PRTG Manual: System Administration—System and Website

To open system administration, select Setup | System Administration from main menu. Click on the tabs to change the different settings.

System Administration Tabs

System Administration Tabs

You can define the following aspects of your PRTG system setup:

In the system and website settings you can define global values regarding the PRTG system, web site appearance, and web server settings and performance.

System & Website Settings

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.

Webserver and Website Settings

Web Server IP Address

This is the IP address the PRTG web server is running on. This setting is shown for your information only and cannot be changed here. To change this setting, please use the PRTG Server Administrator.

Web Server Port

This is the port number the PRTG web server is running on. This setting is shown for your information only and cannot be changed here. To change this setting, please use the PRTG Server Administrator.

PRTG Site Name

When using the web interface, the site name is shown in the title bar of your browser window. It is also used by default in notification emails. Please enter a string.

DNS Name

If your PRTG web interface is (additionally) reachable via a DNS name, please enter it here. It is e.g. used by default in notification emails to generate links. Please enter a string.

Active Directory Domain

In order to use Active Directory Integration please enter the name of your local domain. Please enter a string or leave the field empty.

Active Directory Access

Define which user account will be used to configure Active Directory access. This account will be used to query the AD for existing groups. Choose between:

  • Use the PRTG core service account (usually LOCAL SYSTEM): Use the same Windows user account configured for the "PRTG Core Server Service". In a default installation, this is the "local system" Windows user account. If this account does not have the right to query all groups of your Active Directory you should not use this option.
  • Use explicit credentials: Define a user account that will be used  by PRTG to authenticate against the Active Directory. This should be a user account with full access to all of your Active Directory groups.

Active Directory Access User

This field is only visible if the use of explicit credentials is chosen above. Enter the Windows user account name which will be used to authenticate for Active Directory configuration.

Active Directory Access Password

This field is only visible if the use of explicit credentials is chosen above. Enter the password for the Windows user account which will be used to authenticate for Active Directory configuration.

Graph Type

Select how graphs are displayed throughout the web interface and in reports.

  • Use area charts (recommended): Display filled graphs.
  • Use line charts: Display graphs using single lines only.

We recommend using area charts, as they're better to read. Note: Graphs containing data from more than one cluster node will always be displayed with line charts automatically.

Background Color for Graphs

Select a background color for all graphs throughout the web interface and in Reports. Either enter a hex color code or choose a color from the color selector. The hex color code field will always display the currently defined color.

Performance Strategy

Select if you want to enable performance improvements for the web interface.

  • All Features: Show all features and live data (recommended): Provide full functionality and show all menu items.
  • More Speed: Limit features and delay display (experimental): Improve reaction time and speed of the web interface by delaying display of monitoring data and hiding some features.

For more information on how to speed up the web interface, please see More section below.

Feedback Links

In a PRTG installation running on a commercial license key, usually, a feedback link is displayed in the lower right corner, enabling you to send us comments about our software any time. You can switch this feature off an on. Choose between:

  • Show feedback links for all users (except read only users): Show feedback links for all users with write access. The links will never be shown for users set to read only.
  • Hide feedback links for all users: Do not show feedback links. This setting is valid for all user accounts.

Geo Maps (Google Maps Integration)

Map Type

Select if and how you want to integrate the Google Maps feature into the web interface. If enabled, PRTG uses the first line of the location setting of an object to show it on a geographical map.

  • Do not show maps (disables Google Maps integration): Disable Google Maps integration and do not show geographical maps in the web interface.
  • Road Map: Display graphical road maps.
  • Satellite: Display photographic satellite maps.
  • Terrain: Display geographical terrain maps.
  • Hybrid (Satellite and Road Map): Display maps mixed of satellite and road maps.

For more information please see the More section below.

Google Maps API Key (required)

This field is only visible if Google Maps are enabled above. In order to use Google Maps in PRTG you must agree to the Google Maps Terms of Service and apply for your personal Maps API Key. Please paste your key here. For more information on how to get a Maps API key, please see the More section below. Please enter an alphanumeric string.

Scanning Intervals

Available Intervals

Define the intervals available in the drop down list of every object's settings. In the text field, enter one value in each line. Use s, m, h, and d for defining seconds, minutes, hours, and days. By default, there are following scanning intervals defined:

30s: 30 seconds

1m: 1 minute

5m: 5 minutes

10m: 10 minutes

15m: 15 minutes

30m: 30 minutes

1h: 1 hour

4h: 4 hours

6h: 6 hours

12h: 12 hours

1d: 1 day

Note: We recommend to not use intervals shorter than 10 seconds to prevent system overload. Intervals below 10 seconds are not officially supported!

Uptime Threshold

Minimum Allowed Uptime Threshold

Define which uptime in percent will be regarded as 100 percent. This setting affects the colors shown next to the sensor icons in reports. Select one of the predefined values between 90 % and 99.999 %.

Email Options

Email Templates

Choose which templates will be used for all emails sent.

  • Use New PRTG 8 Templates (Recommended): Use this option if you are not sure what to use. These templates offer the best compatibility with all email clients.
  • Use templates from previous version (for upgrade installations from V7 only): This option is provided for upgrade installations from V7 only. Use it if you have updated from PRTG version 7 and really want to continue using the old email templates. This can be useful when using custom HTML templates in PRTG 7 format.

Depending on the option selected, the content of the other fields in this section changes.

