Agent-free Monitoring of Dell PowerEdge 12G Servers in Nagios Core and Nagios XI

Transcription

1 Agent-free Monitoring of Dell PowerEdge 12G Servers in Nagios Core and Nagios XI A Dell technical white paper Authors: Vishwanath S Patil Thanga Prakash Somasundaram Ashish Gupta

2 THIS WHITE PAPER IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND MAY CONTAIN TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND TECHNICAL INACCURACIES. THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. For more information, contact Dell. Dell, the Dell logo, and PowerEdge are trademarks of Dell Inc. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Server are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell disclaims proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. March 2014 Version 1.0

3 Contents Executive summary... 5 Key features... 6 Prerequisites for installing the Nagios Plug-in and Add-on... 6 Software requirements for managed systems... 6 Configure the SNMP settings from web console... 6 Configure the SNMP settings from RACADM CLI... 7 Supported firmware version... 8 Software requirements for Nagios Core Management Server... 8 Software requirements for Nagios XI Management Server... 8 Monitoring Dell servers in Nagios Core... 9 Setup of Dell Plug-in for Nagios Core... 9 Classifying and monitoring Dell servers Hosts view Services view Map view :1 idrac7 console launch support...12 Monitoring Dell servers in Nagios XI...12 Setup of Dell Add-on for Nagios XI...12 Classifying and monitoring Dell servers Hosts view Services view :1 idrac7 console launch support Recommendations Frequently Asked Questions For more information... 20

4 Figures Figure 1. SNMP Agent configuration from idrac7 web console... 7 Figure 2. SNMP Agent configuration from RACADM CLI... 8 Figure 3. Command Line example for Dell OOB server discovery in Nagios Core... 9 Figure 4. Hosts view in Nagios Core Figure 5. Services view in Nagios Core Figure 6. Map view in Nagios Core Figure 7. idrac7 console launch in Nagios Core...12 Figure 8. Importing Dell OOB server Monitoring Wizard...13 Figure 9. Selecting the Dell Monitoring Wizard for Dell OOB server discovery...13 Figure 10. Configuring Dell OOB server IP address/fqdn details Figure 11. Configuring SNMP Community of Dell OOB server and the services Figure 12. Configuring monitoring details for Dell OOB servers Figure 13. Successful discovery of Dell OOB server using Dell Wizard Figure 14. Service Status view of the discovered Dell OOB server Figure 15. Hosts view in Nagios XI Figure 16. Services view in Nagios XI Figure 17. Model and service tag information of Dell OOB server Figure 18. Operating system and firmware information of Dell OOB server Figure 19. Global health status of Dell OOB server with idrac7 URL... 17

5 Executive summary This white paper provides information on how to monitor Dell PowerEdge 12G servers in environments managed by Nagios Core and Nagios XI using an agent-free, out-of-band mode via integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (idrac7) with Lifecycle Controller. idrac7 with Lifecycle Controller is an embedded device in Dell PowerEdge servers that helps IT administrators manage, monitor, update and deploy Dell servers. The technology is designed to make server administrators more productive and improve the overall availability of Dell servers. idrac7 sends alerts, helps perform remote server management and reduces the need for physical access to a server. Lifecycle Controller can configure and update a server locally or remotely. Nagios Core is an open source monitoring software tool that offers monitoring and alerting services for servers, switches, applications and services. Nagios Core alerts IT administrators when things go wrong and alerts them again when the problem is resolved. It is the most popular open-source monitoring solution and is used by organizations of all sizes. Nagios XI is a commercial offering by Nagios built on top of Nagios Core and offers additional dashboarding, customization, performance graphing and a host of other features. The Nagios open source user community has made contributions to many plug-ins, including those that monitor Dell PowerEdge servers and their subcomponents. This is accomplished via an in-band method using the traditional OpenManage Server Administrator agent installed on top of a server operating system such as Microsoft Windows, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) etc. Until now, there has not been a way to take advantage of the embedded, agent-free management available with Dell 12 th -generation servers using any of the plug-ins present on Nagios Exchange. This white paper shows how customers can take advantage of this Dell innovation by using idrac7 in data center environments managed by Nagios Core and Nagios XI consoles. This document presents key features, configuration guidelines, general recommendations and answers to frequently asked questions that will help you to successfully deploy Dell Plug-in for Nagios Core and Dell Add-on for Nagios XI on Dell hardware. Target audience: IT Administrators who are using Nagios Core and Nagios XI software to monitor Dell hardware.

