[NTLUG:Discuss] snmp manager recommendations

[Michael Barnes]

On Wed, Feb 6, 2008 at 3:56 PM, Randall Weyers <rwweyers2 at tx.rr.com> wrote:
> You have to have a monitoring softeware that the plugins go into or you
>  can build one from scratch
>  like this
>
>
>  http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=displaynews&NewsID=921
>  This is the perfect example of a network software useing snmp this was
>  from 2004 so I assume it is already done.
>
>
>
>
>
>  On Wed, 2008-02-06 at 11:31 -0600, Monty Shinn wrote:
>
>
>  > They are wanting to monitor a couple of Liebert CRAC units (air
>  > handlers), a Liebert NPower UPS.  I don't have model numbers, but I know
>  > they all have network adapters, so they should be ready.
>  >
>  > The manufacturer is suppose to have the mib's, which I guess are
>  > plugins.  I am still working on where to put the plugins once I have them...
>  >
>  > Thanks,
>  >
>  > Monty
>  >
>  > Randall Weyers wrote:
>  > > We use SNMP as a reporting path for several pieces of hardware. I would
>  > > need to know what they are trying to monitor.  There may already be an
>  > > open source tool that has been made for this purpose. I use it to
>  > > collect traps from a Clariion and send me an email when there is a
>  > > hardware failure.
>  > >
>  > > SNMP is a reporting protocall from the days of dumb term and we used it
>  > > back then to see if a terminal was online or not. It is no more than a
>  > > network family and can be very simple to install and maintain.
>  > > If you can tell me what you are trying to monitor I can push you in the
>  > > right direction for the application or applications you would need to
>  > > achive this. Most of the comercially availible NOC monitoring tools use
>  > > snmp protocol to act as a gathering point and display the results on
>  > > large screens.  You can configure these tools to run on most platforms
>  > > including windoze. Unfortunatly most are for the later but IBM has
>  > > several tools Tivoli comes to mind that were ()ix designed. HP Openview
>  > > also has a ()ix version.
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >
>  > >
>  > > On Wed, 2008-02-06 at 06:46 -0600, Monty Shinn wrote:
>  > >> And that's the problem - I don't know for sure what they are wanting to
>  > >> do with the SNMP manager.  I'm not sure that they know.
>  > >>
>  > >>  From what I gather, they are wanting to monitor various parameters of
>  > >> the units, and send emails out when a given reading moves outside a
>  > >> preset window.  That is all the information I can get out of them.
>  > >>
>  > >> Unfortunately I have never dealt with SNMP, so I am not even aware of
>  > >> the possibilities.
>  > >>
>  > >> Thanks,
>  > >>
>  > >> Monty
>  > >>
>  > >> Wayne Walker wrote:
>  > >>> OpenNMS.  It's a resource pig, but quite powerful and relatively easy to
>  > >>> use.  But you've not said what you really want to do with SNMP so this
>  > >>> may be the wrong tool/direction.
>  > >>>
>  > >>>
>  > >>> On Mon, Feb 04, 2008 at 07:37:20AM -0600, Monty Shinn wrote:
>  > >>>> Greetings.
>  > >>>>
>  > >>>> Forgive the newbie nature of this email - I have never dealt with SNMP
>  > >>>> management before.
>  > >>>>
>  > >>>> I am looking for a SNMP manager that will be used to monitor air
>  > >>>> handlers, chillers and ups units.  The manufacturers will supply the
>  > >>>> required MIBs for handshaking.
>  > >>>>
>  > >>>> Most managers that I have found seem to be purposed for network
>  > >>>> monitoring only, with no mention of the support for third-party MIBs.
>  > >>>>
>  > >>>> I have found Nagios, but I don't know if that is what I am looking for
>  > >>>> either.
>  > >>>>
>  > >>>> Any recommendations?  Anything to avoid?  Doesn't have to be free, just
>  > >>>> has to be GUI-based and preferably run on RHES5.
>  > >>>>
>  > >>>> Thanks for your help,
>  > >>>>
>  > >>>> Monty
>  > >>>>


I have to do basically the same thing.  I have a large APC UPS
(Silicon 60KVA) that has a Network Management Card installed.   You
can telnet into, look at it with a browser, and it also is supposed to
do SNMP.  I need to get the data from the card and log it somehow and
send regular usage reports.  I've tried MRTG, but it keeps saying it
cannot retrieve data from the unit.

Any ideas?

Michael