Configuration and Discovery

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The following sections describe how to configure and discover F5 BIG-IP DNS services for monitoring by SL1 using the "F5: BIG-IP DNS" PowerPack:

Prerequisites for Monitoring F5 BIG-IP DNS

Before you can monitor F5 BIG-IP DNS services using the "F5: BIG-IP DNS" PowerPack, you must ensure that SL1 can communicate with BIG-IP DNS using SNMP and you must know the SNMP community string for the BIG-IP DNS system. SL1 can then use the data collected from BIG-IP DNS to create device records for all DNS components.

Creating an SNMP Credential for F5 BIG-IP DNS

To use the Dynamic Applications in the "F5: BIG-IP DNS" PowerPack, you must first define an SNMP credential in SL1. This credential allows SL1 to communicate with the BIG-IP DNS system.

To configure an SNMP credential for F5 BIG-IP DNS:

  1. Go to the Credential Management page (System > Manage > Credentials).
  2. Click the Actions button.
  3. In the drop-down list that appears, select Create SNMP Credential. The Credential Editor page appears.
  4. In the Profile Name field, type a name for the credential.
  5. In the SNMP Version field, select SNMP V2.
  6. In the SNMP Community (Read Only) field, type the community string for the BIG-IP DNS system.
  7. Optionally, supply values in the other fields in this page. In most cases, you can use the default values for the other fields.
  8. Click the Save button.

Discovering an F5 BIG-IP DNS System

After you have created an SNMP credential for the F5 BIG-IP DNS system that you want to monitor, you can create and run a discovery session that will discover your BIG-IP DNS system.

The "F5: BIG-IP DNS" PowerPack enables you to discover and monitor a maximum of 1,500 component devices.

To discover your BIG-IP DNS system:

  1. Go to the Discovery Control Panel page (System > Manage > Classic Discovery or System > Manage > Discovery in the classic user interface).
  2. Click the Create button to create a new discovery session. The Discovery Session Editor window appears.
  3. Complete the following fields:
  • Name. Type a name for the discovery session.
  • IP Address/Hostname Discovery List. Type the IP address for the BIG-IP DNS system.
  • SNMP Credentials. Select the SNMP Credential for the BIG-IP DNS system.
  1. Optionally, you can enter values in the other fields on this page. For more information about the other fields on this page, see the Discovery & Credentials section.
  2. Click the Save button and then close the Discovery Session Editor window.
  3. The discovery session you created will appear at the top of the Discovery Control Panel page. Click its lightning-bolt icon () to run the discovery session.
  4. The Discovery Session window appears. When the BIG-IP DNS root device is discovered, you can click its device icon () to view the system device's properties.

SL1 might take several minutes to discover the component devices for your BIG-IP DNS service.

Viewing Component Devices

When SL1 performs collection for the F5 BIG-IP DNS system, SL1 will create component devices that represent each device and align other Dynamic Applications to those component devices. Some of the Dynamic Applications aligned to the component devices will also be used to create additional component devices. All component devices appear in the Device Manager page just like devices discovered using the ScienceLogic discovery process.

In addition to the Device Manager page, you can view the F5 BIG-IP DNS system and all associated component devices in the following places in the user interface:

  • The Device View modal page (click the bar-graph icon [] for a device, then click the Topology tab) displays a map of a particular device and all of the devices with which it has parent-child relationships. Double-clicking any of the devices listed reloads the page to make the selected device the primary device.
  • The Device Components page (Devices > Device Components) displays a list of all root devices and component devices discovered by SL1 in an indented view, so you can easily view the hierarchy and relationships between child devices, parent devices, and root devices. To view the component devices associated with an F5 BIG-IP DNS system, find the BIG-IP device and click its plus icon (+).
  • The Device Component Map page (Classic Maps > Device Maps > Components) allows you to view devices by root node and view the relationships between root nodes, parent components, and child components in a map. This makes it easy to visualize and manage root nodes and their components. SL1 automatically updates the Device Component Map as new component devices are discovered. SL1 also updates each map with the latest status and event information. To view the map for an F5 BIG-IP DNS system, go to the Device Component Map page and select the map from the list in the left NavBar. To learn more about the Device Component Map page, see the section on Views.