Usage Monitor Help: Status
This page allows you to see whether:
- the utility is able to connect to and authenticate with the Lyquidity website;
- the utility is installed as a Windows service and whether the service has been started; and
- it is possible to connect to and authenticate with the Lyquidity web site using the credentials entered.
Connection and authentication status
The utility writes and stores usage records on the Lyquidity web site. This status show the connection and authentication of the utility with the web site. The connection status is represented by icons of three different colors: amber, green and red. The status is also shown on the system tray icon menu.
| Amber | The status is unknown as the utility has not yet tried to connect or authenticate with the Lyquidity web site. |
| Green | The utility has been able to connect to and authenticate with the Lyquidity website using the credentials entered. |
| Red | The utility has tried but has been unable to connect and/or authenticate with the web site. It may be because a connection cannot be made or because the credentials entered do no match those on the web site. |
Service installation
If the 'Uninstall service' button is enabled then the utility has detected the service is installed. You can uninstall the service at anytime by clicking this button.
The monitor utility can be run as an application on the desktop or as a service on a server or the local PC. By running as a Windows service, the utility can run even when no one is signed into the PC which is why Windows services are used widely on servers where it is unusual for an interactive desktop session to be available. A service can also be configured to start when the host computer is started so no manual interaction is ever needed. Running a service on any type of PC is not unusual and many of the programs listed by the task manager will be services.
Configuring the service requires three short steps: provide sign-in information; install the service; and start the service. All of these steps can be accomplished using the form provided.
Provide sign-in details
When a service starts it signs in just like a regular user - except that it has no user interface or desktop - and like a regular user the service will use an account and password. Again, like a user, the account given to a service determines its rights and the resources, such folders and files, it can access so it is important that the account to be used by the service is able to access the folders and files you wish to monitor.
It is likely to be possible to use your own account -the requirement is that it has been granted the 'Login as a service' right, one of many rights and privileges an administrator can grant to user accounts. The default account all services will use unless instructed to do otherwise is called 'NETWORK SERVICE'. This is a Windows built-in account and if used will need to be given rights to read those files and folders you want to monitor.
Install the service
Once the service credentials are entered click on the 'Install service' button. A further popup window will appear which will allow you to choose whether the account you specified should be used by the service (or whether the default network service account should be used) and whether the service should start automatically when the machine is started.
This will take only a few seconds and if successful the install button will be disabled (gray) and the uninstall button will become enabled. You can install/uninstall any time.
If an error occurs a message describing the error will be displayed. The most likely reason for an error is that your own account does not allow services to be installed in which case you will need to ask an administrator to complete this task.
Service name
All services have names. For example the name is used to start/stop a service from a command line:
> net start myservicename
The default name to be used by the utility is COMPLYXLMONITORSVC. While there is generally no need to change this name it can be changed if preferred.
Why might you want to change the name? When monitoring a large file server or many files servers it maybe necessary to start multiple service instances so each service can be started using different credentials. Service names must be unique so it becomes necessary in this scenario to be able to change the name.
Start the service
Once the service is installed you can start the service. However using the option on the form provided is one way to manage the running state of the service. The service can also be started using the standard 'Services' applet from the 'Administrator tool' window or at the command line. That is, the service is a standard Windows service and can be managed like any other Windows service.
Confirm credentials validity
If the connection/authentication status is unconfirmed, you can check the configuration by pressing the button. The status icon will change to reflect result of this action. If successful, the button which initiates the action to send any records that have not been sent yet is enabled.
Options control how the service will operate
