Question about notification (for everyone)

All questions related to installations, configurations and maintenance of Advanced Host Monitor (including additional tools such as RMA for Windows, RMA Manager, Web Servie, RCC).
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Defiant
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 6:00 pm
Location: Jacada Inc.

Question about notification (for everyone)

Post by Defiant »

Hello everyone,
I have a question about the way you get notified when a test goes bad, specifically, I am interested in how you get notified when Internet connectivity is down.

Our network is made of 3 zones: LAN, DMZ, and Internet. The firewall sits in the middle, and controls the traffic.

I put HM in the LAN, and it tests all the servers there, and on the DMZ.
It also tries to connect to the Internet, and check that we can get to google, cnn, and amazon. After it fails the 3 tests one after the other, it sends a message.

In the past, I used HM v3.x. There, I used a free SMTP server (PostCast Server), and a dial-up connection.

Everytime a test failed, HM contacted the SMTP, and sent a message to it.
PostCast is very smart, and you can tell it to always dial-up when it needs to send something.

So, I got all of my messages through an SMTP that connected over dial-up to the Internet. This way, even if our Internet router was down, or if the Firewall crashed, we got the message.

I already have to SMTP servers in my company, put I can't use them to send e-mail out when the Internet connection is down. I can get notified about everything else failing, just not when the Internet conenction is down :D

I'm wondering what the rest of you are doing, because I want to change this in v4.x (new HM server).

-Defiant
Mogge
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:38 pm
Location: Denmark

Post by Mogge »

Hi!

I use a ping test to the top DNS server in Denmark (that's where I'm living). If that fails about 80% of the Danish Internet servers are down :-)
Sure I dosn't make a 100% sure test if MY Internet connection is down or if the ISP is missing a connection to the Danish top DNS (or DIX) but it gives me a pretty good idea in a simple way.

Greetings!

Mogge
Defiant
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 6:00 pm
Location: Jacada Inc.

Post by Defiant »

Mogge wrote:Hi!

I use a ping test to the top DNS server in Denmark (that's where I'm living). If that fails about 80% of the Danish Internet servers are down :-)
Sure I dosn't make a 100% sure test if MY Internet connection is down or if the ISP is missing a connection to the Danish top DNS (or DIX) but it gives me a pretty good idea in a simple way.

Greetings!

Mogge
Thanks, but this doesn't answer my question.
When the Internet is down, how do you get notified?

Thanks
KS-Soft
Posts: 13012
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2002 6:00 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by KS-Soft »

May be I missed something. But it looks like you answered your own question.
In the past, I used HM v3.x. There, I used a free SMTP server (PostCast Server), and a dial-up connection.
Everytime a test failed, HM contacted the SMTP, and sent a message to it.
PostCast is very smart, and you can tell it to always dial-up when it needs to send something.
You can do the same with HostMonitor 4. I don't see any difference.
Why you do not want to use this method anymore? You cannot use dial-up connection now?

You may use "Send message to beeper", "Send message to pager (TAP)" actions. HostMonitor can send message to pager using regular modem connected to regular phone line.

Regards
Alex
Mogge
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:38 pm
Location: Denmark

Post by Mogge »

Oh - that's the question! :)

Agree with Alex - or get a sms box that can send you an SMS based on an action. I use a cmd line util to send a SMS throu my SMS box connected to a serial port.

Greetings!

/Mogge
Defiant
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 6:00 pm
Location: Jacada Inc.

Post by Defiant »

Thank you both.
The reason I don't want to use a mode is twofold:

1) It's much slower. It may take a minute or two before I get notified.
2) The current server that I have crashes every time I try to dial through the modem.

Can you give me more details about the SMS application that you use?

Thanks

-RoNNY
Wooltown
Posts: 115
Joined: Wed May 22, 2002 6:00 pm
Location: Sweden

Post by Wooltown »

I use a SMS program from www.way-x.de/smsmaker, Host Monitor writes the message as a file in aan ut-Directory and SMS-maker scans the directory every x Second, I am using a Siemens TC35 SMS-modem.
Mogge
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:38 pm
Location: Denmark

Post by Mogge »

Hi!

I use a similar program to send commands to a Siemens MC-35i GSM box.

Regards
/Mogge
Mogge
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:38 pm
Location: Denmark

Post by Mogge »

Wooltown!

What script are you using for writing the SMS files? (to the SMS\Out dir.)

/Mogge
Mogge
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:38 pm
Location: Denmark

Post by Mogge »

Hi Wooltown!

Do you mind sharing the script you are using to write to the SMS dir.?

It should be kind of easy but I look for the naming of the text (SMS) files when an alert occures. I suspect you are using date/time as the filename but what if 2 alerts occures at the same time (same second) - sure you can use the TestID as part of the filename but what if the same alert occures twice during the same second - e.i. a SNMP alert that runs bad and the good...

Have you solved that problem, Wooltown?? Anyone??

/Mogge
KS-Soft
Posts: 13012
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2002 6:00 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by KS-Soft »

sure you can use the TestID as part of the filename but what if the same alert occures twice during the same second - e.i. a SNMP alert that runs bad and the good...
The only test method that can change status twice a second - SNMP Trap. All other test methods cannot change status 2 times in the same second because HostMonitor will not perform the same test more than once a second.

Regards
Alex
Mogge
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:38 pm
Location: Denmark

Post by Mogge »

Hi Alex!

That´s what I figured out :D

Well, to solve the problem I could use a filename name as Date/Time + TestID + a random number - or make sure that my SNMP alerts don't return a good alert within the same second and only name the file Date/Time + TestID.

Right?

/Mogge
KS-Soft
Posts: 13012
Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2002 6:00 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by KS-Soft »

If you need unique string for SNMP Trap test item, you may use combination %DateTime% + %TestID% + %TotalTests%

Regards
Alex
Mogge
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:38 pm
Location: Denmark

Post by Mogge »

Good idea!

Thanx!

/Mogge
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