<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: HTTP Full Web Page Sensor

Sensor Name

Enter a meaningful name to identify the sensor. By default, PRTG shows this name in the device tree, as well as in alarms, logs, notifications, reports, maps, libraries, and tickets.

Parent Tags

Shows Tags that this sensor inherits from its parent device, group, and probe. This setting is shown for your information only and cannot be changed here.

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 that you use 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. These are visible above as Parent Tags.

Priority

Select a priority for the sensor. This setting determines where the sensor is placed in sensor lists. Top priority is at the top of a list. 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 defines, the sensor will cancel the request and show a corresponding error message. Please enter an integer value. The maximum value is 900 seconds (15 minutes).

URL

Enter the address of the web page that the sensor loads. It has to be URL encoded! If you enter an absolute URL, this address will be independent from the IP address/DNS name setting of the device this sensor is created on.

PRTG uses a smart URL replacement which allows you to use the parent device's IP address/DNS name setting as part of the URL. For more information, please see section Smart URL Replacement below.

Browser Engine

Define which browser the sensor uses to load the web page. Choose between:

• Chromium (recommended): Use the "WebKit" engine that is delivered with PRTG to perform the loading test. With each scanning interval, PRTG will load the URL defined above in an instance of "Chromium" and measure the time until the page is fully loaded. This is the recommended setting.
• PhantomJS (Headless Webkit): Use the "PhantomJS" engine. This engine can have a high impact on your probe system's CPU and memory load, but there are additional options for result handling available (see below).

• Internet Explorer: With each scanning interval, the URL defined above is loaded in the background in an instance of Internet Explorer. PRTG uses the Internet Explorer of the system running the PRTG probe.
  Note: For full functionality we strongly recommend that you install Internet Explorer 11 or higher on the system running the PRTG probe. The probe machine is either the local system (on every node, if on a cluster probe), or the system running the remote probe on which the sensor is created on.

Note: For all browser engines, the same proxy settings are used that are configured for the Windows user account the PRTG probe is running on (this is usually the Windows local "system" user account, if not changed). Those settings are accessible via the Internet Explorer of this system. If you want to e.g. use a proxy for this full web page sensor test, please adjust the Internet Explorer's settings accordingly (on the computer running the probe; on all nodes, if in a cluster).

Security Context

Define the Windows user account that the sensor uses to run the browser engine. Choose between:

• Use security context of probe service (default): Run the browser engine under the same Windows user account the PRTG probe is running on. By default, this is the local Windows "system" user account (if not manually changed).

• Use Windows credentials of parent device: Use the Windows user account defined in the settings of the parent device this sensor is created on. Please go to the sensor's parent device's settings to change the Windows credentials.
  Note: When using the Chromium browser engine above, we recommended this setting here.

Result Handling

This setting is only visible if you select the PhantomJS engine above. This browser engine can render and store screenshots of the loaded web page. Choose between:

• Discard loaded web page (recommended): Do not store the requested web page.

• Store latest screenshot of the web page: Render and store the last result of the web page to the "Logs (Sensors)" directory (on the remote system, when used on a remote probe; on the Master node, if in a cluster). This is for debugging purposes. The file will be overridden with each scanning interval. It will be named after the pattern "Fullpage of Sensor (ID).jpg". For information on how to find the folder used for storage, please see Data Storage section.
• Store ongoing screenshots of the web page (use with caution!): Render and store one new screenshot of the web page with each sensor scan, and store the pictures in the Screenshots (Fullpage Sensor) directory (on the remote system, when used on a remote probe). For information on how to find the folder used for storage, please see Data Storage section. This option can be used to create a visual history of the web page.
  Note: Depending on the monitored website and the scanning interval of the sensor, this option can create a very high amount of data! Use with care and make sure you set appropriate data purging limits in the System Administration—Core & Probes settings.

Note: If necessary, you can change the window size of the rendered screenshots. See section More for details.

Note: Depending on the result handling method you choose, the sensor does not only store files in the screenshot directory, but there will also be files in an extra cache directory. If your disk on the probe system runs full, please also check this path (you might have to set folder options appropriately to see this directory):

C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5
 

Authentication

This setting is only visible if you select the PhantomJS engine above. Define if the monitored web page needs authentication for access. Choose between:

• No authentication needed: Access to the web page is granted without authentication.
• Web page needs authentication: PRTG automatically tries using HTTP Basic authentication (BA) or Windows NT LAN Manager (NTLM) to access the web page with authentication. Enter the credentials below.
  Note: Basic access authentication forwards the credentials in plain text!

User

This setting is only visible if you select the PhantomJS engine with authentication above. Enter the username for the web page.

Password

This setting is only visible if you select the PhantomJS engine with authentication above. Enter the password for the web page.

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 below 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

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

When a Sensor Reports an Error

Define the number of scanning intervals that a sensor has time to report an error before the sensor will be set to a Down status. The sensor can try to reach a device several times, depending on the setup you can specify here, to help avoid false alarms if the monitored device has only temporary issues. For previous scanning intervals with failed requests, the sensor will show a Warning status. Choose between:

• Set sensor to "down" immediately: The sensor will show an error immediately after the first failed request.
• Set sensor to "warning" for 1 interval, then set to "down" (recommended): After the first failed request, the sensor will show a yellow warning status. If the following request also fails, the sensor will show an error.
• Set sensor to "warning" for 2 intervals, then set to "down": Show an error status only after three continuously failed requests.
• Set sensor to "warning" for 3 intervals, then set to "down": Show an error status only after four continuously failed requests.
• Set sensor to "warning" for 4 intervals, then set to "down": Show an error status only after five continuously failed requests.
• Set sensor to "warning" for 5 intervals, then set to "down": Show an error status only after six continuously failed requests.

Note: Sensors that monitor via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) always wait at least one scanning interval until they show an error. It is not possible to set a WMI sensor "down" immediately, so the first option will not apply to these sensor types (all other options can apply).

Note: If a sensor has defined error limits for channels, this sensor will always be set to a Down status immediately, so no "wait" option will apply.

Note: If a channel uses lookup values, the sensor will always be set to a Down status immediately, so no "wait" options will apply.

Note: Inheritance for schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows cannot be interrupted. The corresponding settings from the parent objects will always be active. However, you can define additional settings here. They will be active at the same time as 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 at the same time.

Maintenance Window

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

• Not set (monitor continuously): No maintenance window will be set and monitoring will always be active.
• Set up a one-time maintenance window: Pause monitoring within a maintenance window. You can define a time span for a monitoring pause below and change it even for a currently running maintenance window.

Note: To terminate a current maintenance window before the defined end date, you can change the time in Maintenance End At field to a date in the past.

Maintenance Begins At

This field is only visible if you enabled the maintenance window 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 you enabled the maintenance window 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, where it is created on, is in a Down status, or if the sensor is paused by another dependency.
• Select object: Pause the current sensor if the device, where it is created on, is in an Down status, or if the sensor 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, where 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. You can check all dependencies in your PRTG installation by selecting Devices | Dependencies from the main menu bar.

Dependency

This field is only visible if the Select object option is enabled above. Click on the reading-glasses and use the object selector to choose an object on which the current sensor will depend.

Delay (Seconds)

Define a time span. After the master object for this dependency comes back to an Up status, the beginning of the monitoring of the depending objects will be additionally delayed by the time span you define here. This can help to 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 in the superior Group Settings.

User Group Access

Define which user group(s) will have access to the object you're editing. A table with user groups and types of access rights 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 access rights settings of the parent object.
• None: Users in this group cannot see or edit the object. The object neither shows up in lists nor 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 on access rights, please see the section User Access Rights.