SNMP Adapter Installation and
Configuration Guide
vCenter Operations Manager 1.0
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EN-000876-03
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Contents
SNMP Adapter Installation and Configuration Guide 5
Updated Information 7
1 Introduction to the SNMP Adapter 9
Overview of Adapter Operation 9
Installation and Configuration Requirements 9
2 Installing the SNMP Adapter 11
Install the Adapter in a Standalone Installation 11 Install the Adapter in a vApp Installation 12 SNMP Adapter Folders and Files 13
3 Configuring the SNMP Adapter 15
Overview of Configuration Steps 15 Add a Credential 15
Add an Adapter Instance 16 Adding Devices as Resources 17
4 Troubleshooting the SNMP Adapter 25
Troubleshooting an SNMP Adapter Instance 25 Viewing System Log Files 25
SNMP Adapter Classes 25
Index 27
SNMP Adapter Installation and Configuration
Guide
The SNMP Adapter Installation and Configuration Guide describes how to install and configure the SNMP adapter.
The SNMP adapter is an embedded adapter for vCenter Operations Manager.
Intended Audience
This information is intended for anyone who wants to install or configure the SNMP adapter.
Updated Information
The SNMP Adapter Installation and Configuration Guide is updated with each release of the product or when necessary.
This table provides the update history of the SNMP Adapter Installation and Configuration Guide.
Revision Description
EN-000876-03 Added ireasoningsnmp.jar to “SNMP Adapter Folders and Files,” on page 13.
EN-000876-02 Changed the product name to reflect the new licensing model for the 5.6 release.
EN-000876-01 Added “Finding Interface Index Numbers,” on page 22.
EN-000876-00 Initial release.
Introduction to the SNMP Adapter 1
The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a standard Internet protocol for managing devices on IP networks. The SNMP adapter is an embedded adapter for vCenter Operations Manager that collects metrics from devices that support SNMP. These devices typically include routers, switches, servers, workstations, and printers.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n “Overview of Adapter Operation,” on page 9
n “Installation and Configuration Requirements,” on page 9
Overview of Adapter Operation
SNMP exposes management data on SNMP-managed devices as variables, which are organized in hierarchies.
Management Information Base (MIB) files describe these hierarchies and contain object identifiers (OIDs) that identify each variable.
The SNMP adapter uses MIB files to determine the metrics to collect from a particular device. When you install the SNMP adapter, the installation utility places a set of standard MIB files in the conf/mib folder. You can import additional MIB files after you install the SNMP adapter.
MIB files appear as resource kinds in the vCenter Operations Manager user interface. When you add a resource or attribute package, you can select a MIB file that exists in the conf/mib folder or the Predefined MIB Statistics resource kind. The Predefined MIB Statistics resource kind consists of common device-level and interface-level variables from RFC1213-MIB.mib.
When you select a MIB file, an OID tree appears in the user interface and you can select specific variables. The SNMP adapter collects metrics for the variables that you select.
You can add SNMP-managed devices as resources in vCenter Operations Manager through manual discovery or by adding resources individually. The SNMP adapter does not support auto-discovery.
Installation and Configuration Requirements
The SNMP adapter must meet certain installation and configuration requirements.
Credential Requirements
When you add an adapter instance for the SNMP adapter, you must provide an SNMP community string. The community string authenticates messages sent between the SNMP management station and managed devices.
The default read-only community string is public and the default read-write community string is private.
Supported SNMP Versions
The SNMP adapter supports SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c.
Installing the SNMP Adapter 2
How you install the SNMP adapter depends on whether you have a vCenter Operations Manager Standalone or vApp installation.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n “Install the Adapter in a Standalone Installation,” on page 11 n “Install the Adapter in a vApp Installation,” on page 12 n “SNMP Adapter Folders and Files,” on page 13
Install the Adapter in a Standalone Installation
If you have a standalone installation, you install the SNMP adapter by extracting installation files from a TGZ file and running an installation utility.
Prerequisites
n Download the adapter installation TGZ file anonymously from ftp://ftp.integrien.com/.
n Make a note of the build number in the TGZ file name. The build number appears after the adapter name, for example, adaptername-buildnumber.tgz.
n Read the release notes that are included with the TGZ file.
