User Guide: Vista Manager SNMP Plug-in version 2.8.1

SNMP Plug-in System Configuration

Server Configuration > SNMP Plug-in System Configuration

Launch the Utility
Configuration Items
Discovery Configuration
Directed Broadcast Address
Seed File
Device Display Configuration
Retry Configuration
Logging Configuration
Port Configuration
SNMPv3 Trap Receiver Configuration
SNMP Parameter List Dialog Box
SNMP Parameter Properties Dialog Box

"SNMP Plug-in Configuration Utility" allows you to change various configurations of the SNMP Plug-in server.

Launch the Utility

To launch the utility, right-click [Vista Manager EX Installation Directory]\Plugins\AT-SNMP\NetManager\bin32\ANMPluginConfig.exe and select "Run as administrator".

Configuration Items

The utility has the following application window.
Configuration parameters are categorized into six groups shown on the left side of the window.
When you select a group, configuration items in the group are shown on the right side of the window.


Discovery Configuration

"Discovery Configuration" category lets you change configurations on subnet auto-discovery funciton.


Table 1: Discovery Configuration
Item Content
PING Method
  • Use directed broadcast address
    The plug-in starts a discovery process by sending a Ping packet (ICMP echo request) to the directed broadcast address of a subnet. It generates less traffic and takes less time than "Use unicast addresses sequentially". But a packet destined to a directed broadcast address may be blocked by a router. Use "sequentially" in that case. See Directed Broadcast Address for more details.

  • Use unicast addresses sequentially
    The plug-in starts a discovery process by sending a Ping packets to each unicast address in the subnet one by one. Although it generates more traffic and takes more time than "Use directed broadcast address", it discovers nodes in the subnet more reliably. This is the default method.
    Note
    If you need to set a mask value smaller than 22-bit length, change the PING condition to "Use direct broadcast address" or "Use seed file instead of PING" in the SNMP Plug-in's system configuration utility.

  • Use a seed file instead of PING
    The plug-in starts a discovery process from the hosts listed in a "seed file".

  • Generate Seed
    Generate a seed file from a hosts file. Refer to Seed File for more details.
Retries
  • Retry Count
    Specify how many times the plug-in should retry a PING or SNMP scan after an initial failure. The default is 2.

  • Timeout
    Specify how many seconds the plug-in should wait before it considers that a Ping or SNMP scan failed. The default is 1 seconds.

Directed Broadcast Address

SNMP Plug-in can use a Ping packet destined to the directed broadcast address of a subnet for auto discovery.

Altough it generates less traffic and takes less time than sending a unicast Ping for every address in the subnet, the packet may be filtered by a router for security reason. Moreover, there are devices which do not respond to packets destined to the directed broadcast address. In those cases, the plug-in cannot find all or some devices in the subnet.
To workaround them, select "Use unicast addresses sequentially" or change your router configuration to allow directed broadcasts.

By default, SNMP Plug-in sends a unicast Ping one by one to every address in the subnet.
Note
"Use unicast addresses sequentially" takes more time than "Use directed broadcast address" to finish an auto discovery.
Note
For configurations to allow directed broadcast packets on your network equipment, please refer to the equipment's manual.

Seed File

If you select "Use a seed file instead of PING", the plug-in skips the IP node discovery (by PING) stage and directly proceeds to the SNMP discovery stage, where it scans the hosts in a seed file first, then also scans the hosts known to the already scanned hosts.

A seed file is a plain text file which contains one IP address per line. Its fullpath is "[Vista Manager EX Installation Directory]\Plugins\AT-SNMP\NetManager\etc\seed.lst".
Altough it can be created by hand, usually you generate it using "Generate Seed" button. To create a seed file, do the following steps.
  1. Prepare a hosts file in the following format.
      # sample hosts file
      192.168.10.1 saba
      192.168.10.5 tara
      192.168.20.1 tai
      192.168.20.100
      192.168.30.2

    • Filename can be any. Its filename does not have to be "hosts".
    • It does not have to be used for actual name resolution.
    • A valid entry begins with an IP address.
    • Lines starting with "#" and empty lines are ignored.
    • Only the first field (IP address) is used for a seed file (hostname in the second field is not used).

  2. Click "Generate Seed" button on the "Discovery Configuration" category.

  3. Select the prepared hosts file and click "Open" on the following dialog box.


  4. A seed file will be generated in the following file path.
    ([Vista Manager EX Installation Directory]\Plugins\AT-SNMP\NetManager\etc\seed.lst)


Device Display Configuration

"Device Display Configuration" category lets you specify interface types to be recognized as ports and how to name the detected devices and ports.


Table 2: Device Display Configuration
Item Content
Port Lets you specify interface types (ifType) to be displayed as ports on the tree or main view. Only the interfaces with one of the specified ifTypes are recognized as ports.
By default, interfaces with ifType 6 (ethernet_csmacd), 7 (iso88023_csmacd), 23 (ppp), 71 (ieee80211) and 117 (gigabitEthernet) are recognized as ports. If you want other interface types such as frame relay or SLIP to be treated as ports, select a interface type from "ifType" dropdown list and click "Add".
To add an unlisted ifType value, select "Any" from "ifType" and enter a value at the "Enter Value" dialog box.
Display Name
 Lets you configure how to determine display names for the devices and ports found in an auto discovery.
  • Use sysName for a device name if possible
    When checked, the plug-in uses sysName for a device's display name if the device supports SNMP.

