Monitoring Cisco CE Series Endpoints

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The following sections describe how to configure Cisco CE Series endpoints for monitoring by SL1 using the Cisco: Video Endpoint PowerPack:

Configuring Cisco CE Series Endpoints for Monitoring by SL1

SL1 uses two protocols for monitoring Cisco CE Series endpoints: SNMP and HTTP. This section describes how to configure Cisco CE Series endpoints for both of those protocols.

Configuring SNMP Settings

To monitor Cisco CE Series endpoints in SL1, you must configure the SNMP community string and other information that the platform will use to connect to the endpoints. You will use this information to create an SNMP credential to monitor the endpoints.

To configure the SNMP settings on a Cisco CE Series endpoint:

  1. In a browser window, go to the IP address of the Cisco CE Series endpoint. You are prompted for a username and password.

  1. Go to the Network Services page (Setup > Configuration > Network Services). Under the SNMP subheading, supply values in the following fields:

  • Community Name. Type a new SNMP community string for this device. When you configure an SNMP credential for this Cisco CE Series endpoint in SL1, you will type this community string in the SNMP Community (Read-Only) field.
  • Host 1 Address. Type the IP address of the Message Collector or Data Collector that will collect SNMP trap messages from the device. If the device is already configured to send SNMP traps to another IP address and you want to retain those settings, you can type the IP address of the Message Collector or Data Collector in the Host 2 Address or Host 3 Address field.
  • Mode. Select ReadOnly.
  • SystemContact. Optionally, type the contact information for the device's administrator.
  • SystemLocation. Optionally, type the device's location.
  1. Click Save.

Configuring the HTTP Request Password

Optionally, if you are using a SOAP/XML credential to collect configuration and performance data from a Cisco CE Series endpoint, you can configure the password for the account SL1 will use to perform HTTP requests on the Cisco CE Series endpoint.

To configure the HTTP request password: 

  1. Go to the Users page (Security > Users) and select the username of the account SL1 will use to perform HTTP requests to this device. The Edit User page appears.

  1. On the Edit User page, supply values in the following fields:

  • Passphrase. Type the user account's new passphrase.
  • Repeat passphrase. Retype the user account's new passphrase.
  • Your passphrase. Type your current administrator passphrase.
  1. Click Change passphrase.

Creating an SNMP Credential

To monitor Cisco CE Series endpoints in SL1, you must create an SNMP credential for each endpoint.

To create an SNMP Credential:

  1. Go to the Credentials page (Manage > Credentials).
  2. Click the Create New button and select Create an SNMP Credential from the drop-down menu. The Create Credential page appears.
  3. Complete the following fields:

    4. Create SNMP Credential for Cisco Unity Express

  4. Name. Enter a new name for the credential. This field is required.
  5. All Organizations. Toggle on (blue) to align the credential to all organizations, or toggle off (gray) and then select one or more specific organizations from the Select the organizations the credential belongs to drop-down field to align the credential with those specific organizations.
  6. Timeout (ms). Enter the time, in milliseconds, after which SL1 will stop trying to communicate with the Cisco Unity Express device. The default value is 1500. This field is required.
  7. SNMP Version. Select SNMP V2 from the drop-down list.
  8. SNMP Retries. Keep the default. The default value is "1".
  9. Port. Keep the default. The default port is "161".
  10. SNMP Community (Read Only). Enter the community string for the Cisco Unity Express voice mailbox you want to monitor.
  11. SNMP Community (Read/Write). Optional. Enter the community string for the Cisco Unity Express to grant Read/Write permissions.
  12. Click Close.

Creating an SNMP Credential in the SL1 Classic User Interface

To monitor Cisco CE Series endpoints in SL1, you must create an SNMP credential for each endpoint.

To create an SNMP credential for a Cisco CE Series endpoint in the classic user interface:

  1. Go to the Credential Management page (System > Manage > Credentials).

  1. Click Actions, and then select Create SNMP Credential. The Credential Editor modal page appears.

  1. Supply values in the following fields:
  • Profile Name. Type a name for the credential.

You can optionally change the values in the Timeout(ms) and Retries fields. For more information about all fields in the Credential Editor page, see the section on Defining an SNMP Credential.

  1. Click Save.

Configuring SOAP/XML Credentials

To monitor Cisco CE Series endpoints in SL1, you must configure three SOAP/XML credentials for your Cisco CE Series endpoints. The three credentials are:

  • Cisco CE Series Configuration

  • Cisco CE Series History
  • Cisco CE Series Status

These credentials enable SL1 to collect configuration and performance data along with call detail records using unique combinations of a URL, username, and password.

