Using Compaq Insight Management to Monitor Compaq Servers

Transcription

1 BY JAMES BARRY Using Compaq Insight Management to Monitor Compaq Servers This article presents a step-by-step approach to installing and configuring the Compaq client/server software provided for monitoring server operations. Alittle over a year ago we purchased one Compaq server. The server was placed in a computer room where its status was checked visually every day. Since that time, eight additional Compaq servers have been purchased. Five of the machines were placed in the computer room, and each of the remaining three was placed in an unattended equipment room at different remote locations. All of the servers contained five hard drives that had been configured to be fault tolerant using a combination of RAID1 (mirroring) and RAID5 (stripe set with parity). Specifically, the drive on which the operating system was installed was mirrored and the remaining three drives that were used to store data were configured as a stripe set with parity. Shortly after the additional servers were put in service, we experienced our first hard drive failure, which was detected during one of the daily visual inspections. Due to the fault tolerant configuration, this single drive failure was not a problem. We performed a "hot swap," removing the failed drive and inserting a replacement drive. This was done without shutting the server down and without any interruption to operations. We knew that Compaq servers could be monitored from other computers on the network and that Compaq supplied software for this purpose with the server. Given the installation of the three servers in unattended equipment rooms and the drive failure noted previously, we decided to make installation and configuration of the monitoring software a priority. Once the monitoring software was installed, it would enable us to use other computers on the same network to detect any future problems on the servers, including hard drive failures, power supply failures, expansion board failures, over heating and so forth. This article examines the steps required to install and configure the Compaq client/server software provided for monitoring server operations. The procedures described here were performed on Compaq computers running Windows NT Server 4.0 with Service Pack 4; specifically a Compaq ProLiant 7000R rack mount server (the server to be monitored) and a Compaq DeskPro 4000 (the workstation on which the client portion of the monitoring software was installed). The work was done in a WAN environment, using TCP/IP as the protocol. The client portion of the client/server monitoring software is named Insight Manager. Insight Manager was installed on the DeskPro Compaq refers to the workstation on which Insight Manager is installed as the Management Console. The server portion of the client/server software runs as a set of services called agent software. The set of installed agents is referred to as Management Agents, Insight Agents or Insight Management Agents (do they use three different terms just to confuse us?). The Management Agents were installed on the Proliant 7000R. The complete client/server package is named Insight Management. In addition to its monitoring ability, Insight Management also provides the ability to control the server from the Management Console. For example, you can reboot the server from the Management Console. Insight Management exchanges information between its client and server portions through the industry-standard Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). Note: You can also use Insight Management in a Novell NetWare environment. INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION TASKS The first step is dealing with TCP/IP issues on the server (the server to be monitored) and on the client (Management Console, i.e., the machine from which you will monitor the server). Secondly, it will be necessary to install and configure SNMP on both the server and the client. The next step is installing and configuring Compaq Insight Management

2 Agents on the server. Finally, it will be necessary to install and configure Compaq Insight Manager on the client. FIGURE 1: SERVICES TAB LIST BOX DEALING WITH TCP/IP ISSUES In most instances, you will find TCP/IP already installed. Where it is not installed, you will need to do additional research. The installation and configuration of TCP/IP is beyond the scope of this article. DETERMINE THE SERVER NETBIOS NAME OR STATIC IP ADDRESS 2. Left-click "Properties" on the displayed pop-up menu. Note the NetBIOS computer name specified in the "Computer Name:" field of the "Identification" tab. 3. Left-click the "Protocol" tab on the displayed "Network" window. 4. If "TCP/IP Protocol" is displayed in the "Protocols" tab list box, left-click "TCP/IP Protocol" and then left-click the "Properties..." button. If a static IP address is specified, note the address. Alternatively, if DHCP is being used, re-note the NetBIOS name noted above (this assumes that WINS or the LMHOSTS file is being used for name resolution). Now proceed to the following section. DETERMINE THE CLIENT (MANAGEMENT CONSOLE) NETBIOS NAME OR STATIC IP ADDRESS 2. Left-click "Properties" on the displayed pop-up menu. Note the NetBIOS computer name specified in the "Computer Name:" field of the "Identification" tab. 3. Left-click the "Protocol" tab on the displayed "Network" window. If "TCP/IP Protocol" is displayed in the "Protocols" tab list box, left-click "TCP/IP Protocol" and then left-click the "Properties..." button. If a static IP address is specified, note the address. Alternatively, if DHCP is being used, re-note the NetBIOS name noted above (this assumes that WINS or the LMHOSTS file is being used for name resolution). Now proceed to the following section. FIGURE 2: THE SNMP SERVICE INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION DETAILS ON THE SERVER To install SNMP on the server you want to monitor, perform the following steps: 2. Left-click "Properties" on the displayed pop-up menu. 3. Left-click the "Services" tab on the displayed "Network" window. If SNMP Service is displayed in the Services tab list box (as in Figure 1), then skip to the following section that deals with the configuration of SNMP. If SNMP is not displayed in the Services tab list box, then left-click the "Add" button and then left-click the "SNMP Service" in the "Select Network Service" list box. 4. Left-click the "OK" button. When prompted, insert the Windows NT Server 4.0 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive

3 FIGURE 3: SETTING SEND AUTHENTICATION TRAP and copy the required files. Continue left-clicking "OK" for each window until prompted to restart. Left-click "Yes" to restart. Please note that correct SNMP functionality requires that the Windows NT Service Pack 4 be applied to the computer after the installation of SNMP. To configure SNMP, perform the following steps: FIGURE 4: SETTING COMMUNITY NAME 2. Left-click "Properties" on the displayed pop-up menu. 3. Left-click the "Services" tab on the displayed "Network" window. 4. Left-click the "SNMP Service" in the "Services" tab list box and then left-click the "Properties..." button. 5. On the "Agents" tab, enter a person to be contacted in the "Contact" field. This is generally the name of a system administrator. In the "Location" field, specify the location (or possibly the phone number) of the contact person. In the "Service" box, select "Applications" and "End-to-End". 6. Left-click the "Traps" tab. 7. Left-click the "Community Name" drop-down button and then left-click "Public". Left-click the "Remove" button to remove 8. Next, use the "Backspace" key to remove the currently displayed community name, if any. Now type in a community name. For example, enter the name of the Windows NT domain of which the server is a part (see Figure 2). The community name acts as a filter that limits SNMP communication between machines on which SNMP is installed. Only machines with a community name in common can communicate with each other via SNMP. 9. Next, left-click the "Trap Destinations Add" button. In the "Host name","ip" or "IPX Address" text box, enter the IP address or NETBIOS name (depending on what you noted above) of the machine that will be the Management Console. In this example, I used the IP address of the Compaq DeskPro 4000 located on my desk because this machine had a static IP address (see Figure 2). Left-click the "Add" button. Note that trap destinations are associated with a particular community name. In other words, the set of IP addresses or NetBIOS computer names (displayed in the "Trap Destinations" list box) is dependent on the community name selected and subsequently displayed in the Community Name field. Assuming that you are using some form of name resolution, such as WINS, LMHOSTS file or DNS, you could alternatively enter the NETBIOS name of the Management Console. If you are using DHCP to supply IP addresses and WINS for name resolution, and the Management Console is configured to get an IP address from the DHCP server, then you should specify the NETBIOS name. This is because the IP address of the Management Console might change. Left-click the "Security" tab. 10. In the "Accepted Community Names" list box, left-click "Public", then left-click the "Remove" button to remove 11. Next, left-click the "Accepted Community Names Add" button. In the "Community Names" text box of the "Service Configuration" window, type in the community name you specified previously. For "Community Rights", specify

