Solved: How to monitor the status of a WAN end-to-end IP connection?

gianluca2891 · ‎12-14-2009

Hello,

I have the need to monitor the status of a WAN end-to-end connection over an IP cloud. More precisely, I need to be alerted when the other end of the connection becomes unreacheable. Manually I would just use ping. But what if this must be accomplished automatically?

Shall I use some network management suite? Or is there any simpler way (i.e. querying the router via SNMP, ecc.) to do this?

Thanks in advance,

Gianluca

Giuseppe Larosa · ‎12-14-2009

Hello Gianluca,

if both ends are cisco routers you could think to use a point-to-point GRE tunnel that uses as source and destination the two addresses to be monitored with GRE keepalive enabled (if supported on both ends).

This may be an effective way to perform "in band"/ on the path testing if all you need is a change in routing

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/12_2t/12_2t8/feature/guide/grekpliv.html

Another option is an ICMP SLA.

see

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/ipsla/configuration/guide/sla_overview_ps6441_TSD_Products_Configuration_Guide_Chapter.html

EEM that is suggested by Jon is more complex but provides you a way to program a reaction of device to fault that is behind simple changes in routing.

EEM can monitor the IP SLA and can do something when it fails including sending an email.

Hope to help

Giuseppe

View solution in original post

Jon Marshall · ‎12-14-2009

Gianluca

A lot depends on your router and IOS version. Cisco have something called EEM (Embedded Event Manager) in the more recent versions of IOS and this can be used to monitor a link and then generate an e-mail when it goes down. Have a look at EEM Q&A to see if it meets your needs -

EEM Q&A

Jon

Giuseppe Larosa · ‎12-14-2009

Hello Gianluca,

if both ends are cisco routers you could think to use a point-to-point GRE tunnel that uses as source and destination the two addresses to be monitored with GRE keepalive enabled (if supported on both ends).

This may be an effective way to perform "in band"/ on the path testing if all you need is a change in routing

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/12_2t/12_2t8/feature/guide/grekpliv.html

Another option is an ICMP SLA.

see

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/ipsla/configuration/guide/sla_overview_ps6441_TSD_Products_Configuration_Guide_Chapter.html

EEM that is suggested by Jon is more complex but provides you a way to program a reaction of device to fault that is behind simple changes in routing.

EEM can monitor the IP SLA and can do something when it fails including sending an email.

Hope to help

Giuseppe

Sybren.Apiecionek_2 · ‎12-15-2009

You could always use IP sla monitoring to ping both endpoints and with tracking you could bring interfaces down (if you use HSRP).

Or with EEM you could send an e-mail if the ip sla parameter (icmp, ...) does not succeed.

gianluca2891 · ‎12-15-2009

Many thanks, I have just flicked through IP SLA documentation and it is definitely what I was looking for.

Gianluca