In this article, we will examine the configuring of a Monit monitoring system for the operation with NetPing devices for monitoring server rooms. Monit is a light system for server monitoring that is installed in a server and provides a possibility to send notifications if the issues are discovered. Besides, Monit can autonomously execute the action determined by you as a reaction to specified events. It is an independent daemon that works from the user root. The simplicity of the system is its main advantage. In a minimal configuration, having the executable and the configuration file is enough. A functionality of the system can be extended by using scripts.

To implement the operation of the example of server room monitoring on the basis of Monit and NetPing server room environmental monitoring units, we will need:

• a server with a preinstalled monitoring system Monit;
• a server room monitoring device UniPing server solution v4/SMS - 1 pc.;
• 1-Wire temperature sensor - 1 pc.;
• 1-Wire humidity sensor - 1 pc.;
• door sensor - 1 pc.;
• supply voltage sensor - 1 pc.;
• leakage sensor - 1 pc.;
• airflow sensor - 1 pc.

Devices for remote controlling of power supply NetPing (IP power distribution unit) can control a status of network equipment connected to them and reboot the power supply of the equipment when necessary.

In this article, the example of configuring the automatic reboot of a router connected to a NetPing 2/PWR-220 v3/ETH IP power distribution (IP PDU) unit when the Internet connection fails will be examined.

On the picture above, an approximate interaction scheme is represented: a network router with the Internet access is powered from a PWR1 socket that is controlled by a NetPing IP PDU. To test a network connection status, a NetPing IP PDU sends specific requests in the ICMP format to network resources specified in the settings. As soon as the access to the requested resources fails (i.e. they stop responding to ping), a NetPing IP PDU reboots the power supply of a router.

To implement such a scheme, there is a need to have:

• NetPing 2/PWR-220 v3/ETH power distribution unit;
• a router with the Internet access channel

By following this article, you will get a tool for monitoring managed switches through SMS notifications. A described solution will be useful for network administrators, technical support staff and other employees, whose responsibilities include monitoring and servicing of networks of all levels. Now, technical staff will get the opportunity to receive information about a port status of a managed switch  (up/down) rapidly without accessing the network with target switches.

The solution will be represented in two variants:

1. Using the features of NetPing SMS GSM gateway only (up to 32 ports).
2. Using the features of NetPing SMS GSM gateway and a Zabbix server (unlimited number of ports).

We continue publishing a series of articles on implementing the integration of NetPing server room environmental monitoring solutions and power distribution units with «Telegram» messenger. Earlier in our blog, we have specifically examined the process of a bot creation for «Telegram» messenger, controlling IP PDU NetPing sockets using Telegram and controlling an air conditioner in a server room using Telegram. In this article, we will regard a process of a bot configuration for controlling discrete input-output lines of a NetPing IO v2 server room monitoring unit. A similar integration can be practically used when:

• Service staff can send a command to open and close a barrier using «Telegram» messenger. In this case, the use of a bot allows to refuse using a regular mechanic fixed button in favor of a variant of a remote control using a mobile phone and/or a tablet. A barrier is connected to BM8070D power relay 16A/250V for DIN rack, that is in turn connected to an IO line of a NetPing IO v2 server room monitoring unit;
• Technical staff can control load using «Telegram» messenger, including a server, a switch, a router, light, ventilation, etc. that is connected to a controlled socket NetPing AC/DIN, regardless a geographical location;
• Technical stuff can open or close electric lock on the entrance door to a server room using «Telegram» messenger, which also provides additional protection from unauthorized access of the third parties on the object.

A vacation time is getting closer. As any other employees, system administrators also dream about having a vacation somewhere far from their workplace. For a majority of system administrators, especially in small organizations, it is not that easy to get distracted from work even for a relatively short time. Many of them are single-handedly responsible for a status of different components of the IT infrastructure. So how an IT specialist can have a vacation being confident that a company can work the same efficiently, as usual? Before, we already examined a process of creating bots for a «Telegram» messenger in our blog. In this article, we examine one of the variants of remote controlling a power supply of the IT equipment from any location of the Earth (having the Internet access) using the integration of a «Telegram» messenger and NetPing power distribution units (IP PDUs). If necessary, an IT specialist sends a command for a socket using «Telegram». After applying a command in «Telegram», a specialist will receive a notification about a successful application of a command and a socket changes its status.

