NetBotz 450 Communication Error with DCE 7.3.1

[DCIM_Support]

This question was originally posted on DCIM Support by Michael Adachi on 2016-09-16

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Hi,

We have 4 x NetBotz 450 Monitors.  The network connection to all of them goes online and offline constantly, generating "Communication Error" alerts for the Netbotz Rack Monitors and the Sensor Pod.

I can ping the IP addresses to all 4 of the NetBotz monitors successfully, before, during and after DCE reports them as having a Communication Error.

(CID:108825718)

[DCIM_Support]

This answer was originally posted on DCIM Support by Steven Marchetti on 2016-09-16

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Hi Michael,

Ping uses a different port and protocol than the NetBotz to DCE communications. Ping can be helpful if a node is down or network is dropped but you'd want to run the ping from the Device to server or server to device rather than from say your laptop to either. 

When they're off-line, I suggest trying to access the web interface of the DCE server and the web interface of the NetBotz appliance. I suggest using the same protocol with which the appliances were discovered. If they're communicating HTTPS, connect using HTTPS. If http, use http. 

I'd also be curious to know if they're all going off-line around the same time.

How often is it happening and how long does it last?

What are the polling settings for these botz. What version of Botzware is being run on the appliances?

Are the  appliances on the same network segment as the other 3? Are they on the same segment as DCE?

Are you monitoring other NetBotz devices other than these 4 and if so, do they have issues?

Are you monitoring SNMP/modbus devices as well?

Are you using surveillance?

Steve

(CID:108825720)

[DCIM_Support]

This comment was originally posted on DCIM Support by Michael Adachi on 2016-09-16

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Hi Steve,

I use ping from a different subnet to see if there a network / switch / port issue communicating to these devices.  The pings do not fail, from my workstation.

I'd also be curious to know if they're all going off-line around the same time.

  -  Yes, they are all going offline and online at the same time

How often is it happening and how long does it last?

  -  It varies, but they go offline for about 30 minutes, come online for a while and then continue the cycle going offline, online, etc

What are the polling settings for these botz. What version of Botzware is being run on the appliances?

  -  Not sure, but I think they are set to 5 mins (from the default of 10 mins).  The version is V4_5_2_20160602_1247

Are the  appliances on the same network segment as the other 3? Are they on the same segment as DCE?

  - All 4 of the appliances are in the same room, and are on the same network.  The DCE is on a different subnet

Are you monitoring other NetBotz devices other than these 4 and if so, do they have issues?

  - No other NetBotz devices are being monitored at this time, but we are installing and configuring DCE, so some other rooms will come online when we can

Are you monitoring SNMP/modbus devices as well?

  - I have 2 x RDU cooling units with 14 CMs, and 56 AP8868 PDU's being monitored, all in the same room, and all on the same subnet as the Netbotz appliances

Are you using surveillance?

  - No

(CID:108825804)

[DCIM_Support]

This comment was originally posted on DCIM Support by Michael Adachi on 2016-09-16

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Hi Steve,

I've just discovered that I can't actually sign into the NetBotz appliances over the network using either IE or Firefox.  I also tried the serial connection to 1 of the appliances, but that didn't respond using 8-none-1, 9600

(CID:108825805)

[DCIM_Support]

This comment was originally posted on DCIM Support by Steven Marchetti on 2016-09-16

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Hi Michael, I understood that the pings didn't fail from the workstation, I was just curious if you could get to the web interface of DCE or the device, you could, from that interface, ping the other device. On DCE the ping option is: http://<IP of the DCE server>/nbc/status/Troubleshoot and from the bot, you can ping using: http://<IP of bot>/pages/support.html You may want to work with local tech support to look a the logs of the DCE server. If all devices are going off-line around the same time and it's lasting for 30 minutes, it doesn't sound like it's the individual appliances. It sounds like it's either network related or DCE related. If you could move one of the appliances local to the DCE server, that may also indicate something. If it's in the local LAN and it has the same issue, that would point toward DCE and if the local bot does not see the same comm issue, it's a pretty good indication that it's network. Steve

(CID:108825806)

[DCIM_Support · Accepted solution]

This answer was originally posted on DCIM Support by Steven Marchetti on 2016-09-16

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Hi Michael, The NetBotz need a baud rate of 38400. If you can't log on to them using http or https, it is likely that DCE can not log on to them either. I'd suggest getting the serial configuration working then using a crossover cable, verify the web is working. Perhaps a configreset of the device is required. http://www.apc.com/us/en/faqs/index?page=content&id=FA158175 or a reflash of the firmware http://www.apc.com/us/en/faqs/index?page=content&id=FA176133 If you reflash, don't use the keep option if you want to reset the device totally. Steve

(CID:108825802)

[DCIM_Support]

This answer was originally posted on DCIM Support by Michael Adachi on 2016-09-20

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Hi Steve,

The configreset did the trick.  After I reset all of the Netbotz devices, the network connectivity problems have disappeared (for over 4 days now 😀).  I suspect that after we upgraded the firmware via DCE, the devices needed to be reset, but there was no indication that this was required.

Thanks again for all of your help!

(from a DCE rookie...)

(CID:108826111)

[DCIM_Support]

This comment was originally posted on DCIM Support by Steven Marchetti on 2016-09-21

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Thanks for the update Michael. That shouldn't have happened but since it did to multiple units, it sounds like something corrupt (possibly a setting) got pushed to all the units. If resetting did the trick, it doesn't sound like bad FW. Steve

(CID:108826259)

[DCIM_Support]

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