How to Add Hosts in OpenNMS Monitoring Server

OpenNMS is an open-source monitoring system that helps system administrators monitor their networks, servers, and applications. It provides comprehensive monitoring capabilities that allow administrators to detect and resolve issues before they become critical. In this article, we'll discuss how to add hosts in OpenNMS monitoring server.

What are Hosts?

Hosts are the devices or servers that you want to monitor. It could be a physical device or a virtual machine. In OpenNMS, hosts are added to the system so that the system can monitor them for any issues that may arise. Adding a host to OpenNMS is a simple process that involves a few steps.

Adding Hosts to OpenNMS

Before adding hosts to OpenNMS, make sure that you have the necessary credentials and permissions to access the devices you want to monitor. Once you have the required information, follow these steps to add hosts to OpenNMS.

Step 1: Log in to OpenNMS Web Interface

The first step in adding a host to OpenNMS is to log in to the OpenNMS web interface. Open a web browser and type in the IP address or domain name of your OpenNMS server, followed by the port number. The default port number for OpenNMS is 8980. For example, if your OpenNMS server's IP address is 192.168.0.10, type http://192.168.0.10:8980 in your web browser

Once you have entered the URL, you will be prompted to enter your OpenNMS credentials. Enter your username and password to log in to the system.

Step 2: Add Hosts to the OpenNMS Server

After logging in to the OpenNMS web interface, click on the "Admin" menu in the top menu bar, then select "Nodes" from the dropdown menu.

On the "Nodes" page, click on the "Add" button on the top right corner. This will take you to the "Add Node" page.

Step 3: Enter the Host Details

On the "Add Node" page, you will be prompted to enter the details of the host you want to monitor. You will need to enter the following details −

• IP address or hostname of the device

• SNMP community string (if the device is SNMP-enabled)

• Node label (a name that will identify the device in the OpenNMS system)

• Node description (a brief description of the device)

• Once you have entered the details, click on the "Add Node" button at the bottom of the page.

Step 4: Configure Monitoring Parameters

After adding the host, you will be taken to the "Node Detail" page. On this page, you can configure the monitoring parameters for the host. You can specify the monitoring interval, services to be monitored, and thresholds for alerts. You can also specify dependencies between nodes.

Step 5: Verify Host Status

After configuring the monitoring parameters, click on the "Refresh" button on the top right corner of the "Node Detail" page to verify the status of the host. If the host is up and running, you should see a green icon indicating that the host is up.

Examples

Let's look at a few examples of adding hosts to OpenNMS.

Example 1: Adding a Linux Server

Suppose you want to monitor a Linux server with IP address 192.168.0.11. To add this server to OpenNMS, follow these steps −

• Log in to the OpenNMS web interface.

• Click on the "Admin" menu, then select "Nodes" from the dropdown menu.

• Click on the "Add" button on the top right corner of the "Nodes" page.

• On the "Add Node" page, enter the following details −

  • IP address: 192.168.0.11

  • SNMP community string: public (assuming SNMP is enabled on the server)

  • Node label: Linux Server

  • Node description: A server running Linux

  • Click on the "Add Node" button to add the server to OpenNMS.

  • On the "Node Detail" page, configure the monitoring parameters for the server.

  • Click on the "Refresh" button to verify the status of the server.

Example 2: Adding a Windows Server

Suppose you want to monitor a Windows server with IP address 192.168.0.12. To add this server to OpenNMS, follow these steps −

• Log in to the OpenNMS web interface.

• Click on the "Admin" menu, then select "Nodes" from the dropdown menu.

• Click on the "Add" button on the top right corner of the "Nodes" page.

• On the "Add Node" page, enter the following details −

  • IP address: 192.168.0.12

  • SNMP community string: public (assuming SNMP is enabled on the server)

  • Node label: Windows Server

  • Node description: A server running Windows

  • Click on the "Add Node" button to add the server to OpenNMS.

  • On the "Node Detail" page, configure the monitoring parameters for the server.

  • Click on the "Refresh" button to verify the status of the server.

Example 3: Adding a Network Switch

Suppose you want to monitor a network switch with IP address 192.168.0.13. To add this switch to OpenNMS, follow these steps −

• Log in to the OpenNMS web interface.

• Click on the "Admin" menu, then select "Nodes" from the dropdown menu.

• Click on the "Add" button on the top right corner of the "Nodes" page.

• On the "Add Node" page, enter the following details −

  • IP address: 192.168.0.13

  • SNMP community string: public (assuming SNMP is enabled on the switch)

  • Node label: Network Switch

  • Node description: A network switch

  • Click on the "Add Node" button to add the switch to OpenNMS.

  • On the "Node Detail" page, configure the monitoring parameters for the switch.

  • Click on the "Refresh" button to verify the status of the switch.

In addition to adding hosts to OpenNMS, you can also use its advanced features to monitor and manage your network infrastructure. Here are some of the features that OpenNMS offers −

Auto-Discovery

OpenNMS provides an auto-discovery feature that can automatically detect new devices on your network and add them to the system. This feature saves time and effort for administrators who have to add a large number of devices to the system.

Thresholds and Notifications

OpenNMS allows you to set thresholds and notifications for your devices. You can define thresholds for different performance metrics such as CPU usage, memory usage, and network traffic. When a threshold is crossed, OpenNMS can send a notification to alert you about the issue.

Reports

OpenNMS provides a reporting feature that allows you to generate reports on the performance of your devices. You can create reports on metrics such as uptime, availability, and response time. These reports can be useful for tracking the performance of your devices over time and for identifying areas for improvement.

Event Management

OpenNMS provides an event management feature that allows you to manage the events generated by your devices. You can view and filter events, acknowledge events, and assign events to specific users for further action.

Network Topology

OpenNMS provides a network topology feature that allows you to view the network map of your devices. You can view the relationships between your devices and their dependencies. This feature can help you identify the root cause of issues and plan your network topology for future expansion.

Conclusion

Adding hosts to OpenNMS is a simple process that involves a few steps. By adding hosts to OpenNMS, you can monitor your network, servers, and applications for any issues that may arise. With comprehensive monitoring capabilities, OpenNMS helps system administrators detect and resolve issues before they become critical.