Creating a service
Overview
Define services in the Finder, based either on web connections or on lower-level TCP connections, by specifying one or more of the following:
The destinations (servers) that provide the service.
The web domains that host the service (only for web-based services).
The executable files of the applications that access the service.
The ports that applications use to connect to the service.
The devices that consume the service (useful for limiting the devices monitored rather than for defining the service).
Nexthink automatically associates the network connections that match the given specifications to the service thus defined, helping you keep track of the status and utilization of your IT services.
In addition, to survey the health status of services more easily, set thresholds on the number of devices with issues that access a service. Color codes -green, yellow, and red- help you distinguish whether the service is doing fine or not, depending on whether the thresholds are respected or exceeded.
Procedure
To create a new service in the Finder:
Select the Services section from the accordion on the left-hand side of the main window.
Right-click the header of the Services section or the empty area below it.
Select Create new service from the menu. The Finder displays the form to define the service.
Give a name to the service.
Optional: Give a short description of the service.
Select the type of service:
Check Network connections to create a connection-based service.
Check HTTP and TLS web requests to create a web-based service.
Check HTTP web requests with URL path to create a web-based service by specifying a URL path. Remember to configure the Collector to send path information.
Specify the devices that connect to the service.
any: Record the connections from any device to the service.
with name: Record only the connections to the service of the device with the given name.
Type in the name of the device. You can use the substitution characters * and ? as indicated in the tooltip.
with IP network: Record only the connections of the devices with at least one of their IP addresses belonging to the given subnetwork.
with keyword: Record only the connections of the devices tagged with the given keyword.
Select a category of devices from the list.
Select a keyword of the chosen category from the list.
Specify the executables that connect to the service.
any: No matter what executable can establish a connection to the service.
with name: Only the executable with the given name connects to the service.
Type in the name of the executable. You can use the substitution characters * and ? as indicated in the tooltip.
with keyword: Only the executables tagged with the given keyword connect to the service.
Select a category of executables from the list.
Select a keyword of the chosen category from the list.
Specify the TCP ports reserved for the service.
any: No particular TCP port is reserved to connect to the service.
with number: The service is bound to the TCP port with the given number.
Type in the port number.
with keyword: Only the TCP ports tagged with the given keyword are characteristic of the service.
Select a category of ports from the list.
Select a keyword of the chosen category from the list.
Specify the destinations that provide the service.
any: The destination of the connection is not relevant for defining the service.
with IP address: Only the connections to the destination with the given IP address are associated to the service.
Type in the IP address of the destination (e.g. 192.168.3.1).
with IP network: The service is offered by a group of destinations belonging to the given subnet.
Type in the IP subnetwork in CIDR notation (e.g. 192.168.3.0/24).
external: The service is offered by destinations outside the monitored networks.
with keyword: Only the destinations tagged with the given keyword offer the service.
Select a category of destinations from the list.
Select a keyword of the chosen category from the list.
When creating a web-based service, specify the domains that belong to the service:
any: The service is not restricted to any domain in particular. This option is not available if you are creating a web-based service with URL path.
with name: Only the domain with the specified name belongs to the service.
Type in the name of the domain. You can use the substitution characters * and ? as indicated in the tooltip.
with keyword: Only the domains tagged with the given keyword belong to the service.
Select a category of domains from the list.
Select a keyword of the chosen category from the list.
Additionally, if you are creating a service with URL path:
Type in the URL Path that the service will recognize as its own.
Recommended: Tick the box Set threshold on devices with issues to specify the minimum quantity of impacted devices needed for considering that the service is degraded or down. The message changes to Set 1 threshold / 2 thresholds on devices with issues, considering errors only / errors and entity warnings.
Select 1 threshold to define two statuses for the service: ok (green), or error (red).In the colored bar below the message, set the required percentage of devices that must have issues for the service to turn its status from ok to error.
Select 2 thresholds to define three statuses for the service: ok (green), warning (yellow), or error (red).In the colored bar below the message, set the required two percentages of devices with issues for the service to turn its status from ok to warning, and from warning to error, respectively.
Select errors only to count as devices with issues only those devices in the error state.
Select errors and entity warnings to also count in those devices that belong to entities in the warning state, in addition to devices with errors or in an entity in the error state (see Service errors and warnings).
Optional: Tick the box Ignore unless at least N devices are impacted in a hierarchy node to take into account the percentages indicated as thresholds only if N or more devices within a node of the hierarchy have issues. This is useful to avoid false alarms (services in error state) in nodes with few devices.
Click on Save to store your new service permanently.
Follow the evolution of services either from the service view of the Finder or from the Portal. Setting thresholds helps you quickly distinguish those services that are working as expected from those which may require intervention.
Limit on the number of services
Using this procedure, define as many services as you wish. However, for performance reasons, a maximum of 100 services may be simultaneously enabled. If you have defined more than 100 services, those in excess are disabled; meaning that they do not receive any connection nor, in consequence, display any data..
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