Customizing Device Types

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You can create and customize device types used in a map. You can supply your own icon when customizing devices, and set them up so that they are automatically mapped when you use the SmartScan or Scan tools.

Creating a Device Type

The device pool provides tools that let you add generic device types such as: workstation, host, server, router, bridge, hub, LAN box, container, subnet, or a customized device to your network map.

To create a new device type:

1. If you want the SmartScan or Scan tools to use a special icon when it finds this customized device, make sure you add vendor-provided identifiers to the MIB tree, see "Setting Up the MIB Identifiers". SmartScan will identify particular devices by their SNMP Object ID.
2. From the Configure menu, select Device Types.
   

The Device Types dialog box displays all of the available Device Types. Depending on the need, you can select one of the following options:

• New. To create a new device type, click New.
• Edit. To edit an existing device type, select it and click Edit.
• Copy. To copy an existing device type, select it and click Copy.
• Delete. You can only delete a customized device type, select it and click Delete. Generic device types will resist deletion.
• Click New.
  
• Enter a Template Name for the new device.
• In the Icon Filename text box, browse to the name of an icon file that you want to use.

Examples of suitable .ico and .emf files can be found in your WhatsUp Gold directory.

To edit this icon, click the Edit Device Icon button . This will open the icon in VDevice where you can edit it or just view it. See "To change one of the standard icons:". For even more information on VDevice, see the VDevice help file.

Note: VDevice is the ONLY icon editor you can use for modifying icons within WhatsUp Gold.

6. (Optional) In the SNMP Object text box, enter an SNMP identifier (or use the browse button to find one) that corresponds to a vendor device type; this is usually found in the "private -> enterprises" section of the MIB tree, under the vendor name.

SmartScan and Scan will discover and map devices using the SNMP identifiers. To identify SNMP manageable devices, you must also enter the proper Community name and, if you use the Scan tool, select Identify via SNMP.

You can use multiple identifiers. For example, suppose a manufacturer named Acme makes three devices: the Acme 4500, the Acme 4501, and the Acme 4502. You could define one customized device type to represent any Acme device in the 4500 series; in the SNMP Object box, you would enter the three SNMP identifiers for the Acme 4500, 4501, and 4502.

The Scan tool will use the icon for any of the three devices. Separate multiple SNMP object identifiers by semi-colons. The last number in the identifier can be an asterisk, a range using hyphens, or contain multiples separated by commas. For example:

1.3.6.1.4.1.311.1.1.3.1.3

1.3.6.1.4.1.311.1.1.3.1.3;1.3.6.1.4.1.311.1.1.3.1.4

1.3.6.1.4.1.311.1.1.3.1.3,4

1.3.6.1.4.1.311.1.1.3.1.1,3-4

1.3.6.1.4.1.311.1.1.3.1.*

Note: Device types are stored in the hosttype.ini file. WhatsUp Gold uses the device icon for the first applicable object identifier it finds in hosttype.ini. Thus, if a device type "Cisco 3xxx" (1.3.6.1.4.1.9.1.32-37) appears before "Cisco 3204" (1.3.6.1.4.1.9.1.37), WhatsUp Gold uses the "Cisco 3xxx" icon for the "Cisco 3204" device.

7. In the DblClk Action box, select the desired action. See "Changing the double-click action for a Customized Device" below.
8. In the AutoRun Cmd box, enter a script or program name. See "Running a script or program for customized devices" below.
9. Select the Monitoring Method (polling method) of the device. If the Monitoring Method is TCP/IP, select whatever services (you MUST select at least one) you want to monitor by default when you create a device of this type. For more information, see "The Polling Method".
10. In the Overlay Text box, you can enter a word or two which will overlay the device icon to help differentiate this device. For example, "HP Laser" to help differentiate this device from other printers which use the same icon.
11. Services. Select the services you want this device to monitor.
12. Click OK to save the new device type.

Changing the Double-Click Action for Customized Devices

To change the action that occurs when you double-click a customized device's icon:

• Select a preconfigured action from the list:

  [default] - opens the device properties
  [snmp] - starts the SNMP tool
  [telnet] - calls telnet.exe
  [ping] - starts the Ping tool
  [trace] - starts the Traceroute tool
  [browse] - starts the default browser using the IP address

• Alternatively, enter a program name in the DblClk Action text box. For example, to start WS_FTP Pro, you enter: ftp95pro.exe. Enter appropriate variables to pass parameters to the specified program. See "Program Variables".

Running a script or program for customized devices

You can set a program to run automatically whenever a scan (SmartScan or Scan) maps a customized device.

1. Enter a script or program name in the Autorun Cmd text box.
2. You can enter the same values and variables described above for "changing the double-click action."

