> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.enginsight.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.enginsight.com/docs/manual/english/platform-usage/observations/required-services/watchdogs.md).

# Watchdogs

A Watchdog is an Enginsight component that is installed in a subnet to monitor network devices on which Pulsar cannot be installed or that you want to inventory without using an agent.

{% hint style="success" icon="lightbulb" %}
For more information on how the Watchdog behaves on a network, see our Knowledge Base: [How does the Enginsight Watchdog behave on the network?](https://docs.enginsight.com/docs/knowledge-base/english/watchdog/how-does-the-enginsight-watchdog-behave-on-the-network)
{% endhint %}

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<i class="fa-compass">:compass:</i> Navigate to **Observations** → **Watchdogs** to display an overview of all installed Watchdogs. If you have not configured a Watchdog yet, this view is empty.

Among other things, the [Watchdog Overview](#watchdog-overview) shows:

* when Watchdogs were installed and last modified.
* which version of a Watchdog is installed and whether an update is available.
* which network segments a Watchdog monitors.
* which IP addresses of network devices are specifically monitored by a Watchdog.

You can also retrieve Watchdog logs and [add new Watchdogs](#add-watchdog).

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## Navigation

### Actions for List Items

Actions for list items are available at the end of each row:

<table><thead><tr><th width="200.23046875">Action</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Retrieve Logs</td><td><p><i class="fa-computer-mouse">:computer-mouse:</i> Click <strong>Logs</strong> to display the Watchdog logs in a new window. The icon is grayed out if the Watchdog is unavailable.</p><div data-gb-custom-block data-tag="hint" data-style="warning" class="hint hint-warning"><p><strong>Please note</strong>: A maximum of 2 MB of data can be retrieved. How far back the log entries go also depends on the configured retention period (Time to Live; TTL) for Watchdog log entries. The default TTL is 14 days. You can adjust the TTL manually.</p></div><div data-gb-custom-block data-tag="hint" data-style="success" data-icon="lightbulb" class="hint hint-success"><p>For more information on how to change the retention periods for Enginsight log entries, see our Knowledge Base: <a href="https://docs.enginsight.com/docs/knowledge-base/english/logging/how-can-i-adjust-the-retention-periods-for-my-enginsight-logs">How can I adjust the retention periods for my Enginsight logs?</a></p></div></td></tr><tr><td>Update</td><td><i class="fa-computer-mouse">:computer-mouse:</i> Click the <strong>Update</strong> icon <i class="fa-clock-rotate-left">:clock-rotate-left:</i> to update the Watchdog to the latest version. The icon is only visible if the installed Watchdog version is outdated.</td></tr><tr><td>Inventory Clean Up</td><td><i class="fa-computer-mouse">:computer-mouse:</i> Click the <strong>Clean Up Inventory</strong> icon <i class="fa-bars-staggered">:bars-staggered:</i> to remove all assets that could not be reached during the period configured in the Watchdog settings from the <a href="/docs/manual/english/platform-usage/discoveries/inventory.md">Asset Inventory</a>.</td></tr><tr><td>Delete</td><td><p><i class="fa-computer-mouse">:computer-mouse:</i> Click the <strong>Delete</strong> icon <i class="fa-trash">:trash:</i> and confirm the message that appears by clicking <strong>Delete Permanently</strong> to remove the Watchdog.</p><div data-gb-custom-block data-tag="hint" data-style="danger" class="hint hint-danger"><p><strong>Please note</strong>: Deleted Watchdogs cannot be recovered.</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table>

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## Watchdogs: Overview

The Watchdog Overview is displayed as a table. It provides the following information:

<table><thead><tr><th width="200.4921875">Column</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Name</td><td><p>Displays the custom name of the Watchdog, the creation date and time, and the date and time of the most recent change.</p><p><br><i class="fa-computer-mouse">:computer-mouse:</i> Click the name of a Watchdog to navigate to its corresponding edit view. Here, you can change the <a href="/docs/manual/english/installation-and-configuration/installation-and-configuration/enginsight-components/watchdog.md#configure-watchdog">configured settings</a>.</p></td></tr><tr><td>Version</td><td>Displays the installed Watchdog version.</td></tr><tr><td>Scannable Network Area</td><td>Displays the IP address areas of the network segments that the Watchdog can monitor.</td></tr><tr><td>IPs</td><td>Displays the IP addresses of the Watchdog host and the associated network interface to which the displayed IP addresses are bound.</td></tr><tr><td>Status</td><td><p>Displays additional information about the Watchdog status.<br><br>The following status information may be displayed:</p><ul><li><i class="fa-power-off" style="color:$success;">:power-off:</i> <strong>alive</strong> (green) + <i class="fa-wifi">:wifi:</i> <strong>Scanning</strong>: The Watchdog is active and scans all assigned network segments.</li><li><i class="fa-power-off" style="color:$danger;">:power-off:</i> <strong>dead</strong> (red) + <i class="fa-wifi">:wifi:</i> <strong>---</strong>: The Watchdog is inactive.</li><li><i class="fa-clock">:clock:</i>: Displays the date and time of the most recent scan.</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

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## Adding a Watchdog

<i class="fa-computer-mouse">:computer-mouse:</i> Click <i class="fa-plus">:plus:</i> **Add Watchdog** in the upper-right corner to install a new Watchdog.

For installation instructions, see [Installation and Configuration: Watchdog](/docs/manual/english/installation-and-configuration/installation-and-configuration/enginsight-components/watchdog.md).

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## Further Resources

**Knowledge Base**

* [How can I adjust the retention periods for my Enginsight logs?](https://docs.enginsight.com/docs/knowledge-base/english/logging/how-can-i-adjust-the-retention-periods-for-my-enginsight-logs)
* [Where do I find which Enginsight logs?](https://docs.enginsight.com/docs/knowledge-base/english/logging/where-do-i-find-which-enginsight-logs)
* [How can I retrieve the logs of the Enginsight component Watchdog?](https://docs.enginsight.com/docs/knowledge-base/english/logging/how-can-i-retrieve-the-logs-of-the-enginsight-component-watchdog)
* [How does the Enginsight Watchdog behave on the network?](https://docs.enginsight.com/docs/knowledge-base/english/watchdog/how-does-the-enginsight-watchdog-behave-on-the-network)
* [How can I scan public IP address ranges with the Enginsight Watchdog?](https://docs.enginsight.com/docs/knowledge-base/english/watchdog/how-can-i-scan-public-ip-address-ranges-with-the-enginsight-watchdog)

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