The Event Configuration
The Event Configuration

Event notification in ASWM is bases on a two-layer filtering architecture. First of all, any event has to pass through the global filter and reaches to each event notifier. Likewise, there is another filtering mechanism that is conducted in front of each event notifier. An event notifier will finally capture those events that have already past the first and the secondary filter.

Control Event Notifiers

In general, each event notifier can be activated or deactivated as your requirement except the notifier of system logs and the notifier of message LED. If you disable some certain event notifiers, all events will never be sent to these event notifiers anymore unless they are activated again.

At present, there are eight event notifiers in ASWM:
  • Event Notifier of System Logs: ASWM notifies events by recording entries in OS event logs.
  • Event Notifier of Message LED: If your system has a message LED in the front panel, ASWM notifies events by lighting on, off, or flash the message LED. The behavior depends on the internal definition in ASWM agent.
  • Event Notifier of SNMP Trap: ASWM notifies events by sending SNMP traps.
  • Event Notifier of Pager Caller: ASWM notifies events by calling a specific page number.
  • Event Notifier of Short Message: ASWM notifies events by sending short messages.
  • Event Notifier of e-Mail: ASWM notifies events by sending e-mails.
  • Event Notifier of Action: ASWM notifies events by execute action defined by you. Each of these actions has its individual event filtering. Each action can execute an application, or reboot system, or shutdown (power off) the system.

Fig. The centralized page to control the enable/disable of notifiers

Event Notifiers

Each event notifier may have its separate configuration. When you click the "Configuration" tab after entering the menu of "Event Configuration", you will see a combo box that lists all configurable event notifiers. Switch to the preferred event notifier and begin to configure it. There is a round button nearby the right side of the information panel, which allows you to refresh the content of the information panel being up to date.

Event Notifier Action

Select from the "add an action" item from the operational Combo box first. Fill the action name with "Do it", then click the "Apply" button. Now you have a new action named "Do it".

You should specify the following items when editing the configuration of an action.

  • Action Name: It's read-only for your reference.
  • Action Type: There are three types of actions that the notifier can take: a). Run an application: As the name shows, when a certain event is coming, a corresponding application will be run, so you must give an executable file path. b). Reset System. c). Shutdown System.
  • Event Mode, Event Level & Sensors/Sensor groups: These are similar to the Base Filtering Policy, Event Level and Sensors/Sensor groups in the section of Event Filter. Please reference them there. They point out which kinds of events this action is or is not interesting on.
  • Delay Time: You specify the delay time to execute the action, in seconds, after the correlative event comes. It means the action that is responsible for the events will not be executed immediately until the delay time is up. You may still have some available time to do something if you recognized that an action would soon be launched.
  • Application Path: The path will specify the location of the application that will be run.
  • Is Active: This indicates whether this action is active or not. If it is inactive, then the action will not be launched even the event comes unless it is active again.
  • Is Deletable: This indicates whether this action can be deleted or not. It is read-only. In the future, ASWM might predefine some actions before it is shipped, thus those actions would be not deletable by default.
After set the parameters as you need, don't forget to click "Apply" button of that action, then the change will take effect.

For example, to setup an action that will shutdown the system if the CPU temperature is higher than critical threshold values, you could take the following steps:

  1. Choose "Add an action" in Operation field.
  2. Type an action name. For example, "Too hot"
  3. Click the topmost "Apply" button to confirm the action adding.
  4. A new action "Too hot" shows up after the ASWM reacted.
  5. Choose "Shutdown system" in Action Type field.
  6. Click "Ignore all events except the lists below" in Event Mode field.
  7. Click "Critical event" in Event Levels field.
  8. Select "CPU 1 Temperature" and add it into the list of Sensors/Sensor Groups field.
  9. Click the ""Apply" button that is associated to this action.
Now you have an action that will react when the temperature of CPU 1 is too hot.


Fig. The Configuration of Notifier Action

Event Notifier System Log

This notifier has nothing special to configure. All you can adjust is the favored language you want ASWM to record into the system logs. After set the parameters as you need, don't forget to click "Apply" button of that action, then the change will take effect.


