config.file# windows_exporter
A Prometheus exporter for Windows machines.
Collectors
| Name | Description | Enabled by default |
|---|---|---|
| ad | Active Directory Domain Services | |
| adcs | Active Directory Certificate Services | |
| adfs | Active Directory Federation Services | |
| cache | Cache metrics | |
| cpu | CPU usage | ✓ |
| cpu_info | CPU Information | |
| cs | «Computer System» metrics (system properties, num cpus/total memory) | |
| container | Container metrics | |
| diskdrive | Diskdrive metrics | |
| dfsr | DFSR metrics | |
| dhcp | DHCP Server | |
| dns | DNS Server | |
| exchange | Exchange metrics | |
| filetime | FileTime metrics | |
| fsrmquota | Microsoft File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) Quotas collector | |
| hyperv | Hyper-V hosts | |
| iis | IIS sites and applications | |
| license | Windows license status | |
| logical_disk | Logical disks, disk I/O | ✓ |
| memory | Memory usage metrics | ✓ |
| mscluster | MSCluster metrics | |
| msmq | MSMQ queues | |
| mssql | SQL Server Performance Objects metrics | |
| netframework | .NET Framework metrics | |
| net | Network interface I/O | ✓ |
| os | OS metrics (memory, processes, users) | ✓ |
| pagefile | pagefile metrics | |
| performancecounter | Custom performance counter metrics | |
| physical_disk | physical disk metrics | ✓ |
| printer | Printer metrics | |
| process | Per-process metrics | |
| remote_fx | RemoteFX protocol (RDP) metrics | |
| scheduled_task | Scheduled Tasks metrics | |
| service | Service state metrics | ✓ |
| smb | SMB Server | |
| smbclient | SMB Client | |
| smtp | IIS SMTP Server | |
| system | System calls | ✓ |
| tcp | TCP connections | |
| terminal_services | Terminal services (RDS) | |
| textfile | Read prometheus metrics from a text file | |
| thermalzone | Thermal information | |
| time | Windows Time Service | |
| udp | UDP connections | |
| update | Windows Update Service | |
| vmware | Performance counters installed by the Vmware Guest agent |
See the linked documentation on each collector for more information on reported metrics, configuration settings and usage examples.
Filtering enabled collectors
The windows_exporter will expose all metrics from enabled collectors by default. This is the recommended way to collect metrics to avoid errors when comparing metrics of different families.
For advanced use the windows_exporter can be passed an optional list of collectors to filter metrics. The collect[] parameter may be used multiple times. In Prometheus configuration you can use this syntax under the scrape config.
params:
collect[]:
- foo
- bar
This can be useful for having different Prometheus servers collect specific metrics from nodes.
Flags
windows_exporter accepts flags to configure certain behaviours. The ones configuring the global behaviour of the exporter are listed below, while collector-specific ones are documented in the respective collector documentation above.
| Flag | Description | Default value |
|---|---|---|
--web.listen-address |
host:port for exporter. | :9182 |
--telemetry.path |
URL path for surfacing collected metrics. | /metrics |
--telemetry.max-requests |
Maximum number of concurrent requests. 0 to disable. | 5 |
--collectors.enabled |
Comma-separated list of collectors to use. Use [defaults] as a placeholder which gets expanded containing all the collectors enabled by default. |
[defaults] |
--collectors.print |
If true, print available collectors and exit. | |
--scrape.timeout-margin |
Seconds to subtract from the timeout allowed by the client. Tune to allow for overhead or high loads. | 0.5 |
--web.config.file |
A web config for setting up TLS and Auth | None |
--config.file |
Using a config file from path or URL | None |
--log.file |
Output file of log messages. One of [stdout, stderr, eventlog, <path to log file>] NOTE: The MSI installer will add a default argument to the installed service setting this to eventlog |
stderr |
Installation
The latest release can be downloaded from the releases page.
All binaries and installation packages are signed with an self-signed certificate. The public key can be found here.
Once import into the trusted root certificate store, the binaries and installation packages will be trusted.
