Automating node additions e2e: including Hardware Health Sensors

We're looking into the hardware health issue and will respond when we have a more complete answer for you.

Regarding the need for a straightforward and complete way to add nodes via the API - I agree. We are not there yet, but it is high on my list.

I've also spent a lot of time automating Orion additions in Python, the lack of a number of helpers (like adding volumes) or requiring to know information on the node (like it's type) and then add the right pollers (with Interfaces it's just calling `AddDefaultPollers`) is rather annoying.

Thank you for your response, I look forward to more information about adding hardware health.

I found that adding nodes using properties hash tables with New-SwisObject and Set-SwisObject was relatively easy (and easier for me to grok setting the parameters) than the discovery process.  Are the XML parameters for discovery documented somewhere that I can translate my properties hash tables into those parameters?  Right now I'm running the discovery then using my hash tables to set the properties on the object created by the discovery, which seems to work OK, but I wouldn't mind understanding the XML parameters better as well....

I was able to use the discovery process, but since it doesn't seem to add the HHS right now for me is there any advantage to me sticking with that process, or would it be all the same if I go back to New-* and Set-*?  Will the HHS issue be resolved in either case, or should I pick one and stick with it?  I want to focus my efforts correctly. 

Thanks again for your help.

I would recommend sticking with the discovery API - it will take care of a bunch of details that require more node-type-specific code when you use the New-SwisObject method. The hardware health stuff was added correctly when we tried it. We'll follow up with some troubleshooting steps.

No, unfortunately we don't have a document describing the discovery XML elements.

Thank you, I'll stick with discovery then.

For reference, here's the code I'm running for the discovery.  I discover the node, but I don't even get a 'list resources' button on the node details page after.  I copied your code and removed what I thought was safe in terms of multiple credentials and I'm only discovering a single unit for my test.  (likely I'll add additional nodes when I read in from csv later, or just run a loop, unless there's a different element that I should be using for single systems?).  So I only have one IPAddress element in the BulkList node, no IPRanges elements, and no subnets elements.  Maybe I pulled something out I shouldn't have?  But pretty much I just left what you wrote alone.

(sorry, I pasted plain text b/c formatting was dropping info):

#Step 1) Create Core plugin Configuration - IP ranges, subnets, IP bulk list, credentials
# You can provide the desired IPs or IP Ranges or Subnets as in the UI with already configured credentials.
# Query Orion.Credential to get the desired Credential ID

$xmlParam = ([xml]"
<CorePluginConfigurationContext xmlns:i='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance' xmlns='http://schemas.solarwinds.com/2012/Orion/Core'>
    <BulkList>
        <IpAddress>
            <Address>$ip</Address>
        </IpAddress>          
    </BulkList>
    <Credentials>     
        <SharedCredentialInfo>
            <CredentialID>45</CredentialID>
            <Order>1</Order>
        </SharedCredentialInfo>   
    </Credentials>
    <WmiRetriesCount>1</WmiRetriesCount>
    <WmiRetryIntervalMiliseconds>1000</WmiRetryIntervalMiliseconds>
    </CorePluginConfigurationContext>"
).DocumentElement

$coreCfg = Invoke-SwisVerb $swis "Orion.Discovery" "CreateCorePluginConfiguration" @($xmlParam)
$coreCfgText = $coreCfg.InnerXml

#--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#Step 2) Create VIM plugin Configuration

$vimParam = ([xml]"
    <VimPluginConfigurationContext xmlns:i='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance' xmlns='http://schemas.solarwinds.com/2012/Orion/VIM'>
    <Enabled>true</Enabled>
    <Credentials>
        <SharedCredentialInfo>
            <CredentialID>45</CredentialID>
        </SharedCredentialInfo>
    </Credentials>
    </VimPluginConfigurationContext>"
).DocumentElement

$vimCfg = Invoke-SwisVerb $swis "Orion.VIM.Discovery" "CreateVimPluginConfiguration" @($vimParam)
$vimCfgText = $vimCfg.InnerXml

