PA Server Monitor is a POWERFUL server and network monitoring software developed by Power Admin LLC. The main function of the software is to monitor the performance of servers and network devices in Windows and Linux environments. Please see Azure Application Gateway: Practical Configuration Guide, and Azure Arc for SQL Server PAYG: Installation, Connectivity Requirements and Operational Best Practices.

Below is a very simple architecture of the PA Server Monitor. See this guide for the PA Server Monitor review and product details. It is worth noting that the customers’ data is kept on their servers and NEVER stored in the cloud.

How to setup PA Server Monitor

The PA Server Monitor 8.2 can be download from the following link and has a rich and fully functional 30 day trial period. Kindly utilize this opportunity to test the PA Server Monitor features.

Now that we have downloaded the PA Server Monitor setup, I will work you through the installation and configuration

Double click on the setup as shown below

You will be required to accept the User Account Control as shown below

Next, you will be required to select your desired language. I will be selecting English language as shown below

Click on “Ok” as shown above in order to proceed to the next steps. This will prompt the PA Server Setup wizard. Click on Next

Accept the software license agreement as shown below and Click on “Next”.

Browse to your desired location (folder) where you would want the PA Server Monitor installed to.

I will choose the default location and then click on Next.

I will be installing the following two components, ” The Central Monitoring Service” and “the Console User Interface”.

The Satellite Monitoring Service, also referred to as “Satellite” for short is an optional monitoring engine. It monitors in a similar fashion as the Central Monitoring Service.

Satellites are typically installed where the Central Monitoring Service doesn’t have access (on the other side of a firewall in a corporate environment, or at a remote location across the Internet.

By default, all three tasks are selected. Click on Next to continue

Installation screen for PA Server Monitor with options to add a firewall rule, install ODBC Driver for SQL Server, set SQL Server as the backend database, and create a desktop shortcut.

Review the settings and if there is anything you do not like, click on “Back” to make the changes. When you are done, click on “Install”.

This will continue with the installation of The PA Server Monitor as shown below.

Installation window for PA Server Monitor showing progress of .NET installation.

Installation window for PA Server Monitor showing a green progress bar indicating completion.

Get Started with Your PA Server Edition Trial

You will be prompted to start your Trail when the installation is complete. Select the PA Server edition you would love to test and click on “Install Trial License.”

If you select close, you will be prompted to Install the trail license at a later stage too.

Trial license activation window for PA Server Monitor with options for 'ULTRA', 'PRO', 'LITE', and 'FREE' editions.

In the next window, you will have to specify whether you want to start the PA Server Monitor Service or launch the PA Server Monitor Console by selecting the associated checkboxes, and then click on “Finish” to exit the setup as shown below.

Now the setup is complete. The PA Server Monitor will start all services and will launch the PA Server Monitor console because we have selected this option. since I have the PA monitoring service install on this server, I will select the “Local host” option and click on OK.

Screenshot of the PA Server Monitor Console login interface, highlighting the 'Local host' option for server monitoring, with fields for host name, username, password, and a language selection.

You will be prompted with the startup wizard. The start Wizard will help you achieve the following and help you setup monitoring for your network.

1. Define a few notification actions
2. Quickly add some computers to be monitored
3. Create some default monitors for those computers

Startup Wizard interface prompting the user to continue with initial setup, featuring options for service account setup, email actions, log file actions, smart configuration, and a prompt with 'Yes' and 'No' buttons.

Proceed to Active Directory and create a Service account in order to be able to complete this step. I have done this as shown below.

Active Directory Users and Computers interface showing the 'Managed Service Accounts' section with a selected user named 'PServer Mod'.

Now, enter the accounts information (monitoring service credential and click on Okay.

Note: You can also choose to skip this step and continue running the monitoring service as a “Local System”.

Screenshot of PA Server Monitor Ultra Console showing service account setup. User name field displays 'PAsserver', password field is masked, and domain is 'TECHDIRECTARCHI'. The interface includes options for user account considerations and setting service credentials.

You will be notified that the service will now be started. Click on OK.

Dialog box indicating that a service will be restarted, with an 'OK' button highlighted.

