Managing NerveCenter - Managing Node Data -
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Managing Node Data

To detect and correlate network events, NerveCenter must have basic information about each of the managed nodes it is monitoring. It stores this data in a node list in NerveCenter's database. As an administrator you will need to determine which nodes belong in NerveCenter's node list. You will also be responsible for keeping the node list complete and current. This chapter describes the NerveCenter tools you can use to carry out these tasks.

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Note    NerveCenter can only obtain data from managed nodes running active Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agents.

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This chapter includes the following sections:

Sections Included in this Chapter

NerveCenter can obtain node information from any or all of the following sources:

• A network management platform, such as HP OpenView Network Node Manager or IBM NetView for AIX
• The NerveCenter Discovery behavior model
• An administrator's manual entries

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  Note    Though NerveCenter supports SNMP v1, v2c, and v3, when NerveCenter obtains its nodes from a platform, the platform does not provide SNMP version information. By default, NerveCenter deems the SNMP agents on these nodes to be SNMP v1 by default.
  
  If you want NerveCenter to attempt SNMP version classification automatically for the nodes it receives from your platform, you must enable auto-classification. Then, NerveCenter can classify the correct SNMP version for each node with each resynchronization. Refer to Managing NerveCenter for more information about SNMP auto-classification.

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  Note    If you want NerveCenter to manage SNMP v3 nodes, you must use NerveCenter as your trap source regardless of the node source you configure. Refer to Managing NerveCenter for more information about the SNMP trap source.

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When NerveCenter uses information obtained by a network management platform, it does not use the platform's database as its repository for managed nodes. Instead, it stores node information in its own database in a node list.

There are several reasons for NerveCenter maintaining a node list in its own database:

• There may be a considerable distance between the platform's database and NerveCenter, making frequent access time-consuming and costly.
• NerveCenter adds configuration data to the node data that the management platform does not necessarily provided.
• Administrators have the option of adding nodes not in the platform's node database to the node list in NerveCenter's database.