Tutorial

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.

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.

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.

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.

«... 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.

«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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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

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.

It is very often that the power supply of IT infrastructure objects of small and middle offices is a bottleneck. Server rooms of small and middle companies often are not organized well, do not satisfy informational, fire, and electrical safety requirements and are limited in space. Such conditions may lead to emergency situations that are followed by downtime or, if luckily, potential risks, which can cause unnecessary anxiety about the safety of employees and business as a whole. To solve these issues, there is a range of effective practical methods to improve the operability of information equipment in small server rooms. In this article, we will examine a feature of intelligent power management of a small server group using NetPing power distribution units.

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».

Configuring a weekly timer in NetPing 2/PWR-220 v3/ETH power distribution unit (PDU) allows automating a manual process of switching on and off and rebooting the equipment. This minimizes a labor cost of the servicing personnel, reduces a reaction time for events and excludes a human factor for the error. A NetPing 2/PWR-220 v3/ETH IP power distribution unit can be used in server rooms for controlling a power supply of the infrastructure as well as on the remote industrial objects that are difficult to access. In addition to the main purpose, there is a feature of connecting external sensors that can control different parameters of the environment. The device can support a specific temperature, control air conditioning systems, and notify of emergency situations. All these features allow avoiding emergencies in the operation and minimizing possible financial losses.

NetPing 2/PWR-220 v3/ETH IP PDU has the next benefits:

• quick configuring of schedules for controlling a power supply to two independent sockets;
• using filters that allow setting exceptions in the schedule for holidays or days when the change is necessary;
• a stable operation of a timer and a device in the 24/7 365-days-a-year mode;
• remote manual switching on and off the equipment using a web interface or an SNMP protocol;
• using the «Watchdog» feature that allows rebooting the equipment that froze without the personnel.

Russian innovational company Eocortex that develops software for the IP video surveillance systems integrated devices NetPing IO v2 and UniPing v3 with its software product. This allowed expanding the usability of NetPing monitoring units on the basis of developed scenarios.

• start of video recording when a door sensor or a glass break sensor triggers;
• activation of a siren alarm when there is movement detected at the surveillance object;
• switching a lightening system on at the object to record video and when motion sensor triggers;
• opening/closing a barrier when license plates are recognized;
• notifying an operator on duty with a sound or signal indication and when finding abandoned items in public places;
• organization of access to a room by identification of an individual's face;
• informing about the crowding of people in public places using such methods as e-mail notifications, through SNMP notifications to a control panel, sound or signal indication;
• implementing features of camcorder washer when it gets dirty;
• following and guarding moving objects when they surpass the entrance to a specified zone with a lengthy stay at this zone;
• preventing and detecting fire situations in the moment of triggering a smoke sensor by switching off the equipment that works and activating video recording 

A benefit of this integration is a significant enlargement of software features for the systems of IP video surveillance Eocortex on the basis of NetPing devices for remote monitoring that are inexpensive, stable and easily integrable with different information systems.

In this article, the example of the simplest configuration of a Nagios IT infrastructure monitoring is shown that is necessary for working with NetPing devices for server room monitoring, on the example of UniPing v3. The largest advantage of this monitoring system is its flexibility (simplicity of writing user plugins for monitoring of virtually anything that can belong to a system engineer's job), and its disadvantage is a relative complexity of its configuration (configuration is performed through editing a configurational file).

To configure temperature monitoring in a server room using Nagios and UniPing v3, you will need:

• a monitoring server running under Ubuntu 9.04 Server, with an IP address 192.168.2.230;
• a device for environment monitoring of server rooms UniPing v3, with an IP address 192.168.2.10, and SNMP-Community «SWITCH», access to which is allowed at least from a monitoring server.

Modern human aims to automate as many as possible spheres of his/her personal and professional life. Earlier in our blog, we had already examined a possibility of Using NetPing Devices to Solve the Issue of Registering Data from Water Flow Meters. In this article, we will examine one more automation variant – sending a monthly report about the water consumption data using the integration of a monitoring device produced by NetPing company with a Zabbix monitoring system.

In the report, there is a need to represent the next information:

• date of sending a report;
• information on the meter;
• final water/electricity consumption for the last month;
• readings at the beginning of the period;
• readings at the end of the period;
• a total sum of the payment in currency according to the tariff