2. Running VisualPulse

Windows: Go to Start / Programs / VisualPulse and click on VisualPulse. If you are running under Win2000/XP/2003, it is possible to configure VisualPulse to run as a Service.

UNIX: To run VisualPulse for Unix follow these steps. It is possible to configure VisualPulse to run as a daemon service that is started at system boot. Refer to Appendix A for details:

1. Change to the install directory "cd vip"



2. Make sure that the current directory ('.') is in the PATH environment variable by typing "env | grep PATH". There may be perhaps two or more environment variables that have PATH in them. If it's not already there then set it with (assuming a Kourne shell) "PATH=$PATH:.; export PATH". Note: You could also amend the profile of the account that will be running VisualPulse to include ('.')



3. If using a Java 1.1 Runtime Environment (JRE), type "jre vip" to run VisualPulse. Otherwise, type "java vip".

3. Set up the VisualPulse Web Server

Before you can use VisualPulse, you must setup and start the web server component of VisualPulse. On a fresh install VisualPulse Router Edition will attempt to start a web service on port 80, if there is already one running on port 80 VisualPulse Router Edition will ask the operating system to allocate another one. On the successful starting of VisualPulse Router Edition web service, it will start a setup wizard for you to enter hosts/nodes and what tests are to be performed for them.

The dialog (Fig 3.1) below appears when you first run VisualPulse.

Fig 3.1: The Server Window

As you add the hosts/nodes they will appear in place of the welcome text (see Fig 3.2 below).

Fig 3.2: VisualPulse Server Window

Configuring the Server Preferences

To modify the web server listening port go to the 'File | Server Console' menu option from the Server Window. The following Server Console appears:

Fig 3.3: The Server Preferences Dialog

Select the 'Preferences...' button from the Server Console window in Fig 3.3 and you will see the Server Preferences dialog:

Fig 3.4: The Preferences Dialog

Note: You can also set the Access Control List from the Web Interface using the 'Access Control Link' under the 'Administration' heading on the VisualPulse Home Page.

 

The Server Preferences dialog allows for inquiry and maintenance of the following information:

IP - Allows you to configure VisualPulse Server to run under any/all IP address on the machine, or only on the specified IP Address, which is very useful if you want VisualPulse Server to coexist with IIS on the same machine (see the note at the end of this section).

Port - The port number that the server will use. The default is the standard WWW port 80. To change the port, enter in a new number and press Enter.

Max Users - The maximum number of users that can connect to VisualPulse concurrently. To change this setting, enter in a new number and press Enter.

Access Control List - By default, the VisualPulse server grants full access to anyone who can connect to the machine/port. The access control list allows you to fine-tune access based upon a list of access verbs and CIDR addresses.

The access Control List is processed in order (top to bottom) and the first entry to match the client's IP address is the access entry that is used. If no entry in this list matches, then access is denied. The access verbs are:

deny - denies all access

full - full access to all features

super - full access, even past max users

login - only this IP address(es) can login in

So, for example, if you wanted to grant full access to everyone in the company, but no one else, you would delete the default 'full - 0.0.0.0/0' entry, select the 'full' verb, enter in the CIDR for your company (e.g.: 198.242.57.0/24), and press 'Add to List'.

After making any changes to the port number, etc., exit the preferences dialog by clicking on the 'OK' button to return to the Server Console window (Fig 3.2). You are now ready to start VisualPulse's in-built web server.

Click on the 'Start' button in the Server Console window (Fig 3.2). The status bar of the Server Console window should now indicate that the web server component of VisualPulse is "Running...". Close the Server Console window (click on 'OK') and you will note that a new button has appeared at the bottom of the main server window.

This button provides quick access to the VisualPulse web interface. It will only appear when VisualPulse server is "Running...". Note: there is a corresponding entry in the 'File' menu.

Fig 3.5: Web Interface button in the Server Window

Click on the 'Go to Web Browser Interface' button or select the 'File | Web Interface..." menu option to continue to configure VisualPulse.

Coexisting with IIS: Want IIS to use port 80 on one IP Address and VisualPulse Server to use port 80 on a different IP Address, but on the same physical machine? This works, but IIS has the nasty tendency to grab up all IP Addresses on a machine, even if IIS is not configured to use all IP Addresses. This prevents any other application from using port 80 on a free IP address. Microsoft Tech Note Q238131 has details on how to fix IIS. Microsoft also have further instructions Q813368 for fixing IIS 6 on a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 machine. However, also make sure that you have no services set to use IP Address "All Unassigned", otherwise IIS will still grab all IP Addresses. Instead, make sure that you specify the IP Addresses that you want IIS to use for each type of service (HTTP, FTP, etc).

 

License Key Management

The number of remote hosts you are able to monitor is directly related to your license key. If you do not have a license key you are permitted to run the full unrestricted VisualPulse product for a 15 day trial period after which the product will cease to function except to prompt for a valid license key.

Fig 3.6: License Key Option in Help Menu

To enter your license key the user must select the 'Help | License Key...' menu option which will display the License Key dialog shown in Fig 3.7. Simply paste the key from the purchase acknowledgement email into the edit box and click 'OK'.

Fig 3.7: License Key dialog box

4. Configure Preferences

When you select the 'File | Web Interface' menu option on the VisualPulse Server Window or click on the 'Go to Web Browser Interface' button (Fig 3.1), your default browser is started and the VisualPulse home page is displayed (Fig 4.1a). VisualPulse can also be accessed from a remote browser by browsing to the IP Address and Port specified in Server preferences. To change VisualPulse application preferences, you must first sign in with a valid password after clicking on the Server Administration icon on the VisualPulse home page (Fig 4.1a).

Fig 4.1a: VisualPulse Home Page

Select the 'Change preferences' link on the left-hand menu (Fig 4.1b) to display a web page that allows you to set various options that control system monitoring and reporting (Fig 4.2).

Fig 4.1b: VisualPulse Home Page Menu

Fig 4.2: Preferences Web Page

Edit the preferences by clicking on each of the menu sections. Instruction for changing the prefences is available within each section and in the following documentation. Once you have entered all relevant information on this Preferences web page, click the 'Submit' button to save your changes.

By expanding Section 1 in fig 4.2 above the following Ping Engine section appears:

Fig 4.3: Section 1 - Ping Engine

VisualPulse gathers information about Internet connectivity to a host machine by pinging it at regular intervals. Pinging involves sending a small packet of data to a host and determining 1) if it is returned and 2) how long the return takes. This option allows you to define how often you will ping the host and what size packets you will send. At each interval you can specify how many hosts are to be pinged.

By expanding Section 2 in fig 4.2 above the following Testing Intervals section appears:

Fig 4.4: Section 2 - Testing Intervals

VisualPulse can also gather information about Application Port connectivity to a host machine by testing the port at regular intervals. This test involves opening the application port on the host to see 1) if the port open is allowed indicating that the service is listening and running 2) how long it takes to open. This option allows you to define how often you will test the port on the host as a ratio to the basic Ping test.

VisualPulse can also gather basic information about SNMP network entities (the router option in figure 4.4), for example routers and switches, by obtaining the single SNMP SYSDESC OID. This option allows you to define how often you will test the port on the host as a ratio to the basic Ping test.

By expanding Section 3 in fig 4.2 above the following Global Latency Thresholds section appears:

Fig 4.5: Section 3 - Global Latency Thresholds

Latency Thresholds - Latency is the amount of time it takes the VisualPulse server to conduct and complete the test selected. You can specify the extent of latency that should be considered above an acceptable level. When a threshold is violated, it will be reflected in reports and graphs visually by the use of color.

Packet Loss/Error Thresholds - For the Ping test the error counter refers to packet loss, packet loss occurs when  packets that are sent from the VisualPulse server to a remote host are not returned. You can specify the percentage of packet loss that should be considered above an acceptable level. Again, threshold violations show up on graphs and in reports through variations in color. For Port and Router tests the error counter refers to the failure of the test to complete prior to the preset timeout.

By expanding Section 4 in fig 4.2 above the following Router Thresholds section appears:

Fig 4.6: Section 4 - Router Thresholds

You can set the Critical and Warning thresholds of each category shown above.

By expanding Section 5 in fig 4.2 above the following Reports section appears:

Fig 4.7: Section 5 - Reports

Reports - Three options are provided to allow you to indicate how detail information should be displayed on historical reports. You make group detail information by 'metric' or by 'host'. You may also produce two copies of each historical report, one grouping detail info by metric, and the other by host. The 'Adaptive report latency threshold coloring' option allows you to view reports with various color schemes to make analyzing them easier at a glance. For the period in question for a host, the average and standard deviation is calculated. Then the report is colored on these numbers, the colors are grey, green, yellow, red and the dark red. If the number is -1 for no number the color is undefined, if its less than (average - standard deviation) it's grey, if less than (average - (standard deviation/2)) then green, if its less than (average + (standard deviation/2)) it's yellow, if its less than (average - standard deviation) it's red, else it's dark red.

You have the option to restrict viewing of reports in the second part of section 5.

By expanding Section 6 in fig 4.2 above the following Monitor View section appears:

Fig 4.8: Section 6 - Monitor View

This section allows the changing of the size of the monitor window. The 'Real Time Monitor' link on the home page is only available in Microsoft IE unless it is overridden here.

By expanding Section 7 in fig 4.2 above the following Trigger Email Notifications section appears:

Fig 4.9: Section 7 - Trigger Email Notifications

If your mail server supports SMTP, you can have VisualPulse send mail to one or more e-mail addresses when critical and/or warning thresholds are exceeded.

Note: VisualPulse will create a default template file when first executed called alert_template.txt in the VisualPulse 'data' directory. This template file will need to be edited to set the SMTP server domain name responsible for sending the email as well as the required email addresses and subject lines as desired. The alert template file supports the ability to include dynamic text substitution. For example text such as the subject line or even the recipient email address can be changed depending on whether the alert is a critical alert or a warning alert. A more detailed explanation of the substitution syntax is provided in the test file 'template_syntax.txt' which is also found in the 'data' folder in the VisualPulse root install directory.

 

You can disable mail at any time by checking 'Suspend e-mail notifications'. Also, you may choose to suppress multiple e-mails that contain an identical message by checking 'Suppress duplicate e-mails'.

'Suppress headers' allows you to create e-mail in a more compressed format by eliminating all text other than abbreviations indicating the type of threshold violation being reported and a comma-delimited list of hosts. VisualPulse uses the following abbreviations when 'Suppress headers' is selected:

• D = Downed Systems
• CL = Critical Latency
• CP = Critical Packet Loss
• WL = Warning Latency
• WP = Warning Packet Loss

By expanding Section 8 in fig 4.2 above the following Trigger Trace Route Notifications section appears:

Fig 4.10: Section 8 - VisualRoute Server

VisualPulse provides an interface to our other network/internet monitoring tool, VisualRoute, an award-winning application which allows you to do detailed traceroute analysis on remote hosts. If you have installed VisualRoute Server, this option allows you to specify the URL to that server. For example, if VisualPulse were installed on the same machine where you installed VisualPulse, using a different port, this entry would look like: 'host:port', where 'host and port' are the host and port to your VisualRoute Server.

Note: Setting up the VisualPulse Server on the 'Preferences' page causes a VisualPulse link to be added in the 'Tools' column on the VisualPulse home page.

 

Once you have entered all relevant information on this Preferences web page, click the 'Submit' button to save your changes.

5. Monitored System Configuration

By clicking on the 'Monitored systems' link on the VisualPulse home page left-hand menu (Fig 4.1b) you will get the screen below (fig5.1):

Fig 5.1: Monitored System Configuration

From the drop down list select the host you want to modify or select 'NewEntry' to enter a new host then hit the 'Update' button. You can delete an entry by selecting it from the drop down box and hitting the 'Delete' button.

Once a host has been selected and the 'Update' button has been clicked a screen will appear like the one below (fig 5.2):

Fig 5.2: Update Host Screen

Enter the host or IP Address to be monitored in the first field and the Nickname for that host/IP Address in the second field. You can specify which port you want to monitor to by adding it to the URL (example: http://www.domain.com:4080). The Nickname is used in place of the IP/Hostname in all reports and views.

By expanding Section 1 in fig 5.2 above the following Ping section appears:

Fig 5.3: Section 1 - Ping

This section allows you to set various parameters to do with the pinging of this host. The 'Ping this host?' check box indicates whether you want to ping test this host.

By expanding Section 2 in fig 5.2 above the following Router Statistics section appears:

Fig 5.4: Section 2 - Router Statistics

This section allows you to set the various parameters to do with Router testing for this host. The 'Router test this host?' check box indicates whether you want to Router test this host.

By expanding Section 3 in fig 5.2 above the following Trigger Events section appears:

Fig 5.5: Section 3 - Trigger events when thresholds exceeded

This section allows you to set various trigger events to do with this host, such as email notifications, windows events and SNMP traps.

You have to use a text file as in the 'Preferences'

Once you have modified your parameters hit the "Update' button to update that host. To delete this host, hit the 'Delete' button.

6. The Real Time Monitor

Once you have started the VisualPulse server, set application preferences, and defined the list of hosts you wish to monitor, the system begins to collect and report data. The VisualPulse server window now displays a graphic representing each remote host you are tracking.

