Managing SNMP node databases

The IMS interface provides facilities for the management of SNMP databases and the accessing of information on the existence and connectivity status of nodes and groups of nodes. Node entries can be added to the database, deleted and located. Functions for reinitializing a database to identify only locally accessible nodes as well as loading a database file are also provided. All of these services are accessible from the Main screen Node menu option.

For details of accessing the node information maintained within a MIB database record, refer to ``Managing MIB node data''.

Adding and deleting a node

To add an entry to the SNMP database of managed nodes, select the Main screen Node Add Node menu option sequence. A pop-up screen prompts for a node identifier, in the form of either a name or an IP address. Enter the identifier and click on OK. Note that only one node may be selected for each delete operation. Invalid identifiers generate an error message.

IMS checks whether the node is reachable, using ping. If it is reachable, the specified node is added to the database: if not, you are asked to confirm whether the non-reachable node is to be added.

On confirmation, the node is displayed, and control returns to the main screen. A message is displayed if the specified node is already in the database.

To remove an existing node from the database, highlight its entry in the display field of the main screen, then select the Main screen Node Delete Node menu option. Click on OK to confirm.

If the deleted node is the only entry in the database, the display field of the main screen empties, and menu options requiring an existing node are disabled.

Locating a node

To locate a node's entry in the MIB database, select the Main screen Node Find Node menu option. Enter a node name, IP address, or part of a name or address. Click on OK. If a node matching the specification is found, IMS highlights that node's entry in the main screen. If more than one node is found that matches the input string, the first instance (sorted alphabetically) is the one selected; to select subsequent matching entries, a longer string must be entered until it uniquely matches the desired node identifier.

If no match is made, a pop-up screen appears: click on Close to return to the main screen. No change is made to the ``current'' node highlighted in the main screen.

Reinitializing the node database

You may rebuild the nodes database from scratch at any time, using the Main screen Node Reinitialize NodeDB menu option.

This causes IMS to load the details (including connectivity status) of all reachable nodes on the local subnet into a new database, which becomes the current database. A backup copy of the previous database is automatically created. IMS gives this backup file the name NetmgmtDB, and a filename extension in the form of a timestamp: .DBMMDDYYHHMM (month-day-year-hour-minutes).

Click on OK to complete the reinitialization. Control passes back to the main screen, whose display field lists the nodes according to the ordering described in ``Starting up IMS''.

If no nodes are found during the rebuild phase of database reinitialization, an error message is displayed.

Saving and loading a node database

To save database updates to a file, select the Main screen Node Save NodeDB menu option. A typical file and directory browser is displayed: the default directory (shown in the ``Filter'' field) is that specified as the IMS home directory during installation. In the ``Files'' field are listed any files in the current directory whose names include the string ``DB''.

IMS supplies a default filename extension for the saved database, in the form .DBMMDDYYHHMM (month-day-year-hour-minutes). This filename is fully editable. To save the database to a file, check that the desired path and filename appear in the ``Selection'' field, and click on OK. If a file with the specified path and name already exists, you are prompted whether you want to overwrite it or not.

Clicking Cancel stops the save operation without making any changes and returns control to the main screen.

To load a node database from a file, select the Main screen Node Load NodeDB menu option. A screen is displayed whose text fields have the same functions as those of displayed by the Main screen Node Save NodeDB menu option. In the ``Files'' field are listed any files in the current directory whose names include the string ``DB''. If the database has been reinitialized (as in ``Reinitializing the node database''), the most up-to-date database backup file is that with the most recent filename extension timestamp.

Selecting a database file and clicking on OK causes IMS to load the information stored in that file into the browser. An error message is displayed if the file is corrupted or of an incorrect format.