Congratulations on your purchase of SolarWinds Orion Network Performance Monitor (Orion). Orion provides a comprehensive fault and performance management platform that allows you to collect and view availability and real-time and historical statistics directly from your web browser. While monitoring, collecting, and analyzing data from routers, switches, firewalls, servers, and any other SNMP-enabled devices, Orion successfully offers you a simple-to-use, scalable network monitoring solution for IT professionals juggling any size network.

Why Install this Version

This version of Orion NPM provides a number of fixes to issues that have arisen with the greatly expanded feature set of the Orion NPM version 8.5 release, including the following:

• Improved usability of the Configuration Wizard.
• Addressed issues with resources and user interfaces in the Web Console.
• Improved Map Maker functionality.
• Advanced Alerts features have been included.

Features of Previous Versions

Previous versions of Orion NPM added the following features:

Improved usability of the Advanced Alert Manager

The following changes have been made to the Advanced Alert Manager:

• Built-in alerts are included.
• You can now more easily alert when a device reboots, when an IOS changes, or when an IOS Family changes.
• You can now insert variables from a list in the actions section of each alert.
• The alert creation workflow is more efficient.
• A simple reset condition option resets the alert when the trigger condition is no longer true.
• You can now import and export whole alerts.

Custom SNMP port

You can monitor elements on ports other the default port of 161.

Automatic rediscovery of changes to interface speed

If you change the speed of a managed interface, Orion will automatically update the speed; however, if you set a custom speed, Orion will respect the custom speed.

New Configuration Wizard

It is now simpler and easier to update specific components using the Configuration Wizard.

Improved install on SQL Express

The Configuration Wizard automatically detects SQL Express and configures it to support Orion.

Report Scheduler, Polling Engine Tuning, and Advanced Node Details are now included in the base Orion install

These "additional components" have been moved from the Customer Portal to the base install package of the product.

Improved Report Writer functionality

The following improvements have been made to the Report Writer:

• 95^th Percentile Bandwidth Utilization reports
• Out-of-the-box report bandwidth usage for billing and Quality of Service purposes.
• Orion NPM Report Writer includes Last 7 Days, This Month, and Last Month reports.

Custom headers and footers for Reports

Insert custom graphics into Orion reports.

"Maintenance Mode" scheduling for nodes

Allows you to specify when a node will become unmanaged and when to resume management.

You are no longer required to use "sa" SQL account credentials during configuration if you use a pre-existing database

A DBA or another individual account with "sa" privileges can create a database for use by Orion without ever giving "sa" credentials to Orion.

NetFlow Realtime has been added to the Orion-Toolset integration menu

If you have Toolset 9.0 or later installed, you can now right-click on an interface and launch NetFlow Realtime focused on that interface.

Added support for Windows Server 2003 (64-bit)

Orion now provides support for the 64-bit version of the Windows Server 2003 operating system.

Provides Audible Alerts from the Orion Web Console

The Orion web console can now produce audible alerts when events occur while browsing the website.

Added the Ability to Import and Export Custom MIB Pollers

Provides the ability to import or export the custom MIB pollers that you create for use with other Orion NPM implementations. A user forum with a customer-generated custom poller repository exists and is available at Thwack.com

Custom MIB Data Collection

You can now create custom pollers assigned to nodes that collect custom MIB data and display that data in Orion NPM.

SNMP Version 3 Support

Recognizing the need for increased security within your network and the growing popularity of SNMP version 3, this version of Orion NPM provides the ability to add Nodes and use SNMP version 3 to collect data.

SNMP Trap Reception

SNMP traps can now be caught and monitored by Orion NPM. You can view, search, and alert on incoming unsolicited trap messages. You can also filter and to apply rules to ignore certain message types. The trap service has the ability to quickly and gracefully handle large quantities of incoming trap messages.

Advanced Alert Engine

The flexibility of the advanced alert engine provided in this version of Orion NPM allows you to configure alerts using several new features, including the following:

• Sustained state trigger and reset conditions
• Multiple condition matching
• Automatic alert escalation
• Separate actions for triggers and resets

For more information about any of these features or the many other features of Orion NPM, see the Administrator Guide.

Additional Pollers and Web Servers

All additional Orion pollers or web servers should be upgraded to this version of Orion Network Performance Monitor.

Installing this Version

You do not need to uninstall your previous version before installing this version of Orion. Shutdown any running Orion applications, and then run the setup program. The setup program will detect and uninstall your previous version without a loss of customizations.

