG can create reports. The report engine will try to connect to the core server on one of these ports.

Note: If PRTG does not find a network card on startup it will switch the IP setting to Localhost. This setting will remain, even if a network card is available later on. If you disabled or removed the network card on the machine running the PRTG core server, please re-check this setting.

Select System Language

• Choose the language for this program from the drop down menu. Default is English. Depending on your installation, you may be able to choose other languages here.
• This setting will influence the language of this program, as well as the Ajax and the Mobile Web GUI web interfaces.
   

Core Server

Define settings for the core server.

Core Server—Probe Connection Management

In this section you can define how PRTG handles incoming connections from probes. Choose between several options.

Note: You can change these settings also via PRTG's web interface under Setup | System Administration | Probes.

Accept connections from the Local Probe only

• This is the default setting.
• Only local probe connections will be accepted by the PRTG core server.
• You cannot use remote probes with this setting enabled.
   

Accept connections from remote probes on all IPs

• Incoming connections from remote probes will always be accepted, no matter on which IP address of the core server they come in.
   

Accept connections from remote probes on selected IPs only

• Incoming connections from remote probes will only be accepted on the selected IP address(es) of the core server.
• In the list, select the IP addresses by adding a check mark in front the IPs.
   

Core Server—Probe Connections Port

In this section you can define on which TCP port number PRTG listens to for incoming probe connections. Enter a port number. We recommend using the default value.

Note: You can change this setting also via PRTG's web interface under Setup | System Administration | Probes.

Core Server—Local Storage of Data Files and Monitoring Database

Define the data folder to which PRTG will store configuration and monitoring data. Define a path or click on the Revert to default folder to reset to default. Note: Before changing the path, make sure you stop both services and copy all data to the new location.

Cluster

In the Cluster tab you can manually change how the current core installation will behave in a cluster. Before changing settings here, please read Failover Cluster Configuration section.

Cluster—Cluster Settings

Depending on the current cluster settings you will see different information here.

• In the Cluster Mode field shows which cluster mode the current installation is running. This setting is shown for your information only and cannot be changed here. Possible values are Standalone (no cluster mode), Cluster Mode: Master Node, or Cluster Mode: Failover Node.
• The Cluster Access Key field is shown only when running in a cluster mode. This setting is shown for your information only and cannot be changed here.
• The Own Node ID field is shown only when running in a cluster mode. This setting is shown for your information only and cannot be changed here.
   

Cluster—Cluster Mode Actions

Depending on the current cluster settings you will see different buttons active here.

Create a PRTG Cluster...

• Start creating a cluster by clicking this button. The current PRTG core server will then be the Master Node of your cluster.
• After you click this button, please confirm converting this installation into a master node by clicking on the Yes button.

• A new popup window will appear.
   

• Enter a Cluster Port. This is the port on which the internal communication between the different cluster nodes is sent. Make sure connections between cluster nodes are possible on the selected port.
• Enter or paste a Cluster Access Key. This is a unique access key. All nodes in a cluster have to be configured with the same cluster access key in order to join the cluster. Connection attempts with the wrong access key will be rejected.

• We recommend using the default value.
• Save the Cluster Access Key so you have it at hand when configuring your Failover Node(s).

• After confirming your settings you will be asked to restart Windows services. Please do so in order for your changes to take effect.
   

Join a PRTG Cluster...

• Add this installation to an existing cluster which already has a Master Node, by clicking this button. The current PRTG core server will then be a Failover Node in the cluster.
• Note: This button is also available if you're currently running your PRTG installation in Cluster Mode: Master Node. This option will then change your master node to a failover node!
• After you click this button, please confirm converting this installation into a failover node by clicking on the Yes button.

• A new popup window will appear.

• Enter the cluster's Master IP address/DNS name. It must be reachable from the machine running the failover node.
• Enter the other settings as defined in your Master Node's settings. Please make sure you use the same settings on all nodes in your cluster.

• Enter a Cluster Port. This is the port on which the internal communication between the different cluster nodes is sent. Make sure connections between cluster nodes are possible on the selected port.
• Enter or paste a Cluster Access Key. This is a unique access key. All nodes in a cluster have to be configured with the same cluster access key in order to join the cluster. Connection attempts with the wrong access key will be rejected.

• After confirming your settings you will be asked to restart Windows services. Please do so in order for your changes to take effect.
   

Change PRTG Cluster Settings...

• If you're running your PRTG installation in cluster mode, you can change the settings here. A new window will appear.

• Enter a Cluster Port. This is the port on which the internal communication between the different cluster nodes is sent. Make sure connections between cluster nodes are possible on the selected port.
• Enter or paste a Cluster Access Key. This is a unique access key. All nodes in a cluster have to be configured with the same cluster access key in order to join the cluster. Connection attempts with the wrong access key will be rejected.

