Pages in the Database Settings section (Settings icon –> Database Settings) provide a number of basic database management tools. Consult the topics below for further information.

Database Statistics

The Database Statistics page (Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Database Statistics) tracks the overall size of the NetMRI Database, as a whole and split between data records and the database index. NetMRI is designed to intelligently prune the database as data ages, to prevent the database from outgrowing the amount of available disk space.

Archiving the NetMRI Database

Use the Archive Database tool (Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Archive Database) to manually generate a local archive of the current database. The database can also be automatically archived; see 30804832 for more information.

To prevent loss of data in the event of an appliance hardware failure, make database archive copies on a regular basis and store them in a safe place. If no recent database archive exists and NetMRI has an unrecoverable error, then all data will be lost.

By default, NetMRI automatically generates a database archive file once every week. Depending on the size of the database, archiving may take a few minutes, because the entire database is copied to a disk file and compressed.

To archive the NetMRI Database locally, perform the following:

1. Go to Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Archive Database.
2. Choose Download archive file to the local system.
3. Click Create Archive.

To create an archive file on a remote system, perform the following:

1. Go to Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Archive Database.
2. Choose Upload archive to a remote system.
3. For each remote system, specify the following:
   • Hostname/IP Address
   • Port
   • Username
   • Password
   • Use SSH keys: Select this to use SSH keys instead of passwords. For more information about SSH keys, see ssh-key commands.
   • Directory

   • Include date in filename: Check to date-stamp the archive file name.

     Note

     To archive the database to another NetMRI appliance, enter admin as the Username and enter Backup as the Directory.

4. To test the configuration, click Test Connection.
5. If the test is successful to the remote server, click Create Archive.
6. In the Create Archive dialog box, click Show Details to view the process as it happens.
   During archiving, do not refresh the page or close the window. Such actions may generate an incomplete database archive file.
7. When archiving is complete, a status message allows return to the original page, and provides a link to a generated MD5 Checksum file. This file is recommended should you need to restore from a database you have stored on your computer. Click the MD5 Checksum link and choose Save in the dialog.

Restoring Databases

You can restore the NetMRI network database from a previously generated archive (that is stored on your local management computer) by using the Administrative Shell Restore command.

When the database is restored, the system restores all previous configuration settings for the network along with all low-level data, all issues and all summary results. Results will show a gap of inactivity starting at the time that the database archive was made and ending at the time the restore was performed. From that point forward, NetMRI processing proceeds normally.

The restore command restores a sequence of archive files in the order given. The command’s syntax is:

restore <archiveFile1 [ <archiveFile2 ... ]

Additional restore options include:

• https_certs: Only restores HTTPS certificates from archive.
• skip_scan_interfaces_config: Disables the restoration of scan interface configuration.

Because the archive command backs up only part of the data (see description above), you may need to restore multiple daily backup files to reconstruct a complete data set. Thus, the restore command enables you to specify multiple archive files (if you restored just the last file, you would reconstruct data for the last day or last 750MB, whichever is greater). As shown above, wildcards can be used to specify multiple archive files. If you list files separately, enter the oldest file first, then enter the rest in chronological order.

If previously enabled, data collection is automatically re-enabled when the restoration is complete. Otherwise, you will need to manually enable data collection in the Settings icon –> Setup section –> Collection and Groups –> Global tab.
After restoring the database, NetMRI resumes most normal operations.

Restoring Databases from a Non-Local NetMRI Source

Under some circumstances, you may need to restore from a database file generated from another NetMRI instance to the current NetMRI system (from one NetMRI Collector system to another one, for example). in such cases, the NetMRI Database looks for a locally generated database to restore, using the file naming format of the current NetMRI instance.

If a database is present in the local archive directory that originates from a remote NetMRI using a different file naming format, the restore will fail to find the local DB that it is seeking by default, and also will not access the 'outside' database archive file you are trying to restore from, displaying an error message.