Earlier in our blog, we examined the process of creating a bot for a «Telegram» messenger that allows to receive the information from sensors and IO lines of a NetPing server room environmental monitoring unit and power distribution unit per request and automatically. In this article, we will examine the example of a practical use of these bots by adding features operating in a link with a UniPing server solution v3 server room monitoring unit to a bot that allows controlling an air conditioner in a server room in any time and in any location (having the access to the Internet).

In our example, a bot mimics clicking the buttons on a remote control of an air conditioner using URL-encoded commands that will be sent to a UniPing server solution v3 server room monitoring unit. In turn, a device sends control commands that have been previously recorded to the memory using an IR module IRC-TR v2 to an air conditioner located in a server room.

OpenNMS is a high-level platform with an open source code that is designed for making decisions for monitoring networks and network devices. By following this guideline, you will get the installation platform ready to work with NetPing server room environmental monitoring units and power distribution units, and you will learn to:

• configure monitoring NetPing units using the features of a described system;
• configure gathering readings of sensors;
• create graphic reports

By following this article, you will configure an OpenNMS monitoring system that is ready to operate. A solution is designed for network administrators, system administrators, technical support employees upper than level 1, and other people, whose job is connected to monitoring and servicing of networks and services. The system allows tracking availability, change in a response time, failures of different elements of a network infrastructure, which, in turn, allows to warn and act accordingly to decrease the risks of operability failures on networks and services in the network, as well as the expensive server equipment. In addition, using the system, it is possible to analyze the network infrastructure if there are narrow spaces and the most probable failure points.

«Telegram» is a cross platform messenger that allows to exchange messages and media files of many formats. Besides a standard message exchange in dialogues and groups, it is possible to store the unlimited amount of files, to channel (to microblog), create and use bots in a messenger. Bots are third-party utilities that are launched inside the application «Telegram». In fact, these are accounts controlled by software, not people. It is possible to use programmed buttons of a virtual keyboard for work, using which a bot is turned into a mini-application with intuitively clear interface. Using a bot allows receiving actual information from sensors connected to NetPing server room environmental monitoring units and power distribution units for monitoring and remote control of a power supply in any time and any location.  

In this article, we will examine the process of configuration of receiving notifications from sensors in Telegram.

«... A template is a set of objects that may be applied to several nodes of the network.

These objects may be:

• data elements;
• triggers;
• graphs;
• groups of data elements;
• complex screens (starting from Zabbix 2.0);
• low-level detection rules (starting from Zabbix 2.0);
• web scenarios (starting from Zabbix 2.2)

As soon as many nodes are identical in a real life or more or less similar, the sets of objects (data elements, triggers, graphs,…), created by you for a network node, may be useful for many nodes. Certainly, you may copy them to each new network node, but it would require many manual work. Instead, you may copy these objects to one template by using templates and then apply this template to any number of required network nodes.

A rotation unit for air conditioners is designed to ensure the switching mode of work in two air conditioners with a specified period of time and maintain a normal temperature mode in a room in different climatic conditions.

Using a control unit for air conditioners allows to use the lifetime of main and backup air conditioners equally by switching their roles from time to time. It also automatically switches a backup conditioner on when a main one failed or it is not powerful enough. 

As a rule, rotation and backing up are used in the rooms where there is a need to maintain a maximum allowed temperature, for example, in server rooms with a big number of expensive equipment. To implement a backup scheme, there is a need to make sure that a power of either one of both conditioners is enough to maintain operating climatic conditions. I.e. one conditioner operates while another one is on backup.

