Host object

Introduction

The host object is the most important object of the Directory. The host term was used initially to define a system hosting applications in either Unix or computing environment. Later on, hosts became connected to networks and started to use a common communication protocol (TCP/IP).

In LoriotPro the host term is used for any devices, it could be a user workstation, a printer, a server, a router object, a switch. From a more technical vision, each time a device has an IP address, LoriotPro needs a host object for manipulating it.� Routers have multiple IP addresses (sometimes servers too) and thus are viewed by LoriotPro has multiple hosts in each corresponding IP subnet. At first, the host concept of LoriotPro seems complex but it provides a unique way of SNMP polling of any single IP address.

Host object creation

The host object creation has already been explained in the previous chapter. The insertion of a host is made either manually from menu option or by the Discover process. When adding a new host in the tree only few parameters are available to the user to simplify the insert operation. However, as host parameters are abundant another window allows an advanced setup.

By default, a host is created under a container object of Network type. A network object represents an IP subnet and a host is usually attached to a network. However, a host object could be attached to a container, which is not of network type, and therefore administrators could create a more organizational than topological view.

Remark: The software accepts to create or move a host in a container network object that does not fit with the host real IP network.

Manual host object Insertion

This paragraph will explain how to create a host with a concrete example.

Example: In this example, the host Server_Data with 10.33.10.129 IP address will be inserted in the Server Container of� �Organization Unit� type. This host has an SNMP agent with the public string as SNMP read community.

The organization unit is first created.

Organization unit Server creation

Now it is possible to insert a new host object. To do that, we choose to use the contextual menu.

Contextual menu��

Select Insert Object>Host

Or the main menu

Directory>Insert Object>Host

Host Insertion from the main menu

The following window appears and asks you few parameters.

Host Insertion window

The IP address of the Server_data host is known and we could fill up the other fields

Host object properties

The following table gives explanations on parameters of the insert host window.

Table of the host properties

Parameter	Functions
IP Address	The following table gives explanation on parameter of the insert host window.
Community RO	The Community string uses to access the devices SNMP object in read only mode
Community RW	The Community string uses to access the devices SNMP object in read or write mode
Name	The host name uses by LoriotPro. Remark : The Discover process performs a setup of this parameter by using either the SNMP Sysname object or the Netbios Name or the DNS name.
Polling in Seconds	This parameter defines the interval in seconds between two SNMP requests. This polling allows LoriotPro to determines if the device is still alive. Remark : It is preferable to not use values lower than 5 seconds. The following two parameters are used in association.
Snmp Polling	If this option is checked. The software performs a SNMP polling at the interval previously specified.
Ping Polling	If this option is checked a ping (echo request) is sent to the host at regular intervals specified in seconds. Remark: The SNMP polling is prioritized on the ping polling. If both are activated simultaneously, a valid SNMP polling will discard any ping polling. If the SNMP polling is unsuccessful then the ping polling will start. It may happen that a SNMP agent in a host fails to answer but the host is still working for all of its other applications. The status color will differ according to the current polling type. 0 = magenta when no polling is made 1 = Blue when IP polling 3 = yellow when starting to loose the connectivity 4 = Red when more than 3 consecutive requests have no reply
This host is a router (Next Hop)	This option should be checked is this host pertains to a router. Remark: This option is justified when using filter with the Discover process. A full chapter explains how works the Discover process
Add this host in an existing Directory tree	If this option is checked the host will be automatically insert in the container network that fits with the host IP address. Remark: This option works only if the network container is already created.
Enable the Discover process scanning to scan this host	If this option is checked, the Discover process filter uses it. The discovering from a set of targeted hosts is possible and allows a sort of vector distance discover. Remark: Look at the Discover process chapter for more details.
Snmp V2c	If this option is checked, LoriotPro will use the SNMP version 2 protocol to communicate with the host.
Snmp V3	If you choose the SNMP version 3, you will access a new configuration window.
Ping	Perform a ping (ICMP echo request) on the host
Ping Snmp	Perform a immediate SNMP request to the host and check that it answers on the get SysName command
Help	Display the html help.
Quit	Quit

When all these parameters are set, click the Add Host button.

