Integrating Oracle SNMP Agent with a Management Framework

The following sections explain how to integrate the Oracle SNMP Agent into your management framework:

•	Understanding the Oracle SNMP Agent MIB Files

•	Using Oracle SNMP Agent with a Management Framework

•	Integrating Oracle Tuxedo Event Notifications

Understanding the Oracle SNMP Agent MIB Files

Oracle SNMP Agent provides the following two SNMP MIB files. bea.asn1 and mib.txt. The bea.asn1 file is used by the SNMP network management framework to set up that portion of its local MIB (on the management station) required to manage Tuxedo applications. The mib.txt file, which is created from the bea.asn1 file, is used by the Tuxedo SNMP agent (tux_snmpd) at startup to set up its local SNMP MIB on the managed node.

Note:

Only the bea.asn1 file is of interest in the discussions that follow.

Using Oracle SNMP Agent with a Management Framework

To use Oracle SNMP Agent with your management framework, follow these steps:

1.	Load the SNMP MIB for Oracle Tuxedo into the management framework.

The SNMP MIB defines the data types and access permissions for the various managed objects that can be accessed through Oracle SNMP Agent. It also defines the event notifications that can be generated by Oracle SNMP Agent. The MIB thus provides the management framework with information it requires to manage Oracle Tuxedo resources.

By default, the SNMP MIB file, bea.asn1, is installed in the tux_prod_dir/udataobj/snmp/etc directory. The MIB file must be imported into the management database of your management framework. Some management frameworks refer to this process as loading a MIB. For a list of management frameworks tested with Oracle SNMP Agent, refer to the Oracle Tuxedo Release Notes.

2.	Decide what kind of information you need to meet your system management goals.

For example, are there particular attributes of the resources you are managing that you want to monitor? Do you want to be notified when certain Oracle Tuxedo system events occur?

3.	Configure the management framework response to incoming Oracle Tuxedo system events.

For details, see “Integrating Oracle Tuxedo Event Notifications” on page 4‑2.

4.	Configure polling or data collection rules on the manager for performance and fault management.

Periodic collection of values of pertinent objects is valuable for analysis of trends. This analysis is valuable for capacity planning and load-balancing. You can also use polling to generate alarms, which is useful for fault management.

5.	Optional: Define the Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator polling rules.

If you are using the Oracle SNMP agent as a SMUX subagent with the Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator, you might want to off-load some threshold checking to the Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator. The Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator generates enterprise-specific traps when the user-defined threshold is crossed. Off-loading checking of selective thresholds to the Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator reduces the network bandwidth consumed by the management framework’s polling activities.

6.	Set up and start the agents.

The procedure for setting up and starting the Oracle SNMP agent is described in “Setting Up Oracle SNMP Agent on a Managed Node” on page 3‑1.

Integrating Oracle Tuxedo Event Notifications

To integrate the Oracle Tuxedo system event traps with your management framework, follow these steps:

1.	Make sure the Tuxedo EventBroker server (TMSYSEVT) is running for the domain being managed. For more information, see “Setting Up Oracle SNMP Agent on a Managed Node” on page 3‑1.

Oracle SNMP Agent will not receive event notifications unless the EventBroker server (TMSYSEVT) is running. For information on the Tuxedo EventBroker server, see reference page TMSYSEVT(5) in Oracle Tuxedo File Formats, Data Descriptions, MIBs, and System Processes Reference.

2.	Modify the TRAP_HOST entry in the Oracle SNMP Agent beamgr.conf configuration file to specify the location of the management machine that is to be the destination for traps generated by the agent. For more information, see “Setting Up Oracle SNMP Agent on a Managed Node” on page 3‑1.

3.	If you have not already done so, load the Oracle SNMP Agent bea.asn1 MIB file into your management framework.

For example, on HP OpenView Network Node Manager, see the following display and do the following:

a.	Select Options−>Load/Unload MIBs: SNMP.

Figure 4‑1 Selecting Load/Unload MIBs in HP OpenView

b.	Select Load.

c.	Specify the path to the Oracle SNMP Agent configuration file (bea.asn1). By default, this file is installed in:

tux_prod_dir\udataobj\snmp\etc\bea.asn1 (Windows)
tux_prod_dir/udataobj/snmp/etc/bea.asn1 (UNIX)

d.	Select OK.

4.	Configure the management framework to take the appropriate action in response to incoming Tuxedo SNMP traps.

You might want to change the way in which Tuxedo SNMP traps are displayed on your management console, or the actions that the management framework takes in response to specified events. For example, you might choose to ignore some routine informational notifications. For example, to view the event configuration on HP OpenView, do the following:

a.	Select Options→Event Configuration.

b.	Select the enterprise tuxedo.

c.	Select an event type, such as networkFlowTrap in HP Open View.

d.	Customize the management framework response to incoming events of that type. Select Edit→Modify Event in OpenView, which invokes the Event Configuration window shown in the following display.

Figure 4‑2 HP OpenView Event Configuration Window

You can modify the event configuration to ignore an event, or generate a pop-up notification or run a program or script when the event is received. You might also want to create a separate category for Tuxedo events, as shown in the preceding display.

Retrieving or Modifying Object Values When Managing Multiple Domains

Monitoring of multiple Oracle Tuxedo domains is done by running a separate Tuxedo SNMP agent for each domain being monitored. These agents must be run as SMUX subagents under the Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator.

When more than one Tuxedo SNMP agent is running as a SMUX subagent on a node, then SNMP manager Set or Get requests to an agent must be addressed using a community of the form:

community@logical_agent_name

For example:

public@payrollagent

In this example payrollagent is a logical agent name that identifies the agent to which the request is to be forwarded by the Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator.

Integrating Events Generated by Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator Polling

The Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator can be used to poll Oracle Tuxedo objects, or other managed resources. To integrate the Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator threshold-checking activity with the management framework, perform the following steps:

1.	Set up the Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator polling rules.

A polling rule is defined by a RULE_ACTION entry in the Oracle SNMP Agent beamgr.conf configuration file.

2.	Configure the management framework to recognize the events generated by the Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator.

For example, in HP OpenView, you can add a new event type by doing the following:

a.	Select Options Event Configuration.

b.	Select beaSystemDescr.

c.	Select Edit Add Event.

In the window that is invoked you would use the following as the event number:

.1.3.6.1.4.1.140.1.1.0.specific_trap_number

3.	Configure the management framework to respond appropriately to incoming Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator events.

For more information, see “Using the Oracle SNMP Agent Integrator for Polling” on page 7‑1.