Email Header (HTML)

Define the HTML text that will be used as the header for each HTML mail. To reset this field to its default value, enter a single star symbol * (and nothing else). Click on the Reset to default link underneath the text box to do so.

Email Footer (HTML)

Define the HTML text that will be used as a suffix to every HTML mail. To reset this field to its default value, enter a single star symbol * (and nothing else). Click on the Reset to default link underneath the text box to do so.

For Text Mails

Select if a footer will be added to plain text mails. Choose between:

  • Append text footer (default): Add a text footer to all text mails. Define the text below.
  • Do not append the footer Append text footer: Do not add a footer to text mails.

Email Footer (Text)

Define a text that will be used as a suffix to every plain text mail (if enabled above). You can use several placeholders in email templates. See the More section below for more information. To reset this field to its default value, enter a single star symbol * (and nothing else). Click on the Reset to default link underneath the text box to do so.

For New ToDos

Select what will be done when there are new ToDos. Choose between:

  • Send an email to admin account: Send an email to the default administrator email address defined in the PRTG Server Administrator.
  • Send an email to specific address: Define a custom email address ToDo notifications will be sent to.
  • Do not send an email: Do not send out any mail indicating that there is a new ToDo.

ToDo Mail Address

This option is only visible if a specific address for ToDo mails is enabled above. Enter a valid email address ToDo notifications will be sent to.

Data Purging Limits: Select for how many days historic data remains accessible

Data purging enables you to automatically delete unnecessary data to free up disk space and improve system performance. You can define different time spans for several kinds of data. For further information on storage locations, please see Data Storage section.

Logfile Records

Define how long records in the system logfile Log Database.db will be kept. Enter a value in days. All entries older than this value will be deleted from the log file automatically. Keep this value as low as possible to enhance system performance.

Web Server Log Records

PRTG creates one web server log file every day. Define how many web server log files will be kept. Enter a value in days. All web server log files files older than this value will be deleted automatically.

Historic Sensor Data

Define for how many days historic sensor data will be kept for all sensors. It is used to create reports of monitoring data. Enter a value in days. Depending on the used intervals and the number of sensors in your setup, the file containing this data can become large. For smaller installations (500 sensors or less) a value of 365 should be fine. Historic sensor data is the basis for reports on monitoring data. If you decrease this value, there will be less historic monitoring data available!

Toplist Records

Define how long toplist records will be kept. Enter a value in days.

ToDo Records

Define how long ToDo entries will be kept. Enter a value in days.

Reports

Reports generated in PDF format are stored on disk for later reference. Define the maximum age for these reports. Enter a value in days. All reports older than this value will be deleted automatically.

Configuration Auto-Backups

PRTG creates one backup of your configuration every day. Define the maximum age for these backups. Enter a value in days. All configuration backup files older than this value will be deleted automatically.

Unusual Detection

The unusual detection can set sensors to an Unusual status when there are values that are untypical for the time span they're measured in, compared to historic monitoring results. When disabled (both settings to Never), sensors will never be shown as unusual.

Show Unusual When

Define when a sensor will be shown as unusual, comparing the weekday. Choose between:

  • Never: Disable unusual detection for weekday average.
  • 24h average is <80% or >120% of weekday average
  • 24h average is <50% or >200% of weekday average
  • 24h average is <20% or >500% of weekday average (recommended)
  • 24h average is <10% or >1,000% of weekday average
  • 24h average is <1% or >10,000% of weekday average

Show Unusual When

Define when a sensor will be shown as unusual, comparing the hour-of-day. Choose between:

  • Never: Disable unusual detection for hour-of-day average.
  • 24h average is <80% or >120% of hour-of-day average
  • 24h average is <50% or >200% of hour-of-day average
  • 24h average is <20% or >500% of hour-of-day average (recommended)
  • 24h average is <10% or >1,000% of hour-of-day average
  • 24h average is <1% or >10,000% of hour-of-day average

Logging

Define if unusual events will be written to the log file. Choose between:

  • Do not log unusual events
  • Write unusual events into the log

Auto-Discovery Settings

Specific Hour

Auto-discoveries can produce a certain load, so you can define at which hour of the day auto-discoveries should be run when configured on a daily or weekly Discovery Schedule. Choose a full hour between 0:00 and 23:00.

PRTG Software Auto-Update

If a New Version is Available

Define if PRTG will automatically download updates available from the Paessler servers. This option will be used with the PRTG Status—Auto Update function. Choose between:

  • Automatically download the installer and alert the admin: Automatically download any updates available and create a ToDo message.
  • Alert the admin only: When there are new updates available, do not download updates automatically, but create a ToDo message only. You can still download updates manually.

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!

More

Knowledge Base: What placeholders can I use with PRTG?

Knowledge Base: How can I speed up PRTG—especially for large installations?

Knowledge Base: How do I get a Google Maps API key for use in PRTG?

Knowledge Base: Can I avoid the "page contains insecure content" popups for PRTG's Geo Map feature?

Knowledge Base: Which limitations apply when using the Google Maps API in PRTG?

Knowledge Base: How and where does PRTG store its data?

 

Setup—Topics

Others

There are some settings that have to be made in the System Administration Tools, available as native Windows applications. For more details, please see sections:

Continue

Keywords: Web Server,Web Server IP Address,Web Server Port,Graph,Graph Type,Graph Settings,Performance Strategy,Session Expiry,Geo Map Type,Intervals,Uptime Threshold,Email Templates,ToDo Email Address,Data Purging,Unusual Detection,Configure,Configure System,Configure Website

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