Automated Monitor Creation using Dynamic Update

Managing and monitoring large networks that are growing is a challenge. When infrastructure is added, operational monitoring needs to be configured. Any breakdown in the communication of these changes can lead to gaps in monitoring coverage and increased operational vulnerability. You can use the Dynamic Update feature to integrate SiteScope with other management tools and dynamically deploy server monitoring.

This section describes:

About SiteScope Dynamic Update
Usage Guidelines
The Dynamic Update Set Table
Adding a Dynamic Update Set
Data Source Options
SNMP MIB Search
Database Search

About SiteScope Dynamic Update

You can use Dynamic Update to automatically create and deploy SiteScope server availability monitoring based on information in an external datasource. SiteScope can regularly query this datasource for new IP addresses to monitor. SiteScope can query a SNMP MIB or, alternatively, a database, and then automatically create a set of server availability monitors for each new IP address that is found.

Dynamic Update makes use of Monitor Set templates to determine which types of monitors to create for each new server instance. You can create multiple Dynamic Update sets using different data sources, monitor set templates, and update settings.

Usage Guidelines

Use Dynamic Update feature to rapidly deploy SiteScope monitoring when deploying SiteScope for the first time in a network or data center. You enable this feature by creating one or more Dynamic Update sets and specifying an update frequency. SiteScope will automatically create monitors based on the associated template whenever it detects new records in the target data source. The Dynamic Update set remains active until deleted from the Dynamic Update Set Table.

To create a new Dynamic Update Set using an external SNMP console you will need the following:

A Monitor Set template with the monitor types and configurations you want to use for all automatically created server monitoring
An SNMP console with a MIB accessible to the SiteScope server
SNMP MIB, Object ID, Community connection URL,
The username and password, as necessary, for SiteScope to access the SNMP console or MIB

To create a new Dynamic Update Set using an external database you will need the following:

A Monitor Set template with the monitor types and configurations you want to use for all automatically created server monitoring
A JDBC compliant database accessible to the SiteScope server with a database table containing IP addresses of the servers you want SiteScope to monitor
The database name, the name of the table containing the IP address data, and the field name containing the IP addresses
The username and password, as necessary, for SiteScope to access the database

The Dynamic Update Set Table

From the General Preferences page click the Dynamic Update link under the navigation bar at the top of the page. This brings up the Dynamic Update Set page which lists in table format the currently defined Dynamic Update Sets. The Dynamic Update Set Table lists the following information on the currently defined Dynamic Update Sets.

Name

The user defined or default name for the Dynamic Update Set.

Server

The server name, gateway IP, or address of the server associated with each Dynamic Update Set.

Edit

Click the Edit link to edit the specifications for that Update Set.

Del

Click the Del link to delete the specifications for that Update Set. This is used to discontinue a Dynamic Update operation that was previously defined.

Check

Click the Check link to run a check of that Update Set by forcing SiteScope to run the update without waiting for the update frequency.

The Add a Dynamic Update Set link below the table is used to add a new Dynamic Update Set definition. Adding a Dynamic Update Set is described below.

Adding a Dynamic Update Set

Complete the items on the Dynamic Update form as follows. When the required items are complete, click theAdd Dynamic Update Set button to create and activate the update.

Template Set

Select Monitor Set Template to be used when creating new monitors for any new hosts detected by the SiteScope Dynamic Update. The template used for the Dynamic Update feature should be constructed so that the server IP address is the only input required to create the monitors in the set. See Working with Monitor Set Templates for more information.

Monitor Set Subgroup Name

Define the group name that will be applied to each new group of monitors created with the Monitor Set Template above. Normally, a new monitor group will be created for each new IP address detected by the Dynamic Update. The default group name defined by $NODE-IP$ will be the IP address of the node or server. You can add a text string to the group name box to be included in the group name. For example, $NODE-IP$ Server Group

Note: It is recommended that you include the $NODE-IP$ variable as part of the group name field to ensure that a unique subgroup name is created and avoid possible problems of duplicate group names.

Optionally, you can delete the contents of this box and leave it blank. This will cause all the monitors created by the Dynamic Update to be added as individual monitors to the group specified in the Group Name box below.