Each release provides a .msi installer. The installer will setup the windows_exporter as a Windows service, as well as create an exception in the Windows Firewall.
If the installer is run without any parameters, the exporter will run with default settings for enabled collectors, ports, etc.
The installer provides a configuration file to customize the exporter.
The configuration file
- is located in the same directory as the exporter executable.
- has the YAML format and is provided with the
--config.fileparameter. - can be used to enable or disable collectors, set collector-specific parameters, and set global parameters.
The following parameters are available:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
ENABLED_COLLECTORS |
As the --collectors.enabled flag, provide a comma-separated list of enabled collectors |
CONFIG_FILE |
Use the --config.file flag to specify a config file. If empty, no config file will be set. The special value config.yaml set the path to the config.yaml at install dir |
LISTEN_ADDR |
The IP address to bind to. Defaults to an empty string. (any local address) |
LISTEN_PORT |
The port to bind to. Defaults to 9182. |
METRICS_PATH |
The path at which to serve metrics. Defaults to /metrics |
TEXTFILE_DIRS |
Use the --collector.textfile.directories flag to specify one or more directories, separated by commas, where the collector should read text files containing metrics |
REMOTE_ADDR |
Allows setting comma separated remote IP addresses for the Windows Firewall exception (allow list). Defaults to an empty string (any remote address). |
EXTRA_FLAGS |
Allows passing full CLI flags. Defaults to an empty string. For --collectors.enabled and --config.file, use the specialized properties ENABLED_COLLECTORS and CONFIG_FILE |
ADDLOCAL |
Enables features within the windows_exporter installer. Supported values: FirewallException |
REMOVE |
Disables features within the windows_exporter installer. Supported values: FirewallException |
APPLICATIONFOLDER |
Directory to install windows_exporter. Defaults to C:\Program Files\windows_exporter |
Parameters are sent to the installer via msiexec.
On PowerShell, the --% should be passed before defining properties.
Example invocations:
msiexec /i <path-to-msi-file> --% ENABLED_COLLECTORS=os,iis LISTEN_PORT=5000
Example service collector with a custom query.
msiexec /i <path-to-msi-file> --% ENABLED_COLLECTORS=os,service EXTRA_FLAGS="--collectors.exchange.enabled=""ADAccessProcesses"""
Define a config file.
msiexec /i <path-to-msi-file> --% CONFIG_FILE="D:\config.yaml"
Alternative install directory
msiexec /i <path-to-msi-file> --% ADDLOCAL=FirewallException APPLICATIONFOLDER="F:\Program Files\windows_exporter"
On some older versions of Windows,
you may need to surround parameter values with double quotes to get the installation command parsing properly:
msiexec /i C:\Users\Administrator\Downloads\windows_exporter.msi --% ENABLED_COLLECTORS="ad,iis,logon,memory,process,tcp,textfile,thermalzone" TEXTFILE_DIRS="C:\custom_metrics\"
To install the exporter with creating a firewall exception, use the following command:
msiexec /i <path-to-msi-file> --% ADDLOCAL=FirewallException
PowerShell versions 7.3 and above require PSNativeCommandArgumentPassing to be set to Legacy when using --% EXTRA_FLAGS:
$PSNativeCommandArgumentPassing = 'Legacy' msiexec /i <path-to-msi-file> ENABLED_COLLECTORS=os,service --% EXTRA_FLAGS="--collectors.exchange.enabled=""ADAccessProcesses"""
Docker Implementation
The windows_exporter can be run as a Docker container. The Docker image is available on
- Docker Hub:
docker.io/prometheuscommunity/windows-exporter - GitHub Container Registry:
ghcr.io/prometheus-community/windows-exporter - quay.io Registry:
quay.io/prometheuscommunity/windows-exporter
Tags
The Docker image is tagged with the version of the exporter. The latest tag is also available and points to the latest release.
Additionally, a flavor hostprocess with -hostprocess as suffix is based on the https://github.com/microsoft/windows-host-process-containers-base-image
which is designed to run as a Windows host process container. The size of that images is smaller than the default one.