6 Key features Dell Plug-in for Nagios Core and Dell Add-on for Nagios XI provide a proactive approach to data center management that delivers features for monitoring Dell PowerEdge 12G servers that s easy and free of cost. The Dell plug-in/add-on protect an IT organization s existing investment in Nagios console and help ease the integration and monitoring of Dell servers. These products equip IT administrators with the information necessary to make rapid yet informed decisions impacting the availability of data center resources and thus help increase productivity and reduce costs. The following are key features of Dell Plug-in for Nagios Core and Dell Add-on for Nagios XI: Classification of Dell PowerEdge 12G servers, using an agent-free, out-of-band technology. Monitoring of server health. Simple launch of the idrac7 console for further troubleshooting, configuration, update, and management of Dell servers. The Dell Add-on for Nagios XI additionally supports basic inventory details of Dell agent-free servers, including parameters such as service tag, model number, firmware version, hostname and operating system name and version. Prerequisites for installing the Nagios Plug-in and Add-on Software requirements for managed systems The idrac7 device should be configured with SNMP v1 for supporting the monitoring using Dell Plugin for Nagios Core and Dell Add-on for Nagios XI. The IT administrator can use either the web interface or the command line interface provided by the idrac7 device to configure the SNMP settings. Both approaches are described below. Configure the SNMP settings from web console 1. Launch the idrac7 web console and navigate to the Network -> Services section in the console. 2. Configure the SNMP Agent properties: a. Set Enabled to true and SNMP Protocol to All (SNMP v1/v2/v3). b. Set SNMP Community Name with a community string. c. Click Apply to submit the configuration. Note: The plug-in/ add-on communicates with idrac7 using SNMP v1 protocol only.

7 Figure 1. SNMP Agent configuration from idrac7 web console For more information to configure the SNMP Agent under Services tab in idrac7, refer Configure the SNMP settings from RACADM CLI 1. Launch the idrac7 RACADM CLI by using following ssh command: ssh IP> 2. Change the command mode to racadm by following command: racadm 3. Set the SNMP community string by following command: racadm set idrac.snmp.agentcommunity <community string> 4. Enable the SNMP agent by following command: racadm set idrac.snmp.agentenable 1 (Values: 0 Disabled, 1 Enabled) 5. Set the SNMP protocol to v1 by following command: racadm set idrac.snmp.snmpprotocol 0 (Values: 0 All, 1 SNMPv3) 6. Verify the configuration by following command: racadm get idrac.snmp

8 Supported firmware version Figure 2. SNMP Agent configuration from RACADM CLI It is recommended to use idrac7 firmware version or above for agent-free monitoring of Dell servers. You can download the latest firmware version of idrac7 from the following link on Dell TechCenter: Software requirements for Nagios Core Management Server Complete these prerequisites before you install and set up Dell Plug-in for Nagios Core: Nagios Core is installed. net-snmp and perl-net-snmp is installed. check_ping plug-in is installed, you can install it from Software requirements for Nagios XI Management Server There are no prerequisites required to install and set up Dell Add-on for Nagios XI, other than a successful installation of Nagios XI.

9 Monitoring Dell servers in Nagios Core The following section explains setup and configuration guidelines and monitoring behavior of Dell Plug-in for Nagios Core. Setup of Dell Plug-in for Nagios Core Complete these steps to install and configure Dell Plug-in for Nagios Core: 1. Download Dell_OpenManage_OOB_Nagios_Core-0.1.tar.gz from Nagios plugin website 2Dof-2Dband--Server-Monitoring-Plug-2Din/details and extract the plug-in on Nagios Core host. Navigate to the base directory Dell_OpenManage_OOB_Nagios_Core Copy plugins/check_dell_device_health.pl file to Nagios core plugin directory (by default /usr/local/nagios/libexec dir). 3. Copy the Dell-OOB-Server, Dell Device Health Status definitions from templates/sample_templates.cfg file and append to templates.cfg of the nagios setup(by default /usr/local/nagios/etc/objects/templates.cfg) 4. Run the Perl plug-in script plugins/ perl dell_oob_server_config_generator.pl a. perl dell_oob_server_config_generator.pl -a <IP Address> -c <SNMP community string> -p <SNMP port> After running the script, the preceding plug-in generates the dell_command.cfg file, which contains command definitions and the dell_oob_server.cfg file, which contains host and service definitions for the discovered Dell OOB server. Figure 3. Command Line example for Dell OOB server discovery in Nagios Core Copy the generated file dell_oob_server.cfg to Nagios etc/objects directory (default /usr/local/nagios/etc/objects), append the contents of dell_command.cfg file to Nagios commands.cfg file (Default /usr/local/nagios/etc/objects/commands.cfg) and copy check_dell_device_health.pl file to Nagios Core plug-in directory (default /usr/local/nagios/libexec), then restart the Nagios server and Nagios web console will have Dell agent-free servers.

