Black Box 1102 Alerts and Logging, Configure SMTP/SMS/SNMP/Nagios Alert Service, Email Alerts

Chapter 7: Alerts and Logging

7. Alerts and Logging

This chapter describes the alert generation and logging features of the console server. The Alert facility monitors the serial ports, all logins, and the power status, and sends emails, SMS, Nagios, or SNMP alerts when specified trigger events occur.

First, enable and configure the service that will be used to carry the alert (Section 7.1).

Then, specify the alert trigger condition and the actual destination to which that particular alert will be sent (Section 7.2).

All console server models can maintain log records of all access and communications with the console server and with the attached serial devices. A log of all system activity is also maintained, as is a history of the status of any attached environmental monitors.

Some models also log access and communications with network attached hosts and maintain a history of the UPS and PDU power status.

If port logs are to be maintained on a remote server, then configure the access path to this location (Section 7.3).

Then you need to activate and set the desired levels of logging for each serial (Section 7.4) and/or network port (Section 7.5) and/or power UPS (refer to Chapter 8).

7.1 Configure SMTP/SMS/SNMP/Nagios Alert Service

The Alerts facility monitors nominated ports/hosts/UPSs/PDUs/EMDs, etc. for trigger conditions. When triggered, the facility sends an alert notification over the nominated alert service. Before setting up the alert trigger, configure these alert services:

7.1.1 Email Alerts

The console server uses SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) for sending the email alert notifications. To use SMTP, the Administrator must configure a valid SMTP server for sending the email:

Select Alerts & Logging: SMTP &SMS

Figure 7-1. SMTP and SMS screen.

In the SMTP Server field, enter the outgoing mail Server’s IP address.

If this mail server uses a Secure Connection, specify its type.

You may enter a Sender email address which will appear as the “from” address in all email notifications sent from this console server. Many SMTP servers check the sender’s email address with the host domain name to verify the address as authentic. So it may be useful to assign an email address for the console server such as consoleserver2@mydomain.com

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