#--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#Step 3) Create Discovery Configuration
# You can modify various parameters like Engine ID, SNMPPort,.. based on your environment

$startDiscoveryParam = ([xml]@("
<StartDiscoveryContext xmlns:i='http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance' xmlns='http://schemas.solarwinds.com/2012/Orion/Core'>
<Name>AutomaticDiscovery1</Name>
<EngineId>7</EngineId>
<JobTimeoutSeconds>3600</JobTimeoutSeconds>
<SearchTimeoutMiliseconds>2000</SearchTimeoutMiliseconds>
<SnmpTimeoutMiliseconds>2000</SnmpTimeoutMiliseconds>
<SnmpRetries>1</SnmpRetries>
<RepeatIntervalMiliseconds>1500</RepeatIntervalMiliseconds>
<SnmpPort>161</SnmpPort>
<HopCount>0</HopCount>
<PreferredSnmpVersion>SNMP2c</PreferredSnmpVersion>
<DisableIcmp>false</DisableIcmp>
<AllowDuplicateNodes>false</AllowDuplicateNodes>
<IsAutoImport>true</IsAutoImport>
<IsHidden>false</IsHidden>
<PluginConfigurations>",

    "<PluginConfiguration>
     <PluginConfigurationItem>$coreCfgText</PluginConfigurationItem>
     </PluginConfiguration>",

    "<PluginConfiguration>
     <PluginConfigurationItem>$vimCfgText</PluginConfigurationItem>
     </PluginConfiguration>",

"</PluginConfigurations>
</StartDiscoveryContext>"
)).DocumentElement   

$NewNodeDiscovery = Invoke-SwisVerb $swis "Orion.Discovery" "StartDiscovery" @($startDiscoveryParam)

RichardLetts​ pointed me in a direction that works using SQL update directly.  Would love to hear more about how to skip this completely so I'm not going to mark answered yet, but I'm unblocked for now.

I dislike putting passwords over the wire or having to run in trusted mode, so I'm hopeful discovery will end up working out down the line.

In the time being:

Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance $DatabaseServerName `

-Database $DatabaseName -Username $UserName -Password $SqlPwd `

-Query "INSERT INTO dbo.[NodeSettings] (NodeID, SettingName, SettingValue) SELECT n.NodeID, 'NeedsInventory','HWH' FROM Nodes n LEFT JOIN APM_HardwareInfo hw ON (n.NodeID = hw.NodeID) WHERE n.NodeID = '$NodeID'"

I had a large number of Cisco devices that needed hardware sensors enabled, so I did a bulk insert:

INSERT INTO dbo.[NodeSettings] (NodeID, SettingName, SettingValue)

(

    SELECT NodeID, 'NeedsInventory','HWH'

    FROM NodesData

    where Vendor like '%Cisco%'

    and ObjectSubType='SNMP'

    and NodeID not in

    (

        select NodeID from

        APM_HardwareItem

    )

)

I am really wanting to add new devices via the API.

I have a functioning script, however I have not been able to figure out how to add the hardware health checkbox.

I'm can run a select query, but I don't understand the insert part of your previous message.

SELECT n.Caption, n.NodeID, hw.NodeID AS HWNodeID FROM Orion.Nodes n LEFT JOIN Orion.HardwareHealth.HardwareInfo hw ON (n.NodeID = hw.NodeID) WHERE n.Vendor LIKE 'Cisco%' AND hw.NodeID IS NULL;

what is dbo.[NodeSettings] ?

Please let me know if there is a solution for adding the hardware health.

dbo.[NodeSettings] is the table that holds miscellaneous information related to the configuration of a node. This includes things like which template should be used when displaying node details, the node's polling frequency, the SSH port to use with this node, etc.

The query posted by danabrash​ will add a setting to this table for each of your nodes. The setting will be called "NeedsInventory" and its value will be "HWH". This will trigger Solarwinds to add hardware inventory to the information it collects for the node.