[Fusioninventory-user] Really, really, i don't understand how SNMP works...

[Marco Gaiarin]

I'm still busy on trying to deploy FusionInventory on my organization,
but still i'm stopped on some trouble, the big one is SNMP.

I've setup a test environment (GLPI 0.80.7, FI 0.80+1.4, debian lenny)
and i'm trying to setup SNMP, using as test targets a printer and a
switch. Both works:

meti:~# snmpwalk -v 2c -c public rezza | head
SNMPv2-MIB::sysDescr.0 = STRING: ProCurve J9085A Switch 2610-24, revision R.11.60, ROM R.10.06 (/sw/code/build/nemo(R_ndx))
SNMPv2-MIB::sysObjectID.0 = OID: SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.11.2.3.7.11.76
DISMAN-EVENT-MIB::sysUpTimeInstance = Timeticks: (422942585) 48 days, 22:50:25.85
[...]

meti:~# snmpwalk -v 2c -c public hpclj4550 | head
SNMPv2-MIB::sysDescr.0 = STRING: HP ETHERNET MULTI-ENVIRONMENT,ROM L.21.21,JETDIRECT,JD84,EEPROM L.21.22,CIDATE 07/06/2001
SNMPv2-MIB::sysObjectID.0 = OID: SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.11.2.3.9.1
DISMAN-EVENT-MIB::sysUpTimeInstance = Timeticks: (19365160) 2 days, 5:47:31.60
[...]


I've tried to setup a ''net discovery'', but really i've not found a
way to do so: the manual say little or nothing, or at least i don't
understand it.

The i've tried to associate OID and other information to the switch and
printer, eg on the 'FusInv SNMP' page, i setup the 'SNMP models' and
the 'SNMP authentication' (as 'Public community v2c'), then i push
'Update' but nothing happen.


What i'm missing? Really i don't understand how make SNMP work...
please help me... Thanks.

[David DURIEUX]

Le Tue, 3 Jul 2012 16:46:09 +0200

Post by Marco Gaiarin
I'm still busy on trying to deploy FusionInventory on my organization,
but still i'm stopped on some trouble, the big one is SNMP.
I've setup a test environment (GLPI 0.80.7, FI 0.80+1.4, debian lenny)
and i'm trying to setup SNMP, using as test targets a printer and a
meti:~# snmpwalk -v 2c -c public rezza | head
SNMPv2-MIB::sysDescr.0 = STRING: ProCurve J9085A Switch 2610-24,
revision R.11.60, ROM R.10.06 (/sw/code/build/nemo(R_ndx))
SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.11.2.3.7.11.76
DISMAN-EVENT-MIB::sysUpTimeInstance = Timeticks: (422942585) 48 days,
22:50:25.85 [...]
meti:~# snmpwalk -v 2c -c public hpclj4550 | head
SNMPv2-MIB::sysDescr.0 = STRING: HP ETHERNET MULTI-ENVIRONMENT,ROM
L.21.21,JETDIRECT,JD84,EEPROM L.21.22,CIDATE 07/06/2001
SNMPv2-MIB::sysObjectID.0 = OID: SNMPv2-SMI::enterprises.11.2.3.9.1
DISMAN-EVENT-MIB::sysUpTimeInstance = Timeticks: (19365160) 2 days,
5:47:31.60 [...]
I've tried to setup a ''net discovery'', but really i've not found a
way to do so: the manual say little or nothing, or at least i don't
understand it.
The i've tried to associate OID and other information to the switch and
printer, eg on the 'FusInv SNMP' page, i setup the 'SNMP models' and
the 'SNMP authentication' (as 'Public community v2c'), then i push
'Update' but nothing happen.
What i'm missing? Really i don't understand how make SNMP work...
please help me... Thanks.

The best way is to do a network discovery, where agent discover and
associate SNMP model if device supported. This task get few
informations of devices, but reuired to identify them.

One you have do this the first time, you will do a network inventory
(SNMP) to get all data of the devices.


To begin, see this is a good beginning.

[Marco Gaiarin]

Mandi! David DURIEUX
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by David DURIEUX
The best way is to do a network discovery, where agent discover and
associate SNMP model if device supported. This task get few

I know my devices, so i prefere to enable SNMP on a per-device basis,
while scanning all the network for finding SNMP devices...


Anyway...

Post by David DURIEUX
informations of devices, but reuired to identify them.
One you have do this the first time, you will do a network inventory
(SNMP) to get all data of the devices.
To begin, see this is a good beginning.

0) Ok, on 'Home > Plugins > FusionInventory' i push 'Discover the
network', the radar.

1) then i setup a ip range, for now a subclass of my network (10.19.1.1
-> 10.19.1.254), defining no ''permanent tasks''.
Hit 'Next'.

2) SNMP auth have the predefined public authentication for v1 and v2c,
leave untouched, hit 'Next'.

3) link rules; as in my previous thread i've disabled the last 'Unknown
device import' and created a recipe 'Unknown device with serial'.
Anyway, hit 'Next'.

4) i add a task, name 'Discover test', 'Active' of course 'yes', mode
push, priodicity none; I've leaved 'Definition' and 'Action' as is.
Hit 'Next'.

5) cheched the new task, then hit 'Force start'. Nothing happen, i go
to 'task running result' but the page are empty.


So i go back to 4) and define as 'Definition' the ip ranges defined in
1), and as 'Action' 'Auto management dynamic of agents'.

Same result, nothing happens.

[David DURIEUX]

Le Wed, 4 Jul 2012 10:46:33 +0200

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Mandi! David DURIEUX
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by David DURIEUX
The best way is to do a network discovery, where agent discover and
associate SNMP model if device supported. This task get few

I know my devices, so i prefere to enable SNMP on a per-device basis,
while scanning all the network for finding SNMP devices...
Anyway...

Post by David DURIEUX
informations of devices, but reuired to identify them.
One you have do this the first time, you will do a network inventory
(SNMP) to get all data of the devices.
To begin, see this is a good beginning.

0) Ok, on 'Home > Plugins > FusionInventory' i push 'Discover the
network', the radar.
1) then i setup a ip range, for now a subclass of my network (10.19.1.1
-> 10.19.1.254), defining no ''permanent tasks''.
Hit 'Next'.
2) SNMP auth have the predefined public authentication for v1 and v2c,
leave untouched, hit 'Next'.
3) link rules; as in my previous thread i've disabled the last 'Unknown
device import' and created a recipe 'Unknown device with serial'.
Anyway, hit 'Next'.
4) i add a task, name 'Discover test', 'Active' of course 'yes', mode
push, priodicity none; I've leaved 'Definition' and 'Action' as is.
Hit 'Next'.
5) cheched the new task, then hit 'Force start'. Nothing happen, i go
to 'task running result' but the page are empty.
So i go back to 4) and define as 'Definition' the ip ranges defined in
1), and as 'Action' 'Auto management dynamic of agents'.
Same result, nothing happens.

Wizard in plugins 0.80+x.x not really good (better in version 0.83+x.x
but not yet released). So try to use menu 'task management'

David
++

[Marco Gaiarin]

Mandi! David DURIEUX
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by David DURIEUX
Wizard in plugins 0.80+x.x not really good (better in version 0.83+x.x
but not yet released). So try to use menu 'task management'

Done. I've created a generic task 'network discovery' and two specific
task for a printer an a switch, but both return 'error' with no more
info.

I've also fired up a tshark session on port 161, but there's no request
at all: seems to me that there's some dependencies/tools/... missing,
but nothing appear on logs (apache and GLPI).

Strictly speaking: seems to me that network discovery does nothing.


Some hints on debug?

[Guillaume Rousse]

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Some hints on debug?

use command-line fusioninventory-netdiscovery, available from the
developement version.

[Marco Gaiarin]

Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Some hints on debug?

use command-line fusioninventory-netdiscovery, available from the
developement version.

Need a full GPI setup, or works standalone? I've to stay on 0.80
because i've some plugin dependency lockdown, and really, i've no time
now to setup a test GLPI installation.

[Guillaume Rousse]

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Some hints on debug?

use command-line fusioninventory-netdiscovery, available from the
developement version.

Need a full GPI setup, or works standalone? I've to stay on 0.80
because i've some plugin dependency lockdown, and really, i've no time
now to setup a test GLPI installation.

Standalone.

That's the whole purpose of those executables (one for each of
netdiscovery and netinventory): you do not need a GLPI server. You do
need the discovery.xml file shipped in server source, tough.

[Marco Gaiarin]

Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse

Post by Guillaume Rousse
use command-line fusioninventory-netdiscovery, available from the
developement version.

That's the whole purpose of those executables (one for each of
netdiscovery and netinventory): you do not need a GLPI server. You
do need the discovery.xml file shipped in server source, tough.

Agent?! But the ''server'' (GLPI) part use the agent for net/snmp
discovery?!


Eg, i've to install libfusioninventory-agent-task-netdiscovery-perl and
libfusioninventory-agent-task-snmpquery-perl to make it work?

And your repository (http://debian.fusioninventory.org/debian/) are
still on 2.1, not on 2.2...

