CA Unified Infrastructure Management Probes

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net_connect IM Configuration

This article is for probe versions 3.2 and later.
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net_connect_IM
This article describes the configuration concepts and procedures to set up the Network Connectivity Monitoring (net_connect) probe. You can configure the probe to monitor the availability of remote systems. The probe allows you to create host profiles that use ping commands (ICMP ECHO) to verify the connection between the host and the targeted remote system. You can also configure the profiles to monitor TCP-based services such as telnet and http on the host.
This article is for probe versions 3.2 and later.
The following diagram outlines the process to configure the probe.
net_connect_IM_Config
net_connect_IM_Config
Contents
2
Verify Prerequisites
Verify that required hardware and software is available before you configure the probe. For more information, see net_connect (Network Connectivity Monitoring) Release Notes.
Configure General Properties
You can set up the following general properties of the probe:
  • Monitoring interval
  • Network interface
  • Logging details
  • ICMP ECHO properties
  • Performance properties
  • Enterprise Console integration properties
You can also create TCP services for the probe to monitor.
Follow these steps:
  1. Click netCSetupBtn.png from the toolbar to open the
    Setup Properties
     dialog.
  2. Complete or update the following in the
    General
     tab to configure the logging, interval, and network interface details:
    • QoS interval:
      specifies the time interval that the probe waits before it generates QoS messages.
      Default: 5 min
      Reduce this interval to increase the frequency of QoS messages. A shorter interval can also increase the system load.
    • Bind to network interface:
      allows you to bind all network operations to the controller IP address.
      Default: Not selected
    • Force service check:
      enables monitoring of services even if the ICMP connectivity fails.
      Default: Not selected 
    • Log-file:
      displays the file where the probe logs information about its internal activity.
      Default: net_connect.log
    • Log-level:
      specifies the level of details that are written to the log file. You can select the following log levels:
      • 0 - Logs only severe information (default)
      • 1 - Logs error information
      • 2 - Logs warning information
      • 3 - Logs general information
      • 4 - Logs debugging information
      • 5 - Logs tracing/low-level debugging information
        Log as little as possible during normal operation to minimize disk consumption, and increase the amount of detail when debugging.
    • Log-size
      : specifies the size of the log file where the internal log messages of the probe are written, in kilobytes. When this size is reached, new log file entries are added and the older entries are deleted.
      Default: 100
  3. Navigate to the
    Advanced
     tab and set or modify the following fields to configure the ICMP ECHO properties:
    • Send bursts of:
      specifies the number of ICMP ECHO messages that are sent for each ping request of the probe.
      Default: 3
      Increase the value in high usage networks.
    • Packet size:
      specifies the size of the ICMP ECHO packages that are sent, in bytes.
      Default: 32
  4. Complete or update the following to configure the performance properties of the probe:
    • Max Ping Threads:
      specifies the maximum number of profiles that you can execute simultaneously to monitor ping responses.Default: 100
    • Max Service Threads:
      specifies the maximum number of profiles that you can execute simultaneously to monitor services.
      Default: 10
    • Max PacketLoss Threads:
      specifies the maximum number of profiles that you can execute simultaneously to monitor the packet loss, jitter, and latency.
      Default: 10
      Increase these values to increase the number of simultaneous profiles. Larger values can also increase the system load.
  5. Complete or update the following to configure the integration properties with the CA Enterprise Console application. You can select a profile and drag-and-drop it from the probe to an Enterprise Console dashboard (in design mode). The values are used to configure the Enterprise Console dashboard properties for the profile.
    Enterprise Console is a legacy CA product and is no longer supported.
    • Use Icon:
       allows you to specify the icon to be used on the Enterprise Console dashboard. You can select the icon from the drop-down list.
    • Use Caption:
       allows you to specify the default captions on the Enterprise Console dashboard. You can select from the following fields:
      • Hostname:
         indicates the probe to use the hostname of the monitored system as the caption.
      • IP Address:
         indicates the probe to use the IP address of the monitored system as the caption.
  6. Create, modify, or delete the service definitions that the probe can monitor.
  7. Click
    OK
    .
Create Service Definitions
You can create service definitions that you want to monitor.
Follow these steps:
  1. Click netCSetupBtn.png from the toolbar to open the
    Setup Properties
     dialog.
  2. Navigate to the
    Advanced
     tab.
  3. Click
    New
    .
    The
    Service profile
     dialog appears.
  4. Specify a name for the service in the
    Service name
     field.
  5. Specify the port that is monitored for the service in the
    Port
     field.
  6. Click
    OK
     to create the service.