Procedure
1 Open the TGZ file and extract the TAR file to a temporary folder on your vCenter Operations Manager server.
2 In the temporary folder, open the TAR file and extract and run the installer for your operating system platform.
3 Log in to the Custom user interface as an administrator.
4 Select Admin > Support.
5 On the Info tab, find the Adapters Info pane and click the Describe icon ( ).
The Describe icon is located at the top right of the Adapters Info pane.
6 Click Yes to start the describe process and click OK.
The Custom user interface finds the adapter files, gathers information about the abilities of the adapter, and updates the user interface with information about the adapter. If you have remote collectors, it installs the adapter on the remote collectors.
The describe process might take several minutes. When the describe process is finished, the adapter appears in the Adapters Info pane. The build number is in the Adapter Version column.
the TGZ file that you downloaded.
The installation utility creates the snmp_adapter3 folder and snmp_adapter.jar file under the vcenter- ops/user/plugins/inbound folder.
Install the Adapter in a vApp Installation
If you have a vApp installation, you install the SNMP adapter from a PAK file.
Prerequisites
n Download the adapter installation PAK file anonymously from ftp://ftp.integrien.com.
n Make a note of the build number in the PAK file name. The build number appears after the adapter name, for example, adaptername-buildnumber.pak.
n Read the release notes that are included with the PAK file.
Procedure
1 Save the PAK file in a temporary folder.
2 Log in to the Admin user interface as the admin user.
For example: https://ipaddress/admin/
3 On the Update tab, click Browse to locate the temporary folder and select the PAK file.
4 Click Update and click OK to confirm the update.
The Admin user interface uploads the PAK file. The upload might take several minutes.
5 Read and accept the EULA and click OK.
6 Click OK to confirm and start the update process.
The update might take several minutes. Status information appears on the Update tab when the update is finished.
7 Log in to the Custom user interface as an administrator.
For example: https://ipaddress/vcops-custom/
8 Select Admin > Support.
9 On the Info tab, find the Adapters Info pane and click the Describe icon ( ).
The Describe icon is located at the top right of the Adapters Info pane.
10 Click Yes to start the describe process and click OK.
The Custom user interface finds the adapter files, gathers information about the abilities of the adapter, and updates the user interface with information about the adapter.
The describe process might take several minutes. When the describe process is finished, the adapter appears in the Adapters Info pane. The build number is in the Adapter Version column.
11 Verify that the build number in the Adapter Version column for the adapter matches the build number in the PAK file that you uploaded.
The installation utility creates the snmp_adapter3 folder and snmp_adapter.jar file under the vcenter- ops/user/plugins/inbound folder.
SNMP Adapter Folders and Files
The SNMP adapter installation utility places the SNMP adapter files in the snmp_adapter3 folder.
The snmp_adapter3 folder contains subfolders and files.
Table 2-1. SNMP Adapter Subfolders and Files
Subfolder File Subfolder Description
conf mibs Contains the MIB files for the adapter and the mib-
imports.props file.
describe.xml Describes the adapter.
history.txt Contains the history of the adapter changes.
mib-import.log MIB import script log file.
updateMibs.bat Script that adds MIB files to the adapter on Windows.
updateMibs.sh Script that adds MIB files to the adapter on Linux.
version.txt Contains version information.
lib ireasoningsnmp.jar iReasoning SNMP JAR file. Non-OSS library file.
Chapter 2 Installing the SNMP Adapter
Configuring the SNMP Adapter 3
To configure the SNMP adapter, you create a credential and adapter instance in
vCenter Operations Manager and add managed devices as resources. You can also create attribute packages to collect specific metrics and import additional MIB files for the adapter.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n “Overview of Configuration Steps,” on page 15 n “Add a Credential,” on page 15
n “Add an Adapter Instance,” on page 16 n “Adding Devices as Resources,” on page 17
Overview of Configuration Steps
Configuring the SNMP adapter involves several steps. You must perform these steps in a particular order.