Next, you will have to configure the E-Mail Action. This is very vital and one of the most used alerting mechanism today. You can skip this step if you wish to.

Screenshot of a startup wizard interface showing options including 'Email Action' highlighted with a red arrow. The right panel explains the importance of email alerts and mentions the option to skip this step.

SMTP Server Configuration and Email Notification

If you have an SMTP Server in your organization, you can enter the value in the field provided. Since I currently do not have an SMTP server running in my environment. Also attached, is the e-mail notification received from the server.

I will check the box close to “send message directly without using the SMTP Server”. Click on Test and click on “Ok” to complete the email action setup.

Screenshot of an email notification configuration interface showing input fields for an email address and options to send a test message, along with a successful test message result.

Screenshot of an email notification regarding a test of an email address using Direct Send, with details about a Global Monitor and Active Directory.

Configure the log file settings: I will leave all settings as default and click on “OK” in order to proceed.

Configuration window for log file settings, showing options for directory, filename, log file size, and format.

Run the Smart Config: As we can see from figure below, smart config has quietly pinging my local subnet in order to find available servers.

As you can see, four servers have been discovered already. To begin a new smart config scan, click on the “Begin the smart config process” as shown below.

Screenshot of the Smart Configuration Process interface, showing fields for entering server names and IP addresses, with options for device detection and starting the Smart Config process.

A new window will be prompted requesting you to select additional actions. When you are done, click on “Ok”.

User interface for Smart Config Action Selection, displaying options for configuring actions such as sending an email, showing a message box, starting a service, or writing to a log file.

A pop-up message displaying a success notification, stating that the configuration request is being processed and new monitors will show up soon, with an 'OK' button.

Now that all intial configuta´tions have been completed., you can now close the setup wizard window

A screenshot of a software Startup Wizard window showing a 'Finished!' message. The left panel lists options such as 'Set Service Account,' 'Email Action,' and 'Run Smart Config,' with 'Finished!' checked. The right panel contains instructions for adding additional servers and features a 'Close' button at the bottom.

The PA Admin console will be displayed and the devices that were detected are being displayed in the window below.

Screenshot of a server monitoring dashboard displaying device status, including alerts and error indicators for various metrics like CPU and memory.

How to change your custom report logo:

To change the logo of the PA Server Monitor, please follow the steps below-
– Click on Setting

Screenshot of a software interface highlighting the 'Settings' option in a dropdown menu with various action items listed.

Click on the Report Settings as shown below

Settings interface for PA Server Monitor, showing options for computer startup wait time, alert language, user account settings, target CPU usage, and alert preferences.

You will have to browse to the following location and copy the logo graphic file to the following directory
– Ensure to enter the “Logo name” in the Filename field as shown

C:\Program Files\PA Server Monitor\Reports\shared

File explorer window showing a 'Destination Folder Access Denied' message, indicating that administrator permission is needed to copy files to the 'shared' folder.

Furthermore, When you are done, click “Ok” and then “Ok ” again to close the Settings window.

How to install the PA Server License: However, To have your PA Server licensed, you will have to click on the “License” menu as shown below
– This will open up the License Management window
– Moreover, Click on the “Add License” button.

Note: You can purchase a license on the fly, and even check support and maintenance and as well as license upgrade.

Screenshot of PA Server Monitor Ultra Console showing the License Management window, including options to add, delete, purchase licenses, and details about existing licenses.

You will have to browse to the location where you have the license saved. As you can see I have it under the Downloads folder.

Screenshot of a license management interface showing the 'Browse for Files or Folders' dialog, with the 'TechDir' folder highlighted for selecting a license file.

Click on Yes to allow activation as shown below

As you can see, the license activation was successful.

Just click on Ok through the other windows and finally click on close.

How to update and Upgrade the PA Server Monitor: PA File Server Monitor can be upgraded by simply installing the latest version on top of your existing installation. Your settings and databases will be upgraded as needed.

If you wish to learn more about this amazing tool, kindly take a look at this official guide. Below are some screenshots from my environment. I cannot explain everything in detail, with the attached PDF, you will be able to explore this powerful tool.