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Checkpoint configuration

Checkpoint configuration

The Configure page allows you to change or set preferences for a checkpoint.

The Configure page allows you to change or set preferences for a checkpoint. The Configure page is reached in one of the following ways:

  • As a step in the process of setting up a new checkpoint, after the Select checkpoint type screen.
  • By clicking the Configure button on the checkpoint overview page for a checkpoint.

Step 1: Check

This step in the configuration process covers general check options, such as URL, check type etc.

If this checkpoint is set up to monitor an HTTP or HTTPS server, you have the option of selecting a Simple HTTP scan, an HTTP Content scan, or a Defacement scan.

A Simple HTTP scan sends a request to the server to view the URL specified in the URL field. The server returns an HTTP status code, and if this status code is an error code, SiteAlarm proceeds to alert the users that have been selected to be alerted.

An HTTP Content scan scans the URL specified in the URL field above for a specific word or phrase.

The content match can be both positive and negative.

  • A positive match is used to ensure that a certain word or phrase that is already present on the URL is not altered or removed.
  • A negative match is used to ensure that certain content does not appear on the page. This may be an error message.

The content that SiteAlarm is to match can be specified in Step 2 of the configuration process.

A Defacement scan checks the integrity of the page located under the URL entered in the URL field above. This is done using a cryptographic hash function known as MD5, which calculates a checksum of the page. This checksum is then compared to the checksum of the previous check.

Step 2: Specifications

This step allows you to specify which phrases you wish to use for HTTP content and Defacement scans, any user name and password to use to check for a response, or any other variables that are needed to check for a response from the page.

Content scan

Note: This option is only applicable if you have selected HTTP Content scan in step 1 of the configuration process.

A content scan checks for the presence - or absence - of certain content on the page that is checked. These are the options available:

  • Match: this scans the page for the word or phrase entered in the Match field. If this content is not found, this is interpreted as an error and normal alert procedures are initiated.
  • Don't match: This scans the page for the word or phrase entered in the Don't match field. If this content is found, normal alert procedures will be initiated.

Authentication

If the page that you wish to check requires authentication in the form of a user name and a password, these can be entered here.

Post variables

This section is used to enter variables that you wish to enter into the fields of an online form to check for a response from the server.

  • Name: This is the name that identifies the field. The name html attribute is used for this purpose.
  • Value: This is the value that you wish to post in your form.

Example:

Your form contains an input field with the following html code:

<input name="txtForenames" type="text" value="" />

In this case, you would enter txtForenames into the Name field, and the value that you wish to post in the form in the Value field.

You can post several sets of names and values by clicking the button Add post variable. Make sure that you add names and values for all mandatory fields in your form.

Remember to click Update to save the changes you have made under each configuration step.

Step 3: Check pauses

If you know your site is down for backup or maintenance at specific periods of time, you can create one or more check pauses, during which SiteAlarm will not perform monitoring actions.

Here are a few examples:

  • Your site is down for backup from Sunday at 23:00 to Monday at 02:00. Create a check pause for Sunday from 23:00 to 23:59 and for Monday from 00:00 to 02:00.
  • Your site is down for backup every day between 03:00 and 03:20. Create a check pause for "Every day" from 03:00 to 03:30.

Step 4: Users

Select the users to be notified if the status of the checkpoint changes.

Choose how to notify each user individually - by e-mail, by SMS or both. If neither e-mail nor SMS is selected for a user, that user will not be notified.

After making changes, click Update to save the changes.

If you are an Account Administrator you can click Add user for a shortcut to the 'Add user' page.

Step 5: Uptime

This allows you to set uptime and response time targets. This may be useful if you have specific Service Level Agreements with your server provider; e.g. an uptime of 99,5% during the hours of 7:00 and 18:00.

When targets have been set, your site's performance in comparison with targets can be viewed on the Uptime page, accessible via the Uptime button on the Checkpoint overview page.

Example: Set up a target of 99% uptime and 2000 milliseconds response time, displayed as a monthly graph, in the hours from midnight till 22:59, allowing an hour for server maintenance.

Step 6: Monitoring servers

This step allows you to set up which servers to monitor your checkpoint from. Currently, monitoring servers are available in Denmark, England, USA, and Canada.

Tick the box in the Include column to add a monitoring server to check from. You can select to check from however few or many servers you wish.

Note that Transatlantic monitoring typically yields longer response times. If users from across the Atlantic are unlikely to visit your website, there is no reason to select monitoring servers there.