Fig. The Configuration of Notifier System Log

Event Notifier e-Mail

Before using this notifier, you must already have an e-mail account on some mail server such as in your MIS department. The mail content is a single string, which is specified as follows:

[%Host] %Name (%Status): %Time. %Description

%Host is the IP address of the computer that signaled the event. %Name is the sensor or group name from which the event comes from. %Status is the event status or configuration status. %Time is the time when the event happened. And %Description is some additional comment about the event.

You should specify the following items:

  • Authentication: This indicates whether the SMTP server requires authentication or not. On a Linux platform, since the notifier uses local sendmail for the mailing, it may always not need it.
  • SMTP Port: This indicates the port number used by SMTP service. In general, it is port 25. (Not available on a Linux platform)
  • SMTP Host Name: It is SMTP server's IP address. You can give FQDN or IP address of the SMTP server. (Not available on a Linux platform)
  • Mail From Address: The e-mail address indicates who sends this mail.
  • Mail To Address: The mail address receives this mail.
  • Mail CC Address: The carbon-copy (CC) mail address. You can ignore it if you do not have any.
  • SMTP Account Name: This is the user account to login the SMTP server when your SMTP requires login authentication. (Not available on a Linux platform)
  • SMTP Password: The password of the SMTP account. (Not available on a Linux platform)
  • Test SMTP By Sending Mail: Send a testing e-mail now. If this combo box is set to "Do test", and you click the "Apply" button, then a testing e-mail will be posted to the addresses.
  • Statistic Interval: The time interval used to make statistic of failure rate of e-mail sending. For example, If the interval is "1 Day", the system will produce a statistic every day.
  • Language: You specify the favorite language that will be used in e-mails.
Some Information is returned from the notifier for your reference.

  • Total Sent Mails: The total number of mails sent in the specified time interval.
  • Total Undelivered Mails: The total undelivered mail count in the specified time interval.
  • Recent Result of Mail Sending: The description of the status returned by the mail server to indicate some information of the mail being sent recently.
After set the parameters as you need, don't forget to click "Apply" button of that action, then the change will take effect.


Fig. The Configuration of Notifier e-mail

Event Notifier Pager Caller

The notifier calls your pager by a MODEM attached to the system's COM port. During the process of a character transmission, the notifier sends one start bit to indicate the beginning of character transmission, and then the notifier sends some bits of data followed by a parity bit for the sake of data integrity. At last, some stop bits are sent to notify the ending of transmission. For more detail, please refer to transmission protocol of RS-232 or TAP (Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol).

The content sent to pager is a string, which is specified as follows:

[%Host] %Name (%Status): %Time. %Description

%Host is the IP address of the computer that signaled the event. %Name is the sensor or group name from which the event comes from. %Status is the event status or configuration status. %Time is the time when the event happened. %Description is some additional comment about the event.

Before use this notifier, you should contact a local pager service provider to get a pager number.

You should specify the following items:

  • COM port: It specifies which COM port connected by a MODEM that the notifier can use.
  • Baud Rate: Baud Rate is the number of bytes sent by the MODEM per second.
  • Parity: It specifies the parity scheme to be used, either even or odd. Parity bit is a bit compensated by us to keep the number of ones (high bit) being even or odd. For example, when we use odd parity scheme and if the data we sent is 0100110 which is seven bits long, since there are only three high bits (1) which is already odd, so we append a "parity zero" on it; otherwise, if the data we sent was 0100111, then we append a "parity one" instead of "parity zero" to it.
  • Stop Bit: it specifies the number of stop bits to be used.
  • Byte Size: It specifies the number of bits in a byte transmitted and received. The bigger the byte size means the faster the transmission, but the bigger and disturbed sending rate.
  • Dial Mode: It specifies the dial mode of a MODEM. In most circumstances, we use tone mode.
  • Phone Number: The phone number for your service provider's terminal.
  • Page Number: The pager number that will receive the paging message.
  • Password: Most carriers don't use a password, so the default value is empty here.
  • Max Characters: In general, a page characters number is up to 240. The default value is 240.
You can select the language you are using. After set the parameters as you need, don't forget to click "Apply" button of that action, then the change will take effect.