Kubernetes Implementation
See detailed steps to install on Windows Kubernetes here.
Supported versions
windows_exporter supports Windows Server versions 2016 and later, and desktop Windows version 10 and 11 (21H2 or later).
Windows Server 2012 and 2012R2 are supported as best-effort only, but not guaranteed to work.
Usage
go get -u github.com/prometheus/promu
go get -u github.com/prometheus-community/windows_exporter
cd $env:GOPATH/src/github.com/prometheus-community/windows_exporter
promu build -v
.\windows_exporter.exe
The prometheus metrics will be exposed on localhost:9182
HTTP Endpoints
windows_exporter provides the following HTTP endpoints:
/metrics: Exposes metrics in the Prometheus text format./health: Returns 200 OK when the exporter is running./debug/pprof/: Exposes the pprof endpoints. Only, if--debug.enabledis set.
Examples
Enable only service collector and specify a custom query
.\windows_exporter.exe --collectors.enabled "service" --collector.service.include="windows_exporter"
Enable only process collector and specify a custom query
.\windows_exporter.exe --collectors.enabled "process" --collector.process.include="firefox.+"
When there are multiple processes with the same name, WMI represents those after the first instance as process-name#index. So to get them all, rather than just the first one, the regular expression must use .+. See process for more information.
Using [defaults] with --collectors.enabled argument
Using [defaults] with --collectors.enabled argument which gets expanded with all default collectors.
.\windows_exporter.exe --collectors.enabled "[defaults],process,container"
This enables the additional process and container collectors on top of the defaults.
Using a configuration file
YAML configuration files can be specified with the --config.file flag. e.g. .\windows_exporter.exe --config.file=config.yml. If you are using the absolute path, make sure to quote the path, e.g. .\windows_exporter.exe --config.file="C:\Program Files\windows_exporter\config.yml"
It is also possible to load the configuration from a URL. e.g. .\windows_exporter.exe --config.file="https://example.com/config.yml"
If you need to skip TLS verification, you can use the --config.file.insecure-skip-verify flag. e.g. .\windows_exporter.exe --config.file="https://example.com/config.yml" --config.file.insecure-skip-verify
collectors: enabled: cpu,net,service collector: service: include: windows_exporter log: level: warn
An example configuration file can be found here.
Configuration file notes
Configuration file values can be mixed with CLI flags. E.G.
.\windows_exporter.exe --collectors.enabled=cpu,logon
CLI flags enjoy a higher priority over values specified in the configuration file.
License
Under MIT
Уровень сложностиПростой
Время на прочтение3 мин
Количество просмотров9.9K
Авторы: Никита Зубарев — DevOps Team Leader компании Hostkey, Айрат Сягитов — специалист отдела DevOps компании Hostkey
Ранее мы рассказали о том, как выполняется мониторинг Linux-систем. Теперь рассмотрим, как настроить Windows Server.
В одной из прошлых статей мы говорили об интеграции FreeIPA с Active Directory. В процессе разработки решения, описанного в этой статье, у нас возникла потребность снимать метрики с серверов Windows-инфраструктуры. В данной статье мы рассмотрим, как можно наладить мониторинг для серверов с ОС Windows, используя существующую систему, построенную на связке Prometheus + Grafana + Alertmanager. Собирать будем общие системные метрики: cpu, ram, hdd.
Экспортер WMI также можно использовать для мониторинга сайтов и приложений IIS, сетевых интерфейсов, служб и даже локальной температуры.
Установка Windows Exporter для мониторинга служб Windows
Для установки Windows Exporter необходимо выполнить несколько действий:
-
Скачать последнюю версию Windows Exporter с GitHub, выбрав архив .zip или .tar.gz.
-
Создать папку с именем «Prometheus» на диске C или в другом месте.
-
Распаковать скачанный архив Windows Exporter. В нем находится файл windows_exporter.exe.
-
Скопировать windows_exporter.exe в папку “Prometheus”.
Затем необходимо создать конфигурационный файл YAML для Windows Exporter. Он позволит указать службы, которые необходимо поставить на мониторинг.
