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 Web Edition will attempt to start a web service on port 80, if there is already one running on port 80 VisualPulse Web Edition will ask the operating system to allocate another one. On the successful starting of VisualPulse Web 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: Monitored Systems Dialog

Configuring the Server Preferences

To configure the VisualPulse Web Server listening port go to the 'File | Server Console' menu option from the Server Window. The following Server Console appears:

Fig 3.3: VisualPulse Server Window

Select the 'Preferences...' button from the Server Console window in Fig 3.4 and you will see the Server Preferences dialog:

Fig 3.4: The Server Preferences Dialog

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 the ip address(es) listed can login to modify hosts

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., click 'OK' to exit the preferences page. You are now ready to restart the VisualPulse in-built web server.

Click on the 'Stop' button in the Server Console window (Fig 3.3) then click the 'Start' button. 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.

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 menu option

To enter your license key the user must select the 'Help | License Key...' menu option which will display the License Key dialog. 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: Expanded Ping Engine section

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: Expanded Testing Intervals section

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 information about HTTP (Web) Port 80 connectivity to a host machine by requesting a Web Page at regular intervals. The Web test involves sending an HTTP 'get' request to the port on the host and checking 1) if it is responded to indicating that the HTTP service  is operating and 2) how long it takes to receive the basic web page. This option allows you to define how often you will test the HTTP port 80 on the host as a ratio to the basic Ping test.

VisualPulse can also gather information about Sensatronics temperature sensors (visit their website for further details.) This TempTrax 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, 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: Expanded Global Latency Thresholds section

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, Web, TempTrax and SNMP 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 TempTrax Thresholds section appears:

Fig 4.6: Expanded TempTrax Thresholds section

You can set the Critical and Warning thresholds of the first four probes of the TempTrax sensor.

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

Fig 4.7: Expanded Reports section

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.

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

Fig 4.8: Expanded Monitor View section

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: Expanded Trigger Email Notifications section

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.

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 VisualRoute Server section appears:

Fig 4.10: Expanded VisualRoute Server section

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.

For VisualRoute 11 users you need to add /trace.html to the host and port. For example:

" visualroute.visualware.com:80/trace.html"

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

5. Monitored Systems 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 Systems 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 2 in fig 5.2 above the following Ping section appears:

Fig 5.3: Expanded Ping section

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 3 in fig 5.2 above the following Port section appears:

Fig 5.4: Expanded Port section

This section allows you to set various parameters to do with testing the application port of this host. The port number if left blank indicates no port test for this host.

By expanding Section 4 in fig 5.2 above the following Port section appears:

Fig 5.5: Expanded Web section

This section allows you to set the various parameters to do with testing the web server of this host. The URL if left blank indicates no Web test for this host.

By expanding Section 5 in fig 5.2 above the following TempTrax section appears:

Fig 5.6: Expanded TempTrax section

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

By expanding Section 6 in fig 5.2 above the following SNMP section appears:

Fig 5.7: Expanded SNMP section

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

By expanding Section 7 in fig 5.2 above the following Trigger Events section appears:

Fig 5.8: Expanded Trigger Events section

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

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.

Both the Server and the Web Interface view of the Real Time Monitor are shown below:

Fig 6.1: Real Time on the server

Fig 6.2: Real Time Monitor via Web Interface View (Internet Explorer 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).

You can click the hyperlinked column titles such as packet loss and you will be taken to the report for that statistic.

Fig 7.1: Status Snapshot

Fig 7.2: Report

If you have configured a VisualRoute Server in the 'Preferences' web page, a small 'VR' icon will appear next to each listed IP address in the summary area of a Snapshot or Report page:

Clicking on this 'VR' icon will cause a VisualRoute client applet to run and display traceroute information from the VisualPulse Server to the host at that address. (See example in section 12 below)

8. Trace Route Reports

The new VisualPulse automatic trace route facility will capture all the hop to hop information from server to the customer and stores the results in a log history file for later review by a  network engineer. The trace route data is very useful for identifying where in the Internet a routing problem is affecting the customer experience. One of the key problems is that if something goes wrong in the middle of the night then there is little chance of finding the problem the following day. Selecting Trace Report allows the user to list the details of up to 20 trace routes which VisualPulse has captured from a specific start time. A 'next' button allows the user to scroll through the trace route log in order to find a specific trace.