Fig. The Configuration of Notifier Page Caller

Event Notifier Short Message

This notifier allows user to send short message to a mobile phone through the Internet. The short message will be firstly sent to a contracted SMS service provider called Simplewire?, who will then transfer it to the proper carrier. Then the latter will send the short message to the subscriber (i.e., a mobile phone). Simplewire? is a wireless messaging infrastructure and software provider. It provides a unique platform and some tools of wireless applications for business purpose. The Simplewire? Wireless Messaging Network currently supports 400+ networks in over 150 countries. The notifier is accomplished by using SDK of Simplewire? Co. In order to make it work, you have to set up an account for Simplewire?'s short message service. Please log on the Simplewire?'s web site to create your own account at http://www.Simplewire.com/. There are different kinds of accounts offered, such as evaluation account and commercial account. Commercial account is strongly recommend because it allows longer length of short message and provides better post service. All short messages will be sent on the quantity of credits that you are purchasing from Simplewire?.

Simplewire? provides worldwide carrier coverage, which almost covers most parts of the world. For a complete and up-to-date list, please refer to http://www.Simplewire.com/developers/knowledge/reference/coverage/index.html.

This notifier doesn't work properly if your message's destination is not covered in carrier coverage, If it fails to send, it might be caused by any outage in network of Simplewire?, or your credits have been run out, and so on. Browse the URL at http://www.Simplewire.com/support/ to get further help.

To send a real message, you must setup your account to be an evaluation or a commercial account by purchasing corresponding credits. For an evaluation account, messages will always include the "Simplewire Evaluation" tag that commercial account eliminates. Simplewire? also provides virtual phone for testing short messages, this sort of short message can be sent to their web site without charging any fee.

Those items in Event Notifier of Short Message are:

  • Subscriber ID: To obtain the service of Simplewire?, you should get an account, and the correct password from Simplewire? Co. You should fill the account ID here.
  • Subscriber Password: To obtain the service of Simplewire?, you should get an account, and the correct password from Simplewire? Co. This item is the account password.
  • Message to Phone Number: This is the mobile phone number to which short message is received. It should be in international format: +(country code)(mobile phone number). For example: +86 139123456789.
  • Name of sender: This is the name of the sender will be attached into the short messages and it shows who has sent the short message.
  • Message From Phone Number: This item let the receiver know about the call back phone number for the sender, by which he can contact with. It should be set in the same format as Message to Phone Number.
  • Proxy Type: If you wish to use a proxy server, you should give this option for proxy type. Currently, three sorts of proxies are supported: " SOCKS4"," SOCKS5"and "HTTP". You can choose it from the combo box. The administrator of the TCPI/IP network should know the proxy type.
  • Proxy Server: The IP address or hostname (or FQDN) of the Proxy Server.
  • Proxy Port: The port number used by the Proxy Server.
  • Proxy Username: Some proxy server might require authentication for access. In that case, you should set this proxy username.
  • Proxy password: Some proxy server might require authentication for access. So this field is for the proxy's password.
  • Test SMS by Sending Short Message: This is a operation that sends a test message of "This is a test message", which is useful to test the network status and diagnosis. When you want to test the network status, choose "Do test", then a test message will be sent out.
  • Statistic Interval: The result of sent short messages will be kept somewhere by the notifier, so that you can check the history easily. You can choose the interval, such as 1 Day, 7 Days or 30 Days, with the combo box.
  • Message Quota: Since sending short messages is not free, this sets an upper limit for your ASWM the total number of messages it can send. See the next item for more detailed information.
  • Reset Message Counter: There is a Message Counter that records about how many messages have been sent. If that number is equal to Message Quota, no more short message can be sent until you reset the Message Counter. This is an intelligent mechanism that allows you to prevent ASWM from sending too many messages in duration of time in case nobody watches out for this. To reset the Message Counter to be 0, then ASWM can send message again.
  • SMS Server Name: It indicates the name of the remote SMS server to send message. It is set by the program, and is a read-only value for your reference.
  • Message Counter: It counts the number of message sending which is not allowed to exceed quota that we have explained earlier.
  • Total Messages Sent: It keeps the total number of sent messages in the specified time interval.
  • Undelivered Messages: It keeps the total number of undelivered (fail to send) messages in the specified time interval.
  • Resent Result of Message sending: The result of the last sending action of a message. The last number in the brace is the error code returned. For example, 2 means messages has been sent out, a complete list will be referred.

