Managing Your Infrastructure

1. In the My Infrastructure panel, click Add System/Network Device.

2. Enter a descriptive name for the server in the Display name in up.time field.
   This name will appear in the up.time interface. A system can have a different display name than the hostname. For example, you can assign the display name Toronto Mail Server to a system with the host name 10.1.1.6 . This way, IP addresses are stored in up.time but a more descriptive or meaningful name is displayed in the up.time Web interface.
3. Optionally, enter a description of the system in the Description field.
4. Select one of the following options from the Type of System/Device dropdown list:
   
   • Agent
   • Net-SNMP v2
   • Net-SNMP v3
   • Network Device
   • Novell NRM
   • pSeries LPAR Server (VIO)
   • pSeries LPAR Server (HMC)
   • Virtual Node
   • VMware ESX
   • VMware vCenter Server
   • WMI Agentless (only present on Monitoring Stations running on Windows)
5. Enter the host name of the system in the Host Name field.
   The host name can be the actual name of the machine that up.time will be monitoring. You can also enter an IP address in this field.
6. If applicable, enter the port number at which you will be connecting to the system in the Port field.
   In most cases, you can use the default port.
7. Configure the system- or device-specific settings:
   
   • If you selected Agent in step 4 and want to securely access the system, click the Use SSL option.
     Note: If the up.time Agent’s information has been globally configured in the Config section, the agent port and SSL options will not appear.
   • If you selected Net-SNMP v2in step 4, enter information in the following fields:
     
     • SNMP Port
       The port on which the Net-SNMP instance is listening.
     • Read Community
       A string that acts like a user ID or password, giving you access to the Net-SNMP instance.
       Common read communities are public (enables you to retrieve read-only information from the device) and private (enables you to access all information on the device).
   • If you selected Net-SNMP v3 in step 4, enter information in the following fields:
     
     • SNMP Port
       The port on which the Net-SNMP instance is listening.
     • Username
       The name that is required to connect to the Net-SNMP instance.
     • Authentication Password
       The password that is required to connect to the Net-SNMP instance.
     • Authentication Method (optional)
       From the list, select one of the following options, which will determine how encrypted information travelling between the Net-SNMP instance and up.time will be authenticated:
       
       • MD5: A widely-used method for creating digital signatures used to authenticate and verify the integrity of data.
       • SHA: A secure method of creating digital signatures. SHA is considered the successor of MD5 and is widely used with network and Internet data transfer protocols.
     • Privacy Password
       The password that will be used to encrypt information travelling between the Net-SNMP instance and up.time .
     • Privacy Type (optional)
       From the list, select one of the following options, that determine how information travelling between the Net-SNMP instance and up.time will be encrypted:
       
       • DES: An older method used to encrypt information.
       • AES: The successor to DES, which is used with a variety of software that require encryption including SSL servers.

   Note - You can set both the authentication and password types, only one of them, or neither.

   • If you selected Network Device in step 4, and it uses version 2 of the SNMP protocol, complete the following fields:
     
     • SNMP Port
       The port on which the network device is listening.
     • Read Community
       A string that acts like a user ID or password, giving you access to the network device instance.
       Common read communities are public (enables you to retrieve read-only information from the device) and private (enables you to access all information on the device).
     • Is Node Pingable?
       This options specifies whether up.time can contact the node using the ping utility.
       There are scenarios in which you might not want the node to be pingable (e.g., you have a firewall in place). Before selecting this check box, you should try to contact the node using the ping utility. If you cannot ping the node, ensure the check box is left cleared. Then, change the default host check for the node. See Changing Host Checks for more information.
     • Exports NetFlow Data to Scrutinizer?
       If Scrutinizer has been integrated with up.time , and is also receiving NetFlow data from the node, select this check box. You will then be able to call a Scrutinizer instance directly from the node’s Graphing tab in up.time.
       
