Apply monitoring templates to existing devices

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Checks are only added to servers and workstations capable of supporting that check. For example, a Windows check cannot be added to a Mac workstation, and a Mac monitoring template cannot be applied to a Windows computer.

You can apply monitoring templates to existing devices that have Windows, Mac, or Linux Agents installed. Templates can be applied at the client level, site level, or to individual devices.

  • When you apply a template at the client or site level, all future devices added to that client or site use the template automatically.

  • Changes made at the device level are overwritten by the template applied at the client or site level.

Monitoring templates follow a hierarchy:

  • Templates assigned at the client level apply to all sites and devices under that client.

  • Templates assigned at the site level apply to all devices under that site.

How monitoring templates are applied

When you apply a monitoring template, the Agent uses an outbound connection to receive the upgrade immediately. If the connection isn't available, the Agent upgrades the next time it checks in. After the Agent receives the upgrade command, the process can take several minutes to complete.

If a device is offline or overdue, the monitoring template is queued for installation. The template is applied the next time the device reports to the server. Only the first monitoring template request is queued for offline or overdue devices. Additional requests aren’t queued.

Prerequisites

Before you apply monitoring templates to an Agent, you must:

Apply templates to existing devices

  1. To apply templates for a client or site:
    1. In the Client List of the All Devices view, right-click a client or site.
    2. Select Apply Monitoring Template.
    3. In the Apply Monitoring Template dialog, select the type of devices to update: servers or workstations.
  2. To apply templates for devices:
    1. In the Servers or Workstations tab of the All Devices view, select one of more devices (Shift and left-click for a range, Control and left-click for specific devices).
    2. Right-click one of the devices and select Monitoring Templates > Apply Monitoring Template.
  3. Choose Select monitoring templates.

  4. To stack monitoring templates:
    1. Move templates from Available Templates to Selected Templates to stack up to ten templates.

      See how to stack templates: WATCH THE VIDEO

    2. Templates are processed in the order shown in Selected Templates:

      • Checks and automated tasks in the first (top) template are applied first.
      • Duplicate checks for tasks in subsequent templates are skipped.

    3. To change the order drag a template up or down in the Selected Templates panel.

    4. If multiple templates have different check frequencies, only the frequency from the last template in the list is applied.

      Make sure the template with the frequency you want is last.

  5. To select update behavior, choose one of the following options:
    • Add the new checks and tasks to the existing checks and tasks (default)

      Adds new checks and automated tasks from the selected templates and retains existing ones.

    • Add the new checks and tasks to the existing checks and tasks and Replace existing checks and tasks with those in the template in the event of duplicates

      Adds new checks and automated tasks from the selected templates and replaces existing ones when duplicates exist.

      To identify existing automated tasks, the descriptive name in the template must match the name of the task already assigned to the device. If the names don’t match, a new task is added.

    • Replace the existing checks and tasks

      Removes all current checks and tasks and applies those from the selected templates.

    If you replace existing checks with checks from the template, any technical and client-facing notes on the replaced checks are deleted.

  6. If you are updating multiple devices, verify the target devices, and click Run. If you are updating only one device, click Apply.
  7. Review the summary and select OK to confirm.

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