<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: Similar Sensors

With PRTG, you can detect relationships between different components in your network. For example, you can detect extraordinarily high CPU load that correlates with extraordinarily high traffic at a specific time of a day or week. This might give you a hint to further investigate that part of your network.

What is Similarity?

The similarity calculation is based on the values that are saved in the history of sensors. If measured values change in the same way, the similar sensors analysis detects it and shows you the sensors that it found similar data relations for. PRTG shows all sensors that reach 85 % to 100 % similarity.

The similar sensors analysis is a heuristic calculation that shows interconnections and correlations in your network. The analysis is completely automated. It is based on mathematics and fuzzy logic and optimizes your sensor usage by tracking redundant monitoring of some aspects of your system.

Similar Sensors Analysis

You can adjust the depth of the similar sensors analysis or turn it off under Setup | System Administration | Monitoring. You can also enable or disable the similar sensors analysis for specific probes, groups, and devices, and specify inheritance in the object's settings, section Automatic Monitoring Analysis.

There are two options to view similar sensors:

• Via the Overview tab of sensors. It contains a Similar Sensors section, where PRTG lists channels that show similarities to channels of the selected sensor.
• Via Sensors | Similar Sensors Overview in the main menu, where you get an overview of all similar sensors.

To edit the list of similar sensors results, use the available filters.

Similar Sensors (Sensor Overview Tab)

Probe, group, device, and sensor pages have tabs that you can use to navigate between different options. For example, you can view your network's status, view monitoring results, or change settings.

On the Overview tab of a sensor, PRTG lists channels that show similarities to channels of the selected sensor. The table is empty if PRTG detects no similarities regarding the selected sensor.

PRTG shows similar sensors here when channels have 85% similarity or more. The similar sensors analysis saves up to 15 entries per sensor.

The Similar Sensors section provides the following information:

PRTG does not show the Similar Sensors section when the analysis is off or when you have exceeded 1,000 sensors and selected the automatic Analysis Depth option under Setup | System Administration | Monitoring, section Similar Sensors Detection. You see a notice in this case.

Similar Sensors Overview (Sensors Menu)

This page shows the results of the similar sensors analysis from the entire monitoring database. PRTG lists all channels with similarities here. Above the table, you have several filter options to display similar sensors as you need it. Select the object of interest, the degree of similarity, and if you want to, display back references.

For more information, see also section Working with Table Lists.

The similar sensors analysis requires sensor data from at least seven days to have enough data for comparison. If not enough data is available, no data is shown on the Similar Sensors Overview or in the Similar Sensors section on a sensor's Overview tab.

PRTG shows similar sensors here when channels have at least 85% similarity. Furthermore, the analysis saves up to 15 entries per sensor.

You can click the column headers to sort the list. The Similar Sensors Overview provides the following information:

PRTG does not show the Similar Sensors Overview option in the main menu if you turned off the analysis or if you have exceeded 1,000 sensors and selected the automatic Analysis Depth option under Setup | System Administration | Monitoring, section Similar Sensors Detection.

Adjust the Similar Sensors Overview to Your Needs

You can use various filters to adjust the results in the Similar Sensors Overview. Click Show Filters and edit the filters that show up.

Ajax Web Interface—Basic Procedures—Topics

• Login
• SSL Certificate Warning
• Welcome Page
• Customer Service
• General Layout
• Sensor States
• Review Monitoring Data
• Historic Data Reports
• Similar Sensors
• Recommended Sensors
• Object Settings
• Alarms
• System Information
• Logs
• Tickets
• Working with Table Lists
• Object Selector
• Priority and Favorites
• Pause
• Context Menus
• Hover Popup
• Main Menu Structure

Other Ajax Web Interface Sections

• Ajax Web Interface—Device and Sensor Setup
• Ajax Web Interface—Advanced Procedures