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Polling IP on external nodes with dynamic IP not updating

One of my external nodes with a dynamic IP went down. Only it didn't - its IP address changed, and Solarwinds didn't refresh it despite it being supposedly "dynamic".

Screen Shot 2014-12-01 at 9.06.32 PM.png

Attempts to refresh that IP address manually fail so far. E.g. I unchecked "Dynamic IP Address", clear the "Polling IP Address" field, re-check "Dynamic", try to "submit", and it's asking me to type the "correct" IP address. In kindergarten, they told me that when an IP is dynamic, you're not supposed to type it, it'll magically appear based on a DNS name or URL.

Screen Shot 2014-12-01 at 9.18.41 PM.png

Questions:

  1. Is SAM (NPM) capable of monitoring an external node with a dynamic IP? Based on a discussion from 2011 such as, Why does NPM store the IP rather than use DNS, the answer is seemingly "no", the issue affects not just external nodes, been much complained about, was supposed to be reviewed (in 2011), yet apparently hasn't. Does this sound right?
  2. In the 2nd screenshot above, why isn't is there an option to resolve the IP address? (I.e. what is the logic behind asking for an IP address on a node with a dynamic one?)
  3. Assuming SAM doesn't do it on its own (continuously resolve DNS names like it is supposed to), is there a way to force it to, manually, via UI?
    1. I.e. is there a method simpler / more elegant than change the node to a static IP type, type in the new IP, change back to dynamic?

Thanks!

Parents
  • Just as a random silly question, you have the node set to "external", so it does no polling of the node itself.  Could it be because you have it set to "external" it's not picking up the IP address change at the node level because it's not actively trying to find the IP address when it polls?  I'm not sure if the options are mutually exclusive, or how one impacts the other.  Just a random thought that popped into my head.

    What's odd, is if I go to a machine and flip it to dynamic IP/DHCP, it grays out the "polling IP" field.  Granted this is flipping a static to dynamic, not editing an existing dynamic.

Reply
  • Just as a random silly question, you have the node set to "external", so it does no polling of the node itself.  Could it be because you have it set to "external" it's not picking up the IP address change at the node level because it's not actively trying to find the IP address when it polls?  I'm not sure if the options are mutually exclusive, or how one impacts the other.  Just a random thought that popped into my head.

    What's odd, is if I go to a machine and flip it to dynamic IP/DHCP, it grays out the "polling IP" field.  Granted this is flipping a static to dynamic, not editing an existing dynamic.

Children
  • Jonathan Angliss wrote:

    Just as a random silly question, you have the node set to "external", so it does no polling of the node itself.  Could it be because you have it set to "external" it's not picking up the IP address change at the node level because it's not actively trying to find the IP address when it polls?  I'm not sure if the options are mutually exclusive, or how one impacts the other.  Just a random thought that popped into my head.

    What's odd, is if I go to a machine and flip it to dynamic IP/DHCP, it grays out the "polling IP" field.  Granted this is flipping a static to dynamic, not editing an existing dynamic.

    You da man! Set the node to "ICMP-only", and it refreshed the IP after I polled it a few times. External nodes are forever stuck on whatever IP they were initially set to, even if I change the DNS Hostname.

    Just for fun, created an external dynamic node for google.com; it found the IP; I then changed 'DNS Hostname' to yahoo.com; the IP stayed the same. Really, Solarwinds? emoticons_happy.png

  • This may in fact be a bug. I've logged this internally for investigation under FB400973. I would suggest however that you open a case with support so we can track it appropriately.

  • I would suggest however that you open a case with support so we can track it appropriately.

    Can't yet: Solarwinds support down?

  • Solarwinds support is seeing the same issue and "sensing that is the default behavior". In other words:

    NPM does NOT support external nodes with dynamic IPs.

    Shouldn't this be in big bold letters on NPM and SAM product pages like this one? Otherwise people may be lead into purchasing decisions based on false data (of NPM/SAM supporting hostname-based external nodes). Speaking of which: external nodes should be hostname-based as a rule as they are unlikely to be controlled by the admins.

  • Who is correct? Did I misunderstand something?

    akhasheni wrote:

    NPM does NOT support external nodes with dynamic IPs.


    aLTeReGo wrote:

    jamesvalero wrote:

    If it is supposed to be dynamic, does SAM do a DNS lookup each time it runs a Application Monitor?

    Yes. That is how dynamic IPs are handled.

  • If a node is added as "External" we do not update any information regarding it. If we wish to update IP dynamically, we should set as ICMP.


    “The External status is reserved for nodes hosting applications that are to be monitored with Orion Application Performance Monitor. Orion will not collect or monitor any data about a node itself, if it is marked as External.” (http://www.solarwinds.com/documentation/en/flarehelp/orionplatform/content/orioncoreagaddingdeviceswebconsole.htm))

    It's not intuitive and we certainly could adjust this behavior. Will look to do so in future releases.

  • If we wish to update IP dynamically, we should set as ICMP.

    ...Which is just wrong: unlike internal nodes, external ones may not do ICMP at all.

    It's not intuitive and we certainly could adjust this behavior. Will look to do so in future releases.

    I think it should be a patch to existing releases. My company already paid for this functionality. The very ability to set an external node as "dynamic" in the UI w/o any warning that it's "dead, Jim" is hugely misleading.

  • Support just closed the ticket with "it does clearly states that there’s no data collection external Nodes therefore, it includes updating the IP address".

    Could someone from Solarwinds confirm that this is Solarwinds' official position?

    My feeling is that support for hostnames in external nodes has nothing to do with the "no data collection" clause. In fact, it sounds like a poor excuse not to do anything about it given so many factors:

    - the problem exists since at least 2009 with no direct indication of no support for hostnames in external nodes.

    - the UI clearly indicates support for hostnames in external nodes - see screenshots above

    - setting external nodes to ICMP where ICMP is not supported (e.g. firewalled) mark those nodes "down". I.e. not a solution or even a workaround.

    Am I the only who thinks this is a very strange way to deal with the issue?