Warnings:

• When upgrading from versions prior to 7.8.5, you must first upgrade to 7.8.5 before you can upgrade to the current version. Contact SolarWinds Support to obtain Orion version 7.8.5.
• When upgrading from version 8.0.2 or earlier, database changes required to improve performance cause the database update to take longer than in previous upgrades. For example, a database of 10GB can take over an hour to upgrade.
• Orion NPM does not support the use of case-sensitive database servers.
• Whenever you install a new module or upgrade Orion NPM, ensure you first back up your database.

Fixes in this Release

This release of Orion NPM includes the following fixes:

Version 8.5.1

• Orion no longer polls nodes designated as "unmanaged".
• You no longer have to wait for Map Maker to load all nodes before you can continue with map creation or editing.
• Hot Standby Engine now takes over, as designed, even if the primary poller goes down multiple times.
• Configuration Wizard no longer shows “unknown software exception” at the end of configuration.
• Alert suppressions using “yes/no” custom properties now work correctly.
• Configuration Wizard now opens in front of other open windows.
• Configuration Wizard is now better able to detect the presence of SQL Express, even when the SQL Browser is not running.
• Advanced Alerts dialog now opens in the middle of System Manager rather than offset.
• System Manager no longer stops responding after an incorrect read/write community string is entered.
• Various typographical errors have been corrected.
• The variables ${MessageType} and ${Message} now work for the “Send an SNMP Trap” action in the Syslog Viewer.
• Resource list spacing on Manage Views pages in the Web Console has been improved for greater readability.
• The SolarWinds Alerting Engine service now tries to reconnect with the Orion database after a timeout error, reducing the likelihood of service failure.
• Account limitations now apply correctly to Overview page.
• The third column of 95th percentile reports now correctly shows values based on both inbound and outbound traffic.
• Upgrades from versions of Orion prior to 7.8.5 are now explicitly blocked.
• The Web Console now displays dots and dashes correctly.
• Map Maker has improved handling of nodes from unknown vendors.
• Alerts configured with time of day restrictions now fire as expected.
• Now, both the Temperature custom MIB poller and the Fan and Power Supply custom MIB poller correctly look for nodes instead of interfaces.
• Orion now works as intended when configured to use https.
• The Web Console now supports custom logos of up to 150 pixels in height.
• Passwords containing # or & characters are currently accepted.
• Fixed an issue where installing Orion and then VoIP Monitor, without first configuring Orion, generated an error.
• SNMPv3 now works properly with all monitored devices.
• Account limitations based on groups of nodes no longer generate errors.
• Groupings of nodes within the All Nodes resource now properly account for the inclusion of custom properties.
• Fixed performance issues encountered in the Nodes with Problems resource.
• Changes to thresholds in the NPM Settings section of the Web Console are now appropriately reflected in threshold-related resources.
• The Availability of Each Node resource now allows you to properly set a custom time period.
• In Report Scheduler, checking Retrieve a Printable Version of this Page on the Orion Web Login tab of the New Job Wizard now omits the web header from the report as described.
• Clearing large numbers of events in the Web Console no longer generates errors.
• Orion now performs several permissions checks during setup and configuration to prevent problems resulting from insufficient permissions.
• Default report graphics have been updated.
• The Configuration Wizard now checks the target database for case-sensitivity and warns you that Orion does not work well with case-sensitive databases.
• Toolset integration has been upgraded properly.
• The Configuration Wizard no longer incorrectly identifies a SQL Server as local when the SQL Server name is a substring of the Orion server name.
• Orion now correctly handles blank passwords.
• The Web Console no longer creates a persistent cookie, which was rejected by some browsers.
• Fixed an issue where interfaces would sometimes disappear from System Manager.
• Fixed an issue where the number of interfaces on a device was sometimes limited to 100.
• DirectLink functionality has been restored to Orion, but it has been changed from version 8.1, as documented in the Orion Administrator Guide.
• Interfaces that have been “shut down” are no longer treated as “unknown” in the All Nodes resource.
• Wireless Client History now correctly displays “Today” instead of a full date.
• Toolset Integration applications Ping and TraceRoute now launch properly from the Web Console.
• Fixed an issue where CPU Load resources were inaccurately displaying 100% load on certain devices.
• Fixed an issue where acknowledged alerts would sometimes re-trigger.
• In All Nodes resources, nodes monitored with ICMP no longer flash as though there were an interface in an unknown state.
• NetFlow Realtime now appears on the Toolset integration menu as expected.
• Account limitations based on Node Name Pattern now function as expected.
• Nodes with DHCP enabled are no longer placed into a single record during the upgrade process.
• Orion variables now work correctly in the Custom HTML resource.
• In Map Maker, selecting Network Link Properties now filters the list of available nodes down to the two being linked.
• The Web Console now handles the case where an account references a non-existent view.
• Fixed an issue where Map Maker displayed some Cisco interfaces incorrectly.
• The Web Console now correctly supports Windows pass-through authentication.
• Charts have been adjusted to not extend beyond the edge of narrow columns on the Web Console.
• The Web Console now handles duplicate objects correctly.
• A date and time display has been restored to the upper-right corner of the Network Summary page.
• The data portion of ICMP packets is now empty by default.
• Appending &dataformat=excel to a URL now prompts you to open or save the data file.

