Integrating NerveCenter with a Network Management Platform - Integrating NerveCenter with IBM NetView for AIX - Using NetView as a node source - Filtering nodes from IBM NetView for AIX -
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Filtering nodes from IBM NetView for AIX

When using NetView as a source of information about nodes , it is important to determine which of the nodes in NetView's database NerveCenter will manage. NerveCenter does not need to monitor every node on your network.

There are several methods for restricting which nodes in NetView's node database will be placed in NerveCenter's node list:

NerveCenter allows you to monitor managed nodes that have particular capabilities. Typically NetView assigns these capabilities to a node to determine applicable management activities. Some examples of these capabilities are isRouter, isHub, and isIP.

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Note    Filtering by capabilities is available only when NetView has assigned specific capabilities to a node.

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  To filter using a node's capabilities:

1. Open NerveCenter Administrator and connect to the appropriate NerveCenter Server.
2. Select the Node Source tab.

   The Node Source page is displayed.

   The Node Source Page

   

3. In the Wanted Capabilities field, type the name of the specific capability desired.

   If this field is left blank, NerveCenter will not filter using a node's capability.

4. To enter multiple capabilities, separate each with a space.

   NerveCenter will monitor any node that matches at least one of the capabilities in the list.

5. Select Save.

   The NerveCenter Server adds the new capabilities filter. It also closes and opens a new connection with the platform adapter. NerveCenter automatically performs a resynchronization with NetView's database.

New nodes will be added. Any node that is marked Autodelete (the default) will be deleted.

NerveCenter allows you to monitor managed nodes according to their particular system object identifiers (OIDs).

A node's System Object ID is an SNMP MIB-II object in the system group. It identifies the SNMP agent software running on the device. It is, however, commonly used to identify the type and vendor of the device because a particular vendor's agent usually runs on that vendor's devices.

 
  To filter using a node's system object identifier:

1. Open NerveCenter Administrator and connect to the appropriate NerveCenter Server.

2. Select the Node Source tab.

   NerveCenter displays the Node Source page.

   The Node Source Page

   

3. In the System Object Ids field, type the name of the system OID wanted.

   If this field is left blank, NerveCenter will not filter using a node's system OID.

4. To enter multiple OIDs, separate each with a space.

   NerveCenter will monitor any node that matches at least one of the OID in the list.

   For example, an administrator may want to restrict NerveCenter to nodes running SNMP agents from either Cisco or Hewlett-Packard nodes by typing the following:

   1.3.6.1.4.1.9 1.3.6.1.4.1.11

   Any device with an OID matching either of these numbers will be included in the NerveCenter nodes database.

5. Select Save.

   The NerveCenter Server adds the new OID filter. It also closes and opens a new connection with the platform adapter. NerveCenter automatically resynchronizes with NetView's database.

New nodes will be added. Any node that is marked Autodelete (the default) will be deleted.

In addition to filtering nodes by OIDs and capabilities, NerveCenter allows you to filter out all nodes that do not belong to one or more subnets. NerveCenter determines the subnet by combining a specific IP address with a subnet mask. NerveCenter can filter by subnets of both Class B and Class C networks. In Class B networks, the first two octets specify the network while in Class C networks the first three octets identify the network.

The following table illustrates some filter configurations and their results:

Sample Subnet Filters and Their Results for a Class C Network

In addition to filtering out all but an entire subnet, NerveCenter allows you to exclude a specific node or range of nodes within the remaining subnet.

The following table illustrates some filter configurations with exclusions and their results.:

Sample Subnet Filters with Exclusions and Their Results

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Note    You can filter nodes that have been discovered by NerveCenter, provided by the platform node source, or imported from a node file.

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NerveCenter can determine automatically or manually subnet criteria used to filter nodes by IP address.

 
  To configure NerveCenter to determine subnet criteria automatically:

1. Open NerveCenter Administrator and connect to the appropriate NerveCenter Server.

2. Select the IP Filters tab.

   The IP Filters page is displayed.

   The IP Filters Page

   

3. In the Method area, select Automatic.

   Setting the method to automatic tells NerveCenter to ignore any address filters you enter and use instead the server's masks as a filter. NerveCenter calculates the subnet address and mask using the IP address and mask of each network interface card on the server.

4. Select Save.

NerveCenter will now automatically use the server's masks as a filter.

 
  To set the subnet criteria manually:

1. Open NerveCenter Administrator and connect to the appropriate NerveCenter Server.

2. Select the IP Filters tab.

   The IP Filters page is displayed.

   The IP Filters Page

   

3. In the Method area, select Manual.

   When the method is set to manual, NerveCenter will only use the subnet addresses listed in IP Address Filters area. If the IP Address Filters list is empty, NerveCenter ignores a node's subnet when determining if the node will be part of the node database.

4. In the Subnet Address field, type the appropriate subnet. In the Mask Address field, type the appropriate subnet mask.

   A node's subnet address combines the node's IP address with the subnet mask.

5. In the Exclusion List field, enter all the nodes you want excluded from the subnet address. To exclude more than one node, separate each number with a comma without a space. To exclude a continuous range of nodes, use a hyphen to separate the minimum and maximum number by a hyphen.
6. Select Add.

   The subnet address and mask address will be added to the IP Address Filters list.

   The IP Address Filter List with Several Subnet Addresses

   

7. Select Save.
8. To filter by additional IP addresses and masks, repeat steps 4 and 7.

NerveCenter monitors any address falling within the subnet and not excluded by the filter.