Monitoring Cisco TelePresence Conductor

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The following sections describe how to configure Cisco TelePresence Conductor devices for monitoring by SL1 using the Cisco: TelePresence Conductor PowerPack:

Prerequisites

Before performing the tasks in this section, you must enable API access for at least one user account in the Cisco TelePresence Conductor user interface. You can do so either for an administrator account or for a dedicated service account that has only API access. Use this account information when creating a SOAP/XML credential in SL1 to monitor Cisco TelePresence Conductor. For more information, see http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/conferencing/telepresence-conductor/products-installation-and-configuration-guides-list.html.

Additionally, if you are using SNMP to monitor the Conductor, then you must enable SNMP in the Conductor. Use this SNMP information when creating an SNMP credential in SL1 to monitor the Conductor.

Monitoring Cluster Configurations vs. Non-Cluster Configurations

SL1 enables you to monitor Cisco TelePresence Conductor in either a cluster configuration or a non-cluster configuration. However, there are differences in how each is monitored.

For cluster configurations, ScienceLogic recommends that you use a virtual device to model the cluster. If you model the cluster using an IP device and that IP device becomes unresponsive, then all Dynamic Applications will stop collecting data until the IP responds. Modeling the cluster using a virtual device, however, maintains monitoring integrity if one or more nodes become unresponsive to SL1. To model the cluster using a virtual device, first you must create the virtual device in the platform and then you must manually align a Dynamic Application to discover and model the devices in the cluster.

For non-cluster configurations, you can discover the Conductor as an SNMP-enabled or pingable IP device. When you discover the IP address using the appropriate credential(s), SL1 automatically aligns a Dynamic Application to discover and model the Conductor devices.

Creating Credentials

To monitor Cisco TelePresence Conductor, you must create a SOAP/XML credential with the appropriate API information. This credential enables SL1 to communicate with the Conductor, regardless of whether you are discovering an IP device or creating a virtual device to act as the cluster root device.

If you are monitoring SNMP-enabled IP devices, then you must also create an SNMP credential.

This section describes how to create both credentials.

Creating a SOAP/XML Credential

SL1 uses REST API and RPC API queries to monitor cluster operations for Cisco TelePresence Conductor. Therefore, you must align the Dynamic Applications in the Cisco: TelePresence ConductorPowerPack with a SOAP/XML credential that includes the REST API and RPC API login information.

The Cisco: TelePresence ConductorPowerPack includes two example SOAP/XML credentials (one for virtual devices and one for IP devices) that you can edit for your own use. To do so, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to the Credential Management page (System > Manage > Credentials).
  2. If you are using a virtual device, locate the Cisco: Conductor Example (Virtua credential. If you are discovering an IP device, locate the Cisco: Conductor Example (Discov credential. Click its wrench icon (). The Edit SOAP/XML Credential modal page appears.

  1. Enter values in the following fields:
  • Profile Name. Enter a name for your TelePresence Conductor credential.

  • Content Encoding. Select text/xml.
  • Method. Select POST.
  • HTTP Version. Select HTTP/1.1.
  • URL. If you are creating a virtual device as the root device, enter the URL of the master Conductor system. If you are discovering an IP device as the root device, enter "http://%D".
  • HTTP Auth User. Enter the username for a Conductor account with API access.
  • HTTP Auth Password. Enter the password for a Conductor account with API access.
  • Timeout(seconds). Enter "10".
  1. Click the Save button.

Creating an SNMP Credential

If you want to monitor SNMP-enabled Conductor devices, then you must also create an SNMP credential to enable SL1 to communicate with those devices. To do so, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to the Credential Management page (System > Manage > Credentials).
  2. Click the Actions button.

  1. In the drop-down list that appears, select Create SNMP Credential. The Credential Editor page appears.
  2. Enter values in the following fields:

  • SNMP Version. Select SNMP V2.
  • Profile Name. Enter a name for the credential.
  • SNMP Community (Read Only). Enter the community string for the Conductor devices.
  • Optionally, supply values in the other fields in this page. In most cases, you can use the default values for the other fields.
  1. Click the Save button.

