# Active Directory Monitoring Tool | Monitor AD Server - ManageEngine OpManager

## Active Directory Monitoring

Gain insights into Microsoft Active Directory performance by analyzing active client sessions of LDAP, performance counters, replication services, domain databases, and other factors.

Upon discovery of Domain Controllers, OpManager automatically associates the Active Directory monitors to the server and starts monitoring for performance and availability. Every monitored parameter is mapped with industry best-practiced thresholds for [fault management](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-fault-management.html?ad) by default. You can start Active Directory monitoring with these thresholds and later tweak to suit your AD monitoring requirements.

## OpManager's Active Directory Monitoring Features

- [Monitor Active Directory Services](#active-directory-monitoring-monitor-active-directory-services)
- [Monitor Active Directory System Performance](#active-directory-monitoring-monitor-active-directory-system-performance)
- [Monitor Critical Processes, Counters & AD Store](#active-directory-monitoring-monitor-critical-processes-counters--ad-store)
- [Monitor Domain Controller Health](#active-directory-monitoring-monitor-domain-controller-health)
- [Diagnose Failure of Replication Services](#active-directory-monitoring-diagnose-failure-of-replication-services)
- [Ensure Persistent Performance of AD Databases](#active-directory-monitoring-ensure-persistent-performance-of-ad-databases)
- [Notify Domain Issues in a Jiffy](#active-directory-monitoring-notify-domain-issues-in-a-jiffy)
- [Troubleshoot AD Problems](#active-directory-monitoring-troubleshoot-ad-problems)

## Active Directory Monitoring: Monitor Active Directory Services

Active Directory depends on certain critical services for proper operation. The first step in ensuring Active Directory availability is to monitor these critical services.

Active Directory Monitor monitors the following critical services:

- **Server Service:** Enables the computer to connect to other computers on the network based on the SMB protocol.
- **File Replication Service:** Maintains file synchronization of file directory contents among multiple servers.
- **DNS Client Service:** Resolves and caches DNS names.
- **Security Accounts Manager Service:** Signals other services that the Security Accounts Manager subsystem is ready to accept requests.
- **Intersite Messaging Service:** Used for email-based replication between sites.
- **Kerberos Key Distribution Center Service:** Enables users to log on to the network using Kerberos version 5 authentication protocol.
- **Net Logon Service:** Supports pass-through authentication of account logon events for computers in a domain.

When any of these services become unavailable, your Active Directory Server will not be able to perform critical tasks properly.

![Active Directory Monitoring- ManageEngine OpManager](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/ad-service-monitors.png)

## Active Directory Monitoring: Monitor Active Directory System Performance

OpManager's active directory monitoring tool scrutinizes [CPU, Memory and Disk Space utilization](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/cpu-memory-disk.html?ad) as well as Processor Queue length using WMI protocol. Operators can get both real-time and historical statistics for CPU, Memory and Disk Utilization. Using customizable thresholds, operators can be notified well in advance and thereby proactively prevent outages before they occur. You can also see the number of processes and services that are active on the system.

![Active Directory monitoring tool- ManageEngine OpManager](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/activedirectory-monitoring-1.png)

![Best Active Directory monitoring-ManageEngine OpManager](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/activedirectory-monitoring-2.png)

## Active Directory Monitoring: Monitor Critical Processes, Counters & AD Store

With OpManager's AD monitoring software, you can keep tabs on the usage of critical LSASS & NTFRS processes. Parameters monitored include CPU Usage, Physical RAM, File Reads, File Writes, Cache Hits, etc. You can also monitor critical Network counters like Connected Users, LDAP Client Sessions, & LDAP Bind Time as well as Performance Counters like NTLM Authentication, Kerberos Authentication & LDAP Searches.

![Windows Active Directory monitoring- ManageEngine OpManager](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/activedirectory-monitoring-3.png)

![AD monitoring-ManageEngine OpManager](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/activedirectory-monitoring-4.png)

## Active Directory Monitoring: Monitor Domain Controller Health

![Windows Active Directory monitoring-ManageEngine OpManager](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/ad-snapshot.png)

OpManager's active directory server monitoring helps keep the health and performance of domain controllers in check with threshold-based monitoring. The device snapshot page features availability status of domain controller for the past week, month etc. Monitoring active directory also lets you track the health of domain controller in real-time with the information obtained from monitoring domain services (DS) and system resource usage.

You can obtain the percentage of directory reads, writes and searches from Name Service Provider Interface (NSPI), Kerberos authentication/sec, Directory and Resource Administration (DRA) and more.

## Active Directory Monitoring: Diagnose Failure of Replication Services

When replication services fail, users find it difficult to access files and folders thus causing operational failures. With AD monitoring, you can gain insights into AD File Replication Services status, Replication Objects Applied, and Replication Objects Remaining. This helps network admins avert network functional disabilities due to replication service failure.

## Active Directory Monitoring: Ensure Persistent Performance of AD Databases

Monitoring AD database server is essential to keep a track of the running files in the server, and their memory consumption. This helps network admins ensure that there is enough room for the upcoming directory files and no current files would experience operational disaster either.

With this active directory performance monitoring, you can keep a track of database performance metrics such as Database Free Space, Database Size, and Database Total Size.

![AD monitoring software-ManageEngine OpManager](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/activedirectory-monitoring-5.png)

## Active Directory Monitoring: Notify Domain Issues in a Jiffy

![Active Directory Server Monitoring- ManageEngine OpManager](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-monitoring-alerts3.png)

OpManager lets you create and assign notification profiles to domain controllers to instantly notify you on threshold breaches. When a monitor fails or an active directory service turns dormant, email or SMS alerts will be sent to the pre-configured IDs. You can also get notified by SNMP traps, syslog messages and more. You can find web alarms in the snapshot page of the device under the tab AD. This tab also provides a consolidated view of all the services and key performance metrics monitored in a single pane of glass. You can also configure to execute a script or program on faulty devices based on predefined conditions or even automate certain first-line troubleshooting tasks with [Workflows](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/it-workflow-automation.html?ad).

## Active Directory Monitoring: Troubleshoot AD Problems

OpManager's built-in server and application monitoring [reports](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-reports.html?ad) hold data of active directory files with which network admins can correlate, diagnose and troubleshoot AD performance issues. You also have options to export or schedule these reports to get a glimpse of AD performance in a periodical manner. You can also custom create new reports as per your active directory monitoring needs.

## Need Features? Tell Us

If you want to see additional Active Directory Monitoring features implemented in OpManager, we would love to hear. [Click here to continue](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/roadmap.html)

## FAQ on Active Directory Monitoring

### What is Active Directory monitoring?

Active directory monitoring is the process of monitoring and managing the health and performance of AD databases by tracking and analyzing active client sessions of LDAP, performance counters, replication services, domain databases, and other factors.