WNMS QuickStart
WNMS QuickStart
WNMS QuickStart
WNMS
Quick Start Guide
Revision 1.4
July 8, 2010
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Contents
Contents
CONTENTS............................................................................................................................................. 3
ABOUT THIS GUIDE .............................................................................................................................. 4
Prerequisite Skills and Knowledge ...................................................................................................... 4
Conventions Used in this Document ................................................................................................... 4
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................... 5
System Architecture ............................................................................................................................ 5
System Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 6
Communication between Devices and WNMS Server ........................................................................ 6
WNMS INSTALLATION ......................................................................................................................... 7
Linux OS .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Step by Step Installation on the Command-line Interface ............................................................... 7
WNMS Virtual Image ......................................................................................................................... 14
WNMS setup with VMware player .................................................................................................14
WNMS Setup with VirtualBox ........................................................................................................16
DEVICE MANAGEMENT...................................................................................................................... 19
Access the WNMS Server ................................................................................................................. 19
Log Out ..........................................................................................................................................19
Device Registration ........................................................................................................................... 20
Delete Device.................................................................................................................................22
Device Monitoring .............................................................................................................................. 23
Alerts ..............................................................................................................................................23
Graphs ...........................................................................................................................................25
Device Maintainance ......................................................................................................................... 29
Firmware Upgrade .........................................................................................................................29
Configuration File Download..........................................................................................................31
Configuration File Upload ..............................................................................................................32
Network Maps ................................................................................................................................... 34
INDEX ................................................................................................................................................... 37
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bold
Menu commands, buttons, input fields, links, and configuration keys are displayed in bold
italic
<code>
File names, directory names, form names, system-generated output, and user typed
entries are displayed in constant-width type
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Introduction
Introduction
WNMS is an enterprise grade Wireless Network Management System (WNMS). Single software
solution simplifies large number of management and monitoring tasks for network administrator.
Comprehensive network management software supports up to several thousand of nodes. Multiple
networks may be maintained and monitored using one server. Rich feature set helps to diagnose
network problems effectively, visualize network on map, perform automatically scheduled firmware
upgrades, track states of devices, get alerts about failures, collect statistics and many other things.
Web-based system environment supports multi-user accounts. Several administrators may manage
different networks on the same server, without having access to each other's equipment.
The WNMS system architecture allows configuring or performing firmware upgrades on any network
infrastructure. Monitored devices can be on LAN behind a NAT or on WAN. Scalable software design
is perfectly suited for small and large networks. Rapidly growing networks may be split it into smaller
logical groups (smaller networks) and assigned to different administrators. All information about the
devices that are monitored (name, MAC, serial number, IP, firmware version) is stored in WNMS
server. Information storage in one place, quick search capabilities, data export options simplify the
inventory management. Each network device can be monitored individually with defined tracking
parameters (standard and custom based on SNMP value). Reported alerts are shown on WNMS
dashboard in a real time. Furthermore, system has the ability to notify contacts (via email) when
problems arise and are resolved. Alert history is stored on the server allowing analysis of failures that
happened in the past.
System Architecture
WNMS systems use Client-Server structure. WNMS agent must be activated on the management
interface of each device. This is a special program that runs on the device and communicates with the
WNMS server though proprietary XML based protocol. The WNMS agent listens and executes
commands from the WNMS server and returns required data.
WNMS server consists of the following components:
Data collector
Database
Monitor daemon
Graphical user interface
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Introduction
Data collector is an intermediate point between WNMS agent and a database. Each agent in defined
time interval sends heartbeats (special packages with information) to the collector. All information
(statistics, alerts, etc) is transferred via heartbeat. Collector extracts information from heartbeat,
processes it and stores data in the database. The collector also sends reply heartbeats to the devices
if there are any assigned tasks for the particular device (e.g. get troubleshoot file, upgrade firmware,
etc). The WNMS server contains modular architecture, therefore several collectors may exist. If the
link between database and collector is lost, all the information will be stored locally on the collector
server and will be transferred to the database as soon as the link is up again.
Database is at the heart of the WNMS system. It stores all information about devices, networks and
their configurations, also keeps alerts and statistical data. Collectors, monitor daemon and GUI
communicate directly with the database.
Monitor daemon is a special program that runs on WNMS server and is responsible for device
availability alert (device is online/offline). In addition, this process is responsible for sending e-mail
notifications to the predefined contacts.
Graphical user interface is a face of the system. All network management tasks are done via WEBbased GUI.
System Requirements
In order to install WNMS software the system must match following requirements:
WNMS server
Operating system:
Ubuntu 9.10 or later
Debian testing (squeeze)
Minimum hardware requirement (for the network with several hundreds of devices)
1 GHz x86 processor
1.5 GB of RAM
20 GB of hard-drive space
Network/Internet access
Recommended hardware requirement (for the network with several thousands of devices)
2 GHz x86 processor
4 GB of RAM
50 GB of hard-drive (depending on a history data keeping)
Network/Internet access
Client
For WNMS management the administrator's computer must have Adobe Flash Player version
9.0.28 or later installed.