Fig. The Configuration of Notifier Short Message

Event Notifier SNMP Trap

The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is an application layer protocol of TCP/IP that facilitates the exchange of management information between network devices. There is three of SNMP operations can be taken: SNMP Get, SNMP Set and SNMP Trap.

SNMP trap information has two parts: Trap OID (Object Identifier) and event string.

  • Trap OID: It is the object Identifier of the event trap. For example, 1.3.6.1.4.1.2623.1.1000.3.2623.1.3.264.0 is a correct OID. Here 2623 is the international registered OID of ASUSTeK and 1000 is the internal OID of ASWM.
  • Event String: The event string format is:

    %Name (%Status): %Time. %Description

    %Name is the sensor or group name from which the event comes from. %Status is the event status or configuration status. %Time is the time when the event happened. %Description is some additional comment about the event. For example,

    "Plug-in/out(Warning): 08/28/2003 22:27:27 GMT. Out"

    Here "Plug-in/out" is the name of event. "Warning" is the status. "08/28/2003 22:27:27 GMT." is the time the event occurs. "Out" means some PnP device has been plugged out.

For the sake of management and security, a group of hosts can be defined as a SNMP Community. Since you can have as many as host groups, so that there are as many as SNMP Communities. A SNMP agent is a host that can receive SNMP traps. It would not response to those SNMP traps that are not in the same SNMP Community. Seemingly, the SNMP traps can only be sent to those SNMP agents in the same SNMP Community. The notifier manages these SNMP Communities by adding, deleting or editing them. To perform such function, you need to take the following steps to configure the Event Notifier of SNMP Traps.

Choose "Add community" or "Delete community" from the combo box first. Then fill a community name that you want to add or delete. Click the "Apply" button and the specified community will be added to or deleted from the communities of the notifier.

To edit the IP addresses of SNMP agents for an existed SNMP Community, Look at the region below the operations of adding or deleting communities. All existed SNMP Communities and their trap destination are listed here. You can edit the list of SNMP agent's host IP of a SNMP Community in the trap destination field.

The format of the IP Addresses should be "IP1;IP2;IP3;...". When finished edit the trap destination field, click the "Apply" button and the change will take effect.


Fig. The Configuration of Notifier SNMP Trap

Event Filters

The filter is a filtration mechanism to decide, which level of an event or by which sensor or sensor group generates, to be filtered or passed by. Such a filtration is built under a scope of the base filtering policy.

To enter the configuration panel of the Filters, click "Configuration" menu and select the "Event Configuration", then you will enter the information panel in which there are three tab sheets. Click the "Filters" tab and you will see the Filter configuration page.

  • Range of the filter: This can designate the range of this filter. For example, if this item is set to Global. All event notifiers, included e-mail, pager caller, etc., share the same filter. If this item is set to event notifier pager caller, only pager uses this filter and the other notifiers will not be suffered.
  • Base Filtering Policy: Either policy of "Send all events except the lists below" or policy of "Suppress all event except the lists below" can be chosen. The policy's subject is self-explanatory. If you choose the former policy, any of events will pass by the ranged filter except those events falls into the criteria that are decided by "Event Levels" or "Sensors/Sensor Groups". On the contrary, if you choose the latter policy, then the ranged filter will block any of events except those events falls into the criteria as described before.
  • Event Levels: Event level is a sort of event attribute that describes the urgency degree of an event. We can specify either all events are admitted or only the events of some levels would be admitted. Note that this is the exception option in responding to the Base Filter Policy.
  • Sensors/Sensor groups: We can specify either all sensors or sensor groups will be admitted or only some kinds of sensors or sensor groups are admitted. Note that this is an exception option in responding to Base Filter Policy. All options in the list box can be distinguished into sensor groups and sensors, which are those title is prefixed with "---" (minus, minus, minus) symbol.
Click the "Apply" button and the change will take effect.


Fig. The global event filter

Fig. The Notifiers that support event filter.