Adding and editing an HTTP Content Monitor

This monitor requests a URL and checks the HTTP response against the expected content. If the response does not return the expected content, the monitor fails. You can use this monitor to ensure that your web pages are available for viewing or that they are rendering on certain browsers. For example, you can check to see that a web page contains specific content that is to be listed after a certain date, such as "Ipswitch introduces its newest release, WhatsUp Gold v16." If the monitor does not find the content that you request it to find, the monitor fails and you know to update your web page.

Note: You can access some HTTPS sites, such as Gmail's login screen, using the HTTP content monitor.

Note: This feature is available with WhatsUp Gold Premium Edition only. To update your license, visit the WhatsUp Customer Portal.

To add a new HTTP Content active monitor:

1. From the WhatsUp Gold web interface, go to Admin > Monitors. The Monitor Library dialog appears.
2. Click the Active tab. The Active Monitor list appears.
3. Click New. The Select Active Monitor Type dialog appears.
4. Select HTTP Content Monitor, then click OK. The Add HTTP Content Monitor dialog appears.
5. Enter the appropriate information:
   • Name. Enter a unique name for the active monitor. This name displays in the Active Monitor Library.
   • Description. Enter additional information about the monitor. This description displays next to the monitor in the Active Monitor Library.
6. Enter or select the appropriate information in the HTTP server settings section:
   • URL. Enter the URL address that you want to check using the monitor. The URL must begin with a proper URI, such as http:// or https://.

   Note: The URL can include the full path to the document, including the document's file name and any query string parameters. For example, http://www.domain.com/nmconsole/reports.htm?ReportID=100.

   • Authentication username. If required, enter the username the web site uses for authentication.
   • Authentication password. Enter the password that coincides with the username that the web site uses for authentication.

   Note: The HTTP Content Monitor only supports basic authentication.

   • Proxy server. If the content that you want WhatsUp Gold to check is behind a proxy server, enter the IP address of the proxy server.
   • Proxy port. Enter the port on which the proxy server listens.
   • Timeout (seconds). Enter the length of time WhatsUp Gold attempts to connect to the selected device. When the time you enter is exceeded without connecting, a timeout occurs and WhatsUp Gold stops trying to connect to the device. This is considered a failed connection.
7. Enter or select the appropriate information in the Web page content section:
   • Web page content to find. Enter the content you want WhatsUp Gold to look for on the web page it checks. Enter either plain text or a regular expression.
   • Use regular expression. Select this option to use regular expression in Web page content search.

   Note: The HTTP Content Monitor uses standard regular expression processing as supported by the .NET framework.

8. Complete one or more of the following actions:
   • Click Request URL contents to populate the dialog box with the Web page contents of the URL you entered above.
   • Click Advanced to configure the user agent and custom headers.
   • Check Use in Rescan to have the monitor appear in the Active Monitor list on the Device Properties dialog. WhatsUp Gold adds the monitor type to the device during a rescan, which is launched using the Rescan button on the Device Properties dialog, if the protocol or service is active on the device.
9. Click OK to save changes.
10. After configuring an active monitor in the Active Monitor Library, add the monitor to devices.

To edit an existing HTTP Content active monitor:

1. From the WhatsUp Gold web interface, go to Admin > Monitors. The Monitor Library dialog appears.
2. Click the Active tab. The Active Monitor list appears.
3. Select the monitor you would like to edit, then click Edit. The Edit HTTP Content Monitor dialog appears.
4. Enter the appropriate information:
   • Name. Enter a unique name for the active monitor. This name displays in the Active Monitor Library.
   • Description. Enter additional information about the monitor. This description displays next to the monitor in the Active Monitor Library.
5. Enter or select the appropriate information in the HTTP server settings section:
   • URL. Enter the URL address that you want to check using the monitor. The URL must begin with a proper URI, such as http:// or https://.

   Note: The URL can include the full path to the document, including the document's file name and any query string parameters. For example, http://www.domain.com/nmconsole/reports.htm?ReportID=100.

   • Authentication username. If required, enter the username the web site uses for authentication.
   • Authentication password. Enter the password that coincides with the username that the web site uses for authentication.

   Note: The HTTP Content Monitor only supports basic authentication.

   • Proxy server. If the content that you want WhatsUp Gold to check is behind a proxy server, enter the IP address of the proxy server.
   • Proxy port. Enter the port on which the proxy server listens.
   • Timeout (seconds). Enter the length of time WhatsUp Gold attempts to connect to the selected device. When the time you enter is exceeded without connecting, a timeout occurs and WhatsUp Gold stops trying to connect to the device. This is considered a failed connection.
6. Enter or select the appropriate information in the Web page content section:
   • Web page content to find. Enter the content you want WhatsUp Gold to look for on the web page it checks. Enter either plain text or a regular expression.
   • Use regular expression. Select this option to use regular expression in Web page content search.

   Note: The HTTP Content Monitor uses standard regular expression processing as supported by the .NET framework.

7. Complete one or more of the following actions:
   • Click Request URL contents to populate the dialog box with the Web page contents of the URL you entered above.
   • Click Advanced to configure the user agent and custom headers.
   • Check Use in Rescan to have the monitor appear in the Active Monitor list on the Device Properties dialog. WhatsUp Gold adds the monitor type to the device during a rescan, which is launched using the Rescan button on the Device Properties dialog, if the protocol or service is active on the device.
8. Click OK to save changes.

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