Internet Explorer v7.0 or higher
Mozilla Firefox v3.5 or higher
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WNMS Installation
WNMS Installation
Linux OS
The WNMS system was tested on Ubuntu and Debian Linux distributions. The WNMS system is
packed into two *.deb packages:
WNMS server:
Database,
Monitor daemon,
Graphical user interface
WNMS collector:
Data collector
Step 1.
Create a backup file of the repository list. The following command creates a backup
file sources.list.backup in the directory /etc/apt/sources.list. Type
command:
sudo cp /etc/apt/sources.list /etc/apt/sources.list.backup
Step 2.
Add WNMS software repository using VIM text editor in sources.list file:
deb http://wnms.ligowave.com/ testing main
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Step 3.
WNMS Installation
Step 4.
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WNMS Installation
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WNMS Installation
Confirm password:
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WNMS Installation
Step 5.
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WNMS Installation
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WNMS Installation
Specify the password of WNMS server database (the same as specified on WNMS server
installation):
The last 4 screenshots of MySQL database setup will be skipped if WNMS collector goes
on the same server as WNMS MySQL database
Step 6.
Enter the IP address of the WNMS server and the login page of the WNMS will be
displayed.
The WNMS may be installed using dpkg utility. However it is recommended to use aptget method as it handles all WNMS packages dependencies and installs them
automatically.
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WNMS Installation
Step 1.
Step 2.
Download WNMS virtual image from LigoWave page www.ligowave.com and extract it.
Step 3.
Start VMware player, choose Open a Virtual Machine, locate WNMS virtual image
folder, select configuration file wnms.vmx and press Open.
Step 4.
Step 5.
If the system asks about system status, leave it as copied. VMware may suggest
installing of additional tools this is optional.
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Step 6.
WNMS Installation
WNMS server is based on Linux. Login settings to the server console are:
Username: wnms
Password: admin01
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WNMS Installation
Step 7.
Change WNMS IP settings according to your subnet: login to the server console, load
Interfaces file by command
sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces ,
then specify the default password admin01 and change the default IP address to
custom, according your subnet.
Depending on host operating system, you may use Ctrl+ N/P/F/B keys combinations
instead of arrows for moving a cursor
Step 8.
Step 9.
Access WNMS GUI by configured IP address (in our example this would be
http://192.168.100.50).
Step 1.
Step 2.
Download WNMS virtual image from LigoWave page www.ligowave.com and extract it.
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WNMS Installation
Step 3.
Step 4.
Choose New to start Virtual Machine Wizard, press Next. Write name of virtual
machine and select operating system Linux Ubuntu. Press Next, choose 512 MB of
memory.
On virtual hard disk section select Use existing hard disk wnms.vmdk
(normal, 20 GB)
Press Next and Finish.
Step 5.
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Step 6.
WNMS Installation
Press Start to boot your WNMS server. You shall get following screen on success:
For IP address configuration on WNMS server refer to the previous section WNMS setup
with VMware player, Step 7.
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Device Management
Device Management
Access the WNMS Server
The WNMS server installation generates a system administrators account so you can access your
WNMS server with default login settings on the first connection to the WNMS server.
Default login settings are:
Username: admin
Password: admin01
Open a Web browser, type the servers IP address where the WNMS is installed (e.q.
http://192.168.2.131) and the login page will be displayed:
Enter the users login details as requested and log on the WNMS server.
Log Out
To leave the WNMS server, click the Log Out link at the top right corner of the page and you will be
redirected to the WNMS server login page.
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Device Management
Device Registration
Check if your system meets conditions for proper communication between devices and WNMS server:
1. Properly installed WNMS server (refer to the WNMS Installation Guide)
2. The WNMS Agent must be enabled on each through device web management interface (by
specifying URL of particular WNMS server with ending /collector):
Check if all devices have correct WNMS URL specified on web management interface (e.g.
e.g. http://wnms.server.com/collector).
If WNMS server has only IP address (no domain), then IP address must entered with
ending /collector. (e.g. http://192.168.100.100/collector)
It is recommended to use https protocol for secure communication between agent and
server.
By default newly connected devices get Unregistered state on WNMS server. Follow the steps to
register device manually:
Step1.
Navigate to the Inventory | Devices menu to view list of connected devices to the
WNMS server.
The color of the icon next to the device name indicates alert state (refer to the respective
section Alerts for information how to setup Alert monitoring on the devices):
Step 2.
Green icon
means that device has no alert or has informational level alerts
(active/inactive/closed).