10 5. Append nagios.cfg file with the following line (By default /usr/local/nagios/etc/nagios.cfg) a. cfg_file=/usr/local/nagios/etc/objects/dell_oob_server.cfg 6. Configure the Absolute path for commands.cfg, templates.cfg, dell_oob_server.cfg in nagios.cfg if the absolute path does not exist. (By default /usr/local/nagios/etc/nagios.cfg) Examples of default nagios objects path are as follows:. a. cfg_file=/usr/local/nagios/etc/objects/commands.cfg b. cfg_file=/usr/local/nagios/etc/objects/contacts.cfg c. cfg_file=/usr/local/nagios/etc/objects/templates.cfg 7. Restart the Nagios Core using the following command: a. service nagios restart OR b. /etc/init.d/nagios restart Classifying and monitoring Dell servers Hosts view All Dell agent-free servers are viewed in Hosts view of the Nagios Core console. This view lists Dell idrac7 host name with Ping service status and the idrac7 web console launch icon associated to it. Figure 4. Hosts view in Nagios Core Services view All Dell agent-free servers are viewed in Services view of the Nagios Core console. This view has Dell idrac7 host name, Global Health Status service and idrac7 web console launch icon associated to it. The Status information column in Services represents the overall global health of the server and its corresponding server host name.

11 Figure 5. Services view in Nagios Core Dell Nagios Core plugin monitors the global health status of Dell agent-free servers and updates the monitored status to Services hierarchy in the Nagios Core console as show in the Service hierarchy representation above. Map view All Dell agent-free servers are viewed in Map view of the Nagios Core with their respective host name with Ping service status. Figure 6. Map view in Nagios Core

12 1:1 idrac7 console launch support Dell Nagios Core plug-in provides an admin console launch tool icon option in both Services and Hosts view. Figure 7. idrac7 console launch in Nagios Core The plug-in enables IT administrators to perform further troubleshooting and allows you to take corrective action, once the issue is identified. The plug-in also assists you to perform configuration, update and management of Dell servers through link and launch of the idrac7 console. To learn more about idrac7, visit: Monitoring Dell servers in Nagios XI The following section explains setup/configuration guidelines and monitoring behavior of Dell Add-on for Nagios XI. Setup of Dell Add-on for Nagios XI To install and configure Dell Out-of-Band Server Monitoring Configuration Wizard for Nagios XI: 1. Download the Dell Out-of-Band Monitoring Wizard, available on Nagios Exchange in the Addons download section. Visit: 2Dof-2DBand-Server-Monitoring-Configuration-Wizard/details for download. 2. To import and deploy the Wizard, log in into the Nagios XI web console with required administrator credentials. Navigate to Manage Configuration Wizards in the Admin page. Browse for the downloaded Wizard zip file and then upload into the console.

13 Figure 8. Importing Dell OOB server Monitoring Wizard 3. Configuring Dell idrac7 devices using Wizard Once the Dell idrac7 device is configured with SNMP agent service, configure the idrac7 devices in the Nagios XI console using the Dell OOB Server Wizard. a. Log in into the Nagios XI web console with required administrator credentials. b. Navigate to the Configure page and select Monitoring Wizard in the right panel and then choose Dell Out-Of-Band server (idrac7) wizard from the listed wizard. Figure 9. Selecting the Dell Monitoring Wizard for Dell OOB server discovery c. In the wizard, provide the IP address or fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the idrac7 device and click Next.

14 Figure 10. Configuring Dell OOB server IP address/fqdn details d. Provide SNMP community string and Select Dell Out-of-Band server for monitoring the health of the Dell Server (Recommended). e. Select Model and Service Tag Information and Operation System and Firmware Information for the inventory details of the Server and click Next. Figure 11. Configuring SNMP Community of Dell OOB server and the services f. Configure the monitoring setting and click finish.

15 Figure 12. Configuring monitoring details for Dell OOB servers - idrac7 host and its services are successfully added in the console. Figure 13. Successful discovery of Dell OOB server using Dell Wizard - After few minutes, the service status of added idrac7 device is updated after the first schedule run of the services. Figure 14. Service Status view of the discovered Dell OOB server Classifying and monitoring Dell servers

16 Hosts view All Dell agent-free servers are viewed in Hosts view of the Nagios XI console. This view displays the Dell idrac7 host name with Ping service status. Figure 15. Hosts view in Nagios XI Services view All Dell agent-free servers are viewed in Services view of the Nagios XI console. In Services view of Nagios XI console, each Dell agent-free server contains three services Model Service Tag Information, Operating System-Firmware information and Global Health Status service. Figure 16. Services view in Nagios XI

