Two examples explaining Groups and Dependencies:

1. E-commerce solutions often include a number of components, such as Web server, SQL database and product delivery device. If a single component stops working correctly the store may be out of business and an action might be required explaining the problem to customers. Groups make it possible to collect all the components under one name. Dependencies make it possible to Alert on behalf of the group.
2. Most Web enterprises have at least one Router and many services and devices depend on the ability of that router to route data. If it stops working correctly, it is conceivable that many Monitors, possibly hundreds could fail (depending on physical placement of software and equipment). With all dependent Monitors grouped under one name, Dependencies make it possible to alert the appropriate network administrator once rather than hundreds of times.

By default ipMonitor automatically creates the "Global (All Monitors)" group. Each and every Monitor created is then added to the Global group. The Global group cannot be deleted, nor may ipMonitor be configured to operate without it.

For smaller enterprises, the Global group may be all grouping that is required to manage 10 to 20 Monitors efficiently. If this is your situation you can completely ignore Groups and Dependencies (use only the Global group). At any point in the future, groups and dependencies can be added.

Groups:

A Group is a collection of Members (configured monitors). This includes any monitors that the entire group is dependent upon to function.

How Groups Relate to Monitoring:

For the purpose of monitoring, the entire group inherits the most critical state of all relevant monitors. The state of each Group is determined by the state of both the monitors that are in the group, and the monitors that the group is dependent upon to function.