Monitoring/starting a Windows Process

[melvin]

Hello,

For our company, some processes have to run. I have configured Zabbix to monitor our processes and send an e-mail when they stop running. Everything is working as expected. My question is: I would like to add another action that starts the process/application. I can't figure out how to do this.

It is a Windows server 2008 R2 envirement with a graphical application that has to run. It is not a service.

Our Zabbix version is: 2.2.1

I have tried batch files, powershell, WMI and commands to start a Windows process. But the application does not start. I have managed to see the application/process in task manager but with no interface.

Thank you!

[steveboyson]

(I assume you have an already logged in session on your windows box)

Have a script on the windows box which periodically checks for the existance of a flagfile. You can configure to start it "on logon" via "scheduled tasks".

while (true): {
--if the flagfile exists:
----delete flagfile
----restart app
----wait
}

When zabbix detects that app is not running it places the flagfile. The watchdog-script would then restart the app.

Hint: you don't need zabbix for that. Just let the watchdog script restart your app ...

[melvin]

Thank you for your reply. Do you mean that i create an item that checks if the process is running (like proc.num[]), and if so, create an action that runs a script that puts a file somewhere on the filesystem. And then have a sheduled task check the existence of that file via a script?

If i use task manager i can create a task whitout a trigger that starts the process. Then create an action in zabbix with the command: schtasks /Run /TN "TASKNAME".

Maybe i have a wrong interpretation of your answer but if i understand you correctly, i was hoping to accomplish this with Zabbix. It is the same with Zabbix actions, for example, if i run a powershell script , i can send output to a file, but i can't do much more then that because then it won't work anymore.

Thank you for your answering my question!

[EnigmA-X]

Hi Melvin,

Did you already look into using remote commands?

[melvin]

Yes i have. That's what i use to execute a (Windows task sheduler) task that starts the application. example: Zabbix command: schtasks /Run /TN "TASKNAME".

I was hoping to skip the part of creating a Windows sheduled task to start the application. For example, when i try to create an action with the remote command: notepad.exe or C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe or start notepad.exe or any other flavor it does not start?

Thank you for answering!

[steveboyson]

It is probably because the process will run under the zabbix_agentd account and not in the account of the interactively "logged on" user.

You could start the zabbix_agentd.exe under that user that is logged on all the time. Then the restart of $APP most likely will work.


Remember: nowadays even Windows is a multiuser system