When upgrading a ControlUp monitor server from version 9.0.0.1680 to 9.2.0.733 using the PowerShell commandlet Invoke-CUMonitorUpdate, the process may fail with an "Access is denied" error. This failure occurs after the installation steps "Install Verify Service already installed" and "Install Copy Files" complete successfully, specifically at the step involving stopping the `cuMonitor` service. The error indicates that Windows denied access during the attempt to stop or control this service, despite running PowerShell as an administrator and having folder-level access to the monitor installation directory.
The root cause is typically related to security settings or interference by antivirus (AV) or endpoint detection and response (EDR) software, which can block the service from stopping. Alternatively, a restrictive service Access Control List (ACL) can prevent the upgrade from proceeding. When attempting to upgrade through the ControlUp Console, a similar failure occurs silently because the console relies on remote commands (via admin share or WMI) that suffer the same permissions restrictions.
To resolve this issue, manually stopping the `cuMonitor` service with elevated privileges is required. Running `sc.exe stop cuMonitor` on the monitor host as an administrator can successfully stop the service. If this command fails, it is necessary to configure AV/EDR exclusions for the ControlUp monitor executable and folder (`C:\Program Files\Smart-X\ControlUpMonitor\` and `cuMonitor.exe`) or adjust the service's ACL using `sc.exe sdshow cuMonitor` to inspect and modify permissions. Once the service is stopped, re-running the Invoke-CUMonitorUpdate commandlet completes the upgrade successfully.
When upgrading through the ControlUp Console, ensure the account used has local administrator rights on the monitor host; otherwise, upgrade via the PowerShell commandlet locally on the machine is recommended for reliability. This approach has been verified to resolve the access denied error and enable the upgrade to proceed without interruption.
For more details on managing ControlUp monitor services and upgrade procedures, refer to the official ControlUp documentation at https://docs.controlup.com or consult ControlUp support resources.
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PowerShell Related Training & Support Archives
PowerShell training and support-related archives from inside the ControlUp Community on Slack.
Troubleshooting PowerShell Script Execution Failures in User Context with Ivanti Application Control and ControlUp
A user encountered an issue when attempting to run PowerShell scripts on endpoint machines using ControlUp (CU) in the user context. While executing scripts in the system context was successful, running them as the user failed with an error code -1. The environment included Ivanti Application Control, a security solution similar to Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) or AppLocker, which enforces application execution policies. The user had configured a process rule allowing SipAgent.exe to launch PowerShell.exe, which was confirmed to function correctly via Process Monitor and Process Explorer, as PowerShell.exe briefly appeared. However, the actual PowerShell script never executed, even a simple command like ‘Start-Sleep 1000’ failed to run.
Disabling the Ivanti Application Control service restored the ability to run scripts, indicating a conflict with the security controls. Interestingly, no block events were logged by Ivanti, suggesting the issue was not a straightforward deny event at the application control layer. The user inquired about which processes and system files ControlUp uses during script execution to better understand the interaction.
The root cause was identified as an Ivanti configuration rule that elevated PowerShell processes for the test user account. This elevation interfered with the ControlUp execution mechanism, preventing the script from running properly in user context. The resolution involved creating an exception within the Ivanti elevation rule: PowerShell processes launched with the ‘-file’ parameter were excluded from elevation. This adjustment allowed the scripts to run successfully while maintaining the intended elevation policy for other PowerShell instances.
This case highlights the importance of carefully managing application control and elevation policies in security products like Ivanti when deploying user-context scripts via ControlUp. Explicitly excluding ControlUp-launched PowerShell processes that run script files from elevation can prevent execution failures without compromising security. Users facing similar issues should review their application control and elevation configurations, particularly any rules that modify or elevate PowerShell, and test exclusions for script execution parameters. For more details on ControlUp’s script execution methods and related settings, users can consult the official ControlUp documentation at https://docs.controlup.com.
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Automating VDI Registration in ControlUp Console
Automating the addition of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) machines to the ControlUp console upon agent installation can streamline management and monitoring processes. While ControlUp for Desktops offers a command-line installation method that automatically registers machines, a similar approach for VDIs requires specific configuration.
