In Server Check 1.5.230821 we introduced a new “Time Until Parent Is Stale” setting.

This setting allows you to specify how long a parent monitor’s result is valid for, in the case of any of its child monitors. Before a child monitor is checked, it looks at its parent’s last result, and if this result has gone “stale” (i.e. is older than the number of seconds set in the “Time Until Parent Is Stale” setting), it will tell the parent to run again just before the child is run.

This means that a parent monitor can be set to run very infrequently, for example, every 15 minutes, but if it has any child monitors that run more frequently, the parent monitor might be run much more often so that its result is never “stale” before one of its child monitors runs.

These extra monitor checks still show in the parent as regular checks, and will appear in its charts etc. just as with normal results.

This setting is set to 60 seconds by default, to ensure that a parent monitor result is never too old, but the setting can be disabled entirely by setting “Time Until Parent Is Stale” to 0 (zero). With the setting disabled, any child monitors will be checked as normal, but the parent monitor won’t be re-checked first. The parent monitor will continue to be checked on its own regular cycle, independent of its child monitors.

Server Check does not install itself as a Windows Service, and is not designed to be installed as a Windows Service.

Instead, Server Check can be set to run as the current user when Windows starts.

You can optionally use an “auto logon” utility, or simply remove the need to enter a password, if you want Windows to automatically log into your user account and show the Windows desktop automatically when it boots or restarts.

Server Check monitors sites and servers by sending very small packets of data, which should not affect the performance of your systems in any way. Analytics will generally not be affected either, as most analytics mechanisms rely on loading javascript files and other website assets that Server Check does not request or require for its monitor checks.

Server Check monitor requests will probably be found in some of your website logs, but nowhere else.

Yes, you can add, cancel and change your subscription choices at any time.

To add a new subscription to your account, select the type of license and subscription frequency (monthly or annual), and place your order in the usual way. You will then find details of your new subscription and license key in your Server Check account.

To cancel an existing subscription, visit the “My Subscriptions” tab in your Server Check account, select the subscription you wish to cancel, and click the “Cancel” button.

To change an existing subscription to a different type, e.g. if you wish to change from a monthly subscription to an annual subscription, we recommend adding the new subscription type to your account first, and then cancelling the old subscription. You will receive a new license key for the new subscription type. Remember that the previous license key will continue to work for the remaining time left on the subscription linked to it, and for as long as payments continue to be made on that subscription if it is not cancelled.

There are two versions of Server Check that are completely free to use.

The free unregistered version can be downloaded, installed and used forever without requiring a license. Up to 10 monitors can be added, but the monitor types are restricted to HTTP checks and Ping checks, and the minimum time between checks is five minutes. No SMS credits are included.

The free registered version removes the five minute limit on monitor checks, so checks can be made as frequently as every 10 seconds, and all monitor types are available in this version. A small number of SMS credits are included when you first register the free version.

If you already own a full Server Check license (not a subscription) and want to upgrade to add more monitors, you do not need to purchase the upgrade at its full cost. You simply need to pay the upgrade cost (see here) to move from one license to another. Please note that we do not offer license downgrades.

To make any changes, please get in touch via chat, email or telephone with the details of your license and upgrade request.

You can also change your subscription choices. If you want to move from a monthly subscription to an annual subscription or vice-versa, you can change your subscription options by visiting the “My Subscriptions” tab in your Server Check account. Payment for the new subscription type will not be taken until the current subscription period ends. For example, if you have a monthly subscription and change to an annual subscription, you will only be charged the full amount for the annual subscription when the monthly subscription period that you have already paid for comes to an end and the subscription renewal is due.

Yes, Server Check requires internet access to perform its core function, internet service monitoring. It also needs internet access to activate correctly and to periodically (usually once a day) keep your license valid and to check for software updates.