iDirect(VSAT) network using cacti as NMS

ICSL · Post by **ICSL** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:15 am

Good day everyone,

I have an almost fully-working installation of Cacti 0.8.7b running on Windows XP(as a test bench) as i will either maintain a Windows Server or a Linux Server in the production environment:

running on xampp or wamp with
- Net-SNMP 5.4.1.2-1
- rrdtool
- spine
- cygwin

PLEASE NOTE:
I am a newbie to cacti although knowledgeable about linux.
I intend to use cacti to monitor an iDirect(VSAT) Network.
I currently cannot confirm if the poller is working with my current setup.

REQUEST / NEED:
Which is better and has more support from the cacti community et al - Linux or Windows, This would be helpful in designing my production server.

I currently need step by step guide and help to add & configure devices and graphs noting the following:
The iDirect NMS has an MIB(would that be useful).
The iDirect NMS is currently using SNMP to monitor all the remotes on the network so cacti should not have a problem.
My production server would be in the same domain & IP addressing scheme of the iDirect Network cloud.

I would be grateful if i can reach anyone with solutions on a phone no or yahoo messenger for fast resolution as I have been given hard deadline on this issue.

Thanks

BSOD2600 · Post by **BSOD2600** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:11 pm

1) wrong forum moving.
2) linux vs windows -- whatever OS you're comfortable with, IMO. Since cacti is based on OSS, it'll work just fine on either.
3) for graphing the iDirect NMS, have you looked at the documentation site, on how to create scripts/templates? Searched the script forum for others which have already created scripts/templates?

ICSL · Post by **ICSL** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 4:44 am

Dear BSOD2600,

Thanks for the reply,

I am really having difficulty installing the cacti s/w on windows.

while trying to add devices, i get - "snmp error"
I downloaded the .exe version of net-snmp and it seems not to be working.
I also suspect that the poller.php is also having issues.

My initial fuss was that after installation i could not view the graph for the WindowXP/host interface

Really, i have searched the forum but i have not found any specific help

BSOD2600 · Post by **BSOD2600** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 1:03 pm

Try the steps in http://forums.cacti.net/viewtopic.php?t=11747 or my installation guide if you really want to use Windows.

I suggest you install the windows snmp agent instead of net-snmp.

snmp error is typically not a cacti problem and instead something with the device you're trying to poll. Are you sure snmp is properly configured on it? Verified data retrieval?

ICSL · Post by **ICSL** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 11:16 am

Dear BSOD2600,

Thanks for the reply it was really helpful,

After following your comprehensive manual on "Installing Under Windows", we had a functional cacti software HOWEVER, it could not poll any information from the localhost after it was added as instructed (This is the same problem earlier experienced even when we installed cacti with xampp & wamp) and as such from any other interface or IP.

Another crucial information came to light after reading two (2) materials (Configuring MRTG to plot iDirect MIB Objects & NMS SNMP Proxy Agent) from iDirect. We discovered

1. Any device information is located in the iDirect MIB which is encoded in the file /usr/share/snmp/mibs/IDIRECT-REMOTE-MIB.txt on the NMS server.
Both materials made reference to this.
2. The NMS SNMP Proxy Agent material states that "Beginning with release 3.1, iDIRECT’s NMS includes an SNMP proxy agent that provides real-time status and basic configuration information to any interested SNMP client"
The SNMP Proxy Agent becomes part of the normal NMS server startup and shutdown procedure (service idirect_nms start/stop/restart). It will also be started automatically whenever the server machine is restarted.
3. The NMS SNMP Proxy Agent material also states that "If you want the SNMP Proxy Agent to send traps for network element state changes, you must designate one or more machines to receive them. The machine name is a parameter in one of Net-SNMP’s configuration files"
Hence i feel the IP/Hostname of the machine running cacti would be imputed as the NMS Proxy Agent would send traps for network element state changes to such IP/Hostname

Our resolution is
1. Install linux on a machine (first using a DELL Optiplex 755 as a test bench before purchasing & installing on a server).
I guess this would be the best scenario

Hence, we would require
1. A comprehensive (step by step) installation of cacti on linux (we would try to use the same flavor & version of linux as the one recommended)
2. How to point the machine running cacti on linux to receive information from the iDirect MIB which is encoded in the file /usr/share/snmp/mibs/IDIRECT-REMOTE-MIB.txt on the NMS server.
3. How to configure the cacti software running on linux to interpret such information and present us with the graph and much needed data.

If we would like to see these materials (.pdf) for your perusal before giving a detailed solution, I will send (attach) them on request.

Finally, I hope this would be helpful for all users of proprietary technologies such as iDirect

Post by **gandalf** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:16 pm

ICSL wrote:1. A comprehensive (step by step) installation of cacti on linux (we would try to use the same flavor & version of linux as the one recommended)
2. How to point the machine running cacti on linux to receive information from the iDirect MIB which is encoded in the file /usr/share/snmp/mibs/IDIRECT-REMOTE-MIB.txt on the NMS server.
3. How to configure the cacti software running on linux to interpret such information and present us with the graph and much needed data.

