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  • Book Overview & Buying SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor
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SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor

SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor

By : Joseph Dissmeyer
4.4 (5)
Buy this Book
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SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor

SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor

4.4 (5)
By: Joseph Dissmeyer
Buy this Book

Overview of this book

Orion Network Performance Monitor is a scalable, easy-to-use, cost-effective network monitoring system that provides a complete overview of network environments by monitoring performance and availability. Orion NPM enables you to be proactive in detecting, diagnosing, and resolving network issues and outages and has the benefit of supporting hundreds of types of server, OS, and network vendors including Cisco, HP, Microsoft, Linux, Motorola, Brocade, Foundry, and more.Orion NPM is a well-known product and is used by thousands of public and private companies, educational institutions, and government entities for network monitoring. In "SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor" you will learn how to install, implement, and manage Orion NPM to ensure you maintain an efficient, healthy, and performant network.In this book you will start with an overview of the constituent features of Orion NPM. Leading you through installation and configuration this book will help you set up a flexible and dynamic monitoring solution.With Orion NPM in place the book will then take you on a journey through essential Orion NPM and network monitoring concepts and practices. You will cover device management, learning how to use the Network Sonar Wizard, as well as adding devices manually.Turning from novice to pro, you will then be introduced to the core of network monitoring with Orion NPM. You will learn about monitoring Windows and Linux solutions as well as Virtual Servers. You will then master wireless networks and virtual networks. You will then learn how to set up and edit alerts to make network monitoring more efficient and less time-consuming. You will also learn how to develop reports and network maps as well as essential administrative techniques.
Table of Contents (13 chapters)
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Preface
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Preface
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What is Orion NPM?
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How Orion NPM monitors your network
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What this book covers
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What you need for this book
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Who this book is for
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Conventions
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Reader feedback
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Customer support
Lock Free Chapter
1
1. Installation
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1. Installation
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System requirements
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Windows Server setup
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SQL Server setup
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Installing SolarWinds Orion NPM
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Summary
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2. Orion NPM Configuration
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2. Orion NPM Configuration
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Orion Configuration Wizard
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Orion Website Administration
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Orion NPM licensing
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Overview of the dashboard
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Summary
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3. Device Management
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3. Device Management
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Discovery Central
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Adding nodes
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Polling
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Node & Group Management
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Summary
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4. Network Monitoring Essentials
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4. Network Monitoring Essentials
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Monitoring basics
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Routers and Firewalls
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Switches
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Wireless
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Summary
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5. Network Monitoring II
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5. Network Monitoring II
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Server monitoring
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Virtualization monitoring
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Universal Device pollers
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Summary
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6. Setting Up and Creating Alerts
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6. Setting Up and Creating Alerts
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Orion NPM alerts
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Configuring basic alerts
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Configuring advanced alerts
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Testing alerts
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Summary
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7. Producing Reports and Network Mapping
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7. Producing Reports and Network Mapping
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Understanding reports
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Customizing reports
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Network maps
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Summary
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8. Maintenance
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8. Maintenance
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Service management
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Database maintenance
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License management
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Polling engines
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MIB database updates
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Migrating Orion NPM
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Summary
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A. Documentation and Support
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A. Documentation and Support
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Documentation
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Knowledgebase
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Training
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Support
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B. The Thwack Community
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B. The Thwack Community
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FORUMS & SPACES
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FREE TOOLS & TRIALS
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IDEAS & FEATURE REQUESTS
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CONTENT EXCHANGE
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LIBRARY & SUPPORT
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GROUPS
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C. Additional SolarWinds Orion Software
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C. Additional SolarWinds Orion Software
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Network Configuration Manager
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Server & Application Monitor
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Patch Manager
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Web Performance Monitor
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IP Address Manager
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NetFlow Traffic Analyzer
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VoIP & Network Quality Manager
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User Device Tracker
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Index
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Index

SQL Server setup

This section will demonstrate installing and configuring SQL Server 2008 R2 Express with SP1 x64 on a Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 computer. The installation and configuration process is exactly the same for the standard and enterprise editions of SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 R2, and SQL Server 2012. Because SQL Server needs to be configured for Orion NPM further than a simple default installation, I will be installing the edition of SQL Server which includes the management tools.

The installation and configuration process for SQL Server is straightforward. The following is what we will be covering in this section:

  • Downloading and installing the SQL Server Express software including the SQL Server Management Studio tools
  • Enabling the SQL Server services using the SQL Server Configuration Manager
  • Verifying SQL Server authentication settings
  • Configuring Windows Firewall with Advanced Services to allow traffic to/from SQL Server and the Orion NPM server

SQL Server 2008 R2 Express is available for download for free at http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=26729.