       Note that if global SNMP details have been configured in the Config section, none of these options will appear, or need to be configured.
   • If you selected Network Device in step 4, and it uses version 3 of the SNMP protocol, complete the following fields:
     
     • SNMP Version
       Change this to v3 to reveal configuration options relevant to version 3 of the SNMP protocol.
     • SNMP Port
       The port on which the network device is listening.
     • Username
       The name that is required to connect to the network device.
     • Authentication Password
       The password that is required to connect to the network device.
     • Authentication Method (optional)
       From the list, select an option that will determine how encrypted information travelling between the network device and up.time will be authenticated:
       
       • MD5: A widely-used method for creating digital signatures used to authenticate and verify the integrity of data.
       • SHA: A secure method of creating digital signatures. SHA is considered the successor of MD5 and is widely used with network and Internet data transfer protocols.
     • Privacy Password
       The password that will be used to encrypt information travelling between the network device and up.time.
     • Privacy Type (optional)
       From the list, select an option that will determine how information travelling between the network device and up.time will be encrypted:
       
       • DES: An older method used to encrypt information.
       • AES: The successor to DES, which is used with a variety of software that require encryption including SSL servers.
       Note - You can set both the authentication and password types, only one of them, or neither.
     • Is Node Pingable?
       This option specifies whether up.time can contact the node using the ping utility.
       There are scenarios in which you might not want the node to be pingable (e.g., you have a firewall in place). Before selecting this check box, you should try to contact the node using the ping utility. If you cannot ping the node, ensure the check box is left cleared. Then, change the default host check for the node. See Changing Host Checks for more information.
     • Exports NetFlow Data to Scrutinizer?
       If Scrutinizer has been integrated with up.time , and is also receiving NetFlow data from the node, select this check box. You will then be able to call a Scrutinizer instance directly from the node’s Graphing tab in up.time .
       
       Note that if global SNMP details have been configured in the Config section, none of these options will appear, or need to be configured.
   • If you selected Novell NRMin step 4, enter information in the following fields:
     
     • Username
       The user name that is required to access the Novell NRM Web interface.
     • Password
       The password that is required to access the Novell Web interface.
   • If you selected VMware ESXin step 4, enter information in the following fields:
     
     • User Name
       The user name required to log into the VMware ESX server.
     • Password
       The password required to log into the VMware ESX server.
   • If you selected VMware vCenter Serverin step 4, enter information in the following fields:
     
     • User Name
       The name of the VMware vCenter administrator account.
     • Password
       The password for the VMware vCenter account.
     • Notification Settings
       When a vSync operation is performed to check for changes to the VMware vCenter inventory, these check boxes indicate whether up.time will send notifications about, or perform scripted actions in response to, newly discovered ESX servers or VMs. (For more information, see Managing vSync.)
     • Additional VM Guest Performance Data Collection
       These options enable additional monitoring for VMware vCenter VMs using the up.time agent or WMI. (See Standalone Monitoring for vCenter VMs.)
       For the up.time agent, indicate the port on which it is listening, and whether it is securely communicating with up.time using SSL.
       For data collection via WMI, indicate the host and domain on which WMI has been implemented, and the username and password required for access.
   • If you selected WMI Agentless in step 4, enter information in the following fields:
     
     • Windows Domain
       The Windows domain in which WMI has been implemented.
     • User Name
       The name of the account with access to WMI on the Windows domain.

     • Password
       The password for the account with access to WMI on the windows domain.

     Note that if global WMI credentials have been defined in the Config section, none of these options will appear, or need to be configured.

8. If you want to associate this system with a group, select the name of the group from the Group dropdown list.
   See Working with Groups for more information on defining groups.
9. If you want to associate this system with a service group, select the name of the group from the Service Group dropdown list.
   See Service Groups for more information.
10. Click Save .
    A window listing general information about the system you have added appears.
11. If you want to add another system or network device, click Add Another . Then, repeat steps 2 to 14.
    Otherwise, click Close .
12. Click Save.

Net-SNMP

The up.time SNMP monitor also supports Net-SNMP, which is a suite of command line and graphical applications that do the following:

• request information from SNMP agents
• set information on SNMP agents
• generate and handle SNMP traps

To take advantage of the Net-SNMP features, you must:

• Install and configure the Net-SNMP application suite on your server. Visit http://net-snmp.sourceforge.net for more information:
• Have a Net-SNMP agent already installed on the host or hosts that you want to monitor. The Net-SNMP HOST-RESOURCES-MIB (used to gather performance statistics from a host) must also be enabled. See the Net-SNMP documentation for details.
• Add a Net-SNMP Element to up.time . For more information, see Adding Systems or Network Devices.

