TCP/IP Probe-based Monitoring

TCP/IP probe-based monitoring has become essential for maintaining reliable, high-performing application environments in today's complex IT landscapes. This monitoring approach works by actively sending test packets (probes) to network endpoints and services to verify connectivity, measure response times, and detect failures in real-time.

The importance of this monitoring strategy stems from several critical factors. Modern applications are increasingly distributed across hybrid cloud environments, microservices architectures, and global networks, making passive observation insufficient. TCP/IP probes provide proactive verification that services are not just running, but actually reachable and responsive from the user's perspective.

IT-Conductor TCP/IP Probes are organized into “Servers” that are defined to run on selected Gateways. When configured, the probes associated with the Server are executed by attempting to establish a TCP/IP connection from the Gateway host to the probe target host/port. The availability and connection time metrics are collected and monitored.

How to Configure TCP/IP Probes in IT-Conductor

To configure TCP/IP probe monitoring in IT-Conductor, follow the instructions below.

Add New TCP/IP Probe

1. Visit service.itconductor.com and enter your login credentials.

2. Navigate to Dashboards → Administrator to access the Administrator's Dashboard.

3. Locate the TCP Probe Servers actions panel and click the title to access the complete list.

Figure 1: TCP Probe Servers Panel in the Administrator's Dashboard

1. Click to create a new Server Probe

Figure 2: Add a new TCP Probe Servers

1. Fill out all the necessary information in the Create TCP/IP Probe Server wizard.

Figure 3: Create TCP/IP Probe Server wizard

• Description - refers to any relevant information about the server probe being added.

• Organization (Optional) - refers to an administrative structure that defines objects with a common goal or purpose. If you previously created an organization, please select it.

• Owner - refers to the owner of the server probe that’s being created. It automatically takes the username of the person in charge of the configuration.

• Role - refers to the environment where the server probe will be used.

• Site (Optional) - refers to a logical object that describes a particular area or location, depending on the context in which it is used.

• Gateway - allows communication between the customer's site network and the IT-Conductor cloud platform. See Gateway Setup for more details.

• Shared account - if checked, it uses a centrally stored credential set so multiple probes or monitors can reuse the same connection account instead of defining one locally.

• Network interface - refers to the local adapter/IP on the monitoring host, which is used to initiate the probe’s network connection.

• Connect timeout - The maximum time the probe waits for a TCP connection to be established before marking the check as failed. By default, it is set to 2000 ms.

1. Once completed, click to save. After a few minutes, the new server probe will show up on the list.

Figure 4: New TCP/IP Probe Servers

1. To administer the new probe, click on the grid icon . This will redirect you to the grid location of the probe server.

2. Click Probes.

Figure 5: Probe Server View in the Service Grid

1. Click to create a new probe.

Figure 6: Create a new TCP/IP Port Probe

1. Fill out all the necessary information in the Create TCP/IP Port Probe wizard.

• Name - refers to an identifier for the probe being added.

• Description - refers to any relevant information about the probe being added.

• Owner - refers to the owner of the server probe that’s being created. It automatically takes the username of the person in charge of the configuration.

• Schedule (optional) - refers to the assign scheduled. For probe schedules, please use the options below.

• Time Windows Begin - defines the start of the allowed time range for probe execution (Optional if you’re already assigning a schedule to the probe). Click on the clock icon to select a start time.

• Time Windows End - defines the end of the allowed time range for probe execution (Optional if you’re already assigning a schedule to the probe). Click on the clock icon to select an end time.

• Repeat interval - refers to the interval between consecutive executions when repeat is enabled. By default, this is set to 5 minutes.

• Host - refers to the host of the probe being added.

• Port - refers to the port number used to access the probe being added.

• Timeout - refers to the maximum time allowed to establish a connection before timing out. By default, this is set to 5000 msecs.

• Actual host - refers to the resolved hostname the probe ultimately connected to.

• Actual IPv4 - refers to the final IPv4 address used for the connection after DNS resolution.

Figure 7: Create TCP/IP Port Probe Wizard

1. Click to save.

The probe will be automatically added to the probe server grid.

Figure 8: TCP/IP Port Probe in the Service Grid

Monitor Server Probes in IT-Conductor

The availability monitor is created automatically when the probe is added. Expand the chart to view the metric in more detail and define or adjust the override for more specific probe monitoring.

Figure 9: Availability Metric of a TCP/IP Probe

Figure 10: Threshold Overrides and Alerts

When the availability threshold is breached, alerts are generated automatically. To learn more about configuring overrides and alerts in IT-Conductor, check our Threshold Overrides and Alerts wiki. To notify specific people or teams, add subscriptions at the appropriate level.