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).

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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:

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 data 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 11.1). 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:

12. Assistance Menu

The VisualPulse home page includes a left-hand menu section entitled 'Assistance?', which is reserved for links to additional diagnostic facilities external to VisualPulse and also the online manual page:

Fig 12.1: Assistance Section

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

Fig 12.1: VisualRoute Server link on main page

Fig 12.2: VisualRoute Server

13. Running VisualPulse 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).



2. In DOS, navigate to the VisualPulse install directory and then type:

   VisualPulse -install

3. Run the Services Manager (Control Panel) and start the "VisualPulse" Service.

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

VisualPulse -uninstall

To run VisualPulse version 2 as a windows service follow the steps above expect for the following commands:

1. jntsvc /install instead of VisualPulse -install


2. jntsvc /uninstall instead of VisualPulse -uninstall

14. 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 vip/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 2167)

• 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 2078)

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

4.0f - October 1, 2004 (build 1987)

• Maintenance Release

4.0b - May 28, 2004 (build 1859)

• Maintenance Release

4.0a - May 10, 2004 (build 1829)

• Major releaseMonitors SNMP device availability Monitors availability of TempTrax devices and reports temperature readings Retains data for graphic plots, history data appears after system restart Option to suspend monitoring of a host and corresponding threshold alerts Individual e-mail alerts per host, and improvements in multi-address handling SNMP Traps may be sent on threshold alerts Windows Event logging of threshold alerts (Windows systems only)Logging of sign-ons/sign-offs/failures Improved security in Access Control List, login access may be enabled or disabled by IP address Read-only access enabled for viewing reports New Wizard option simplifies adding new hosts to be monitored Improved interface for adding and modifying monitored hosts Reports are limited to configured tests only, unconfigured tests are not displayed Improved file structure, hosts.txt, startup.ini and AutoWebAcl.txt moved to install directory
• Input of license key on headless machine via a file

3.0a - October 21, 2002 (build 1276)

• Major 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

2.0e - July 11, 2002 (build 1174)

• Maintenance release

2.0d - February 8, 2002 (build 1022)

• Maintenance release

2.0c - November 28, 2001 (build 951)

• Maintenance release

2.0b - September 24, 2001 (build 885)

• Maintenance release

2.0a - September 18, 2001 (build 879)

• HTTP measures provide latency and error percent information for text download of critical Web pages and allow users to monitor Web page availability 24 hours a day TCP Port measures report the response of a specific TCP service so that application availability may be monitored. New report menus and individual threshold options support the new data types and provide instant notification of potential problems. Improved interface for adding IP addresses and/or host names. 'ALIAS' configuration option for IPs/Hosts. This allows the user to set a name for an IP address that is different from the hostname. If present, the alias is used in all reports. A '-nogui' command line option for Unix results in just a command line program. A new configuration page allows users to amend the Access Control List from the browser. Bulk IP address ranges added in a x.x.x.x - x.x.x.x format now look up the corresponding host names when added to the list.
• Improved report filters support individual assigned threshold values.

1.7c - July 30, 2001 (build 829)

• Maintenance release

1.7b - July 13, 2001 (build 812)

• Fixed SMTP problem with Windows NT servers

1.7a - June 18, 2001 (build 787)

• Server: can now bind to one address on a multihomed server
• Miscellaneous bug fixes

1.6c - May 4, 2001 (build 742)

• Miscellaneous bug fixes
• New installer reduces file size

1.6a - February 16, 2001 (build 663)

• Added support for thresholds per Host/IP
• Hotlinks capability

1.5a - June 30, 2000

• Advanced plotting features

1.4b - May 1, 2000

• e-mail threshold alerts

1.3c - February 9, 2000

1.3b - January 14, 1999

1.3a - December 15, 1999

• First public release