Widget Wednesday #25: Building Dashboard Widgets with Audit Log Data
This week’s Widget Wednesday introduces a new data source for ControlUp Dashboards: the Audit Log. Read the entire article here...
ControlUp Insights Related Training & Support Archives
ControlUp Insights training and support-related archives from inside the ControlUp Community on Slack.
How to Auto Log Off Idle Users in Azure Virtual Desktop Using ControlUp Triggers and Scripts
Several ControlUp community members discussed how to configure a trigger to automatically log off idle users from Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) hosts using the ControlUp Agent for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). One common solution is to leverage existing trigger packs within ControlUp, which include triggers designed to log off a user session after a specified period of inactivity. These triggers can be customized based on time thresholds that fit the organization’s session management policies.
An example script and detailed guidance were shared from ControlUp’s official script library, which provides automation for disconnecting or logging off idle sessions. This script can be adapted and deployed within ControlUp's automation policies to monitor session activity and log off users automatically when idle thresholds are met. The relevant resource is available at https://www.controlup.com/script-library-posts/disconnect-or-log-off-idle-sessions/.
Additional insights were shared from a ControlUp blog post that focuses on session resource optimization through automation. This post outlines best practices and practical examples of using ControlUp automation to manage session states efficiently, including auto-logout for idle sessions. The blog can be found here: https://www.controlup.com/blog/controlup-automation-session-resource-optimization/.
While native solutions like DaaS IQ might offer built-in functionality for auto-logging off idle users, many organizations have adopted ControlUp triggers as a practical workaround until formal approval or integration of native options is completed. The combination of ControlUp’s flexible triggers and scripting capabilities allows administrators to enforce session timeout policies effectively within AVD environments, optimizing resource utilization and enhancing security. Read the entire article here...
How to Calculate Time Saved from Automation Runs in ControlUp Dashboards Using Calculated Metrics
A user sought to create insights on time saved through automations by modifying the existing scripting and automation dashboard in ControlUp. Their goal was to add a calculated column that multiplies the number of successful script runs by a fixed value (such as 5 or 10) to estimate the total minutes saved. The user attempted to apply a mathematical transformation—specifically multiplying the "success-runs" metric by 10—via the dashboard's JSON transformation editor. However, they encountered difficulties as the table widget was built using the advanced JSON builder, which does not support switching to the basic editor mode where simple calculated columns can be added or modified directly.
ControlUp's community and support experts explained that the particular widget in question is created through the advanced JSON editor and does not support adding custom calculated columns directly on individual tables. The system currently does not allow adding a calculated column that multiplies existing columns in the advanced editor since it applies transformations to each column rather than enabling column-to-column calculations.
A recommended workaround is to use the associated "stat" widget found elsewhere on the same dashboard. This widget provides basic aggregated metrics and allows users to add simple calculations, such as multiplying the total number of successful script runs by a fixed number to calculate total time saved. By performing the multiplication in the stat widget rather than modifying the complex JSON table, users can achieve their insight goal effectively.
This limitation highlights that for advanced dashboards created via JSON editing in ControlUp, calculated columns that depend on arithmetic of existing columns must be created through simpler widgets or by recalculating the data outside the table visualization. Users aiming to customize time-saving metrics based on script run counts should consider leveraging stat widgets or other summary-level visualizations that support straightforward calculated metrics. For further guidance, ControlUp's official documentation on the dashboard widgets and calculations can provide additional instructions: https://docs.controlup.com/display/DOCS/Dashboards and https://docs.controlup.com/display/DOCS/Data+Transforms. Read the entire article here...
Investigating Historical Network Usage Spikes and Setting Alerts with ControlUp for Desktops
A user reported a network performance issue at one of their offices where a single computer had downloaded and uploaded several gigabytes of data within approximately the last four hours. They sought a way to determine exactly what data was downloaded and where it was uploaded to after the fact.
ControlUp experts clarified that while ControlUp for Desktops can provide detailed network usage volume information retrospectively, it does not store historical data about the specific destination addresses or detailed process-level network activity. The device’s Performance tab includes historical charts such as Network Usage (MB/s) and Hourly Network Usage (MB), which show the volume of data sent and received over time. This helps confirm the timing and magnitude of a network spike but only at the overall device level, not by specific process or destination.
For live, real-time network connection details—including which process is communicating with which remote IP address—the Network tab and TCP Connections Map can be used. This tab shows detailed, process-to-destination connections but does not retain historical data, so it only helps monitor ongoing network activity. Consequently, if the large data transfer activity occurred several hours ago and is no longer ongoing, ControlUp itself cannot provide retrospective insights into the process or endpoints involved.