Yellow icon
means that device has active warning level alerts or had in the past
critical/warning alerts but now they are closed (not cleared) or had inactive
critical/warning alerts (not cleared)
Red icon
means that device has active critical level alerts (not including inactive
alerts)
A certain Network must be assigned for each registered device on the WNMS server.
Click on the device name to load the Device Details window, choose the network
(choose one of the default WNMS networks) for device:
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Device Management
Configure click to load regular device web management interface on new web browsers
window (direct access to the device is required. Wont work under NAT).
Register click to register the device. This button is active only if device state is Unregistered.
Save saves changes that were made on this page.
Delete deletes particular device from the WNMS server. If deleted device continues to send
heartbeats to WNMS server, it will appear on WNMS server under Unregistered state as soon
as the first heartbeat will be get.
Step 3.
Click Register button and the device registration will be finished successfully:
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Device Management
Delete Device
Navigate to device table on the Inventory | Devices page, select required devices and click the
Remove Selected button to delete device:
Deleted device appears on WNMS server with Unregistered state if it continues to send
heartbeats to the server.
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Device Management
Device Monitoring
There are two main device monitoring tools on the WNMS server:
Alerts monitor the state and report all alarms received from the device.
Statistics in graphs gathers and displays graphically chosen statistics.
Alerts
The main WNMS server feature is to gather and display alerts that were sent from devices to the
WNMS server using heartbeats.
The source of alerts is the Alert Profile, assigned to the device. Alert profiles consist of alerts that are
described in Alert Definitions. There are three severity levels of alarms: critical, warning and
informational. . These alarms levels are user definable/customizable. WNMS server has two default
predefined Alert Profiles, which includes following standard Alert Definitions:
Basic alert profile:
The threshold of Alert Definition can be changed on the Alerts | Alerts Definitions page.
The severity of alerts (critical, warning or informational) can be changed on the Alerts |
Alerts Profiles page, when adding an alert definition to a profile.
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Device Management
Use Alerts | Alert Profiles menu to view the full list of alert profiles:
Step 1.
Assign the Alert profile for the particular the device. Navigate to the Inventory |
Devices menu, click on your device name and load the device Details window to
assign default Alert profile:
Step 2.
Navigate to the Alert menu to view system alerts that were sent by the registered
devices. As soon as the correct Alert Profile has been assigned to the device, WNMS
server starts monitor device alerts that were sent from a device to the WNMS server
with each heartbeat.
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Device Management
Alerts are grouped into two types having three different states:
Active or Closed type shows the alerts in two different states: the Active state appears when the
monitored parameter or value gets back to the normal the Closed state appears. For
example, if RSSI level of a devices reaches the specified threshold or exceeds it, the alert
state becomes active; when RSSI level is lower than the specified threshold, the alert state
becomes Closed.
Inactive state shows alerts which have no states, i.e. they cannot get worse or better. Such alerts
just inform about the actions which have been performed. There are only three alerts in the
Inactive state: Reboot, Frequency Change and Radio status (association/disassociation of
Radio Peers).
The outdated alerts can be simply removed from the alerts table by selecting them and
using Clear Selected Alerts button.
Graphs
The WNMS server is perfect for graphical visualization of device statistical data that was sent from
devices to WNMS server with the heartbeats. The main condition, to display graphs of required
statistics, is to assign the correct statistics template (default or custom) for the device. Only then
WNMS server will start to gather required statistics from the device.
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Device Management
WNMS server has two pairs of predefined default Statistics Profiles (Stats | Statistics Profiles menu)
for PTP and PTP MIMO devices that include following default Statistics Definitions:
Basic Statistics profile:
Signal level/RSSI
Noise level
In bytes (bridge)
Out bytes (bridge)
Uptime
Frequency
CPU load
Signal level/RSSI
Noise level
In bytes (bridge)
Out bytes (bridge)
Uptime
Frequency
CPU load
Users connected
SNMP engine boots
Memory total free
In bytes (ethernet)
Out bytes (ethernet)
RX errors
TX errors
Follow the steps to setup WNMS server to display a statistics graphs for the device:
Step 1.
Assign correct Statistics profile for the particular device. Navigate to the Inventory |
Devices menu, click on your device name and load the device Details window to
assign default Statistics profile:
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Device Management
Step 2.
After the Statistics profile is assigned to the device, need to wait until WNMS server
gathers a certain amount of statistical data from the device. Then all the specified
graphs can be drawn.
Step 3.
Load the Graphs menu on the device Details window and the graphs of chosen
statistics (specified in the Statistics profile) will be displayed:
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Device Management
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Device Management
Device Maintainance
The several tasks can be scheduled and performed on devices, registered on the WNMS server:
The new task is created using New Task button on the Maintenance | Tasks page:
Tasks listed in this table have different icons indicating different types of tasks:
Clock icon
means pending tasks. It can indicate either a task which is scheduled to be
performed later, or a pending task which has not been performed as the device was offline on the
scheduled time (in the latter case the scheduled task will be performed as soon as the device
appears online).
