How Robot/NETWORK 9.0 Supports NetView
Introduction
Robot/NETWORK, from Help/Systems, is designed to manage iSeries networks that are running the Robot Automated Operations Solution products.
Some of our customers with larger networks and several computing platforms, use IBM’s NetView for centralized network monitoring. These customers asked us to find a way to send Robot/NETWORK’s Status Center events to NetView to give NetView a better picture of what is happening in the iSeries
part of the network.
By taking advantage of the support for sending system alerts in OS/400, we enhanced Robot/NETWORK so it interfaces with NetView DM or NetView 6000. To use the Robot/NETWORK interface to NetView, you must first set up your communications links to the platform running NetView
and the alert-sending capability within OS/400.
Then, whenever Robot/NETWORK receives an exception status from any Node in the iSeries network, a system default setting tells it to use an exit program that calls a Help/Systems-supplied user program. The user program translates the Status Center event into an OS/400 system alert for transmission to NetView.
By using this exit program, you can manage your iSeries systems by exception. At this time, NetView can only receive the exception message; it cannot respond to the iSeries directly. It must use a 5250 emulation session and sign on to the iSeries to respond.
Sample Program Included
Help/Systems has included a sample, complied program with Robot/NETWORK. This program is designed to create OS/400 system alerts out of Robot/NETWORK Status Center events. If the program fits your environment, you can use it immediately. If it does not fit your environment, you can modify
and recompile it to suit your needs.
What Robot/NETWORK Sends to NetView
The IBM System API for creating alerts is used by the RBNALT program supplied with Robot/NETWORK. When you use this API, Robot/NETWORK creates an OS/400 system alert whenever it receives an event from an iSeries network Node. The alert is a list of parameters that NetView understands. The following table shows the information in the alert.
|
Field Name |
Size |
Type |
Content |
|
System ID |
8 |
Alpha |
Originating System |
|
Robot Product ID |
20 |
Alpha |
Help/Systems Product with Error |
|
Date |
6 |
Numeric |
YYMMDD format |
|
Time |
6 |
Numeric |
HHMMSS format (24-hour clock) |
|
Message Text |
132 |
Alpha |
Message Text of Problem |
|
Job Number |
6 |
Numeric |
Originating Job Number |
|
Job User ID |
10 |
Alpha |
Originating User Name |
|
Job Name |
10 |
Alpha |
Originating Job Name |
|
Message ID |
7 |
Alpha |
Unique Message ID |
|
Message Type |
4 |
Alpha |
Message Severity |
|
Robot Message Key |
40 |
Alpha |
Full key of the above information |
Defining and Installing the Interface on the iSeries
You must meet the following prerequisites to install and use Robot/NETWORK with NetView:
- Have at least one Robot Automated Operations Solution product from Help/Systems installed on your iSeries. For example, customers interested in this interface might also be interested in Robot/CONSOLE, the message management system.
- Have Robot/NETWORK version 7.0, or later, installed on each of your iSeries systems.
- Have NetView DM or NetView 6000 installed on another platform.
- Have a Host iSeries configured to handle iSeries alerts and communication with the NetView platform. If you need more information about setting up alerts on your iSeries, refer to the Alerts and DSNX Guide (SC41-9661) from IBM.
Configuration
Perform the following steps to have Robot/NETWORK work with NetView.
- Configure your iSeries to send alerts to the platform where NetView is located.
- Robot/NETWORK is shipped with one source file called RBNSOURCE, which contains one compiled program. The source member is called RBNALTS and the compiled program is RBNALT. The RBNALT program sends the data string described in the API interface table to NetView by creating iSeries system alerts from Robot/NETWORK Status Center events. If this program fits your needs, you can use it as shipped. Otherwise, you can modify and recompile the program. If you want to modify it, do so on the Robot/NETWORK Host system.
- Display the Network Host Control Menu and select option 2 to shut down the Robot/NETWORK monitor jobs.
- Display the Robot/NETWORK Maintain System Defaults panel. Enter RBNALT in the Enterprise Monitor Interface Program field.
- Return to the Network Control Menu and select option 1 to restart the monitor jobs.
The interface should now be ready. Any time an event comes to the Status Center on Robot/NETWORK, it also will become an iSeries system alert passed to NetView.
Updated Nov. 17, 2004