<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: Additional Sensor Types (Custom Sensors)

Users can create and use their own, self-written custom sensors in PRTG Network Monitor to go far beyond PRTG's standard sensor set. You can create your own sensors using Windows Management Instrumentation Query Language (WQL), visual basic scripting, PowerShell, batch scripting, SQL queries, by compiling an EXE or DLL file (using any Windows software development tool), and by running Python scripts.

You cannot use custom sensors on local probes in PRTG on demand (except SSH sensors). If you want to use custom sensors, please add them to a remote probe device.

Basics

For a general introduction, please see the sections about EXE/Script sensors and the API documentation which contains details about the necessary return format for these sensors. WMI Custom sensors allow executing WQL requests.

Additionally, some types of SQL sensors execute script files with SQL queries:

Custom Sensors Included in PRTG

After installing PRTG Network Monitor, you will already find a selection of custom EXE/Script, Python, and WMI WQL script sensors in the PRTG program directory, as well as scripts with SQL queries for specific database sensors. Many of these are sample projects that you can edit and improve for your needs.

Custom Sensors Included in PRTG—Folder: \Custom Sensors\EXE

Demo Batchfile - Returns 200.bat
Demo Batchfile - Set sensorstate to error.bat
Demo Batchfile - Set sensorstate to warning.bat
Demo Cmd - Returns 200.cmd
Demo Dll - Returns a random integer.dll
Demo EXE - Returns a random integer.exe
Demo EXE - Returns number of files in folder (parameter).exe
Demo EXE - Returns user of process.exe
Demo Powershell Script - Available MB via WMI.ps1
Demo Powershell Script - InterruptsPerSec via WMI.ps1
Demo Powershell Script - Powershell Version.ps1
Demo Powershell Script - Returns a fixed integer value.ps1
Demo Powershell Script - Returns a random integer value.ps1
Demo Powershell Script - Returns Random Integer and Warnings.ps1
Demo VBScript - InterruptsPerSec via WMI.vbs
Demo VBScript - Multiplies two integers(2 parameters).vbs
Demo VBScript - Returns a fixed float value.vbs
Demo VBScript - Returns a fixed integer value.vbs
Demo VBScript - Returns a random value.vbs
Demo VBScript - Returns number of svchost processes.vbs
Demo VBScript - Returns user of process.vbs
Demo VBScript - Returns warning depending on number of svchost processes.vbs
Demo VBScript - Timezone via WMI.vbs
Demo VBScript - UTCTime via WMI.vbs
Load_Test_CPU_1_Mio_Primes.exe
Load_Test_CPU_10_Mio_Primes.exe
Load_Test_Disk_Write_Read_1000_files.exe
Load_Test_Disk_Write_Read_10000_files.exe
Load_Test_Memory_Allocate_And_Free_400MB.exe

To create a new sensor based on one of these files, create a new EXE/Script Sensor and choose the respective file from the EXE/Script list in the sensor settings.

Custom Sensors Included in PRTG—Folder: \Custom Sensors\EXEXML

Demo Batchfile - Returns static values in four channels.bat

To create a new sensor based on one of these files, create a new EXE/Script Advanced Sensor and choose the respective file from the EXE/Script list in the sensor settings.

Custom Sensors Included in PRTG—Folder: \Custom Sensors\python

sensor_example.py

This Python example script just returns fixed values in two channels to demonstrate the usage. To create a new sensor based on this file, create a new Python Script Advanced Sensor and choose the file from the Python Script list in the sensor settings.

SQL Query Files Included in PRTG—Folder: \Custom Sensors\sql\<dbms>

Demo Serveruptime.sql

You can find this demo SQL query script in each subfolder for each supported database management system (dbms): \mssql, \mysql, \oracle, \postgresql

To create a new sensor that uses one of the scripts in the dbms folders, create the according sensor type (see above for supported sensors) and choose the respective file from the SQL Query File list in the sensor settings.

Custom Sensors Included in PRTG—Folder: \Custom Sensors\WMI WQL scripts

Demo WQL Script - Get Win32LogicalDiscFreeMB.wql
Demo WQL Script - Get Win32OsBuildnumber.wql
Demo WQL Script - Get Win32PercentProcessorIdleTime.wql
Demo WQL Script - Get Win32PercentProcessorTime.wql

To create a new sensor based on one of these files, create a new WMI Custom Sensor and choose the respective file from the WQL File list in the sensor settings.

Downloading Pre-Built Custom Sensors

Good resources to find custom sensors that PRTG users and we from Paessler share are the PRTG Script World and our Knowledge Base. In the Knowledge Base, search for the tag custom-script-exe to find a lot of custom sensors: https://kb.paessler.com/en/tags/custom-script-exe/

You can find useful scripts for sensors in the PRTG Script World:

https://www.paessler.com/script-world

For the other sensor types that work out-of-the-box, please see

List of Available Sensor Types

Knowledge Base: Guide for PowerShell Based Custom Sensors

https://kb.paessler.com/en/topic/71356

Knowledge Base: Custom sensors

https://kb.paessler.com/en/tags/custom-script-exe/

Knowledge Base: How can I share my self-written PRTG script/program with other PRTG users?

https://kb.paessler.com/en/topic/63737

Knowledge Base: How can I test if parameters are correctly transmitted to my script when using an EXE/Script sensor?

https://kb.paessler.com/en/topic/11283

Sensor Settings Overview

For information about sensor settings, please see the following sections:

Ajax Web Interface—Device and Sensor Setup—Topics

Other Ajax Web Interface Sections