1 Verify that your system meets certain requirements. See “Installation and Configuration Requirements,” on page 9.
2 Create a credential for the adapter instance. See “Add a Credential,” on page 15.
3 Create an adapter instance. See “Add an Adapter Instance,” on page 16.
4 Add devices as resources. See “Adding Devices as Resources,” on page 17
Add a Credential
You must add a credential for an SNMP adapter instance. The credential consists of an SNMP community string. The community string authenticates messages between the SNMP management station and managed devices.
You can add the credential before you create the adapter instance and select the correct credential when you define the adapter instance, or you can add the credential when you define the adapter instance.
Prerequisites
Install the SNMP adapter. See Chapter 2, “Installing the SNMP Adapter,” on page 11.
Procedure
1 Log in to the Custom user interface as an administrator.
2 Select Environment > Configuration > Credentials.
3 Select SNMP Adapter from the Adapter Kind drop-down menu.
5 Type a unique name for the credential instance in the Instance name text box.
6 Type the SNMP community string in the Community text box.
The default read-only community string is public and the default read-write community string is private.
7 Select the SNMP version from the Version drop-down menu.
The SNMP adapter supports SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c.
8 Click OK to add the credential for the adapter kind.
What to do next
Add an adapter instance. See “Add an Adapter Instance,” on page 16.
Add an Adapter Instance
When you create an adapter instance for the SNMP adapter, you define the adapter type and select a credential.
Prerequisites
n Install the SMNP adapter. See Chapter 2, “Installing the SNMP Adapter,” on page 11.
n Create a credential or, if you plan to create a credential when you add the adapter instance, become familiar with creating credentials. See “Add a Credential,” on page 15.
Procedure
1 Log in to the Custom user interface as an administrator.
2 Select Environment > Configuration > Adapter Instances.
3 Select the collector to use from the Collector drop-down menu.
Unless you added additional collectors, the only available collector is vCenter Operations Server. You can change the name of this collector when you install the standalone version.
4 Select SNMP Adapter from the Adapter Kind drop-down menu.
5 Click the Add New Adapter Instance icon.
6 Type a name for the adapter in the Adapter Instance Name text box.
7 Select the credential from the Credential drop-down menu, or click Add to add a new credential.
8 Click OK to save your configuration.
What to do next
Add devices as resources in vCenter Operations Manager. See “Adding Devices as Resources,” on page 17.
Adding Devices as Resources
You can use manual discovery to add SNMP-managed devices as resources in vCenter Operations Manager.
You can also add resources individually. The SNMP adapter does not support auto-discovery.
Discover Resources
The manual discovery process returns a list of the available devices and you select the devices to add as resources in vCenter Operations Manager.
Prerequisites
n Add an adapter instance. See “Add an Adapter Instance,” on page 16.
n If you plan to define a new attribute package during the discovery process, become familiar with creating attribute packages. See “Define an Attribute Package,” on page 19.
Procedure
1 Log in to the Custom user interface as an administrator.
2 Select Environment > Environment Overview.
3 On the List tab, click the Discover Resources icon.
4 Select the collector to use from the Collector drop-down menu.
Unless you added additional collectors, the only available collector is vCenter Operations Server. You can change the name of this collector when you install the standalone version.
5 Select SNMP Adapter from the Adapter Kind drop-down menu.
6 Select your SNMP adapter instance from the Adapter instance drop-down menu.
7 Configure an IP address range by typing IP addresses in the Start IP and End IP text boxes.
The discovery process finds all of the devices that have IP addresses within this range.
8 Type the SNMP port in the the Port text box.
The default port for SNMP is 161.
9 (Optional) To omit resources that have already been added from the discovery results, select the Only New Resources check box.
10 Click OK to start the manual discovery process.
The manual discovery process can take several seconds to several minutes.
When the manual discovery process is finished, the Discovery Results window lists the discovered devices.
If a discovered device is a switch, router, firewall, or load balancer, the device type is included in the resource name, for example, 10.118.52.32 - switch.
Chapter 3 Configuring the SNMP Adapter
Option Description
Import Import the resources but do not start collecting data. Resources appear in the resource list as Not Collecting and data is not stored and analysis is not performed.
