Argent offers powerful, robust monitoring and alerting capabilities. And you likely have a framework product, like HP OpenView, IBM Tivoli, or CA Unicenter.

There are two ways to integrate Argent with a framework : direct integration or with SNMP traps.

This integration isn’t limited to simply sending events from Argent to the framework. You can also have complete synchronization.

So when events are updated in the framework, the information can automatically be communicated back to the Argent Console, ensuring the most up-to-date information is available in both products.

Integrating With SNMP Frameworks

SNMP uses a distributed system of agents, and a central host running the framework product.

Utilizing SNMP services requires two components — an SNMP management system, and an SNMP agent. When integrating Argent with an SNMP console, the Argent Console assumes the role of SNMP agent.

The easiest way to connect Argent to an SNMP console is to forward Argent information as an SNMP trap.

A trap is just a message sent by an SNMP agent to an SNMP console. This can be easily accomplished by using the SNMP Alerts in Argent.

The Argent SNMP Alerts causes Argent Console to send an SNMP trap containing the details of the broken Rule.

The rest of the configuration of the trap — including the destinations, the community string, and so on — is configured under Windows’ SNMP Service configuration.

Once the SNMP Alerts are configured, you use them in Relator definitions. When a Rule is broken, an SNMP trap will be sent to the SNMP console, including all the relevant information.

The Argent Console generates its own entries in the MIB of the machine where it is installed.

The Argent enterprise number is 1.3.6.1.4.1.2940.1

The contents of the SNMP trap can be customized to communicate specific information to the SNMP management console.

An SNMP console can be configured to read the contents of the Argent Console. The individual console entries can also be answered using the SNMP command Set.

Synchronizing With Tivoli

Argent can easily integrate with Tivoli, so you can synchronize events monitored by Argent with Tivoli.

The Argent Console fires specified alerts for each event it records.

When Tivoli synchronization is enabled in the Argent Console, events are also sent to Tivoli.

You can forward all Argent events to Tivoli, or only those with specific priority levels.

Also you can forward events to Tivoli more selectively by using a System Help Desk Alert in their Relators.

You can also enable synchronization from Tivoli to Argent. This way, events updated in the Tivoli console are updated in Argent Console, as well.

Tivoli Parameters

When events are sent from Argent to Tivoli, the data sent includes:

Severity

This is 50/40/30 (which corresponds to High/Medium/Low priority).

Msg

The short description of the event.

Engine

The main Argent Console engine that fired the alert.

PCKEY

The unique identifier for the Argent event record. When combined with the Engine value, it is globally unique.

Operator

The operator’s name.

Status

This is 0/20 (which corresponds to Not Answered/Answered).

For more information on Tivoli, please see IBM Tivoli Software