Confirmation of the creation

An information window confirms you that the 10.33.10.129 has been inserted in the Directory. You could repeat the whole operation for a new host without leaving the configuration window. When it is finished press Quit.

Host Server_data inserted in the Directory

You could see then the Server_data object inserted in the Directory tree

Host advanced configuration

To access the advanced configuration options you should use the host property option from the menu.

Or from the contextual menu.

Host Properties contextual Menu

Directory>Object Properties

�
Object Properties option of the Directory Menu

The configuration window that appears, applies to the current selected object anyhow this object has been selected.

From the Host Tools Bar

Use the property icon

Host Tools Bar, Properties

You access the following advanced configuration setup screen.

Advanced host configuration window

Global host properties

The global parameter of a host are described hereafter:

Table of global parameter

Parametres

Functions

SNMP Agent IP Addr

This parameter is not configurable; it just shows you the host current IP address.

These two icons select the next or previous host in the Directory.

Is Alias Of

In some cases, it is necessary to have several configurations for the same host. The most common is when a host has multiple SNMP active profiles. LoriotPro can manage only one profile per SNMP agent. If your host has more than one agent, you could create a virtual host and declare it as an alias of the real one.

Remark : A next chapter discuss about this option.

Info

This button gives a short explanation on aliases.

RO Community

The Community string used to access the devices SNMP object in read only mode.

RW Community

The Community string used to access the devices SNMP object in read or write mode.

Name

The host name use by LoriotPro.

Remark :The Discover process performs a setup of this parameter by using either the SNMP Sysname object or the Netbios Name or the DNS name.

DNS Name R�solution

This function is used to gather the DNS name.

Remark: A DNS server address should be specified in the window configuration before installing LoriotPro and host names should be configured in your domain to have a successful answer.

LoriotPro support several version of the SNMP protocol. You should know what is the higher version supported by the host agent before selection.

By default, host support the version 1 of the SNMP protocol. If your host supports multiple versions, define aliases to use it all simultaneously.

Warning: The SNMP v3 is not working with an alias host.� Use the real IP address only and create alias that will handle version 2c and 1.

Set V3

If your host support version 3 you can set parameters here.

Warning: LoriotPro does not implement the totality of the protocol version 3. Cryptography is not supported due to International export restrictions.

If you select v3 the following window appears:

Remark:LoriotPro supports only two SNMP v3 modes:

Authentication	None
Authentication	HMAC-MD5-96
The selection of HMAAC-SHA-96 generates an error message.

You can check the proper working of the host agent by clicking the Init key button.

A window should appears with a successful message or the error message �

�

A GestNext is realized to confirm the v3 protocol sequence.

Bad answer the host is unknown.

�

After validation of the v3 parameter you can confirm them.

Snmp Port

This is the UDP port used by the host to receive SNMP request. The standard port used is 161.

Mac Address

If the Discover process gets the physical address (MAC) of the host, it should be displayed here.

Remark: You can manually set the address. You have to edit the defaut.ses file and use the keyword mac_address followed by the MAC address. The syntax of the MAC address is made of� 6 blocs of 2 hexadecimal digits separated by double dots.

Example :

host�� ::= ">10.33.10.130" {
�� ipaddress 10.33.10.130
�� uid 4259098971844116681
�� mac_address 52:54:05:C0:34:35:
�� communityro public
�� communityrw private
�� polling 60
�� sysservice 0
�� host_level� 1
�� map_x� 1010
�� map_y 305
�� map_x1� 70
�� map_y1 60
�� learned_from 10.33.10.121
�� }

Warning: Before modifying the file perform a copy of it.

Double click action

You could associate an executable file to the host object. This one will be automatically started when you will do a double click on the host icon.

The software uses the short cut process to take your parameter. For example, if you want to start a telnet you build the command line in the command line field and by using the tool buttons.

