Simple steps to support SNMP with Informix Server

Answer

This document describes a simple way to configure Informix for support SNMP. However, additional configuration may needed if you customize the SNMP setup at the Operating System (OS), and network manager level, which is out of the scope of this document.

The Informix database server installation procedure installs the "onsnmp" subagent and the server discovery process, as well as the files needed for SNMP support.

Here is the simple steps you should follow for default SNMP settings :

1) Stopped the OS internal SNMP service/daemon (snmpd). You need to use appropriate OS command to perform this operation (for example, use 'sudo stopsrc -s snmpd' on AIX).

2) Set the INFORMIXDIR environment variable to the latest installed version of the product.

3) Set the INFORMIXSERVER environment variable to a TCP/IP connection.

4) The PATH environment must include $INFORMIXDIR/bin directory.

5) Make sure that either the Network Information Services or the /etc/services file configures UDP ports 161, 162 as the SNMP ports and port 199 for smux, for example:
    snmp         161/udp
    snmp-trap    162/udp
    smux         199/udp

6) Add the following line to the operating system snmp configuration file for the SNMP master daemon (snmpd) to accept messages from Informix subagent (onsnmp):
    smuxpeer 0.0

7) Edit the Informix SNMP configuration file ($INFORMIXDIR/snmp/snmpr/snmpd.conf on UNIX platform or Windows equivalent) to send the SNMP trap messages to a specific IP address. First, remove all the previous entries from the section that begins with:

    #Entry type: snmpTargetAddrEntry

Next, create a new 'snmpTargetAddrEntry'. Following is an example of 'snmpTargetAddrEntry', where 'RaiderV2c' used as a snmpTargetAddrName, you can use any name, and used IP address '192.47.142.54' with snmpTargetAddrTAddress for redirect the SNMP trap message.

#Entry type: snmpTargetAddrEntry
#Format:  snmpTargetAddrName  (text)
#         snmpTargetAddrTDomain  (snmpUDPDomain, snmpIPXDomain, etc.)
#         snmpTargetAddrTAddress  (transport address,i.e. 192.47.142.54:0)
#         snmpTargetAddrTimeout  (integer)
#         snmpTargetAddrRetryCount  (integer)
#         snmpTargetAddrTagList  (text)
#         snmpTargetAddrParams  (text)
#         snmpTargetAddrStorageType  (nonVolatile, permanent, readOnly)
#         snmpTargetAddrTMask  (transport mask, i.e. 255.255.255.255:0)
#         snmpTargetAddrMMS  (integer)
snmpTargetAddrEntry RaiderV2c snmpUDPDomain 192.47.142.54:0 100 3 TrapTag \
    v2cExampleParams nonVolatile 255.255.255.255:0 2048

8) Start SNMP master agent and the onsrvapd server-discovery daemon as user "root". The runsnmp.ksh script automatically starts the EMANATE master agent . Before you run the following command, confirm no other process bind to any of the above UDP ports.
    sudo  $INFORMIXDIR/snmp/runsnmp.ksh start

Above command will generate similar message as follows:
------------------------------------------
runsnmp.ksh FYI   - Using INFORMIXDIR:/usr2/products/sr_11.70.FC5
runsnmp.ksh FYI   - Setting SR_AGT_CONF_DIR to /usr2/products/sr_11.70.FC5/snmp/snmpr
SNMP Research EMANATE Agent Version 16.2.0.27
Copyright 1989-2007 SNMP Research, Inc.
runsnmp.ksh FYI   - The SNMP Research Inc. master agent (snmpdm) started (pid  32344).
runsnmp.ksh FYI   - The server discovery daemon (onsrvapd) started (pid  32331).
------------------------------------------

The discovery process discovers multiple server instances running on the host. These instances might belong to different versions that are installed on different directories. Whenever a server instance is brought online, the discovery process detects it and creates an instance of 'onsnmp' subagent to monitor the database server.

9) Verify Informix MIBs are accessible using one of the following OS command:
  - sudo snmpinfo -m dump -c public | grep 1.3.6.1.4.1.893.1.1.1
  - sudo clsnmp -c public WALK 1.3.6.1.4.1.893.1.1.1

Importent:: You need an SNMP network manager to use the Informix implementation of SNMP, Informix does not provide the SNMP network manager and you need to consult the appropriate vendor to configuration it.