В нашем примере это сервис LicenseManager.
Windows Exporter можно запустить двумя способами: вручную и в качестве службы Windows.
1. Для запуска вручную необходимо:
-
Открыть командную строку от имени администратора.
-
Перейти в папку с windows_exporter.exe, например: cd C:\Prometheus.
-
Запустить Windows Exporter с указанием конфигурационного файла с помощью команды: .\windows_exporter.exe —config.windowsconfig=»kms.yml».
-
Теперь Windows Exporter будет работать в режиме мониторинга в текущей сессии.
2. Для настройки как службы Windows необходимо:
-
Открыть командную строку от имени администратора.
-
Создать службу Windows Exporter командой:
sc create WindowsExporter binPath= "C:\Prometheus\windows_exporter.exe --config.windowsconfig=C:\Prometheus\kms.yml" start= auto.-
Запустить службу командой sc start WindowsExporter:
A:\Windows\system32>sc create WindowsExporter binpath= "C:\Prometheus\windows_exporter.exe --config.windowsconfig=C:\Prometheus\windows_exporter.yml"=auto
[SC] CreateService: success
A:\Windows\system32>sc start WindowsExporterПодробную информацию о средстве экспорта WMI можно посмотреть на GitHub.
После установки необходимого экспортера следует перейти в панель «Службы Windows» (достаточно просто ввести «Службы» в меню поиска Windows) и найти в списке запись WMI exporter. Далее необходимо проверить, что сервис работает правильно.
Если экспортер запущен, он должен начать предоставлять метрики на http://localhost:9182/metrics, по аналогии с Node Exporter. Остается подключить сбор метрик в Prometheus, добавить дашборд и настроить алертинг:
Добавить в prometheus.yml:
- job_name: 'Windows_Infra'
static_configs:
- targets: ['”localhost”:9182'] Добавить Grafana dashboard, который отслеживает отображение информационной панели, подключает и оптимизирует вывод подробной сводки ресурсов. В результате получаем визуальную панель по каждому хосту:
Осталось описать rule_files, добавив необходимые метрики:
groups:
- name: Windows_Infra
rules:
- alert: InstanceDown
expr: up{job="Windows_Infra"} == 0
for: 5m
labels:
severity: page
annotations:
summary: "Instance {{ .instance }} down"
description: "{{ .instance }} of job {{ .job }} has been down for more than 5 minutes."
- alert: DiskSpaceUsage
expr: 100.0 - 100 * (windows_logical_disk_free_bytes{job="Windows_Infra"} / windows_logical_disk_size_bytes{job="Windows_Infra"}) > 90
for: 10m
labels:
severity: high
annotations:
summary: "Disk Space Usage (instance {{ $labels.instance }})"
description: "Disk Space on Drive is used more than 90%\n VALUE = {{ $value }}\n LABELS: {{ $labels }}"
Аналогичным образом добавляем другие необходимые параметры. При настроенном Alertmanager сообщения нотификаций автоматически будут приходить в подключенные системы.
Как видите, мониторинг серверов Windows можно легко выполнить с помощью Prometheus и Grafana. Это решение значительно упрощает процесс управления большим парком машин и позволяет оперативно решать проблемы, возникающие при администрировании серверного оборудования в нашей компании.В следующих статьях рассмотрим задачу подключения служб Windows.
Арендуйте выделенные и виртуальные серверы с моментальным деплоем в надежных дата-центрах класса TIER III в Москве и Нидерландах. Принимаем оплату за услуги HOSTKEY в Нидерландах в рублях на счет российской компании. Оплата с помощью банковских карт, в том числе и картой МИР, банковского перевода и электронных денег.
Introduction
Monitoring system resources is crucial for maintaining the health and performance of your Windows environment. However, when using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Prometheus for monitoring, you may encounter discrepancies in disk space reporting. This issue arises from the fact that Node Exporter, which collects metrics from WSL, reports disk space from a Linux perspective, whereas Windows reports it differently. To resolve this, we can leverage the power of Windows Exporter, a Prometheus-compatible exporter that runs natively on Windows and provides accurate disk usage, CPU, memory, and other NTFS-level details.
