How to Add Hosts in OpenNMS Monitoring Server

OpenNMS is an open-source network management software that allows you to monitor network devices, servers, and applications. Adding a host to OpenNMS is an essential step towards comprehensive network monitoring. In this article, we will guide you through the steps involved in adding hosts in OpenNMS monitoring server.

Step 1: Configure OpenNMS Server

Before adding a new host, make sure that your OpenNMS server is correctly configured. Ensure that the SNMP and ICMP protocols are turned on, and the firewall is configured to allow SNMP requests to pass through.

Step 2: Add Host

To add a new host, launch your OpenNMS web console, click on the “Admin” tab and select “Manage nodes.”

In the “Manage nodes” window, click on the “Add New Node” button. The “Add Node” form will open.

In the form, fill in the required information about the host, such as IP address, hostname, and description. Additionally, you can select the node type, which defines how OpenNMS will monitor the host. You can choose between ICMP, SNMP, and JMX protocols.

Example code:

“`lang=text

<h1>Example OpenNMS Add Node Form</h1>

IP Address: 192.168.1.10
Hostname: server01
Node Type: SNMPv2c
Description: Web server

<pre><code class="line-numbers">## Step 3: Configure SNMP Community

If you have selected the SNMP protocol as a node type, you must configure the SNMP community. OpenNMS uses SNMP communities to authenticate network devices and retrieve monitoring data from them.

To configure the SNMP community, go to the "Add Node" form's "SNMP Interface Configuration" section. Enter the SNMP community string used to authenticate with the network device.

### Example code:

“`lang=text
# Example SNMP Community Configuration
SNMP Communities: public

Step 4: Add Monitoring Interface

Once the SNMP community is configured, you can now add a monitoring interface. A monitoring interface is a specific part of a network device that OpenNMS will monitor.

To add a monitoring interface, go to the “Add Node” form’s “Interfaces” section. Click on the “Add Interface” button to add a new interface.

In the “Add Interface” form, fill in the interface details, such as the port number and protocol.

Example Code:

“`lang=text

<h1>Adding a Monitoring Interface in OpenNMS</h1>

Interface: eth0
IP Address: 192.168.1.10
Port: 22
Protocol: SSH

<pre><code class="line-numbers">## Step 5: Activate the Node

After filling in all the details, click on "Add" to add the node to OpenNMS. The server will save the configuration, and the node will show up in the "Manage Nodes" table.

To activate the node, click on the cogwheel button in the "Actions" column and select "Activate." OpenNMS will start monitoring the node.

### Example Code:

“`lang=python
# Activating Node in OpenNMS
node = opennms_api.add_node(ip_address=’192.168.1.10′,
node_label=’Web Server’,
node_type=’SNMPv2c’,
location=’Server Room’,
contact=’IT Support’)
opennms_api.activate_node(node_id=node[‘node-id’])

Conclusion

Adding hosts in OpenNMS is a crucial step towards setting up a comprehensive network monitoring system. To add a host, you must configure your OpenNMS server, add the host details, configure the SNMP community, add monitoring interfaces, and activate the node. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily add hosts to your OpenNMS monitoring server.