4 "READ CREATE". Left-click the "Add" button; left-click the "Accept SNMP Packets" from "These Hosts" radio button; and left-click the "Accept SNMP Packets" from "These Hosts Add" button. In the "Host name", "IP" or "IPX Address" text box, enter the IP address or NETBIOS name (depending on what you noted previously) of the Management Console. In this example, I used the IP address of the Compaq DeskPro 4000 located on my desk because this machine had a static IP address (see Figure 3). Left-click Add > Apply > OK > Close. If you are using some form of name resolution, then the same considerations apply as given in Step 9, paragraph 3. INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING COMPAQ INSIGHT MANAGEMENT AGENTS With the purchase of a Compaq server you receive a CD-ROM titled Management CD. Install the Insight Management Agents from this CD-ROM as follows: Insert the Management CD in the CD-ROM drive of the server you want to monitor. Run the Setup.cmd program located in the \Agents\ Win-nt\Eng directory. On a machine on which Compaq support software has not been installed, you will get a message stating that installation requires the Compaq System Management Driver to be installed first. If you do not receive this message, skip to step 14. If you do receive this message, you will need to create a set of Compaq Support Software diskettes and then install the System Management Driver software. To create the diskettes: 1. Insert the Compaq SmartStart and Support Software CD in the CD-ROM drive. 2. Via auto-run capability or by executing the Dskbldr.exe program located in the Dskbldr directory, start the Diskette Builder utility. 3. To proceed, accept the license agreement. 4. Next, accept the default selection Create Software diskettes from CD only. 5. Left-click "Next". 6. Expand the Compaq folder. 7. Select "Compaq Support Software for Microsoft Windows NT x.xxx" x.xxx specifies a Compaq version. 8. Left-click "Next" and then proceed to generate the set of diskettes. 9. Label the diskettes as instructed. 10. Now, insert diskette #1 from the set of diskettes created in drive a: and then run setup.exe. 11. Select "Compaq System Management Driver" from the list. 12. Left-click "Install". On a successful install the little diskette icon next to the Compaq System Management Driver selection will turn green. Insight Management is a great tool and once you get it up and running it will make your job of monitoring and maintaining a large number of Compaq servers a whole lot easier! 13. Return to the first step above and run Setup.cmd again. 14. Proceed to install the Insight Management Agents. In most cases, accept the default set of Active Agents. I removed the External Status Information agent, as it caused an error message in Event Viewer. If a fibre channel storage system is connected to the server, add the Fibre Array Information agent to the list of active agents. 15. On the SNMP Settings tab, left-click both "Enable Remote Boot" and "Disable Telnet Detection". Accept the defaults on the remaining tabs. Left-click OK >OK >Restart. The machine will reboot. INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION DETAILS ON THE CLIENT (MANAGEMENT CONSOLE) The Management Console is a Compaq workstation or portable on which Compaq Insight Manager has been installed. In the simplest configuration, the workstation is on the same LAN or WAN as the server to be monitored. This is termed "In Band" management. You can also connect to the server from a remote location via a RAS connection. In this configuration, both the remote workstation and the server must be equipped with a modem, and a phone line must be available. This is termed Asynchronous "Out of Band" management. Perform the following steps to install SNMP on the client (Management Console) from which you will monitor the server: 1. Right-click the "Network Neighborhood" icon on the Desktop. 2. Left-click "Properties" on the displayed pop-up menu. 3. Left-click the "Services" tab on the displayed "Network" window. If "SNMP Service" is displayed in the "Services" tab list box (as in Figure 1), then skip to the following section that deals with the configuration of SNMP. If SNMP is not displayed in the "Services" tab list box, then left-click the "Add" button and then left-click the "SNMP Service" in the "Select Network Service" list box. 4. Left-click "OK". When prompted, insert the Windows NT Server 4.0 CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive. Then proceed to copy required files. Continue left-clicking "OK" for each window until prompted to restart. Left-click "Yes" to restart. Please note that correct SNMP functionality requires that Windows NT Service Pack 4 be applied to the computer after the installation of SNMP. To configure SNMP, perform the following steps: 1. Right-click the "Network Neighborhood" icon on the Desktop. 2. Left-click "Properties" on the displayed pop-up menu. 3. Left-click the "Services" tab on the displayed "Network" window. 4. Left-click the "SNMP Service" in the "Services" tab list box, and then leftclick the "Properties..." button. 5. On the "Agents" tab, enter a person to be contacted in the "Contact" field. This is generally the name of a system administrator. In the "Location" field, specify the location (or possibly the phone number) of

5 the contact person. In the "Service" box, select "Applications" and "End-to-End". 6. Left-click the "Traps" tab. 7. Left-click the "Community Name" drop-down button and then left-click "Public". Left-click the "Remove" button to remove 8. Next, use the "Backspace" key to remove the currently displayed community name, if any. Now type in the community name you specified previously (see Figure 4). 9. Now, left-click the "Trap Destinations Add" button. In the "Host" name, "IP" or "IPX" Address text box, enter the IP address or NETBIOS name (depending on what you noted previously) of the server to be monitored. In this example, I used the IP address of the server because this machine had a static IP address (see Figure 4). Leftclick the "Add" button. Note that trap destinations are associated with a particular community name. In other words, the set of IP addresses or NetBIOS computer names (displayed in the "Trap Destinations" list box) is dependent on the community name selected and subsequently displayed in the "Community Name" field. Assuming you are using some form of name resolution, such as WINS, LMHOSTS file or DNS, you could alternatively enter the NETBIOS name of the server. If you are using DHCP to supply IP addresses and WINS for name resolution, and the server is configured to obtain an IP address from the DHCP server, then you should specify the NETBIOS name because the IP address of the server might change. 10. Left-click the "Security" tab. 11. In the "Accepted Community Names" list box, left-click "Public" and then left-click the "Remove" button to remove 12. Next, left-click the "Accepted Community Names Add" button. In the "Community Names" text box of the "Service Configuration" window, type in the community name you specified previously. For Community Rights, specify READ CREATE. Left-click Add >Accept SNMP Packets from These Hosts radio button >Accept SNMP Packets from These Hosts Add button. In the "Host" name, "IP" or "IPX Address" text box, enter the IP address or NETBIOS name (depending on what you noted previously) of the server to be monitored. In this example, I used the IP address of the server, because this machine had a static IP address. See Figure 5. Left-click Add >Apply >OK >Close. If you are using some form of name resolution, then the same considerations apply as given in Step 9, paragraph 3. INSTALLING AND CONFIGURING COMPAQ INSIGHT MANAGER Using the Management CD, perform the following steps to install Insight Manager: 1. Insert the Management CD in the CD-ROM drive of the workstation that will be the Management Console. Run the Setup.cmd program located in the \Insight\Win32\Eng directory. Proceed with the installation. Accept the defaults. FIGURE 5: CLIENT SNMP SECURITY TAB 2. After a successful installation, run Compaq Insight Manager by clicking Start > Programs > Compaq Insight Manager. At this point, let s assume the workstation is connected to the LAN or WAN, or to the server via a RAS connection. 3. To add the server to be monitored to the default device list (Device List 1), click "Setup" on the Compaq Insight Manager menu bar and then click "Device List..." Alternatively, you can click the "Set up the Device List" button on the "Device List 1" menu bar. The button icon is a little magnifying glass over a list. On display of the "Device List Setup" window, click "IP Device List". On display of the "IP Device List" window, click "New". If you use WINS or DNS on your network to resolve names to IP address, then on display of the "Add IP Device" window, click the "WINS/DNS IP Address Resolution" check-box. Then enter the NetBIOS name of the server to be monitored in the "Device Name" field. If you do not use either service, do not check the box. Then enter the IP address of the server to be monitored in the "Device Name" field. Then left-click Add > OK > OK. At this point, the server name should appear under the "Device Name" column in the "Device List 1" window, as in Figure 6. A BRIEF LOOK AT USING COMPAQ INSIGHT MANAGER Sending a Test Trap You can tell if everything is working correctly by sending a test trap. When you perform this procedure, a message is sent

6 FIGURE 6: SERVER DISPLAYED IN DEVICE LIST AND STATUS OK FIGURE 7: TEST TRAP RECEIVED AND DISPLAYED IN ALARM LOG from the server to the Management Console. You send a test trap as follows: On the Server, perform the following steps: 1. Left-click Start > Settings > Control Panel. 2. Double-left-click "Insight Agents". 3. Left-click the "SNMP Settings" tab of the "Insight Agents Version x.xx for Windows NT" window (x.xx specifies a Compaq version). 4. Check Enable SNMP Sets > Enable Remote Boot > Enable the Application Exception Trap > Disable Telnet Detection. 5. Left-click "Send Test Trap". 6. Left-click "OK" when the message box is displayed confirming the trap was sent. 7. Left-click "OK" to exit Insight Agents. On the Client (Management Console), perform the following steps: FIGURE 8: TEST TRAP ALARM LOG DETAIL 1. Start Insight Manager by left-clicking Start >Programs> Compaq Insight Manager > Compaq Insight Manager. 2. Left-click "Window" on the menu bar. 3. Left-click "Alarm Log". 4. Under the heading "Device" in the "Alarm Log" window, look for the name of the server from which the test trap was sent. Assuming the name is listed, then look in the "Description" column. If you see "General Trap" in the "Description" column, as in Figure 7, then the test trap was successfully sent from the server and was successfully received by the Management Console. Double-left-click the server name to see a detail of the trap message, as in Figure 8. If you do not see the name of the server from which the message was sent, as well as the description General Trap, then the installation or the configuration was not correctly done. Review all of the above installation/configuration steps, paying special attention to those dealing with SNMP. General Operation On the Client (Management Console), perform the following steps: 1. Start Insight Manager by left-clicking Start > Programs > Compaq Insight Manager > Compaq Insight Manager. 2. Left-click "Window" on the menu bar. 3. Left-click "Device List 1".

7 4. In the "Device List 1" window left pane expand the "Network" folder. An "All Devices" folder should appear. 5. Double-left-click the "All Devices" folder. The server you added above should appear under the "Device Name" column. 6. If the server status is OK, the status indicator (a small lemonshaped icon just to the left of the name of the server) will be green. If the server is operating with a status of "Degraded", the icon will be yellow. If the server status is "Failed", the icon will be red. Consider the case where a single drive in a RAID array has failed. Here the status indicator for the physical drive will be red, indicating it has failed; the status indicator for the mass storage controller will be yellow, indicating that operation of the array is degraded; the status indicator for Mass Storage will also be yellow; and finally the server status indicator will be yellow. As this example indicates, a status of Failed or Degraded for any component percolates up through the hierarchy and is displayed via the lemon-shaped icon next to the server name (Note: You can view the status of the server's components by double-clicking the server name in the "Device List 1" window.) So, after starting Insight Manager, you can tell with a single glance whether or not the server has a component-related problem. CONCLUSION This article barely scratches the surface but should help you get started. Insight Management is a great tool and once you get it up and running it will make your job of monitoring and maintaining a large number of Compaq servers a whole lot easier! Good luck! 1999 Technical Enterprises, Inc. For reprints of this document contact editor@naspa.net. NaSPA member James Barry has been involved in the computer industry since 1980, and is experienced in developing custom software applications and Windows NT system administration. He can be contacted at kgb@cvc.net.