Monitoring IPMI Logs

React to changes in the configuration of monitored devices and alerts related to their stats by checking the System Event Log entries using the IPMI Log Sensor.

This article will show you how you can cover up the monitoring of hardware by Intelligent Platform Management Interface, implemented in many popular devices from such known vendors as HP, DELL, Intel, etc.

Actually, what is the IPMI interface?

Behind the IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) acronym we can find out the series of standardized specifications of management interfaces that allow checking the current performance statistics and states of monitored devices without paying attention to particular hardware specifications. This allows manufacturers to maintain the one, universal way of health condition and configuration check on many devices, without causing any problems related to compatibility of IPMI on various different hardware types. The primary goal of IPMI is to allow the administrators to perform the standard tasks of monitoring/supervising, logging all of the activities, providing the inventory features, and recovery control of the monitored devices.

Retrieving logs from System Event Log

If we want to describe how NetCrunch performs the monitoring tasks in Log IPMI Sensor we must describe the structure from which data is collected. The repository of these logs in IPMI, called System Event Log (SEL), is a non-volatile area, where system events and certain configuration of the monitored device is stored. This means that data kept in this area will not be lost if we experience the unplanned power cut to the monitored device. We can treat this as a solid data source from which we can configure the gathering of configuration and performance metrics to monitored nodes in NetCrunch.

Configuration of Log IPMI Sensor

To provide the possibility to monitor IPMI logs with our sensor we have to provide valid credentials specified to IPMI. Consequently, we can perform the monitoring of log entries in IPMI, with a few alerts and performance metrics configured by default. Additionally - the sensor provides the possibility to configure the encryption key to secure the connection to the IPMI interface and to authenticate the user which wants to connect to system logs on the device.

• Alerts:

  • Request Timeout Error
  • Authentication Error

• Performance Metrics:

  • Check time of the sensor

Additionally, NetCrunch provides the possibility to configure the alerts based on specific information included in the log text. In the event condition for IPMI Log alert, we can configure one or more matching filters, which allows us to look for the information about the event message in the log entry itself, the specific type of the IPMI sensor on the monitored device (for example memory metrics, power unit values, chassis, fans, etc.) or the direction of the event in SEL structure(asserted/deasserted).

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