  • Use FQDN for devices
    When checked, the plug-in shows FQDN of the found devices. When unchecked, it shows hostnames only.

  • Use ifName for a port name.
    When checked, the plug-in uses ifName for ports.

  • Use ifDescr for a port name
    When checked, the plug-in uses ifDescr for ports.
    If both "Use ifName for a port name" and "Use ifDescr for a port name" are checked, the plug-in tries to use ifName first. If the ifName is empty or cannot be retrieved, the plug-in uses ifDescr.

Retry Configuration

"Retry Configuration" category lets you configure retry counts and timeouts applied to the operations other than auto discovery.


Table 3: Retry Configuration
Item Content
Timeout/Retry Count Configurations
 You can change retry timeouts and counts applied to "Regular polling PING (IPv4)", "Regular polling SNMP", "Regular polling PING6 (IPv6)" and "Single SNMP Get/Set" operations.
  • Timeout
    Specify how many seconds the plug-in should wait before it considers that a Ping or SNMP operation failed.

  • Retry Count
    Specify how many times the plug-in should retry a PING or SNMP operation after an initial failure.

Logging Configuration

"Logging Configuration" category lets you configure logging behaviors.


Table 4: Logging Configuration
Item Content
Log Level
 Specify a minimum log level to be stored in the log history database. You can select one from the following three levels (default is "Informational"). This setting also applies to the logs displayed on the viewer.
  • "User" level
    Only "User" level logs are stored in the history database.

  • "Infomational" level
    "User" and "Informational" level logs are stored in the history database (default).

  • "Debug" level
    All logs are stored in the history database. This is solely for debugging purpose.
    Note
    Changing Log Level to "Debug" will increase the server load, which may delay periodic executions or take a long time for them.
Maximum History Records Specify a number of records which can be stored in the history database.
Maximum Statistics Records Specify a number of statistics records which can be stored in the database.

Port Configuration

"Port Configuration" category lets you change the UDP ports for SNMP and SNMP trap protocols.

Note
Changes to "Port Configuration" category become effective after restarting SNMP Plug-in server.
Note
A value of "0" means the system default.
It's 161 for SNMP and 162 for SNMP trap.

Table 5: Port Configuration
Item Content
SNMP Port Number Specify a UDP port number used for SNMP Get/Set. (valid range: 0 to 65535)
SNMP Trap Port Number Specify a UDP port used for receiving SNMP traps. (valid range: 0 to 65535)

SNMPv3 Trap Receiver Configuration

"SNMPv3 Trap Receiver Configuration" category lets you configure SNMP Parameters used for receiving SNMPv3 traps.


Table 6: SNMPv3 Trap Receiver Configuration
Item Content
Parameter List Shows a list of SNMP Parameters used for receiving SNMPv3 traps.
Add Lets you add or edit SNMP Parameters used for receiving SNMPv3 traps. SNMP Parameter List dialog box will appear.
Remove Remove a selected SNMP Parameter from the list of parameters used for receiving SNMPv3 traps.
It just removes the parameter from the list. It does not delete the parameter definition.
Note
To make changes on this category effective, you have to restart SNMP Plug-in server.

SNMP Parameter List Dialog Box

When you click "Add" button on "SNMPv3 Trap Receiver Configuration" category, "SNMP Parameter List" dialog box will appear.
This dialog box lets you select parameters to use for receiving SNMPv3 traps, or create/edit/delete parameter definitions.

Note
SNMP Parameters on this dialog box are the same as the ones on SNMP Parameter page on management web interface.

Table 7: SNMP Parameter List dialog box
Item Content
SNMP Parameter List Shows a list of SNMP Parameters.
Add Adds selected parameters to the list of parameters for receiving SNMPv3 traps.
Cancel
 Cancel the dialog box.
You will be back to the "SNMPv3 Trap Receiver Configuration" screen.
Note
"Add", "Edit" and "Delete" operations prior to clicking "Cancel" button remain effective after "Cancel".
Add Lets you add a new SNMP Parameter. SNMP Parameter Properties dialog box will appear.
Edit Lets you edit a selected SNMP Parameter in the "SNMP Parameter List". SNMP Parameter Properties dialog box will appear.
Delete Lets you delete a selected SNMP Parameter in the "SNMP Parameter List".

SNMP Parameter Properties Dialog Box

You can create a new SNMP parameter or edit an existing one on this dialog box.


Table 8: SNMP Parameter Properties dialog box
Item Content
SNMP Parameter Name Enter a name of the SNMP Parameter (Max 255 characters).
Community Name Specify a community name for SNMPv1 and v2c.
SNMPv3 Parameters
 Specify parameters used for SNMPv3.
  • Security Level
    Specify an SNMPv3 security level. Select either "None", "NoAuth / NoPriv", "Auth / NoPriv" or "Auth / Priv".

  • Username
    Enter a username (1 to 32 characters).

  • Context Name
    Enter a context name (max 32 characters).

  • Authentication Password
    Enter an authentication password (max 64 characters).

  • Authentication Protocol
    Select an authentication protocol. Select either "None", "MD5" or "SHA".

  • Encryption Password
    Enter an encryption password (max 64 characters).

  • Encryption Protocol
    Select an encryption protocol. Select either "None", "DES" or "AES".
Description Enter a comment for the parameter.


(C) 2022 Allied Telesis, Inc. All rights reserved.

C613-04135-00 Rev A

28 Nov 2022 12:59