In the firmware of NetPing power distribution units it is possible to configure only weekly schedule (with several exceptions for holidays). In addition, there is a feature of switching on/switching off sockets according to the schedule but no more than four times a day. To bypass such limitation in the firmware, there is a need to organize a random schedule for controlling sockets in the firmware using the chain Google Calendar and IFTTT service, i.e. configure switching on/switching off sockets the unlimited number of times in a day, configure a random monthly and yearly schedule, get a possibility to control sockets from several devices (PC, tablet, smartphone) through a common schedule.

Ball electric valve GIDROLOCK ULTIMATE is designed to turn off water supply (heating) if there is a water leak. Ball electric valve consists of a ball valve and an electric drive for controlling a ball valve.

When using a ball electric valve GIDROLOCK ULTIMATE with devices from NetPing company together with water leakage sensors, a customer gets a ready system that can be used in all areas of life, where appearing of water and non-aggressive water solutions is critical for functioning of the equipment and living, such as housing and utilities, conditioning and ventilation systems, basements, Data Processing Centers (DPC), boiler rooms, water supply systems and heating systems for houses and cottages (bathrooms, kitchens, heating batteries), stock warehouses, etc. Our monitoring device together with a water leakage sensor combined with electric ball valve GIDROLOCK ULTIMATE will allow to react to appearing of water on the object in time by turning off water supply (heating) with following notifying of the emergency via E-mail, SMS (in NetPing devices with a built-in GSM modem) and SNMP Trap.

The same as Zabbix, Nagios, PRTG Network Monitor and others, LibreNMS is a monitoring and surveillance system for network devices and servers.

The aim of the LibreNMS project is to create a monitoring system with as simple control as possible to survey devices. A system is distributed under the GPLv3 license. A detailed information can be found on the official website of the project: http://www.librenms.org/.

Let us examine an example of the integrating LibreNMS with a UniPing server solution v4/SMS monitoring unit.

NetPing east Co Ltd. company informs about the issue of firmware updates for devices for remote controlling power supply sockets (IP PDU) NetPing 2/PWR-220 v3/ETH and NetPing 2/PWR-220 v4/SMS. New firmware versions contain implementation of new functionality and an error correction.

What have been changed in the latest version?

NetPing company announces the issue of the updated firmware version DKSF 54.3.3 for a device for remote controlling power sockets NetPing 4/PWR-220 v4/SMS. This firmware version contains the implementation of the new functionality, error fixes and layout update for certain pages of a device web interface.

What has been changed in the last version?

NetPing company announces the issue of an updated version of the firmware DKSF 48.4.11 for a NetPing 8/PWR-220 v4/SMS device. This firmware version contains the enhanced functionality of a device.

What have been changed in the latest version?

Nagios – is an open source program, designed for monitoring computer systems and networks, namely: monitoring, controlling the status of calculation nodes and services, and alerting system administrators in case of stopping or continuing of operation of any services.

Together with sending e-mail notifications to notify system administrators, it is possible to use SMS notifications, which increases the reaction speed to the issues that appear during the service operation. To send SMS, it is possible to use the next devices of the NetPing company:

To start with, let me tell you a few words about what is MikroTik. It is a Latvian manufacturer of network equipment that is distinguished by affordable price and vast functionality. Router OS is a basis for MikroTik products – it is a network operating system based on Linux. This OS also exists as an x86-distributive, so that any individual who wants to assemble a powerful router on the basis of a regular PC for an affordable price can do that. The same OS in a variety of versions is installed to RouterBOARD that is a line of hardware solutions of MikroTik that includes both operator's equipment and SOHO solutions.

MikroTik routers may be equipped with backup WAN channels that can be a GSM modem in addition to the wired Internet network. In this case, there is a possibility to launch scripts on MikroTik via SMS. This feature enables controlling NetPing devices that do not have a built-in GSM modem. Also, this feature may be urgent when a web interface of NetPing devices is unavailable via a common Ethernet network, or if a modem of a NetPing device got frozen.

A NetPing east Co Ltd. company announces the issue of a firmware update for a device of remote controlling power supply sockets (IP PDU) NetPing 2/PWR-220 v4/SMS. A new firmware version contains implementation of new features and bug fixes.

So what have been changed in the latest version?