  • To modify the port number of a service, select the service and click
    Edit.
  • To delete a service, select the service and click
    Delete
     .
Create Groups
You can create a group to categorize the host profiles in the probe. You can also select a group for each host in the profile configuration.
The probe only supports single level grouping. You cannot create a sub-group.
Follow these steps:
  1. Click netCGrpBtn.png from the toolbar.
    A group is created in the left pane.
  2. Specify a name for the group.
  3. Click
    Apply
    .
You can drag-and-drop existing hosts in a group.
Configure Default Host Parameters
You can configure the default monitoring parameters for a host. The default parameters are applied to any host profiles that are created after specifying the defaults. You can modify the parameters in the host profiles, as required.
Default parameters are not automatically applied to existing host profiles. Delete the profile and create it again to use the default values.
Follow these steps:
  1. Click netCDefHostBtn.png from the toolbar to open the
    Host Properties
     dialog.
  2. Set or modify the values in the fields as specified in the
    Create Host Profile
     section.
  3. Click
    OK
    .
You can also right-click a host profile and select
Use as default host Parameters
. The configured parameters for the selected host are set as the default host parameters.
Create Host Profile
You can create host profiles using the following methods:
CA recommends you to configure the default parameters of host profiles before you create them. This allows you to create multiple profiles with consistent monitoring parameters, reducing effort for configuration.
Create Profile for a Specific Host
You can create a host profile to monitor a specific host on the network.
Follow these steps:
  1. Click netCHostBtn.png from the toolbar to open the
    Host Properties
    dialog.
  2. Complete or update the following to configure the host properties:
    • Hostname:
      specifies the name of the monitored network device.
      The host name is mandatory for dynamic IP monitoring.
    • IP Address:
      specifies the IP address of the monitored device.
      You can specify either the hostname or the IP address and click
      Ping
       to automatically resolve the value of the other field.
    • Check Interval:
      specifies the time interval that the probe waits before it executes the profile.
      Default: 5 min
      Reduce this interval to generate alarms frequently. A shorter interval can also increase the system load.
    • Active:
      activates the profile for monitoring, on creation.
      Default: Selected
    • Group:
      specifies the group of the monitored host.
      The group that is selected before clicking the netCHostBtn.png button is the probe specified group for the profile. The value is blank if a group is not selected or not created in the probe.
    • Contact info:
      specifies the text that can be used as the
      $contactinfo
       variable in alarm messages. For example, the name of a contact person responsible for the host.
  3. (Optional)
     Select
    Dynamic IP Monitoring
     to enable the probe to use hostname for a monitoring profile instead of IP address.
    You can monitor a host that does not have a static IP assigned using the hostname. This feature is useful where the system IP address are generated from DHCP.  Consider the following points when you use dynamic IP monitoring:
    • The
      IP Address
       field is disabled, and the IP address option is not available in the
      Configuration for QoS and Alarm
       section fields in the
      Host Properties
       dialog.
    • If the Alarm and QoS Source identification methods of an existing profile are configured as the IP Address, the Alarm and QoS Source are overwritten by the hostname.
    • If the monitored host is not responding, the $IP variable does not expand in the alarms.
    If you enable this feature and upgrade to version 3.31 or later, the probe changes the
    QoS Source
     of the profile. For example, if the QoS Source is set as Profile Name, the probe changes it to Hostname on upgrade.
  4. Click
    Ping
     to verify connection to the host.
  5. Click
    OK
     to create the profile.
  6. Configure the host profile, as required.
Create Profiles from Traceroute
You can use traceroute to create profiles for the network map from the client to the monitored host. Traceroute helps you to identify connection problems in the network route to the monitored host. It checks the connection of all the hosts in the route to the target host. For example, you can simulate the network route to a destination network. This feature is useful when the connection path is separated by network devices such as routers, switches, and hubs.
Follow these steps:
  1. Click netCTraceroteBtn.png from the toolbar to open the
    Traceroute
     dialog.
  2. Set or modify the following fields to configure the traceroute properties:
    • Hostname /IP address:
       specifies the hostname or the IP address until where the network path is traced.
    • Send ICMP ECHO (ping):
       indicates the probe to send a ping request to the host.
      Default: Selected
    • Number of packets:
       specifies the number of packets that are sent to a host.
      Default: 1
    • Resolve name from IP:
       indicates the probe to resolve the hostname from the IP address of the host.
      Default: Selected
    • Chars. pr. packet:
       specifies the number of characters to be included in each packet of the request.
      Default: 32
  3. Click
    Start Trace
     to trace the network path to the monitored host.
