Best Practices for Practitioners: Collector Management and Troubleshooting

Overview

The LogicMonitor Collector is a critical Software as a Service (SaaS) component designed to collect performance metrics across diverse IT infrastructures. It provides a centralized, intelligent monitoring solution to gather data from hundreds of devices without requiring individual agent installations. By encrypting and securely transmitting data via SSL, the Collector offers a flexible approach to infrastructure monitoring that adapts to complex and diverse network environments.

Key Principles

• Implement a strategic, unified approach to infrastructure monitoring that provides comprehensive visibility across diverse environments
• Ensure collectors are lightweight, efficient, and have minimal performance impact on monitored resources
• Maintain robust security through encrypted data transmission and carefully managed credential handling
• Design a monitoring infrastructure that can dynamically adjust to changing network and resource landscapes
• Regularly review, tune, and update collector configurations to maintain optimal monitoring performance

Comprehensive Collector Management

Collector Placement Strategies

Strategic Location

• Install collectors within the same network segments as monitored resources
• Choose servers functioning as syslog or DNS servers for optimal placement
• Avoid monitoring across vast internet connections, firewalls, or NAT gateways

Sizing Considerations

• Select appropriate collector size based on expected monitoring load
• Consider available memory and system resources
• Understand collector type limitations (e.g., Windows collectors can monitor both Windows and other devices, while Linux collectors are limited to    devices)

Network and Security Configuration

• Configure unrestricted monitoring protocols (SNMP, WMI, JDBC)
• Implement NTP synchronization for accurate time reporting
• Use proxy servers if direct internet connectivity is restricted
• Configure firewall rules to allow necessary collector communications

Collector Groups

• Organize collectors logically:
• By physical location
• By customer (for MSPs)
• By environment (development, production, etc.)
• Utilize Auto-Balanced Collector Groups (ABCG) for dynamic device load sharing

Version Management

• Schedule regular updates
• Choose appropriate release types (MGD, GD, EA)
• Maintain update history for tracking changes
• Use downgrade option if experiencing version-specific issues

Logging and Troubleshooting

Log Management

• Adjust log levels strategically:
• Trace: Most verbose (use sparingly)
• Debug: Detailed information for troubleshooting
• Info: Default logging level
• Warn/Error: Issue-specific logging
• Configure log file retention in wrapper.conf
• Send logs to LogicMonitor support when collaborating on complex issues

Troubleshooting Specific Environments

Linux Collectors

• Check Name Service Caching Daemon (NSCD) configuration
• Verify SELinux settings
• Use getenforce or sestatus to check SELinux status
• Temporarily set SELinux to Permissive mode for debugging

Windows Collectors

• Ensure service account has "Log on as a service" rights
• Check local security policy settings
• Resolve Error 1069 (logon failure) by updating user rights

Advanced Techniques

Credential Management

• Integrate with Credential Vault solutions:
• CyberArk Vault
• Delinea Vault
• Use dual account configurations for credential rotation

Collector Debug Facility

• Utilize the command-line interface for remote debugging
• Run debug commands to troubleshoot data collection issues

Performance and Optimization

• Regularly monitor collector performance metrics
• Tune collector configuration based on monitoring load
• Disable Standalone Script Engine (SSE) if memory is constrained
• Implement proper log and temporary file management

Maintenance Checklist

✅ Regularly update collectors

✅ Monitor performance metrics

✅ Review collector logs

✅ Validate data collection accuracy

✅ Test failover and redundancy configurations

✅ Manage Scheduled Down Time (SDT) during maintenance windows

Conclusion

Successful LogicMonitor Collector management is a dynamic process that requires strategic planning, continuous optimization, and a deep understanding of your specific infrastructure needs. The key to effective monitoring lies in strategically placing collectors, configuring them appropriately, and regularly reviewing their performance and configuration. By following these best practices, organizations can create a robust, adaptable monitoring strategy that provides comprehensive visibility into their IT ecosystem.

Additional Resources

Management and Maintenance:

Viewing Collector Events

Managing Collector Logs

Adding SDT to Collector

Adding Collector Group

Collector Version Management

Integrating with Credential Vault

Integrating with CyberArk Vault for Single Account

Integrating with CyberArk Vault for Dual Account

Troubleshooting:

Troubleshooting Linux Collectors

Troubleshooting Windows Collectors

Collector Debug Facility

Restarting Collector