• Please make sure you use the same settings on all nodes in your cluster.

• After confirming your settings you will be asked to restart Windows services. Please do so in order for your changes to take effect.
   

Revert to Standalone...

• If you're currently running your PRTG installation in cluster mode, you can change it to Standalone mode. If you do so, this node will no longer be part of a cluster.

• After confirming your settings you will be asked to restart Windows services. Please do so in order for your changes to take effect.
   

Master Heartbeat

This section is only visible if you're running your PRTG installation in cluster mode. The current master can execute an external executable file on a regular basis. We call this a "heartbeat".

This can be used, for example, to report the IP address of the current master node to a dynamic DNS provider, so a DNS name is always redirected to the current PRTG master node in case the original master node fails and a failover node (running at a different IP address) takes over the master role.

Choose between:

• No heartbeat: Do not execute a file on a regular basis.
• Run the following external executable file every 5 minutes: Click on the ... button to choose a file you want to execute. This can be, for example, a command line tool, or a batch file. It will be executed on the current master node only, with a fixed interval of five minutes. The interval cannot be changed.

Note: Please make sure the selected file is available under the same (local) path on all failover nodes. In case one of your failover nodes becomes current master, the heartbeat can only be executed reliably if the respective executable file exists on all of your failover nodes.

Administrator

Enter the administrator's contact email address and define login credentials for PRTG.

Email Address

• Enter a valid administrator's email address.
• By default, PRTG will send notifications and important messages to this address.

 

Login Name

• Enter a name for the PRTG System Administrator login; this is your default login.
• It is used when logging in to the PRTG Web- or Windows interface.
• The default login name is prtgadmin

 

Password

• Enter a password for the PRTG System Administrator login; this is your default login.
• It is used when logging in to the PRTG Web- or Windows interface.
• The default password is prtgadmin

 

Confirm Password

• Re-enter the password for the PRTG System Administrator login.
• The default password is prtgadmin

License

To use a PRTG license with this installation of PRTG, please enter the license information you have received from Paessler via email. To avoid typing errors, please copy and paste both the License Name and the License Key from the email. Both must be transferred exactly as shown in the email.

To make sure your key has been entered correctly please click on the Check Key button. A popup box will either show success or denial of your license information. License information is also checked if you change tabs.

In the Licensed Edition field you will see an accepted license key.

Note: You have to use the right edition for your license key. For example, the installer for trial and Freeware edition does not accept any commercial keys. For more information, please see Enter a License Key section.

Start/Stop

You can stop and start the core server Windows service manually. Click the Stop Core Server button to stop the service, and Start Core Server to start it again. Both actions usually take from a few seconds up to several minutes to complete. You can also restart the core server via PRTG's web interface under Setup | System Administration | Administrative Tools.

Note: If you want to schedule an automatic restart of Windows services for both core server and probe service, please do so using the PRTG Probe Administrator. For more details see PRTG Probe Administrator (Start/Stop) section.

Logs

You can view several logs of your PRTG installation. The following buttons are available:

• View Today's Webserver Log
  Directly view the content of the web server log for the current date.
• View Core Server System Log
  Directly view the content of the core server system log. Depending on the number of entries, it may take a few seconds until the logs are shown.
• Open Log Folder...
  Open the log file directory on your hard disk drive to access older web log files, etc.
• Send Logs to Paessler...
  Open an assistant to send log files to the Paessler support team. Please see below.

Logs—Send Logs to Paessler

Note: You can send log files more easily with the support bundle via the Contact Support form in PRTG's web interface.

When opening a support ticket, Paessler support may ask you to send log files for further analysis. Using the Send Logs to Paessler... button, PRTG will automatically collect, compress and send your log files. Note: This button is available when using a commercial license only.

Name

• Please enter your name.

Email

• Please enter your valid email address.

Ticket No.

• This field is optional.
• If you have already opened a ticket at Paessler support, please provide the ticket number you received. Your files will then be associated with your ticket automatically.
• Please enter the ticket number starting with PAE followed by four or more digits.
• If you do not have a ticket number, please leave the field empty. Note: You should usually contact the support team before sending any files.

Configuration

• Define if your configuration file will be included in the data. Passwords are usually encrypted, but there may be some passwords stored as plain text.

Shortened

• Define if your log files will be shortened (this is the default setting). Sometimes we will ask you to send full log files. In this case, please uncheck this box.

 

Click on the Send button to start data upload. Please make sure FTP and HTTP connections are allowed on this machine.

About

Displays version information for installed PRTG programs. Click on the Open Support Ticket button to ask the Paessler support team for help. This will open a new web browser window.

 

 

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