To investigate historical transfers of this nature, network security and monitoring should be supplemented with firewall logs, proxy logs, or netflow data, which retain detailed connection records over time. This approach is recommended for network administrators with access to those tools.
For prevention and proactive detection, users can configure static threshold alerts in ControlUp to notify them immediately if network usage exceeds a predefined value in the future. This allows administrators to catch high-volume transfers as they happen and investigate using real-time detail from ControlUp. The documentation for setting static threshold alerts can be found here: https://support.controlup.com/docs/devices-static-threshold-alerts.
Additional guidance on real-time network analysis is available at https://support.controlup.com/docs/live-network-analysis. Read the entire article here...
Managing Access to Microsoft Teams Meeting Recordings: Insights and Permissions
ControlUp does not currently offer direct insights into Microsoft Teams meeting recordings or their access logs. Meeting recordings in Teams are stored in the organizer's OneDrive or SharePoint, depending on the meeting type. For private meetings, recordings are saved to the organizer's OneDrive, while channel meetings store recordings in the SharePoint site associated with the channel. ([learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/MicrosoftTeams/tmr-meeting-recording-change?utm_source=openai))
To monitor access to these recordings, organizations can utilize Microsoft Purview, which provides auditing capabilities for Teams content. Purview allows administrators to track activities related to meeting recordings, such as who accessed or shared the recordings. This functionality is particularly useful for compliance and security purposes. ([learn.microsoft.com](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/edisc-search-teams?utm_source=openai))
Additionally, meeting organizers can manage access permissions for their recordings directly within Teams. By default, access is set to "Everyone," but organizers can customize this setting to restrict access to specific individuals or groups. This control ensures that only authorized users can view or download the recordings. ([support.microsoft.com](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/teams/meetings/customize-who-can-access-a-recording-or-transcript-in-microsoft-teams?utm_source=openai))
In summary, while ControlUp does not provide direct insights into Teams meeting recordings, organizations can leverage Microsoft Purview for auditing access and utilize Teams' built-in features to manage recording permissions effectively. Read the entire article here...
Analyzing Windows Client Boot Time Delays: Using External Scripts to Generate Boot Performance Reports in ControlUp Environments
A community discussion sought an effective method to analyze Windows client boot times with detailed insights into the causes of any delays. The original inquiry focused on whether there was an existing script or dashboard capable of breaking down boot delays, as the environment faced issues with slow client startups. Such diagnostics would provide valuable information to address client performance problems.
In response, a community member shared a beta script designed as a boot analyzer, which generates an HTML report summarizing boot performance. This script creates an output that visually breaks down boot times, helping identify the components or processes causing delays. However, the script does not currently save boot information within the ControlUp platform because the ControlUp agent is not active during the Windows boot phase, preventing direct integration of boot data into ControlUp's indexes.
While the script is substantial and complex, it offers a practical starting point for environments needing detailed boot-time diagnostics. The contributor noted the lack of time to fully test writing the boot data to the ControlUp index but confirmed the HTML report format is functional and aesthetically clear. The shared approach highlights the current workaround for boot analysis within ControlUp environments: external data collection and report generation rather than native ControlUp indexing, due to agent limitations during system startup.
For users seeking to monitor boot performance in Windows clients using ControlUp, this solution involves running external scripts to analyze boot metrics and then reviewing detailed offline reports. Until ControlUp supports native boot-time data collection via its agent during the startup phase, such scripts provide the most direct method to diagnose and troubleshoot boot delays. Read the entire article here...
How to Diagnose Microsoft Teams SlimCore Optimization in Citrix and Other VDI Environments Using PowerShell Scripts
This discussion highlights two PowerShell scripts developed to aid tracking and diagnosing Microsoft Teams SlimCore Optimization specifically within Citrix environments, with potential applicability to Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), Windows 365 (W365), and VMware Horizon sessions. SlimCore is an optimized media stack used in virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) scenarios to enhance Teams call performance by offloading audio and video processing to the client side. Read the entire article here...
How to Use ControlUp Live View to Identify Processes Causing CPU Spikes in VDI Environments
When attempting to diagnose CPU spikes and identify the specific processes responsible using ControlUp, the most effective approach is to utilize the Live view, also known as the VDI page in the ControlUp Web UI. This view provides real-time, granular insights into process-level CPU consumption across virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments. Unlike historical reports, which show aggregated past data such as CPU Utilization Max but lack immediacy, the Live view updates metrics approximately every three seconds, enabling administrators to track CPU spikes as they happen and correlate them with individual processes.
