Device Templates

A Device Template is set of pre-loaded device details such as device type, category, monitoring interval, unique SysObject ID and performance monitors.

What is the purpose of a device template?

• Device templates help in automatically classifying the device under a specific device type (device model) and associate the necessary performance monitors during the process of device discovery.
• It enables you to effect a configuration once and apply it to several devices at a time whenever there is a change.

OpManager MSP comes with over 10000 device templates which carry the initial configurations to classify the devices into the pre-defined device types, thereby greatly reducing the deployment time. However, you can further define custom templates or modify the existing ones to meet your environmental needs.

Basic configuration

If you are looking just to classify your device based on device type and category upon initial device discovery,

1. Go to Settings -> Configuration -> Device Templates.
2. Click on the Add Template option.
3. Enter the mandatory fields - Device template name, vendor, category, availability monitoring interval and device image.
4. Define a unique device identifier either by providing the SysObject ID (via SNMP) or by selecting a CLI command from Device Identifiers drop down (via CLI) and specify a matching condition that compares the provided value with the command output.
5. Click on Save.

Once the discovery is initiated, OpManager MSP automatically classifies the discovered devices based on the matching device type, and starts monitoring the devices for its availability or uptime and generates device Up/Down alarms.

Advanced configuration

You can add multiple device identifiers either by SNMP-based (using SysOID) or by CLI-based (using command output). You can also edit existing ones to enable more precise device classification.

Once the template is saved, these changes will be automatically applied to matching devices during future discoveries or rediscoveries. You can also manually associate them if needed.

Properties required to create a new device template

• Device Template Name: The device model name. This will be determined as the device model in the inventory list.
• Vendor Name: The vendor name of device. You can either select from the existing list of vendors or add a new vendor.
• Category: The category your device belongs in (server, desktop, WLC, storage devices, etc). This helps OpManager MSP categorize similar device types together and organize better. You can either select from the existing list of categories or add a new one. Learn more about device categories.
• Monitoring Interval: The interval at which OpManger contacts the device for availability monitoring. You can also edit the monitoring interval of devices in bulk or category wise from the Quick Configuration Wizard under Settings. Learn more.
• Device Image: A image or icon that represents a particular device type. You can either select from the available set of icons or create a customized image.
• Device Identifier: In OpManager MSP, a Device Identifier helps accurately detect a device’s model or type for effective monitoring. SNMP-based identification uses the system Object Identifier (sysOID), retrieved via the OID .1.3.6.1.2.1.1.2 as defined in RFC1213 MIB. You can manually enter the sysOID or let OpManager MSP fetch it automatically if the device is reachable. Alternatively, use the MIB Browser to query the sysOID for devices not yet added.
  OpManager MSP also supports CLI-based identifiers,that consists of a CLI command and a matching condition that compares the provided value with the command output to identify the device uniquely.
Note: Please note that every sysID should be unique and should not be repeated for multiple device categories or types. You will not be able to create two device templates with the same sysOID value. However, to differentiate similar devices with different templates, multiple sysOID criteria can be included while specifying the device identifier. For example, if a Linux Redhat and Linux Ubuntu device types hold the same SysOids, it can be classified using different sysOid criteria.
Similarly, it’s recommended to define unique criteria in CLI identifiers to ensure accurate device classification. To distinguish between similar devices assigned to different templates, you can specify multiple criteria within the CLI identifier. For instance, if two templates match the same initial criteria, you can still differentiate them by adding extra CLI commands or using alternate matching conditions.
• Associated Monitors: A set of monitors that are automatically associated with the devices during discovery. You can either
  
  • Associate existing vendor based and performance monitors.
  • Create a new custom SNMP or WMI monitor. Learn more.
• Edit Thresholds: Helps you edit the thresholds values of the associated monitors. Select the monitor and edit thresholds to receive alerts and notifications accordingly.
• Associating templates: Once monitors are assigned and thresholds are set, you can further customize how it should reflect. The 'Associate' option lets you apply the changes to monitors added in the future. The 'Associate and Overwrite' option lets you overwrite the changes to all the existing monitors.