Product manual

Manual Introduction |1
1 Introduction
1.1 Introduction to GFI Network Server Monitor (GFI NSM)
GFI Network Server Monitor is a network and server monitoring tool that allows administrators to
monitor the network for failures or irregularities automatically. With GFI Network Server
Monitor, you can identify problems and fix unexpected conditions before your users (or
managers) report them to you!
GFI Network Server Monitor maximizes network availability by monitoring all aspects of your
servers (including UNIX/LINUX servers), workstations and devices (routers, etc.). When it detects
a failure, GFI Network Server Monitor can alert you by email, pager or SMS, as well as take
corrective action by, for example, rebooting the computer, restarting a service or running a
script or external file. GFI Network Server Monitor can also choose the type of alert to be used,
depending on the time that an important event (e.g., check failure) occurs, and also in relation
to the working hours you specify during the setup of the intended recipients.
In GFI Network Server Monitor, monitoring checks are created using wizards. A wizard called the
Quick Start Wizard, which can create a batch of checks, has also been included. This wizard
enables you to quickly create a number of checks at one go - depending on computer OS, role,
etc - making it possible for GFI Network Server Monitor to be up and running in the least time
possible.
In GFI Network Server Monitor all monitoring checks are organised in folders. You can configure
each monitoring check individually or you can choose to configure all the checks in a folder
simultaneously through property inheritance. Property Inheritance allows you to set up
important check parameters (such as target computer) within the folder properties and have
these parameters passed on to the checks contained in that folder.
GFI Network Server Monitor also supports nested folders. This allows for greater flexibility when
creating monitoring checks structures that reflect the network layout you are monitoring (by
zone, companies being served as well as check function).
1.2 Key features
Enterprise class architecture
GFI Network Server Monitor consists of the monitoring service called the GFI Network Server
Monitor 7 Engine, the configuration and management UI program called GFI Network Server
Monitor Configuration and a result monitoring service called GFI Network Server Monitor
Attendant. No agent software needs to be installed on the computers that you wish to monitor.
The Network Monitor Engine is multi-threading and can run 24 checks at a time. This software
architecture allows for high reliability and scalability to monitor both large and small networks.
Setup monitor checks using wizards
Check setup wizards help the user to quickly set up an efficient monitoring system using the
built-in checks available in just few steps. It is also possible to create a batch of checks
simultaneously using the Quick Start Wizard. By default, the Quick Start Wizard can
automatically generate monitoring checks for target computers running Windows or specific
Linux OSs including SUSE, Mandrake, Redhat and Fedora.
Property inheritance
By default, GFI Network Server Monitor organizes all checks in folders. Through property
inheritance, it is possible to specify central properties common to all checks to be contained in a
folder (e.g., target computer) and have those properties propagate down to the checks
contained in that folder.
Alerts administrators via email, pager or SMS
When it detects a failure, GFI Network Server Monitor can send alerts via SMS/pager, email or a
network message. SMS messages are sent through either an SMS service provider (SMSC), directly