Note: If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser, this view is also available in the Web Interface and is listed on the Home page. While this view is not officially supported in other browsers, you can still navigate to the Real Time Monitor page if you wish by entering the URL of the VisualPulse server and port, followed by '/monitor', for example: http://www.myserver.com:82/monitor.

Both the Server and the Web Interface view

Fig 6.1: System Monitor Server Window

Fig 6.2: System Monitor window on the Web Interface (IE Only)

This Real Time Monitor resembles something akin to an EKG monitor, but in this case a 'flat line' is good. The 'health' of each connection is represented as follows:

At regular intervals, the system checks to determine whether or not the last ten packets sent to each host have been successfully returned.

If more than zero but less than five packets have been lost, the host name is highlighted with a yellow background.

If five or more packets have been lost, the host name is highlighted with a red background.

You can click on the host name to get a more detailed picture of current performance (see Host Graphs).

Any packet loss/error is also represented in the little rectangular window adjacent to each host name by a vertical red bar. Latency is also tracked in this window, represented by a vertical black bar. A black bar that spans the entire height of the window represents latency of 5 seconds or less.

7. History and Trace Reports

Choose History & Trace Route Reporting from the VisualPulse home page for the reporting options.

Anyone permitted by the Access Control List defined in Server Preferences (Fig 3.4) may connect to the VisualPulse server with a Java-enabled web browser, using the correct URL (host address/port number). Once connected, the VisualPulse home page (Fig 4.1) provides links to a set of pre-defined status snapshots and reports to assist you in analyzing host connectivity data. 'Status Snapshots' show current packet loss and latency information meeting certain criteria and distilled into a single average number by host.

They are useful for getting an idea, at a glance, of current Internet performance. 'Reports' represent data over a longer period of time (historical data), summarized at regular intervals. Among other things, this can help in establishing a trend or pattern of performance. Both 'Status Snapshots' and 'Reports' use color to highlight performance data: green representing numbers within an acceptable range, yellow indicating 'warning' threshold violations, and red indicating 'critical' threshold violations (these thresholds are defined on the Application Preferences page).

The user can simply click on the hyperlink time stamp in the right hand column to bring up the Trace Route view applet (see below).

Tip: When viewing a trace route the user can click the 'next trace' button to scroll through the trace routes in chronological order.

8. Filters

If you examine the pre-defined status snapshots provided via the VisualPulse home page you will notice that each uses a slightly different 'filter' to define the criteria used to produce that particular view. This filter consists of a combination of reserved words, operators, and numbers used to create an 'expression' (e.g. loss<10 or ms>200) and a time interval.

Fig 8.1: Filtering

You can create your own filters to produce a different summary view. Valid 'reserved words' are loss (packet loss) and ms (milliseconds). Valid operators are >, <, =, >=, <=, and, and or. Numbers are used to represent percent packet loss or number of milliseconds, depending on context. A value can be entered in the 'Minutes' field to specify the summarization time interval (the default is 5 minutes).

9. Custom Reports

Just as you can define custom status snapshots by using filters, you can also define custom reports using the 'Custom...' link on the VisualPulse home page. This allows you to tailor a report to your needs by designating a specific host, or group of hosts, you want included, the time range to be used, and the summarization intervals into which it should be divided. In addition, you can stipulate that the output be sent to an Excel import file or to a web page for direct viewing.

Fig 9.1: Custom

10. Host Graphs

VisualPulse provides the ability to click on an IP address to 'drill down' on any host listed in either a Status Snapshot or a Report to gain more detailed information. In both cases, the IP address is a 'hot link' to a detailed graph depicting latency and packet loss for that host.

Fig 10.1: Host Graph

By default, host graphs display live data. You are able to monitor packet loss and latency information in real time. However, you my optionally choose to plot historical data, and facilities are provided to allow you to specify a time span and summary interval which VisualPulse uses to retrieve and display this information:Time Span - Indicates time span to be reported in a historical plot. If 'Custom' is selected, this window is defined by the 'Begin' and 'End' fields.

Begin - The time span starting point. Modify by using arrow keys or right/left mouse clicks.

End - The time span ending point. Modify by using arrow keys or right/left mouse clicks.

Interval - The summarization interval used for historical data.

Plot live data - Indicates whether or not to plot live data, rather than historical data.

Fit to plot - Causes historical data to display such that the requested time span fills the entire plot window.

OK - Requests a new plot, using the criteria described above. Pressing the left mouse button and dragging across the graph provides popup information about a specific time interval (Fig 9.1). Pressing the left mouse button and dragging to the left or right on the time axis at the bottom of the chart causes the time intervals to expand or contract.