Using the preceding link, download one of the following files from the SQL Server 2008 R2 Express download page:

  • SQLEXPRWT_x64.exe (329.9 MB) for 64 bit Windows Server
  • SQLEXPRWT_x86.exe (302 MB) for 32 bit Windows Server

Both of these downloads include the SQL Server Management Studio tools needed to configure SQL Server services after the installation has completed.

Service accounts

Before starting the SQL Server installation, there is a little bit of prep work that needs to be done regarding user accounts and administrative rights on the target server on which you are installing the Microsoft SQL Server software.

There is a point in the SQL Server installation wizard where you must define a user account that has administrative rights. This account will be used by Windows to manage the SQL services on the computer. User accounts that are used exclusively by software to perform internal tasks are called service accounts . Service accounts can be created on the local Windows Server, or they can be an Active Directory domain account. If SQL Server is installed on a member server in an Active Directory domain, create a domain service account and assign it administrative rights to the target Windows Server where you will be installing SQL Server. Otherwise, create a local service account on the target server and assign it administrative rights. All that truly matters is that the service account has administrative rights on the target server.

Note

If you already have a SQL Server 2008 or 2012 instance on your network and do not need to install or set up a new server, please skip to the Verifying SQL Server authentication settings section.

Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express

Perform the following steps to set up a new SQL Server 2008 R2 Express installation from scratch.

Note

The installation steps displayed in this section are tailored for SQL Server 2008 R2 Express edition. However, these do apply to the all business editions of SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 R2, and SQL Server 2012 after step 3.

  1. Log into the Windows Server computer with the SQL Server service account.
  2. Double-click the SQLEXPRWT_x64.exe or SQLEXPRWT_x86.exe file to launch the SQL Server Express installer.
  3. The installer will search for any prerequisite software needed in order to complete the installation. Click on OK to continue.
    Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express
  4. After a few moments, the SQL Server Installation Center will appear. Click on the New installation or add features to an existing installation link. SQL Server will automatically install several support files then continue with the installation.
    Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express
  5. At the License Terms screen, place a check mark next to I accept the license terms and click on Next. The setup wizard will automatically install several prerequisite files needed to continue the installation.
    Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express
  6. At the Feature Selection screen, place a check mark next to Database Engine Services, SQL Server Replication, and Management Tools – Basic. Click on Next.
    Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express
  7. On the Instance Configuration screen, choose the Named instance option and type a name for your SQL Server database instance. For this example, I will use the default name SQLExpress. Click on Next to continue.
    Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express
  8. At the Server Configuration screen, click on the Service Accounts tab. It is recommended to use the same user account for both the SQL Server Database Engine and the SQL Server Browser services. Click on Use the same account for all SQL Server services button and define the user account with administrative rights to this computer.
    Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express
  9. Click on the Collation tab. Verify that SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS is set for the database engine. Click on Next to continue.
    Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express
  10. At the Database Engine Configuration screen, click on the Account Provisioning tab and configure the following options:
    1. Under Authentication Mode, choose Mixed Mode.
    2. Define a password for the SQL Server System Administrator (SA) account.
    3. Under Specify SQL Server administrators, click on the Add… button and add the service account that has administrative rights. Click on Next to continue.
    Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express

    Note

    I recommend not to remove the local administrator account from the SQL Server administrators group. If the SQL service account becomes deactivated or is locked out due to too many invalid login attempts, you may not be able to access the SQL database.

  11. At the Error Reporting screen, click on Next to start the installation.
    Installing SQL Server 2008 R2 Express
  12. The Installation Progress screen will now be displayed and start the SQL Server installation process. When finished, click on the Close button, then close the SQL Server Installation Center window.

Configuring the SQL Server services

Now that the SQL Server installation has finished, we can start the disabled SQL Server services and verify that the SQL Server authentication is configured correctly for SolarWinds Orion NPM.

The following steps are only for those who installed SQL Server from scratch using the instructions from the previous section. However, if you already have a SQL Server on your network and you will be using it to create a new Orion NPM database in it, use the following steps to verify the permissions and configuration for Orion NPM.

  1. Launch SQL Server Configuration Manager from the Start Menu.
  2. On the left-hand side pane, click on SQL Server Services. Notice the SQL Server Browser and SQL Server Agent (INSTANCE NAME) are both stopped.
    Configuring the SQL Server services
  3. Right-click on SQL Server Browser and choose Properties.
  4. The SQL Server Browser Properties window appears. Click on the Service tab, change the Start Mode from Disabled to Automatic.
    Configuring the SQL Server services
  5. Click on Apply, then click on the Log On tab.
  6. Change the option to This Account and enter your SQL Server service account information. Click on Apply, then on the Start button.
    Configuring the SQL Server services
  7. Click on OK to close SQL Server Browser Properties.
  8. In the SQL Server Configuration Manager window, expand SQL Server Network Configuration. Click on Protocols for <INSTANCE_NAME>.
  9. Verify that TCP/IP is Enabled. If not, right-click on TCP/IP and change the status to Enabled.
    Configuring the SQL Server services
  10. In the view pane on the left-hand side, click on SQL Server Services to highlight it then right-click on SQL Server <INSTANCE_NAME> and choose Restart.
    Configuring the SQL Server services

    Note

    Any type of change made using the SQL Server Configuration Manager will not take effect until the SQL Server service has been restarted.

