<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: Group Settings
On a group's overview page, click on the Settings tab to change settings.
The Add Group dialog appears when adding a new group to a parent group. It only shows the setting fields that are imperative for creating the group. Therefore, you will not see all setting fields in this dialog. For example, the Group Status option is not available in this step.
You can change all settings in the group's Settings tab later.
The following settings are available in the Settings tab of every group. As you may not need all of these for every group, just regard those settings you really need, ignoring the others.
Note: This documentation does not refer to the setting of the special Root group. The settings available there differ from those described here.
We recommend defining as many settings as possible in the Root group, so you can inherit them to all other objects further down in the tree hierarchy.
Note: This documentation refers to the PRTG System Administrator user accessing the Ajax interface on a master node. For other user accounts, interfaces, or nodes, not all of the options might be available as described. When using a cluster installation, failover nodes are read-only by default.
Basic Group Settings |
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Group Name |
Enter a meaningful name to identify the group. The name will be shown by default in the devices tree and in all alarms. |
Status |
Choose if monitoring for this group is started or paused. .We recommend using the default value. You can add additional tags to it, if you like.
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Tags |
Enter one or more tags; confirm each tag by hitting space, comma, or enter key. You can use tags to group objects and use tag-filtered views later on. Tags are not case sensitive. |
Priority |
Select a priority for the group. This setting determines where the group will be placed in list views. Top priority will be at the top of a list. You can choose from one star (low priority) to five stars (top priority). |
Group Type |
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Sensor Management |
Select which type of auto-discovery you would like to perform for this group. Choose between:
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Device Template(s) |
This option is only visible if using specific device templates (last option) is enabled above. Please choose one or more templates by adding a check mark in front of the respective template name. You can also select and deselect all items by using the check box in the table head. These will be used for auto-discovery on the current device. Choose from:
Once the auto-discovery is finished, PRTG will create a new ticket and list the device templates which were actually used to create new sensors. Templates which were not applied will not be shown in the ticket. |
Discovery Schedule |
Define when the auto-discovery will be run. Choose between:
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IP Selection Method |
Define how you want to define the IP range for auto-discovery. Choose between:
Note: Only subnets with up to 65,536 IP addresses can be discovered! If you define a range with a higher number of addresses, discovery will stop before it is completed. |
IPv4 Base |
This field is only visible if Class C network detection is selected above. Enter a class C network as IP base for the auto-discovery. Enter the first three octets of an IPv4 IP address, for example, 192.168.0 |
IPv4 Range Start |
This field is only visible if Class C network detection is selected above. Enter the IP octet of the class C network specified above from which PRTG will start the auto-discovery. This will complete the IP base above to an IPv4 address. For example, enter 1 to discover from 192.168.0.1. |
IPv4 Range End |
This field is only visible if Class C network detection is selected above. Enter the IP octet of the class C network specified above at which PRTG will stop the auto-discovery. This will complete the IP base above to an IPv4 address. For example, enter 254 to discover up to 192.168.0.254. |
IPv4/DNS Name List |
This field is only visible if the IP list option is selected above. Enter a list of IP addresses or DNS names which the auto-discovery will scan. Enter each address in a separate line. |
IPv4 and Subnet (IPv4) |
This field is only visible if the IP and subnet option is selected above. Enter an expression in the format address/subnet, e.g. 192.168.3.0/255.255.255.0. You can also use the short form like 192.168.3.0/24 in this example. PRTG will scan the complete host range (without network and broadcast address) defined by the IP address and the subnet mask. |
IP with Octet Range |
This field is only visible if the octet range option is selected above. Enter an expression in the format a1.a2.a3.a4, where a1, a2, a3, and a4 are each a number between 0-255, or a range with two numbers and a hyphen like 1-127. All permutations of all ranges are calculated, e.g. 10.0.1-10.1-100 results in 1,000 addresses that PRTG will scan during auto-discovery. |
Organizational Unit |
This field is only visible if active directory is selected above. Enter an organizational unit (OU) to restrict the active directory search to computers which are part of this OU. Just enter the name of the OU without any other term (i.e., without "OU" in front). If you leave this field empty, there will not be any restriction. If you have sub-OUs, consider the correct syntax in the format Y,OU=X: OUs that are part of another OU have to be listed together with their parent(s). Enter the sub-OU followed by ,OU= and the name of the parent OU. Examples:
Note: The order is important, sub-OUs have to be listed left of their particular parents! |
Name Resolution |
Define how newly discovered devices will be monitored. This only affects new devices. The setting for existing devices will be kept. Choose between:
We recommend using the default value. |
Device Rescan |
Define if you want to rescan known devices. Choose between:
We recommend using the default value. |
By default, all following settings are inherited from objects higher in the hierarchy and should be changed there, if necessary. Often, best practice is to change them centrally in the Root group's settings. To change a setting for this object, disable inheritance by clicking on the check mark symbol in front of the respective setting name. You will then see the options described below.