Fixes in Previous Releases

Previous releases of Orion NPM include the following fixes:

Version 8.5

• Application Monitor now loads on an additional web server.
• "ShutdownNetPerfMon" has been renamed as "Orion Service Manager".
• Custom Poller starvation issues have been resolved.
• Search Event History button now works correctly.
• Rediscovery now correctly re-verifies the SNMP version.
• Syslog server now properly displays messages from all APC UPS devices.
• Reports properly display Custom Poller information.
• Some of the map files are no longer included in the core install. They can now be found in the Orion Customer Portal.
• Orion NPM now requires Microsoft .Net 3.0 framework.
• Maps can now be published to a remote web server.
• Report Scheduler will now perform well under conditions that previously caused problems.
• Orion login page correctly redirects the you to the original target page.
• Traps menu item is available as a standard menu item, and it now appears by default on new installs
• Network-wide Summary Charts now have date/time customization.
• Syslog Server now handles MessageType correctly.
• Custom Poller Status fields are now treated as numeric rather than text values.
• You can now administratively shut down interfaces that are managed via SNMP v3.
• Fixed some crashes in Report Writer.
• Report Writer now automatically attaches a report when you employ the Send to > Mail Recipient (as Attachment) command.
• Main Data Task Reader Errors are no longer logged to the web site.
• Alert Action "Send SNMP Trap" now works correctly for 64-bit OS.
• Advanced alerts now show up appropriately on an additional web server.
• Test Firing of Advanced Alerts is now more reliable and works appropriately with all regional date/time settings.
• Importing devices via IP address and the HostSeedFile.txt is now more discoverable and better documented.
• TrapVarBinds table is now deleted after the 7 day expiration period.
• You can now add a separate Read/Write credential into Orion to support Orion VoIP Monitor and to administratively shutdown interfaces.
• TrapViewer variables in the Email action now populate.
• Trap Summary view no longer gives a VB Scripting error.
• Installer no longer fails if the server is missing a C: drive.
• Orion now completes discovery of Extreme 450a XOS switch more quickly.
• Adding nodes ending in consecutive zeros for their IP address now functions appropriately.
• Orion website now works correctly on ports other than 80.
• If Orion is installed in a non-default directory, modules will now install appropriately.
• NotePage Pro now works correctly with Advanced Alerts.
• Evaluation Installer now offers you the option of installing SQL Express.
• Orion Services Manager now works properly with long service.exe names.
• Syslog Server can now send emails to more than 7 addresses in a single alert.
• We have added an icon for VLANs.
• Related Syslog Messages on Node Details now filters appropriately.
• Outstanding SNMP queries are now properly cancelled.
• SQL Server has been added as a dependency to all services to prevent Orion services from timing out when SQL Server takes a long time to start.
• Orion now checks to see whether the device will respond in 32-bit mode before concluding that the device is truly unresponsive.
• Basic alert variables now work properly.
• Maps now show properly in Firefox.
• Reports on web console now sort correctly when reports are grouped according to event type.
• Database Manager now correctly reports completed backup and restore procedures.
• Trap Server Alerts now filter and alert as expected under all conditions.
• Resource information, including interfaces, are now retrieved correctly from Extreme Networks ExtremeXOS devices, and Foundry devices.
• Nodes are now properly added using SNMP v1 or SNMP v2c.
• Map Maker no longer hangs when loading a large number of nodes.
• Fixed a number of typographical errors.

