Monitoring NetBotz Appliances in DCE

Use this option's elements to define how often the server will start a new poll of its monitored NetBotz Appliances, for sensor and alarm data (Data Collection), and device status (Monitoring), or to manually initiate a poll. Click Start in the Data Collection section to poll the NetBotz Appliances for sensor and alert data; click Start in the Monitoring section to poll the NetBotz Appliances for device status.

    NetBotz Appliance Alert Notifications overview The NetBotz Appliances monitored by the server each generate their own alert notifications in response to alert threshold violations that occur at the devices they monitor. The NetBotz appliance stores its threshold settings and sends alert notifications to the Data Center Expert server. The Alert Settings options in the NetBotz Appliance Configuration option of the Device menu define how notifications are performed. Alert Actions: Used to create, edit, or delete the alert actions which define how users will be notified of alarm conditions. Note  You must create at least one alert action before your NetBotz Appliance can generate alert notifications. Alert Profiles: Used to create, edit, or delete alert profiles that define the notification sequences to occur when a threshold is triggered. Note You must edit the default profiles, or add new profiles, to include one or more alert actions before your NetBotz Appliance can generate alert notifications. Alert Thresholds: Used to define threshold settings that the NetBotz Appliances will use to monitor sensor values.  

    Modifying an alert action You can use the same basic procedure to modify any type of alert action. Select "Alert Actions" in the Alert Settings option in the NetBotz Appliance Configuration option in the Device menu. In the "Select Alert Action Type" display, highlight the type of alert you want to modify, and click Next. In the "Select Next Action" display, select to modify an action, and click Next. In the "Select Devices" display, select the parent device or devices associated with the alert action you want to modify, and click Next. In the "Select Alert Actions" display, select only the alert action you want to edit. Note If you select multiple alert actions, the changes you make will result in those alert actions using the same settings and name. In the "Alert Action" display for the selected action, edit the settings, as needed, and click Next. In the "Test Action" display, click Finish without testing the action, or select the action you want to test, click Test Action, and then click Finish. Note You will need to verify the test was successful. For example, for a Send SNMPv1 Trap, verify the trap was received at the trap receiver; for a Send E-mail, verify the e-mail was received. In the "Choose Next Action" display, select whether you want to configure additional actions, add actions to alert profiles, or exit the "Alert Actions" wizard, and click OK.  

    Managing numerical and state alert thresholds All numeric and state thresholds use the same basic procedure and displays to add, edit, or delete threshold settings. Note The same displays are used to manage the alert threshold settings regardless of whether you select the NetBotz Appliance Configuration option in the Device menu, the Device View right-click menu, or Map View right-click menu, except for the "Select Devices" display that appears only when you use the Device menu options. Select the sensor type you want to manage from the NetBotz Appliance Configuration option in the Device menu or Device View right-click menu. For a Device menu option, go to step 2. For a right-click menu option, go to step 3. In the "Select Devices" display, select the devices you want to search for threshold settings that match the selected sensor type, and click OK. In the "Select Thresholds" display, select the threshold type you want to manage from the Thresholds drop-down menu; the display will list alert thresholds that have already been defined for the threshold you select in that menu. Click Add, and go to step 4 to define new threshold settings. Select one or more of the listed settings, click Edit, and go to step 5 to edit those settings. Select one or more of the existing thresholds, and click Remove Selected, to delete those threshold settings. Note If you selected Other Numeric Sensors or Other State Sensors as the Alert Thresholds option, you will only be able to edit or delete one threshold at a time. In the "Select Sensors" display, select the sensor or sensors you want to add alert thresholds for, and click OK. Note If the no sensors are available for the selected sensor type, a "No Sensors Found" display will appear. In the "Configure Settings" display, define the Basic, Advanced, and E-Mail tab settings, and click OK. In the "Select Thresholds" display, repeat steps 3 through 5, as needed, to edit or add the settings for another Thresholds drop-down menu selection, or click OK, to exit the wizard.  

