Event Notification Using VVR VEA

VERITAS Volume Replicator (VVR) provides event notification by SMTP email and through SNMP traps that can be displayed in HP OpenView, CA Unicenter, and IBM Tivoli. Note that the notification service is available only when VVR VEA is installed. You can configure the notification service to send messages to specific individuals or groups and also set up rules for filtering the event messages. You can also set up rules that will run a script when specified conditions apply.

This section presents an overview of the Rule Manager utility, which provides the event notification service for VVR. The full details for this utility are given in the online help module titled "Optional Rules for Handling Events."

Accessing the Rule Manager Utility

The commands for configuring the service are all accessed through the Rule Manager icon in the VEA Control Panel. If you click the Control Panel node in the tree view, the Control Panel icons display in the right pane of the VEA window.

Double-click the Rule Manager icon to bring up the Rule Manager window. All functions relating to event notification rules are initiated from this window.

Rule Manager Window

Click the thumbnail above to view full-sized image.

From the Rule Manager, you can create, enable, disable, modify, and delete rules relating to event notification. The Configure button in the lower portion of the window is used to configure settings, such as the settings for the SMTP mail server and the recipient list of people or groups to be notified when the conditions of a specified rule are met.

Preliminary Setup

Before creating rules, you must provide information required for automated actions.

  To provide settings for automated actions

1. Configure the SMTP mail notification settings you want to use. To accomplish this, do the following:
   1. From the VERITAS Enterprise Administrator Control Panel, select Rule Manager.

   The Rule Manager window is displayed.

   2. Click Configure; then click Configure SMTP.
   3. Provide information about your SMTP mail server, port, and default sender. While working in the dialog box, select Help at any time for details about the information you must provide.

   This is a one-time setting. After providing this information, you don't need to repeat this step unless the SMTP mail server changes for your system.

2. Set up a list of recipients to be available for notification actions in rules. To accomplish this, do the following:
   1. From the VERITAS Enterprise Administrator Control Panel, select Rule Manager.

   The Rule Manager window is displayed.

   2. Click Configure; then click Define Recipients.
   3. Select New and define a recipient or group of recipients.

   Repeat this step for each recipient or group you want to add to the list. You have the following options for defining recipients:

   • Temporarily disable notification for a recipient.
   • Limit when notifications can be sent to a recipient.
   • Limit how many notifications can be sent to a recipient during a given period of time.

   While defining recipients, select Help at any time for details about the fields and elements in the active dialog box.

3. If you are planning to send SNMP traps, the MIB files should be loaded and compiled into the management application to which traps will be sent. To accomplish this, do the following:
   1. Load the product-specific MIB into your SNMP management software database according to instructions provided by your management platform.

   For details, see Accessing the VERITAS Volume Replicator SNMP MIB Files.

   2. If the platform you are using requires a configuration file, such as trapd.conf, you should load that file as well. Consult the user's guide for the management platform to determine how to map your traps to the alarm system of the platform.

   Any configuration files associated with your product are stored in the same location as the MIB files. VVR sends SNMP v1 traps.

Main Steps for Creating Rules

This section explains how to create rules.

  To create rules

1. From the VEA Control Panel, select Rule Manager.

   The Rule Manager window is displayed.

2. Click New to start the Rule wizard.
3. Follow the wizard prompts to do the following:
   1. Select the type of rule you want to create. You have two options:
   • Create a rule for certain alerts that you identify by name.
   • Create a rule for all alerts that have a particular severity and/or classification.
   2. Choose the events to monitor.
   3. Configure one or more actions to be taken when the events are detected.
   4. Provide a name and description for the rule.

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     Note    For details on creating rules, see the "Optional Rules for Handling Events" online help module. To access this module, select Contents from the Help menu.

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Accessing the VERITAS Volume Replicator SNMP MIB Files

If you want to receive VVR SNMP traps on a management platform (such as HP OpenView), you will need to compile and load the VERITAS SNMP MIB files into your management platform, following the procedures outlined in the documentation for your specific platform.

When you install VVR, the VERITAS MIB files are installed in the following directory:

/opt/VRTSob/sig/snmpmibfiles

The VVR MIB file is VRTS-VVR-UX.mib.