Supported Versions of SNMP

The up.time SNMP monitor works with the following versions of SNMP:

• v2

The second implementation of the SNMP protocol, which contains additional protocol operations as well as improved security and data authentication.

• v3

The latest implementation of the SNMP protocol, which adds security and privacy features that are missing in versions 1 and 2 of the protocol.

See SNMP Poller and Network Device Port Monitor for more information.

WMI Requirements

In order to monitor agentless systems through WMI in a secure environment (e.g., through a firewall), you need to create an exception for WMI on the host end. For example, to allow WMI access through Windows Firewall, refer to the following MSDN articles:

• for Windows XP or Windows Server 2003:
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa389286%28v=VS.85%29.aspx
• for Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008:
  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa822854%28v=VS.85%29.aspx

Adding a WMI System to up.time

To add an agentless WMI system to up.time , do the following:

1. On the up.time tool bar, click My Infrastructure , then click Add System/Network Device .
2. Complete the Display name in up.time and Description fields.
   See Adding Systems or Network Devices for more information.
3. Select WMI Agentless from the Type of System/Device dropdown list.
4. In the Host Name field, enter the actual name or IP address of the machine that up.time will be monitoring.
5. Select the Use WMI Global Credentials check box if they have been configured, and you would like to use them (see Configuring Global WMI Credentials for more information); otherwise complete the following fields:
   
   • Windows Domain
     The Windows domain in which WMI has been implemented.
   • Username
     The name of the account with access to WMI on the Windows domain.
   • Password
     The password for the account with access to WMI on the windows domain.
6. If you want to associate this system with a group, select its name from the Group dropdown list.
7. If you want to associate this system with a Service Group, select its name Service Group dropdown list.
8. Click Save .

Switching an Element to WMI Data Collection

To change the data collection source for an individual Windows Element from the up.time Agent to WMI, do the following:

Switching an Element to Agent-Based Data Collection

To change the data collection source for an individual Windows Element from WMI to the up.time Agent, do the following:

Converting Multiple Elements to WMI Data Collection

To change multiple agent-based Elements to use WMI for data collection, do the following

Converting Multiple Elements to Agent-Based Data Collection

To change multiple WMI Elements to use the up.time Agent for data collection, do the following

1. Ensure a global up.time Agent configuration exists (see Configuring Global WMI Credentials for more information).
2. On the up.time tool bar, click Config .
3. In the tree panel, click Bulk Element Conversion .
4. In the WMI Elements section, select the check boxes that correspond to the WMI Elements whose data collection method is to be changed to the up.time Agent.
5. Click Convert to Agent.
   When the conversion is complete, the lists of agent-based and WMI Elements will be refreshed to reflect the changes.

Adding a Novell NRM System to up.time

To add a Novell NRM version 6.5 system to up.time , do the following:

1. On the up.time tool bar, click My Infrastructure and then click the Add System/Network Device tab.
2. Complete the Display name in up.time and Description fields.
   See Adding Systems or Network Devices. for more information.
3. Select Novell NRM from the Type of System/Device dropdown list.
4. Complete the following fields:
   
   • Host name
     The actual name of the machine that up.time will be monitoring, or the IP address of the machine.
   • Port
     The port on which the NRM is listening. The default is 8008 for a port that is not using SSL. The default for a port that is using SSL is 8009 .
   • Username
     The NRM administrator account name. This field is mandatory.
   • Password
     The NRM administrator password. This field is mandatory.
     Note - The password is encrypted and stored in the up.time DataStore.
5. If you want to associate this system with a group, select its name from the Group dropdown list.
6. If you want to associate this system with a Service Group, select its name Service Group dropdown list.
7. Click Save .

NRM Statistics Captured by up.time

up.time captures the following Novell NRM system (version 6.5) statistics:

Each statistic returns one of the following statuses:

• Good

The statistic is well within the threshold suspect value.

• Suspect

The statistic is between the threshold good and critical values.

• Bad

The statistic is greater than the threshold critical value.

Creating a Hosts File

There are a number of ways in which you can create a hosts file. The simplest way is to use a text editor to type the entries in a file. If you have a large number of systems to add, you can copy and paste an entry, and modify the fields as needed.