The restore CLI command supports the use of database archives originating from another system.
The *.tgz database file must be transferred to the file system in the current NetMRI instance before execution. An example:

restore <filename>, where <filename> is the archived file name without the extension.tgz

Database Archiving Functions

The Scheduled Archive page (Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Scheduled Archive) controls automatic archiving and copying of the NetMRI network database. The database can also be manually archived. For more information, see Archiving the NetMRI Database.

When enabled, the automatic process creates an archive of the NetMRI network database and copies it to one or two servers that support SCP, or to another NetMRI system.

To configure scheduled network database archiving, do the following:

1. Go to Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Archive Database.
2. Choose Enable automatic database archiving.
3. Select the Recurrence Pattern (Once, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly).
   • Select the Minute to Start.
   • For weekly archiving, select the Execution Time and select the day or days of the week.
4. For each remote system, specify the following:
   • Hostname/IP Address
   • Port
   • Username
   • Password
   • Use SSH keys: Select this to use SSH keys instead of passwords. For more information about SSH keys, see ssh-key commands.
     
   • Directory

   • Include date in filename: Check to date-stamp the archive file name.

     Note

     To archive the database to another NetMRI appliance, enter admin as the Username and enter Backup as the Directory.

5. To test the configuration, click Test Connection.
6. If the test is successful, click Update.

Monitoring Database Update Background Tasks

The Remote Config Archive page (Settings icon –> Notifications –> Background Tasks) provides a read-only display to monitor selected NetMRI internal background tasks that may occupy significant periods of time, and are thus organized in the system to run in the background while NetMRI operates normally.

Key values to check here include the Progress % field, which indicates the amount by which each background task has completed, and the Created field, which indicates the creator of the task. In many cases, the value shown here will be "System."

Remote Config Archive

The Remote Config Archive page (Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Remote Config Archive) controls automatic archiving and copying of the NetMRI configurations. Also check Data Retention settings in the 30804832 topic, as they have a significant influence on the time periods between data archiving events for specific data sets in NetMRI.

When enabled, this automatic process creates an archive of the configurations and copies it to one or two servers that support SCP.

To set up automatic configuration archiving, perform the following:

1. Go to Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Archive Database.
2. Select the archiving Frequency (Daily or Weekly).
3. If you selected weekly archiving, then select the Day of Week.
4. Select the Hour to Start and Minute to Start.
5. Show Passwords: Select Yes or No.
6. For each remote backup location, specify the following:
   • Backup Destination
   • Username
   • Password
   • Use SSH keys: Select this to use SSH keys instead of passwords. For more information about SSH keys, see ssh-key commands.
   • Backup Directory

   • Include date in directory name: Check to date-stamp the archive directory name.

     Note

     To archive the database to another NetMRI appliance, enter admin as the Username and enter Backup as the Backup Directory.

7. To test the configuration, click Test.
8. If the test is successful, click Update.

Performing Database Maintenance

Use the Maintenance page (Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Maintenance) to change settings for weekly database maintenance. The maintenance task can be configured to start at any time during the week, to be coordinated with other maintenance activities performed by your organization.

Data collection is automatically suspended during maintenance. During that time, the NetMRI browser interface will also be disabled, displaying only a status message indicating that maintenance is being performed.
When archiving completes at the end of each maintenance cycle, the NetMRI appliance reboots to restart all processes and then resumes data collection.

To configure weekly maintenance, perform the following:

1. Set Status to Enabled or Disabled. If set to Disabled, go to step 4.
2. Select a Day of Week.
3. Select an Hour to Start.
4. Click Update.

Sending Technical Support Bundles to Infoblox

Support bundles are used by Infoblox for troubleshooting and optimization purposes. Technical data is sent using a secure connection. Support bundles are maintained by Infoblox Technical Support staff solely for the stated purposes. Some support bundle data may contain login information in cleartext. Users may wish to open the support bundle Tar file to edit any sensitive information such as login tuples or IP addresses.