Accessing this Live view requires either appropriate licensing or configuration that may prompt for a user principal name (UPN) login depending on how ControlUp is set up in the organization. When correctly logged in, administrators can drill down into specific machines experiencing CPU spikes and see a detailed, sortable list of CPU-intensive processes. This functionality helps pinpoint the exact processes causing resource bottlenecks, which is critical since the total CPU utilization of a machine does not always equal the sum of all visible processes. This discrepancy arises because kernel interrupts and other system-level operations that consume CPU are not attributed to individual user processes.
Users noted that if access to the Live view is initially unavailable or the relevant VDI tab not visible, it may be due to missing licenses or particular configuration settings controlled by the ControlUp administrator in the environment. In such cases, reaching out to the administrator and providing the UPN for authentication often resolves access issues. Without this, troubleshooting CPU spikes becomes difficult, and users may resort to external scripting solutions like PowerShell, which can be less reliable and less integrated.
Once logged into the Live view, operators can monitor real-time CPU usage per user and process, identify the top five consumers, and respond quickly to performance incidents causing a slowdown in the VDI environment. While the Live view is potent for immediate troubleshooting, storing long-term granular process data in a live manner is impractical due to data volume and cost, so ControlUp uses historical reports for trend analysis. Overall, the Live view is regarded as an essential and powerful feature in ControlUp’s suite for understanding and resolving CPU utilization spikes in virtualized desktop environments.
For further information on configuring and accessing the Live view in ControlUp, administrators can consult the official ControlUp documentation at https://docs.controlup.com and the ControlUp Academy at https://cuacademy.controlup.com. These resources cover licensing requirements, configuration steps, and best practices for effectively using real-time monitoring to maintain optimal VDI performance. Read the entire article here...
Monitoring CPU Thermal, Power, and Frequency Throttling with Custom ControlUp Scripts and Dashboards
A common challenge in monitoring CPU performance is that traditional CPU utilization metrics often fail to reveal the underlying causes of slowdowns, especially in cases related to thermal or power throttling that reduce CPU frequency without triggering high CPU%. To address this, a detailed custom PowerShell script and accompanying dashboard have been developed to report CPU temperature, frequency, and distinct throttling signals in a granular and actionable way. This solution creates a dedicated data index named `custom_cpu_throttle` to track multiple independent throttling signals, enabling more precise diagnostics of CPU performance issues.
The core innovation of this approach lies in splitting CPU throttling indicators into three separate categories: thermal throttling (hardware/BIOS-related issues such as overheating or dust), power throttling (policy-related causes like power plans, Intune profiles, or BIOS max-state configurations), and frequency throttling (cases where the CPU clock speed drops below 85% of the rated max under load, capturing otherwise silent throttling scenarios common on AMD processors or CPUs with boost frequencies). By differentiating these factors, the method captures scenarios where traditional Event ID 37 logs or CPU utilization metrics miss critical performance degradations.
The script captures a range of per-device metrics during each run, including temperature and its source, throttle status types, current and maximum CPU frequency with a ratio percentage, and comprehensive throttling evidence logs that correlate performance drops with frequency and utilization data. This data feeds into a customizable ControlUp dashboard that aggregates key performance indicators, categorizes throttle types, tracks frequency trends, and identifies devices exhibiting the hottest or most throttled behavior. The dashboard also correlates these metrics with user experience signals like application crashes and digital employee experience (DEX) scores, enabling targeted troubleshooting from a single pane of glass.
Technical details specify that the solution runs on Microsoft Windows devices using PowerShell scripts triggered every two minutes (120 seconds) with a 60-second timeout and sends data to the `custom_cpu_throttle` index only when devices are online. The solution supports filtering by device, throttle type, and status for focused analysis. While the script covers many AMD-specific throttling scenarios, some complexities remain given AMD's diverse behaviors, though unrealistic values are filtered out to maintain accuracy. This tool is well-suited for IT administrators and helpdesk teams looking to resolve performance tickets where CPU utilization appears normal but throttling impacts response times, such as in Outlook or other user-facing applications.
For detailed setup or a walkthrough, the script (`SP-CPU-Throttle-v2.ps1`) and ControlUp dashboard configuration (`SP-CPU-Throttle-Dashboard.json`) are available on request. This solution is an example of extending ControlUp’s monitoring capabilities via custom scripts and dashboards to deliver deeper insights into CPU performance issues that go beyond default instrumentation. Read the entire article here...
Widget Wednesday #22: Windows Application Stability and Performance Dashboard
Widget Wednesday #22 explores the Windows Application Stability and Performance Dashboard, providing insights into application crashes, hangs, freezes, resource usage, launch performance, and version comparisons. Read the entire article here...