Creating and Discovering Virtual Devices

For Conductor cluster configurations, ScienceLogic recommends that you use a virtual device to represent the cluster.

A virtual device is a user-defined container that represents a device or service that cannot be discovered by SL1. You can use the virtual device to store information gathered by policies or Dynamic Applications.

To model and monitor Cisco TelePresence Conductor using a virtual device to represent the cluster, you must first create the virtual device and then manually align the Cisco: TelePresence Conductor Discovery Dynamic Application to the virtual device. When you do so, SL1 discovers the cluster first, and then automatically aligns the other Dynamic Applications in the Cisco: TelePresence ConductorPowerPack to the cluster virtual device. These additional Dynamic Applications discover, model, and monitor the remaining Conductor component devices.

To create a virtual device that represents your TelePresence Conductor cluster:

  1. Go to the Device Manager page (Devices > Classic Devices, or Registry > Devices > Device Manager in the classic SL1 user interface).

  1. Click the Actions button and select Create Virtual Device from the menu. The Virtual Device modal page appears.

  1. Enter values in the following fields:

  • Device Name. Enter a name for the virtual device. For example, you could enter "Conductor Cluster" in this field.

  • Organization. Select the organization for this device. The organization you associate with the device limits the users that will be able to view and edit the device. Typically, only members of the organization can view and edit the device.
  • Device Class. Select Cisco Systems| TelePresence Conductor Cluster.
  • Collector. Select the collector group to monitor the cluster.
  1. Click the Add button to create the virtual device.

After creating the Conductor cluster virtual device, you must manually align the Cisco: TelePresence Conductor Discovery Dynamic Application with the virtual device. To do so, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to the Device Manager page (Devices > Classic Devices, or Registry > Devices > Device Manager in the classic SL1 user interface).
  2. Click the wrench icon () for your Conductor cluster virtual device.
  3. In the Device Administration panel, click the Collections tab. The Dynamic Application Collections page appears.
  4. Click the Action button and select Add Dynamic Application from the menu.

  1. In the Dynamic Application Alignment modal page, enter values in the following fields:

  • Dynamic Applications. Select the Cisco: TelePresence Conductor Discovery Dynamic Application.
  • Credentials. Select the SOAP/XML credential you created for the Conductor devices.

  1. Click the Save button to align the Dynamic Application with the Conductor cluster virtual device.

Discovering IP Devices

To model and monitor Cisco TelePresence Conductor IP devices, you must run a discovery session to discover a Conductor root device.

Several minutes after the discovery session completes, the Dynamic Applications in the Cisco: TelePresence ConductorPowerPack automatically align to the Conductor root device and then discover, model, and monitor the remaining Conductor component devices.

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

  1. Go to the Discovery Control Panel page (System > Manage > Classic Discovery).
  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) for the Conductor root device(s) you want to discover.

  • SNMP Credentials. If the devices are SNMP-enabled, select the SNMP credential you created for the Conductor devices.
  • Other Credentials. Select the SOAP/XML credential you created for the Conductor devices.
  • Discover Non-SNMP. Select this checkbox.
  • Model Devices. 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 Conductor root device is discovered, click the device icon () to view the Device Properties page for the root device.

Viewing Cisco TelePresence Conductor Devices

When SL1 discovers your TelePresence Conductor devices, SL1 will create component devices that represent each component in your Conductor cluster.

In addition to the Device Manager page, you can view 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 the selected device and all of the devices with which it has parent-child relationships. Double-clicking any of the devices reloads the page with the selected device as 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 your Conductor cluster, find a cluster and click its plus icon (+):

  • The 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 Component Map as new component devices are discovered. The platform also updates each map with the latest status and event information. To view the map for your Conductor cluster, go to the Component Map page and select the map from the list in the left NavBar. To learn more about the Component Map page, see the section on Views.