The Advanced Support Bundles page (Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Advanced Support Bundles) provides a convenient way to send technical data and debugging data to Infoblox for troubleshooting purposes and to improve NetMRI's analysis capabilities.

You may also target troubleshooting information to specific devices in the managed network, including the ability to perform an SNMP Walk and SNMP debugging, and to run a discovery diagnostic on the specified network device. You may specify one device or up to three device IP addresses for this task.

Support bundle data includes such things as NetMRI configuration and performance data, device identification database, and a significant collection of appliance debugging log files. Such data is used primarily when troubleshooting specific problems reported by customers. A support bundle may also be requested from time to time by Infoblox Technical Support staff to improve NetMRI's discovery and analysis capabilities, by searching for new device types and unusual processing situations. In all cases, send a support bundle only when requested to do so by Infoblox Technical Support staff. You may also receive instructions regarding the types of debugging logs to select for the support bundle.

The Advanced Support Page provides the following information about active and resolved cases:

To create a support bundle:

1. Log in to NetMRI using the admin account.
2. Click the Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Advanced Support Bundles.
3. Click the New icon (+) at the top of the page.
4. Enter the Support Case Number assigned to you by Infoblox Support. The value is defined in the YYDDMM-xxxxxx format. The system prompts for correct data entry if a mistake is made.
5. Select the Log Set to Send option:
   • Standard: Choosing this option automatically enables all applicable debug log categories as part of the new bundle.
   • Custom: Choosing this option enables all debugging and actions allowable for a support bundle, including Install/Upgrade, Discovery Info, and System Data, along with numerous categories of debugging log files.

6. Do one of the following:

1. • If you are finished with the request bundle, click Done.
   • To specify devices for troubleshooting in the support bundle, complete the following steps (not available for Operating Centers):
   1. In the Support Bundle Wizard window, click Advanced(Device).
   2. For specific device troubleshooting, enter one to three individual device IP addresses in the Device IP Address(es) fields.
   3. Select the appropriate test type: Run SNMP Walk, Enable SNMP Debugging, or Run Discovery Diagnostic. You multiple test types if necessary.
   4. To override the stored NetMRI SNMP credentials for the devices chosen for troubleshooting, select Override Net MRI Credentials, choose the SNMP version in the corresponding field, and then enter the SNMP community string/passphrase (v1 and v2) or authentication and encryption (v3 only) protocols and passwords. Should you apply this change to more than one device IP address in the session (because you've entered two or three device IP addresses in the previous wizard step), ensure that the values you apply are correct for all devices; if the SNMP values are not the same, you may need to define a separate Device Support Bundle for each device.

7. If you selected Advanced(Device), do one of the following:

1. • To finish the request bundle, click Done.
   • If Infoblox Support requested that you include advanced debug flags for additional troubleshooting methods in the support bundle, complete the following steps:
     1. Click Advanced(Debug).
     2. Select the advanced debug flags requested by Infoblox Support.
     3. Click Done.

        8. In Summary, complete the following steps:

a. Enter the number of hours in the Hours to wait before sending logs field.

b. Select one of the following methods:

c. If the NetMRI admin wants to receive email notifications when the bundle is generated, sent, or downloaded, select Email notification to me when complete.

d. Click Start. During the process, the Support Bundles page refreshes until NetMRI completes the new Bundle. The Bundle listing appears in the Advanced Support Bundle table.

Troubleshooting

In rare cases, connections may not work to the Infoblox Technical Support server, which is currently bloxdrop.infoblox.com. Should you experience a failed upload to the Infoblox server after an automatic or manual Support Bundle creation, the table in the Support Bundle page will show a message to this effect in the Status column.

