Luware products usually consist of a set of services running on one or more servers.  The services integrate closely with each other and connect to Skype For Business and other components of the Windows world (e.g. Active Directory).  The services are extremely dependent on the fact that the other components (such as Skype for Business) also run stably.

The Luware Health Monitor helps to ensure continuous operation by monitoring the following parameters on your servers:

  • Application Server:
    • LUCS / TM Services on the application servers
    • SQL Services (RTCLocal)
    • EventViewer
  • Skype for Business Server
    • Skype Services
    • SQL Services (LYNCLocal, RTCLocal)
    • Luware Components (SMD)
    • Event viewer for SfB and Luware components
  • SQL Server
    • The connection strings to the databases

About this Manual

This manual uses a series of icons and colors to illustrate important points. 


(lightbulb) = A hint to signal learnings, improvements or useful information in context.(info) = Info points out essential notes or related page in context.
(warning) = Notifies you about fallacies and tricky parts that help avoid problems.(question) = Asks and answers common questions and troubleshooting points.
(error) = Warns you of actions with irreversible / data-destructive consequence.(tick) = Intructs you to perform a certain (prerequired) action to complete a related step.

Installation

The tool is delivered as an MSI installation package. "LUCS TM Health Monitor.exe"

  1. Copy the .msi file to your application servers and run the installation.
    (lightbulb) During installation, it is checked whether a previous instance of the tool is already installed. If an older component is found, the tool is uninstalled and the newer version is installed.
    (lightbulb) Default config files are being uninstalled as well. When you created custom config files, they remain after uninstallation.
  2. Start running the MSI package and follow the on-screen instructions.
  3. In the Welcome screen, click [Next>].

  4. Select the directory where you want to install the tool and click [Next>]

  5. Proceed through the installation by clicking "Install".

  6. Confirm the User-Account-Control request for Admin privileges. → The installation will now commence. 
    (lightbulb) After installation you can decide whether the tool should be started immediately.
    → On your Desktop and Start Menu you will see a new icon "Start LUCS services"

Working with the tool

Since this tool performs administrative tasks such as reading "Eventviewer" content as well as Windows services status it tool must be started in administrative mode.

When starting the tool, a corresponding message appears, which you have to confirm with [Yes].

First Startup and UI Overview

On first launch, the tool reads all relevant services installed on the local server for LUCS, Team Manager, Skype for Business and checks the event viewer for errors related to Luware products and Skype for Business.

You will see the result of this evaluation direclty on the main screen:

The UI (User Interface) of the tool is divided into 3 areas:

AreaDescription

Status Area

The tool checks whether the services are running. On the basis of the number of services found and running and the services found, but which are not running or in a non-functioning state, a ratio is calculated. 

(lightbulb) Example:

  • 10 Luware services are installed on the server
  • Of these, 7 services work
  • 1 Service is in the Stopping state
  • 2 Services are stopped

 → This would lead to a corresponding evaluation:

  • Only 70% of the services are properly executed
  • The corresponding bar is displayed in orange.

(info) Via "Show More" you can get  detailed information on this evaluation result.

Output Area

Shows output information such as the name of the services and the servers on which the services are hosted.

(lightbulb) Reacts to the inputs in the "Options" area

Options Area 

Allows to configure the behavior of the Health Monitoring tool. Options from left to right are: 

  • Refresh Interval - Setting the time in minutes for a refresh of the values. The text box displays the number of refreshes performed since the restart.
  • Refresh manually -  Allows values for the individual areas to be read anew.

  • Start button - The start button is currently still a beta component. With the help of the start button you can attempt to start all unstarted services.

  • Server Configuration - Configuration of the servers that are being monitored. (lightbulb) More on this below.

  • Configure - The health monitoring tool's default configuration. Here you can set (for example) default refresh time and store an E-mail configuration for notification on a downtime.

Server Configuration

The tool makes it possible to monitor many different services simultaneously on both servers of a LUCS / TM installation. For this purpose, the servers involved must be stored in the tool, within an an XML file in the document folder of the executing user.

To adjust the configuration:

  1. Click on the "Server" button in the options area
    → A window will open. (lightbulb) The local server is already entered here as "Luware Server". You can change this entry freely.

  2. Enter the host name and the host type here.
    (lightbulb)As a host type, you can set the values: Luware / SfB
    Mark the Luware application server as "Luware", the Skype for Business Server as "SfB".


  3. Save your changes.

    Storing of settings

    Server settings will be written to your Documents Folder. The tool will also use the new settings to read the configuration immediately.

Status Area Display

As server entries are read you will see a display of status outputs. Below each color bar you will find an indication of what the bar says in each case. In principle, 2 important values apply here. The bar can have 4 colors:

  • Green – most/all services are started and running. There are few (mostly negligible errors)
  • Yellow – some services are not running – or more frequent errors have occurred
  • Orange – more than 50% of the services do not work as expected
  • Red – more than 80% of services do not work as expected

Rule of thumb

Below each of the bars a summary percentage value is displayed.

If one of the fields (SQL Server, Skype for Business, LUCS/TM, EventViewer) shows a color other than green, or value below 100% you should use the "Show more" button to check which errors have occurred. 

LUCS / TM services

The LUCS/TM section lists all Luware related component services and their status. 

The window is divided into 2 areas:

  • Left: Detected Luware services and their status
  • Right: "Start Services" button and message window. If one of the services is not started, you can start it here

Skype for Business

The Skype for Business section lists SfB Services information. Another window will open:

The window is divided into 2 areas:

  • Left: Selection of SfB related services and their current status.
  • Right: "Start" button and message window. If one of the services is not started, you can start it here

SQL Server

In the SQL Server section lists all found connection strings (from the PS configuration in your Luware Product) and displays their evaluated status is displayed.

(lightbulb) Please note that the connection string status is displayed in the context of the executing user. SysInternal can be used to load a tool that makes it possible to run the tool in context, e.g. impersonation as the network service

If you click on "Show more", a new window will open with detailed information:

The window is divided into 2 areas:

  • Above: Display of the connection strings found – with server name and service as well as the status of the connection in color code.
  • Below: Connection string. To test variants of a connection string. Simply enter a connection string and click "Test".

Event Viewer

The "EventViewer" section checks the LUWARE and Skype for Business logs on the registered servers for ERROR-type messages. Scope is within the last 24 hours. If no errors have occurred during this period, operation is considered guaranteed and the status for this server is assumed to be "green".

Options Area

Most likely you will only be interested in the most recent data. You should therefore set refresh intervals to evaluate the information at regular intervals. In the options area of the main window you will find the possibility to configure the period (in minutes) in which the tool should renew the information.

(lightbulb)  In the display field next to the input, you will receive information on how many refreshes have already been performed after the restart. Please note that the counter is set back to 0 after 5000 runs.

Default Configuration

Already at startup Luware LUCS / TM Health Monitor tries to read a configuration file. This is usually stored in your %userprofile%\Documents\Luware AG\<Luware LUCS TM Health Monitor> directory.

In the Basic settings you have following options:

OptionDescription
Standard Server Config 

Allows you to define a configuration file. This is loaded when the program is started and the corresponding servers are monitored. → See Server Configuration chapter.

Dashboard RefreshAllows you to select the default time after which a refresh is to be performed.
Mail Settings

Settings for a possible mail mail to be sent on errors. Please enter valid information here and use "Test Mail" to check.

(lightbulb) Spam prevention: If the refresh interval is set to 10 minutes, the check is performed if one services have changed in those 10 minutes. If there is a change, the tool sends a mail with the changed services (Stopped). The status is noted and – if unchanged – will not trigger a resend.

(lightbulb) If the Error is removed, no further mail is sent.

Log Files

In the your Document folder under LUWARE AG\Luware LUCS TM Health Monitor you will also find a LOGs subdirectory. In this directory you will find the log files of the last runs.

Luware file naming and storage conventions

  • The main file name being written live is – as usual with Luware products – regularLog.txt.
  • Each time you restart, a log file is created – an existing file is renamed with the date and time.
  • The system keeps a maximum of 10 log files.

All relevant information is recorded in these log files – and can thus also be evaluated retrospectively. Here is an example:

21.06.22 17:06:50.37  Starte Lucs TM Stratus Dashboard
21.06.22 17:06:50.37  Configuration file does not exist
21.06.22 17:06:50.38  Get_Luware_Services with 0 Server
21.06.22 17:06:50.38  Check Services on LocalServer
21.06.22 17:06:50.38  Service found: Luware-LUCS-AC on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.38  Service added: Luware-LUCS-AC 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.38  Service found: Luware-LUCS-AM on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.38  Service added: Luware-LUCS-AM 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.38  Service found: Luware-LUCS-CI on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.40  Service added: Luware-LUCS-CI 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.40  Service found: Luware-LUCS-CIC on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.42  Service added: Luware-LUCS-CIC 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.42  Service found: Luware-LUCS-CR on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.42  Service added: Luware-LUCS-CR 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.42  Service found: Luware-LUCS-DashboardCore on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.42  Service added: Luware-LUCS-DashboardCore 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.42  Service found: Luware-LUCS-ICH on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.42  Service added: Luware-LUCS-ICH 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.42  Service found: Luware-LUCS-PS on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.42  Service added: Luware-LUCS-PS 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.43  Service found: Luware-TM-AC on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.43  Service added: Luware-TM-AC 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.43  Service found: Luware-TM-AM on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.43  Service added: Luware-TM-AM 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.43  Service found: Luware-TM-CI on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.43  Service added: Luware-TM-CI 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.43  Service found: Luware-TM-CIC on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.43  Service added: Luware-TM-CIC 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.43  Service found: Luware-TM-CR on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.45  Service added: Luware-TM-CR 0
21.06.22 17:06:50.45  Service found: Luware-TM-GalReader on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.45  Service added: Luware-TM-GalReader 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.45  Service found: Luware-TM-ICH on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.45  Service added: Luware-TM-ICH 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.45  Service found: Luware-TM-PS on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.45  Service added: Luware-TM-PS 5
21.06.22 17:06:50.45  Service found: SQL Server (RTCLOCAL) on localhost
21.06.22 17:06:50.45  Service added: MSSQL$RTCLOCAL 5
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