Version 8.1

• Corrects an issue in which unmanaged devices remained unmanaged after the unmanage time expires.
• Resolves an issue with Wireless data and Database Maintenance.
• Provides masking while typing SNMP v3 credentials
• Starting Syslog service consistently after running the Configuration Wizard.
• Offers a fully functional Advanced Alert Engine in the Orion evaluation version.
• Provides an SLX version of Orion for evaluation.
• Reverifies the SNMP version on each rediscovery.
• Migrates Reports and Maps automatically during 7.8.5 upgrade to 8.1.
• Corrects licensing issues with the Hot Standby Engine web site.
• Resolves an issue with the Custom Poller UI causing System Manager to stop responding in very large environments.
• Corrects Web Console SQL Errors.
• Documents how to adjust interface transfer rates in the Administrator Guide.
• Grants accounts rights automatically to NetFlow Traffic Analyzer views.
• Actions fire reliably when alerts trigger.
• Improved reliability of syslog service.
• Improved reliability of advanced alerts.
• Creating syslog message actions is more flexible.
• Improved scalability of the Custom MIB Poller.
• Fixes in advanced alerts:
  • Time of Day will now enable and suppress alerts appropriately.
  • Sending data to zip files now succeeds in all cases.
  • Alerts now trigger reliably, regardless of the naming convention used for nodes and interfaces.
  • Auto-refresh no longer collapses alert groups.
  • No longer possible to switch from one alert type to another (for example, changing Node to Volume) leaving an inappropriate trigger condition.
  • Pressing Enter in text boxes is no longer treated as clicking OK.
  • Pressing Enter while editing a trigger condition no longer closes the wizard.

Version 8.0.2

• Corrects an issue in which some nodes and interfaces using the Custom MIB Polling service do not get polled, resulting in no data being saved to the database for the affected nodes and interfaces.
• Fixes an issue in which the Advanced Alert Engine service uses the "To" address instead of the "From" address. This fix also allows the use of the semicolon (;) as a delimiter between email addresses.
• Resolves an issue in which the services installed with Orion NPM would timeout, requiring either a change to your hosts file or access to crl.thawte.com.
• Corrects an issue in which Account Limitations were ignored when viewing Active Alerts in the web console.

Version 8.0.1

• Corrects an issue concerning the creation of advanced alerts for custom MIB data. The advanced alert engine now correctly parses variables.
• Fixes an issue displaying the Historical Custom Poller Report in the Report Writer in which the data gathering SQL query failed to execute.
• Resolves an issue in which custom poller ID assignments changed when adding new custom pollers or deleting existing custom pollers.
• Corrects an issue in which custom poller time units were off by one increment, resulting in different values being displayed in the System Manager and in the Web Console.
• Fixes the website response time issue occurring when multiple users view the site simultaneously. Due to this change, you may see an error in the event log that the threading model of a component specified in the registry is inconsistent with the registration database. You can safely ignore this event log error.
• Corrects an issue involving the display of rates one increment off from the selected value. For example, bps (bytes per second) were being displayed as bpm (bytes per minute).
• Resolves an incompatibility with the wireless module. When the wireless module is released, you must be running Orion 8.0.1 or later.
• Fixes an issue in which Custom Pollers attempting an SNMP GET were not correctly receiving and storing data from the node or interface.

Updated Requirements

The requirements in the following table supercede those found in the Administrator Guide.

 Note: The installation of Orion on the same server or using the same database server as the Research in Motion (RIM) Blackberry server is not supported.

Upgrading Orion Components

You must upgrade all Orion modules, additional web servers, additional pollers, and hot standby engines to the latest available versions. The Orion website, modules, and components may not function properly unless they are fully upgraded. Download the latest versions from the SolarWinds Customer Portal. The latest version will be 8.5 for all modules and components except for NetFlow Traffic Analyzer, which will be version 2.2.

 Warning: Though the upgrade of version 7 and its point releases to Orion NPM version 8.5 should be blocked on a server running Microsoft Windows 2000, it is not. Do not upgrade your Orion implementation until you upgrade your server to Windows 2003. Windows 2000 is not a supported operating system, and the database upgrades cannot be rolled back.

Uninstalling SolarWinds Products

If you need to uninstall NetFlow Traffic Analyzer, Cirrus Configuration Manager, or Toolset, after uninstalling, use the repair option on Orion that is available in add/remove programs. When prompted to uninstall or repair Orion, click Repair.

SQL Express

SQL Express, a free version of SQL Server 2005 with a 4GB database limit, is a supported database platform for Orion NPM.

Specifying Your Instance

During the database section of the Configuration Wizard, it is possible that the browse function of the wizard will not find your database. If you experience difficulty browsing to your SQL Express instance, type ServerName\sqlexpress in the SQL Server field on the Login to SQL Server dialog, where ServerName is the pre-Windows 2000 name of your SQL Server.

