Setting Up the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator


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This chapter provides information about the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator and describes the procedure that you need to perform after installing the BEA SNMP Agent (per the instructions in Setting Up the BEA SNMP Agent on a Managed Node,) if you want to install the optional BEA SNMP Agent Integrator. It includes the following sections:

About the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator

The SNMP architecture is extended to enable a single master agent to communicate with subagents, enabling multiple agents to cooperate in managing diverse hardware and software components on a single host. This master agent functionality is provided by the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator component.

The optional BEA SNMP Agent Integrator is an intelligent master agent, and an important part of the BEA SNMP Agent product. The extended SNMP Manager/Agent model is shown in Figure 4-1.

Figure 4-1 SNMP Manager/Agent Model

The BEA SNMP Agent Integrator enables you to:

Run multiple peer SNMP agents on a single managed node.
All communication between the agents and the SNMP manager is handled through the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator master agent.
Offload polling from the management station to reduce network traffic and reduce load on the network manager.
User-defined rules enable the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator to check for the occurrence of significant system events and send alarms or execute programs when the events are detected. Communication over the network occurs only when an event is detected or when polling activity from the manager is started or stopped.
Manage system resources using multiple SNMP Multiplex (SMUX) subagents.
The BEA SNMP Agent Integrator uses SMUX to respond to the subagents and fans out requests from an SNMP-compliant system or network management station to the appropriate subagent.
Manage system resources using any other master agent/subagent protocol, such as Desktop Program Interface (DPI), where the master agent responds to SNMP management requests.
The DPI master agent uses SNMP to respond to requests from network managers. The DPI master agent can, therefore, be configured to communicate through the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator in the same manner as other perr SNMP agents.
Coordinate communication between an SNMP manager and multiple SNMP agents on multiple network nodes.
This feature is particularly useful for offloading polling to the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator to manage a distributed system whose components are spread over a number of computers. To the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator, the managed resources appear as if they were on a single computer. See Using the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator for Polling, for more information.
Listen on UDP port 161 and handle all commnications with the SNMP manager.
SNMP requests received by the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator are fanned out to the appropriate peer SNMP agent or SMUX subagent, and the responses from the agents or subagents are passed on to the SNMP manager by the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator.

This enables multiple SNMP agents, SMUX subagents, and other master agent/subagent architectures that use SNMP to communicate to an SNMP manager to coexist on a single managed node. The various agents all appear to the SNMP manager as a single SNMP agent. Master agents that communicate with subagents using SMUX, DPI, or other master agent/subagent architecture appear to the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator as just another peer agent.

SNMP Multiplex Protocol (SMUX)

A typical protocol used for communication between an SNMP master agent and subagents is the SNMP Multiplex (SMUX) protocol, defined in RFC 1227. It may still be necessary to use one or more old-style monolithic agents that do not allow for a master agent/subagent architecture. Yet no standardized solution has emerged for the coexistence of non-SMUX SNMP agents on a single host. Master agents that "speak" SMUX protocol to subagents are typically able to communicate only with SMUX-compliant subagents, and cannot coexist with non-SMUX SNMP agents running on the same host.

The BEA SNMP Agent Integrator, however, can run on the same node with SNMP agents and SMUX subagents. The BEA SNMP Agent Integrator can also run on the same node with other master agent/subagent architectures, such as Distributed Program Interface (DPI) or EMANATE, so long as the master agent uses SNMP to respond to management requests. The DPI master agent simply appears to the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator as another SNMP agent. The multiple SNMP agents, SMUX subagents, and other subagents communicate with SNMP managers through the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator and appear as a single SNMP agent to any SNMP manager.

In its communication with SMUX subagents (and DPI master agents and monolithic SNMP agents), the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator acts as a proxy for the SNMP manager. Thus multiple agents and subagents from any vendor can cooperate in the management of system components.

The BEA SNMP Agent Integrator distributes requests from the manager to specific SNMP agents or subagents, receives the responses from the individual agents, and forwards those responses back to the manager. Figure 4-2 shows the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator master agent controlling two master agents (one SMUX master agent and one DPI master agent); while each of these, in turn, controls two subagents. The BEA SNMP Agent Integrator also directly controls one monolithic SNMP agent and a SMUX subagent.

Figure 4-2 BEA SNMP Agent Integrator Master/Subagent Architecture

Configuring the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator

The BEA SNMP Agent Integrator uses the following environment variables:

BEA_SMUX_PASSWD

Indicates the password that a SMUX subagent must use when re-establishing communication with the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator.

BEA_PEER_MAX_TRIES

Indicates the number of times the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator retries sending an SNMP request to peer SNMP agents when no response is received within the established timeout interval.