�

Options	Fonction
Link Name	Do not use
Insert IP Address	Insert the IP address of the host at the current cursor position.
Insert Community RO	Insert the read only community of the host at the current cursor position.
Insert Community RW	Insert the read write community of the host at the current cursor position
Browse	Allow you to select your executable program from the explorer window.
Test	Test your command line.
Command Line	The complete command line.

This button discards the command line

Remark: It is possible to associate multiple command lines to a host by using the �short cut� tasks.

Router ID

Not used.

Level

Give the number of hops (routers) between the selected host and the host use by the Discover process.

Learned From

If the host has been discovered by the Discover process, the IP address of the host, which has provided the information, is displayed. Actually, host information gather by the Discover process could be second hand information.

Go to Learned

Display the properties of the host which was used by the discover process to find the current host.

SysName

The SNMP SysName value if founded by request.

SysObjID

The SNMP SysObjID is founded by SNMP request.

ST : Not used

IS: is the SysServices SNMP

Status

The current status
0 = magenta when no polling is made
1 = Blue when IP polling
3 = yellow when starting to loose the connectivity
4 = Red when more than 3 consecutive requests have no reply.

This host is a router interface IP address

This option should be checked is this host (interface) pertains to a router.

Remark : This option is justified when using filters with the Discover process. A full chapter explains how works the Discover process.

Enable the Discover process to scan this host

If this option is checked the host will be automatically insert in the container network that fits with the host IP address.

The change Icon button allows you to change the associated icon. LoriotPro uses icons coming from the icons.ini file located in the /bin directory which is chosen by design regarding the SNMP SysObjID value.

File :� Icons.ini

cisco25 icons/c2500.ico
microso icons/ludoicon1.ico

In this example of a icons.ini file, the SysobjID of the host start by� the cisco25 string, thus the software will assign the c2500.ico located in the icon directory.

To change it, click on the icon button

The software suggests you the icons.ini file by default.

If you choose no, you will be able to select a file.

After your selection, the icon appears in the host window

Example of new icon on the Map.

User parameters

Administrators could define 3 parameters for each host. These parameters are character strings that helps to characterize the host.� These values could be use in the search tool to locate the host on various criteria.

Example:

�Table of the host parameter

Parameter	Functions
User 1 :	Use this parameter to save the character string number 1 called user 1. Example : Department name
User 2 :	Use this parameter to save the character string number 2 called user 2. Example : Department location
User 3 :	Use this parameter to save the character string number 2 called user 2. Example : Department floor
Example	Simple Reference complex reference Insertion of an URL link in user 1

This user parameters are very useful to find any object in the Directory on in a map.

Search in the Directory on a user parameter

In our example, the search key used is BAT23, obtained directly by a single click on the User 2 button. If the key is found, the software will display the first host of the Directory fulfilling the condition.

Warning: If multiple hosts have the same key, only the first host will be display. The User search keys do not use the Directory structure but an internal list where hosts are ordered by creation date.

Remark : The User 1 key is visible in the Health Control center.

Display of the� User 1 field in the HCC.

Only user 1 and user 2 parameters are visible from a Web navigator.

Host Polling parameters

On the main function of LoriotPro is to supervise devices, in other terms to send cyclic requests to host and maintain an up to date display of their status. The cyclic request or polling is fully configurable and conditional.

polling parameters

Table of polling parameters

Parameters

Functions

Polling interval(s)

This parameter defines the interval in seconds between two SNMP requests. This polling allows LoriotPro to determine if the device is still alive.

Remark: It is preferable to not use values lower than 5 seconds. The following two parameters are used in association.

Snmp Polling

If this option is checked. The software performs a SNMP polling at the interval previously specified.

Ping Polling

If this option is checked, a Ping (ICMP echo request) is send to the host at specified interval in seconds.

Remark:The SNMP polling is prioritized on the ping polling. If both are activated simultaneously, a valid SNMP polling will discard any ping polling. If the SNMP polling is unsuccessful then the ping polling will start. It may happen that a SNMP agent in a host fails to answer but the host is still working for all of its other applications.