Collect Import the resources and start collecting data. When you select the Collect check box, the Import check box is also selected.
Attribute Package To use a nondefault attribute package for the resource kind, select an attribute package from the drop-down menu or click Add to define a new attribute package.
12 Click OK.
The Discovery Results window closes and the new resources appear on the List tab.
Add an Individual Resource
When you add an individual device as a resource in vCenter Operations Manager, you must select a resource kind and provide an IP address and port number.
Prerequisites
n Add an adapter instance. See “Add an Adapter Instance,” on page 16.
n If the MIB files for the device are not in the conf/mibs folder, import them. See “Import MIB Files for the SNMP Adapter,” on page 22.
n If you plan to add an attribute package for the resource, become familiar with creating attribute packages.
See “Define an Attribute Package,” on page 19.
Procedure
1 Log in to the Custom user interface as an administrator.
2 Select Environment > Environment Overview.
3 On the List tab, click the Add Resource icon.
4 Type a name for the resource in the Resource name text box.
For example: 10.118.52.32 - switch
5 (Optional) Type a description for the resource in the Resource description text box.
For example: Allied Telesyn Ethernet Switch AT-8550SP - ATS62 v1.4.0 6 Select SNMP Adapter from the Adapter kind drop-down menu.
7 Select a resource kind from the Resource kind drop-down menu.
The resource kind determines the metrics that the adapter collects for the device.
Option Description
Predefined MIB Statistics Contains common device-level and interface-level variables from RFC1213- MIB.mib.
nnnnn-MIB.mib Main MIB file for the device.
8 Type the IP address of the device in the Host IP text box.
9 Type the SNMP port in the Port text box.
10 Select a credential for the resource from the Credential drop-down menu, or click Add to add a credential.
11 Accept the default attribute package in the Attribute package drop-down menu, select a different package, or click Add to define a new package for the resource.
The default attribute package depends on the resource kind.
12 Accept the default super metric package, if any, in the Super metric package drop-down menu, select a different package, or click Add to define a new package for the resource.
A default super metric package is not available unless you previously defined a default super metric package for the selected resource kind.
13 Type the collection interval, in minutes, in the Collection Interval (Minutes) text box.
For example, if you expect the resource to generate performance data every 30 minutes, set the collection interval to 30 minutes.
The collection interval for a resource influences the collection status for that resource. The collection interval for the adapter instance resource determines how often to collect data. For example, if the collection interval for the adapter instance resource is set to five minutes, setting the collection interval for a resource to 30 minutes prevents the resource from having the No Data Receiving collection status after five collection cycles (25 minutes).
14 Select the Enabled or Disabled check box to enable or disable dynamic thresholding and early warning smart alerts.
Dynamic thresholding is enabled by default. Early warning smart alerts are enabled by default only for applications.
15 (Optional) If you plan to take the resource offline for maintenance at regular intervals, select the maintenance schedule for it to use from the Maintenance Schedule drop-down menu, or click Add to define a new maintenance schedule.
16 Click OK to add the resource.
17 (Optional) Start data collection for the resource.
When you add an individual resource, vCenter Operations Manager does not begin collecting metrics for the resource until you start collection.
a Select Environment > Environment Overview.
b Select the resource on the List tab.
c Click the Start Collecting icon to start collection.
Define an Attribute Package
SNMP-managed devices can have many variables, especially interface-level variables. You can define an attribute package to select a subset of these variables. When you assign the attribute package to a resource, the adapter collects metrics only for the variables in the attribute package.
Prerequisites
n If the MIB files for the device are not in the conf/mibs folder, import them. See “Import MIB Files for the SNMP Adapter,” on page 22.
n (Optional) Use the SnmpWalk tool to obtain the necessary interface index numbers. You must assign index numbers as instance names when you configure interface-level groups. See “Finding Interface Index Numbers,” on page 22.
Procedure
1 Select Environment > Configuration > Attribute Packages.
Chapter 3 Configuring the SNMP Adapter
3 Select a resource kind from the Resource kind drop-down menu.
The resource kind determines the metrics that the adapter collects for the device.