Location |
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Location (for geo maps) |
When using geo maps using Google's API please enter a location in the first line. Objects will then be displayed on a geographical map with a flag, showing the current status using a color code similar to the sensor status icons (green - yellow - orange - red). You can enter a full postal address, city and country only, or latitude and longitude. It is possible to enter any text before, between, and after the coordinates, PRTG will parse latitude and longitude automatically; for example: 49.452778 11.077778 or enter 49.452778 any 11.077778 text A minus sign (-) in the first line will hide an object from geo maps. In this case you can enter location information in line two and following. You can define a specific label for each location: enter a string denoting the label in the first line and provide geo coordinates in the second line. This object will be displayed then with the label in PRTG's geo map. |
Credentials for Windows Systems |
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Domain or Computer Name |
Define the authority for Windows access. This is used for Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and other Windows sensors. If you want to use a Windows local user account on the target device, please enter the computer name here. If you want to use a Windows domain user account (recommended), please enter the (Active Directory) domain name here. If not explicitly defined, PRTG will automatically add a prefix in order to use the NT LAN Manager (NTLM) protocol. Please do not leave this field empty. |
Username |
Enter the username for Windows access. Usually, you will use credentials with administrator privileges. |
Password |
Enter the password for Windows access. Usually, you will use credentials with administrator privileges. |
Credentials for Linux/Solaris/Mac OS (SSH/WBEM) Systems |
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Username |
Enter a login name for the access via SSH and WBEM. Usually, you will use credentials with administrator privileges. |
Login |
Define which authentication method will be used for login. Choose between:
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Password |
This field is only visible if password login is selected above. Enter a password for the Linux access via SSH and WBEM. Usually, you will use credentials with administrator privileges. |
Private Key |
This field is only visible if private key login is selected above. Paste a private key into the field (OpenSSH format, unencrypted). Usually, you will use credentials with administrator privileges. Note: If you do not insert a private key for the first time, but change the private key, you need to restart your PRTG core server service in order for the private key change to take effect! For details, please see Monitoring via SSH. |
For WBEM Use Protocol |
Define the protocol that will be used for WBEM. This setting is only relevant when using WBEM sensors. Choose between:
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For WBEM Use Port |
Define the port that will be used for WBEM. This setting is only relevant when using WBEM sensors. Choose between:
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WBEM Port |
This setting is only visible if manual port selection is enabled above. Enter the WBEM port number. |
SSH Port |
Define the port number which will be used for SSH connections. Note: By default, this setting is automatically used for all SSH sensors, unless you define a different port number in the sensor settings. |
SSH Rights Elevation |
Define with which rights the command will be executed on the target system. Choose between:
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Target Username |
This field is only visible if sudo or su is enabled above. Enter a username to run the specified command as another user than root. If you leave this field empty, the command will be run as root. Ensure that you set the Linux password even you use a public/private key for authentication. This is not necessary if the user is allowed to execute the command without a password. |
Password Target User |
This field is only visible if su is enabled above. Enter the password for the specified target user. |
Credentials for VMware/XenServer |
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User |
Enter a login name for access to VMware and XEN servers. Usually, you will use credentials with administrator privileges. |
Password |
Enter a password for access to VMware and XEN servers. Usually, you will use credentials with administrator privileges. |
VMware Protocol |
Define the protocol used for the connection to VMware and XenServer. Choose between:
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Credentials for SNMP Devices |
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SNMP Version |
Select the SNMP version that will be used for device connection. Choose between:
Note for SNMP v3: Due to internal limitations you can only monitor a limited number of sensors per second using SNMP v3. The limit is somewhere between 1 and 50 sensors per second (depending on the SNMP latency of your network). This means that using an interval of 60 seconds you are limited to between 60 and 3000 SNMP v3 sensors for each probe. If you experience an increased "Interval Delay" or "Open Requests" reading of the probe health sensor, you need to distribute the load over multiple probes. SNMP v1 and v2 do not have this limitation. |
Community String |
This setting is only visible if SNMP version v1 or v2c are enabled above. Enter the community string of your devices. This is a kind of "clear-text password" used for simple authentication. We recommend using the default value. |
Authentication Type |
This setting is only visible if SNMP version v3 is enabled above. Choose between:
The chosen type has to match the authentication type of your device. Note: If you do not want to use authentication, but you need SNMP v3, for example, because your device requires context, you can leave the field password empty. In this case, SNMP_SEC_LEVEL_NOAUTH will be used and authentication will be deactivated entirely. |
User |
This setting is only visible if SNMP version v3 is enabled above. Enter a username for secure authentication. This value has to match the username of your device. |
Password |
This setting is only visible if SNMP version v3 is enabled above. Enter a password for secure authentication. This value has to match the password of your device. |
Encryption Type |
This setting is only visible if SNMP version v3 is enabled above. Select an encryption type. Choose between:
The chosen type has to match the encryption type of your device. |
Data Encryption Key |
This setting is only visible if SNMP version v3 is enabled above. Enter an encryption key here. If you provide a key in this field, SNMP data packets will be encrypted using the encryption algorithm selected above, providing increased security. The provided key here has to match the encryption key of your device. Note: If the key entered in this field does not match the key configured in the target SNMP device, you will not get an error message! Please enter a string or leave the field empty. |
Context Name |
This setting is only visible if SNMP version v3 is enabled above. Enter a context name only if it is required by the configuration of the device. Context is a collection of management information accessible by an SNMP device. Please enter a string. |
SNMP Port |
Enter the port used for SNMP communication. We recommend using the default value. |
SNMP 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. |
Windows Compatibility Options |
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When experiencing problems while monitoring via Windows sensors, you can set some compatibility options for trouble shooting. |
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Preferred Data Source |
Define the method Windows sensors will use to query data. This setting is valid only for hybrid sensors offering performance counter and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) technology. The setting will be ignored for all other sensors! Choose between:
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Timeout Method |
Specify the time the sensor will wait for the return of its WMI query before aborting it with an error message. Choose between:
We recommend using the default value. Only if you experience ongoing timeout errors, try increasing the timeout value. |
Timeout Value (Sec.) |
This field is only visible if the manual timeout method is selected above. Specify the time the sensor will wait for the return of its WMI query before aborting with an error message. Please enter an integer value. |
SNMP Compatibility Options |
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When experiencing problems while monitoring via Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) sensors, you can set some compatibility options for trouble shooting. |
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SNMP Delay (ms) |
Add a time in milliseconds that will be waited between two SNMP requests. This can help increase device compatibility. Please enter an integer value. We recommend using the default value. If you experience SNMP connection failures, please increase it. You can define a delay between 0 and 100, higher delays are not supported and will be discarded. |
Failed Requests |
Define if an SNMP sensor will try again after a request fails.
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Overflow Values |
Define how PRTG will handle overflow values. Some devices do not handle internal buffer overflows correctly. This can cause false peaks.
We recommend using the default value. If you experience problems, change this option. |
Zero Values |
Define how PRTG will handle zero values. Some devices send incorrect zero values. This can cause false peaks.
We recommend using the default value. If you experience problems, change this option. |
32-bit/64-bit Counters |
Define which kind of traffic counters PRTG will search for on a device.
We recommend using the default value. If you experience problems, change this option. |
Request Mode |
Define which kind of request method PRTG uses for SNMP sensors.
