Ipswitch WhatsUp Professional
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Ipswitch WhatsUp Professional 2006 and 2006 Premium Edition
Release Notes
Ipswitch, Inc.
In This File
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- Description
- WhatsUp Professional 2006 Premium Edition
- New Features In 2006
- System Requirements
- Installation
- Uninstalling
- Migrating WhatsUp Gold Configuration Information
- Application Notes
- Known Issues
- For More Information
Description
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WhatsUp Professional is a powerful, yet easy to use Network Monitoring
application. You will be up and running within minutes with WhatsUp
Professional's easy installation and intuitive interface. In a few
simple steps, you can:
- Auto-discover devices on your network.
- Set up notifications to alert you the moment that WhatsUp Professional
detects a problem.
- Generate out-of-the box reports to help you analyze your network
uptime, and response time.
In addition, WhatsUp Professional allows users to view the status of a
network from a web browser. With WhatsUp Professional, you have a robust
tool that offers the essential functionality to ensure that you stay on
top of your network resources.
WhatsUp Professional 2006 Premium Edition
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The Premium Edition is available for separate purchase. It provides
all of the network monitoring capabilities of WhatsUp Professional and
extends the product to allow monitoring of applications, including:
- Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SQL Server: lets you manage the
availability of key application services, rather than just the
network visibility of the host server.
- General application monitoring using Microsoft's WMI lets you monitor
any performance counter value and trigger an alarm if the value
changes, goes out of range, or undergoes an unexpected rate
of change.
New Features In 2006
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- Enhanced reporting capabilities that show how devices are performing
over time, for example:
- Top 10 Report
- CPU Utilization Report
- Disk Utilization Report
- Interface Bandwidth Utilization Report
- Memory Utilization Report
- Monthly Recurring Reports and Recurring Reports based on smaller
intervals
- Recurring Actions let you send a current status "snapshot" via
an Action, such as pager, email, SMS, beeper
- HTTPS Monitoring lets you monitor secure web content through
SSL connections
- Custom monitoring (Active Script Monitor) and actions (Action Script)
let you create custom monitors or actions for specific devices using
standard scripting syntax (VBScript/JScript).
- SNMPv3 support allows polling of SNMP values from an SNMPv3 device
for higher security
- Dynamic Device Groups let you group devices by a specified property,
such as "all routers," for easier management and reporting.
- MAC Address Finder/Reporter maps MAC (interface hardware) addresses
to IP addresses and shows who is connected to the switch
- Web Alarms provide a visual and audible alarm on the web interface
- Router Bandwidth Monitoring shows current interface utilization as
well as tracking utilization over time
- Credentials Library allows centrally managed SNMPv1, SNMPv2, and
SNMPv3 connection credentials, and WMI connection credentials
- Implicit Action Policy lets you create an action policy that is
global to all devices.
- New Database Performance and Maintenance tools
System Requirements
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This section shows the system requirements for installing
and running WhatsUp Professional 2006.
Software Requirements:
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Windows-XP (SP1),Windows-2000 SP4, Windows-2003 Server
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or greater (Required)
Microsoft Windows Scripting Host 5.6
Internet connectivity for activation
Hardware Minimum Requirements
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Computer Intel Pentium or compatible, 550 MHz or higher
Memory (RAM) 256 MB
Hard disk space 265 MB (up to 2 GB additional for MSDE Database)
CD-ROM drive
MSDE Requirements:
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- MSDE has a 2 GB data limit. Make sure you select a large capacity
drive for data storage.
- MSDE 2000 requires that Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later
be installed. A minimum installation is sufficient, and Internet
Explorer does not have to be the default browser.
- File and print sharing must be active to run MSDE 2000.
To verify:
1. In Control Panel, double-click Network Connections.
2. On the Advanced menu, click Advanced Settings.
3. On the Adaptors and Bindings tab, ensure that File and Print
Sharing for Microsoft Networks is selected.
