Network Wizard for multiple devices

[CFT6Server]

We are looking for a way to automate the configuration of multiple network devices instead of having to go through the wizard one by one. I scan and searched around but was not able to find any. Surely there has to be someone out there looking to do similar?

To make it even more challenging, some of the network ports scanned aren't actually in use, so what would be the best way to clean those up after this "bulk configuration" of network devices?

Lastly, we are using SNMP to monitor Linux servers, and currently I only know of adding the network information by running the network switch wizard against it. Doing this for hundreds of servers would not make sense. Looking for a solution on how to make deployments a bit easier.

Thanks in advance.

[jolson]

We are looking for a way to automate the configuration of multiple network devices instead of having to go through the wizard one by one.

The success of doing this in bulk will rely on how similar the network devices are. Are you monitoring the same OID's - are the community strings the same? If the answer is no, you will need a different 'template' for each different machine variety. This isn't really avoidable, as there's no way that Nagios can 'detect' a community string.

One way to accomplish this is to use our 'Bulk Host Cloning and Import Monitoring Wizard'. In this wizard, you select a 'template' host - from there, you can enter IP addresses of 'clone targets'. For the sake of clarity, see this picture:

2015-04-29 12_47_00-Nagios XI - Configuration.png

After the bulk configuration is done, services would need to be cleaned up as necessary.

Lastly, we are using SNMP to monitor Linux servers, and currently I only know of adding the network information by running the network switch wizard against it. Doing this for hundreds of servers would not make sense. Looking for a solution on how to make deployments a bit easier.

What do you mean by 'adding the network information by running the network switch wizard against it?' Are you monitoring bandwidth on linux servers, or IP configuration information?

[CFT6Server]

We are monitoring bandwidth with the network wizard, so I don't think the bulk wizard will help as it requires MRTG configuration. I am also adding linux servers using the network wizard to capture bandwith via SNMP. I don't think the OIDs will be the same any of these cases, as the interface ID would be different as well as the port information and speeds etc.

[jdalrymple]

This won't help you today, but the next major release of XI will have a new component for monitoring interfaces of network devices (will still use the IF-MIB) that doesn't rely at all on MRTG.

What is your timetable for deployment? I suppose you were/are probably hoping to not wait for the new functionality?

[CFT6Server]

We have to start populating our Nagios in about a months time. When will the new version be available?

In the upcoming version, will I be able to add hosts such as Linux servers and get network bandwidth? or is that strictly for network devices?

[jdalrymple]

I'll double check with the developers, but I'm fairly certain it's just going to be an IF-MIB SNMP query, just like mrtg would do - so the information is available assuming that's how it ends up having been implemented.

The most recent release of XI was just recently (2.7) so I don't expect that the next major will be anytime within the month timeframe you're seeking. I'm not sure if we can get beta code out for that either... yet another thing I'll check with the devs on.