Understanding the Problem
When Prometheus collects metrics from Node Exporter inside WSL2, it displays disk space from a Linux perspective. This can lead to a mismatch between what Windows reports and what Grafana shows. For instance, if Windows reports 117 GB of free disk space, but Grafana displays 55 GB, it can be challenging to determine the actual available disk space. This discrepancy can be attributed to the fact that Node Exporter reports disk space from a Linux perspective, whereas Windows reports it differently.
Introducing Windows Exporter
To address this issue, we can add Windows Exporter to our monitoring stack. Windows Exporter is a Prometheus-compatible exporter that runs natively on Windows and provides accurate disk usage, CPU, memory, and other NTFS-level details. By incorporating Windows Exporter into our monitoring setup, we can ensure that our disk space reporting is accurate and consistent with Windows’ native reporting.
Getting Started with Windows Exporter
To get started with Windows Exporter, follow these steps:
Step 1: Download the Latest Windows Exporter Installer
The first step is to download the latest Windows Exporter installer. You can download the .msi installer or .exe from the official GitHub repository: https://github.com/prometheus-community/windows_exporter. Make sure to download the latest version to ensure you have the most up-to-date features and bug fixes.
Step 2: Run Windows Exporter as a Service or Background Process
Once you have downloaded the installer, run it to install Windows Exporter on your Windows system. You can choose to run it as a service or background process. Running it as a service will ensure that it starts automatically when your system boots up.
Step 3: Update Prometheus Config to Add a New Job
To collect metrics from Windows Exporter, you need to update your Prometheus config to add a new job. Open your prometheus.yml file and add a new job with the following configuration:
job_name: 'windows'
static_configs:
- targets: ['localhost:9182']
This configuration tells Prometheus to collect metrics from Windows Exporter running on localhost at port 9182.
Step 4: Reload Prometheus Config and Confirm Scraping
After updating your Prometheus config, reload the config to apply the changes. You can do this by running the following command:
sudo systemctl reload prometheus
Once the config is reloaded, confirm that Prometheus is scraping Windows Exporter by checking the Prometheus web interface.
Step 5: Create a Grafana Panel Comparing Disk Space Reporting
To visualize the disk reporting from both Node Exporter and Windows Exporter, create a new panel in Grafana. Add the following queries to the panel:
- Node Exporter disk space:
node_filesystem_avail_bytes{fstype="ext4",mountpoint="/mnt/c"} - Windows Exporter disk space:
windows_disk_free_bytes{device="C:"}
This will display a side-by-side comparison of the disk space reporting from both Node Exporter and Windows Exporter.
Conclusion
In conclusion, adding Windows Exporter to our monitoring stack provides accurate disk usage, CPU, memory, and other NTFS-level details. By incorporating Windows Exporter into our monitoring setup, we can ensure that our disk space reporting is accurate and consistent with Windows’ native reporting. With the steps outlined above, you can easily integrate Windows Exporter into your Prometheus setup and enjoy accurate disk space monitoring.
Benefits of Using Windows Exporter
Using Windows Exporter offers several benefits, including:
- Accurate disk space reporting: Windows Exporter provides accurate disk usage, CPU, memory, and other NTFS-level details, ensuring that your disk space reporting is consistent with Windows’ native reporting.
- Improved monitoring: By incorporating Windows Exporter into your monitoring setup, you can gain a deeper understanding of your system’s performance and identify potential issues before they become critical.
- Enhanced visibility: Windows Exporter provides a side-by-side comparison of disk space reporting from both Node Exporter and Windows Exporter, giving you a clear understanding of your system’s disk space usage.
Common Use Cases for Windows Exporter
Windows Exporter is a versatile tool that can be used in a variety of scenarios, including:
- Monitoring Windows servers: Windows Exporter is ideal for monitoring Windows servers, providing accurate disk usage, CPU, memory, and other NTFS-level details.
