Now it is time to start integrating vRealize Network Insight with Log Insight and Operations Manager. I will use AD accounts for most of these integrations, which is why I covered this in a brief post in step two.
I will cover three parts in this post.
- Syslog configuration
- Integration with Log Insight
- vRealize Operations Management Pack and configuration
Syslog configuration
The syslog configuration is possibly the easiest part, so lets do that first.
You find the Syslog settings on the settings page of the platform controller –> Settings –> Logs –> Syslog Configuration
It is quite simple, I entered the virtual IP of my LB address of the Log Insight server. In cases where you have multiple sites and perhaps multiple sys log servers you can add a second syslog server. Note the Protocol is udp, and this can not be changed currently.
Once you have add the syslog servers you get options for some more settings. I generally pointed these towards my primary Log Insight server apart from the collectors which I set to point to the Syslog server for each site.
That is it for the syslog configuration. It may take a few minutes for logs to show up in vRealize Log Insight.
Integration with Log Insight
For the second topic, this covers installing the content pack and configuring it to use with Log Insight. The content packs are packs that are available from the VMware Solution Exchange, which gives you more specific information on Network Insight for example over changes to security groups in NSX. one important note is, most content packs come with some sort of dashboards. This one currently does not. So there is nothing fancy to find under vRealize Network Insight and Dashboards. That is planned that way!
Once the Content pack is downloaded you can install it via the Content Packs in Log Insight (There is a post about installing content packs in Log Insight here).
Once the content pack is installed then you need to configure some settings as highlighted on the final page of the Content Package installation, as highlighted in the second paragraph here:
To configure this we need to go to the setting page of the vRealize Network Insight server. From there to “Accounts and Datasources” and “Select Add Source”.
Towards the bottom you have Log Insight. Click on that. The following page comes up, to fill in with details.
Validate the settings and press Submit to complete the Log Insight Source. Now we get to the Webhook part. A Window pops up and you get a Webhook URL. Copy this and go to your Log Insight server. Note you have to use the same credentials as you used to validate the connection.
Once in Log Insight go to Interactive Analysis and on the right side of the search field find the red bell and click on it:
A window pops up. Search for vRNI like below, Select the Content pack option and click on enable. Paste the contents in from the WEbhook you copied in vRNI and click on “enable”.
Hopefully you should now have a LogInsight integration in vRealize network Insight. if you have a second site (or more) with vRLI, then do the same for the second site.
That’s it for integration of vRealize Network Insight with vRealize Log Insight. Since the Content pack does not include dashboards you will not get any information when you go to Dashboards.
vRealize Operations Management Pack and configuration
So finally we get to the vROps part. Like the Log Insight part you need to head over to the VMware Solutions Exchange and download the latest management pack for vRNI. You need to install it in vROPs. I have a post here on how to add Content packs for vROps in case you need it. Please keep in mind that this content pack, like the Log Insight content pack does not come with view, reports, or Dashboards. It is mainly for Alerts, Symptoms and Recommendations, that you install this pack.
Once it is installed the rest is quite simple, you need to log into vROps and go to the Administration tab.
From there go to Solutions –> Other Accounts and click on Add Account
On there select the vRNI box.
Here you need to fill in the info, and if you do not have a credential already, you need to create one.
The LDAP box should look something like this (with your own respective domain etc of course.
Finally once the validation is successful, click on “Add” To add the connection. And that should be that pretty much.
After a little while you should have data from vRNI in your vRealize Operationss solution. On a final note, if you check the content pack, you will see again that there is no Dashboards, views or templates. It is mainly for alert and symptom definitions as well as recommendations that you install this content pack.
That should be it for integrating vRNI with other VMware monitoring solutions.