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Orion / Google Earth integration

This is so coooooool!!!

I don't know how many of you who have been playing around with this, but I added all our locations (50+) from on 4 continents to Google Earth as placemarks, and then I put the map outputs from my Orion webserver as overlays. Then I arranged them carefully and played around a LOT with pause-timers, tour-times, elevations and much more, and now I have this really cool globe spinning on the plasmas in our Helpdesk zooming in on our locations revelaing Orion maps that are continuously updated to reflect the changes in our network and then smoothly flying to the next location (looping infinitly).

Unfortunately I am unable to post a link for you to see, as the maps obviously are only accessible from inside our private network. But if you can suggest a way for me to record it, I will be happy to do so and email a to you directly.

The only real problem that I ran in to was when Google Earth can't get the a map from Orion (when it is being refreshed or if segments of the local LAN between the plasma PC and Orion fails). I sokved it by finding a 30USD tool that can detect the error-message pop-ups and respond to them automatically.

I pretty much have just one thing more I would like to have in it, which is if somebody can help me work out how I can trick Google Earth in to have its placemarks reflect the status of a map or an individual node.

Suggestions will be very much appreciated...

Lars Grabowski
Global Infrastructure
Chr. Hansen A/S

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duckstardeluxe

Hi Lars,

This I'd like to see. Is there anyway that you could do screenshots of the implementation?

Regards,

Anders Damkjær
Oticon A/S

Mithrilhall

Anyway you could post some screenshots?

This is what our main network map looks like:

lavelanet

I'd also be interested in seeing this.

BryanBecker

quote:Originally posted by Mithrilhall

Anyway you could post some screenshots?

This is what our main network map looks like:

Mithrilhall...I'm assuming that weather.com map updates automatically? How did you get that to work? That's pretty cool.

BB

DannyMc

quote:Originally posted by Grabowski

[But if you can suggest a way for me to record it, I will be happy to do so and email a to you directly.

CamStudio 2.0
www.majorgeeks.com/CamStudio_d4646.html

I definately would like to see what you did.

martek01

We have been using Google Earth for some time now. The way I implemented it is to save a static image from Google Earth and use it as a background. Here's an example of our AP's in a public park:

Evans Martin

---
Evans L. Martin - IS Analyst
Metro Govt. of Nashville, TN & Davidson County
615.862.4066 Office 615.862.6288 Fax AOL AIM: Martek01

pancamo

how about using a digital camera and posting the video... i'de like to see this also!

Unfortunately I am unable to post a link for you to see, as the maps obviously are only accessible from inside our private network. But if you can suggest a way for me to record it, I will be happy to do so and email a to you directly.

Mithrilhall

I created a script in PHP (you could do it in ASP, VBScript, etc..) that downloads the map to the server.

Once your script is complete run it. You should now have a copy of the image on the server. Right-click the image and copy it.

Now open the MapMaker. Create a new map or edit an existing map. You'll want to choose Edit-->Paste Special.
www.solarwinds.net/.../AdminGuide.htm

Now, if you look at C:\Program Files\SolarWinds\Network Performance Monitor V7\Maps\NetObject\Imported you should see the item you pasted with ".wmf" as the extension.

My script simply downloads the updated image and changes the extension to ".wmf" and overwrites the existing image. I do this every 15 minutes to update our maps.

............................
Of course as I try this again I'm having trouble pasting the image into the MapMaker.

lavelanet

Grabowski,

I can't seem to get google earth to accept and overlay images from one of my maps. What kind of sintax are you pasting in the image location?

Are you by any chance not using any authentication on your orion webserver? How are you getting by that as well?

Thanks.

Alain

Grabowski

Sorry I have taken so long to reply.

I'd love to post some screenshots, but I can't see how I do that in this forum. I'm sure it's pretty straight-forward but I just can't find out how and the forum help says that files cannot be attached.

Any ideas?

Lars Grabowski
Global Infrastructure
Chr. Hansen A/S

DannyMc

quote:Originally posted by Grabowski

I'd love to post some screenshots, but I can't see how I do that in this forum. I'm sure it's pretty straight-forward but I just can't find out how and the forum help says that files cannot be attached.

Have you created one? If so, how large is it? Maybe we can have someone host it on one of their FTP servers for a month or two. I do not control the public FTP server but depending upon size, I might be able to get the guy that manages the public FTP server at work to pop it out there with public access.

DannyMc

quote:Originally posted by martek01

We have been using Google Earth for some time now.

I wish Google Earth had a clear image of our campus.

I would add wireless coverage rings, PTSN paths, fiber runs, etc..

lohelle

mail them to me at lohelle (a) epostsiden.no

I will upload them to my webserver

Grabowski

I have created a video clip (1-2 minutes) but it's about 100MB and it's a bit jerky because recording in itself is demanding when my PC has to spin the earth around at the same time.

Does anybody have an idea of where I could upload this video for you to see?

Lars Grabowski
Global Infrastructure
Chr. Hansen A/S

Grabowski

Mithrilhall,

Could you please tell me how you post screenshots here and I will do so with examples of the integration. Thanks!

I have made a movie clip (poor resolution) hope that lohelle will make it available for you all to see.

Lars Grabowski
Global Infrastructure
Chr. Hansen A/S

Grabowski

OK!

lohelle is now hosting a quicktime video of the Google Earth / Orion Integration on http://download.asp24.no/SANY0174.MOV.

It's a very poor resolution, recorded with a digital camera, but I did that to not disclose IP-addresses and so on and to keep file size low. Despite of that, it's a massive 87MB, so be patient.