If you keep a list of all the systems in your environment in a spreadsheet, you can save the list as a text file or a comma separated values ( .csv ) file. Then, you can write a script that can manipulate the text or .csv file into the proper format.

Fields in the Hosts File

The following table explains the fields that you can include in the hosts file.The fields that are needed to add a system will vary depending on the type of system that you want to add. For example, to add an agent system you only need to include the Host Name, Type, and Port fields. See Working with Systems for more information.

Adding Multiple Systems to up.time

To add multiple systems to up.time , do the following:

1. Copy the hosts file to the directory in which you installed the up.time Monitoring Station.
2. At the command line, navigate to the scripts folder.
   For example, if you installed the Monitoring Station in the default location on a Windows system, navigate to the following folder:
   C:\Program Files\uptime software\uptime\scripts\
3. Enter the following command:
   addsystem <path_and_filename>
   Where <path_and_filename> is the name of the text file that contains the list of systems that you want to add to up.time along with its full path.
   The systems listed in the file are added to up.time, unless:
   • up.time cannot connect to the system.
   • The system does not exist in your environment.
   • The system has already been added to up.time .

Examples of Hosts File Entries

The following table contains sample host file entries for each type of system that you can add to up.time :

1. In the My Infrastructure panel, click Add Application .
2. In the Add Application window, enter a descriptive name for the Application in the Name of Application field.
   This name will appear in both the My Infrastructure and Global Scan panels.
3. Optionally, enter a description for the Application in Description of Application field.
4. Optionally, select the group of systems in your up.time environment with which this system will be associated from the Parent Group dropdown list.
   By default, the Application is added to the My Infrastructure group.
   For more information on groups, see Working with Groups.
5. In the Application Status section, define how many master service monitors must be in a warning- or critical-level state to affect the Application as a whole.
   You can include a defined number, a percentage or all master service monitors in this condition.
6. Select one of the following options from the dropdown list above the Available Master Service Monitors list:
   
   • the name of a specific system, which displays all its service monitors
   • All , which displays all service monitors for every system in your environment
7. Select one or more of the service monitors from the Available Master Service Monitors list, and then click Add .
8. Select one of the following options from the dropdown list above the Available Regular Service Monitors list:
   
   • the name of a specific system, which displays all its service monitors
   • All , which displays all service monitors for every system in your environment
9. Select one or more of the service monitors from the Available Regular Service Monitors list and then click Add .
10. Click Save .
    After closing the Add Application window, the name of the newly created Application appears in the My Infrastructure panel as a link that can be clicked to view the Application’s details.
11. If required, associate Alert Profiles with the Application by clicking Edit Alert Profiles when viewing the Application’s details.
12. In the Alert Profile Selector pop-up window, select one or more of the Available Alert Profiles from the list, then click Save .
13. If required, associate Action Profiles with the Application by clicking Edit Action Profiles when viewing the Application’s details.
14. In the Action Profile Selector pop-up window, select one or more of the Available Action Profiles from the list, then click Save .

To add a nested group, do the following:

1. In the My Infrastructure panel, click Add Group .
2. Enter a descriptive name for the group in the Group Name field.
3. Optionally, enter a description of the group in the Group Description field.
4. Select the group with which the new one will be associated from the Parent Group dropdown list.
5. To give this nested group its own subgroups, select one or more entries from the Available Groups list, then click Add .
6. Select the Elements that you want to add to this group from the Available Elements list, and then click Add .
7. Select one or more sets of users who can view this group from the Available User Groups list, and then click Add .
8. Click Save .

Adding a Nested View

To add a nested view, do the following:

1. In the Infrastructure panel, click Add View .
2. In the Add View window, enter a descriptive name in the View Name field.
   This name will appear when listing views in the Infrastructure panel.
3. Optionally, enter a description in View Description field.
4. In the Parent View dropdown list, select the view to which this nested view will be subordinate.
5. To give this nested view its own child views, select one or more entries from the Available Element Views list, then click Add .
6. Select one or more users who can view this group from the Available Users list, then click Add .
7. To add previously defined groups of users, select one or more entries from the Available User Groups list, then click Add .
8. Click Save .