Applications Systems

Using WPM player with High Availability switches transactions to Unknown state

The Website Performance Monitor (WPM) Player is a Windows service that simulates user activity by playing back the steps of transaction recordings. This article describes how to resolve issues with transactions that switch to Unknown state in a WPM environment that uses High Availability (HA) and multiple Additional Polling Engines (APEs) behind a Virtual IP (VIP). Repeat these steps on primary Orion Servers and primary APEs, as well as secondary Orion Servers and APEs running in the background.

First published date

10/25/2018 2:38 PM

Last published date

5/1/2020 7:24 AM

Overview

The SolarWinds Website Performance Monitor (WPM) Player is a Windows service that simulates user activity by playing back the steps of transaction recordings. This article describes how to resolve issues with transactions that switch to Unknown state in a WPM environment that uses High Availability (HA)  and multiple Additional Polling Engines (APEs) behind a Virtual IP (VIP).

 

Environment 

  • WPM 2.2 or later.
  • High Availability (HA)  is deployed and utilizes the Active-Active approach.
  • WPM Players installed on or managed by two or more APEs behind a VIP.
  • Your environment supports the ability to either
    • Use "localhost" to point the WPM Player to an APE located on the same machine, or 
    • Provide the actual IP address of the APE located on a different machine (either the Orion Server or an APE) to which the WPM is assigned. 

Product section

Web Performance Monitor

Cause

Transactions may switch to Unknown state if one WPM Player is managed by two or more APEs. Requests for transaction playback results are sometimes sent to the primary APE machine and sent to a secondary APE machine at other times. 

Resolution

Use this workaround if your environment matches the configuration described in the Environment section and supports the ability to:

  • Use the localhost hostname to point a WPM Player to an APE located on the same machine, or 
  • Assign a WPM Player to an APE located on a different machine for which you have an actual IP address. The machine may be the Orion Server or an APE.

This workaround accomplishes the following tasks:

  • Points a primary WPM Player to the primary polling engine
  • Points a secondary WPM Player to a secondary polling engine. 


To prevent transactions from switching to an Unknown state:

  1. Log in to the Orion Server or an APE machine as an administrator.
  2. Run the following command:

C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds\Orion\SEUM\Player\SolarWinds.SEUM.AgentSettings.exe

  1. On the WPM Player Settings page, select the “Player initiated communication” option to switch the WPM location to active mode.
  2. Provide values in the following fields:

  • Name for the player at this location

    • Type the name as it appears in the Orion Web Console to avoid adding a new WPM location.

  • Orion User Name

  • Orion User Password

  • IP or hostname of WPM server or APE:

    • Type localhost to force the WPM Player to point to itself, or

    • Type the actual IP address of the APE (VIP if using High Availability).

  1. Click Save.
  2. Repeat these steps on primary Orion Servers and primary APEs, as well as secondary Orion Servers and APEs running in the background.