User:Wikisoft1976/sandbox

Advanced Host Monitor
Developer(s)	Advanced Network Software
Initial release	2000; 24 years ago
Stable release	12.64 / December 17, 2020; 3 years ago
Operating system	Windows
Size	34MB
Available in	English
Type	Network monitoring
License	commerical
Website	www.ks-soft.net/hostmon.eng/index.htm

Advanced Host Monitor is an agentless network monitoring software. Its core (HostMonitor) may run on Windows, starting from Windows XP. However using standard protocols like SNMP and SSH or using special agents (RMA - Remote Monitoring Agent) available for various OS, HostMonitor may monitor not only Windows but other OS and devices as well: Linux, FreeBSD, SunOS, AIX systems, Cisco, Juniper, QNAP, Synology and so on.

System requirements

Advanced Host Monitor is "light" software that can be started on bare Windows XP without any additional software, it can be installed or removed within 15 seconds and requires only 22MB for minimal installation (without manual and optional utilities). At the same time it can monitor thousands systems and perform over 500 checks per second (exact performance depends on many factors, e.g. 500 ping tests/sec requires less CPU resources than 200 HTTPS tests/sec).

Supported OS for HostMonitor: Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 10, Windows Server 2003-2019
Supported OS for optional agents: Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, SunOS, AIX, MacOS

Test methods

There are well over 100 test methods based on many protocols: ICMP, DNS, DHCP, NTP, POP3, IMAP, SMTP, LDAP, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, FTPS, SIP, RADIUS, DICOM, SNMP, WMI, SOAP, OPC. Version 12 provides special set of tests and templates for the following OS and devices:

Linux
Windows Server and Windows Workstation
Hyper-V hosts and guests
VMWare hosts and guests systems
Web servers: Apache, Tomcat, NGINX, IIS
NAS: NetApp, QNAP and Synology
Routers: Cisco and Juniper
Citrix Netscaler
HP servers (using HP iLO protocol)
popular UPS devices
Database: InterBase, MS SQL, MySQL, Oracle, Sybase and Postgre

Complete test list

Alerts (actions)

HostMonitor provides different ways to respond on failed services. Audio and visual notifications alert people near the machine. E-mail and SMS notifications inform a wider range of remote operators. Popular messengers supported as well: Slack, Viber, Telegram, Microsoft Teams и Hangouts chat. HostMonitor can take actions that are designed to recover from a failure automatically without human intervention (e.g. "restart service", "reboot computer", "kill program" or "dial-up to the network" actions).

Available actions:

Hangouts chat
Microsoft Teams
Telegram message
Slack message
Viber message
Send message to Jabber

Play sound
Show popup window

Send e-mail
Send message to pager (TAP)
Send message to pager (SNPP)
Send message to beeper
Send SMS (GSM modem)
Send SMS (SMPP over IP)

Stop service
Start service
Restart service
Remote reboot
Local reboot
Execute external program
Start program remotely
Kill process

Generate reports
Record HM log
Log Event
SQL Query
HTTP request

Send data to TCP/UDP port
Syslog
SNMP Set
SNMP Trap

Dial-up to network
Disconnect dial-up connection
Repeat test
Change test interval
Execute HMS script

See complete actions list.

Highly flexible Action Profiles allow you to start actions in predefined order depending on the test results. E.g.

you may start some action only when both primary and backup mail servers do not respond.
or an action profile can be set up to page both the IT manager and the network administrator during regular office hours, and to page the administrator alone the rest of the time, while doing nothing else but writing to the log on weekends.
another example: when some critical service fails HostMonitor may reboot the server. If that does not help, HostMonitor will send e-mail to the on-call technician. If, however, the server remains silent during the next three probes, the network administrator is to be paged until the server is brought back up.

Network discovery

You may setup "LAN records" for scanning and HostMonitor or RMA will find all systems in the LANs. HostMonitor and Remote Monitoring Agents will scan selected networks in background and update database when any changes detected. At any time you may open "Network map" window and see up to date map of your network.

Built-in Replicator allows to replicate selected set of tests for many target hosts. It may create new folders, set variables, adjust test settings. For example you may select some host using "Network map" window, choose "Copy" item from popup menu, adjust some test settings and tell HostMonitor to create the same set of tests for each system with enabled WMI service in 10.22.1.50 - 10.22.1.250 IP range (using expression like ("%WMI%"=="ON") and ("%IP%">="10.22.1.50") and ("%IP%"<="10.22.1.250")

Agents

Usually HostMonitor installed on single server can monitor entire network without any extra components. However you may use RMA (Remote Monitoring Agent) - small application that can be installed on remote system. RMA accepts requests from HostMonitor, performs test and provides information about test result back to HostMonitor. RMA increases security of the network, decreases network traffic, simplifies network administration, and allows to monitor systems that are impossible to monitor directly from HostMonitor (e.g. using RMA HostMonitor can check a number of user sessions on Linux system). There are Active RMA and Passive RMA agents - active RMA connects to HostMonitor while passive RMA opens TCP port for listening and waits for connection from HostMonitor.

Of course traffic between HostMonitor, RMA agents and other components is encrypted.

RMA agents available for the following OS:

Windows (i386 and x64 versions);
Linux (i386, x64, PPC and ARM versions);
FreeBSD (i386 and x64 versions);
Solaris (i386 and SPARC versions);
MacOS (i386 and x64 versions)
AIX (PPC)

Tools

Advanced Host Monitor package includes optional tools:

RMA Manager

This utility is designed to control and manage the array of Remote Monitoring Agents. It allows to update RMA agents or change settings for hundreds of agents installed on remote systems at the same time and from one location.

Telnet Service and Web Service

Telnet Service application works like Telnet server and allows you to control HostMonitor remotely using any telnet client. Web Service provides web interface for HostMonitor.

RCC (Remote Control Console)

RCC allows to work with HostMonitor which is running on a remote system just like you work with HostMonitor when it is started on your local system. RCC has exactly the same interface as the one of the HostMonitor.

WatchDog

Lets say you have installed HostMonitor on reliable server and setup thousand test items to monitor entire network (or several networks). HostMonitor will inform you in case of any problem. Unless... unless something happens to system where HostMonitor is running. WatchDog can be installed on another system and monitor HostMonitor. WatchDog can be used as interactive application that displays statistics information and charts in real-time. On the other hand, you may start WatchDog as Win32 service, setup some actions and leave it unattended.

MIB Browser

MIB Browser allows you to view the hierarchy of SNMP MIB variables in the form of a tree and provides you with additional information about each node. With MIB Browser you can easily load (compile) standard and proprietary MIB files, view and manipulate data that are available in an SNMP agent

WMI Explorer

WMI Explorer allows you to explore the full set of WMI management classes, objects and their properties; browse through objects and settings on remote machines; execute any WQL query and view the result set.

Process Meter

Process Meter displays chart with information about all processes running on local or remote system.

Pricing

There are various licenses, prices starts from $199 for Starter license till $2499 for Enterprise license with Long Term Support. Note: licenses never expire while free updates & support term expires in 6,8,12,24 or 48 months, then update can by purchased for lower price.

External links

Category:System administration Category:Network management Category:Port scanners Category:Network analyzers Category:Windows software

^ "Release Notes".

[1] "Release Notes".

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