It is difficult to imagine modern life without informational technologies, such as electronic databases, directories, search engines, systems of company and corporation management, bank management, transportation management, control of technological processes at industries and many more. Today, there are information and management systems in the basis of these technologies that are designed on the basis of electric equipment of various purposes, such as servers, data storage systems, data transfer devices, supercomputers, and other important components. There is a need to ensure appropriate conditions so that these information and management systems that the comfort and often safety of our lives is dependable at, operate flawlessly in a proper environment suitable for the equipment that they are designed of, and their physical safety. This equipment must work flawlessly 24 hours a day 365 days a year providing the services that we need.

The company NetPing east Co Ltd. announces the issue of firmware updates for the devices for monitoring microclimate in server rooms UniPing server solution v4/SMS and UniPing server solution v3. New firmware versions of devices include changes in functionality and error fixes.

The need to remote monitoring of the object has always been considerably topical. Today, the market of video surveillance cameras (or closed-circuit cameras, or CCTV cameras) can offer devices for almost all needs that allow using CCTV cameras in any systems, including the systems for repeating and visualizing the information that comes from various sensors in monitoring systems. In this article, we will examine the example of connected CCTV cameras to a device for monitoring server rooms UniPing server solution v4/SMS and their configurations necessary for sending snapshots when sensors for visual evaluation of the environment triggered in a remote room. For example, after connecting a door sensor, we will be able to see a face of an individual, who opened the door. After connecting a smoke sensor, it is possible to evaluate actual smoke in the room. A leakage sensor shows a water level on the floor. There are also many other variants that are limited only by the administrator's imagination and the necessity in the monitoring.

To implement a described solution, you will need:

• a surveillance camera (CCTV camera). The main requirement towards the camera is the presence of Alarm IN inputs. A camera SNR-CI-DB30I is going to be used in the article;
• A monitoring device UniPing server solution v4/SMS (it is also possible to use any other device for monitoring or power controlling, equipped with IO lines, for example, UniPing server solution v3, UniPing v3, NetPing IO v2, NetPing 8/PWR-220 v4/SMS, NetPing 2/PWR-220 v4/SMS, NetPing 2/PWR-220 v3/ETH);
• Any sensor, the triggering of which is the basis for getting a snapshot from a camera. In the example, a door sensor is used.

We continue publishing a series of articles on implementing the integration of microclimate monitoring devices and devices for remote power distribution NetPing with a «Telegram» messenger. Earlier in our blog, we examined the process of bot creation для «Telegram», controlling sockets in IP PDU NetPing, controlling an air conditioner in a server room and controlling IO lines of a NetPing device using a «Telegram» messenger in enough details. In this article, we will regard a process of creating a tool for remote monitoring a microclimate in a server room using graphs sent to «Telegram».

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.

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.

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.

A gas alarm AVUS-COMBI is designed to signal about exceeding specified values for pre-explosive concentrations of methane (propane) or a massive concentration of the carbon dioxide. Design features of a gas alarm allow to install it in non-explosive areas that do not contain aggressive gasses and vapors. When using a gas alarm AVUS-COMBI with devices of NetPing company, a customer gets a ready system that can be used to control the parameters of working area of residential, administrative, public, industrial premises, garages, car parks (parking lots), boiler houses and other objects of using gas. A gas alarm has one channel and can signal to switch an output relay on or to close shut-off gas valve depending on its modification. Together with the devices of the NetPing company, the gas alarm AVUS-COMBI will allow to react to the gas leakage in time by notifying via E-mail, SMS (in NetPing devices with a built-in GSM modem) and SNMP Trap.

Technical requirements for server rooms are determined by the building code 11-2-80 for buildings of "B" category, and the "Instruction on designing buildings and rooms for electronic computing machines SN 512-78".

In the section of micro-climate and noise requirements, the next is indicated:

The sensor SWF5.1 is designed to control the presence of water and other water solutions that are non-aggressive to the elements of a sensor cable in a controlled zone. Design specifications of a sensor cable allow to install a sensor on different types of managed objects, such as tubes, flat surfaces (including metal ones). Because of a lack of contract potentials on sensitive elements, a sensor cable can be immersed in the fluid for a long time without damaging sensitive elements. When using a water leakage sensor SWF 5.1 with the devices from NetPing company, a customer receives a ready system, which can be used in all activities, where the presence of water and non-aggressive water solutions is crucial for proper functioning of the equipment and living, such as housing, air conditioning and ventilation systems, basements, Data Processing Centers (DPC), boilers, water supply and heating systems for houses and cottages (bathrooms, kitchens, heating batteries), glass facades of buildings, stock storages, etc. Thanks to having a sensor cable of a big length, a sensor can simultaneously control a fluid leakage on the vast area. A water leakage sensor SWF 5.1 together with devices of NetPing company allows to react to leakages adequately by informing via E-mail, SMS (in devices with a built-in GSM modem) and SNMP Trap.

A location of humidity and temperature sensors is not regulated by the GOST (governmental standards).

The only recommendation about sensors occurs in CH512-78, and it is formulated the next way: "It is recommended to provide at least two temperature sensors that will allow to ensure an additional control over temperature conditions in a server room. One sensor is output to a console of a dispatcher of building engineering systems while the second sensor must be installed at the console of computer information network administrators.

Meanwhile, a proper location of temperature sensors is crucially important for a correct work of conditioning systems.

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) – is a standard Internet protocol for controlling devices in IP networks on the basis of TCP/UDP. architectures. Devices of remote control and monitoring NetPing sensors support the operation via SNMP protocol as well. One of convenient ways of monitoring is monitoring using a mobile phone.

In this article, an example of using "Monitor Master Free" software (free version) for remote controlling a NetPing device, namely controlling external devices (for example, a signal alarm or a light beacon) that are connected to IO lines in the "output" mode is described using UniPing server solution v4/SMS device, as well as controlling sockets of a NetPing 8/PWR-220 v4/SMS device as an example. 

NetPing east Co Ltd. announces the issue of firmware update for the devices for remote monitoring of server rooms UniPing server solution v4/SMS and UniPing server solution v3. New firmware versions for the devices contain implementation of new features and corrections of errors.

What have been changed in the latest version?

The company NetPing global Ltd. announces the issue of firmware updates for devices of remote monitoring of server rooms UniPing server solution v4/SMS and UniPing server solution v3. New firmware versions contain the implementation of new functionality and correction of errors.

What has been changed in the latest version?

NetPing east Co Ltd.company announces the issue of firmware updates for devices for remote monitoring of server rooms UniPing server solution v4/SMS and UniPing server solution v3. New firmware versions for devices contain implementation of new functionality, corrections of errors and a small design alteration of a device web interface.

What have been changed in the latest version?

NetPing devices have built-in IO lines (input-output lines). They can be used both in the «input» mode, and the «output» mode or a «logic output» for controlling external devices. Examples of using IO lines in the mode «output»/«logic output» are as follows:

• remote rebooting of servers, which is an imitation of pushing a «Reset» button;
• remote controlling of an alarm, lighting, a ventilator;
• controlling electric lock, and electric gate at a remote site;
• controlling the elements of a «smart home»: watering plants, opening / closing blinds, water pump, boiler, electric heaters, etc.;
• remote controlling of an energy device (diesel generator, gasoline generator)

Practical Use of Temperature Monitoring Devices

NetPing devices for temperature monitoring in a server room and implementation of other functionality use different modern techniques and protocols. The simplest method of watching temperature readings is using a built-in web interface. For example, at the page «Thermo sensors», it is possible to watch the readings of connected temperature sensors for a server room in a real-time mode: