Network Management Assignment: SNMPv3, Zabbix, and Troubleshooting

This assignment solution details the setup and configuration of a network monitoring environment using SNMPv3 and the Zabbix platform. It begins by justifying the selection of an SNMPv3 client-server architecture for monitoring multiple devices, followed by a step-by-step guide to installing and configuring a Zabbix appliance with MySQL. The solution includes instructions for adding device information, performing SNMP walks, and configuring both the Zabbix server and clients for network monitoring. Performance baselining is addressed through the use of ICMP protocol for availability checks and other parameters like CPU, RAM, storage, and network bandwidth. The assignment also covers troubleshooting shared folder availability, including checks for user accounts, permissions, and network services. References to the Zabbix Network Monitoring book are also included.

NETWORK MONITORING

1. NM Topology Selection
Multiple devices needs to be monitored. Hence SNMPv3 client server architecture will be the
best monitoring architecture.
The devices placement will be in the following architecture.
In SNMP v1 and SNMPv2 the clients/managers collect the process details about various nodes in
the network. The manager will be running in a central server.
The agents/servers are piece of software or a software mini application running in the local
system. The local system supports SNMP. The agents collect the details of the local system and
stores the details in the management information base database. In SNMPv3 the concept of
managers/agents are replaced by SNMP entities. Each entry got its own SNMP engine and a
SNMP application. The engine got the despatcher, the message processing sub system, the
security sub system and the access control sub system.
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The application part can have command generator, command responder, notification originator,
notification receiver and proxy forwarder. These details are shown in the following diagrams.
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2. ZABBIX installation
Visited ZABBIX website and got many options to install ZABBIX server as a VM. The VM got
ZABBIX Network Monitoring software installed with MySQL back end (Rihards Olups., 2016).
Installed zabbix appliance from its source website https://www.zabbix.com/download_appliance
Downloaded
Initially the OVF file was in TARG.GZ format. Need to extract OVF fromt hat file
Got VMDK and OVF files.
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Installed Oracle virtual box and imported OVF file.
Used the zabbix credentials to login to the VM
User Name : appliance
Password : zabbix
Configured both zabbix server and zabbix clients and completed the entire network monitoring
infrastructure (Rihards Olups., 2016).
Adding the device information using SNMP walk
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Added hosts
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SNMP Settings done
Final SNMP Walk
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3. How to set up the Zabbix Server for SNMP Monitoring : Step by step guide
Part 1 : Preparing the Zabbix Server
Step 1: You have to edit the sources.listconfiguration file & uncomment the multiverse line.
Sudo/nano/etc/apt/sources.list
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Step 2: The repository needs to be updated.
sudo apt-get update
Step 3 : Execute the following command & Install the required package.
sudo apt-get install snmp snmp-mibs-downloader
Step 4. Next is to edit the snmp.conf configuration & comment the line MIBs.
sudo nano /etc/snmp/snmp.conf
Step 5. Execute the command below & perform installation of the required MIB libraries for the
SNMP operation on the Zabbix Server.
sudo download-mibs
Step 6.The Zabbix Server needs to reboot.
sudo service zabbix-server restart
Part 2: Configuring SNMP for monitoring on a switch (Cisco Switch in our example)
Step 1. Make an entry in Global Configuration mode in the switch
switch#conf t
Step 2. snmpd.conf configuration
switch(config)#snmp-server community <community_name>
switch(config)#snmp-server location <anyname>
switch(config)#snmp-server contact admin
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Part 3: Testing SNMP device by installing and testing SNMP monitoring on a host system
(Ubuntu in this case)
Step 1: Install SNMP in HOST
sudo apt-get install snmp
Step 2. Within the host test the SNMP Configuration itself
sudo snmpwalk -c community_name -v2c switch_IP
Part 4: Configuring the Zabbix Serve for SNMP monitoring on SNMP device
Step 1: Go to the Zabbix Server & add a switch host
 Configuration tab -> Hosts and go to Create Host. Host name – hostname SNMP interfaces - ipofhost
Step 2 : Go to Macros
 {$SNMP_COMMUNITY} - hostname
Step 3: Go to Templates
 Select Templates SNMP Device
Step 4: Click on the add button
You have completed your configuration, please allow 1 hour for the monitoring to start..
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4. Performance Base lining
Availability check will be done using ICMP protocol (PING utility)
Other parameters be based on pre-set values. Other parameters can be CPU , RAM, Storage,
Network Bandwidth. Based on the requirement of the application/infrastructure setup , pre-set
values will eb used. The network monitoring will send alarms when the preset values are
reached.
5. Shared Folder Troubleshooting
Shared folder availability and continuity should be checked first
The user account created for accessing the shared folder should eb active. The user name and
password should be checked.
The security and share permissions for the shared folder needs to be checked. Permissions should
allow the user account to access and share the shared folder.
The print server should run the network sharing service.
The firewalls should allow shared folder and network sharing.
References
Rihards Olups. (2016). Zabbix Network Monitoring - Second Edition. Packt Publishing.
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