BEA_PEER_MAX_WAIT

Modifies the default time interval that the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator waits for a reply to a request sent to a SMUX subagent or an SNMP peer agent. This value can also be set by adding a BEA_PEER_MAX_WAIT entry to the BEA SNMP Agent configuration file.

If this environment variable is not set, and there is no BEA_PEER_MAX_WAIT entry in the configuration file, the default is three seconds. For peer SNMP agents, the default timeout value can be overridden for individual SNMP agents using the timeout parameter in NON_SMUX_PEER entries in the BEA SNMP Agent configuration file (beamgr.conf).

BEA_SM_BEAMGR_CONF

Specifies the absolute path to the BEA SNMP Agent configuration file (including the file name).

Once you have set up the BEA SNMP Agent per the instructions in Setting Up the BEA SNMP Agent on a Managed Node, perform the following step to set up and use the BEA SNMP Agent Integrators:

Indicate the managed objects (if any) that are available from peer SNMP agents.
The peer SNMP agents can be on the same managed node (IP address) as the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator, or they can be on remote nodes. Access to the objects managed by the peer SNMP agents is defined through NON_SMUX_PEER entries in the beamgr.conf configuration file. Each entry defines or moves a branch of the OID tree that is accessible via that agent. This task is described in Using Multiple SNMP Agents.
Indicate the managed objects that are available (if any) through Distributed Program Interface (DPI) master agents.
Since a DPI master agent speaks SNMP, it appears to the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator as just another peer SNMP agent. Setting up access to DPI subagents is thus done the same way as setting up access to peer SNMP agents, as described in Step 1.
Modify the management scope of SMUX subagents, if desired.
You can modify a SMUX subagent's management scope-for example, to avoid conflicts with other agents-by specifying OID_CLASS entries in the beamgr.conf configuration file. By default, a SMUX subagent automatically indicates the section of the OID tree for which it is responsible when it registers with the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator master agent. The syntax for OID_CLASS entries is defined in Configuration Files.
Define local polling rules and the actions to be taken by the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator if user-defined thresholds are crossed.
This step is necessary only if you want to use the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator to offload polling from the management station. Polling rules are defined through RULE_ACTION entries in the beamgr.conf configuration file. Polling is automatically active when the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator starts. BEA SNMP Agent Integrator local polling can be de-activated or re-activated from a management station using SNMP SET commands. BEA SNMP Agent Integrator polling rules, and how to start and stop polling, are described in Using the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator for Polling.
Configure your SNMP management framework for the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator. See Integrating the BEA SNMP Agent with a Management Framework, for more information.
Configure the management system for BEA SNMP Agent Integrator traps. Some configuration is required on your SNMP-compliant management framework to make use of SNMP trap notifications that are generated by the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator.

The exact set of steps you need to perform vary depending upon which management system you are using. Typically, some configuration or mapping is required to get the management system to perform a desired action (such as turning an icon red) when a trap is received. Consult your management system documentation for specific instructions.
Modify other entries in the configuration file (if desired)
You may want to modify the following fields in the BEA SNMP Agent configuration file (beamgr.conf):
- SYS_DESCR
- SYS_CONTACT
- SYS_LOCATION
- SYS_SERVICES

These entries are supported by the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator in the MIB-2 SNMP group.

If you are using the BEA SNMP Agent as a subagent to manage Tuxedo or WLE applications, configure the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator timeout to at least 30 seconds. To do this, add a BEA_PEER_MAX_WAIT entry to the BEA SNMP Agent beamgr.conf configuration file as follows:

BEA_PEER_MAX_WAIT 30

Another way you can set the timeout value is to set the environment variable BEA_PEER_MAX_WAIT to 30. For C shell on UNIX systems, for example, use this command:

# setenv BEA_PEER_MAX_WAIT 30

Note: All NON_SMUX_PEERS (if any) should be started before starting the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator.

Starting the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator and Subagents on a UNIX System

To start the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator and subagents, log in as root and start the following programs in the specified order:

# snmp integrator

# tux_snmpd or wle_snmpd

Starting the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator and Subagents on a Windows NT System

Start the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator and subagents from the Services window.
1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start->Settings->Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Services icon. The Services window is displayed. This is shown in Figure 2-2.
Locate each of the installed services. The BEA SNMP Agent Integrator is installed as a Windows NT Service (snmp_integrator). It should be installed before the subagents.
A system subagent is installed as a Windows NT service (tux_snmpd or wle_snmpd).
click Start. There may be a short delay as each service is initiated.
Start any other SMUX subagents.

Stopping the BEA SNMP Agent Integrator and Subagents

Enter the following comand to stop one or more SNMP agents:

stop_agents logical_agent_name | all [logial_agent_name]

For all SNMP agents other than tux_snmpd and wle_snmpd, the logical_agent_name is always the name of the executable. If you specify all, all SNMP agents.