ChromeOS Monitoring
Back in September we sent out a survey asking what Watchman Monitoring users wanted us to build. ChromeOS Monitoring was one of the top requests, and now it’s out! ChromeOS monitoring works through a Google Workspace integration. Once connected, Watchman Monitoring syncs your ChromeOS devices and displays them alongside the rest of your Computers.
What you get:
-
Chromebook devices appear in your Computers list, grouped however you organize your other machines
-
Device details pulled from Google Workspace: serial number, model, OS version, enrollment status, last sync time, and more
-
A dedicated sync status indicator so you can see at a glance whether the integration is healthy
-
Email alerts if the sync fails or your Google Workspace credentials need attention
-
An initial set of plugins for monitoring ChromeOS devices. We would love your feedback here on what Plugins you’d like added/changed!
How to get started:
Navigate to Installers → ChromeOS in your dashboard. You’ll need a Google Workspace service account with read-only access to the Chrome Devices API. The setup form walks you through it step by step, and you can test the connection before saving.
If you ran into any issues during early access, we’ve shipped several reliability improvements since the initial release - including better error messages when authentication fails, sequential device processing to avoid sync conflicts, and proper handling when a target group is being deleted. For more information, check out our Help Center article here.
HaloPSA Integration
For teams using HaloPSA, Watchman Monitoring can now create and update tickets in your PSA automatically - no manual hand-off required.
When a plugin alert fires, Watchman Monitoring opens a ticket in HaloPSA. When the issue clears, the ticket is updated. You stay in HaloPSA; Watchman Monitoring handles the signal.
What you can configure:
-
Which ticket type, status, and priority to use for new alerts
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Asset matching - Watchman Monitoring will attempt to link computers to their corresponding assets in HaloPSA by serial number
-
Per-company ticket behavior through the HaloPSA settings page in your dashboard
How to get started:
Go to Integrations in your Watchman Monitoring dashboard and click the HaloPSA card. You’ll be prompted to enter your HaloPSA API credentials. Once connected, you can configure ticket behavior and test the connection from the settings page. For more information, check out our Help Center Article here.
Other Fixes
Webhook fix for long URLs: Some webhook endpoints (particularly certain Zapier and Teams URLs) were being rejected because of a length limit in the database. That limit has been removed. If you had a webhook endpoint that refused to save, try again.
What’s Next
We’re continuing to work on reliability and depth across all three of these integrations. On the roadmap:
-
Apple ABM/ASM Integration - correlating Watchman Monitoring data with Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager device enrollment
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More ChromeOS monitoring depth - additional device properties and plugin-level checks for ChromeOS devices
-
Improved Duplicate Computer Logic - There are a few issues that we’re planning to patch related to duplicate detection (especially in Windows)
-
New Zendesk Integration - We’ll be launching a new Zendesk integration that supports OAuth
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Big Infrastructure Changes - We’re spending a lot of time on our backend infrastructure with the aim of being able to ship faster once it’s completed.
As always, the best place to share feedback or vote on what comes next is the Watchman Monitoring Community Forum.
Ian, Garrett & Allen
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We’re excited to announce the release of Outgoing Webhooks—a feature that lets you integrate Watchman Monitoring with the tools your team already uses. This has been one of our most-requested features, and we’re thrilled to finally deliver it.
Real-Time Notifications Where You Need Them
Outgoing Webhooks send real-time notifications when events occur in your Watchman Monitoring dashboard. Instead of checking the dashboard or waiting for email alerts, you can receive instant notifications in Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, or any application that accepts webhooks.
This means your team can stay informed about critical issues the moment they happen—whether that’s a disk space warning, a computer going offline, or a new computer being added to your monitoring.
What You Can Monitor
Webhooks support six event types across three categories:
Computer Events:
- Computer Added — Get notified when a new computer reports for the first time
- Computer Status Changed — Know immediately when computers come online or go offline via the Beacon Service
Plugin Events:
- Plugin Alert — Receive notifications when new issues are detected (disk space, malware tests, etc.)
- Plugin Status Changed — Track when plugin statuses change (issues resolved, new problems, etc.)
- Plugin Cleared — Get confirmation when issues are automatically resolved
Group Events:
- Group Created — Stay informed when new groups are added to your organization
You can configure each webhook endpoint to subscribe to only the events you care about. Want plugin alerts in Slack but computer status changes in your PSA? No problem—create multiple endpoints and customize each one.
Popular Integrations
Outgoing Webhooks work with any service that accepts HTTP POST requests, but we’ve optimized the experience for some of the most popular platforms:
- Slack — When you use a Slack webhook URL, Watchman Monitoring automatically formats messages with rich attachments, color coding, and emojis. Green for good events, yellow for warnings, red for alerts. Messages include clickable links back to your dashboard, making it easy to investigate issues.
- Microsoft Teams — Send formatted notifications directly to Teams channels. Perfect for organizations that rely on Teams for team communication.
- Zapier & IFTTT — Connect Watchman Monitoring to hundreds of other services. Automate workflows, create tickets in your PSA, or trigger actions in other tools.
- Custom Applications — Build your own integrations. Whether you’re integrating with a PSA, RMM, or custom dashboard, webhooks give you the flexibility to connect Watchman Monitoring to your existing infrastructure.
Built for Reliability
We’ve built webhooks with reliability in mind. Every webhook delivery includes:
- Automatic Retry Logic — If a webhook fails to deliver, we automatically retry with exponential backoff (2 minutes, then 4 minutes, then 8 minutes). This ensures temporary network issues don’t cause you to miss important notifications.
- Rate Limiting — To prevent overwhelming your endpoints, we limit deliveries to 50 per minute per endpoint, and 500 per hour across all endpoints for your company. Webhooks that exceed these limits are queued and delivered when capacity is available.
- Delivery Tracking — Every webhook delivery is logged with success/failure status, response codes, and timing information. You can view delivery logs for any endpoint to monitor reliability and troubleshoot issues.
- Automatic Disable on Failure — If an endpoint fails three consecutive times, it’s automatically disabled to prevent spamming your endpoint with failed requests. You can re-enable it once you’ve resolved the issue.
- HTTPS-Only — All webhook URLs must use HTTPS for security. We validate this when you create an endpoint.
Easy Setup and Testing
Setting up webhooks is straightforward. In your Watchman Monitoring dashboard, go to Settings → Webhooks and click “New Endpoint.” Enter a name, paste your webhook URL, and select which events you want to receive.
Before saving, you can test each event type individually. This lets you verify your webhook URL works correctly and see exactly what data will be sent. You can also view example payloads for each event type to understand the data structure.
Once configured, webhooks start working immediately. No additional setup required.
Getting Started
To get started with webhooks:
- Navigate to Settings → Webhooks in your Watchman Monitoring dashboard
- Click “New Endpoint”
- Enter a descriptive name (e.g., “Slack Alerts” or “Teams Notifications”)
- Paste your webhook URL from Slack, Teams, or your custom application
- Select which events you want to receive
- Test your endpoint to verify it’s working
- Save and you’re done
For detailed setup instructions for Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, and custom applications, check the help modal in the webhook settings page or visit our API documentation.
What’s Next
This release represents a major step forward in making Watchman Monitoring more flexible and integrated with your existing workflows. Webhooks are just the beginning—we have several exciting integrations in development:
- HaloPSA Integration — We’re building a native integration with HaloPSA that will allow teams using Halo to receive Watchman Monitoring alerts directly in their PSA. This will enable automatic ticket creation, asset correlation, and seamless workflow integration.
- Google Workspace Integration — We’re working on a Google Workspace integration that will let you monitor Chromebooks directly inside Watchman Monitoring. This expands our platform coverage and gives you visibility into ChromeOS devices alongside your Mac, Windows, and Linux computers.
- Apple ABM/ASM Integration — An integration with Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager is in development. This will help you track device enrollment, manage device assignments, and correlate Watchman Monitoring data with your Apple device management workflows.
- Revamped Zendesk Integration — We’re rebuilding our Zendesk integration to use OAuth for authentication, which is important for the reliability and longevity of the integration.
We’re also continuing to build out our integration ecosystem. If you have ideas for integrations or features you’d like to see, we’d love to hear from you in the Watchman Monitoring Community Forum.
Try out webhooks today and let us know what you think. We’re excited to see how you use this feature to streamline your monitoring workflows.
Ian, Garrett & Allen
If so, shoot me an email at [email protected] and I’ll get you on the list.
]]>Reliable, Stable, and Here for the Long Term
Watchman Monitoring has always been built on trust and dependability, and we intend to carry that forward. We are not chasing trends. We are focused on making Watchman Monitoring a tool you can rely on for years.
Since we acquired Watchman Monitoring, we have focused on getting up to speed—learning the codebase, reconnecting with the community, and understanding what’s working and what needs attention.
Our goal is straightforward: to make Watchman Monitoring the most reliable, focused, and community-driven monitoring platform in the space.
Monitoring First, Always
Watchman Monitoring will remain a monitoring-only solution. We double down on what Watchman Monitoring does best: deep, high-quality monitoring across platforms that RMMs often leave behind—macOS, Linux, and Chromebooks.
A Steady, Intentional Roadmap
We are taking small steps first so we can build a strong foundation. Over the next couple of years, you can expect a mix of infrastructure and architecture improvements, bug fixes, usability enhancements, and new features.
The next major feature coming is Outgoing Webhooks. That will let you integrate Watchman Monitoring with tools like Slack, Teams, Zapier, IFTTT, and PSAs or RMMs that accept webhooks.
At the same time, we are building a HaloPSA integration so that teams using Halo can receive Watchman Monitoring alerts natively.
Once those are released, we will shift focus to a Google Workspace integration. That will let you monitor Chromebooks directly inside Watchman Monitoring—a step toward broader coverage of devices.
Shaping the Future Together
After Chromebook monitoring is live, we will open the conversation for what comes next. We’re already investigating a new Linux agent, HTTP checks for website or service uptime monitoring, and more plugins.
Our current direction is to rewrite the linux agent. We want it to be maintainable and high performance. We want the roadmap to reflect what users really need. That means listening to the community and building together. If you have ideas or feedback, we’d love to hear from you in the Watchman Monitoring Community Forum.
Let us know if you have any thoughts or feedback.
- Ian, Garrett & Allen
Ian
]]>
Ian
]]>Please bring back Synology monitoring.
They do have some APIs
Watchman Monitoring has always been built on trust and dependability, and we intend to carry that forward. We are not chasing trends. We are focused on making Watchman Monitoring a tool you can rely on for years.
Since we acquired Watchman Monitoring, we have focused on getting up to speed—learning the codebase, reconnecting with the community, and understanding what’s working and what needs attention.
Our goal is straightforward: to make Watchman Monitoring the most reliable, focused, and community-driven monitoring platform in the space.
Monitoring First, Always
Watchman Monitoring will remain a monitoring-only solution. We double down on what Watchman Monitoring does best: deep, high-quality monitoring across platforms that RMMs often leave behind—macOS, Linux, and Chromebooks.
A Steady, Intentional Roadmap
We are taking small steps first so we can build a strong foundation. Over the next couple of years, you can expect a mix of infrastructure and architecture improvements, bug fixes, usability enhancements, and new features.
The next major feature coming is Outgoing Webhooks. That will let you integrate Watchman Monitoring with tools like Slack, Teams, Zapier, IFTTT, and PSAs or RMMs that accept webhooks.
At the same time, we are building a HaloPSA integration so that teams using Halo can receive Watchman Monitoring alerts natively.
Once those are released, we will shift focus to a Google Workspace integration. That will let you monitor Chromebooks directly inside Watchman Monitoring—a step toward broader coverage of devices.
Shaping the Future Together
After Chromebook monitoring is live, we will open the conversation for what comes next. We’re already investigating a new Linux agent, HTTP checks for website or service uptime monitoring, and more plugins.
Our current direction is to rewrite the linux agent. We want it to be maintainable and high performance. We want the roadmap to reflect what users really need. That means listening to the community and building together. If you have ideas or feedback, we’d love to hear from you in the Watchman Monitoring Community Forum.
Let us know if you have any thoughts or feedback.
- Ian, Garrett & Allen
Let me know if you have any questions!
Ian
]]>It’s been a busy few weeks as we settle into a good rhythm here at the new Watchman Monitoring. Thanks to your feedback, we’ve shipped several fixes, kicked off new integrations, and added a long-requested quality-of-life improvement.
✅ Fixes and Improvements
- CrashPlan 11.5+ Support
Our latest Mac agent now works properly with the new paths and data structure introduced in CrashPlan 11.5+. - macOS Tahoe Compatibility
Watchman Monitoring is fully compatible with Apple’s upcoming macOS Tahoe release. You can upgrade with confidence knowing your monitoring will continue uninterrupted. - Multi-Factor Authentication QR Codes
Some users reported that 2FA QR codes weren’t being generated correctly. That issue is now fixed. - Group Deletion Bug
Groups with extremely long names were failing to delete. This has been resolved.
🌗 User-Level Control of Dashboard Theme
Historically, a company admin set the dashboard theme (light or dark) for all users. That’s now changed:
- The default is to match your browser’s current setting.
- Each user can select their own preference: auto, light, or dark.
- You can set your theme at any time under Profile Settings: https://app.monitoringclient.com/settings/profile.
This closes a long-standing request from the community — thanks to everyone who weighed in on this thread and elsewhere.
🔗 HaloPSA Integration (In Development)
We’ve officially started development on an integration with HaloPSA, thanks to feedback and introductions from the community. This will allow Watchman Monitoring to:
- Pull client and asset information from HaloPSA.
- Report on issues while correlating that data.
If you have any questions, feature requests, or general suggestions, please add them here or open a ticket with support.
We’re glad to see the conversation shifting from “what’s broken” to “what’s next.” Keep the feedback coming — it directly shapes what we prioritize.
]]>Watchman Monitoring is happy to announce the release of agent 7.1.5 for macOS.
Feature
- This release brings support for CrashPlan 11.5+, with support for the new paths and data structure.
About the Update Process
- This release will automatically deploy Wednesday, Sept 3rd, 2025.
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check-in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- A list of known issues is located at: https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/known-issues.
Then we’ll look at other ways the product can interact with other tools, from an API integration or at the plugin level, etc.
Make more posts here with requests.. or just shoot an email to [email protected].. we’re listening!
]]>Hello everyone, Allen Hancock from Watchman Monitoring here.
I’m excited to share that Watchman Monitoring has found a new home!
I’m happy to be joining forces with Sacramento Labs, founded by Ian Alexander and Garrett Milster. They helped build RepairTech, RepairShopr, and Syncro. I’m excited to be working with a team with a long track record of building reliable tools for IT professionals.
I’ll be staying on long-term to guide Watchman Monitoring and continue working with you directly. This change means much more resources and renewed investment in the product, including:
- Fixing outstanding issues
- Delivering improvements you’ve been asking for
- Shipping new features to help you serve clients better
We’d love your feedback to help shape the roadmap. Please join the discussion in the Watchman Community Forums and let us know what you’d like to see next.
I’m looking forward to building the future of Watchman Monitoring together.
Thanks for your continued trust,
Allen Hancock
Ian Alexander
Garrett Milster
Watchman Monitoring is happy to announce the release of agent 7.1.4.101 for macOS.
This release includes support for Carbon Copy Cloner version 7 and improvements when reporting information regarding M3 based hardware.
Features
- Support for Carbon Copy Cloner version 7
Changes
- Adds RAM Speed for more computers with M3 chips.
About the Update Process
- This release will automatically deploy Tuesday, June 11th, 2024.
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check-in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- A list of known issues is located at: https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/known-issues.
Watchman Monitoring is happy to announce release of agent 7.1.1.111 for macOS.
This release includes support for CrashPlan 11, improvements in reporting processor and RAM information for computers with Apple silicon processors, along with additional Backblaze fixes and features.
Features
- Adds support for CrashPlan Client 11.
- Backblaze plugin now reports full disk access status, remaining and total backup stats.
- Adds a PreferencePane option to adjust days before the Backblaze warns of errors.
- Adds support for newer versions of ConnectWise Control agent installs.
Changes
- Improves reporting Apple Silicon RAM and Processor names.
- CrashPlan subscription expirations now report as Current, unless they are failing
- No longer reports virtual RAM modules when the agent is running in VM.
Fixes
- Fixes an issue where a verified disk may prevent the reporting of a disk with a failing SMART status.
- Corrects an issue which could report outdated Carbon Copy Cloner information.
- Additional fixes for the Backblaze plugin
About the Update Process
- This release will automatically deploy Wednesday, June 28th, 2023.
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check-in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- A list of known issues is located at: https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/known-issues.
Deprecated Plugins
-
Gruntwork
With the announcement of end-of-life support for Gruntwork, the related plugins (named “Maintenance”) are no longer being distributed, and will be removed from dashboard prior to the August 1st deadline. -
Kandji
The third-party plugin which reports some Kandji-related information is no longer available for distribution, and is no longer included.
Watchman Monitoring is proud to announce the latest version of its agent for macOS, 7.0.2 This version includes all the highlights from version 7.0.1 and delivers a root capacity plugin rewrite in preparation for better handling of purgeable space alerting. Updates to the Python framework, and fixes to Time Machine reporting.
Feature
- Better handling for Mac Roman encoded files
- Root capacity plugin rewrite
Change
- Stop alerting on Crashplan demographics changes
- Improved gathering of last logged-in user.
- Updates to the Watchman Monitoring provided Python Framework
Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue with Time Machine on OS 10.13 reporting
- Fixes to Time Machine reporting going stale during uptime check
- Fixes an issue when reading Backblaze xml files with special characters in drive name
- Fix Carbon Copy Cloner version 5 stale results
Highlights from 7.0.1
CrashPlan Client
- Add additional error handling in CrashPlan Client
- Prevent alerts when destinations are removed
P5 Plugins
- Convert P5 Plugins to python3
- P5 Treat lack of valid license as informational
- P5 Info IndexError: list index out of range
FileVault Status
- Fix FileVault Status on Mac OS X 10.11 thru 10.13
FileMaker Server
- Let the FileMaker Server plugin run standalone
- Server plugin conversion to Python3
- Prevent failures when there is no backup status
- Handle a missing Filemaker Server password
Laptop Battery
- Fix missing battery serial numbers
Splashtop
- Update plugin for Python3
- Prevent inoperable Splashtop links for RMM installs
ABOUT THE UPDATE PROCESS
- This release will automatically deploy Wednesday, May 25th, 2022.
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check-in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- A list of known issues is located at: https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/known-issues.
Please note: Installers created before March 8, 2022, contain python scripts, and will need to be replaced. Read more about old installer versions.
]]>- It resolves issues with Filemaker Server status reporting.
- FileVault status on older macOS is corrected.
- Issues with P5/Archiware reporting were addressed
It addressed a number of issues in the CrashPlan Client and CarbonCopyCloner v5 reporting.
The FileMaker Server plugin remains as an outstanding known issue, and will be addressed in a coming patch.
]]>Changes:
- Prevents “laptop battery” reporting on many VMs
- Cleans up the display when some volumes are reported as missing
Bug fixes
- Fixes problems with reporting missing volumes
This change was rolled back while we re-evaluate “launch application by name”
]]>- Time Machine dates may fail to calculate (likely to be resolved, pending confirmation.
FileMaker Server plugin may fail to report.Carbon Copy Cloner 3,4,5 status may not report. (Support for CCC 6 is still pending)- Custom Plugins deployed by Watchman Monitoring are updated, but require testing.