To achieve automated registration of VDIs, you can utilize the Install-CUAgent PowerShell cmdlet, which is part of the ControlUp Automation module. This cmdlet allows for the download and installation of the ControlUp Agent on local machines, including VDIs. By providing the necessary authentication key during installation, the agent registers the machine with your ControlUp environment. For non-domain-joined machines, an API authentication token is required. ([support.controlup.com](https://support.controlup.com/docs/install-cuagent-install-an-agent?utm_source=openai))
For non-persistent VDIs, such as those created from a master image, it's essential to configure the agent to handle these scenarios appropriately. By setting the agent as a master image, it ensures that new VDIs created from this image will automatically register with the ControlUp console, preventing duplicate entries and maintaining an accurate device inventory. ([support.controlup.com](https://support.controlup.com/v1/docs/agent-outbound-communication?utm_source=openai))
Additionally, enabling folder synchronization with your VDI infrastructure can further streamline management. This feature ensures that VDIs are correctly registered and prevents stale machines from cluttering the interface. By integrating with your VDI environment, ControlUp can automatically detect and manage VDIs, enhancing the efficiency of your monitoring and management processes. ([support.controlup.com](https://support.controlup.com/docs/connecting-to-your-vdi-infrastructure?utm_source=openai))
By implementing these methods, you can automate the addition of VDIs to the ControlUp console, ensuring accurate device registration and efficient management of your virtual desktop environment.
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Comprehensive User-Created Training and Operating Manual for ControlUp Real-Time DX Console
A ControlUp community member has created a comprehensive Training and Operating Manual for the ControlUp Real-Time Digital Experience (DX) Console, originally developed as internal training material but now shared publicly to benefit the wider user community. The manual spans roughly 22 pages and includes detailed explanations, diagrams, and knowledge base references, aiming to deepen understanding of ControlUp’s architecture, setup, operations, and troubleshooting.
The manual covers multiple critical areas for both new and experienced users. It begins with an overview of the console architecture and the data collector pattern, supported by detailed diagrams to visualize the system’s workings. Installation topics include the sequence of setup steps, pitfalls like the “shared-credentials trap,” mechanisms for Multi-Site Association, and agent auto-deployment processes. For everyday operations, the manual highlights powerful console features such as column grouping, Branch Mapping, and registry comparison. It also clarifies common confusions around event logs, particularly the differences between LogName and event ID.
Troubleshooting guidance is a key focus, addressing connectivity challenges including those posed by corporate proxy environments, with practical PowerShell snippets included to assist in resolution. Advanced topics such as script actions with argument extraction from column values are also presented. The manual further differentiates ControlUp’s on-premises variants, specifically IOP, COP, and SOP configurations, which is valuable for users managing hybrid or fully on-premises deployments.
This document is an independent user-created resource and is explicitly noted as unofficial; it does not carry warranty, support, or official endorsement from ControlUp. Users are encouraged to use it as a supplement to official resources and to consult ControlUp’s Knowledge Base and ControlUp Academy for formal guidance. The author invites feedback and corrections from the community to improve the manual’s accuracy and usefulness over time. This shared resource represents a valuable starting point and practical reference for ControlUp console users wishing to deepen their operational knowledge and troubleshooting skills.
For official documentation and further training, users can visit the ControlUp Knowledge Base at https://docs.controlup.com and the ControlUp Academy at https://cuacademy.controlup.com.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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ControlUp Community Meetup #14: Inside ControlUp DaaS IQ — A Deep Dive with PM Gilad Broun
AVD management doesn’t have to be hard and expensive.
If you run Azure Virtual Desktop, you know the pain: unpredictable costs, fragile PowerShell scripts, fragmented visibility, and tab-hopping between the Azure Portal, Intune, and a dozen custom tools just to keep the lights on.
ControlUp’s answer is DaaS IQ — a purpose-built control plane for AVD that replaces the chaos with smart, reusable policies, centralized lifecycle management, and real-time cost intelligence.…
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Importing Tagged Data from ControlUp with API and Workflows
A user is trying to export historical data from ControlUp, but is facing issues with their complex Active Directory structure and use of tags. They ask for suggestions on an easier or better way. Another user suggests using the API with device queries to filter the data, and provides an explanation with practical examples. They also mention that this can be utilized in Workflows with the Get Custom Data node. It is also mentioned that the user's desired result is possible.
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ControlUp Synthetic Monitoring Workflows and Workarounds
A user named Alexander asked Nathan about a known limitation with ControlUp Synthetic Monitoring - specifically, that the server_name is often empty for NetScaler Gateway scouts. Nathan recommended a few different workarounds for auto-restart and suggested adding more fields to the webhook payload for debugging. The suggested workflow was to use resource and query ControlUp Real-Time DX / CVAD for machines or sessions matching the published resource.
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