Probe or agent is stale

All services monitored by a probe or agent are stale. This is the first probe or agent installed at this network location.

Scenario 1: Probe or agent was installed with incorrect configuration

In the N-central Administrator Console (NAC), navigate to Default Settings under the Central Sever heading. Verify that the Initial Endpoint IP and Server Endpoint Address fields both reflect the public IP address and/or FQDN of the N-able N-central server. If make any changes, click the Propagate check box next to any fields. Click OK to save and propagate these settings.

This ensures that any subsequent probes or agents you install will have the correct network configuration. The stale probes or agents are not currently able to communicate with the N-able N-central server, so they will not be able to receive the updated settings. Corrective measures will still need to be taken to correct this.

Corrective measures for a probe

  1. Click Start > Run and type services.msc.
  2. Stop the following services:
    • Windows Software Probe Watchdog service
    • Windows Software Probe service
    • Windows Software Probe Syslog service
  3. Open the file C:\Program Files\N-able Technologies\Windows Software Probe\config\ServerConfig.xml in Notepad.
  4. Locate the <ServerIP> line.
  5. Modify the value in this line to reflect your N-able N-central server’s Public IP/FQDN.
  6. Save and close the file.
  7. In the services list, start the services stopped above.

Corrective measures for an agent

  1. Click Start > Run and type in services.msc.
  2. Stop the following services:
    • Windows Agent Watchdog service
    • Windows Agent service
  3. Open the file C:\Program Files\N-able Technologies\Windows Agent\config\ServerConfig.xml in Notepad.
  4. Locate the <ServerIP> line.
  5. Modify the value in this line to reflect yourN-able N-central server’s Public IP/FQDN.
  6. Save and close the file.
  7. In the services list, start the services stopped above.

Scenario 2: Probe or agent is configured to communicate over a port that is blocked by a firewall

  1. For the agent, open the file c:\program files\n-able technologies\windows agent\config\ServerConfig.xml.

    2. For the probe, open the file c:\program files\n-able technologies\windows software probe\config\ServerConfig.xml

  2. Verify the content of the lines: <Protocol> and <ServerIP>
  3. Locate the line <Protocol> and <Port>.
  4. Ensure that the settings specify either Protocol is HTTP and Port is 80, or Protocol is HTTPS and Port is 443.
  5. Open the command prompt.
  6. Telnet to the N-able N-central server on the respective port, to ensure you can connect to the server.

Port 80/HTTP

  • telnet (Public IP of ncentral server) 80

Port 443/HTTPS

  • telnet (Public IP of ncentral server) 443

If a connection cannot be established, ensure that the respective port is allowing inbound connections from this network, on the firewall that N-able N-central is behind.

Scenario 3: Probe or agent is configured to communicate over a protocol that does not match the port number

  1. In the N-central Administrator Console (NAC) navigate to Default Settings under the Central Sever heading.
  2. Ensure that each section on this page has the Protocol configured to HTTP or HTTPS and Port configured to 80 or 443.
  3. Verify that the Propagate checkbox next to any fields you modify is selected.
  4. Click OK.

As the stale probes or agents are not currently able to communicate with the N-able N-central server, they will not be able to receive the updated settings. Corrective measures will still need to be taken to rectify this.

Corrective measures for probes and agents

  1. For the agent, open the file c:\program files\n-able technologies\windows agent\config\ServerConfig.xml.

    2. For the probe, open the file c:\program files\n-able technologies\windows software probe\config\ServerConfig.xml.

  2. Locate the line <Protocol>and <Port> and ensure that the settings specify either Protocol=HTTP and Port=80, or Protocol=HTTPS and Port=443
Restart the probe services
  1. Click the Run command > services.msc.
  2. Stop the following services:
    • Windows Software Probe Watchdog service
    • Windows Software Probe service
    • Asset Discovery service
    • Interface Discovery service
  3. Right click the services above except the Windows Software Probe Watchdog service.
  4. Click Properties and click the Log On tab.
  5. If this probe is on a Domain, ensure that the the “This Account” radio is selected
  6. In the This Account field, enter the domain name, a backslash, then the Domain Administrator account name.
  7. Enter and confirm the password.
  8. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT to re-enter the password even if you have already provided the probe with these credentials.
  9. Start the services.
Restart Agent services
  1. Click the Run command > services.msc.
  2. Stop and restart the following services:
    • Windows Agent Watchdog service
    • Windows Agent service.