  11. Close the SQL Server Configuration Manager window.

    Note

    The SQL Server Agent service is stopped and disabled in this example because the SQL Server Agent cannot be enabled in SQL Server Express editions. This is true even though it appears in the SQL Server Configuration Manager tool. The SQL Server Agent service is not required for SolarWinds Orion NPM to work, so you may ignore it. Do not stop this service if it is enabled and running on Standard, Developer, or Enterprise editions of your SQL Server installation.

Now that the SQL Server services are enabled and configured properly, we can use the SQL Server Management Studio tool to log into the SQL instance and verify that the authentication options are properly configured for SolarWinds Orion NPM.

Verifying SQL Server authentication settings

If you have followed the previous SQL Server installation steps in the previous section, then we have already configured the correct authentication settings. However, it is a good idea to verify that your new SQL Server instance is properly configured even though the SQL installation wizard did all of the work for you. This section will familiarize you in working with the SQL Server Management Studio utility, so I do recommend following the instructions in this section.

  1. Log into your SQL Server using the local administrator account of the Windows Server.
  2. Launch SQL Server Management Studio from the Start Menu.
  3. At the login screen, use the following options:
    1. Server type: Database Engine.
    2. Server Name: Use the syntax Hostname\SQLExpress where SQLExpress is the instance name where you will be creating the Orion NPM database.
    3. Authentication: Windows Authentication.
    4. Click on Connect.
      Verifying SQL Server authentication settings

      Note

      In this example, I am logged into the Windows Server with the SQL service account. This is the best practice for setting up a SQL Server for the first time. An alternative technique is to log into the Windows Server with its local administrator user account.

  4. Under Object Explorer, right-click on the SQL Server instance name and choose Properties.
    Verifying SQL Server authentication settings
  5. The Server Properties window appears. Under Select a page, click on Security. Verify that SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode is selected. Click on Ok to close the Server Properties window.
    Verifying SQL Server authentication settings
  6. Under Object Explorer, expand Security, then Logins.
  7. Verify that your SQL Server service account is displayed in the list and has the following permissions:
    • Public
    • Sysadmin

    If the SQL service account is not listed, right-click on Logins in the Object Explorer pane and choose New Login... to add it.

  8. Close the SQL Server Management Studio.

    Note

    If you are unsure about the security aspects of SQL Server, Microsoft has excellent documentation and guidance on how to secure SQL Server at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb283235.aspx.

Configuring the Windows Firewall

Now it is time to configure the Windows Firewall on the Windows Server where you will be installing the Orion NPM software as well as on the server running Microsoft SQL Server. If you planned your installation by following SolarWinds' recommendations, you have SQL Server running on one server and Orion NPM installed another.

You must unblock specific TCP/IP ports in the Windows Firewall on each server to allow the SQL Server and Orion NPM software to be able to communicate with each other, as well as receive inbound traffic from nodes when they are polled. If you installed SQL Server and Orion NPM on the same Windows Server, you still must allow specific ports in the Windows Firewall for inbound and outbound polling traffic. This section addresses both of these issues.

If you installed SQL Server on a Windows Server 2008 or 2008 R2 computer, you will use Windows Firewall with Advanced Security from Administrative Tools in the Control Panel to allow specific IP traffic into the server. If you installed SQL Server on a Windows Server 2003 or 2003 R2 computer, use Windows Firewall from the Control panel.

On the SolarWinds Orion NPM server, allow the following ports for inbound traffic:

  • TCP 80 and 443 for HTTP, HTTPS, and VMware ESX/ESXi
  • TCP 17777, 17778, and 17779 for Orion NPM Dashboard traffic
  • UDP 161 and 162 for SNMP
  • UDP 514 for inbound Syslog messages

    Note

    Use UDP 162 for inbound SNMP traps if you are using a third-party firewall. For the other ports, follow the preceding chart to allow the TCP/IP traffic for both SQL Server and SolarWinds Orion NPM.

Allow inbound traffic to the following programs on the SQL Server only if Orion NPM and SQL Server is running on two different Windows servers:

  • %ProgramFiles% (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Shared\sqlbrowser.exe
  • %ProgramFiles% (x86)\ Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.SQLEXPRESS\bin\sqlservr.exe

    Note

    For SQL Server 2008 and 2012 Standard and Datacenter editions, the folder locations will be slightly different within the %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\ folder. For detailed information, refer to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc646023.aspx.

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