- Custom Plugins not managed by Watchman Monitoring, which rely on Python, need updating. (Details in this issue)
Watchman Monitoring is proud to announce the latest version of its agent for macOS, 7.0. This version delivers support for the upcoming macOS 12.3 and supports OS X 10.11 and newer. This new version is also the first to natively-support Apple Silicon.
Features
- Full support for OS X 10.11 through macOS 12.3.
- The Monitoring Client runs natively on Apple silicon.
- Package Installer no longer requests Rosetta2 before installation.
Changes
- Manages its own dedicated, Python3 framework.
Bug Fixes
- Problems reporting Root Capacity have been addressed.
- Problems running the FileMaker Server plugin have been addressed.
- Problems with missing SMART errors have been addressed.
- Corrects “battery was removed” reporting on desktop computers.
With MacOS 12.3, Apple has removed the built-in version of Python. To continue to support you, Watchman Monitoring has released Mac Monitoring Client version 7, which includes its own python framework.
Please bear in mind that there are likely to be a number of point releases in the near future.
If you currently use custom plugins you will need to make changes to continue working with version 7 and beyond. See this article for more details.
If you experience any issues or have any questions, please contact technical support.
ABOUT THE UPDATE PROCESS
- This release will automatically deploy Tuesday, March 8, 2022.
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check-in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- A list of known issues is located at: https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/known-issues.
Please note: Installers created before March 8, 2022, contain python scripts, and will need to be replaced. Read more about old installer versions.
]]>
Features
- Automatic determination of Apple’s Product Description
- Additional support for new malware
Changes
- No longer reporting POST information on Apple silicon, as the information is not available.
Bug Fixes
- Improvements to the SMART plugin to find additional cases of failing boot volumes.
- Fix stale network information
- Fixes issues related to volumes not showing in the PreferencePane
- Fixes issues related to reporting on Volumes’ presence
ABOUT THE UPDATE PROCESS
- This release will automatically deploy Wednesday, 12 January 2022.
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- A list of known issues is located at: https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/known-issues
Please note: Installers before 6.8 need replacement, always use the latest installer. Read more about old installer versions.
]]>
Features
- Added support for communicating using TLS 1.2.
Changes
- Added additional blacklist items “Fax” and “OneNote” to the Printer plugin
- Removed installer support for Windows XP and Vista as these OS are no longer supported
- This also removes support for TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1
This will be released December 15, 2021
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- A list of known issues is located at: https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/known-issues
]]>
log4js attack vector / CVE-2021-44228.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].
]]>]]>Watchman Monitoring has been acquired by SyncroMSP.
It’s a big decision with big changes, here are some highlights for you…
Changes
- Cleaned up the stock text shown at the end of installation (does not effect Custom Branded installers)
- Increased the limit of reported Users in the Users plugin from 5 to 10
Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue where we could report the incorrect last user on remote access systems.
- Fixed an issue where 32-bit system with Office 365 were reporting the incorrect version.
Want it Now?
- Automatic deploy release on Tuesday, 30 March 2021, visit your Installers Page to initiate early release.
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- These are known issues.
FEATURES
- Tooling to support new update channels (read more below!)
- Additional support for new malware
CHANGES
- Additional improvements in support of Apple’s notarization process.
- Changes which support an upcoming move to Python3
BUG FIXES
- Fixed issue which would result in a blank Group name being set if the agent was removed and reinstalled without a restart
CHANGES ARE COMING!
Over the years we have maintained support for computers running older operating systems, as many mission-critical servers could not be updated like the desktops and laptops users typically run.
Support for old operating systems has hindered us in some ways, and we’re ready to move forward. Additionally, the industry is moving away from TLS version which those older systems require, greatly reducing the return from supporting those older computers.
To that end, this release 6.7.3, is the last which will support Mac OS X 10.11 or below.
Additionally, upcoming changes in our hosting will no longer offer TLS 1.0 or 1.1. At that time, computers running Mac OS 10.9 and below will no longer be able to report. We will post more about that change in a coming release note, but in the meantime, plans should be made to remove our agent from Macs running 10.9 or below.
ABOUT THE UPDATE PROCESS
- This release will automatically deploy Tuesday, 22 June 2021. You can visit your Installers Page to initiate early release.
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- A list of known issues is located at: https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/known-issues
Please note: Older installers may not work with Apple’s new M1 computers. Always use the latest installer. Read more about old installer versions.
]]>FEATURES
- Separated Remote Assistance and RDP connections reporting in the RDP plugin.
- Improved hard drive health reporting.
CHANGES
- Updated verbiage of the Windows Update plugin summary to more clearly describe the plugin state at-a-glance
- Added missing “days since last scan” to BitDefender Business
- Added a “5 most recent reports” limit to Macrium Reflect to optimize plugin display view
- Added additional help messaging when running “RunClient –plugins” from Command Line
BUG FIXES
- Fixed overlapping text during install on low-resolution systems
- Fixed Avast for Business issue failing to report Malware status correctly on Server OS
- Fixed issue of Microsoft Surface products incorrectly reporting presence of Virtualization
- Fixed issue of Windows updates 21H1 reporting incorrect release ID
CHANGES ARE COMING!