Green icon
indicates successfully completed tasks.
Red icon
indicates that task failed.
Firmware Upgrade
WNMS server has possibility to schedule a remote firmware upgrade for group of devices.
Follow the steps to configure firmware upload and upgrade on the chosen devices:
Step 1.
Navigate to the Maintainance | Tasks page and choose the task type Send and
Upgrade Firmware on Device:
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Device Management
The WNMS server has possibility to store binary firmware images (under the Maintenance
| Firmware images menu).
Step 2.
Specify the details for this task: shedule firmware image download and upgrade to the
device, also specify the firmware image from local PC.
Step 3.
Select devices that will be upgraded with the new firmware image: click Search button
and select required devices.
Step 4.
Save newly created firmware upgrade task. According this task, the chosen firmware
image will be uploaded on selected devices on 01-09-2010 03:00 and upgrade will start
on 01-09-2010 03:19.
Step 5.
Open Maintainance | Tasks page and check if new task exists on Task table with
clock icon (pending task):
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Device Management
Navigate to the Maintainance | Tasks page and choose the task type Get Config
from Device:
The WNMS server has possibility to store configuration files (under the Maintenance |
Config Files menu).
Step 2.
Step 3.
Select the devices from which the configuration files will be downloaded to WNMS
server: click Search button and select required devices.
Step 4.
Step 5.
Open Maintainance | Tasks page and check if new task has been completed
successfully (green icon):
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Device Management
Navigate to the Maintainance | Tasks page and choose the task type Set Config on
Device:
Step 2.
Specify the details for this task: schedule configuration file upload to the device, select
the file which will be uploaded and choose to reboot the device after configuration
upload.
If faulty configuration is uploaded to a device it may cause unexpected behavior or failure
of the device.
Step 3.
Select devices on which the configuration file will be uploaded: click Search button and
select required device.
Step 4.
Step 5.
Open Maintainance | Tasks page and check if new task has been completed:
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Device Management
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Device Management
Network Maps
WNMS has tools for graphical representation of network topology and status of registered devices on
WNMS server.
The Google Map API key for custom domain is required for geographical map
visualization, otherwise an error message will be displayed instead of map:
Step 1.
First the Google Map API key must be defined on the WNMS. Open the System |
System Settings page, specify the key and click Save button:
Step 2.
Check if the Maps options are enabled on particular device Details pop-up window, on
Inventory | Devices page.
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Device Management
Show Device on Topo Map enable this option for network topology visualization.
Show Device on Geographical Map enable this option for device network visualization on
geographical map.
Step 3.
It is important to specify the location coordinates (longitude and latitude) for graphical
representation. It may be done in two ways: by specifying exact longitude and latitude
coordinates on Device Details window (refer at the Figure 22 Device Details: maps
options), or simply by moving device icons in to the proper place on the geographical
map.
Step 4.
Navigate to the Networks | Maps menu; select all options on Maps Filter and device
network, and click Apply Filters / Refresh button. The representation of your selected
network will be displayed on a geographical map:
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Device Management
The color of the device icon indicates alert state (refer to the respective section of Alerts for
information how to setup Alert monitoring on the devices):
Step 5.
Green icon
means that device has no alert or has informational level alerts
(active/inactive/closed).
Yellow icon
means that device has active warning level alerts or had in the past
critical/warning alerts but now they are closed (not cleared) or had inactive
critical/warning alerts (not cleared)
Red icon
means that device has active critical level alerts (not including inactive
alerts)
Navigate to the Networks | Topology menu; select network of your devices, and click
Apply Filters / Refresh button. The representation of your selected networks topology
will be displayed:
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Index
Index
A
access WNMS, 19
alert profile, 24
basic, 23
extended, 23
alert state, 36
alert types, 20
alerts, 6, 23, 24
L
login, 19
logout, 19
M
monitor daemon, 5, 7
network, 20
network maps, 34
geographical, 35
topo, 35, 36
data collector, 5, 7
database, 5, 7
default login, 19
delete device, 22
device monitoring
alerts, 23
graphs, 23
device state
registered, 21
unregistered, 20, 22
protocol, 20
F
firmware upgrade, 29
G
Google map key, 34
graphs, 28
H
heartbeats, 6, 21, 22, 23
http, 6
https, 6, 20
I
installation, 7
collector, 11
wnms server, 8
R
register device, 20, 21
S
statistics, 6
statistics definitions, 26
statistics profile, 26
basic, 26
extended, 26
system architecture, 5
system requirements, 6
T
task types, 29
completed, 29, 31
failed, 29
pending, 29, 30
W
WNMS
agent, 20
collector, 7
server, 6, 7
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