Installation
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To install Ipswitch WhatsUp Professional:
- If you purchased a WhatsUp CD-ROM, insert the CD-ROM into the
appropriate drive. If it does not run automatically, click Start,
select Run, and then enter the CD path followed by AUTORUN.EXE
For example: D:AUTORUN.EXE
- If you downloaded WhatsUp from our web site, run the downloaded
installation application.
During installation, Microsoft Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE-2000)
will also be installed on your computer.
NOTE: Microsoft has issued a patch to MSDE-2000. Go to the Microsoft
website for more information, and for instructions on how to download
this patch.
Potential Windows XP (SP2) Errors
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Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) includes Windows Firewall
Windows Firewall is an enhanced version of Internet Connection
Firewall (ICF). Windows Firewall is a host-based, stateful, filtering
firewall that discards unsolicited incoming traffic through TCP/IP
version 4 (IPv4) connections and through TCP/IP version 6 (IPv6)
connections. By default, Windows Firewall is enabled on computers that
are running Windows XP SP2.
Because Windows Firewall is enabled, Microsoft SQL Server cannot
listen to the network, even if it was previously configured to do
this.
Click the following link to view Microsoft Knowledge Base articles
that you can use to help you configure Windows Firewall to permit
access for SQL Server.
MSDE Information
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A MSDE 2000 Release A installation will fail if either of the
following security policies has been set to 'Do not allow
installation':
- The Devices: Unsigned driver installation behavior local security
policy for Windows XP.
- The Unsigned non-driver installation behavior local security
policy for Windows 2000.
If you use the 'Do not allow installation' setting, you must change it
to Silently succeed before installing MSDE 2000 Release A. If
necessary, you can return the policy to its previous setting after the
installation is complete.
Note: Do not allow installation is not the default setting for these
security policies.
To set these policies:
1. In Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools.
2. Double-click Local Security Policy.
3. Expand Local Policies.
4. Select Security Options.
5. Ensure that the following option in the right pane is set to
Silently Succeed before installing MSDE 2000 Release A:
- On Windows XP and Windows 2003: Devices: Unsigned driver
installation behavior.
- On Windows 2000: Unsigned non-driver installation behavior.
Microsoft Data Access Components
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MSDE 2000 Release A includes updates to Microsoft Data Access
Components (MDAC). When you install MSDE 2000 Release A, MDAC 2.7
SP1a is also installed unless Setup detects the same version or a
newer version of MDAC.
When installing MSDE 2000 Release A on a computer running Windows XP,
MDAC 2.7 will not be updated to MDAC 2.7 SP1a. If your system requires
any of the fixes included in MDAC 2.7 SP1a, you must first apply
Windows XP SP1 before you install MSDE 2000 Release A. Windows XP SP1
will install MDAC 2.7, and then MSDE 2000 Release A will apply the
patches needed for that release.
Stopping Services Before Installing MSDE 2000 Release A
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You can install MSDE 2000 Release A without shutting down services.
If you do not shut down services, the Ipswitch WhatsUp Professional
2006 setup will attempt to shut down the following services prior to
MSDE 2000 installation. The setup will attempt to restart the services
following installation. You should confirm that all services restarted
following MSDE 2000 installation. You may be prompted to reboot the
computer when Setup is complete. Without rebooting, the following
services will fail to start:
- Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MS DTC) and the
Microsoft Search and MSSQLServerOLAPService services.
- Microsoft Component Services, Microsoft Message Queuing, and
Microsoft COM Transaction Integrator.
You can reduce the possibility of having to restart your computer
after installing MSDE 2000 Release A by stopping these services and
applications before running Setup.
Potential Installation Errors
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- MSDE-2000 Installation Failure with "1639" Error Code
There are several potential causes for this error;
o Ensure that all pre-requisites listed above have been met:
(File and Printer Sharing enabled, Server Service is started,
Local Security Policies set, etc.).
o A previous install of MSDE-2000 that failed or was removed.
