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After you install the AppDynamics .NET Agent, configure the agent based on the types of applications 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 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

These 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:

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

Configure the .NET Agent

  1. Start the Agent Configuration Utility. In the Windows pane, select AppDynamics > .NET Agent > AppDynamics Agent Configuration.
    If a warning message displays, click Yes to exit and uninstall any pre-existing profiler.

    Use the Registry editor to check the Windows registry and ensure that the uninstall process cleaned up the registry entries. Use the warning message to identify any undeleted profiler environment variables. See Troubleshoot .NET Agent Issues.

  2. If the configuration utility detects legacy agent configurations from the .NET Agent <= 3.7.7, it displays the Upgrade Configuration pane. Choose either:

    • Yes to remove legacy configurations. See Upgrade the .NET Agent for Windows.

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

    • No to retain legacy configurations.
    When the utility discovers no further profiler conflicts, or after any configuration clean up, it displays the welcome pane.
  3. From the Log directory permissions pane, 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 a warning message displays, verify that the account is valid on the system. The wizard confirms the list of accounts.
  5. From the Controller Configuration pane, enter the Controller access information and credentials.
    • The AppDynamics Agent Configuration utility only supports the 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. Locate 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 the .NET Agent.
      • 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, enter the HTTP proxy information. Proxies that use authentication require additional configuration. 
  6. Click Test Controller Connection to verify the connection.
    The Application Configuration pane displays existing business application information from the Controller and Controller connection status.
  7. Configure the business application for the Controller:
    • If you already have a business application on the Controller, click Existing Applications from the Controller and click the appropriate business application. If you have not 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.
    • To use Config Management in the Controller, click Register Machine with No Application.
  8. Click Next to advance to Assign IIS applications to tiers where you can use one of the tier naming options.

Automatically Name IIS Tiers

  1. In the Assign IIS applications to the tiers pane, 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. The green font indicates the logged events. The summary shows any Warnings (W) or Errors (E).
  5. Click Done. 

Manually Name IIS Tiers

  1. From the Assign IIS applications to tiers pane, 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 pane, uncheck Restart IIS if you do not 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. The green font indicates the logged events. The summary shows any Warnings (W) or Errors (E).
  7. When finished, click Next. The wizard completes.

Use Config Management

  1. From the Assign IIS applications to the tiers pane, click Register Machine with No Application, and then click Next.
  2. From the Configuration Summary pane, uncheck Restart IIS if you do not 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.

See Troubleshoot .NET Agent Issues.