  4. Select the hosts from the list and drag-and-drop them to the required node in the left pane of the probe.
  5. Select one of the following options:
    • Add to the selected node:
       allows you to add the profile to the node that is selected in the left pane.
    • Add to the 'root' level:
       allows you to add the profile to the root level and not under any other node in the left pane.
  6. Click
    OK
    .
    The network path is automatically presented as a structure in the left pane. If one or more nodes on the route are unavailable, the probe generates an alarm to indicate the first dead node in the route. The hosts are assigned the default host properties.
    The network path is seen from the client and not from the robot hosting the probe.
  7. Configure the host profiles, as required.
You can click
Abort
 during the trace process to stop the partially completed traceroute.
Create Profiles from Ping Sweep
You can create and monitor a range of hosts using ping sweep. Ping sweep allows you to create multiple profiles simultaneously.
Follow these steps:
  1. Click netCPingSweepBtn.png from the toolbar to open the
    Ping Sweep
     dialog.
  2. Specify the starting IP address of the range.
  3. Specify the number of hosts in the range.
  4. Click
    Generate
    .
    The hosts that are available in the specified range are listed in the dialog and duplicate IP addresses are ignored.
    Repeat steps 2 to 4 to generate multiple ranges.
  5. Select
    Resolve IP-address
     to identify and use the names of the hosts that respond.
  6. Click
    Start
    .
    The probe pings the hosts in the range and displays the status. The
    State
     column indicates the state of the Hosts in the specified range:
    • Red:
       indicates that the host did not respond on the ping or unable to resolve the IP address even if
      Resolve IP-address
       is selected.
    • Green:
      indicates that the host responded on the ping and resolved the IP address when
      Resolve IP-address
       is selected.
  7. Select the hosts from the list and drag-and-drop them to the required node in the left pane of the probe.
  8. Specify whether the host profiles are created in the root of the left pane or the selected node.
  9. Click
    OK
    .
    The host profiles are created in the same order and are assigned the default host properties.
  10. Configure the host profiles, as required.
Configure Multiple Profiles in Bulk
You can distribute consistent monitoring parameters to multiple number of selected hosts.
Follow these steps:
  1. Click netCBulkConf.png from the toolbar to open the
    Bulk Configuration
     dialog.
  2. Select the hosts where you want to apply bulk configuration, as follows:
    • All hosts:
      distributes the configuration parameters to all the monitored hosts.
    • Only active hosts:
      distributes the configuration parameters to all active hosts.
    • All hosts matching:
      distributes the configuration parameters to all hosts that match your input.
      For example:
      • *lin: searches for all hosts with names ending with
        lin
        .
      • lin*: searches for all hosts with names starting with
        lin
        .
      • *lin*: searches for all hosts containing
        lin
         in their names.
    • All hosts in the group:
      distributes the configuration parameters to all hosts in the selected group.
    • Selected host(s):
      distributes the configuration parameters only to the hosts that are selected from the probe before Step 1.
  3. Configure the host profile, as required.
  4. Click
    OK
    .
Configure Host Profiles
You can configure the monitoring parameters of host profiles and specify conditions for alarm and QoS messages.
Follow these steps:
  1. Double-click a profile to open the
    Host Properties
     dialog.
  2. Select
    Monitor ICMP connectivity (ping)
     to send ICMP ECHO requests to the destination and monitor responses.
    Default: Selected
  3. Set or modify the following fields to configure ICMP properties:
    • Packet size
      : specifies the size (in bytes) of the ICMP packets sent.
    • Retries in interval
      : specifies the maximum number of retries in a monitoring interval before the probe reports an error condition.
      Default: 3
  4. Select
    Enable Packet Loss Monitoring
     to monitor packet loss.
    Default: Not selected
  5. Set or modify the following fields to configure packet loss monitoring properties:
    • Packets to Send
      : specifies the number of packets to send on each interval.
      Default: 0
    • Delay between Packets (in ms)
      : specifies the delay (in milliseconds) between successive packets.
      Default: 0
      You must specify non-zero value to generate jitter and latency QoS messages.
    • Packet Loss QoS
      : allows the probe to send QoS messages with packet loss information.
      If you only enable the
      Packet Loss QoS
      , the probe uses the
      Timeout (sec.)
       value (as specified in the profile
      Connectivity
       tab) as the delay interval between the two sent packets. The probe calculates the time taken to send packets as a product of the
      Packets to Send
       and
      Timeout (sec.)
       fields. If the calculated delay interval is more than the profile
      Check Interval
       time, the probe does not generate QoS and alarm messages. For example, if
      Packets to Send
       = 10 and
      Timeout (sec.)