- WSL monitoring: Windows Exporter can be used to monitor WSL, providing accurate disk space reporting and other system metrics.
- Cloud monitoring: Windows Exporter can be used to monitor cloud-based Windows environments, providing accurate disk usage, CPU, memory, and other NTFS-level details.
Troubleshooting Windows Exporter
If you encounter any issues with Windows Exporter, follow these troubleshooting steps:
- Check the logs: Check the Windows Exporter logs for any errors or warnings.
- Verify the config: Verify that your Prometheus config is correct and that Windows Exporter is running as expected.
- Restart Windows Exporter: Restart Windows Exporter to ensure that it is running correctly.
Conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions about Windows Exporter
Q: What is Windows Exporter?
A: Windows Exporter is a Prometheus-compatible exporter that runs natively on Windows and provides accurate disk usage, CPU, memory, and other NTFS-level details.
Q: Why do I need Windows Exporter?
A: You need Windows Exporter to ensure that your disk space reporting is accurate and consistent with Windows’ native reporting. Node Exporter, which collects metrics from WSL, reports disk space from a Linux perspective, which can lead to discrepancies with Windows’ reporting.
Q: How do I install Windows Exporter?
A: To install Windows Exporter, download the latest .msi installer or .exe from the official GitHub repository: https://github.com/prometheus-community/windows_exporter. Run the installer to install Windows Exporter on your Windows system.
Q: How do I configure Windows Exporter?
A: To configure Windows Exporter, update your Prometheus config to add a new job with the following configuration:
job_name: 'windows'
static_configs:
- targets: ['localhost:9182']
This configuration tells Prometheus to collect metrics from Windows Exporter running on localhost at port 9182.
Q: How do I verify that Windows Exporter is working correctly?
A: To verify that Windows Exporter is working correctly, check the Prometheus web interface to confirm that it is scraping Windows Exporter. You can also check the Windows Exporter logs for any errors or warnings.
Q: Can I use Windows Exporter with other monitoring tools?
A: Yes, you can use Windows Exporter with other monitoring tools, such as Grafana, to visualize your system’s performance and disk space usage.
Q: What are the benefits of using Windows Exporter?
A: The benefits of using Windows Exporter include:
- Accurate disk space reporting: Windows Exporter provides accurate disk usage, CPU, memory, and other NTFS-level details, ensuring that your disk space reporting is consistent with Windows’ native reporting.
- Improved monitoring: By incorporating Windows Exporter into your monitoring setup, you can gain a deeper understanding of your system’s performance and identify potential issues before they become critical.
- Enhanced visibility: Windows Exporter provides a side-by-side comparison of disk space reporting from both Node Exporter and Windows Exporter, giving you a clear understanding of your system’s disk space usage.
Q: What are some common use cases for Windows Exporter?
A: Some common use cases for Windows Exporter include:
- Monitoring Windows servers: Windows Exporter is ideal for monitoring Windows servers, providing accurate disk usage, CPU, memory, and other NTFS-level details.
- WSL monitoring: Windows Exporter can be used to monitor WSL, providing accurate disk space reporting and other system metrics.
- Cloud monitoring: Windows Exporter can be used to monitor cloud-based Windows environments, providing accurate disk usage, CPU, memory, and other NTFS-level details.
Q: How do I troubleshoot issues with Windows Exporter?
A: To troubleshoot issues with Windows Exporter, follow these steps:
- Check the logs: Check the Windows Exporter logs for any errors or warnings.
- Verify the config: Verify that your Prometheus config is correct and that Windows Exporter is running as expected.
- Restart Windows Exporter: Restart Windows Exporter to ensure that it is running correctly.
Q: Is Windows Exporter compatible with other Prometheus exporters?
A: Yes, Windows Exporter is compatible with other Prometheus exporters, such as Node Exporter, to provide a comprehensive view of your system’s performance and disk space usage.
Q: Can I customize Windows Exporter to meet my specific needs?
A: Yes, you can customize Windows Exporter to meet your specific needs by modifying the configuration file or using other tools to extend its functionality.
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