| Related Documentation | \nVersion of up.time affected | \nAffected Platforms | \n
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\n All | \nAll | \n
Article \nContents \n
\n \n-
\n
- Overview \n
- Creating a Hosts File \n
- Fields in the Hosts File \n
- Adding Multiple Systems to up.time \n \n
\n \n
Overview
\nIt can be time consuming to add large numbers of systems to up.time using the web interface. As a quicker alternative, you can add multiple systems to up.time using the addsystem command line utility and a text file.
\n \nThe text file, referred to as a hosts file, contains entries that mirror the fields in the Add \nSystem window of the up.time web interface. These fields contain information about the systems to be added. The addsystem utility requires the hosts file to be located in the scripts sub-folder of the directory in which the monitoring station is installed.
\n \nThe following text provides an example of the entries in a hosts file:
\n \n
\nHost Name: prod-mainSystem
\nDisplay Name: prod1
\nDescription: Main production server
\nType: Agent
\nService Group: Production Systems
\nPort:9998
\nGroup: Windows 2003 Servers
\n%%
\nHost Name: novell01
\nDisplay Name: dn3
\nType: Novell NRM
\nSSL: true
\nPort: 546
\nGroup: Unix Boxes
\nGroup: Novell Systems
In the hosts file:
\n-
\n
- The information for each host consists of a name-value pair. Each name-value pair is on a separate line, and is separated by a colon. For example, Group: Solaris Servers. \n
- The information for each host is separated by two percentage signs (%%) on a new line. \n
\n
Creating a Hosts File
\nThere are several ways to create a hosts file. The simplest option is to use a text editor to create the file and type the required entries. If you have a large number of systems to add, you can copy and paste each entry, and simply modify the appropriate fields. The sample host file attached to this article contains example entries that you can use as a template for your host file.
\n \nIf you have a list of all your systems in a spreadsheet, you can save the list as a text file or a comma separated values (.csv) file and then write a script to manipulate the text or .csv file into the proper format.
\n \n\n
Fields in the Hosts File
\nThe following table describes the fields used in the hosts file. The fields required to add a system will vary depending on the type of system being added. For example, to add an agent system, you only need to include the Host Name, Type and Port fields (see the Adding Systems section in the up.time User Guide for more information). An example of a properly formatted hosts file is attached to this article (see below).
\n \n|
\n Field \n |
\n
\n Description \n |
\n
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\n Host Name \n |
\n
\n The name or IP address of the system to add to up.time. \n |
\n
|
\n Display Name \n |
\n
\n The name for the system that will appear in the up.time UI. \n |
\n
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\n Description \n |
\n
\n A short description of the system (optional field). \n |
\n
|
\n Type \n |
\n
\n The type of system, which can be one of the following: \n
|
\n
|
\n Service Group \n |
\n
\n The name of the up.time service group (which enables you to simultaneously apply common service checks to hosts that you are monitoring) to which you want to add the system (optional field). \n |
\n
|
\n Port \n |
\n
\n The port number that you will use to connect to the system (leave this field blank to use the default \nport for the type of system that you are adding). \n |
\n
|
\n Community \n |
\n
\n If you are adding a Net-SNMP system to up.time, specify the read community (which acts like a user ID or \npassword) that gives you access to the system. Valid options are: \n
|
\n
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\n Username \n |
\n
\n If you are adding a Net-SNMP or Novell NRM system to up.time, specify the user name required to access \nthe system. \n |
\n
|
\n Password \n |
\n
\n If you are adding a Net-SNMP or Novell NRM system to up.time, specify the password required to access the \nsystem. \n |
\n
|
\n Group \n |
\n
\n The name of the entity group (a set of systems that have been combined in a meaningful way) to which you want to add this system (optional field). \n |
\n
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\n SSL \n |
\n
\n For agent systems, use this field to specify if up.time will securely communicate with an agent installed on the system using SSL. Valid options are true and false (optional field). \n |
\n
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\n Authentication Method \n |
\n
\n For Net-SNMP systems, use this field to determine how encrypted information travelling between the Net-SNMP \ninstance and up.time will be authenticated. Valid options are: \n
|
\n
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\n Privacy Password \n |
\n
\n For Net-SNMP systems, the password that will be used to encrypt information travelling between the Net-SNMP \ninstance and up.time. \n |
\n
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\n Privacy Type \n |
\n
\n For Net-SNMP systems, how information travelling between up.time and the Net-SNMP instance \nis encrypted. Valid options are: \n
|
\n
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\n Pingable \n |
\n
\n For nodes, use this field to specify if up.time can contact the node using the ping utility. Valid options are true and false. \n |
\n
\n
Adding Multiple Systems to up.time
\nTo add multiple systems to up.time with the addsystem utility:
\n-
\n
- Copy the hosts file to the scripts folder in the directory where you installed the up.time monitoring station.
\n
For example, if you installed the monitoring station in the default location, copy the hosts \nfile to the following folder:
\nWindows Installation: C:/Program Files/uptime software/uptime/scripts
\n
\nSolaris or Linux Installation: /usr/local/uptime/scripts/
\n - At the command line, navigate to the scripts folder. \n
- Enter the following command:
\naddsystem <path_and_filename>
\nWhere: <path_and_filename> is the name of the text file that contains the list of systems that you want to add to up.time, along with its full path.
\nThe systems listed in the file are added to up.time, unless:
\n-
\n
- up.time can not connect to the system. \n
- The system does not exist in your environment. \n
- The system has already been added to up.time. \n
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