Probes

Probes probe windows probe using probes probe overview probes overview about probes

A probe provides network discovery, monitoring and management services for devices on that private network, leveraging industry standard protocols, such as WMI, SNMP, and ODBC. A Probe is a Windows application that resides on a computer, such as a server, within a customer network behind the firewall or in the private IP space. Every environment in your N-able N-central network, including workgroups, requires a probe.

Probes are central to the monitoring process, and give you the ability to:

  • facilitate discovery of IP based devices including workstations, servers, switches, printers,
  • push software agents to Windows-based workstations and servers,
  • monitor devices that cannot have an agent installed such as network gear and printers,
  • assist in some forms of remote control,
  • cache patch data to the UNC path of your choice, and
  • collect log data from devices.

If you have an environment without a server, consider using a dedicated computer running Windows OS to run your probe. Alternatively, designate a PC in the environment to stay on permanently and run the probe.

When monitoring WMI services and running asset discovery tasks, Windows Probes can only monitor devices within the same Windows domain if the probe has domain administrator privileges, or work group if the devices have the same username and password as the probe.

Probes send minimal traffic over ports 443 (HTTPS), 80 (HTTP) and 22 (SSH).

Recommended exclusions for third party AV software

N-able N-central software (agents and probes) must be excluded from third party antivirus scans in order to function properly.

N-able recommends that you add the following path to the list of exclusions from security scans:

Folders

  • <install path>\N-able Technologies\
  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\PME
  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\FileCacheServiceAgent
  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\RequestHandlerAgent
  • %ProgramData%\MspPlatform

  • %Programfiles(x86)%\BeAnywhere Support Express

  • %Programfiles(x86)%\N-able Technologies\Windows Agent

  • %Programfiles(x86)%\SolarWinds MSP\Ecosystem Agent

Files

  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\FileCacheServiceAgent\FileCacheServiceAgent.exe
  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\PME\ThirdPartyPatch\7z.exe
  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\PME\ThirdPartyPatch\ThirdPartyPatch.exe
  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\PME\Installers\CacheServiceSetup.exe
  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\PME\Installers\RPCServerServiceSetup.exe
  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\PME\Diagnostics\PME.Diagnostics.exe
  • %Programfiles (x86)\MspPlatform\PME\PME.Agent.exe
  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\RequestHandlerAgent\RequestHandlerAgent.exe

  • %Programfiles(x86)%\N-able Technologies\Windows Agent\bin\Agent.exe

  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\PME\Installers\FileCacheServiceAgentSetup.exe

  • %Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\PME\Installers\RequestHandlerAgentSetup.exe

This is not required for security solutions integrated with N-able N-central; for example, AV Defender.

Your firewall must be not blocking following communication channels:

HTTP and HTTPS communication (port 80 and port 443) between the FileCacheServiceAgent windows service (%Programfiles(x86)%\MspPlatform\FileCacheServiceAgent\FileCacheServiceAgent.exe) and the sis.n-able.com server.

If you use probe, then firewall must not block communication between the FileCacheServiceAgent windows service and the Probe machine on port 15000.

For a complete list of paths you can include to exclude from security scans, see Global Exclusions. This list includes folders excluded by AV Defender by default.

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