Section 1, Task 2: Start Your Data Collection software
Action 1: Start the logging and collector software, if it is not already running.
  1. Check that the necessary background processes (daemons) are running on the SNMP management host.

    To collect raw data for IT Service Vision from the SNMP management software (in the task after this one), you will use the snmpCollect background process. The snmpCollect process will use the ovwdb, trapd, and ovtopmd background processes.

    1. Check that these four processes are running.

      Issue this command on the management host:

      ovstatus

      (If you need more detailed information on this command, type man ovstatus at a UNIX prompt or refer to the appropriate HP or IBM documentation listed in the introduction to this document.)

      For each background process you will see lines like these. (This is sample output for snmpCollect.)

      object manager name snmpCollect
      behavior OVs_WELL_BEHAVED
      state RUNNING
      PID 28641
      last message Initialization complete.
      exit status -
    2. Check that the value for state is RUNNING, for each of the four background processes.

      If the state value for one or more of the four processes is not RUNNING, issue this command on the SNMP management host:

      ovstart

      If you need more detailed information on this command, type man ovstart at a UNIX prompt or refer to the appropriate IBM or HP documentation listed in the Introduction. Re-check the status after issuing the ovstart command. If problems with the processes persist, refer to Chapter 4 of HP OpenView Network Node Manager Administrator's Reference or to IBM NetView for AIX Problem Determination.

  2. Start the SNMP management software graphical user interface.

    NV nv6000
    OV ovw

    You can use ovw to start the GUI in either case. nv6000 does some extra housekeeping prior to executing ovw.

    If you need more detailed information on the ovw or nv6000 command, type man ovw or man nv6000 at the UNIX prompt or refer to the appropriate HP or IBM documentation listed in the Introduction.

    Perform all the actions in this task from within the SNMP management application.

  3. Select all the nodes from which you want to collect data.

     
    1. Select the IP Internet icon from the root map.

    2. Select appropriate nodes.

      On the IP Internet map, while holding down the CTRL key, click Mouse Button 1 (MB1) on every appropriate node (see Prerequisites), and then release the CTRL key. (You may need to select down to a lower layer of the map to reach a map with individual machines.) If you select a node by mistake, you can unselect it by clicking on it again.

      Refer to HP OpenView Windows User's Guide or IBM NetView for AIX User's Guide for Beginners for more information on locating and selecting objects.

      You can check your selections by holding down the CTRL key and pressing L. The application displays the items that you selected.

  4. Configure snmpCollect.

    From the main menu of the GUI, take one of the following paths:

    NV Tools -> Data Collection & Thresholds: SNMP
    OV Options -> Data Collection & Thresholds: SNMP...

    The MIB (Management Information Base) data collection window displays.

    The top third of this window lists which MIB objects, if any, are already configured for data collection.

    Some recommended metrics for your test PDB are listed in OpenView and NetView Appendix 1: Recommended Metrics. To add the selected metrics to your PDB, follow these steps:

    1. Select Metrics

      Select Add...

      The MIB object selection window displays. You can make selections by clicking down the object ID (OID) tree in the window until you reach this metric. For example, to select ifInOctets follow this path:

      mgmt -> mib-2 -> interfaces -> ifTable -> ifEntry -> ifInOctets

      Or you can enter the metric's OID directly.

      Select OK.

      The Add Collection window displays.

    2. Repeat this sequence for the remaining metrics.

      Note: If you find this interactive method too time-consuming, see OpenView and NetView Appendix 2: Alternate Data-Logging Method, for an unofficial but faster method.

  5. Begin logging data for the configured objects.

    It is important to synchronize the data collection of these objects so that the data are collected very close to the same time for all metrics.

    1. Select objects

      On the list of configured objects, select all the objects simultaneously by holding down the CTRL key, clicking Mouse Button 1 (MB1) on every object, and then releasing the CTRL key.

    2. Synchronize the times.

      Select Suspend and then Resume.

    3. Verify that data are being collected.

      You can execute the following command periodically:

      snmpColDump databases/snmpCollect/ifIndex.n

      where n is the number of the interface. For instance, if n is 1, this command dumps all the ifIndex raw data that were collected until now for interface number l.

  6. Allow the management software some time to collect data.

    For best results at this stage, allow the management software to collect data for about two days. (At any point after the above action, you can exit the SNMP management application without affecting data logging.) We recommend that you collect two days' worth of data so that you will have a better sense of what typical data are like, what a typical PDB is like, and what typical reports are like as you explore your PDB in later tasks.

    At the end of the two days, go on to Section 1, Task 3: Create a Test PDB and Process, Reduce, and Report on Your Data. You do not need to stop data collection.

There is also an example of processing OpenView and/or NetView data in the IT Service Vision Showroom.