Case-Sensitive Database Servers

There are a number of known issues installing the Orion database on case-sensitive database servers, therefore it is not recommended.

To check the collation and case-sensitivity of your database and your server run the following query using the Database Manager shipped with Orion: select databasepropertyex( db_name(), 'Collation') as DatabaseCollation, serverproperty('Collation') as ServerCollation. To run a query, right-click on any table in the database and click Query Table, type the query in the Query window, and then click Refresh to run the query.

If you have Enterprise Manager or SQL Server Management Studio Express, you can right-click the server and then click Properties. The collation type can be found on the General tab. Then, expand the server, expand Databases, right-click the NetPerfMon database, and then click Properties. Again, the collation can be found on the General tab.

In the following example, the letters CI show that the database is case-insenstive: SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS. If the database were case-sensitive, the letters CS would be present, instead.

 Note: If you are experiencing issues and your database server is case-sensitive, we recommend installing the Orion database on a case-insensitive database server.

Sending Alert Emails

When configuring an alert to send an email, a valid email address must be provided in the To field. This is a bug with the Send an Email/Page action that will be fixed in a future release.

Maps and Reports After Upgrading

If you uninstalled your previous version of Orion manually, the setup program does not find and does not migrate your maps and reports to the new directory structure. You will not see maps or reports in the Web Console until you copy your maps folder and reports folder from the previous directory structure to the new directory structure. The old default location was: Volume:\Program Files\SolarWinds\Network Performance Monitor v7. The new default installation location is: Volume:\Program Files\SolarWinds\Orion.

Custom Menu Items After Upgrading

Orion 8.5 introduced a new website directory structure to the Orion Web Console. Because of this, some of your custom menu items in the Orion Web Console may need to be updated. Previous versions of Orion used the /NetPerfMon directory for all files which allowed you to use relative links such as View.asp?ViewID=24. These URLs will need to be updated to an absolute URL starting with /Orion. For example, /Orion/SummaryView.aspx?ViewID=24. For information on how to edit your menu bar items, see the Administrator Guide.

Viewing Charts and Chart Thumbnails

Regardless of the actual size of a chart resource, if the width of the column in which the chart is displayed is set narrower than 300 pixels, Orion replaces the chart with a chart thumbnail. The following procedure shows how to set column widths for any Orion NPM Web Console view.

To set column widths in an Orion NPM Web Console view:

1. Log on to the Orion NPM Web Console as an Administrator.
2. Click Admin in the Views toolbar.
3. Click Manage Views in the Admin menu on the left.
4. Select the view containing the column you want to configure, and then click Edit.
5. Click Edit next to the list of column widths.
6. Provide an appropriate width, in pixels, for the column you are configuring, and then click Submit.
7. Click Done.

Clicking a chart thumbnail produces the same result as clicking a full-size chart, opening the Custom Chart page in a new window. The Custom Chart page allows you to customize the appearance of the selected chart. For more information, see "Custom Chart View" in the Administrator Guide.

Network Discovery

The Network Discovery tool does not currently support SNMP version 3. Use Network Discovery to find and add your SNMP version 2 and earlier devices to your Orion NPM database, then add your SNMP version 3 nodes individually. For more information on how to easily add individual nodes, see the Administrator Guide.

Legal

Copyright© 1995-2008 SolarWinds, all rights reserved worldwide. No part of this document may be reproduced by any means nor modified, decompiled, disassembled, published or distributed, in whole or in part, or translated to any electronic medium or other means without the written consent of SolarWinds All right, title and interest in and to the software and documentation are and shall remain the exclusive property of SolarWinds and its licensors. SolarWinds Orion™, SolarWinds Cirrus™, and SolarWinds Toolset™ are trademarks of SolarWinds and SolarWinds.net® and the SolarWinds logo are registered trademarks of SolarWinds All other trademarks contained in this document and in the Software are the property of their respective owners.

SOLARWINDS DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS OR OTHER TERMS, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, ON SOFTWARE AND DOCUMENTATION FURNISHED HEREUNDER INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE WARRANTIES OF DESIGN, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL SOLARWINDS, ITS SUPPLIERS OR ITS LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, WHETHER ARISING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY EVEN IF SOLARWINDS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Microsoft® and Windows 2000® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Graph Layout Toolkit and Graph Editor Toolkit © 1992 - 2001 Tom Sawyer Software, Oakland, California. All Rights Reserved.

Portions Copyright © ComponentOne, LLC 1991-2002. All Rights Reserved.