Set up a network action (switch, router, firewall, ...)
Actions allow to query switches, routers, printers, websites, ... through a pool of agents. It is possible to create a virtual agent called "Device" or to use an existing agent.
Creating a Device
The use of a device will be recommended to monitor equipment on which an agent cannot be installed directly. Defining a network action on an agent will be useful if this agent hosts a web service for example.
- Position yourself on a node then right click "New device".
- The device appears, you can rename it
An agent pool is a set of agents chosen to supervise devices on which it is not possible to install a traditional agent (switch, printer, router, ...).
Create an agent pool
Go to a node and click on the "Configuration" menu then "Agent Pool".
Enter the name and a comment (optional). Then click on "Add".
At first glance, the visible details are:
the name of the pool
the number of agents present
the availability rate
the number of network targets
the "delete" button allows, as its name indicates, to delete a pool of agents provided that it is not assigned to any network target.
Attach agents to our pool
- expand the pool by clicking on the right arrow
- click on the "Add agents" button
- the available agents appear on the right, click on the button with a double arrow to the left to add more (the button with a heart indicates if the agent communicates well)
- (1) Our agent is now part of the pool.
- (2) The arrow at the bottom right allows you to list the network targets queried by our pool (it is not possible to delete a pool if it queries a network target, this will allow you to quickly view the information)
Delete an agent from our pool
- click on the trashcan button (immediate effect)
Access the network actions
- Position yourself on the device or directly on an agent.
- Click on "Configuration" and then "Plugins".
- Open "Network Actions"
- Two possible choices, "Apply a template" or "Add a new network target".
Apply a template
- Select the template (1)
- Select the agent pool (2)
- If required, enter the IP address (and community if SNMP template) (3)
- Click on "Apply" (4)
In our example, this is an SNMP template. Once applied, the targets are automatically added
Add a new network target
Several types of network actions are possible. It will be a pool of one or more agents that will query the target and then send the result in the form of a data curve.
However, it will only be possible to be alerted by email and/or SMS by Ping type actions (Communication and latency), HTTP request(s).
Ping
- Select "Ping" (1)
- Enter the IP address of the equipment (2)
- Enter a description (3). This will be included in the title of the data curve.
- Select the pool of agents that will query (4)
- Click on "Add" (5)
SNMP
- Depending on the version present on your equipment, choose "SNMP v1" or "SNMP v2c" (1)
- Enter the IP address of the equipment (2)
- Enter the name of the community (3)
- Enter the OID (4). To find it, you will have to browse the MIB of your equipment and then extract the OID you want.
- Choose the type of value to be wound up (5)
- Enter a description (3). This will be included in the title of the data curve.
- Select the pool of agents that will query (4)
- Click on "Add" (5)
HTTP(S)
- Choose "HTTP" or "HTTPS" (1)
- Enter the name or IP address of the site to be monitored (2)
- Choose the type of response: "No expected response", "Expected response begins with", "Expected response (Regular JavaScript)" (3)
- Enter a description (4). This will be included in the title of the data curve.
- Select the pool of agents that will query (5)
- Click on "Add" (6)
TCP
- Choose "TCP" (1)
- Enter the name or IP address of the site to be monitored (2)
- Enter the port number (3)
- You can send a string (or send nothing (4))
- You can wait for an answer that starts with... either a JavaScript regular expression, or wait for nothing (5)
- Enter a description (6). This will be included in the title of the data curve.
- Select the pool of agents that will query (7)
- Click on "Add" (8)
Data Charts
Each network action will be represented as a curve visible from the menu "Data" >> "Charts" >> "Network targets".
Device templates
A device template is presented as a pattern of network actions to be performed. This allows you to deploy these actions on all devices of a given type (e.g.: deploy the template containing "life test" and "black level" on all printers of a given model rather than on each one).
Device templates are designed for both device and server agents.
Access the templates
At a node, click on "Configuration" then "Templates" then "devices".
Create a template
- Fill in the name then click on "Create".
- You can then copy(1), edit(2) or delete(3) your custom templates
- You can copy (1) a template from the top nodes and the community. The copy will appear on the current node and you can manipulate it as if you had created it (2).
A network action allows data recovery when this is not possible with existing plugins or when the agent cannot be installed on the machine. For example, the "Ping" action on a printer allows to set up a life test.
Add an action in the template
- You can now add elements to the template. You can define by action :
o the type of network action: Ping, SNMPv1, SNMPv2c, HTTP, HTTPS, TCP
o the address (IP or URL to be filled in if necessary)
o Description (common to all device templates): Name of the network action for the template.
- Depending on the type of action, the fields to be filled in change.
IMPORTANT: You can choose whether a parameter will be configurable for each device or not. If you do not check the box of the corresponding parameter (ex: Address for the ping action), you must indicate an address that will be loaded with the template application. If you check the box, the field is grayed out and when applying the template on the device, you will be asked to enter an address.
For the "Ping" action :
You can choose to check the "Address" box.
For the "SNMPv1" and "SNMPv2c" actions:
You can enter the address (1), the community (2), the OID in numeric form (3) and choose the action (4).
The description always corresponds to the action name for the template.
Several data processing options are available :
* Plot the return value: will display the value of the collected data as a function of time
* Plot the differential value: will display the difference with the previous value.
* Analyze the return value : If the returned value is not numerical, it can be compared to a string that is indicated in response.
Based on these values, you can set up an alert.
You then need to define the criticality level (5), the duration (6), enable or disable escalation (7) and define the expression(8).
To define the expression (the trigger of the alert), help is available by clicking the question mark.
You can select the comparator (1) with the associated value (2) and add elements with the "AND" button.
Once your conditions have been added, click on the "Generate" button. The expression appears in the field below(3).
You can then click on the "Apply" button. The expression is copied in the field "Definition of the expression". You can also copy and paste the text.
Once your values are filled in, click on "Create" to add the network action to your template.
For the "HTTP" and "HTTPS" actions:
As for the previous actions, the address can be filled in immediately or at the creation of the device by checking or unchecking the corresponding box.
This type of action will retrieve the content of the web page at the indicated address. It will then be possible to analyze this content either by comparing the beginning to a response, or by using the javascript regular expression engine and find the requested string.
You can indicate an expected status code (1).
If the conditions are not met, an alert will be raised.
Managing network actions
After applying the template, your network actions appear.
It is possible to activate/deactivate the monitoring (1), to delete (2) the action or to edit it (3).
Clicking on the down arrow (4) displays the details of the action.
The following information is displayed:
- agent pool (1): indicates the agent pool which queries the device
By clicking on the "Edit" button, it is possible to modify the action type (1) with its parameters, description (2) and agent pool (3).
Once you have made your changes, click on the "Edit" button to validate them.