[Guillaume Rousse]

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse

Post by Guillaume Rousse
use command-line fusioninventory-netdiscovery, available from the
developement version.

That's the whole purpose of those executables (one for each of
netdiscovery and netinventory): you do not need a GLPI server. You
do need the discovery.xml file shipped in server source, tough.

Agent?! But the ''server'' (GLPI) part use the agent for net/snmp
discovery?!

I guess you just understood why you didn't achieved anything sofar :)
The server part is just a control and collect point for agent execution,
it doesn't perform any task by itself.

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Eg, i've to install libfusioninventory-agent-task-netdiscovery-perl and
libfusioninventory-agent-task-snmpquery-perl to make it work?

For your original need, yes. To debug the issue using the tools I
mentionned, that's useless, those packages are too old.

Post by Marco Gaiarin
And your repository (http://debian.fusioninventory.org/debian/) are
still on 2.1, not on 2.2...

I explicitely mentioned 'developement version', which is not even
released yet, not even packaged. You can grab it from github:
https://github.com/fusinv/fusioninventory-agent-task-netdiscovery
https://github.com/fusinv/fusioninventory-agent-task-snmpquery

[Marco Gaiarin]

Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Agent?! But the ''server'' (GLPI) part use the agent for net/snmp
discovery?!

I guess you just understood why you didn't achieved anything sofar

A-ha! Better later then ever... ;-)))

Post by Guillaume Rousse
:) The server part is just a control and collect point for agent
execution, it doesn't perform any task by itself.

Ok. I've grabbed thru php code, and not founding a single 'exec()'
function i supposed also that GLPI does not exec the agent, but use an
agent (via the internel protocol, via TCP/IP) to do a SNMP discovery.
I have all my agents running on cron, so clearly there's no agent
running. ;)

This indeed explain me the 'Auto management dynamic of agent': by
default GLPI polls for every registered agent and use a random agent to
do discovery (probably to share load). Right?

So i've started the agent as a daemon on the same server that run GLPI
and ''lock'' the agent choice to the only agent running.

Now, if i start a task, at least end with status OK, but still does not
work, eg, there's no SNMP data catched.
A 'discovery' task still does not work (return error).

Post by Guillaume Rousse
I explicitely mentioned 'developement version', which is not even
released yet, not even packaged.

Ok, but windows is just on 2.2: i can use a windows agent to make some
test? I'm a bit scared to do a manual installation...


Thanks.

[David DURIEUX]

Le Thu, 5 Jul 2012 18:23:09 +0200

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Agent?! But the ''server'' (GLPI) part use the agent for net/snmp
discovery?!

I guess you just understood why you didn't achieved anything sofar

A-ha! Better later then ever... ;-)))

Post by Guillaume Rousse
:) The server part is just a control and collect point for agent
execution, it doesn't perform any task by itself.

Ok. I've grabbed thru php code, and not founding a single 'exec()'
function i supposed also that GLPI does not exec the agent, but use an
agent (via the internel protocol, via TCP/IP) to do a SNMP discovery.
I have all my agents running on cron, so clearly there's no agent
running. ;)
This indeed explain me the 'Auto management dynamic of agent': by
default GLPI polls for every registered agent and use a random agent to
do discovery (probably to share load). Right?

It find an agent allowed to do what you want (netdiscovery, network
inventory...)

Post by Marco Gaiarin
So i've started the agent as a daemon on the same server that run GLPI
and ''lock'' the agent choice to the only agent running.
Now, if i start a task, at least end with status OK, but still does not
work, eg, there's no SNMP data catched.
A 'discovery' task still does not work (return error).

What error ?

Post by Marco Gaiarin

Post by Guillaume Rousse
I explicitely mentioned 'developement version', which is not even
released yet, not even packaged.

Ok, but windows is just on 2.2: i can use a windows agent to make some
test? I'm a bit scared to do a manual installation...

So may wait a little

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Thanks.

[Marco Gaiarin]

Mandi! David DURIEUX
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by David DURIEUX

Post by Marco Gaiarin
A 'discovery' task still does not work (return error).

What error ?

Classic red rectangle with 'error' inside; no more clue.
Anyway, i've leave the wizard on they own and create a task, and the
task creted manually run, return green rectangle with 'OK'.
Still does nothing, but... ;)))


I will give a try to the development version of the agent, but not now,
i'm busy on other things...

[Guillaume Rousse]

Post by Marco Gaiarin
I will give a try to the development version of the agent, but not now,
i'm busy on other things...

You need the development version of the netdiscovery and netinventory
tasks, not of the agent. Any stable 2.2.x release is enough.

