> #### Creating an HTTP resource monitor

> You can create an HTTP resource monitor to determine a Web site's availability.

> To define an HTTP monitor:

> 1. Select Resources from the menu bar. The Fathom Resources page appears.
> 2. Click New Resource Monitor.
> 3. Click HTTP. The Create HTTP Monitor page appears:

> You can now set up the resource monitor's properties.

> ##### Setting up an HTTP resource's properties

> You must set properties for an HTTP resource you create.

> To set the HTTP resource monitor's properties:

> 1. Enter the name of the HTTP monitor in the Name field.
> A maximum of 32 alphanumeric characters and underscores are allowed.

> 2. Enter the HTTP monitor description in the Description field.
> 3. Enter the name of the URL to monitor in the URL field.
> HTTP is the only supported protocol. If the URL does not begin with `http://`, Fathom prepends it.

> 4. Enter the name and port number of the proxy server in the Proxy server field that identifies this URL (optional). The correct format to enter this information is `<`proxy`>:<`port`>`.
> 5. Enter a set of name-value pairs to be appended to the URL in the Form Data field.
> 6. Enter HTTP headers, one per line, in the HTTP headers field.
> The acceptable header format is `<`header name:header value>. Field names are case insensitive.

> The following example shows HTTP headers using this format:

>     Accept:img/*;q=0.0,img/gif;q=0.0,text/*;q=0.0

> 7. Decide whether you want Fathom to allow the server to set cookies. The Accept cookies option is selected by default; clear the option if you do not want the server to set cookies.
> Cookies are not retained as persistent to the disk.

> 8. Decide whether you want to enable the HTTP monitor. The Polling Enabled option is selected by default; clear the option if you want to turn polling off for the monitor.

> You can now set the HTTP monitor's authentication properties.

> ##### Setting an HTTP monitor's Authentication properties

> Setting HTTP resource authentication properties is optional. However, depending on the Web site you are accessing, values might be required in these fields. For example, if you intend to link to a site that is typically secured, such as a bank's Web site, you might need to supply values in all the authentication fields. In contrast, public Web sites that are interested in providing information to all users who want access to information generally do not require an authenticated connection.

> To set the HTTP resource monitor's authentication properties:

> 1. Enter the name of the URL realm that you want to access in the URL realm field.
> 2. Enter the name of the authenticated user in the URL user name field. The value you provide in this field is not authenticated when you enter this information.
> 3. Enter the password associated with the user name in the URL password field.
> 4. If accessing your URL involves a proxy server, also enter the following values:
> 1. Enter the name of the realm associated with the proxy server in the Proxy Server realm field.
> 2. Enter the name of the user in the Proxy server user name field.
> 3. Enter the password associated with the user name in the Proxy server password field.
> 4. Click Save. The Create Monitoring Plan page for the HTTP Monitor appears:

> You can now set up the HTTP resource monitor's monitoring plans.

> ##### Setting up the HTTP resource monitoring plans

> You determine the monitoring plan and rules for an HTTP resource monitor you create.

> To establish HTTP resource monitoring plans and rules:

> 1. Click on the Available Schedules drop-down list to select a schedule.
> 2. As necessary, change the default number that appears in the Polling Interval field.
> 3. To disable the alerts option, clear the Alerts Enabled option.
> If you leave this option selected, you should review and possibly change the additional alert-related fields presented in the Rule definition section. See the "Editing rules for the HTTP resource monitor" section for more information.

> 4. Select the Trend Performance Data option to turn on the option to store data to the FathomTrendDatabase.
> 5. As necessary, change the default number that appears in the Trend Performance Data every field. See the "Trending considerations for network resources" section for more information about the Trend Performance Data option and the Trend Performance Data every field.
> 6. Click Save. The Edit status rule page appears:

> You can now edit the HTTP resource monitor's rules.

> ##### Editing rules for the HTTP resource monitor

> You can edit all of the rules-related definitions for an HTTP resource monitor.

> The following status rule definition fields are unique to the HTTP resource monitor:

> - The Enable status rule option allows you to either enable or disable all of the criteria specified in the rule definition.
> - The Alert if URL was redirected option triggers an alert to inform you that the URL was redirected to a page other than the one you expected to access. This alert is generated even if the response time and status code results are acceptable. You can also set the boolean expression Alert if response time greater than or no response within xx milliseconds for each of these phrases.

> Figure 6–1 shows the Edit content rule page.

> Figure 6–1: Editing the content rule definition for an HTTP monitor

> You can edit all of the rules-related definitions on this page.

> The Enable content rule option is unique to the HTTP resource monitor. The option allows you to either enable or disable all of the criteria specified in the rule definition. This page defines two means to determine the validity of the page returned, based on your URL definition. You can set one or both of the following fields:

> - Page is static, use hashcode comparison
> Select this option if the page associated with the URL you have defined is static. If the data displayed on the page does not change, Fathom performs a compare based on hashcode details.

> - Alert if search string found in page
> Select this option when you know a particular string should appear on the page you want to access.

> ##### Reviewing the HTTP resource monitor settings

> When you finish setting up an HTTP monitor and you click Save, you view a summary of the various values you entered or accepted, as shown in Figure 6–2.

> Figure 6–2: HTTP Monitor resource summary

> Click Status rule to display status rule definition data; click Content rule to display content rule definition data. On each of the pages that appears, you can choose to edit values.

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