Using Network Manager to Setup Automatic Email Notifications _____________________________________

Dell OpenManage™ Network Manager 3.0

By Victor Teeter

Development Engineer, Sr. Analyst PowerConnect Engineering

Overview With an email server on your network, you can send emails automatically when an SNMP event is received by Network Manager. End users can setup one or multiple auto-emails to go to one or more recipients. Common implementations of this feature may include triggering an email when a switch is not responding, when a scheduled restore fails, or when a new switch firmware is available from Dell. IT departments and Network Administrators can use this tool to save valuable time normally taken before realizing part of their infrastructure has deteriorated or can alarm them when it’s time to consider updating their switches, taking the worry out of monitoring and maintaining the network. All of this and more can be accomplished through the auto-email feature. The following steps guide you through setting up this valuable monitoring instrument.

August 31, 2007

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Instructions Before starting, you will need to make a backup copy of your redcell.properties file located in the following directory: \Dell\OpenManage\Network Manager\owareapps\redcell\lib. You can simply copy it into the same directory and rename it. If you installed into a non-default directory, you’ll need to change to that directory to locate the file. In case an accidental modifications of other parameters within the file are made that cause problems with Network Manager, you can copy this file back over the original and reboot your server. As always, Dell highly recommends complete and regular backups of the entire server. 1. Modify the Properties File

a. Modify the original redcell.properties file. You can use Wordpad to modify the following two parameters.

set the redcell.smtphost= <your email server> set the redcell.returnaddress= <your return address>

Save the file b. If you modified the redcell.properties file while appserver was running, you will need to restart the appserver for the changes to take effect.

2. Create an Email Action

An email action is created by performing the following steps: a. Click on Event Services - Actions from the main navigation menu b. Click Action -> New

c. Provide a unique name in the Name field, then click on Email as the Action Category d. Provide an email address in the Addresses field and click on add button e. Provide additional addresses as needed, pressing the Add button for each one f. Provide a subject, header and/or footer that explain the reason for the email g. Click the Save button

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h. Verify the new action is listed in Action Manager, then close the Actions screen.

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3. Assign the Action to the Event Processing Rule You must assign the Action to an Event Processing Rule. The following steps will guide you through it.

a. Click on Event Services – Event Processing Rules from the main navigation menu b. Click Action -> New -> Automation

c. Provide a unique name in the Name field d. Click the Add button under Options and the Action Manager screen appears e. Select the action you created in step 3, then click Select f. Click Edit in the Event Filter section g. Click the Event Definition query button (...) and maximize the screen.

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h. Click on the event you would like to trigger an email, then click on select button.

Examples: For firmware available for download (for manual download), select

"redcellNewFirmwareAvailableNotification" For firmware successfully downloaded automatically, select

"redcellNewFirmwareDownloadedNotification" For a switch not responding select

“heartbeatDeviceDown” For a scheduled restore that fails select

“redcellNetConfigRestoreFailureNotification”

Note: If you don't see these event definitions listed, you may need to change your "Max items displayed" at the bottom of the screen to "400".

i. Click OK. Your screen should look similar to the one below with new entries in the Name, Filter Summary, and Selected Actions fields.

j. Click Save.

Your Event Processing Rule has been created and the end user will now receive an email each time the alarm is received in Network Manager. The details of your Event Processing Rule can be seen by clicking on the rule as show in the figure below.

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Warning: failing to select a filter (as described in steps 3f-i) will result in an email for every alarm that Network Manager receives, which could quickly fill up your email space. Conclusion These instructions provide just one example of many how valuable the automatic email feature can be to your network. Setting up this tool for multiple purposes can provide you the peace of mind of having an extra set of eyes and ears watching your network devices, ready to give you notice at any moment your attention is required. For additional information regarding this feature and all other features of OMNM, please consult the Administrator Guide and User Guide that come with the CD or zip file.

THIS HOW-TO GUIDE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT MAY CONTAIN TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS AND TECHNICAL INACCURACIES. THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS, WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND.

Dell, OpenManage and PowerConnect are trademarks of Dell Inc. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell disclaims proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.

©Copyright 2007 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden. For more information, contact Dell.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.