Citrix NetScaler monitoring

Learn how to monitor Citrix NetScaler devices using the Dynatrace ActiveGate extension for Citrix NetScaler.

Prerequisites

• Citrix NetScaler running version 10.5+ with support for NITRO REST API (version 1.x)
• Access to port 443
• A user with access to the NITRO REST API, supporting at least 10 concurrent connections
• Environment ActiveGate (version 1.155+) that has the ActiveGate plugin module installed and isn't used for synthetic or mainframe monitoring
  • ActiveGate version 1.175+ is ready to accept and run extensions. If you are running an earlier version of ActiveGate, see the Install ActiveGate plugin module instructions.
  • For Environment ActiveGate installation instructions, see Dynatrace ActiveGate.
  • One environment ActiveGate can typically support 30-50 NetScaler devices.

Extension installation

1. In the Dynatrace menu, go to Hub.

2. Find and select Citrix NetScaler ADC.

3. Select Download to get the extension ZIP file. Don't rename the file.

4. Unzip the ZIP file to the plugin_deployment directory of your ActiveGate host.

5. Restart the Dynatrace Remote Plugin Module service.

   • On Linux, restart the service using the following commands with admin rights:

     shellcopydownload
     systemctl restart remotepluginmodule.service

   • On Windows, run these two commands in a Command Prompt launched as Admin:

     shellcopydownload
     sc stop "Dynatrace Remote Plugin Module"
     sc start "Dynatrace Remote Plugin Module"

6. In Dynatrace, select Settings, Add new technology monitoring, and Add ActiveGate extension.

7. Select Upload extension and upload the ZIP file.

8. Enter the following information to connect to your NetScaler endpoint:

   Setting	Details
   Endpoint name	Enter a meaningful endpoint name.
   User	The username for connecting to the NetScaler instance.
   Password	The user's password.
   Host URL of the nitro interface	For example: http://127.0.0.1
   Require a valid SSL certificate	Select if a valid SSL certificate is required. Even if the certificate validation is disabled, the extension will communicate via HTTPS if the device is configured for that.
   Path to a CA_BUNDLE file or directory	Add the absolute path to self-signed certificates of trusted CAs.
   Comma-separated load-balancing virtual servers	Leave empty to fetch all. Regex is supported.
   Comma-separated content-switching virtual servers	Leave empty to fetch all. Regex is supported.
   Comma-separated VPN virtual servers	Leave empty to fetch all. Regex is supported.
   Comma-separated services	Leave empty to fetch all. Regex is supported.
   Comma-separated service groups	Leave empty to fetch all. Regex is supported.
   Comma-separated interfaces	Leave empty to fetch all. Regex is supported.
   Enable debug logging	Select this only if a Dynatrace product expert requests it to investigate an issue.
   Name of group	If the device is part of a cluster, type the name here to group devices in the Dynatrace web UI.

Troubleshoot ActiveGate extensions

See Troubleshoot ActiveGate extensions.

Metrics

The IP address of all network interfaces and the ports used by the services is automatically captured, as are the following metrics:

Device

• Connectivity
• CPU usage %
• CPU management %
• CPU packet engines %
• CPU resident %
• Memory utilization %
• Memory used
• HTTP compression %
• TCP compression %

AAA

• Current AAATM sessions
• Current Basic ICA only sessions
• Current SmartAccess AAA sessions
• Current Basic ICA only connections
• Current SmartAccess ICA connections
• New AAATM sessions
• New SmartAccess AAA sessions
• New Timed out AAA sessions
• Authentication successes
• Authentication failures
• Non-HTTP connections that succeeded authorization
• Non-HTTP connections that failed authorization
• HTTP connections that succeeded authorization
• HTTP connections that failed authorization

Interfaces (split by network interface)

• Interface up %
• Received bytes
• Transmitted bytes
• Inbound packet errors
• Outbound packet errors
• Discarded inbound packets
• Discarded outbound packets
• Dropped inbound packets
• Dropped outbound packets

Services (split by service)

• Service up %
• Requests throughput
• Responses throughput bytes
• Throughput bytes/sec
• Time to first byte
• Time
• Usage requests
• Usage responses
• Surge queue requests
• Server connections
• Client connections
• Apdex measured satisfied requests
• Apdex measured tolerated requests
• Apdex measured frustrated requests

Service groups (split by service group)

• Service group up %

Load Balancing Virtual Servers (split by virtual server)

• Virtual service up %
• Hits
• Usage requests
• Usage responses
• Server connections
• Client connections
• Services with state up
• Throughput request bytes
• Throughput response bytes
• Invalid requests
• Invalid responses
• Invalid requests/responses dropped
• Diversions to backup virtual server
• Apdex measured satisfied requests
• Apdex measured tolerated requests
• Apdex measured frustrated requests
• Active services
• Surge queue requests

Content Switching Virtual Servers (split by virtual server)

• Virtual service up %
• Hits
• Usage requests
• Usage responses
• Server connections
• Client connections
• Throughput request bytes
• Throughput response bytes
• Invalid requests
• Invalid responses
• Invalid requests/responses dropped
• Apdex measured satisfied requests
• Apdex measured tolerated requests
• Apdex measured frustrated requests

VPN Virtual Servers (split by virtual server)

• Virtual service up %
• Requests
• Responses
• Throughput request bytes
• Throughput response bytes