NPM-NCM sync

Main question:

Is there a way to set up my synchronization job to only import certain types of devices, either by vendor or machine type?

Background:

I have an unlimited NPM license and 1000-node NCM license.

So far I am not having good luck with the custom templates for certain devices anyway (APC, SMC) and I have other ways of managing them. Further, other devices that I monitor with NPM are not even capable of remote configuration, such as some environmental monitors.

However, when I run my sync job, these are re-imported into NCM and they they cause NCM to not display some of the (primarily Cisco) devices for which I really do need centralized config management because it exceeds my license limits.

I do not want to upgrade my NCM license; it's completely unnecessary. These are merely devices which I monitor and collect statistics from; paying for NCM to cover these devices would be compelete waste.

Find more posts tagged with

orion_npm_9.5

best_practices

npm_integration

device_template

device_type

ncm_5.5.2

orion_ncm

Accepted answers

All comments

savell

I do a 'workaround' type process for this type of situation.

I created a custom column in NPM called ExcludeNCM and made it a true/false.

I then created a nightly SSIS job to create a Nodes table in another database, based upon a select from NPM.Nodes where the IncludeNCM property = False.

The NCM import job is then based upon this staging database/table - not nice but it works.

I have some other issues mapping columns and using global defaults (covered in another thread, but it's the best I have so far).

Dave.

Edit: The standard import process also allows to you select devices by vendor or machine type - you made be able to meet your requirement from the standard import job.

moyzan

could you post your script here? I'm not an SQL guy but it could give me an idea about what to suggest to my SQL admin for the custom node import job.

thanks!

savell

Sure, starting a long weekend here - but I needed to logon to work again anyway...

Each night we refresh the nodes table that we use as a staging location (please note - this nodes table is in a separate database to that of NPM - don't delete your NPM Nodes table!)

Your create table may look a little different due to different custom properties you may have defined. You can generate the create table statement from SQL Studio Management Services.

if exists (select * from dbo.sysobjects where id = object_id(N'[dbo].[Nodes]') and OBJECTPROPERTY(id, N'IsUserTable') = 1)
drop table [dbo].[Nodes]
GO

CREATE TABLE [dbo].[Nodes] (
[NodeID] [int] NOT NULL ,
[ObjectSubType] [varchar] (50) COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS NULL ,
[IP_Address] [varchar] (50) COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS NULL ,
.... more fields

[Location] [varchar] (255) COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS NULL ,
[Contact] [varchar] (255) COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS NULL ,
[RediscoveryInterval] [int] NULL ,
[PollInterval] [smallint] NULL ,
[RWSNMPV3AuthKeyIsPwd] [bit] NULL ,
[ExcludeCirrus] [bit] NULL ,
[CustomPollerAssignment] [text] COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS NULL
) ON [PRIMARY] TEXTIMAGE_ON [PRIMARY]
GO

We then use the following select statement to populate this staging Nodes table (only selecting those nodes that have the custom property ExcludeCirrus set to False(0):

SELECT *
FROM [NetPerfMon].[dbo].[Nodes]
WHERE
ExcludeCirrus = '0'

The standard 'Import Nodes from Orion' job can then be used against this new table (with the filtered list).

Hope this helps.

moyzan

"Each night we refresh the nodes table that we use as a staging location(please note - this nodes table is in a separate database to that of NPM - don't delete your NPM Nodes table!)"

That's a good point, I hadn't thought of what would happen if we didn't refresh/cleared the staging table (or the separate DB made just for this). I'll make sure that our SQL guy understands this. Thanks!