UniPing server solution v3

Pluggable sensors and monitoring functions of UniPing server solution v3:

Email, SNMP TRAP, Syslog notifications about sensors triggering

When sensors, connected to a server room monitoring device, are triggered, the device can send the next notifications:

Email - an environment monitoring system can send Email messages directly through an SMTP server. Both notifications about sensors triggering and periodical reports about sensors status are sent via Email.

SNMP TRAP - is convenient to use for integration with monitoring systems as well as for fulfilling automatic actions on a PC (for example, start playing an alarm) with the help of specific software.

Syslog - with the help of specific software installed on a PC (a syslog server), all messages from sensors can be stored in a text file for a following analysis.

Temperature sensors

External temperature sensors are extremely popular in server room and data center monitoring systems. With their help, it is possible to control a temperature mode of a critical equipment operation as well as receive timely notifications about denials and failures in a climate control system, diagnose coolers failures and accidental ventilation flows overlaps.

Humidity sensors

It allows to estimate a relative humidity of atmospheric air. It is commonly used to monitor optimum conditions of a computer equipment operation in server rooms.

Supply voltage sensor

This sensor allows to detect a presence or an absence of voltage in a power supply socket, to which a sensor is connected. A common use of this sensor is to receive notifications when a voltage in the electrical network disappears. At the same time, the device must be powered by UPS or a battery, or a backup power line.

Door opening/closing sensors

It performs security and monitoring functions. It helps to track opening/closing of a door into a server room, data center or the same of a door to a switch cabinet with equipment.

Leakage sensors

Allows to determine a water on a floor of a server room, data center or on a bottom of a wiring closet. In a case of flooding (a breakage in a water or heating system) this sensor allows to give advance notice to a responsible employee about a contingency. Also this sensor can be useful to control leakage in a conditioner condensing system.

Smoke detection sensors

Allows to detect a smoke indoors. It is usually used with NetPing server room environmental monitoring units as a backup monitoring sensor. An appropriate equipment must be used to implement the functions of a security and fire system!

Shock sensors

Registers shocks and vibration of a box with an equipment or a server rack. It is commonly used for anti-vandal purposes, to send timely notifications about an attempt of unauthorized opening of an equipment box. A shock sensor can be used as well to control a vibration absence for a vibration-sensitive equipment.

Motion Sensor

It is an infrared motion sensor which detects presence and absence of a human. It helps to track a fact of unauthorized access into a server room or data center.

Alarm siren

An alarm siren is designed for sound alerting about a certain event. It can be controlled through the web or via an SNMP interface of a server room monitoring solution.

Comfort of use, simple integration into existing systems, reliability:

Works 24 hours/7 days a week, with no hang-ups

A server room monitoring device is designed for an uninterrupted operation in an unattended room in 24/7 mode. A built-in power supply supervisor protects a device from hang-ups when there are voltage fluctuations. We do not use operating systems when developing software. The entire code is written by us on a C language completely, and the code is highly optimized for the provided functionality.

An embedded web server

A device is managed and configured through a browser. Specific software is not needed. Operates in any OS (Windows, Linux, Mac).

Connecting to an Ethernet network, a static IP address

A server room monitoring device is connected to a common office Ethernet network, into any available port of an Ethernet switch. Having published an IP address of a device in the Internet, it is possible to manage device sockets from anywhere in the world.

2 Ethernet ports on a body of a device

They allow using one port to connect a server room monitoring device to an Ethernet switch, and the second one as a common Ethernet port to plug any Ethernet devices, including other NetPing server room monitoring units and power distribution units, in a chain. This can be extremely useful when all ports of a switch are already occupied: NetPing can be plugged into a switch, and a network device can be plugged into an available Ethernet port.

Authorization and access restriction

An access to a web interface of a server room monitoring unit is protected with a login and password, set by a user. There is a need to authorize to get to a web interface of a device. Besides, it is possible to restrict an access to a device, having left an access from a specified IP sub network only.

SNMP support

An SNMP protocol is widely used in data collection systems for network equipment. A server room environmental monitoring unit supports management commands as well as receives information from sensors via an SNMP protocol. A device is easily integrated with network monitoring systems, such as Zabbix, PRTG Network Monitor, Nagios, OpenNMS, Monit, The Dude, LibreNMS, SolarWinds Orion Platform and similar ones, which receive data on a status of sensors, connected to a device through an SNMP protocol. 