The MSDE install does not completely clean up behind itself,
and Microsoft recommends manual clean-up prior to
re-installation.
o Using Terminal Services Remote Desktop for the installation.
Check "ERRORLOG.DAT" from the Server "Logs" directory. The log
will have the following lines near the end of the log:
2005-01-27 17:33:16.48 spid4 Warning: override, autoexec
procedures skipped.
2005-01-27 17:35:20.37 spid4 SQL Server is terminating due
to 'stop' request from Service Control Manager.
o Check other Services that may be running and Stop the Service
during the install operation. These services include:
- Microsoft SQLServerAgent (for the "WhatsUp" instance)
- Microsoft COM Transaction Integrator
- Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MS DTC)
- Microsoft Message Queuing
- Microsoft Search
- MSSQLServerOLAPService
- If there was a previous, non-default, installation of WhatsUp
Professional 2006 that has been removed, a "WhatsUp" Data Source
(DSN) may still exist. The DSN may point to a "WhatsUp" database
The user must decide between two courses of action:
1. Leave the WhatsUp Data Source intact, and use the existing
database. This means that the user will need to manually
configure or upgrade the WhatsUp database to a version
compatible with the installed application.
2. Remove the WhatsUp DSN, and allow the install to configure a
default database, or upgrade an existing "WhatsUp" database
residing on the "WhatsUp" MSDE-2000 instance.
NOTE: Only default instances will be upgraded by the install.
For More Configuration Information
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Refer to the readme.txt file in the DB Scripts folder in the WhatsUp
Professional 2006 for information on how to configure WhatsUp
Professional to work with Microsoft SQL Server or other instances of
MSDE-2000.
For more information on manually upgrading the database from WhatsUp
Professional 2005 to the 2006 version, see the DB_Upgrade.txt file in
the DB Scripts\Upgrade Scripts folder.
Visit the Ipswitch Knowledge Base at
for the most up-to-date version of
these files.
Upgrading from WhatsUp Professional 2005
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If you are upgrading to WhatsUp Professional 2006 from version 2005,
and you are using IIS as your web server, you must remove the WUP web
from IIS manually before attempting to upgrade. WhatsUp Professional
2006 uses a different directory structure than previous versions.
Once the upgrade is complete, you have to reconfigure the application
to use IIS.
Uninstalling
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Go to the Windows Add/Remove application and select Ipswitch WhatsUp
Professional. Select 'Remove' when prompted.
You can also run the Ipswitch WhatsUp Professional install and select
`Remove'.
Migrating WhatsUp Gold Configuration Information
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The WhatsUp Gold Data Migration utility migrates data from WhatsUp
Gold 7 or 8 into to WhatsUp Professional 2006. The following is a
list of the items that are migrated with this utility:
- Maps
- Service Definitions
- Events Library Definitions
- Notification Library Definitions
- Custom Device Type Definitions
- Trap Definitions
Before you use the migration utility, we recommend that you back up
your WhatsUp Professional database, using the Back Up SQL Database
(in the Tools > Database Utilities menu.
To start the migration, Select Tools > WhatsUp Gold Migration Utility
and follow the directions provided by the mirgration utility wizard.
This utility can be run at any time during the operation of WhatsUp
Professional, and can be run multiple times. Each time the utility is
run, imported maps and devices will be duplicated each time, but
duplicate definitions are not imported or updated. If XYZ is exists in
the database, XYZ is ignored, even if the definition was updated in
WhatsUp Gold in the meantime.
Note: The migration results may not map directly to the terminology
and dialogs you've seen in WhatsUp Gold, as WhatsUp Professional uses
different terminology and work flow in some areas.
Note: When the migration utility is run, items added to the database
begin polling, even if the migration wizard has not been completed.
Application Notes
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- WhatsUp Professional uses Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
to monitor and restart NT Services. For each device that has an NT
Service Active Monitor assigned to it, you must supply the Windows
credentials. Also, when creating a Service Restart Action,you
must supply Windows credentials for each Action. Credentials
must have administrative permissions on the remote server. Local
accounts with credentials that match remote accounts are no longer
required to monitor remote servers.
Credentials are configured in the Credentials Library (found on the
console main menu at Configure > Credentials) and used in several
places throughout the application. They can be associated to devices
in Device Properties > Credentials, or through the Credentials bulk
field change option.
The use of WMI could have some implications if the target
devices are behind a firewall. To successfully monitor and/or
restart NT services, you need to modify firewall settings to
allow access to the target devices.
1. The RPC port (135) has to be open for connections.
1.1 Modify your firewall settings to allow connections to port
135 on the target devices.
2. The DCOM port range has to be defined and open for connections on
the target devices.
2.1 On the target machine, in a command prompt, run the
command: dcomcnfg. On Windows XP and later systems, this
command starts the "Component Services" management console.
On Windows XP, you can start the "Component Service"
management console from "Control Panel"->"Administrative
Tools". Then expand "Computers" tree, right-click on
"My Computer" and select "Properties".
This will open a configuration dialog
2.2 On Windows 2000, the configuration dialog will open when you
start dcomcnfg.
2.3 Choose "Default Protocols" tab.
2.4 If the displayed list already contains
"Connection-oriented TCP/IP" skip to 2.6.
2.5 Click the "Add" button and in the dialog select
"Connection-oriented TCP/IP" from the combo box, and
click OK.
2.6 Select "Connection-oriented TCP/IP" from the list and click
"Properties..."
2.7 In the opened dialog click "Add..." and define a port range
to be used by DCOM, and click OK, OK, and OK.
2.8 Modify your firewall settings to allow connection for TCP
protocol on the defined range of ports that you configured
in the previous step.
Known Issues
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- Upgrading from WhatsUp Professional 2005 to WhatsUp Professional
2006 causes all "NT Service" Active Monitor userids and passwords
to be converted to 'Credentials'. Unfortunately, the passwords do
not get upgraded correctly; you will need re-enter the passwords
for these Active Monitors.
- If you remove an active monitor from a device (or delete the active
monitor entirely) which has ever fired a Web Alarm action, the
deletion will not be fully completed in the database: there will be
rows in the PivotActiveMonitorTypeToDevice table that have a
bRemoved flag set to 1, but which cannot be deleted. There will also
be rows in the WebAlarmLog table that never get deleted. This defect
should have no impact on the operation of the program and will not
be user-visible. However, it can be worked around by running this
statement on a regular basis, from a DOS window:
osql -E -D WhatsUp -Q "DELETE FROM WebAlarmLog WHERE
nPivotActiveMonitorTypeToDeviceID IN (SELECT
nPivotActiveMonitorTypeToDeviceID FROM PivotActiveMonitorTypeToDevice
WHERE ISNULL(bRemoved,0) != 0)"
- Text to Speech Actions require SAPI v5.1. SAPI v5.1 comes by default
with Windows 2003 and Windows XP. SAPI 5.1 can be downloaded from:
- The use of the Device Discovery Wizard feature for cases that include
TCP service checks is artificially slowed down on Microsoft Windows
XP SP2 operating systems. Within XP SP2, Microsoft is actively
limiting the rate of outbound TCP connections in an attempt (we
believe) to control potentially malicious software (worms and virii)
on Desktop class operating systems. As a result, WhatsUp
Professional must change its discovery strategy in order to remain
reliable; this results in a slower Device Discovery Wizard on this
operating system. If this slowness is an issue, we recommend that
you install WhatsUp Professional on a server class operating system.
For additional detail or post-release news on this issue consult the
Ipswitch Knowledgebase. This is not an issue on Windows XP SP1.
- On some systems, Microsoft's implementation of WMI does not correctly
communicate with Microsoft SQL Server to obtain database instances.
Therefore, you are unable to correctly configure WMI Performance
Monitors for a SQL Server. View the Knowledge Base article at:
for the
workaround.
For More Information
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For additional information visit: