Votes:
Our FTP server automatically creates a new log file each day. I'd like to use the "File Content Sensor" (https://www.paessler.com/manuals/prtg/file_content_sensor.htm) to check the newest file each day. I tried to use the (*) wildcard in my sensor for d$\directory\to\log\files\* but does not seem to work and keeps failing.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Last change on Feb 13, 2013 4:21:49 PM by
Votes:
Note from Paessler TechSupport: While the File Content Sensor cannot work with wildcards in the moment, the following script should help and achieve this. Please bear in mind, it comes without official support from us, and using it will be at your own risk.
This would be possible with custom scripts - you could create a VBScript and search for the newest file in the directory etc... then open the file as a text-stream and inspect the content and processing it.
Did similar stuff several times myself, either because PRTG did not have a default sensor or I did but I wanted to have the data processed and presented differently.
There are various script examples in the knowledge base here and around the web on how this can be accomplished... In the end if often depends on specific needs so it is "hard" to come up with a generic script... if at all it would be dependent on parameters like path, wildcard filename, search phrase 1 and probably 2 as arguments, then processing this - searching the directory for the file-pattern, using the newest file (modified date) and processing it while searching for the phrases provided. If found, it would just give you a positive response or not found a negative response.
I personally would like it more advanced and specific to the needs - like how many times did the phrase come up - and if the log provides more information - I would even process and provide this.
Understanding that not everyone can write scripts, I thought I provide the below example script that might hopefully help out a bit:
'Execute:
'Argument 0 = File-Path
'Argument 1 = File-Pattern
'Argument 2 = File-Extension
'Argument 3 = Search Phrase
'GenericLogSensor.vbs "C:\path\file.txt" "file*" ".log" "error"
'Returns -1 file not found / 0 keyword not found / 1 keyword was found
Dim strPath, strFilePattern, strFileExtension, strSearchPattern
If WScript.Arguments.Count = 4 Then
strPath = WScript.Arguments.Item(0)
strFilePattern = WScript.Arguments.Item(1)
strFileExtension = WScript.Arguments.Item(2)
strSearchPattern = WScript.Arguments.Item(3)
Else
Wscript.Echo "Usage: cscript GenericLogSensor.vbs ""C:\path\file.txt"" ""file*"" "".log"" ""error"""
Wscript.Quit
End If
If Left(strFileExtension, 1) <> "." Then
strFileExtension = "." & strFileExtension
End If
If Right(strFilePattern, 1) <> "*" Then
strFilePattern = strFilePattern & "*"
End If
Dim strFound
strFound = -1 'default return value
Dim objFS
Set objFS = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If objFS.FolderExists(strPath) Then
Dim objFolder
Set objFolder = objFS.GetFolder(strPath)
Dim objRE
Set objRE = New RegExp
objRE.IgnoreCase = True
objRE.Pattern = strFilePattern
Dim objFile, objNewestFile
Dim datFileDate
datFileDate = DateAdd("yyyy",-1000,Date())
For Each objFile in objFolder.Files
If LCase(Right(objFile.Name, Len(strFileExtension))) = LCase(strFileExtension) Then
If objRE.Test(objFile.Name) Then
If DateDiff("s",datFileDate,objFile.DateLastModified) > 0 Then
datFileDate = objFile.DateLastModified
Set objNewestFile = objFile
End If
End If
End If
Next
Dim strFoundFileName
On Error Resume Next 'make it easy to understand and modify - not the perfect way to handle this
strFoundFileName = objNewestFile.Name
On Error GoTo 0
If Len(strFoundFileName) > 0 Then 'this now means we found a file
strFound = 0
Dim strLine
Dim objTS
Set objTS = objNewestFile.OpenAsTextStream(1, -0)
Do While Not objTS.AtEndOfStream
strLine = objTS.ReadLine()
If InStr(1, strLine, strSearchPattern, 1) Then
strFound = 1
Exit Do
End If
Loop
objTS.Close
Set objTS = Nothing
End If
Set objNewestFile = Nothing
Set objFolder = Nothing
End If
Set objFS = Nothing
WScript.echo "<prtg>"
WScript.echo "<result>"
WScript.echo "<channel>" & strSearchPattern & "</channel><value>" & strFound & "</value>"
WScript.echo "</result>"
WScript.echo "</prtg>"
This is an Advanced EXE sensor script - please put it in the according folder in your PRTG installation.
The Parameters are:
Results are:
Now you can modify the script a bit to your needs and process the found text in the file further - if you want to. Since the results are in XML you should be able to even expand this way further and give PRTG more data / channels you can monitor on. Adding additional arguments might allow you to search for various keywords as well...
Hope this helps some of you!
Regards
Florian Rossmark
Last change on Aug 16, 2018 9:41:20 AM by
16 Replies
Votes:
Hello,
I'm sorry, the File Content Sensor cannot work with wildcards in the moment.
best regards.
Created on Feb 13, 2013 5:30:23 PM by
Votes:
This is simply a fault in the documentation, I'm afraid. I apologize for confusion caused, we will correct this of course in the manual.
Created on Feb 14, 2013 2:08:43 PM by
Votes:
Noted, I will bring this up in the next developers meeting and let you know what comes of it here. Thank you for your input on this.
Created on May 2, 2013 7:47:33 PM by
Votes:
Hello, I understand your point, we did not add a result of that meeting here. Thing is, we have seen very very few requests for a wildcard feature for the File Sensors in PRTG. That lead us to give other projects / features a much higher priority. We do have it on the wish list still, with no ETA set though.
Please use the Custom Exe Sensors as workarounds.
Created on May 29, 2017 7:28:33 AM by
Votes:
Note from Paessler TechSupport: While the File Content Sensor cannot work with wildcards in the moment, the following script should help and achieve this. Please bear in mind, it comes without official support from us, and using it will be at your own risk.
This would be possible with custom scripts - you could create a VBScript and search for the newest file in the directory etc... then open the file as a text-stream and inspect the content and processing it.
Did similar stuff several times myself, either because PRTG did not have a default sensor or I did but I wanted to have the data processed and presented differently.
There are various script examples in the knowledge base here and around the web on how this can be accomplished... In the end if often depends on specific needs so it is "hard" to come up with a generic script... if at all it would be dependent on parameters like path, wildcard filename, search phrase 1 and probably 2 as arguments, then processing this - searching the directory for the file-pattern, using the newest file (modified date) and processing it while searching for the phrases provided. If found, it would just give you a positive response or not found a negative response.
I personally would like it more advanced and specific to the needs - like how many times did the phrase come up - and if the log provides more information - I would even process and provide this.
Understanding that not everyone can write scripts, I thought I provide the below example script that might hopefully help out a bit:
'Execute:
'Argument 0 = File-Path
'Argument 1 = File-Pattern
'Argument 2 = File-Extension
'Argument 3 = Search Phrase
'GenericLogSensor.vbs "C:\path\file.txt" "file*" ".log" "error"
'Returns -1 file not found / 0 keyword not found / 1 keyword was found
Dim strPath, strFilePattern, strFileExtension, strSearchPattern
If WScript.Arguments.Count = 4 Then
strPath = WScript.Arguments.Item(0)
strFilePattern = WScript.Arguments.Item(1)
strFileExtension = WScript.Arguments.Item(2)
strSearchPattern = WScript.Arguments.Item(3)
Else
Wscript.Echo "Usage: cscript GenericLogSensor.vbs ""C:\path\file.txt"" ""file*"" "".log"" ""error"""
Wscript.Quit
End If
If Left(strFileExtension, 1) <> "." Then
strFileExtension = "." & strFileExtension
End If
If Right(strFilePattern, 1) <> "*" Then
strFilePattern = strFilePattern & "*"
End If
Dim strFound
strFound = -1 'default return value
Dim objFS
Set objFS = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If objFS.FolderExists(strPath) Then
Dim objFolder
Set objFolder = objFS.GetFolder(strPath)
Dim objRE
Set objRE = New RegExp
objRE.IgnoreCase = True
objRE.Pattern = strFilePattern
Dim objFile, objNewestFile
Dim datFileDate
datFileDate = DateAdd("yyyy",-1000,Date())
For Each objFile in objFolder.Files
If LCase(Right(objFile.Name, Len(strFileExtension))) = LCase(strFileExtension) Then
If objRE.Test(objFile.Name) Then
If DateDiff("s",datFileDate,objFile.DateLastModified) > 0 Then
datFileDate = objFile.DateLastModified
Set objNewestFile = objFile
End If
End If
End If
Next
Dim strFoundFileName
On Error Resume Next 'make it easy to understand and modify - not the perfect way to handle this
strFoundFileName = objNewestFile.Name
On Error GoTo 0
If Len(strFoundFileName) > 0 Then 'this now means we found a file
strFound = 0
Dim strLine
Dim objTS
Set objTS = objNewestFile.OpenAsTextStream(1, -0)
Do While Not objTS.AtEndOfStream
strLine = objTS.ReadLine()
If InStr(1, strLine, strSearchPattern, 1) Then
strFound = 1
Exit Do
End If
Loop
objTS.Close
Set objTS = Nothing
End If
Set objNewestFile = Nothing
Set objFolder = Nothing
End If
Set objFS = Nothing
WScript.echo "<prtg>"
WScript.echo "<result>"
WScript.echo "<channel>" & strSearchPattern & "</channel><value>" & strFound & "</value>"
WScript.echo "</result>"
WScript.echo "</prtg>"
This is an Advanced EXE sensor script - please put it in the according folder in your PRTG installation.
The Parameters are:
Results are:
Now you can modify the script a bit to your needs and process the found text in the file further - if you want to. Since the results are in XML you should be able to even expand this way further and give PRTG more data / channels you can monitor on. Adding additional arguments might allow you to search for various keywords as well...
Hope this helps some of you!
Regards
Florian Rossmark
Last change on Aug 16, 2018 9:41:20 AM by
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