[Marco Gaiarin]

Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse
You need the development version of the netdiscovery and
netinventory tasks, not of the agent. Any stable 2.2.x release is
enough.

I've tried, but AFAI've understood well, they need the agent perl
modeules to work...

Do you mean:
http://forge.fusioninventory.org/projects/fusioninventory-agent-task-snmpquery/files
and
http://forge.fusioninventory.org/projects/fusioninventory-agent-task-netdiscovery/files

right? I've just tried to download and run the script from here, but
asked me tons of perl library, seems to me cointained on:
http://forge.fusioninventory.org/projects/fusioninventory-agent/files

Sorry...

[Guillaume Rousse]

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse
You need the development version of the netdiscovery and
netinventory tasks, not of the agent. Any stable 2.2.x release is
enough.

I've tried, but AFAI've understood well, they need the agent perl
modeules to work...
http://forge.fusioninventory.org/projects/fusioninventory-agent-task-snmpquery/files
and
http://forge.fusioninventory.org/projects/fusioninventory-agent-task-netdiscovery/files
right? I've just tried to download and run the script from here, but
http://forge.fusioninventory.org/projects/fusioninventory-agent/files

If you don't install anything, and you used distinct download
directories, then you have to set your PERL5LIB environment varible to
the 'lib' directory of the agent itself:
export PERL5LIB=/path/to/agent-directory/lib

Note than if 'fusioninventory-agent' is in your path, then
'fusioninventory-agent --setup' should tells you what is this directory
(libdir: ...).

[Marco Gaiarin]

Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse

Post by Marco Gaiarin

Post by Guillaume Rousse
You need the development version of the netdiscovery and
netinventory tasks, not of the agent. Any stable 2.2.x release is
enough.

right? I've just tried to download and run the script from here, but
http://forge.fusioninventory.org/projects/fusioninventory-agent/files

If you don't install anything, and you used distinct download
directories, then you have to set your PERL5LIB environment varible
export PERL5LIB=/path/to/agent-directory/lib

Ok. Ahem, where/how can i download the development version of
netdiscovery and netinventory tasks?
I've downloaded the latest one, but there's only a
'fusioninventory-netinventory' script, there's no a
'fusioninventory-netdiscovery' one.


Sorry, thanks.

[Guillaume Rousse]

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse

Post by Marco Gaiarin

Post by Guillaume Rousse
You need the development version of the netdiscovery and
netinventory tasks, not of the agent. Any stable 2.2.x release is
enough.

right? I've just tried to download and run the script from here, but
http://forge.fusioninventory.org/projects/fusioninventory-agent/files

If you don't install anything, and you used distinct download
directories, then you have to set your PERL5LIB environment varible
export PERL5LIB=/path/to/agent-directory/lib

Ok. Ahem, where/how can i download the development version of
netdiscovery and netinventory tasks?
I've downloaded the latest one, but there's only a
'fusioninventory-netinventory' script, there's no a
'fusioninventory-netdiscovery' one.

https://github.com/fusinv/fusioninventory-agent-task-netdiscovery ->
netdiscovery development version
https://github.com/fusinv/fusioninventory-agent-task-snmpquery ->
netinventory development version

I guess a link on those projects web page would help there. Also, we are
currently in the process of merging the two projects in a single one,
which should make documenting and using them easier.

[Guillaume Rousse]

Post by Guillaume Rousse
I guess a link on those projects web page would help there. Also, we are
currently in the process of merging the two projects in a single one,
which should make documenting and using them easier.

Both plugins merged:
https://github.com/guillomovitch/fusioninventory-agent-task-network

[Marco Gaiarin]

Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse
https://github.com/guillomovitch/fusioninventory-agent-task-network

Works! Thanks!


Some data in private...

[Guillaume Rousse]

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse
https://github.com/guillomovitch/fusioninventory-agent-task-network

