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After you install the AppDynamics .NET Agent, configure the agent according to the types of applications you want to monitor:

You can instrument any combination of IIS Applications, Windows services, and standalone applications on a single server. Run the configuration utility to configure IIS, then follow the instructions for Windows services and Standalone applications.

Use the AppDynamics Agent Configuration Utility to configure the agent immediately after installation, or to make changes to existing agent configurations. The utility configures the agent for one machine at a time.

Prepare to Configure the .NET Agent

The configuration utility must restart IIS to apply configurations. The utility offers you the option to restart IIS or not. If you choose not to restart, configurations apply the next time IIS restarts.

File System Security Settings

The following Windows accounts require specific file system permissions:

  • The account you use to run your web application as defined by its application pool or the Windows service account.
  • The account you use to run the AppDynamics Agent Coordinator, by default the Local System account.

The required permissions are as follows:

  • Write permission to the .NET App Agent logs directory. By default:
             Windows Server 2008 and later: %ProgramData%\AppDynamics\DotNetAgent\Logs
  • Read and Execute permissions to the .NET App Agent install directory, by default C:\Program Files\AppDynamics\AppDynamics .NET Agent
  • Read and Execute permissions the web application installation directory, for example C:\inetpub\wwwroot\myapp

Configure the .NET Agent

  1. Start the Agent Configuration Utility. In the Windows menu, click AppDynamics > .NET Agent > AppDynamics Agent Configuration.
    If the Warning: 3rd Party Profiler installed message displays, click Yes to exit and uninstall any pre-existing profiler.

    Check the registry to make sure that the uninstall process cleaned up the registry entries. Use the warning message to identify any undeleted profiler environment variables.

  2. If the configuration utility detects legacy agent configurations from the .NET Agent version 3.7.7 or earlier, it displays the Upgrade Configuration page. Choose either:

    • Yes to remove legacy configurations. See 'Clean up legacy configurations' on Upgrade the .NET Agent for Windows

      Removing legacy configurations modifies web.config files causing IIS to restart affected applications.

    • No to leave legacy configurations in place.
    When the utility discovers no further profiler conflicts or after any configuration clean up it displays the welcome page.
  3. On the Log directory permissions page, you can optionally change the location of the log directory, click Change and select a new location.
  4. If needed, enter an account to grant log directory permissions. Click Add. If you see a warning message, make sure that the account is valid on the system.
    The wizard confirms the list of accounts.
  5. On the Controller Configuration page, enter the Controller access information and credentials.
    • The AppDynamics Agent Configuration utility only supports configuration of one Controller and business application per server.
    • Enter the Controller server name or IP and port number.
    • For single-tenant accounts, enter your Account Access Key. Find your credentials under Settings > License in the Controller.
    • For multi-tenant accounts, click Multi-Tenant Controller. Enter the Account Name and Account Access Key as provided to you by AppDynamics.
    • For a secure connection, click  Enable SSL.
      • Make sure you have secured the Controller with a trusted certificate. See Enable SSL for .NET.
      • When you enable SSL, the agent secures communication to the Controller using the protocols set for ServicePointManager.SecurityProtocol in your application.
      • By default, the configuration utility enables TLS 1.2, making it the first option in the list of secure protocols. This affects all secure communications from your application, not just requests to the AppDynamics Controller. To disable TLS 1.2, click to deselect this option.
    • If needed, fill in the HTTP proxy information. Proxies that use authentication require additional configuration. 
  6. Click Test Controller Connection to verify the connection.
  7. On the Application Configuration page, AppDynamics displays existing business application information from the Controller and displays it in the left column. Controller connection status displays on the right.
  8. Configure the business application for the Controller as follows:
    • If you already have a business application on the Controller, click Existing Applications from the Controller and click the appropriate business application. If you haven't defined business applications in the Controller, the utility displays an empty list.
    • Click New Application to define a new business application. Be careful about spellings and capitalization and note down the exact name. Ampersands are not supported in application names.
    • If you want to use Config Management in the Controller, click Register Machine with No Application.
  9. Click Next to advance to Assign IIS applications to tiers where you can use one of the tier naming options below.

Automatically Name IIS Tiers

  1. In the Assign IIS applications to tiers window, click Automatic.
  2. If prompted, click OK to confirm the Automatic configuration.
    The configuration utility summarizes the configuration settings.

  3. By default when you click Next the configuration utility restarts IIS.

    If you do not want to apply the configuration right away, uncheck the box. The Agent Configuration Utility saves the information and applies it the next time you restart IIS.

  4. If you proceed and click Next, the configuration utility logs its activities, including stopping and restarting IIS, and reports any problems. Review the summary for any issues in red font. Green font indicates the more interesting logged events. The summary shows any Warnings (W) or Errors (E).
  5. When you're finished, click Done to close the Configuration Utility. 

Manually name IIS tiers

  1. On the Assign IIS applications to tiers window, click Manual, then click Next.

  2. Assign IIS Applications to AppDynamics tiers by selecting a tier on the right and a business application on the left. The utility highlights the assigned tier in boldface.

    For large IIS installations, use the Max IIS tree depth pulldown to display all the projects. A large tree depth may take some time to view.

    To create new tiers, enter a name and click Add Tier.

  3. When you are done click Next. 
  4. On the Configuration Summary page, uncheck Restart IIS if you don't want to immediately restart IIS.
    You may restart later to apply your changes, or they will take effect after a reboot.
  5. If you proceed and click Next, the Configuration Utility logs its activities, including stopping and restarting IIS, and reports any problems.
  6. Review the configuration log summary.
    As it applies the configuration, AppDynamics generates a log of the configuration activities and displays a summary. Review the summary for any issues in red font. Green font indicates the more interesting logged events. The summary shows any Warnings (W) or Errors (E).
  7. When you are done, click Next. The wizard completes.

Use Config Management

  1. On the Assign IIS applications to tiers page, click Register Machine with No Application and then Next.
  2. On the Configuration Summary page, uncheck Restart IIS if you don't want to immediately restart IIS.
    You may restart later to apply your changes, or they will take effect after a reboot.
  3. Follow the instructions on Manage Configuration for .NET to assign a configuration from the Controller.
    The .NET Agent and .NET Machine Agent do not report metrics to the Controller until after you assign a configuration using the Config Management tool.

For troubleshooting information see Troubleshoot .NET Agent Issues.