Group Name

Enter a text string as the group name that will be created as a container group for all monitor subgroups created using this Dynamic Update Set.

SiteScope Parent Group

Select an existing SiteScope monitor group from the drop-down list to which the Group named above will be added. You can make the group and its subgroups a part of another monitor group you have defined or select --SiteScope Panel -- to have the group added as a top level group directly to the SiteScope main panel.

Update every

Enter how frequently the SiteScope Dynamic Update should check the SNMP MIB or database for new IP addresses. The frequency is entered in seconds although you may want to calculate a value equivalent to many hours or even several days, depending on the rate servers are being added to the network. To discontinue a Dynamic Update, delete the set definition from the Dynamic Update Set Table.

Exclude IP

Enter any IP addresses to be excluded from the Update Set. For example, you may want to exclude the default gateway IP if it represents a load balancing server or device . To exclude multiple IP addresses, enter them into the text box and separate them by commas. To exclude a range of IP addresses, use the * (asterisk) wildcard character. For example, entering 12.3.4.* will exclude all IP addresses in the range 12.3.4.0 to 12.3.4.999 range.

Title

Enter a name for this Dynamic Update Set. This name appears in the Name column on the Dynamic Update Set table when you open Dynamic Update page. If you do not enter a name, a default name will be created.

Data Source Options

The Dynamic Update currently supports two data source options for reading network information. One option is to have SiteScope connect to and walk through a SNMP Management Information Base (MIB) and check for new node IP addresses associated with a specific Object ID (OID). The second option is to have SiteScope query a database for a list of IP addresses. These options are mutually exclusive within a single Dynamic Update Set, meaning that one Dynamic Update Set can either walk a SNMP MIB or query a database but not both. You can create separate Dynamic Update Set definitions to query different data sources.

SNMP MIB Search

Complete the MIB Search section to have SiteScope connect to and walk through a SNMP Management Information Base (MIB), check for new node IP addresses, and automatically create monitor groups for the new IP's.

Server Address: The server address or console where the SNMP MIB is found. Enter the address as a UNC style name (For example:\\servername) or the IP address of the server.
SNMP Object ID: Select the root OID for the SNMP object that returns the node IP addresses to be monitored by the Dynamic Update. Use the selection box for the default OID for F5 Big-IP servers or select the other option and enter the Object ID information in the Other box to the right of the selection box.
Pool Included: Check this box if the pool IP Address is included in the result of the OID walk. This applies to F5 Big-IP servers .
Community: Enter the community variable for the SNMP MIB. The default is community is public

Database Search

Complete the Database Search section to have SiteScope connect to and query a JDBC-compliant database, check for new IP addresses, and automatically create monitor groups for the new IP's.

Database Connection URL: Enter a URL to a Database Connection. The easiest way to create a database connection is to use ODBC to create a named connection to a database. For example, first use the ODBC control panel to create a connection called test. Then, enter jdbc:odbc:test in this box as the connection URL. Save the changes and then complete the Database Search section.
Database Driver: Enter the Java class name of the JDBC database driver used for database connections. The sun.jdbc.odbc.JdbcOdbcDriver uses ODBC to make Database connections. The com.inet.tds.TdsDriver can be used to connect to Microsoft SQL Server databases. If a custom driver is used, the driver must also be installed in the <SiteScope install path>/SiteScope/java directory.
SQL Query: Enter the SQL query to run against a table in the database specified above that will return the list of IP addresses to be monitored. This database table should be a table that is used to record the server addresses that are currently in the network or are added to the network. The table records must include a field containing the server UNC name or IP address without any additional text or description in the same field.
Database Username: Enter the username used to login to the database.
Database Password: Enter the password used to login to the database as the user entered above.
Connection Timeout: Enter a timeout value, in seconds, that SiteScope should wait for a database connection.
Note: The sum of the Connection Timeout value and Query Timeout value should always be less than the Update Frequency value for the Dynamic Update Set.
Query Timeout: Enter a timeout value, in seconds, that SiteScope should wait for a database query to return results.
Note: The sum of the Connection Timeout value and Query Timeout value should always be less than the Update Frequency value for the Dynamic Update Set.