17 Dell Nagios XI add-on monitors the global health status of Dell OOB servers and updates the monitored status to Services hierarchy in the Nagios XI console as shown in the preceding Service hierarchy representation. The details of the three services of Dell OOB servers are as follows: Model and service tag information o Using this service, the model and service tag details of the Dell server are provided. Figure 17. Model and service tag information of Dell OOB server Operating system and firmware information o Using this service, Server Hostname, OS Name, OS version, DRAC Short Name, DRAC firmware version and DRAC URL details are provided. Figure 18. Operating system and firmware information of Dell OOB server Monitoring the global health status o Using this service, the health of the server will be updated periodically with global health status of the server and DRAC URL details are provided. Figure 19. Global health status of Dell OOB server with idrac7 URL 1:1 idrac7 console launch support To troubleshoot the problematic condition in the Dell OOB server, launch the Dell idrac7 Console using the DRAC URL details provided in the service details. Once the issue is identified, if required, perform the configuration or update actions through idrac7 console. To learn more about idrac7, refer the following link: Recommendations The following are general recommendations for successfully deploying and using Dell Plug-in for Nagios Core and Dell Add-on for Nagios XI: As an IT administrator, you must ensure that the latest idrac7 firmware version is installed. The latest firmware can be downloaded from the following location:

18 It is recommended to install idrac firmware version or above for agent-free monitoring of Dell servers. Ensure that SNMP is enabled at idrac7. For more information, see the preceding Software Requirements for Managed Systems section. Ensure that proper SNMP community string is configured at idrac7. Ensure that Dell server host has FQDN and configured in idrac7. Frequently Asked Questions Q. Can you please brief us on Licensing of Dell Plug-in for Nagios Core/ Dell Add-on for Nagios XI? A. You can install and use this plug-in/add-on for free. Q. What are the Dell hardware models supported by the plug-in/add-on? A. The plug-in/add-on supports all Dell PowerEdge 12G servers. At the time of publication, the following PowerEdge servers are supported by the plug-in/ add-on: M420, M520, M620, M820, M920, R320, R420, R520, R620, R720, R720xd, R820, R920, T320, T420 and T620. Q. I have earlier generation of servers (9G 11G) in my data center. Can I still monitor them using the plug-in/add-on? A. No, you can t monitor earlier generations of servers (9G 11G) using this plug-in/add-on. You will only be able to monitor Dell servers via idrac7 supported only for PowerEdge 12G servers via this plug-in/ add-on. There are other plug-in available on Nagios Exchange using which you can monitor earlier generation of servers but they are in-band only. Q. What is the difference between in-band vs. out-of-band (OOB) method of monitoring Dell servers? A. There are two ways to monitor Dell servers, one is via in-band method using software called OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) installed on top of server operating system and the other is out-of-band method via integrated Dell Remote Access Controller (idrac). The idrac is a piece of hardware that sits on the server motherboard that allows systems administrators to monitor and manage dell servers regardless of whether the machine is powered on, or if an operating system is installed or functional. The technology works from any location and without the use of software agents like OMSA. By contrast, in-band management i.e. OMSA must be installed on the server being managed and only works after the machine is booted and the operating system is running and functional. The OMSA software has its limitations like it does not allow access to BIOS settings, or the reinstallation of the operating system and cannot be used to fix problems that prevent the system from booting.

19 Q. Can I monitor Dell servers using OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) agent instead of idrac7 via this plug-in/add-on? A. No, using this plug-in/add-on you can t monitor Dell servers using OMSA agent. However, there are other plug-ins/add-ons available on Nagios Exchange using which you can achieve the same. For more information, regarding the list of available Dell Plug-ins, visit: for Dell Addons, visit: Q. How is this plug-in/add-on different from other plug-ins/add-ons available on the Nagios Exchange site? A. This plug-in primary functionality is to do monitoring of Dell servers hardware using an agentfree, out-of-band mode via idrac7 with Lifecycle Controller. This functionality is not present by any of the plug-ins/add-ons available on the Nagios Exchange site. By using out-of-band management, IT administrators no longer need to install or periodically certify/validate the traditional in-band OpenManage Server Administrator (OMSA) agent installed in the server Operating System (OS). This out-of-band management technology allows IT administrators to effectively monitor Dell systems with increased availability from any location, and without the use of agents. It accomplishes this regardless of operating system or hypervisor presence or state.

20 For more information Dell Out-of-Band Server (idrac7) Monitoring Plug-in for Nagios Core Download Page: 2Dband--Server-Monitoring-Plug-2Din/details Dell Out-of-Band Server (idrac7) Monitoring Configuration Wizard for Nagios XI Download Page: 2DBand-Server-Monitoring-Configuration-Wizard/details integrated Dell Remote Access Controller Dell OpenManage Server Administrator Monitoring Dell Servers using Dell OpenManage Connections and Integrations