M1 - SMS notification from a NMS

The Monitor one monitoring system by FineConnection is designed for monitoring network and networking infrastructure status. Products in the Poseidon family are fully integrated with M1 to ensure the best functionality.

In environment monitoring applications, one may need to send a text message (SMS) to the network administrator or a service desk technician whenever a critical problem occurs (such as a water leak, rapid temperature rise, or a power failure). Monitor one allows sending text messages through the use of an external utility, PageGate, by NotePage.

The PageGate utility offers a very variable functionality and is useful in a number of other situations besides those related to Monitor one. However, our in-house tests indicate that the utility does not function correctly in the Czech locale (tested on Windows XP CZ SP2 and Windows Server 2003 CZ), and may have troubles with other non-English locales as well. The tests finished correctly on Windows Server 2003 EN and Windows XP.

Set-up procedure

The following steps assume that a GSM modem is connected to the system and is properly configured. We have used the Teltonica Modemcom G10 modem for the purposes of this example.

1) Installing PageGate and performing initial configuration

There is nothing special about PageGate installation that would require a detailed description. At the beginning of the installation, select PageGate Server from the menu.







 

When the installation completes, launch PageGate Admin. At first, the application starts in the initialization mode, where you need to set certain parameters. To send text messages correctly, the options "GetAscii", "Scheduler", and "Connector1" must be checked. We recommend to keep the default paths.







 

2) Configuring Monitor one

Monitor one configuration is relatively straightforward. First, in the "Options"  -> "Global Configuration" menu, switch to the "Alerting" tab and check the "Send (SMS) alert messages..." box to enable alarm forwarding.







 

Select "Customize", and in the following dialog, check "PageGate" and set the path to the installed PageGate utility.

Next, select the parameters to send.












 

Now, select the groups and users to inform about the alarm via SMS.

First, it is necessary to set up the group of users. Under "Alert groups", right-click the canvas and select "Add a new Alert Group".





 

In the dialog that opens, fill in the group number and name.

Similarly, under "Alert Recipients", add the user by clicking the right mouse button.

In the next dialog, fill in the user group, e-mail address, and the username to use in PageGate.




 

3) Configuring PageGate

Run PageGate Admin and finish the configuration.

In "Program" -> "Settings", under "Run PageGate as", select the Windows Service radio button and click "Apply". 






 

Under "Interfaces" -> "GetAscii" -> "Settings", check "Enable" and select the "Polling Directory" (that is, the directory where PageGate is installed). Confirm the selection by clicking "Apply".







 

In the left panel, right-click "Carriers" and select "Add".







 

In the right-hand side of the window, fill in the name, select "GSM-AT" as the protocol, and set the serial port and modem parameters according to the modem documentation.

The configuration may look like the one in the figure. Click "Apply" to confirm the settings.





 

Next, set the serial port number to which the GSM modem is connected under "Connectors" -> "Connector1". Click "Apply" to confirm.








 

The last step is to add a recipient.

In the left panel, right-click "Recipients" and select "Add".






 

In the right-hand side, fill in the name (Full Name) and username (Recipient - must match the username entered in Monitor one).

In the "ID/PIN" field, enter the telephone number. Leave all other settings at their defaults and click "Apply".

The configuration is now finished. As the final step, run the service by clicking the PageGate icon in the status bar (lower right-hand corner, near the clock) and selecting "Start". From now on, alarms from Monitor one should be forwarded as text messages (SMS).

Conclusion:

This guide presents only a simple configuration of the SMS gateway. Monitor one offers a wide range of alarm functionality. It can be configured, for example, to send the SMS only for important alarms, or only to selected people.