Converting devices from agentless monitoring to agent-based monitoring mode

Devices that are already added in OpManager and are being monitored on agentless mode can be converted to agent-based monitoring. With agent-based monitoring:

• Windows-based devices can be monitored without the need for credentials.
• Data collection issues will be minimized since the agent itself can store historical data for up to 6 hours.
• There will not be any need to worry about dynamic IP addresses of monitored devices, since it will be taken care of by the agent itself.
• Devices can be monitored with high reliability and security, since the agent and the OpManager server communicate securely over an HTTPS connection.
• Real-time alerts based on device status can be generated, ie, if a device is down, the alert will be generated immediately instead of being raised during the next poll.

Please note that agent-based monitoring currently supports the following monitors:

• Device real-time availability
• Server Reboot Monitoring
• WMI Performance Monitors
• Instant Windows Service Monitoring
• MSSQL, Exchange and AD Monitors (All application-related monitors)
• MSSQL, Exchange and AD-specific Service Monitors
• EventLog Monitors
• Process Monitors
• File monitors
• Network Path Analysis

Steps to convert a device to agent-based monitoring from agentless monitoring:

1. Before starting with this process, make sure that the device is already available in OpManager and is being monitored on agentless mode. If you are going to add a new agent-based device in OpManager, it is enough if you directly install the agent in the device using these steps to initiate agent-based monitoring.
2. Then, install the agent in that particular device using any one of these methods:
   1. Deploy agent - to install remotely from the OpManager web client
   2. Download agent - to download the agent file and install it manually
   3. Using Active Directory - to push the agent to multiple devices at once using Windows GPO
   4. Using SCCM - to push the agent to multiple devices at once using Microsoft's SCCM
   5. Using Endpoint Central - to install remotely from the ManageEngine Endpoint Central webclient
3. After successful installation, the agent will be listed in the Monitoring Agents page under Settings → ITOM Agent → Monitoring Agents, as an "Idle Agent" (the status can be viewed under the Agent Type column).
4. It has been listed as an idle agent since the device is already being monitored agentlessly, and needs to be overridden in order for the agent to start its monitoring functionalities.

5. If your OpManager version number is or above 127240, go to Settings -> ITOM Agents -> Monitoring Agents, click on the "Associate" hyperlink, and then associate the agent to its respective device. By default, the agent will be mapped to its respective device. Users can also select the devices to be associated with the agent from the mapped devices drop-down box.

   

   If your OpManager version number is below 127240, open the browser in your OpManager-installed server and then open the following URL:

   https://machineName:port/apiclient/ember/index.jsp#/Support/AgentList

   Note that the values "machineName" and "port" have to be replaced with the values of your OpManager-installed server.

   In the list of agents displayed, click the agent that you just installed. In the following popup, select the device that you want it to be mapped with (the device that needs to be converted) and then click "Confirm".

   

   Once converted, you can open the Device Snapshot page (Navigate to Inventory and click on a device to open the device snapshot page.) of the corresponding device to confirm whether it has been switched to agent-based monitoring mode.

Note: The Mapped Device dropdown list will be displayed only if the value of "Status" in the previous row is displayed as "Clear", and if the agent is currently able to communicate with OpManager.