Thank you so much to lohelle for hosting this!

Lars Grabowski
Global Infrastructure
Chr. Hansen A/S

Grabowski

...and lohelle was kind enough to also host these screenshots so you can all see them!

Enjoy...

Lars Grabowski
Global Infrastructure
Chr. Hansen A/S

ceclark

Mithrilhall-

Would you mind posting your PHP script?

ceclark

Lars-

Small world, I live in Stoughton. Nice work on the google earth.

Grabowski

quote:Originally posted by lavelanet

Grabowski,

Hi Alain/lavelanet

I can't seem to get google earth to accept and overlay images from one of my maps. What kind of sintax are you pasting in the image location?

Are you by any chance not using any authentication on your orion webserver? How are you getting by that as well?

Thanks.

Alain

I just add an overlay and in its properties in the "Image URL or Filename" box I add this:

orion/.../NetworkMap.asp

Where "orion" is the DNS name of our Orion web server and "GRE" is the name of the map.

Regarding the credentials used with the server, I am using the "DirectLink" feature of orion that enables you to bypass the normal login.

Please let me know if you need more info on this

Lars Grabowski
Global Infrastructure
Chr. Hansen A/S

Mithrilhall

Here is the code to my script:


<?php
	$dest   = fopen("E:\Program Files\SolarWinds\Network Performance Monitor V7\Maps\NetObjects\Imported\weather.wmf","w+") or die ("Local open failed");
	$source = fopen('image.weather.com/.../5L.jpg','r'); 

	while (!feof($source))
	{
		fwrite($dest,fread($source,1024));
	}
	fclose($source);
	fclose($dest); 
?>

This could easily be rewritten in VBScript.

You can call this php file from a BAT file or you can edit your environmental variables and run the php file from the command line.

ceclark

Thanks

jflet1

Mithrilhall - I'd like to implement your PHP script to pull weather images from the web but our orion machine sits behind a HTTP proxy.

What additional PHP would be required to pull maps via the proxy instead ?
(The proxy requires username/password to authenticate).

Could you point me in the right direction please ? (I'm new to PHP).

Thanks,

Julian

Mithrilhall

Taken from here: http://us2.php.net/fopen

Just search for "Proxy". It looks like a pretty straight forward example.


So I added some code to enable http get through a proxy with user authentication.

<?php
function proxy_url($proxy_url)
{
   $proxy_name = '127.0.0.1';
   $proxy_port = 4001;
   $proxy_user = "user";    // added
   $proxy_pass = "password";    // added
   $proxy_cont = '';

   $proxy_fp = fsockopen($proxy_name, $proxy_port);
   if (!$proxy_fp)    {return false;}
   fputs($proxy_fp, "GET $proxy_url HTTP/1.0\r\nHost: $proxy_name\r\n");
   fputs($proxy_fp, "Proxy-Authorization: Basic " . base64_encode ("$proxy_user:$proxy_pass") . "\r\n\r\n");    // added
   while(!feof($proxy_fp)) {$proxy_cont .= fread($proxy_fp,4096);}
   fclose($proxy_fp);
   $proxy_cont = substr($proxy_cont, strpos($proxy_cont,"\r\n\r\n")+4);
   return $proxy_cont;
}
?>

bripage

For some reason, when I go and copy the maps.wmf file, and then try to do "Paste Special" I get an error:

"There is no graphic object on the clipboard". Now I go to another folder and do a paste it copies, so I know its copying it properly.

Has anyone else had this issue?

Mithrilhall

Okay...I just tried it again and it worked this time.

1. Find an image online or on your computer that you want to use on your maps.
2. Right-click the image and choose copy.
3. Open MapMaker via Start-->SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor--Map Maker.
4. Create a new map.
5. Right-click the map and choose "Paste Special".
6. Once your map is working and is saved you should be able to find the file with extension ".wmf" at this location:
X:\Program Files\SolarWinds\Network Performance Monitor V7\Maps\NetObject\Imported

X being the drive letter you installed Orion on.

To update the ".wmf" file you simple replace the existing file and change the extension to same file name (including extension).

Example:

File on the Internet: weather.jpg
File on the computer: weather.wmf

Use a script to copy weather.jpg renaming it to weather.wmf and replace your old weather.wmf with it.

bripage

That worked perfectly. Thanks!

ggrapple

Hi,
I am doing a proof of concept right now for my company and I got the weather map to update automaticaly with no problem. php script to grab the file and batch file ran from task manager to update every 15min, if there is a better way to do it I would apreciate the advice.

But the problem is the map works great till I go home then when I come back the next day all I have is a big grey circle where my map used to be, but in my import folder the map image is current. I then have to go and redo my whole map which is a pain.

If anyone else has had this problem or know how to fix it I would apreciate it.

Mithrilhall

I've had that problem with my map occasionally.

I don't think you need to run the script every 15 minutes..I believe the map only updates every 30 minutes unless you're using a different map.

When I get the gray circle I just manually run the php script and all is ok.

What's happening is the php script is stuck or in some kind of loop I believe. I'm sure it can be fixed with a little edit of the script. Possibly a counter in the loop with an if statement that checks to see how long it's been running?

ggrapple

Manualy restarting doesnt help. It happenes everyday around 545pm. I am out of ideals why it would do that. the wmf file has the updated snapshot of the image i want when I go look at it in windows explorer but in map maker the import folder shows nothing. I am using the php script mithrillhall posted and my batch just reads C:\php\php.exe c:\inetpub\solarwinds\php\weather.php
and my task has "C:\solarwinds\weather.bat" /q so it runs repressed