1. Use the NetMRI ping/traceroute tool via the browser interface (Tools–>Device–>Ping/Traceroute), or the ping command via the Administrative Shell, to verify that NetMRI can reach the Infoblox server bloxdrop.infoblox.com on the Internet.
2. Use the NetMRI ping/traceroute tool via the browser interface, or the traceroute command via the Administrative Shell, to verify that the appliance can reach bloxdrop.infoblox.com on the Internet.
3. Verify that your firewall rules allow NetMRI to make an outbound SSH connection (TCP port 22) to bloxdrop.infoblox.com.

Data Retention

Use the Data Retention page (Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Data Retention) to specify for how long NetMRI should archive or delete various types of data.

• Delete After specifies the number of days after which data is eligible to be deleted from the appliance.
  Pay careful attention to the Delete After settings to ensure that your organization retains any bodies of information for periods of time mandated by organization policy. One Data Retention setting, Network Inventory History, governs a number of important data tables in Network Explorer, including the following:
  • Switch Port Management –> all Devices, Interfaces and End Hosts tables;
  • Inventory – all Devices, Virtual Devices, Interfaces, OSs, and Models tables;
  • All Discovery data.
• Archive After specifies the number of days after which data is eligible to be moved to the archive. Archived data is still available, but reports will require more time to access it. Data can be archived in VM environments that have been configured for archive storage under the Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Storage Management page.

Other data retention categories include the following:

• Change Record History – The data collection of device configuration changes detected and recorded by NetMRI, such as router and switch config changes and other change events (Network Analysis –> Changes page);
• Configuration History – Compilation of all device configurations detected and stored in the NetMRI system;
• Aggregated Interface Performance Data History – Contains records of all hourly and daily interface performance data aggregated by NetMRI from the ‘raw’ interface performance data compiled from every polling period;
• Raw Interface Performance Data History – Contains the complete “raw” collection of performance information for all interfaces managed by NetMRI that is compiled every polling period (every 15 minutes by default; this time increment depends on the system configuration);
• Issue Analysis and Status History – Compilation of all Issues information (Network Analysis –> Issues page);
• System Events and Notifications Logs – Compilation of all event logs and notifications from all managed devices. Data is included from the User Audit Log and the Device Audit Log in the Device Viewer for each managed device; this setting also applies to the dataEngine.log and discoveryServer.log files managed through Settings icon –>Settings & Status –> Logs.

To change data retention times for a type of data, do the following:

1. Click Edit.
2. In the Set Data Retention dialog, enter a Delete After value (in days).
3. If archive storage has been configured: Enter an Archive After value (in days).
4. Click Save & Close.

Storage Management

When you install NetMRI on your VM, by default about 80 Gb of storage is allocated to and distributed among a few virtual disk volumes. Each volume corresponds to a specific NetMRI component. You can extend the NetMRI storage per volume to optimize performance. For example, you may want to extend low-space volumes, use different peformance storage for different volumes, protect NetMRI critical services by dedicating volumes specifically to them, and so on.

The disk partitions include:

• Application Storage
• Backup Storage
• Database Storage
• Log Storage
• OS Storage
• Temporary Storage
• Unused Storage

You can find this list with size and free space per partition in Settings icon –> Database Settings –> Storage Management.

To extend the NetMRI storage, use the provision disk command from the Administrative Shell. For information, see Shell Commands.

Accessing the NetMRI Database Using SQL

You can leverage access to the NetMRI database using SQL to simplify your NetMRI reporting and integrations. To do so, the database credentials must be enabled for your user account. Only a user with the SysAdmin role can enable database credentials. For information on how to enable the NetMRI database access to a user, see Creating User Accounts.

Once the credentials are granted to you, you can connect to the NetMRI database using an SQL client. The access is limited to read-only operations. Use port 6033 for SQL connection.

You can perform the following as the SQL database user:

• Perform SELECT operations on tables from the netmri, report, config, and archive databases.
• Create temporary tables.
• Execute stored procedures and functions on historical data, namely:
  • BeginReport
  • BeginReportRunQuery
  • LoopReportQuery

If you want to be able to execute more procedures and functions, contact Infoblox Technical Support.