Option Description
Predefined MIB Statistics Contains common device-level and interface-level variables from RFC1213- MIB.mib.
nnnnn-MIB.mib Main MIB file for the device.
4 Click the Add New Attribute Package icon.
5 Type a name for the attribute package in the Package name text box.
6 Type a collection interval value, in minutes, in the Collection Interval (mins) text box.
For example, if you expect a resource to generate performance data every 30 minutes, set the collection interval to 30 minutes.
The collection interval for the adapter instance resource determines how often to collect data. The collection interval that you set for a resource influences the collection status for the resource. For example, if the collection interval for the adapter instance resource is set to five minutes, setting the collection interval for the resource to 30 minutes prevents the resource from having the No Data Receiving collection status after five collection cycles (25 minutes).
NOTE The collection interval that you set for a resource overrides the collection interval in the attribute package that you assign to the resource.
7 If you selected a MIB file from the Resource kind drop-down menu, select the variables to include in the attribute package in the OID tree in the Attributes To Configure pane.
8 For interface-level groups, click the Add New Instance icon above the Instance Name pane and type the interface index in the text box.
Interface indexes begin at 1 and end at the number of interfaces within the device. The interface index becomes the group instance name.
IMPORTANT The option to add an interface index appears for all groups, even device-level groups that do not require an interface index. For device-level groups, type 0 or leave the Instance Name text box blank.
9 Click OK to return to the Manage Attribute Packages window.
10 Click OK to save the attribute package.
Example: Defining Attribute Packages
This example shows an attribute package named TestSnmpPack. The RFC1213-MIB group appears in the attribute tree in the Attributes to Configure pane because RFC1213-MIB.mib is selected as the resource kind. The Predefined MIB Statistics (Device level) and Predefined MIB Statistics (Interface level) groups appear in the attribute tree because the predefined variables are included in all MIB file-specific resource kinds.
In the Attribute Packages window, where Predefined MIB Statistics (Interface level) and the Instance Name pane are highlighted, interface index 1 is added for the Predefined MIB Statistics (Interface level) group.
Figure 3-1. Configuring Index 1 in the Instance Name Pane
In the Attribute Packages window, where ifEntry and the Instance Name pane are highlighted, interface indexes 1 and 2 are added for the interface-level group ifEntry.
Figure 3-2. Configuring Multiple Indexes in the Instance Name Pane
If you configure an incorrect interface index, an error appears in the adapter log file. The following example shows the type of error that occurs when you do not define an interface index for an interface-level variable and index 0 is used instead. Interface-level variables require a non-zero index.
Error fetching data for SNMP resource 10.118.52.32 - switch attribute ipRouteProto SNMP Error, please check the MIB variable or Index value oid=.1.3.6.1.2.1.4.21.1.9 index=0 What to do next
Assign the attribute package to a resource. See “Discover Resources,” on page 17 or “Add an Individual Resource,” on page 18.
Chapter 3 Configuring the SNMP Adapter
Finding Interface Index Numbers
When you configure interface-level groups in an attribute package, you must assign index numbers as instance names. You can use the SnmpWalk tool to parse the MIB tree and obtain the necessary index numbers.
SnmpWalk has many useful options. For example, you can use the following command to get all index numbers:
snmpwalk -v1 -c public ip:port
The index for an OID applies to the entire group in an attribute package. To obtain the correct index numbers to assign as instance names to a group, choose an OID of that group and run the following command:
snmpwalk -v1 -c public ip:port OID
The command lists all indexes and their current counter values for the specified OID.
You can download SnmpWalk for free from several Web sites. For installation instructions and information about command options, see the SnmpWalk documentation.
Import MIB Files for the SNMP Adapter
If a device requires MIB files that are not in the conf/mibs folder, you must import the required MIB files and redescribe the SNMP adapter. For information about the MIB files for a specific device, see the device documentation.
Procedure
1 Copy the MIB files, including any dependent MIB files, to the conf/mibs folder.
In a vApp installation, you copy the files to the conf/mibs folder on the Analytics virtual machine.
2 Run the MIB file update script to import the MIB files.
The conf folder contains MIB update scripts for Windows and Linux.
