Microsoft Configuration Manager and Windows Updates Services Monitoring with PRTG

There are many pitfalls with maintaining System Configuration Manager managed systems so they install the client software and can continuously report to the hierarchy. Our plugin provides a solution that detects many issues and helps you in the service restoration process.

SCCM Plugin will help you identify and resolve problems by telling you which monitored objects are not healthy and also gives you a capability to verify the system results in detail.

You can configure It to send alerts when problems are detected and provides information to help you identify the cause of a problem and possible solutions.

Tracking the process and service availability is key to making sure that the server is doing its job, monitoring the services being up or down is only one side of the picture.

Every system service has a process running by the server, it is extremely important that you know when they are not available.


Key features

  • Ensure Service Delivery
  • Enable effective Service Support
  • Endorce Company Workstation and Server Security
  • Reduce Maintenance activities

{tab=Internal Performance}

SYSTEMS INTERNAL PERFORMANCE AND PROBLEMS DETECTION

PRTG offers no monitoring capabilites to follow SCCM key Services but they can be monitored for both performance and problems with the plugin.

Internal performance monitoring via SCCM activity to monitor and ensure operations alt

    • SMS In-Memory Queues
    • SMS Executive Thread States
    • SMS Discovery Data
    • SMS Inventory Data Loader
    • SMS Software Inventory
    • SMS Standard Sender

To complete the view on Performance Delivery use IIS/BITS and SQL Server Plugins to monitor BITS activity and ensure SQL performance of your SCCM servers.


{tab=Systems Monitoring}

ADDITIONAL SYSTEMS MONITORING

You can also monitor SCCM Sites and Components statuses for a complete view on the system perfomance.

You can import and start monitoring any SCCM collection for changes like

  • Operating systems rollout activity
  • Software rollout activity
  • Workstation and Server Baseline enforcement
  • Software updates activity

{tab=Service Delivery}

SERVICE DELIVERY MONITORING

As SCCM's and WSUS's only purpose is to interoperate with your Workstations and Servers it is most crucial to monitor their statuses and interoperation health. There are several built-in sensors to do this but you can produce your own and present the information, SCCM integrated Microsoft System Center Endpoint Protection and Company Operation System Palette are just a couple of examples of a new application of the plugin. You can present any collection you have defined in SCCM via the plugin in PRTG.

{tab=Client Health}

MONITORING AND REPORTING CLIENT HEALTH

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Client Heart Beat

Heartbeat Discovery is the only discovery method that provides details about the client installation status by updating a system resource client attribute with the value Yes. To send the Heartbeat Discovery record, the client computer must be able to contact its assigned management point.

Software Scanning

To keep software inventory up-to-date and allow effective software license management.

Hardware Scanning

To keep hardware invetory up-to-date and allow effictive asset management.

Active, Inactive and Obsolete Clients

Maintain database information integrity.

{tab=End Point Protection}

Monitoring and auditing for Microsoft System Center End Point Protection

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Naturally reports can be generated on any combination of the available data. Example report can be seen here

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{tab=Distributions}

MONITORING PACKAGE DISTRIBUTION

{tab=Updates & Patching}

MONITORING UPDATES AND PATCHING SERVICE DELIVERY

Providing updates to software and maintaining managed resources is a reality of networked, distributed computing. An effective software update management process is necessary to maintain operational efficiency, overcome security issues, and maintain the stability of the network infrastructure. However, because of the changing nature of technology and the continual appearance of new security threats, the task of effective software update management can be challenging. One obstacle that every SCCM implementatio or upgrade will need to get over is the successful SUP sync and maintain it. For successful Service delivery You need to ensure that Clients are interoperating with the core systems as intended.

WSUS based Monitoring data of Client Installed base Statuses

There are several activities that you can monitor to ensure that clients and being managed properly

  • Current Statuses palette

    Monitor the number of clients Successfully Contacted, Contacted with errors and Not Contacted
  • Clients contacted in x days

    The key to Successful Updates is the contact for Updates Syncing.
    There are preset times to report clients contacted in the following time spans: 30 d
  • Patching Level Percentage
  • Total number of patches requested and Installed succesfully by Clients


DashBoards
Trending live Windows 7 Deployment
Trends and Saturation Dates
Workstation Patching levels trends
Clients Contacted by SCCM trending

Shows dates when Windows XP installations reach 0

Examples:

A view of WSUS managed Clients (Managed, Un-managed and Suspected clients counts):

Installed Operating systems count over a period of 365 days. Great tool on governing operating systems rollouts.

Installed Operating systems count over a period of 365 days.

SCCM Distribution Points in ok and Error states over time.