Over the years we have maintained support for computers running older operating systems, as many mission-critical servers could not be updated like the desktops and laptops users typically run.
Support for old operating systems has hindered us in some ways, and we’re ready to move forward. Additionally, the industry is moving away from TLS versions which those older systems require, greatly reducing the return from supporting those older computers.
Upcoming changes in our hosting will no longer offer TLS 1.0 or 1.1. At that time, computers running Windows Vista, XP, Server2003, and Server2008 will no longer be able to report. We will post more about that change in a coming release note, but in the meantime, plans should be made to remove our agent from devices running those older operating systems.
WANT IT NOW?
- Automatic deploy release on Wednesday, 23 June 2021, visit your Installers Page to initiate early release.
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- A list of known issues is located at: https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/known-issues
]]>
FEATURES
- New command line tooling options via “RunClient”
- Plugins can be enabled using –enable/–disable
- Plugins can be enumerated via –list-plugins
- Improved support and reporting on battery service
- Logs if Flash is present on any given Mac via a dedicated plugin result
- Adds additional tech specs such as iBridge
CHANGES
- Issues with the PreferencePane’s visibility in Dark mode are prevented, full support will be added in a later update
- Improved handling of unreadable plist files
- Uses a dedicated key in each plugin to control its enablement. This replaces a “PluginsDisabled” array.
- Backwards compatibility is provided via support for disabling any plugin added to this array; however, the array will be emptied on each agent’s run.
- Subscribers who manage plugins in custom scripts should read more in this article.
- https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/terminal-commands
BUG FIXES
- Increased accuracy in FileWave version reporting where server’s FileWave model has not changed
- Administrative permissions are no longer needed to submit logs for review
- Corrects additional permissions issues.
ABOUT THE UPDATE PROCESS
- Automatic deploy release on Wednesday, 21 April 2021, visit your Installers Page to initiate early release.
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- These are known issues.
Please note: Older installers may not work with M1-based computers. Learn more about old installer versions.
]]>FEATURES
- New command line tooling options via “run-client”
- Plugins can be enabled using –enable/–disable
- Plugins can be enumerated via –list-plugins
- Improved logging for surfacing information for better troubleshooting.
CHANGES
- Uses a dedicated key in each plugin to control its enablement. This replaces a “PluginsDisabled” array.
- Backwards compatibility is provided via support for disabling any plugin added to this array; however, the array will be emptied on each agent’s run.
BUG FIXES
- Administrative permissions are no longer needed to submit logs for review
- Cleanup of outdated code and functions
ABOUT THE UPDATE PROCESS
- Automatic deploy release on Wednesday, 11 May 2021, visit your Installers Page to initiate early release.
- The auto-update process will apply to computers as they perform their hourly check in.
- Not receiving updates across your install base? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- These are known issues.
]]>
Release Notes aren’t just for the our client software!
This is the first in a series of updates we have planned, which highlight work we have done in our Dashboard.
We are moving a few items around to make way for larger changes, first up:
CSV Reports have moved up in rank!
- Administrators and Employees can find define and use CSV Templates from the Reports menu.
Learn more about this feature in this support article: https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/csv-export-templates
Account wide settings
- The tab for controls such as dark/light mode or the default Time Zone has been renamed from Company to Account
What’s next?
We have plans for friendlier navigation, improved search, and implementation of features for better use of the header, breadcrumb bar, etc.
Have some ideas or suggestions for new items or changes we might want to include? Shoot us a message with those thoughts to: [email protected]
Proactively Yours,
The Watchman Monitoring Team
Features
- Adds a new “RunClient.exe” binary.
Changes
- Adds support for upcoming auto-update options
This update will be released Tuesday, 23 February 2021
About the content of this update:
We have added a new binary named RunClient.exe. This tool can be used to perform manual updates, runs, and will provide additional options in the near future.
Additional details are at https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/windows-command-line
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Changes:
- Changed behavior of Specified Applications and Specified Services plugins to have consistent alerts for missing “Critical” items
- Changed behavior for Veeam plugin to allow it to read custom-named backups
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed issue preventing automatic Microsoft .Net 4 installation on systems missing this requirement
- Fixed an issue where attempting to install the client after a previous uninstall could in some circumstances result in an error blocking installation
- Fixed an issue where requesting a remote uninstall while a run was occurring could result in the service becoming stuck
- Fixed an issue with Bitlocker sending false alerts on our log files
- Fixed Control Panel not updating the settings for Specified Application settings correctly
About the update process:
- Installers will be built throughout the day on Dec 1, 2020. The auto-update process will begin Dec 1st and apply to computers as they perform their hourly check in.
- Not receiving updates? How to handle out-of-date agents.
- An updated list of known issues.