       = 10, then time taken to send all the packets is 10*10=100 seconds. If the profile
      Check Interval
       is 60 seconds, the probe does not generate QoS and alarms.
      To use the
      Delay between Packets(ms)
       value as the delay interval when only
      Packet Loss QoS
       is enabled, create a
      Set_Delay_For_PacketLoss
       key with
      yes
       value in the Raw Configure interface >
      setup
       section. If this key is not defined or set as
      no
      , the probe uses the
      Timeout (sec.)
       value as the delay interval.
    • Jitter QoS:
      allows the probe to send QoS messages with jitter information. Jitter is only calculated if a delay is specified between packets.
    • Latency QoS
      : allows the probe to send QoS messages with latency information. Latency is only calculated if a delay is specified between packets.
      To generate jitter and latency QoS, set the time interval according to the values specified in the
      Packets to Send
       and
      Delay between Packets
      fields. For example, if the
      Packets to Send = 10
       and
      Delay between Packets = 30000 ms,
       then time taken to send all the packets including delay time is 5 minutes (30000 ms * 10 = 300000 ms = 300 sec = 5 min). If the interval is set to less than expected time (say 5 minutes), then jitter and latency are not calculated.
  6. Select
    Publish QoS (Quality of Service) messages
     to generate QoS messages.
  7. Select
    Generate alarm
    to generate alarm messages.
  8. Set or modify the following fields in the
    Connectivity
     tab to configure alarms for the connection to the host:
    • Message OK:
      allows you to select the message that is sent when connection is available.
    • Message Fail:
      allows you to select the message that is sent when the connection is not established.
    • Timeout (sec.)
      : specifies the maximum waiting time for a response before generating an alarm.
    • Failed intervals
      : specifies the number of consecutive failed connection intervals before an alarm is generated. For example, if
      Check Interval
       is set as 5 min and
      Failed Intervals
       is set as 3, it would take 3 consecutive failed intervals before an alarm is raised ~15min (5min * 3).
  9. Set or modify the following fields in the
    Threshold
     tab.
    • Enable threshold monitoring
      : enables you to generate an alarm when the response from the host takes longer time than the specified threshold.
    • Response time:
      defines the duration (in milliseconds) that the probe waits for a response from the host before generating an alarm.
    • Message OK:
      allows you to select the message that is sent when the monitored response time is lower than the specified threshold.
    • Message Fail:
      allows you to select the message that is sent when the monitored response time is greater than the specified threshold.
  10. Set or modify the following fields in the
    Packet Loss
     tab to configure alarms for packet loss. The Packet Loss tab is only available when
    Enable Packet Loss Monitoring
    is selected.
    • Max lost packets:
       defines the maximum number of packets that can be lost on each interval before an alarm is generated.
    • Max Jitter:
       defines the maximum value of jitter for each interval. Jitter is only calculated if a delay is specified between packets in
      Delay between Packets (in ms)
      .
    • Message OK:
      allows you to select the message that is sent when the packet loss is lower than the specified threshold.
    • Message Fail:
       allows you to select the message that is sent when the packet loss is greater than the specified threshold.
      The default message is not available in the
      Message Pool Manager
      .
  11. Set or modify the following fields in the
    Configuration for QoS and Alarm
     section:
    • QoS Identification method:
       allows you to select a target that is included in the QoS message.
    • QoS Source:
      allows you to select a source that is included in the QoS message.
    • Override global QoS interval:
       overrides the global settings for QoS interval that are specified in the
      Setup
       dialog.
    • Alarm Identification method:
      allows you to select a target that is included in the alarm message. The probe also uses this value as the source in the alarm message.
      CA does not recommend you to modify the QoS and alarm identification methods after initial configuration. If you change the identification methods later, multiple graphs are displayed on the Unified Service Management (USM) Metrics view (one for every value). It may also generate multiple alarms. Also, CA recommends you to keep the identification methods identical for both alarm and QoS.
  12. Click the
    PING
     button to test the profile. The probe displays the response as follows:
    • Green:
       indicates that the profile can connect to the host.
    • Red:
       indicates that the profile cannot connect to the host.
  13. Click
    OK
    .
Configure Default Service Parameters
You can configure the default monitoring parameters for a service. The default parameters are applied to any services that are configured in a profile after specifying the defaults. You can modify the parameters for a service, as required.
Default parameters are not automatically applied to existing services. Delete the service and create it again to use the default values.
Follow these steps:
  1. Click netCDefServBtn.png from the toolbar to open the
    Service Properties
     dialog.