If you have multiple Cisco CE Series endpoints, you need one set of credentials for each unique password. For example, if you have configured three Cisco CE Series endpoints with the same password, you need only one set of credentials. If you have configured three Cisco CE Series endpoints with three unique passwords, you need three sets of credentials.

Modifying the SOAP/XML Credential Templates

The "Cisco: Video Endpoint" PowerPack includes a template for each SOAP/XML credential that you can edit for use with your Cisco device.

To modify the SOAP/XML credential:

  1. Go to the Credentials page (Manage > Credentials).
  2. Locate the "Cisco CE Series Credential", then click its Actions icon () and select Duplicate from the drop-down field. The "Cisco CE Series Credential copy" credential appears.
  3. Click the Action icon () for the "Cisco CE Series Credential copy" credential, then select Edit. The Edit Credential page appears.

    4. Edit the Cisco: Video Endpoint SOAP/XML credential

  4. Enter values in the following fields:
  • Name. Enter a new name for the credential. This field is required.
  • All Organizations. Toggle on (blue) to align the credential to all organizations, or toggle off (gray) and then select one or more specific organizations from the Select the organizations the credential belongs to drop-down field to align the credential with those specific organizations.
  • Timeout. Enter the time, in milliseconds, after which SL1 will stop trying to communicate with the Video Endpoint device. The default value is 15000. This field is required.
  • URL. Keep the default url of "http://%D/configuration.xml".
  • HTTP Auth User. Enter the Video Endpoint username associated with the administrator account.
  • HTTP Auth Password. Enter the password associated with the Video Endpoint administrator account.
  • Embedded Password [%P]. Enter the embedded password associated with the Video Endpoint administrator account.
  • Click Save & Close.

Modifying the SOAP/XML Credential Templates in the SL1 ADS Classic User Interface

The "Cisco: Video Endpoint" PowerPack includes a template for each SOAP/XML credential that you can edit for use with your Cisco device.

To modify the SOAP/XML credential templates in the classic user iterface:

  1. Go to the Credential Management page (System > Manage > Credentials).

  1. Click the wrench icon () for the "Cisco CE Series Configuration" credential. The Credential Editor modal page appears.

  1. Supply values in the following fields:
  • Profile Name. Type a name for the credential.

  • HTTP Auth User. Type the username of the HTTP user account that you configured on the Cisco CE endpoint.
  • HTTP Auth Password. Type the passphrase of the HTTP user account you configured on the Cisco CE endpoint.
  1. Click Save As.
  2. Repeat steps 2-4 for the "Cisco CE Series History" and "Cisco CE Series Status" credentials.

Discovering Cisco CE Series Endpoints

The Cisco: Video Endpoint PowerPack contains Dynamic Applications that can be used to discover and monitor Cisco CE Series endpoints. Some of the Dynamic Applications for Cisco CE Series endpoints use the caching feature:

  • Two Dynamic Applications are used only to collect and cache data from Cisco CE Series endpoints.
  • Eight Dynamic Applications use the cached data. For these Dynamic Applications to display data, the Dynamic Applications that collect and cache data must be aligned to the same device.
  • ThreeDynamic Application that do not use the caching feature.

For more information about the Dynamic Application caching feature, see the section on Caching.

The following table lists the Dynamic Applications for Cisco CE Series endpoints, the dependencies between the caching and cache consuming Dynamic Applications, and the credential that must be aligned with each Dynamic Application:

Dynamic Application Credential Caching Type Dependencies
Cisco: Active Call (CE Series) N/A Consumes Cache Cisco: Status Cache (CE Series)
Cisco: Audio/Video (CE Series) N/A Consumes Cache Cisco: Status Cache (CE Series)
Cisco: Call Detail Records (CE Series) Cisco CE Series History No Caching N/A
Cisco: Call Quality Statistics (CE Series) N/A Consumes Cache Cisco: Status Cache (CE Series)
Cisco: Configuration (CE Series) N/A Consumes Cache Cisco: Status Cache (CE Series) and Cisco: Configuration Cache (CE Series)
Cisco: Configuration Cache (CE Series) Cisco CE Series Configuration Populates Cache N/A
Cisco: Configuration Discovery (CE Series) Cisco CE Series Configuration No caching N/A
Cisco: Device Discovery (CE Series) N/A Consumes Caches Cisco: Configuration Cache (CE Series)
Cisco: Environmental (CE Series) N/A Consumes Cache Cisco: Configuration Cache (CE Series)
Cisco: IC Detail (CE Series) N/A Consumes Cache Cisco: Status Cache (CE Series)
Cisco: Remote Management (CE Series) N/A Consumes Cache Cisco: Status Cache (CE Series) and Cisco: Configuration Cache (CE Series)
Cisco: Status (CE Series) N/A Consumes Cache Cisco: Status Cache (CE Series)
Cisco: Status Cache (CE Series) Cisco CE Series Status Populates Cache N/A
Cisco: Status Discovery (CE Series) Cisco CE Series Status No caching N/A

