Issue with Lauching A Batch File from Trap Viewer Alerts

Question

Hello Colleagues,

I’m successfully generating an snmp trap (CISCO-CONFIG-MAN-MIB:ciscoConfigManEvent) when any one of my sysadmins gets into a device and types “config terminal”. I also receive a trap when anyone does a “write memory”. I also syslog all the commands they used (using archive) during the session. This is working great… no problems.

5/21/2009 7:49 PM a.b.c.d  CISCO-CONFIG-MAN-MIB:ciscoConfigManEvent  SNMP Trap
     Received Time:5/21/2009 7:49:29 PM
     Source:a.b.c.d
     Community:<removed>
     Variable Bindings
          sysUpTime:= 8 days 4 hours 25 minutes 18.96 seconds (70711896)
          snmpTrapOID:= CISCO-CONFIG-MAN-MIB:ciscoConfigManEvent (1.3.6.1.4.1.9.9.43.2.0.1)
          ccmHistoryEventCommandSource.97:= commandLine(1) (1)
          ccmHistoryEventConfigSource.97:= 2
          ccmHistoryEventConfigDestination.97:= 3
 
I’ve got a vbscript which establishes an ssh session to my devices which runs a copy command moving the current running config to tftp. On write memory, it then moves the nvram startup-config to the tftp server. I have a batch file which launches this fine ~ no problems there either.
 
My problem is I want to marry the two together via an Alert so that on receipt of either trap, the condition triggers my alert to launch the batch file which in turn sends the config (running or startup) to tftp.
 
I’ve got a Trap Server Rule which watches for this trap but I can’t seem to launch the batch file. The condition is fine because I’ve added some additional alert actions to send the trap to a text file and also highlight (in yellow) but no-joy with the batch file. Right now I’ve tried to launch the windows calculator (c:\windows\system32\calc.exe) but it doesn’t work either.

I’ve setup a basic alert (node status is up) just to test the ability to successfully launch the batch file so I know my batch file is good and that my Solarwinds Alerting Service is able to interact with the desktop.
 
Is the “Execute an External Program” in the Alert Actions of the Trap Viewer able to do this? Right now, it doesn’t appear it can. I’ve seen some posts advising that the Syslog Viewer can’t either. Does anyone have the ability to launch an external program and if so, to keep it simple, what would the format be to just open the windows calculator?

raiderman · Accepted Answer

Hi,

I've found my answer... Good thing, cause my head going numb while I was hitting it on the desk.

Although I setup the main Solarwinds Alerting Engine service to interact with the desktop... because I was running these alerts from the Solarwinds Trap Service, it too needed to be setup to interact with the desktop.

By hitting the checkmark allowing the interaction, stopping and restarting the service... I can now open the windows calculator as well as run my batch file which executes the vbscript which tftp's the config to my server. As well, if someone wants to lauch anything from the syslog server, I'd suggest also permitting it to interact also.

I'm happy and taking the rest of the day off :-)

Thanks for listening. Hope this helps you... Chris