Frequently Asked Questions

1. I already have WhatsUp Gold. Why should I consider moving to WhatsUp Gold?
   There are many reasons to do so. Here are just a couple:

   • Power - WhatsUp Gold is a far more advanced (but still easy to use!) tool than the simple “ping” availability tool that earlier versions of WhatsUp Gold were.
   • Mobile Access - The inclusion of Mobile Access makes WhatsUp Gold the first solution to provide visibility into and monitoring of IT networks in real time from mobile phones or personal digital assistants (PDAs).
   • Vista Support: WhatsUp Gold now includes full support for Microsoft Vista both as a monitored OS and as the WhatsUp host system. The following Vista OS versions are supported.
     • Windows Vista Ultimate (Windows Vista SP1 recommended)
     • Windows Vista Business (Windows Vista SP1 recommended)
2. Why is it important to have a SQL Database instead of a flat file like in earlier versions of WhatsUp Gold?
   Scalability - WhatsUp Gold uses an industry- standard database (Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express (SSE). WhatsUp Gold administrators who upgrade to any version of the WhatsUp Gold product family will see the following improvements with the incorporation of SSE:

   • WhatsUp database capacity is expanded to 4GB (previously 2GB)
   • Improved scalability
   • Increased data retention periods
   • Enhanced database performance
3. Why do you have more than one edition of WhatsUp Gold?
   Because different businesses have different needs. The preferred choice for companies that need to monitor their business-critical applications, as well as the network they run on, is WhatsUp Gold Premium Edition.
   
   For companies that need a powerful yet easy-to-use tool to monitor their network, WhatsUp Gold Standard Edition is the best choice. Alternatively, an organization may require a distributed solution. [View our Version Comparison Matrix]
4. When something goes down, can WhatsUp Gold fix the problem first and tell me about later?
   Yes, if properly configured it can. For example, if a critical Exchange or SQL Server service stops unexpectedly, WhatsUp can be configured to fix the problem by restarting the crashed service for you automatically. WhatsUp will also notify you of the event, allowing you to keep track of application performance.
5. Do I really need a monitoring tool? I only have two servers in my small business.
   A small business is even MORE reliant on their servers than larger companies, since they tend to have fewer, but more heavily loaded, servers. You have to communicate with the outside world via email, and most businesses need application servers and file servers to get their work done. If any one of these few crucial servers has a problem, it’s much better to know about it before the server goes down and stops your business from doing business.
6. Does WhatsUp Gold require me to do anything to my network to use it? Do I need to install agents on my network?
   No. WhatsUp Gold works with your existing software and network to keep your business running. You don’t have to install, maintain or update any software agents in order to monitor your network. You just need to turn on the SNMP agent that ships with your servers and network gear. If you're using Windows servers, just start the WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) service.
7. What is the benefit of application monitoring?
   Many companies rely heavily on business-critical applications like email and databases as utilities for running their business. Any interruptions in them are costly to the business and frustrating for users. Application monitoring avoids these headaches by notifying you of problems even before they happen.
8. What's the difference between application monitoring and network monitoring?
   Network monitoring works hand in hand with application monitoring to ensure uninterrupted service. Any interruptions in these resources are frustrating for your customers and costly to your business. Application monitoring allows you to see slowdowns and take action before they turn into complete outages and network monitoring assures that you can access these applications efficiently. Together, network and application monitoring keep your critical business technology working at peak performance.
9. Why should I have something watching my Microsoft Exchange server?
   Every business needs to communicate with the outside world via email, and Microsoft Exchange can be challenging for small IT staffs to tune and maintain properly. If an Exchange server has a problem, it’s better to know about it even before the server goes down and stops your business from doing business.
10. Why is it important to monitor WMI performance counters? (available in Premium edition)
    Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is a Microsoft technology that allows you to monitor any performance counter value, including some that are deep inside Windows. Microsoft applications such as Exchange and SQL Server have WMI built-in, however many non-Microsoft applications, such as Oracle, use WMI and can be monitored using WhatsUp Gold Premium Edition.