Most of this is coverd by the Documentation and HowTo at http://docs.cacti.net
If sth is missing, please report
Reinhard

CCNAJ · Post by **CCNAJ** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 7:32 am

Hi All,

Firstly I wish to express gratitude and awe at the content and dedication to the techs on this site. Very impressive results....with just half a day of work I have been able to get up and running an old XP machine as a fairly decent monitoring box.

Especially to BSOD2600 for making the Windows installer!
#########################################################################

Secondly I am resurrecting this thread as I too wish to move on from our current straight MRTG install and try and get Cacti working with the Idirect NMS. [*attached a copy of the MIB.txt for reference - this MIB works with MRTG]

Played around with templates and had some success - have contact with the NMS and able to get SNMP info from it directly however I am unable to get the Proxy'd snmp info from the remote VSAT modems that the NMS is relaying.

Little lost as to where to start to move forward.....any help is appreciated.
J

morya · Post by **morya** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:29 am

Hi,

The iDirect SNMP proxy agent bridges iDirect’s NMS into SNMP-based management systems. The proxy monitors all components of the iDirect network (remotes, protocol processors, Hubs).

Basically all data are stored in the mysql database and the proxy agent is relaying it. I'm actually graphing IP throughput statistics in cacti from the ipstatsentry table. As an example you can find the .xml file attached that you can take as an example.

You'll have to follow the step explained here:

http://docs.cacti.net/manual:087:3a_adv ... alkthrough

Yann

CCNAJ · Post by **CCNAJ** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 11:43 am

Thanks Yann,

Moved a little further ahead - thanks for the ipstatsentry.xml - I can see the fields in there.

Was able to get an snmpwalk done on our NMS. The results are a little different.

C:\snmp>snmpwalk -c public -v 1 -On 172.x.x.x
.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0 = STRING: Linux nma-nms0001-nas01-x 2.4.21-20.ELsmp #1 SMP
Wed Aug 18 20:46:40 EDT 2004 i686
.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.2.0 = OID: .1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.3.2.10
.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.3.0 = Timeticks: (731284546) 84 days, 15:20:45.46
.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.4.0 = STRING: root@localhost
.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.5.0 = STRING: NMS1 development server
.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.6.0 = STRING: iDirect
.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.8.0 = Timeticks: (0) 0:00:00.00
.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.1 = OID: .1.3.6.1.2.1.31
.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.2 = OID: .1.3.6.1.6.3.1
.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.3 = OID: .1.3.6.1.2.1.49
.1.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2.4 = OID: .1.3.6.1.2.1.4
##########################################3

Is my OID base .1.3.6.1.4.1.8072.3.2.10 or .1.3.6.1.2.1.1.9.1.2?

Thanks - J

CCNAJ · Post by **CCNAJ** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 12:10 pm

Was able to get an accurate snmpwalk off the ipstatsTable this time around

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
C:\snmp>snmpwalk -c public -v 1 -On x.x.x.x IDIRECT-REMOTE-MIB::ipstatsTable

.1.3.6.1.4.1.13732.1.4.1.1.1.33555450 = Gauge32: 33555450
.1.3.6.1.4.1.13732.1.4.1.1.1.33555453 = Gauge32: 33555453
.1.3.6.1.4.1.13732.1.4.1.1.1.33555471 = Gauge32: 33555471
.1.3.6.1.4.1.13732.1.4.1.1.1.33555482 = Gauge32: 33555482
.1.3.6.1.4.1.13732.1.4.1.1.1.33555495 = Gauge32: 33555495
.1.3.6.1.4.1.13732.1.4.1.1.1.33555512 = Gauge32: 33555512
.1.3.6.1.4.1.13732.1.4.1.1.1.33555548 = Gauge32: 33555548
.1.3.6.1.4.1.13732.1.4.1.1.1.33555657 = Gauge32: 33555657
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guessing the base OID is actually : .1.3.6.1.4.1.13732.1.4.1.1.1 ?

CCNAJ · Post by **CCNAJ** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 12:18 am

*update* Succesfully started graphing my remotes last night (attached screenshots)

Many thanks to Yann for the ipstatsEntry.xml - this worked a treat.

Only tried the rxtcp and txtcp values at the moment. Will try the others later on to see if I can get a total capture.

Handy to remember a couple of things when using the manual

The Data Source Item > Data Source type is better to use Counter instead of Gauge.

The |query_nmname| will query the Actual Name of the remote in the NMS which is handy
[ for DID if needed = |query_nmdid ]

Going to try and grab the remoteucpTable as well to get UP and Down C/N values which can be handy

Once again - awesome work you guys!

morya · Post by **morya** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:56 am

Hi,

Glad it helped.

Yann

CCNAJ · Post by **CCNAJ** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 2:09 am

It sure did....by any chance have you tried other values

like - rx/txudp, or any of the other tables like remotestatusTable?

morya · Post by **morya** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 8:15 am

I'm actually monitoring all values from the ipstatentry table. Basically i'm printing values per protocol and graphing the sum per direction. See the example below:

CCNAJ · Post by **CCNAJ** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:41 am

Now that is something I was considering....but didn't know if it was possible.

Can I ask what function you are using to graph the sum total? is it a CDEF?

Cacti