TCPServerd
Overview
The Unified Assurance Event TCP Server Aggregator is a generic integration that listens for connections from a device via a TCP socket on a specific port, reads the message sent, parses the results with customizable rules and creates de-duplicated events within Unified Assurance.
The Topology TCP Server Stitcher service has been setup to process received messages to build a dynamic logical layout.
TCP Server Aggregator Setup
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Review the logic in the rules files referenced in the configuration to see the processing that will be done when messages are received:
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"LoadRules" will be executed during application startup to load data that might be needed during processing.
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"IncludeRules" will be read during application startup to load additional files that might be called during processing.
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"BaseRules" will be executed for each device that is selected based on the configuration.
Update the logic as needed.
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Create a clone of the default service, making changes to the configuration as needed.
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Enable the Service.
Default Service
Field | Value |
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Package Name | coreCollection-app |
Service Name | Event TCP Server Aggregator |
Service Program | bin/core/collection/TCPServerd |
Service Arguments | |
Service Description | TCP Server Aggregator that collects event messages from connecting clients |
Failover Type | Standalone (Supported: Standalone, Primary/Backup) |
Status | Disabled |
Privileged | (Checked) |
Default Configuration
Name | Value | Possible Values | Notes |
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BaseRules | collection/event/tcpserver/base.rules | Text, 255 characters | Relative path to Base Rules. |
BranchDir | core/default | Text, 255 characters | relative path to Rules dir. |
Host | Text, 255 characters | DNS name or IP Address for the TCP server. Can associate to a particular interface. - NO RELOAD CONFIG SUPPORT | |
IncludeRules | collection/event/tcpserver/base.includes | Text, 255 characters | Relative path to Include Rules. |
LoadRules | collection/event/tcpserver/base.load | Text, 255 characters | Relative path to Load Rules. |
LogFile | logs/EventTCPServer.log | Text, 255 characters | Relative path to Log File. |
LogLevel | ERROR | OFF, FATAL, ERROR, WARN, INFO, DEBUG | Logging level used by application. |
Port | Integer | Port for message collection. - NO RELOAD CONFIG SUPPORT | |
ShardID | 1 | Integer | Database shard to be used. |
Threads | 3 | Integer | Number of process threads created. The aggregator takes a third of this value (rounded up) for database threads unless overridden by the "DBThreads" application configuration. |
Capture | Disabled | Enabled/Disabled | Optional - If enabled, saves the raw message in the Log. |
DBThreads | Integer | Optional - Number of database threads to be created. If not specified, defaults to a third (rounded up) of "Threads" application configuration. | |
DelimiterFile | Text, 255 characters | Optional - Path to file that contains the additional delimiters used to delineate records. If not specified, delimiter is newline (\n). Relative to $A1BASEDIR | |
DisableDNS | Disabled | Enabled/Disabled | Optional - If enabled, uses IP address instead of hostname for the event Node. |
FailoverBufferLimit | 0 | Integer | Optional - Enables Failover Standby buffer that keeps N-seconds worth of syslogs and replays this buffer when becoming Failover Active. (0=off N=seconds to keep) See Tokens: $buffer and $received |
FieldSetFile | Text, 255 characters | Optional - Path to csv file containing custom list of fields that will be used when inserting data. (Requires InsertSQLFile.) | |
InsertSQLFile | Text, 255 characters | Optional - Path to file containing custom SQL Insert statement for handling of event inserts. (Requires FieldSetFile.) |
Best Practices
The following list shows the best practices for working with this application:
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If multiple ports are required to support different devices, separate TCP Server Aggregators will need to be configured and run for each port required.
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This aggregator has the capability to listen for messages coming on any available port, and this is configured in the Application Options. If messages are not reaching the Unified Assurance system, check firewall settings in the network.
Rules
This aggregator uses the Unified Assurance standard rules architecture, which are 100% Perl syntax. Refer to the following articles to assist in rules creation:
Tokens
The aggregator exposes the following tokens for rules processing.