The status color will differ according to the current polling type.
0 = magenta when no polling is made
1 = Blue when IP polling
3 = yellow when starting to loose the connectivity
4 = Red when more than 3 consecutive requests have no reply

Polled if actif

LoriotPro will first check that the IP address of this intermediate host is alive before polling. If it is not active, the polling is stopped and a message is sent to the event manager process. The process of polling restarts as soon as the intermediate host comes to live. This feature avoids unnecessary polling traffic to a remote site if an intermediate link or router is down.

Remark: The IP address of the intermediate host should exist in the Directory.

Polled if no Actif

LoriotPro will first check that the IP address of this intermediate host is not alive before polling. If it is not active, the polling is stopped and a message is sent to the event manager process. The process of polling restarts as soon as the intermediate host fails to answer.

This feature allows to check a backup link when the main link is down.

Remark: The IP address of the intermediate host should exist in the Directory.

Load Polling Script

By default LoriotPro� performs polling on the SNMP standard object SysName. However, it is possible do built specific request containing a set of MIB objects. The MIB Scripter tools allow you to build your own script that will be used by the polling process.

Example: To access the MIB scripter from the main menu

Tools> MIB Scripter�

Remark: The use of the MIB scripter is explained in a next chapter. The Scripter creates files with a .sci extension that contains a list of SNMP object to collect.

When you click on the button �a selection window appears with all available sci files.

Select for example the system.sci file, then click Open.

The OID SNMP object list collected each 15 seconds is shown in the field �Script polling�

Clear Polling Script

Discard all requests in the upper window

Gen Html

Gen CSV

It is possible to save the results of your SNMP request in html formatted files or CSV.

The software creates automatically the files:

poll_IP@_Month_day_year.html

poll_IP@_Month_day_year.csv

File name building

Code	Replaced by
IP@	The host IP address
Month	The current month
day	The current day : Remark: A new file is created each day.
year	The current year

Example

�

Files are stored in the log directory of the LoriotPro software.

File are updated� in append mode at after each request.

Fichier : CSV

Sun Feb 10 10:32:31 2002;1013333551;forwarding;255;542;0;0;96;0;0;330;830;86;80;
Sun Feb 10 10:32:37 2002;1013333557;forwarding;255;545;0;0;97;0;0;332;834;86;80;
Sun Feb 10 10:32:43 2002;1013333563;forwarding;255;546;0;0;97;0;0;333;836;86;80;

The first field contains the date of the request

Day month day number hour year ;
The second field contains the timestamp of the request.

Following field contains the request results with � ; � separations.

When you select any of this options, you can view this files remotely with your WEB navigator and the http function of LoriotPro. A csv button is displayed in the directory window giving you a direct access to these files.

Remark : A full chapter is dedicated to this functionality.

�To validate the modifications made to the host, you should click on the button �Modify Host�.

Hosts associated functions

If the selected host has attached tasks, then the list of these tasks are visible in the bottom of the parameter window. It is possible from that location to display them by double click.

Results if a host is selected:

Host associated functions

For example, if you click on the Telnet object in this window, a Telnet to the host will be started.

Managing maintenance period

During plannified maintenance period, unwanted events and alarms could arise. To avoid that it is possible to disable the polling process and the sending of events during this period. Only one period could be excluded.

Select the Repair tab of the host properties to manage the repair time.

Specify the date and hour of the beginning and ending time.

Check the Enable box to activate the function.

Check the Disable Polling during period to stop the polling process for this host.

Check the Disable Event Action During Period to stop sending the events of this host to the event manager.

Events/graph tab

The events/graph tab display the current status for this host.

The Counter graph displays the successful pourcentage of the last 100 polling requests.

The line graph displays the average, min and max response time for the last 100 polling requests.

The Events Button open the Event browser and allow you to see the filtered events for this host.

The Get SNMP status performs a simple get on the Sysname object.

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Copyright © 2004 LUTEUS SARL. All rights reserved. This documentation is copyrighted by LUTEUS SARL. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior express written permission of LUTEUS SARL