I have been working with MLM for few days, but I observed some questions that I
am not sure because there are a little references for it (manuals, ...),
specially on NT.
1) I believe that all communications between MLM and NetView, after its
installation, is done by SNMP Messages. If we look in MLM MIB, we can see all
entities used to administrate, to create collects, discovering, etc. So, all
that Netview APM or MLM Configuration Application do is to set up these MIB
objects. I would like to get a confirmation this.
Therefore, without using APM, you can see the MIB objects of a MLM (by using a
MIB browse in Netview) to check if all is OK.
2) MLM is a subagent that communicates by SMUX protocol in Unix System ( I am
not sure
about Solaris). On NT, I don´t know how, but I think there is a similar process
because it is installed as a process that communicate with SNMP services.
3) Netmon has to be started with a option to recognize MLMs subagents (like
-G). After that, netmon searchs in the network´s SNMP Agents to get MLM
subagents. If it find someone, it will delegate the discovering (if you ask)
and status monitoring to MLM subagent. I think all these process is carried
out by SNMP messages.
4) I have some doubts. Using MIB browse, I saw that MLM for NT doesn´t have
Collection objects from MLM MIB. So I can not use NT MLM to do distributed
collects. In fact, when I tried to distribute some collects by APM, this
process failed. Is that right? I think so, and more : I think all you can do by
using NT MLM is discovering and status monitoring processes. Is that right?
----- Mensagem original -----
De: Discussion of IBM NetView and POLYCENTER Manager on NetView
[SMTP:NV-L@UCSBVM.UCSB.EDU] Em nome de Peter Farr
Enviada em: Segunda-feira, 5 de Julho de 1999 12:18
Assunto: MLM collection download process
Can anyone explain to me how the MLM collection download process works? I am
working in a NetView/MLM 5.1.1 environment (NetView on AIX 4.x and MLM on
Windows NT 4.0), and we are seeing some problems related to distributing
collections. As I understand it, the netmon daemon will occasionally
download a new collection file to each MLM, but I would like to understand
this better. Some questions come to mind, like:
1) What triggers a download?
2) What protocol is used (e.g. proprietary sockets or RPC connection, or
just an ftp)? There appears to be some sort of SNMP query activity around
this transfer as well.
3) At what point does netmon expect the MLM to take over the status
monitoring function? After download is complete? After receiving some
confirmation that the file was accepted? After the MLM actually begins/ends
its first status monitoring cycle?
4) What processing is the collection file subjected to at the MLM? There
appears to be some name/address resolution at minimum.
5) Are there some intermediate and final files created on the MLM we can use
to verify the state of the download?
Regards...
Peter Farr
Network Systems Engineer
International Network Services (INS) Canada
Pager: (800) INS-1-INS or (888) 548-6174
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