Features
- Support for CrashPlan Client 8.2 has been added.
- Asset ID and Group UID are saved to disk on each hourly run.
- Long and Short username are now collected.
Updates
- Updated network information gathering.
- Improvements in reporting on last-user details.
- Beacon Reporting will resume more reliably after an outage.
- The remote removal process has been simplified.
- Improvements have been made to the Monitoring Client Agent Build process.
Helpful Links
- We maintain an updated list of known issues.
- Community Spotlight: Alex Narvey shows you how to automatically add bulk expirations for domains, certifications, and more
About the update process.
- Please note that early releases of the Linux agent did not enable automatic updates by default.
- If your Linux client(s) do not update, please perform a manual update. Consider enabling auto-update for future releases.
https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/linux-cli#automatic-updates
Plugins
- System Crash. This replaces the Blue Screen reporting in the OS plugin.
Features
- Added checking for Firewall group policy settings in addition to the local settings.
Changes
- Added additional diagnosis in the SophosEndpoint plugin.
- Added better feedback for users when using Enabled/Disable plugins.
- Updated how we Enable/Disable plugins through the command line in order for the settings to maintain through updates. This may cause an issue if you previously enabled/disabled plugins before this update but will prevent these settings from being reset in the future.
Bugs Fixed
- Fixed an issue where the WMI plugin was sending alerts incorrectly (Updated 8/24/2020)
- An issue with Contact Menu link encoding. Links contain control characters (?,&, etc) are now handled more reliably.
- Fixed Flash plugin displaying incorrectly when Internet Explorer flash was not installed.
- Timezone reporting that could make reports show the wrong date on the computer record.
- Serial Numbers potentially reporting changes when no change had occurred.
- An issue where reporting time elapsed (for backup runs, etc.) could be too large to report.
- An issue where RebootEvent plugin could sometimes re-alert a reboot
Helpful Links
- We updated the known issues.
- Did you know our Zendesk integration now has bi-directional support ? Use ticket status tags to prioritize views, automatically solve tickets that fix themselves, or ignore plugins completely.
I want this update now.
- Release date: 8/11/2020
- To apply this agent update to your account now and not wait for our auto rebuild process, visit your installers page, and click the publish button.
Features
- Support for CrashPlan 8.2
- Additional Malware from user submissions (thanks Eric!)
Changes
- Updates to support compatibility with upcoming macOS versions
How to get this update
To apply this update to your account now and not wait for our auto rebuild process, visit your installers page, and click the publish button. All computers set to automatically install new versions will install the latest update upon next check in.
About Existing Installers
Watchman Monitoring regularly updates installers, and recommends that older installers are replaced.
This is typically not a requirement, as agents will auto-update even if an old installation package is used. Installers published before June 2020 are slated to expire June 10th, and will need to be replaced.
What to do I need to do?
Please visit your Installers page and re-download your installers.
If you are using Group-Specific installers, they can be downloaded from each Group’s page as needed.
]]>
Features
- APFS and ZFS volumes are listed for easy configuration of Presence and Capacity monitoring
Changes
- Installation packages are signed with updated installer certificates, expiring 2025
About Existing Installers
Watchman Monitoring regularly updates installers, and recommends that older installers are replaced.
This is typically not a requirement, as agents will auto-update even if an old installation package is used. Installers published before June 2020 are slated to expire June 10th, and will need to be replaced.
What to do I need to do?
Please visit your Installers page and re-download your installers.
If you are using Group-Specific installers, they can be downloaded from each Group’s page as needed.
Updated Betas
Splashtop Business will generate an integration button for non-business versions of Splashtop. The link created will not work. A fix to exclude links for non-business versions of Splashtop is in development.
The beta of Retrospect Client for Mac is available. All subscribers who have requested access will have the beta automatically deployed to their monitored computers.
You can request the beta here.
Keep an eye on our Community Forum for news of incremental changes, and we will keep emailing major release notes.
About the Timing of macOS Installer Notarization
-
Your account’s macOS Monitoring Client installer is notarized at the time of publication. Newly created group installers and enrollment code installers are also be notarized, however they are currently made available for download before the notarization process completes. We are working to improve the delivery, especially to end users.
At this time, users are able to download and attempt to open the installer before the process is complete, and may see the following warning dialog:
If the user attempts to install again a few minutes later, installation will complete, since that same package is known by Apple to be notarized.
We are aware of the issue. We are working to add additional checks to prevent download of enrollment code installers until Apple has completed notarization.
Of note, scripted macOS installation does require notarization and will not display the dialog or warnings mentioned above.
Additionally, deployment of our installation package via MDM will work as expected.
]]>Head over to https://victorygin.net/watchman-monitoring/ for more details, along with purchase and support information.
]]>Features
- SMART plugin reports Drive Type (SSD vs Rotational)
- SMART plugin reports Serial Number of drive.
- Notarization of installer packages for macOS *
How to get this update
To apply this update to your account now and not wait for our auto rebuild process, visit your installers page, and click the publish button. All computers set to automatically install new versions will install the latest update upon next check in.
