VMware vCenter v6

Overview

VMware is an software compagny based in USA. VMware provides cloud computing and virtualization software and services.

The Centreon Plugin and Monitoring Connectors rely on the Centreon VMWare Connector to request the VCenter SDK.

This Monitoring Connector can be used with either version 6 or 7 of the VMware API.

Monitoring Connector Assets

Monitored Objects

Snapshots
VM-tools

Collected Metrics

This pack uses "VMware vCenter" pack to extend monitored indicators (virtualization-vmware2-vcenter-generic).

Vm-Snapshot-Global
Vm-Tools-Global

Metric name	Description	Unit
num_warning	Number of snapshots older than 3 days (default treshold)	Count
num_critical	Number of snapshots older than 5 days (default threshold)	Count

Metric name	Description	Unit
not_updated	Number of VMs with VM-Tools not updated (default threshold)	Count
not_running	Number of VMs with VM-Tools not running (default threshold)	Count
not_installed	Number of VMs with VM-Tools not installed (default threshold)	Count

Prerequisites

Centreon VMWare Connector

For the VMWare monitoring, Centreon use daemon to connect and request the Vcenter.

Install this daemon on each needed poller:

yum install centreon-plugin-Virtualization-VMWare-daemon

Centreon Cloud and OnPrem from version 24.10
Versions of Centreon OnPrem older than 24.10

Go to Configuration > Connectors > Additional configurations to configure the connection to your vCenter.

To configure the access to your infrastructure, edit the "/etc/centreon/centreon_vmware.pm" configuration file:

%centreon_vmware_config = (
    vsphere_server => {
        default => {
            url => 'https://<ip_hostname>/sdk',
            username => '<username>',
            password => '<password>'
        }
    }
);

1;

Make sure to replace variables with needed information:

ip_hostname: IP address or hostname of the vCenter or ESX (if standalone),
username: username with at least "read only" access to the vCenter or ESX (you can use domain user),
password: password of the username.

You can configure multiple vCenter or ESXi connections using this structure:

%centreon_vmware_config = (
    vsphere_server => {
        'my_first_vcenter' => {
            url => 'https://<ip_hostname>/sdk',
            username => '<username>',
            password => '<password>'
        },
        'my_other_vcenter' => {
            url => 'https://<ip_hostname>/sdk',
            username => '<DOMAIN>\<username>',
            password => '<password>'
        },
    },
    port => 5700
);

1;

Each entry is called a container.

You can also define the "port" attribute to change listening port.

Then start the daemon and make sure it is configured to start at server boot:

systemctl start centreon_vmware
systemctl enable centreon_vmware

Make sure that the daemon configuration works fine by looking for errors in "/var/log/centreon/centreon_vmware.log".

Network flows

The Poller with the Centreon VMware Connector installed need to access in TCP/443 HTTPS to the Vcenter.

The Pollers that request the Centreon VMWare Connector host need to access in TCP/5700 to the Centreon VMWare Connector host.

Installation

Online License
Offline License

Install the VMWare Connector Centreon Plugin on every poller expected to monitor VMWare infrastructures:

yum install centreon-plugin-Virtualization-Vmware2-Connector-Plugin

Install the 'Vmware vCenter v6' Centreon Monitoring Connector on the Configuration > Connectors > Monitoring Connectors page

Install the VMWare Connector Centreon Plugin on every poller expected to monitor the VMWare Infrastructures:

yum install centreon-plugin-Virtualization-Vmware2-Connector-Plugin

Install the Centreon Monitoring Connector RPM:

yum install centreon-pack-virtualization-vmware2-vcenter-6.noarch

Install the 'Vmware vCenter v6' Centreon Monitoring Connector on the Configuration > Connectors > Monitoring Connectors page

Configuration

Log into Centreon and add a new Host through "Configuration > Hosts".
Apply the relevant Host Template "Virt-VMWare2-VCenter-6-custom", and configure the mandatory Macros:

Mandatory	Name	Description
X	CENTREONVMWARECONTAINER	Name of your container in the file centreon_vmware.pm
X	CENTREONVMWAREHOST	The Centreon server that launches the connection
X	CENTREONVMWAREPORT	By default: 5700
	CENTREONVMWAREEXTRAOPTIONS	Customize it with your own if needed

FAQ

How do I run my plugin through the CLI and what do the main parameters stand for ?

Once you've installed the plugin, you can test it logging with centreon-engine user:

/usr/lib/centreon/plugins//centreon_vmware_connector_client.pl \
    --plugin=apps::vmware::connector::plugin \
    --mode=snapshot-vm \
    --custommode=connector \
    --connector-hostname='localhost' \
    --connector-port='5700' \
    --container='vcenter01' \
    --vm-hostname='.*' \
    --filter \
    --filter-uuid='' \
    --warning='259200' \
    --critical='432000' \
    --disconnect-status='ok' \
    --nopoweredon-skip \
    --check-consolidation \
    --verbose

Expected command output is shown below:

CRITICAL: Snapshots for VM older than 432000 seconds: [TLS-LIN-001] | 'num_warning'=0;;;0; 'num_critical'=1;;;0;
'TLS-LIN-001' snapshot create time: 2020-07-20T12:19:16.246902Z [only base os image]

This command above checks the virtual machine snapshots (--plugin=apps::vmware::connector::plugin --mode=snapshot-vm). It connects to the VMWare daemon on localhost (--connector-hostname='localhost') on the port 5700 (--connector-port='5700'). Then the command requests the container vcenter01 (--container='vcenter01').

It will trigger a WARNING alarm if the age of the snapshot is older than 3 days / 259200s (--warning='259200') and a CRITICAL alarm if the snapshot is older than 5 days / 432000s (--critical='432000').

All available modes with the plugin can be displayed with:

/usr/lib/centreon/plugins/./centreon_vmware_connector_client.pl \
    --plugin=apps::vmware::connector::plugin \
    --list-mode

The available options for a mode can be displayed using the --help parameter:

/usr/lib/centreon/plugins/./centreon_vmware_connector_client.pl \
    --plugin=apps::vmware::connector::plugin \
    --mode=snapshot-vm  \
    --help

Why do I get the following error:

UNKNOWN: Unknown container name 'default' |

This error message means that the container invoked in the command doesn't exist in your VMWare connector configuration. Check your macro CENTREONVMWARECONTAINER on your host or check the file /etc/centreon/centreon_vmware.pm

UNKNOWN: Cannot get response (timeout received)

This error message means that the Plugin didn't get a response off the VMWare Daemon. Check your connection parameters and the macros CENTREONVMWAREHOST and CENTREONVMWAREPORT.

UNKNOWN: Container connection problem |

This error message means that you have a issue with the credentials provided for your Container. Check your credentials in /etc/centreon/centreon_vmware.pm. You can also take a look into the log for more information: /var/log/centreon/centreon_vmware.log

Overview​

Monitoring Connector Assets​

Monitored Objects​

Collected Metrics​

Prerequisites​

Centreon VMWare Connector​

Network flows​

Installation​

Configuration​

FAQ​

How do I run my plugin through the CLI and what do the main parameters stand for ?​

Why do I get the following error:​

UNKNOWN: Unknown container name 'default' |​

UNKNOWN: Cannot get response (timeout received)​

UNKNOWN: Container connection problem |​