Integrating NerveCenter with a Network Management Platform - Integrating NerveCenter with HP OpenView Network Node Manager - Sending NerveCenter Informs to HP OpenView Network Node Manager -
Using OpenView as a node source      The Reliability of NerveCenter Informs Sent to HP OpenView Network Node Manager

Sending NerveCenter Informs to HP OpenView Network Node Manager

One of NerveCenter's powerful platform integration features is its ability to send inform packets to HP OpenView Network Node Manager. Since the inform packets use the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the alert sent to OpenView is more reliable then a standard SNMP trap. To configure NerveCenter to keep track of acknowledges sent in response to an inform, see The Reliability of NerveCenter Informs Sent to HP OpenView Network Node Manager.

As you create or modify a behavior model to notify OpenView, you determine the specific inform number it will receive. However, before you can use this behavior model, NerveCenter must know which machine or machines will receive the inform.

The following procedure will step you through the process of declaring one or more recipients of NerveCenter informs.

 
  To specify the destination of NerveCenter informs sent to OpenView:

1. Open NerveCenter Administrator and connect to the appropriate NerveCenter Server. If you need help opening NerveCenter Administrator or connecting to a NerveCenter Server, see Managing NerveCenter.
2. Select the Inform Configuration tab.

   The Inform Configuration tab appears.

   

3. In the Inform Host Type field, select HP OpenView NerveCenter.

   Selecting this option associates the NerveCenter OpenView Platform Adapter with the machine hosting OpenView.

4. In the Machine Name field, type the name of the machine hosting OpenView.
5. In the Port field, type the port number your NerveCenter Server will use when communicating with the NerveCenter OpenView Platform Adapter.

   By default, NerveCenter uses the port number 6024.

6. In the Notify On field, select one of the following:
   • EVENT_ONLY -- Events are sent to this platform host when an Inform action is invoked. No symbol color change messages are sent.
   • SYMBOL_ONLY -- Messages causing symbol color changes on the platform map are sent to this host. Events are not sent.
   • EVENT_AND_SYMBOL -- Both event and symbol messages are sent.

     ---

        Selecting either SYMBOL_ONLY or EVENT_AND_SYMBOL causes the node's object to update according to the NerveCenter color in OpenView's map.

     ---

     The recommended setting for OpenView is EVENT_AND_SYMBOL. Even though this setting increases traffic overhead, the other two options prevents data from reaching your platform.

     This setting need to be consistent with your platform's map configuration settings. For example, if you configured your platform to allow symbol color changes from NerveCenter but now select EVENT_ONLY, you will see no symbol color changes.

7. In the Minimum Severity field, type the number representing the minimum severity an alarm must reach before triggering a message to this platform.

   This option enables you to be selective about which events are sent to particular platforms. For example, a local platform could get all events, while a lead or central platform could get only critical events. When NerveCenter sends Informs to your platform, NerveCenter first checks the minimum severity value entered here to ensure that the trap value for the Inform matches or exceeds that severity.

   ---

      There is one case when NerveCenter disregards the minimum severity value specified in Administrator: After NerveCenter sends an Inform, if the condition returns to a normal state-that is, a state below the minimum severity threshold you configure-it's important that NerveCenter notify the platform of this change. Therefore, if a node transitions the alarm from a severity above the minimum value to a severity below the minimum value, and the transition includes an Inform action, NerveCenter will send a Normal Inform to the platform. This allows the platform to reset the mapped severity color associated with the node.

   ---

   ---

      The values associated with each severity in NerveCenter can be viewed and altered in the NerveCenter Client in the Severity List found under the Admin menu. See Designing and Managing Behavior Models in the NerveCenter documentation for more details.

   ---

8. In the Properties field, type zero or more properties.

   NerveCenter will only send an inform packet to this platform if the managed node's property group contains at least one of the properties listed in this field. If no events are listed, NerveCenter sends events for all managed nodes.

   This option enables you to be selective about which events are sent to particular platforms. For example, one platform could receive informs prompted by only routers.

9. Select Add.

   The platform's host machine is added to the Inform Recipient List.

10. Repeat steps 3 through 9 for each machine hosting OpenView that will receive a NerveCenter inform packet.
11. Select Save.

When a behavior model performs an Inform alarm action, each machine within the Inform Recipient List that is associated with the NerveCenter OpenView Platform Adapter will receive the inform as long as the alarm meets the relevant criteria.