Alerts for Netbotz sensors going offline even if Netbotz is offline

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-04

We have our Netbotz connected to various sensors (humidity, leak rope, temperature, etc). One of our Netbotz semi-crashed a few days ago (I could log in via Advanced View but got an HTTP 200 error whenever I tried to do anything, and I couldn't see any sensors attached to the unit in Advanced View) and the only notification we received from Data Center Expert was a critical communication error that the Netbotz was offline.

If this happens again we'd like Data Center Expert to send us alerts that the sensors are offline, too, so that it's clear that there's a serious problem going on. The sensors monitor conditions in our data center, which holds a lot of expensive equipment, so it's very important that we know what is happening in the room and respond in a timely manner. Is that possible? As it currently stands, the Netbotz has to be fully functional for us to receive an alert that, for example, the camera pod is offline/unplugged.

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-04

Hi Dominic,

The NetBotz appliance (3xx, 4xx, and 5xx models) alerts for the individual sensors by itself. Should it lose comm with a sensor, it is responsible for alerting. This is different than the SNMP devices DCE monitors.

DCE on the other hand alerts when it loses comm with a NetBotz appliance. It alerts using a login that has an e-mail associated with it as well as that login having access to the appliance. This is by design. It was designed this way specifically so that you do not receive hundreds of e-mails about a NetBotz appliance and every single one of it's attached sensors.

Please also note that just because the NetBotz loses comm with DCE, that does not necessarily mean the NetBotz appliance itself is off-line or has lost communications with it's sensors.

Perhaps a special user account in DCE with an e-mail address that will specifically go to someone that knows if NetBotz A goes off-line, Sensors 1, 2, and 3 may also be off-line.

Steve

See Answer In Context

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-04

Hi Dominic,

The NetBotz appliance (3xx, 4xx, and 5xx models) alerts for the individual sensors by itself. Should it lose comm with a sensor, it is responsible for alerting. This is different than the SNMP devices DCE monitors.

DCE on the other hand alerts when it loses comm with a NetBotz appliance. It alerts using a login that has an e-mail associated with it as well as that login having access to the appliance. This is by design. It was designed this way specifically so that you do not receive hundreds of e-mails about a NetBotz appliance and every single one of it's attached sensors.

Please also note that just because the NetBotz loses comm with DCE, that does not necessarily mean the NetBotz appliance itself is off-line or has lost communications with it's sensors.

Perhaps a special user account in DCE with an e-mail address that will specifically go to someone that knows if NetBotz A goes off-line, Sensors 1, 2, and 3 may also be off-line.

Steve

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-04

Steve,

Thanks for the prompt reply. Is there any documentation/KB article that states that it is "by design" that DCE only alerts on a communication error with a Netbotz and not with all its sensors?

At the moment the e-mail that DCE sends us states that the communication error is with an IP - is there any way to make it say, for example, the hostname of the Netbotz? Or does DCE just pull the name/IP from the "hostname" column in DCE?

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-04

Hi Dominic,

No, there is no documentation I am aware of stating this specifically and that it is by design however ever since NetBotz communicated with NetBotz Central, (predecessor to ISXC then DCE,) the NetBotz alerting has always been "At the Edge". NetBotz alerted for themselves in case the central server went down, the devices would still alert for themselves...and they still do. If you've ever configured an alarm for a NetBotz 3xx, 4xx, or 5xx device in DCE, you know that unlike an SNMP device, the configuration is being pushed to the device itself and not saved on the DCE server for alerting.

Simply by understanding the design of how it works should allow you to understand why it doesn't work the way you're looking for it to work. Maybe something like this would make for a good knowledge base article and I will look into that.

Steve

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-04

Steve,

Thanks again for the prompt reply. I understand that the Netbotz alert for themselves, and we make good use of that facility. We're just trying to see if there's a way to get alerts when the Netbotz itself goes down, other than the single "device offline" alert from DCE.

Are you able to answer my question about configuring the "critical communication" alert from DCE? How do I get it to tell me which Netbotz is offline, rather than just an IP?

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-04

Hi Dominic,

Sorry but there is no configuration for these off-line alerts. Sorry if I missed that part.

I did look into it and there is an enhancement request in the system for this part of the issue. I've added your post to the request.

Steve

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-04

Steve,

Do you know if DCE uses the "hostname" for the alert or does it always use the IP regardless of whether or not there is a hostname in the hostname column in DCE for that device?

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-04

Dominic,

I've not tested this nor is it documented. If there's a hostname field in the e-mail, I would expect it to send whatever DCE shows in the hostname column but that's not to say it will definitely send that way. Again, the enhancement request does include the request forsome configuration options.

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-04

Okay thanks very much!

DCIM_Support · ‎2020-07-04

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