We recommend using the default value. If you experience problems, change this option. |
Port Name Template |
Define how the name of SNMP sensors created on a device will be put together. Enter a template using several variables. When adding new sensors, PRTG scans the interface for available counters at certain OIDs. At each OID usually several fields are available with interface descriptions. They are different for every device/OID. PRTG will use the information in these fields to name the sensors. If a field is empty or not available, an empty string is added to the name. As default, ([port]) [ifalias] is set as port name template, which will create a name such as (001) Ethernet1, for example. You can use any field names available at a certain OID of your device, among which are:
Combine them as you like to obtain suitable sensor names. See the More section below for more information about SNMP sensor names. |
Port Name Update |
Define how PRTG will react if you change port names in your physical device (e.g. a switch or router). Choose between:
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Port Identification |
Define which field will be used for SNMP interface identification. Choose between:
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Start Port |
For SNMP Traffic sensors, define at which port number PRTG will start to create sensors. Use 0 for automatic. We recommend using the default value. |
End Port |
For SNMP Traffic sensors, define at which port number PRTG will stop to create sensors. Use 0 for automatic. We recommend using the default value. |
SNMP Debug Log |
Define if you want to create an SNMP log file for debugging purposes. This is only recommended for debugging low level SNMP issues. Choose between:
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Proxy Settings for HTTP Sensors |
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HTTP Proxy Settings |
The proxy settings determine how a sensor connects to a given URL. You can enter data for a proxy server that will be used when connecting via HTTP or HTTPS. Note: This setting is valid for the monitoring only and determines the behavior of sensors. In order to change proxy settings for the core server, please see System Administration—Core & Probes. |
Name |
Enter the IP address or DNS name of the proxy server to use. If you leave this field empty, no proxy will be used. |
Port |
Enter the port number of the proxy. Often, port 8080 is used. Please enter an integer value. |
User |
If the proxy requires authentication, enter the username for the proxy login. Note: Only basic authentication is available! Please enter a string or leave the field empty. |
Password |
If the proxy requires authentication, enter the password for the proxy login. Note: Only basic authentication is available! Please enter a string or leave the field empty. |
Scanning Interval |
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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. |
When a Sensor Reports an Error |
With this setting, you can define the number of scanning intervals a sensor has to report an error until the sensor will be set to a Down status. The sensor can try reaching a device several times, depending on your 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:
Note: Sensors that monitor via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) will always wait at least one scanning interval until an error is shown. 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. |
Cluster Usage |
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Scanning Distribution |
This box is only visible if you're running a PRTG cluster. Sometimes you want to exclude a certain node from monitoring the sensors running on this probe, group, or device, for example, if a device is not reachable from every node configured in your cluster. In the list of cluster nodes, please select the nodes that will not be included in sensor scans. By default, this setting is inherited to all objects underneath. |
Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window |
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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. |
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Schedule |
Select a schedule from the list. Schedules can be used to pause monitoring for a certain time span (days, hours) throughout the week. 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:
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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 Ends 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:
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-glass symbol and use the object selector to choose an object on which the current object 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. |
Access Rights |
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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:
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. |
Channel Unit Configuration |
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Channel Unit Types |
For each type of sensor channel, define the unit in which data is displayed. If defined on probe, group, or device level, these settings can be inherited to all sensors underneath. You can set units for the following channel types (if available):
Note: Custom channel types can be set on sensor level only. |
Automatic Monitoring Data Analysis |
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Unusual Detection |
Define if unusual detection is enabled for sensors. You can configure the behavior of unusual detection (or disable it completely) in the system settings.
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Similar Sensors Detection |
Define if similar sensors detection is enabled for sensors. You can configure the depth of analysis of similar sensors detection (or disable it completely) in the system settings.
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Number of Sensors Limitation |
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Sensor Limit |
This setting allows the administrator to set a limit for the maximum number of sensors in this group. Subgroups are also included. If sensors exceed this limitation, they will be paused. This is of special interest for a Managed Service Provider (MSP). Choose between:
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Maximum Number of Sensors |
This field is only visible if limitation is enabled above. Define how many sensors can be added to this group. Please enter an integer value. |
Click on the Save button to store your settings. If you change tabs or use the main menu, all changes to the settings will be lost!
The status or the data of a sensor can trigger notifications. Using this mechanism, you can configure external alerting tailored to you needs. In an object's detail page, click on the Notifications tab to change sensor notification triggers. The defined triggers will be inherited down to sensor level. For detailed information, please see Sensor Notifications Settings section.
For more general information about settings, please see Object Settings section.
Knowledge Base: How does PRTG compute CPU Index, Traffic Index and Response Time Index?
Knowledge Base: How can I add my own device icons for use in the PRTG web interface?
Knowledge Base: How can I change the defaults for names automatically generated for new SNMP sensors?
Knowledge Base: Automatically update port name and number for SNMP Traffic sensors when the device changes them
Other Ajax Web Interface Sections |
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Keywords: Configure,Configure Group