The "Cisco: IC Detail (CE Series)" Dynamic Application is disabled by default. To enable it, go to the Dynamic Applications Manager page (System > Manage > Applications), locate the Dynamic Application and click its wrench icon (), select Enabled in the Operational State field, and then click Save.

When SL1 runs the "Cisco: Device Discovery (CE Series)" Dynamic Application, the Dynamic Application triggers a Run Book Action that aligns the appropriate Cisco CE Series Device Classes to your devices.

Discovering CE Series Devices

To monitor your Cisco: CE Series system, you must run a discovery session to discover the server on which Cisco: CE Series is installed.

To create and run a discovery session that will discover a CE Series appliance:

  1. Go to the Devices page () or the Discovery Sessions page (Devices > Discovery Sessions) and click the Add Devices button.
  2. Click the Unguided Network Discovery Workflow button. Additional information about that requirements for discovery appears in the General Information pane to the right.

    3. RabbitMQ Unguided Network Discovery Workflow

  3. Click Select. The three-step wizard appears starting with the Step 1 Basic Information tab.
  4. Complete the following fields:
  • Discovery Session Name. Type a unique name for this discovery session. This name is displayed in the list of discovery sessions on the Discovery Sessions tab.
  • Description.Optional. Type a short description of the discovery session. You can use the text in this description to search for the discovery session on the Discovery Sessions tab.
  • Select the organization to add discovered devices to. Select the name of the organization to which you want to add the discovered devices.
  1. Click Next. The Step 2 Credential Selection tab of the wizard appears.
  2. On the Credential Selection tab, locate and select the SOAP/XML credential you created for CE Series appliances.
  3. Click Next. The Step 3 Discovery Session Details tab of the wizard appears.
  4. Complete the following fields:
  • List of IP/Hostnames. Type the IP address for the CE Series appliance.
  • Which collector will discover these devices?. Required. Select an existing collector to monitor the discovered devices.
  • Run after save. Toggle on (blue) to run this discovery session as soon as you save the session.
  • Advanced options. Click the down arrow () to complete the following fields:
    • Discover Non-SNMP. Toggle on (blue) to enable this setting.
    • Model Devices. Toggle on (blue) to enable this setting.
    • Select Device Template. If you configured a CE Series device template, select it here. Otherwise, leave the default selection.
  1. If you enabled the Run after save option, click the Save and Run button. The discovery session will run and the Discovery Logs page will display any relevant log messages. If the discovery session locates and adds any devices, the Discovery Logs page will include a link to the Device Investigator page for the discovered device.
  2. If you did not enable the Run after save option, click the Save and Close button. The Discovery Sessions page (Devices > Discovery Sessions) will display the new discovery session.

Discovering CE Series Devices in the SL1 Classic User Interface

To model and monitor your Cisco CE Series devices, you must run a discovery session to discover the Cisco device that SL1 will use as the root device for monitoring.

Several minutes after the discovery session has completed, the Dynamic Applications should automatically align to the root device and then discover, model, and monitor the remaining Cisco CE Series devices.

To discover the devices that you want to monitor, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to the Discovery Control Panel page (System > Manage > Classic Discovery or System > Manage > Discovery in the classic user interface).
  2. In the Discovery Control Panel, click the Create button.

  1. The Discovery Session Editor page appears. In the Discovery Session Editor page, define values in the following fields:
  • IP Address/Hostname Discovery List. Enter the IP address(es) and/or hostname(s) for the device(s) you want to discover.

  • SNMP Credentials. This field is optional. Select the SNMP credential you created for the device clusters.
  • Other Credentials. Select the credentials you created using the following templates (the name of the credential might have been changed when it was saved):
  • Cisco CE Series Configuration
  • Cisco CE Series History
  • Cisco CE Series Status
  • Discover Non-SNMP. Select this checkbox.
  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 to save the discovery session and then close the Discovery Session Editor window.
  3. The discovery session you created appears 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 device(s) are discovered, click the device icon () to view the Device Properties page for each device.