    Managing alert profiles Use the "Alert Profiles" wizard to add, modify, or delete one profile at a time. Select "Alert Profiles" in the Alert Settings option in the NetBotz Appliance Configuration option in the Device menu. In the "Select Parent Device" display, highlight the parent device (the individual NetBotz Appliance) associated with the profile you want to configure, and click Next. Note Only one parent device can be selected: each NetBotz Appliance is the parent device for the sensor, camera, and other serial devices, as well as the SNMP devices it monitors. In the "Select Alert Profile" display, do one of the following. Select the existing profile, and click Next, to modify that profile's settings. Click Add Profile, and then click Next, to configure a new profile. Select a profile, and click Remove Profile. Note If you delete a profile that is associated with an alert threshold, the alert threshold will then use the default profile. In the "Configure Alert Profile" display, do any of the following, and click Finish. Edit the profile's name. Edit the Suppress Alert Notifications until settings. Use the Remove Sequence button to delete any sequences you no longer want a profile to use. Use the Add and Edit Sequence buttons to access the "Edit Alert Profile Sequence" display to configure the sequences you want the profile to use.  

    Creating an alert action You must create at least one alert action before your NetBotz Appliance can generate alert notifications. All alert actions are created using the same basic procedure. Select Alert Actions in the Alert Settings option in the NetBotz Appliance Configuration option in the Device menu. In the "Select Alert Action Type" display, highlight the type of alert you want to create, and click Next. In the "Select Next Action" display, select to create a new action, and click Next. In the "Select Devices" display, select the parent device or devices you want associated with the alert action, and click Next. Creating an alert action on a NetBotz Appliance will make the alert action available to all profiles on the selected NetBotz Appliance. In the "Alert Action" display for the selected action, define the settings you want the action to use, and click Next. Note For information about the settings for the action you are creating, see the help section for that action's settings display. In the "Test Action" display, click Finish without testing the action, or select the action you want to test, click Test Action, and then click Finish. Note You will need to verify the test was successful. For example, for a Send SNMPv1 Trap, verify the trap was received at the trap receiver; for a Send E-mail, verify the e-mail was received. In the "Choose Next Action" display, select whether you want to configure additional actions, add actions to alert profiles, or exit the "Alert Actions" wizard, and click OK, or click Cancel, to exit the wizard.  

    Alert Thresholds options The allows you to create alert threshold settings for any sensor value reported for monitored NetBotz Appliances. Two basic types of alert thresholds are available: those that use numeric settings, and those that use state settings. Numeric thresholds: Air Flow Audio Current (Amps) Dew Point Humidity Other Numeric Sensors Power (VA) Power (Watts) Temperature Voltage State thresholds: Door Door (Handle) Door (Lock) Dry Contact Motion Sensor Other State Sensors Both types of thresholds allow you to do the following: Create alert thresholds at one time for multiple sensors that monitor the same value (for example, all are Humidity sensors, or all are Door sensors) at the NetBotz Appliances monitored by the Data Center Expert server. Assign a NetBotz Appliance alert profile to the specific sensor at the NetBotz Appliance the profile was created on, and to all the sensors on the devices it monitors. Specify the severity for any defined threshold. The Alert Settings menu in the NetBotz Appliance Configuration option of the Device menu provides access to the alert thresholds. Each Alert Threshold option allows you to search some or all of the NetBotz Appliances monitored by the Data Center Expert server for sensors that match the selected option. You can then edit or add thresholds for one of those sensors, or configure the same threshold for any number of those sensors, simultaneously.  

    Create and edit the profiles the NetBotz Appliances use to generate alert notifications. A default alert profile exists at each NetBotz Appliance. This default profile cannot be deleted, but it can be edited and renamed. In addition to the default profile, you can create your own custom alert profiles at each NetBotz Appliance. Note Alert actions, alert profiles, and alert thresholds set on a NetBotz Appliance are actually stored on, and triggered from, the NetBotz Appliance. This is completely separate from the alarm actions, thresholds, and notification policies that are created on the Data Center Expert server in the Alarm Configuration perspective, and stored on the Data Center Expert server. The following table identifies which alert profiles can be used for which alarms. Alarm type Profile Alert threshold violations from NetBotz Appliances Any profile defined on the NetBotz Appliance. Each appliance has its own set of profiles. Note An alert profile must include at least one alert action before it can be used to generate alert notifications.