Token | Description |
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$Event | Reference to the hash that is used to create and insert the Event data into the database. Keys map to the fields within the table used and values assigned are inserted in the database to that field. (e.g. $Event->{'IPAddress'} = '192.0.2.1' to assign the event IP address to '192.0.2.1') At least the 'Node' and 'Summary' fields must be set, or no event is inserted. |
$Packet | TCP Socket Message (hash reference) |
$Packet->{Received} | Epoch time packet was received by the aggregator |
$Packet->{Buffer} | Flag for if was buffered during standby and was replayed (0 = No, 1 = Yes) |
$Packet->{Message} | Message Received |
$Packet->{Host} | DNS of remote client. |
$Packet->{IP} | IP Address of remote client |
$discard_flag | Flag for discard (0=No, 1=Yes) |
$count | Message Counter |
$AppConfig | Hash reference to the application configuration name-value pairs that were configured. (i.e. use $AppConfig->{'Host'} to retrieve the set value for 'Host'.) |
$CustomHash | Custom key, value cache available across all rules. Contents commonly defined in Load Rules then used in Base or other rules. NOTE: This variable is a shared object and any additional sub hashes or arrays must be shared before use or it will cause the error: "Invalid value for shared scalar". Instantiate the sub hash/array using '&share({})' e.g. $CustomHash->{SubObject} = &share({}); |
$StorageHash | Internal cache used as the StorageHash option when calling rules functions such as FindDeviceID(). NOTE: The structure of this cache is subject to change! Not recommended for custom global storage or manual manipulation; use $CustomHash. |
Example Integrations
Creating Custom Rules Files
The TCP Server Aggregator will split each message using the defined Delimiter, by default newline (\n). Thus if the message is:
This Device is Down\n
This Device is Up\n
That will create two events in Unified Assurance.
These two events will be used as an example of how the messages could be parsed in the rules file.
Steps
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Go to the Rules UI:
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Expand the folder path: core -> default -> collection -> event -> tcpserver
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Select the "tcpserver" folder, then click "Add -> Add File". Enter the following:
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File Name => newbase.rules
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Logic
$Log->Message('DEBUG', "Ran Base Rules"); $Log->Message('DEBUG', [ '#===============================================', '# Received New TCP Server Message', '# DNS = ' . $Packet->{'Host'}, '# IP = ' . $Packet->{'IP'}, '# Message = ' . $Packet->{'Message'}, '#===============================================' ]); $Event->{'Node'} = $Packet->{'Host'}; $Event->{'IPAddress'} = $Packet->{'IP'}; $Event->{'Summary'} = $Packet->{'Message'}; $Event->{'Severity'} = 0; $Event->{'AlarmGroup'} = 'Unknown'; $Event->{'AlarmKey'} = 'GenericTCP-->' . $Event->{'Node'} . ':' . $Event->{'Summary'}; if ($Packet->{'Message'} eq '') { $Log->Message('ERROR', "Blank message in packet"); $Event->{'SubMethod'} = "Error"; $discard_flag = 1; } elsif ($Packet->{'Message'} =~ "Down") { $Event->{'AlarmGroup'} = "Down"; $Event->{'Severity'} = 5; } elsif ($Packet->{'Message'} =~ "Up") { $Event->{'AlarmGroup'} = "Up"; $Event->{'Severity'} = 0; } else { # NO Rules $Event->{'SubMethod'} = "Generic TCP"; $Log->Message('ERROR', "!ERROR! No Rules Defined for TCP"); $Log->Message('DEBUG', "No Rules for TCP Message [" . $Packet->{Message} . "]"); }
When the event message is parsed, if the message contains Down, a Down Event is created with "Severity" set to 5 (Critical).
If the message contains Up, an event is passed in which clears the previous alarm by parsing the message and setting "Severity to 0 (Normal).
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Click "Submit", then enter a commit message, then click "OK".
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Create a clone of the default service, making changes to the configuration as needed for connectivity, and change the "BaseRules" configuration to use the "newbase.rules".
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Verify the aggregator is processing the events correctly.
Administration Details
The following list shows the technical details you will need for advanced administration of the application:
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Package - coreCollection-app
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Synopsis -
./TCPServerd [OPTIONS]
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Options:
-c, --AppConfigID N Application Config ID (Service, Job, or Request ID) -?, -h, --Help Print usage and exit
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Threaded - Multi-Threaded