Ok, i've run the script against two printer and a switch, with this
mouse:/usr/src/fi/guillomovitch-fusioninventory-agent-task-network-6fa999f# PERL5LIB=/usr/src/fi/guillomovitch-fusioninventory-agent-6e9e57b/lib perl fusioninventory-netinventory --host baleno.sv.lnf.it --model /tmp/5838867.xml > /tmp/baleno.out
Use of uninitialized value in string eq at lib/FusionInventory/Agent/Task/NetInventory.pm line 335.
Use of uninitialized value in string eq at lib/FusionInventory/Agent/Task/NetInventory.pm line 388.
Use of uninitialized value in string eq at lib/FusionInventory/Agent/Task/NetInventory.pm line 393.
mouse:/usr/src/fi/guillomovitch-fusioninventory-agent-task-network-6fa999f# PERL5LIB=/usr/src/fi/guillomovitch-fusioninventory-agent-6e9e57b/lib perl fusioninventory-netinventory --host hpljp2055-3.sv.lnf.it --model /tmp/1701111.xml > /tmp/hpljp2055-3.out
Use of uninitialized value in string eq at lib/FusionInventory/Agent/Task/NetInventory.pm line 335.
Use of uninitialized value in string eq at lib/FusionInventory/Agent/Task/NetInventory.pm line 388.
Use of uninitialized value in string eq at lib/FusionInventory/Agent/Task/NetInventory.pm line 393.
mouse:/usr/src/fi/guillomovitch-fusioninventory-agent-task-network-6fa999f# PERL5LIB=/usr/src/fi/guillomovitch-fusioninventory-agent-6e9e57b/lib perl fusioninventory-netinventory --host himika.sv.lnf.it --model /tmp/J9021A.xml > himika.out
mouse:/usr/src/fi/guillomovitch-fusioninventory-agent-task-network-6fa999f#
Attached the file .out.
Seems that works (eg, some SNMP data are taken), but seems to me a little
''scarce''..

If you don't use models known to perfectly fit your current
hardware/firmware combination, that's the expected result..

The warnings should not happen, tough. Can you open a bug report on the
forge
(http://forge.fusioninventory.org/projects/fusioninventory-agent-task-network/issues),
and attach an snmpwalk output, with numerical Oids (snmpwalk -v 1 -c
<community> -On <host>), for me to reproduce the issue ? Thanks.

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Now? ;-)

Well, either try the community tool for which David posted an
announcement last week, which is supposed to automagically gives you the
exact model you need. Or dig the code to understand how to create the
model yourself, as there is no documentation available.

[Guillaume Rousse]

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Ok, but windows is just on 2.2: i can use a windows agent to make some
test? I'm a bit scared to do a manual installation...

The agent is the same on all platforms, so you can use the one from your
choice.

However, if you want to get a grasp about what's happening, instead of
just getting empty results without feedback, you'd better get the hand a
little dirty:
- use a unix platform to have a confortable environment
- run the agent directly from command line, using the tools I suggested
earlier, rather than from the server
- forget about fancy features such as 'automatic agent management'

BTW, 'installing manually' is just downloading a tar.gz file from the
forge (for the released version), or from github (for the development
version), and decompressing into any suitable directory. You don't even
need to run 'make install', you can run everything right from this
directory.

[Guillaume Rousse]

Post by Marco Gaiarin
What i'm missing? Really i don't understand how make SNMP work...
please help me... Thanks.

See README files in recent versions of those plugins, and feel free to
contribute better explanations:

https://github.com/fusinv/fusioninventory-agent-task-netdiscovery/blob/master/README
https://github.com/fusinv/fusioninventory-agent-task-snmpquery/blob/master/README

[Marco Gaiarin]

Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse
See README files in recent versions of those plugins, and feel free
https://github.com/fusinv/fusioninventory-agent-task-netdiscovery/blob/master/README
https://github.com/fusinv/fusioninventory-agent-task-snmpquery/blob/master/README

These mean to me that i've to install nmap, libnet-snmp-perl and
libnet-nbname-perl (the last i think is an option).

But these modules are just installed. See also next message.

[Guillaume Rousse]

Post by Marco Gaiarin
Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse
See README files in recent versions of those plugins, and feel free
https://github.com/fusinv/fusioninventory-agent-task-netdiscovery/blob/master/README
https://github.com/fusinv/fusioninventory-agent-task-snmpquery/blob/master/README

These mean to me that i've to install nmap, libnet-snmp-perl and
libnet-nbname-perl (the last i think is an option).
But these modules are just installed. See also next message.

They are all optional for discovery, you just need at least one of them.

However, only SNMP will be able to provide a reliable identification,
and only if your *exact* combination of hardware/firmware is already
present in the model database, otherwise, you'll just get an unknown
device to import into your inventory, and inventory will be impossible
due to the lack of a suitable SNMP description model.

[Marco Gaiarin]

Mandi! Guillaume Rousse
In chel di` si favelave...

Post by Guillaume Rousse
However, only SNMP will be able to provide a reliable
identification, and only if your *exact* combination of
hardware/firmware is already present in the model database,
otherwise, you'll just get an unknown device to import into your
inventory, and inventory will be impossible due to the lack of a
suitable SNMP description model.

I've to verify the exact firmware revision for the switch, but for the
printer seems to me there's an exact match.

But indeed there's no device un ''unknown'' one.