Syslog support

This protocol together with dedicated server software can be used for collecting text log files of different devices operation in a network, including NetPing server room environmental monitoring devices. This can be very useful for collecting and analyzing statistics. 

URL-encoded commands support

A server room monitoring device supports sockets management and receiving information from sensors with the help of specific HTTP commands. These commands allow managing a device from any web page, developed by a user, including any mobile application. 

Firmware update

A server room monitoring device supports updating firmware through a web-interface of a device. We occasionally release updates for firmware. The updates are free of charge. 

Nonvolatile log file

All events (turning devices on and off, information from sensors) are stored in a nonvolatile memory. The information is stored even when a power supply cuts off. 

Nonvolatile clock and time synchronization with NTP

To execute commands in a fixed specific time (a module Schedule), it is crucially important for a clock not to shift. Time tags are used for records in a log file as well. A device has its own built-in nonvolatile clock and a possibility to automatically sync with external time server via an NTP protocol.

Automation on a basis of UniPing server solution v3:

Automation and logic rules execution (LOGIC)

A server room monitoring unit allows setting certain logic rules, which will be executed by a device automatically. For example, to switch on a voltage, to turn on a notification alarm or a signal lamp, when a temperature on a temperature sensor exceeds indicated values, and automatically turn off a notification when a temperature is back to normal. Such rules allow implementing a simple automation system on a basis of a device.

Automatic air conditioner control by IR commands

With the help of an extra module NetPing IRC-TR v2 and an embedded LOGIC module a server room environmental monitoring device can automatically turn on an external air conditioner, by sending it an IR command when a temperature on a sensor exceeds, and then automatically turn it off, when a temperature is back to normal. The same way it is possible to turn on a standby air conditioners, which are turned off most of the time.

Automatic management of external devices via SNMP

Embedded logic rules allow managing other NetPing server room environmental monitoring units through a network by sending them a SNMP SET command when a condition works. It can be useful to turn on an indication/notification in another building when a sensor is triggered in a server room, for example. Regardless a device with a sensor location as well as an indication device location, a command will be executed if they have a network connection.

Even more possibilities when using extra devices with UniPing server solution v3:

Managing devices via IR. Turning On/Off an air conditioner with the help of sending an IR command

With an extra NetPing IRC-TR v2 module (a module is purchased separately) there is a possibility to send a control command to any external device, which is managed from an IR control panel. A command can be sent from a Web-interface of a device or given via an SNMP protocol. For example, it is possible to manage a remote air conditioner in a server room, turning it on/off when necessary. Another example is remote switching of satellite receiver channels.

SMS notification sending and SMS commands executing with the help of NetPing SMS

With the help of an extra NetPing SMS SNMP-to-SMS gateway here comes a possibility to send SMS notifications about sensors triggering through a hardware GSM modem, built into NetPing SMS. There is also a possibility to receive SMS commands and execute them by a device. NetPing SMS is a gate between SNMP commands, transferred via an Ethernet/Internet network, and a GSM network, in which SMS notifications are transferred. One NetPing SMS SNMP-to-SMS gateway can work with lots of other NetPing server room environmental monitoring units and power distribution units, providing them a possibility to transfer SMS notification and execute SMS commands.

Connecting a device to an existing WiFi network

If there is no Ethernet network in a place of a device installation, but there is a WiFi network, it is possible to connect a device to a WiFi network with the help of a VAP11N module (optional purchase). This allows avoiding a necessity to lay a wired Ethernet network to a place of a device installation. You can simply use an existing wireless infrastructure.

Connecting controlled power supply sockets NetPing AC/DIN

If there is a need to control a power supply of the external load, it is possible to connect an external controlled power supply socket NetPing AC/DIN to a server room monitoring unit. Such controlled socket allows to switch on, switch off and reload a power supply of the external load 100V ... 240V 50/60Hz, with a current up to 10A.

Uninterruptible power supply of a device with NetPing Mini-UPS:

In a regular mode, UniPing server solution v3 is powered from 100V ... 240V AC, 50/60 Hz, but in case of turning off a power supply it is sometimes necessary to continue a device operation. It can be important to transfer critical notifications about sensors triggering as well as to transfer a notification about a power supply shutdown. A special device NetPing Mini-UPS with a built-in battery will provide a backup power supply when a main power supply is turned off.