  2. Set or modify the values in the fields as specified in the Configure Service Monitoring section.
  3. Click
    OK
    .
Add Services to Host
You can add TCP based services to the host profile. You can also scan the ports to filter through the available services.
If you want to monitor services on a host that cannot be pinged or do not have ICMP enabled, select
Force service check
 in the
Setup
 dialog.
Follow these steps:
  1. Select the host profile in the left pane.
  2. Click netCAddServBtn.png from the toolbar to open the
    Add services (TCP)
     window.
  3. Select the required services from the window.
  4. Click
    OK
     to add the services.
The services for the host are displayed in the right pane.
CA recommends you to configure the default parameters of services before you add them. This allows you to add multiple services with consistent monitoring parameters, reducing effort for configuration.
Configure Multiple Services in Bulk
You can distribute consistent monitoring parameters to multiple number of selected services.
Follow these steps:
  1. Click netCBulkConf.png from the toolbar to open the
    Bulk Configuration
     dialog.
  2. Select the hosts where you want to apply bulk configuration.
  3. Select the services where you want to apply bulk configuration, as follows:
    • Add services if not existing:
      adds services that are monitored on the hosts, if not specified.
    • All services:
      applies to all existing services on your monitored hosts.
    • Only active services:
      applies to all active services on your monitored hosts.
    • Choose services:
      activates the
      Services…
       button.
    • Services...:
      allows you to select services for the profile from the
      Add Services (TCP)
       dialog. The selected services are listed next to the button.
    • Selected service(s):
      applies the configuration only to services that are selected from the probe before Step 1.
  4. Configure the service properties, as required.
  5. Click
    OK
    .
Configure Service Monitoring
You can configure the probe to monitor TCP based services active on the host. You can generate alarm and QoS messages and configure responses to commands.
Follow these steps:
  1. Select the profile from the left pane.
  2. Double-click the required service in the right pane.
  3. Set or modify the following fields to configure SSL handshake properties:
    • Handshake Settings:
       allows you to enable the probe to identify the local host to the monitored host.
    • Send on connect:
      identifies the local machine to the host for SSL purposes.
  4. Set or modify the following fields to configure alarms for service response:
    • Reply in (sec.):
       specifies the duration (in seconds) that the probe waits for a response from the service before generating an alarm.
    • Retries in interval:
       specifies the maximum number of retries within the time interval that is specified in the
      Reply in (sec.)
       field.
    • Delay between retries:
       specifies the time delay between two successive retries.
    • Message OK:
       allows you to select the alarm message when the service responds within the threshold time.
    • Message Fail:
       allows you to select the alarm message when the service responds after the threshold time.
      The default message is not available in the
      Message Pool Manager
      .
  5. Click
    Test Connect
     to test connection to the service. A green icon indicates that the service is available.
  6. Select
    Publish QoS (Quality of Service) messages
     to generate QoS messages on response time from the service.
  7. Set or modify the following fields to indicate the probe to wait the specified duration before sending a command:
    • Wait before sending command:
       indicates the probe to wait before sending a command.
    • Wait time (ms):
       specifies the duration (in milliseconds) that the probe waits before sending a command.
  8. Select
    Send Command When Connected
     to enable commands and expected responses to be executed on the service. Only commands that are supported by the service can be executed.
  9. Set or modify the following fields in the
    Challenge Response Settings
    section to configure commands that are sent to the service:
    • Challenge Response Settings:
       allows you to add a set of commands and expected responses to be executed on the service. Only commands that are supported by the service work.
    • Timeout (ms):
       specifies the waiting time for a response from the commands before generating an alarm.
    • Send Command When Connected:
       allows you to specify the command after connecting to the service. For example, you can configure an SFTP service in the probe to transfer a file. You can then provide the SFTP command and the expected successful output in the
      Response Must Contain the Text
       field.
    • Response Must Contain the Text:
       specifies the expected text to be searched in the response text.
    • Then Send Command:
       allows you to specify a second command after executing the first command.
    • Response Must Contain the Text:
       specifies the expected text to be searched in the response text.
    • Then Send Command:
       allows you to specify a third command after executing the first and second commands.
    • Response Must Contain the Text:
       specifies the expected text to be searched in the response text.
  10. Click
    Test Response
     to verify the responses of the commands from the service.
  11. Click
    OK
    .
Configure Advanced Properties
You can also perform the following operations, as required:
  • Create groups
  • Monitor dynamic IPs
  • Configure alarm messages
  • Scan service ports
  • Find hosts
  • Show profile status
  • Test services
For more information, see net_connect Advanced IM Configuration.