Updated Betas
Splashtop Business will generate an integration button for non-business versions of Splashtop. The link created will not work. A fix to exclude links for non-business versions of Splashtop is in development.
The beta of Retrospect Client for Mac is available. All subscribers who have requested access will have the beta automatically deployed to their monitored computers.
You can request the beta here.
Keep an eye on our Community Forum for news of incremental changes, and we will keep emailing major release notes.
About the Timing of macOS Installer Notarization
*Your account’s macOS Monitoring Client installer is notarized at the time of publication. Newly created group installers and enrollment code installers are also be notarized, however they are currently made available for download before the notarization process completes. We are working to improve the delivery, especially to end users.
At this time, users are able to download and attempt to open the installer before the process is complete, and may see the following warning dialog:
If the user attempts to install again a few minutes later, installation will complete, since that same package is known by Apple to be notarized.
We are aware of the issue. We are working to add additional checks to prevent download of enrollment code installers until Apple has completed notarization.
Of note, scripted macOS installation does require notarization and will not display the dialog or warnings mentioned above.
Additionally, deployment of our installation package via MDM will work as expected.
]]>Features
- Integration: Splashtop Business (beta)
- Additional Contact Menu liquid variables.
- Client ID (changed from Watchman ID):
{{ClientID}} - Serial Number (new):
{{SerialNumber}} - Reference Email (new):
{{ReferenceEmail}} - Computer Reference Email (new):
{{ReferenceEmailComputer}} - Group Reference Email (new):
{{ReferenceEmailGroup}}
- Client ID (changed from Watchman ID):
Fixed
- Various fixes to contact menu.
How to get this update
To apply this update to your account now and not wait for our auto rebuild process, visit your installers page, and click the publish button. All computers set to automatically install new versions will install the latest update upon next check in.
Updated Betas
Splashtop Business will generate an integration button for non-business versions of Splashtop. The link created will not work. A fix to exclude links for non-business versions of Splashtop is in development.
The beta of Retrospect Client for Mac is available. All subscribers who have requested access will have the beta automatically deployed to their monitored computers.
You can request the beta here.
Keep an eye on our Community Forum for news of incremental changes, and we will keep emailing major release notes.
Known Issues
]]>FEATURES
- Additional information in UnifiedStatus.plist for 3rd party integrations.
FIXED
- Preference Pane error when attempting to open on a Mac running macOS 10.15 (Catalina)
HOW TO GET THIS UPDATE
If you’d like this update applied to your account now and not wait for our auto rebuild process, visit your installers page, click the publish button. All computers set to automatically install new versions will get the latest update installed on the next check in.
UPDATED BETAS
The beta of Retrospect Client for Mac is available. All subscribers who have requested access will have the beta automatically deployed to their monitored computers.
You can request the beta here.
Keep an eye on our Community Forum for news of incremental changes, and we will keep emailing major release notes.
KNOWN ISSUES
]]>It has been a busy year. Here is a quick update of changes you may have seen or missed in your Watchman Monitoring Dashboard:
New
- Dark theme is now available from your company settings page.
- Locked column and headers makes scrolling long pages easier.
- Computer record counts are tallied at the bottom of Group and Computer Record views.
- Plugin search results are tallied at the bottom of the plugin results page.
- Beacon Reporting can be managed for multiple computers via
Bulk Actions. - Custom plugins can now display Integration links on the dashboard. Contact support for more information.
- It is easier to purge stale integration links, useful when third party management tools are no longer in use.
Changed
- Autotask and ConnectWise users now have the option to disable action required notifications.
- When merging Groups, conflicting Reference Email will be added to a group note.
- The
Copy Specsbutton includes Asset ID (as defined in each Computer Record’s Edit tab). -
Test Zendesk Integration was changed to Reset Zendesk Integration under the
Actionmenu. - The Product Description can be edited in the Computer Record’s Edit tab.
- The
Savebutton has been moved to the top of each page in the Dashboard.
Fixed
- PDF pages display on mobile devices.
- The ScreenConnect integration has been renamed to ConnectWise Control.
- Omni-search box will display all related Groups when selecting View All.
- Employees can see all pending ConnectWise and Autotask tickets for Groups they can access.
In addition to our 6.6.8 release, this release includes:
- Adds support for Kandji’s security review product (support for 10.11+)
- Many new Malware definitions
- Additional support for subscribers to share their custom plugins with each other
- This release adds components which bring us closer to notarized .pkg files, however full compatibility with 10.15 is still in development. Read more at: https://www.watchmanmonitoring.com/known-issues
Contact Menu.app which drives the menu you can configure for your users.
The change will remove the words “Watchman Monitoring” from the application’s code signature and with this change, we are also able to release some long-requested new menu features.
These computers would have users with restricted access to run applications (eg via Parental Controls) or via Santa’s white/blacklisting of applications. If these do not apply to the computers in your care, this change should have little to no effect.
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