Fig 10.2: Change Time Summarization

11. Assistance Menu

The VisualPulse home page left-hand menu includes a section entitled ‘Assistance?’, which is reserved for links to additional diagnostic facilities external to VisualPulse:

Fig 11.1: Assistance Section

If you purchased the VisualRoute Server and have specified the 'VisualRoute Server' on the 'preferences' web page, a link to that application will appear under Tools. Future releases of VisualPulse will incorporate links to additional tools.

Fig 11.1 VisualRoute Server Link

Fig 11.2: VisualRoute Server

12. Running VisualPulse RE as a Windows Service

To run VisualPulse as a Windows service, follow these steps:

1. Setup and Configure VisualPulse as described above (to verify that VisualPulse is working properly before turning VisualPulse into a service).
   In DOS, navigate to the VisualPulse install directory and then type:

VisualPulseRouter -install  

2. Run the Services Manager (Control Panel) and start the "VisualPulseRouter" Service.

To remove the VisualPulse service, in DOS navigate to the VisualPulse install directory and then type:

VisualPulseRouter -uninstall

13. Recording VisualPulse Entries (Win Event Log)

To have VisualPulse record entries in the Windows event log, follow these steps:

1. Start a dos prompt and go to the VisualPulse install directory.

2. At the prompt enter:

regsvr32 VisualwareMessages.dll

this will come up with an regsvr32 OK button.

3. Exit the DOS Prompt

4. Configure the <VisualPulse install>/data/template.txt such that these window events are triggered, for example:

!!EVENT
::BODY
=============================
<test_state> Threshold Violation for <test_value> <metric_name> as <metric_value> exceeds threshold <metric_threshold> [ a detail warning explanation could go here { test_state = warning } ] [ a detail critical explanation could go here { test_state = critical } ] ============================= !!ENDEVENT

Once this is done the events will be recorded into the Application log of the Event Viewer

Appendices

A. Unix Notes
B. Release History

Appendix A: Unix Notes

Running as a user: Before VisualPulse can be run as a user (non-root), you need to grant the VisualPulse ping engine the privileges it needs in order to run.

The following commands should be submitted:

cd vipc/exe
su
Password: (enter password)
chown root:bin vrping1.*
chmod 4755 vrping1.*
exit

Running as a daemon service: For VisualPulse to be set up on Unix as a service/daemon, you will need to install the X virtual frame buffer software. This provides a virtual terminal without the need for a hardware console nor, even if the console is present, a sign on as this maybe construed a security issue. There is a VisualPulse shell script, VisualPulse.sh, provided for the placing in /etc/rc2.d. Basically the script has three environment variables at the beginning that the should be reviewed. They are:

• DISPLAY, this is required by the X software and VisualPulse.



• PATH, this needs three things to be present in its many directories. (1) the directory for the Java Runtime Environment executable. (2) the location of the directory for the X executables (3) the current directory for VisualPulse



• VRHOME, the installed directory of VisualPulse

Once these have been changed the script can be saved, named as S95VisualPulse and copied over to the boot directory. Please ensure that this will start after the X font server software at boot (the process is xfs) , as some X fonts are required for the Xvfb to function.

Appendix B: Release History

5.2c - February 6th, 2006

• Maintenance Release

5.1d - April 25th, 2005

• Maintenance Release

5.1c - April 15th, 2005

• Changes to the html response code for web pages that a browser requests of the VisualPulse engine, this conformant to RFCs.Spelling corrections in the event variable names.More information in the template file for events.
• Bug fix in the event dispatching Windows Event Log code, where previously extra garbage characters were appearing on the end of the event log text.

5.1b- April 1st, 2005 (build 2169)

• Improvements to the management of last email sending.Bug fix in plot applet for 4 port temptrax entities.Global and per host feature to suppress test type metrics for applets/plots.Performance improvements in the checking of event triggering code.
• Template documentation txt file spelling corrections.

5.0a - December 30th, 2004 (build 2076)

• Redesigned user interface provides significantly improved ease of use and navigation
• Improved email alerting provides greater flexibility and more targeted messaging of threshold violations

4.0d - August 9, 2004

• Improved Alerting Improved Security
• Improved Ease of Use

3.1a - July 8 2003

• First release Automatic trace route logging on alert conditions Trace Route viewer option Improved navigation Individual emails for each monitored IP Improved email handling Resolution to known report problems
• New license key management