Using the TOP Server SNMP Driver Presenter: Boyce Baine, Sr. Applications Engineer

1. Using the TOP Server SNMP DriverPresenter: Boyce Baine, Sr. Applications Engineer Monitoring Your Automation Infrastructure

2. Agenda TOP Server Introduction How can TOP Server help monitor my infrastructure? What is SNMP? SNMP Driver Overview Overview of SNMP Overview of Driver settings & configuration Testing your configuration Q & A plus other Available Resources

3. What is TOP Server?

4. TOP Server Gets You Connected! • http://www.toolboxopc.com/html/drivers_list.asp

5. How Can TOP Server help?

6. What is SNMP? SNMP – Simple Network Management Protocol An Ethernet protocol Unlike regular drivers, we aren’t getting PLC or control system data via SNMP

7. What is SNMP? SNMP standardizes access to managed device health and configuration information All major IT devices that are “managed” support the SNMP Protocol Routers Network Switches & Hubs Firewalls UPS power backups Generators Even some control devices!

8. Why SNMP? Automation depends on critical IT infrastructure IT infrastructure uptime directly impacts operational profitability Putting network/infrastructure “health” information in front of the right users empowers them to act sooner when problems occur Less downtime = More Profitability A message that fits for any industry!

9. Examples of Information Provided by SNMP UPS battery capacity remaining UPS battery failure warnings UPS power/battery status (on utility power or battery) Switch port traffic volume Switch port status (connected/not connected) Alerts of system problems And many more

10. Terminology Introduction OID = Object Identifier A big sequence of numbers that represents the “address” for a parameter MIB file = Management Information Base A text file that lists the OIDs and their uses for each status parameter available in the device SNMP Trap = an event that a managed network device generates based on configured conditions Example: UPS goes off utility power and onto battery power Ping = a simple command you type at the DOS prompt followed by the IP address to see if a device is responding on the network. Useful to see if non-managed devices are responding and working SNMP Community Name – like a password SNMP Agent = an SNMP Slave Device SNMP Manager – in this case TOP Server, but in the IT world, this would be a Network Management System like HP Openview or Tivoli.

11. Now before the IT Manager Asks.. TOP Server SNMP Suite Is not a replacement for their IT tools like HP Openview or Tivoli, rather a complement to these systems. Is typically used in a read only configuration Can limit what an operator or control engineer sees to a “need to know” list of items Should be used to have the controls group provide more helpful information when they report a problem to IT If used properly should actually make the IT team’s job easier

12. What Tools are Needed? • TOP Server SNMP Suite • Three levels of licensing • 1-15 device license, US$895 • 16-50 device license, US$1795 • Unlimited device license, US$2495 • License for a single computer • Annual support and free upgrades: US$175 – US$495 depending on license level • Also part of the vertical industry IT & Infrastructure Suite • http://www.toolboxopc.com/html/itsuite.html

13. TOP Server SNMP Suite Overview Includes SNMP and Ping Drivers Ping Driver is available for non-managed ethernet devices and provides online/offline status of these devices SNMP v1 and v2c supported(SNMP v3 not presently supported) Supports standard TOP Server protocol diagnostics Includes a number of standard device MIBs as part of the install.

14. Key Features and Considerations Key Features Use primarily for monitoring of managed network systems Polled points (SNMP GET) and unsolicited events (TRAPs). Data is organized in hierarchies. Network Analyst for Managed Ethernet Switches. Configuration works best if you have device MIB files. Important to Understand SNMP Communications settings SNMP Trap Settings Network Analyst Settings Naming syntax of items and correlation with MIB files

15. User Interface Review Configuring the SNMP Driver So let’s see how to configure the driver – we’ll highlight these differences as we get to them in configuration

16. Configuration – Channel SetupChannel Naming and Driver Selection

17. Configuration – Channel SetupNetwork Interface and Write Optimization Write Optimization settings and why you might change them are covered in detail in the product help file – best to leave at default in most cases In systems with more than one network card and subnet, you can pick which card & subnet to bind to using this combo box

18. Configuration – Channel Summary

19. Configuration – Device SettingsName and ID You’ll see this under the channel you just configured – click it to start the Device Configuration Wizard Give your device a name that is useful to you. Give the correct IP address of the SNMP-enabled device you wish to monitor.

20. Configuration – Device SettingsTiming You will need to set your timing. In most cases the defaults are acceptable. This is how long we wait for a response from the device in response to an SNMP GET request. This is the number of times we will repeat the request after timeout before failing and moving on. When using TCP, this is how long we wait for a socket connection to the device. In most cases with SNMP, UDP is in use so this is how long we wait for the first response from the device.

21. Configuration – Device SettingsAuto-Demotion Auto-Demotion improves system responsiveness when devices go offline Use of the Auto-Demotion option for each device is recommended when device communications may be unreliable. This indicates how many successive cycles of request timeouts and retries will occur before placing the device off-scan. The valid range is 1 to 30. Check the checkbox. By default this is not enabled. allows you to control whether or not write requests should be attempted during the off-scan period. The default setting is to always send write requests Indicates how long the device should be placed off-scan when the "Demote after" parameter has been reached.

22. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsSNMP Version 3 official SNMP versions 1, 2, and 3 1 draft SNMP Version 2c – known as the “real” Version 2 in practical use TOP Server supports Version 1 and 2c. Does not currently support version 3 but most V3 devices still support 1 and 2c SNMPv3 provides three important services that are incompatible with previous versions, which is why we do not yet support V3 Authentication, Privacy Access control

23. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsSNMP Port and Protocol The Port number and Protocol are used when communicating to the remote device. Ports may range from 1 to 65535. The default Port is 161. UDP and TCP protocols are available. UDP is the default Protocol. If you change these at the server, you must configure this on your device as well.

24. The next screen allows you to configure the SNMP Community and Items per request. Community name = a password for network devices. Common options are public and private Public usually read only Private may allow writes if device configured for it Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsSNMP Community The common options, public and private exist in a dropdown, but you may enter any community name you have defined in your device.

25. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsRequest Size Items per request used with SNMP Get or polled requests SNMP V2c devices typically can handle maximum SNMP V1 devices may require 1 item/request Set your items per request between 1 and 25, depending on your device capabilities.

26. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsError Logging Namespaces in SNMP devices can change on the fly Define how you want to handle the error Check or Uncheck this box depending on if you would like to suppress the error messages as noted above.

27. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsScan Rate Floor SNMP scan rates are generally slower than control rates Use Scan Rate Floor to protect from an over-demanding client application Set your Scan Rate Floor and decide if you want to lock it at that rate for OPC clients.

28. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsMIB Import – What is a MIB? The SNMP MIB, or Management Information Base for a device, is A collection of variables which is shared between the network manager and the network device. Extensible Hierarchical Contain OIDs or Object Identifiers MIB hierarchy A tree with a nameless root Levels assigned by different organizations. The top-level MIB OIDs belong to different standards organizations Lower-level object IDs are allocated by associated organizations Managed object=MIB object=object=MIB is One of any number of specific characteristics of a managed device. Managed objects are made up of one or more object instances (identified by their OIDs), which are essentially variables.

29. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsMIB Import – What is a MIB?

30. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsMIB Import – What is a MIB?

31. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsMIB Import – How Do we do it? First you need to specify your template, if any and the number of ethernet ports on the device.

32. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsMIB Import – How Do we do it? If your device doesn’t fit any of the categories what do you do? There are a number of common device MIBs that install with the server. You may select those here. Select “None” as the template type to enable the “Customize Template” button and set the number of ethernet ports on the device Click, the Customize Template button

33. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsMIB Import – How Do we do it? If your device has custom MIB files not listed here, then you can import them from a file location by clicking the “Choose MIB file to import” button.

34. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsSNMP Traps Port & Protocol You can disable and ignore trap notifications by unchecking this checkbox. Set the trap port, by default 162 Set the Trap Protocol, by default, UDP

35. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsSNMP Traps Community and Requests Set your Trap Community Set the number of Trap events to retain. This can be configured between 1 and 100 Configure the number of data fields to pass with each trap event

36. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsNetwork Analyst Enable or disable by a simple check box. Define the number of ports in your switch Set the first percent bandwidth usage threshold Set the second percent bandwidth usage threshold

37. Configuration – SNMP CommunicationsNetwork Analyst Set your sample size. If you wish to exclude ports from monitoring and calculation, exclude them here.

38. Network Analyst – Available Tags buPctIn buPctOut buStat buSwitchStat

39. Configuration – Device SettingsSummary Click “Finish” and you’re Done!

40. ConfigurationSetting up SNMP Tags/Items SNMP does not have “addresses” but rather object identifiers as defined by the associated MIB files. You do not have to set up tags as they are automatically generated when you define your device and MIBs.

41. Testing CommunicationsOPC Quick Client If launched from the Server, it will auto-populate all tags configured in the Server Tag detail view Server connection and OPC Group tree OPC Quick Client Event Log

42. Tips & Tricks • Loads of free help at: http://www.toolboxopc.com/html/support.asp • Quick Start Guide • Training Videos • Papers and Utilities – Trouble Shooting Guide • More information on the Product Details tab • http://www.toolboxopc.com/html/product_details.html • Contact Software Toolbox support@softwaretoolbox.com while you are in the planning stage, so we can help

43. Want to know about health of your actual Workstations/Servers also? TOP Server System Monitor Driver Part of TOP Server Standard License Uses Microsoft Performance Data Helper API Item Import Browser allows Auto Tag Generation Performance Objects Instances Counters Monitor Health of Underlying Systems Network Interfaces Memory Utilization CPU Usage So Much More… Contact us for information about our other tools we have that can supplement TOP Server in monitoring your infrastructure. OPC, Suitelink,PDB, DDE TOP Server System Monitor Driver

44. Contact Information & Other Learning Opportunities • Questions later? • Boyce Baine • bbaine@softwaretoolbox.com • 888-665-3678 or 704-849-2773 • support@softwaretoolbox.com • www.toolboxopc.com • www.softwaretoolbox.com • Other learning opportunities • Visit www.softwaretoolbox.com/webinars