Option Action
Windows Run updateMibs.bat.
Linux Run updateMibs.sh.
The MIB file update script updates the conf/mibs/mib-imports.props file, which keeps track of all MIB file dependencies.
mib-imports.props file entries are in the format MainFile=DependentFile. Multiple dependent files are separated by a semicolon (;). For example:
RFC1271-MIB.mib=RFC-1155-SMI.mib;RFC-1212.mib;RFC1213-MIB.mib;RFC-1271-MIB.mib;
3 Check the mib-import.log log file for errors.
The script generates the mib-import.log log file in the conf folder. Errors commonly occur when dependent MIB files are not present in the conf/mibs folder.
4 Open the conf/describe.xml file in a text editor and increment the version number.
For example, if version="4", change it to version="5".
<AdapterKind CredentialKind="" key="SNMP" namekey="1" version="4">
5 Redescribe the SNMP adapter.
a Log in to vCenter Operations Manager as an administrator.
6 Verify that the new MIB files appear in the Resource kind drop-down menu when you add an individual resource or attribute package.
Chapter 3 Configuring the SNMP Adapter
Troubleshooting the SNMP Adapter 4
Known troubleshooting information can help you diagnose and correct problems with the SNMP adapter.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n “Troubleshooting an SNMP Adapter Instance,” on page 25 n “Viewing System Log Files,” on page 25
n “SNMP Adapter Classes,” on page 25
Troubleshooting an SNMP Adapter Instance
Perform these general troubleshooting steps to diagnose and correct problems with an SNMP adapter instance.
n View the collection status and collection state for the adapter instance resource on the Environment Overview page in the Custom user interface.
n Check the adapter and collector logs for errors. See “Viewing System Log Files,” on page 25.
Viewing System Log Files
You can view SNMP adapter errors in the vCenter Operations Manager adapter and collector log files. You can view log files in the Custom user interface or in an external log viewer.
SNMP adapter log files are in the vcenter-ops/user/log/adapters/SNMPAdapter folder. Collector log files are in the vcenter-ops/user/log folder.
The logging level is set to ERROR by default. To troubleshoot issues, set the logging level to INFO. To view detailed messages, including micro steps, queries, and returned results, set the logging level to DEBUG.
NOTE If you set the logging level to DEBUG, log files can become large very quickly. Set the logging level to DEBUG only for short periods of time.
For information about viewing log files and modifying logging levels, see the online help.
SNMP Adapter Classes
The SNMP adapter uses certain adapter classes. These classes are in the snmp_adapter.jar file.
Table 4-1. SNMP Adapter Classes
Class Description
com.integrien.adapter3.snmp.SNMPAdapter Adapter entry class. Contains the main adapter function methods.
com.integrien.adapter3.snmp.SNMPConstants Contains the constant values that the adapter uses.
Class Description com.integrien.adapter3.snmp.SNMPResource (host
and port) Represents an SNMP resource object.
com.integrien.adapter3.snmp.SNMPCredential Represents an SNMP credential object.
com.integrien.adapter3.snmp.SNMPHost (resource and
credential) Represents an SNMP resource host object.
com.integrien.adapter3.snmp.SNMPDiscover Multithreaded discovery functions.
com.integrien.adapter3.snmp.SNMPTPDiscoveryWork
Item Discovery of a single SNMP resource.
com.integrien.adapter3.snmp.MibImportParser Parses the mib-imports.props file.
com.integrien.adapter3.snmp.SNMPMIBLookup Main class to retrieve data from an SNMP-managed device.
com.integrien.adapter3.snmp.SNMPNodeInfo Represents information about an SNMP node.
com.integrien.adapter3.snmp.UDPScanner Low-level SNMP connection class.
Index
A
adapter classes 25 adapter instances 16 attribute packages 19 audience information 5
C
configuration steps 15 credentials 15
D
discovering resources 17
I
installation steps 11, 12 introduction 9
L
log messages 25
M
MIB files 9, 22
R
requirements 9 resources 17, 18
S
snmp_adapter3 folder 13 snmpwalk 22
T
troubleshooting steps 25
U
updated information 7