Add Web Menu Items to Devices

Device types can have some additional functionality that is not defined in the Device Types Properties box. You can add Web menu items to a device by editing the hosttype.ini files directly. Web menu items appear on the device's web page (as a button).

GUI Menu Items [hosttype] MCOUNT=count of menu items MNAMEn=display name MCMDn=command line MARGn=arguments (n is a number from 0 to MCOUNT-1)

WEB Menu Items [hosttype] WCOUNT=count of menu items WNAMEn=display name WCMDn=URL WARGn=arguments (n is a number from 0 to WCOUNT-1)

Arguments that are valid in MCMD or WCMD lines: %a=address %R=read community (also 'c') %W=write community %n=hostname %l=object name (l=lower case L) %1=info 1 %2=info 2 %T=hosttype %O=host SNMP object id

To add a web menu item to a device type:

1. WhatsUp Gold must be shut down.
2. Go to the program file directory where WhatsUp Gold resides and open the hosttype.ini file.
3. Decide which device type you want to add the menu item to.

Note: For this example, we are adding a menu item called "Ipswitch" to the [Old NT System] device type. When the user goes to the web and opens the map containing this device, they will see a button called "Ipswitch" and when they click on it, they will be taken to the Ipswitch web page.

In the hosttype.ini file:

Below is an example of what may be seen in the hosttype.ini file for the Old NT System device type:

[Old NT System]
BMPNAME=OldNTWorkstation.emf
SCOUNT=0
OBJID=1.3.6.1.4.1.311.1.1.3.1
EXECUTE=
AUTORUN=
TYPE=0
OVERLAYTEXT=Old NT
WCOUNT=0
MCOUNT=0

1. Go to WCOUNT=0 and change the 0 to a 1 (we are adding 1 menu item)
2. Press Enter on your keyboard to get the cursor in a blank space below WCOUNT=1
3. Type: WNAME0=Ipswitch (Remember, n is a number from zero to MCOUNT minus 1) Also Ipswitch is the name that will appear on the button once we get to the web interface for WhatsUp Gold.
4. Press Enter on your keyboard to get the cursor in a blank space below WNAME0=Ipswitch.
5. Type: WCMD0= HTTP://WWW.IPSWITCH.COM (Remember, we want the button to take you to the Ipswitch web page)
6. Select File and Save.

Hosttype.ini file, BEFORE your changes

[Old NT System] BMPNAME=OldNTWorkstation.emf SCOUNT=0 OBJID=1.3.6.1.4.1.311.1.1.3.1 EXECUTE= AUTORUN= TYPE=0 OVERLAYTEXT=Old NT WCOUNT=0 MCOUNT=0

Hosttype.ini file, AFTER your changes

[Old NT System] BMPNAME=OldNTWorkstation.emf SCOUNT=0 OBJID=1.3.6.1.4.1.311.1.1.3.1 EXECUTE= AUTORUN= TYPE=0 OVERLAYTEXT=Old NT WCOUNT=1 WNAME0=Ipswitch, WCMD0= HTTP:\\WWW.IPSWITCH.COM MCOUNT=0

To see the results:

1. Start WhatsUp Gold, and open a map.
2. Pick the device you want to use, and go to the device properties and select General.
3. In the Type list box, select "Old NT System" and click OK.
4. Go to the web and select the same map that contains this device.
5. Click on the device you modified and you will see a button on the right side of the page called "Ipswitch".
6. Click on the button and it will take you to the Ipswitch web page.

Note: You can use the same principles demonstrated in this example to name your own button, and have it execute the activity that you specify in the hosttype.ini file.

Using the Customized Devices on a Map

To use the customized device type on a network map:

1. In the device pool, click the Custom Device Types button.
   
2. All customized device icons are now visible to you.
3. Click and drag the desired device type to the map location where you want to add the device.
4. After you have finished dragging the desired icons to the map, click the "Map" tab to take the map back to "Monitor Mode". Your icon(s) are now on the map.

Scanning and Mapping a Device

If you want the scan (SmartScan) to identify a customized device type, such as a Cisco 4000 router, and use a custom icon for the device, you can do the following:

1. Define a device type. Make sure you enter the appropriate identifier in the SNMP Object text box in the "Device Type Properties" dialog box.
2. If you are using Discover your network using ICMP:
   • Start a scan of the appropriate IP addresses.
   • When prompted, enter the SNMP Read Community name assigned to your network. You can enter multiple communities, separated by a comma (,). The scan checks SNMP communities in the order that they are specified.
3. If you are using Discover your network using SNMP SmartScan, enter the network's SNMP Communities name and start the scan. You can enter multiple community names, separated by a comma (,). The scan checks SNMP communities in the order that they are specified.

If any of these conditions are not met, the scan will use one of the WhatsUp Gold generic device icons (specifically workstation).

Ipswitch, Inc. http://www.ipswitch.com

©Ipswitch 2001