Citrix SCOM Management Pack – NetScaler

Navigation

• Install Citrix NetScaler Pack
• MP Agent Installation Account
• NetScaler Monitoring Account
• SCOM Device Discovery
• Install Citrix NetScaler Agent
• Import Management Packs
• NetScaler Monitoring RunAs Account
• Use Management Pack
• Citrix SCOM Management Packs – XenApp/XenDesktop

Requirements

• NetScaler Platinum Edition
• NetScaler 9.3 or newer
• System Center Operations Manager 2012 or newer

NetScaler Pack

Full documentation at http://docs.citrix.com/en-us/scom-management-packs/scom-management-pack-for-netscaler.html.

Install Citrix NetScaler Pack

1. On the System Center Operations Manager server, go to the downloaded Citrix SCOM Management Pack for NetScaler and run Citrix_SCOM_Management_Pack_for_NetScaler.exe.
   
2. In the Welcome to the InstallShield wizard for Citrix SCOM Management Pack for NetScaler page, click Next.
   
3. In the View Relevant Product Configuration page, click Next.
   
4. In the Customer Information page, enter a company name and click Next.
   
   
5. In the License Agreement page, click Yes.
   
6. In the Choose Destination Location page, click Next.
   
7. In the Start Copying Files page, click Next.
   
8. In the InstallShield Wizard Complete page, click Finish.
   

MP Agent Installation Account

Configure the MP Agent Installation Account as detailed for the XAXD Pack.

NetScaler Monitoring Account

On the NetScaler appliances, run the following commands to add a local account and bind it to a restrictive cmdPolicy. Replace the password with a secure password. If you leave the password off the command, then NetScaler will prompt you.

add system cmdPolicy polNetScalerMonitoring ALLOW (^show\s+system\s+\S+)|(^show\s+system\s+\S+\s+.*)|(^show\s+configstatus)|(^show\s+configstatus\s+.*)|(^shell\s+nsconmsg\s+-K\s+\S+\s+.*)

add system user usrNetScalerMonitoring MyPassword

bind system user usrNetScalerMonitoring read-only 1

bind system user usrNetScalerMonitoring polNetScalerMonitoring 1

show system user usrNetScalerMonitoring

SCOM Device Discovery

1. System Center Operations Manager uses SNMP to communicate with NetScaler. If Windows Firewall is enabled on the SCOM server, enable some Inbound and Outbound rules.
2. Inbound Rule: Operations Manager Ping Response.
   
3. Inbound Rule: Operations Manager SNMP Response.
   
4. Inbound Rule: Operations Manager SNMP Trap Listener.
   
5. Outbound Rule: Operations Manager Ping Request.
   
6. Outbound Rule: Operations Manager SNMP Request.
   
7. Make sure the NetScaler is configured with an SNMP community string at System > SNMP > Community.
   
8. If you have SNMP Managers configured, then make sure SCOM is in the list.
   
9. In SCOM Console, go to the Administration workspace, right-click, and click Discovery Wizard.
   
10. Select Network devices and click Next.
    
11. In the General Properties page, give the discovery rule a name. Select a SCOM server and resource pool to run the discovery rule. Then click Next.
    
12. In the Discovery Method page, select Explicit discovery and click Next.
    
13. In the Default Accounts page, if you are using SNMPv2 (instead of SNMPv3) to connect to NetScaler, then you can add the community string now. Click Create Account.
    
14. In the General Properties page, give the community string a display name and click Next.
    
15. In the Credentials page, enter the community string and click Create.
    
16. Then click Next.
    
17. In the Devices page, click Add.
    
18. Enter the hostname of the device.
19. Select the SNMP version.
20. If SNMPv2, select the community string. If SNMPv3, you can add the user account now.
21. Click OK when done.
    
22. Add more devices. Then click Next.
    
23. In the Schedule Discovery page, select how often you want this rule to run and click Next.
    
24. In the Summary page, click Save.
    
25. Click Yes to distribute the accounts.
    
26. In the Completion page, click Close.
    

Install Citrix NetScaler Agent

The Citrix SCOM Agent for NetScaler must be installed on the same SCOM server that is running the device discovery rule.

1. On the SCOM server, go to \\scom01\CitrixMPShare\NetScaler MP and run mpns_x64.msi.
   
2. In the Welcome to the InstallShild Wizard for Citrix SCOM Management Pack Agent for NetScaler page, click Next.
   
3. In the Ready to Install the Program page, click Install.
   
4. In the InstallShield Wizard Completed page, click Finish.
   

Import Management Packs

1. In SCOM Console, go to Administration workspace, right-click Management Packs and click Import Management Packs.
   
2. Click Add and then click Add from disk.
   
3. Connecting to the online catalog is not required.
4. Browse to C:\Program Files (x86)\Comtrade\NetScaler MP\Management Packs and select all of the .mp files.  Click Open.
   
5. Click Install.
   
6. Click Close when done.
   

NetScaler Monitoring RunAs Account

1. In SCOM console, go to Administration workspace, right-click and click Create Run As Account.
   
2. In the Introduction page, click Next.
3. In the General Properties page, change the account type to Basic Authentication.
4. Give the account a display name and click Next.
   
5. In the Credentials page, enter the credentials of the local monitoring account on the NetScalers and click Next.
   
6. In the Distribution Security page, best practice is to select More secure. But you’ll need to manually specify every agent that should receive these credentials. Click Create.
   
7. In the Completion page, click Close.
   
8. In the Administration workspace, go to Run As > Profiles.
9. Double-click Citrix NetScaler Appliance Action Account.
   
10. In the Introduction page, click Next.
11. In the General Properties page, click Next.
    
12. In the Run As Accounts page, click Add.
    
13. Select the previously created NetScaler monitoring account.
14. Change the selection to A selected class, group, or object. Then click Select > Object.
    
15. Search for the NetScaler appliances these credentials apply to, click Add, and then click OK.
    
16. Then click OK.
    
17. Click Save.
    
18. In the Completion page, if the Run As account is configured for Secure Distribution then click the link to specify Agents to receive the credentials.
    

Use Management Pack

In the Monitoring workspace, under Citrix NetScaler, your appliance should eventually show up. These views should give you an inventory of the NetScaler configuration, current health status, etc.

Related Pages

• Citrix SCOM Management Packs – XenApp/XenDesktop