run HD Sentinel as a service

[geogherkins]

Can I set HD Sentinel to run as a Windows service in the background? Normally the windows console is not logged in. I still want to get alert e-mails.

Sorry, I have tried to find an answer in the forum and in the documentation, but a I am failing.

[hdsentinel]

Yes of course it is possible, please check
Configuration -> Integration -> Use as Service.
Please check the Help section about this mode as it has some limitations on Windows Vista and newer OSes.

[geogherkins]

I apologize, the built-in Help provided in the product is easier to search than the HDsentinel.com website's version of the Help; therefore now I found the information on running HD Sentinel as a service quite easily now. As they say, RTFM!

It seems as if while running the service (on Windows Home Server 2011, aka Windows Server 2008 R2, same warning regarding "Windows Vista") the Gadget and system tray status no longer function; not entirely a problem since I am unlikely to be logged in at the server console anyway and this is the point of having a service.

But!

1. I attempted to configure the web server, and tried connecting to "http://192.168.1.250:61220/status" but the web server is not responding. I have other web services on this server, and they continue to function without issue. I see no errors in the Windows system or applicaiton log. The HD Sentinel service is running. Suggestions as to what might be wrong?

2. I artificially lowered the temperature threshold in order to generate alerts and test that e-mail can be sent from the HD Sentinel service, then restarted the service. However, no e-mail! Any suggestions to confirm that running as a service will continue to give me alert e-mail?

Thank you for your very helpful and fast responses on the forum.

[hdsentinel]

I see

Excuse me for the issues. Somehow I feel the software may be blocked somehow (eg. by firewall).
Thanks for the report, I sent an answer there, but also write here as it may help:


Can you please check and confirm if

1) Configuration -> Integration -> Enable WebStatus option is enabled and the HTTP connection port is set to 61220 ?

2) The firewall does not block the connection, it is set to allow Hard Disk Sentinel to listen to the port and allow connections?

3) What happens if you try to connect by using the IP address of the computer, instead of using "servername" to check if there are any issues with the DNS?

4) Have you tried from a remote computer or from the local PC (localhost, 127.0.0.1)? What happens if you try connecting from the local system?

5) What happens after a complete restart (reboot)? Do you see the issue even after a complete restart?


The e-mail alert should be sent on the 2nd detection cycle. So if the detection frequency (Configuration -> Advanced options) is set to the default, the e-mail alert may be sent after 5 minutes after startup. Yes, in "service mode" it still should send the alerts (this is exactly the purpose of the service mode).
A "blocking" mentioned previously would confirm why the e-mail is also not delivered.

[geogherkins]

1) Configuration -> Integration -> Enable WebStatus option is enabled and the HTTP connection port is set to 61220 ?
> Answer: YES
>

2) The firewall does not block the connection, it is set to allow Hard Disk Sentinel to listed to the port and allow connections?
> Answer: This fixes the problem. I am using the Microsoft Windows Firewall.
> There are many rules for in-bound, and none were set for port 61220; so I
> assume by default that port is blocked. I added a new in-bound rule, as
> follows:
>
> Name Group Profile Enabled Action Override Program Local Address Remote Address Protocol Local Port Remote Port Allowed Users Allowed Computers Hard Disk Sentinel WebStatus Domain, Private Yes Allow No
> Any Any Any TCP 61220 Any Any Any
>
> ** May I suggest you add information to your help file indicating that a new firewall rule is required? **
>

3) What happens if you try to connect by using the IP address of the computer, instead of using "servername" to check if there are any issues with the DNS?
> Answer: DNS is not an issue, I have a local "hosts" file containing the name.
>

4) Have you tried from a remote computer or from the local PC (localhost, 127.0.0.1)? What happens if you try connecting from the local system?
> Answer: This works, I should have thought of it, it would have led me to
> item 2) sooner.
>

5) What happens after a complete restart (reboot)? Do you see the issue even after a complete restart?
> Answer: Restarting makes no difference (had already tried that) - since it
> was a firewall rule, makes sense this has nothing to do with it.
>

[geogherkins]

Also, as to not getting an e-mail alert when running as a service, as you stated:
"The e-mail alert should be sent on the 2nd detection cycle. So if the detection frequency (Configuration -> Advanced options) is set to the default, the e-mail alert may be sent after 5 minutes after startup. Yes, in "service mode" it still should send the alerts (this is exactly the purpose of the service mode).
A "blocking" mentioned previously would confirm why the e-mail is also not delivered."
In fact, on the 2nd detection cycle began issuing alerts. So the run as a service is working fine.

[hdsentinel]

Thanks so much for the information ! Glad to hear it's working

Also, as to not getting an e-mail alert when running as a service, as you stated:
"The e-mail alert should be sent on the 2nd detection cycle. So if the detection frequency (Configuration -> Advanced options) is set to the default, the e-mail alert may be sent after 5 minutes after startup. Yes, in "service mode" it still should send the alerts (this is exactly the purpose of the service mode).
A "blocking" mentioned previously would confirm why the e-mail is also not delivered."
In fact, on the 2nd detection cycle began issuing alerts. So the run as a service is working fine.