Datapower HTTP Connections Test

The Datapower Gateway can be configured and managed completely through the XML management interface. When enabled, this interface allows you to send status and configuration requests to the DataPower Gateway. A HTTP connection is initiated by this XML Management Interface to the XML Manager for data communication with the IBM Datapower appliance. The XML Manager controls the parsing of every message that comes through DataPower. The status data is segmented by XML-Manager and contains information about HTTP connections, such as request and reuse. The HTTP connections established should be closely monitored over time to identify the HTTP connection load pattern on the device so that unusual traffic spikes can be spotted at ease. This can be achieved using the Datapower HTTP Connections test. This test continuously tracks the HTTP connections, and reports the number of HTTP requests, reuses, creates, and returns in the previous 10 seconds, 1 minute, and 10 minutes.

Target of the test : IBM Datapower

Agent deploying the test : An external agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for the XML manager in the target IBM Datapower.

Configurable parameters for the test
Parameter Description

Test period

How often should the test be executed.

Host

The IP address of the target switch that is being monitored.

SNMPPort

The port at which the monitored target exposes its SNMP MIB; the default is 161.

SNMPVersion

By default, the eG agent supports SNMP version 1. Accordingly, the default selection in the SNMPversion list is v1. However, if a different SNMP framework is in use in your environment, say SNMP v2 or v3, then select the corresponding option from this list.

SNMPCommunity

The SNMP community name that the test uses to communicate with the switch. This parameter is specific to SNMP v1 and v2 only. Therefore, if the SNMPVersion chosen is v3, then this parameter will not appear.

Context

The CONTEXT parameter appears only when v3 is selected as the SNMPVERSION. An SNMP context is a collection of management information accessible by an SNMP entity. An item of management information may exist in more than one context and an SNMP entity potentially has access to many contexts. A context is identified by the SNMPEngineID value of the entity hosting the management information (also called a contextEngineID) and a context name that identifies the specific context (also called a contextName). If the Username provided is associated with a context name, then the eG agent will be able to poll the MIB and collect metrics only if it is configured with the context name as well. In such cases therefore, specify the context name of the Username in the CONTEXT text box. By default, this parameter is set to none.

Username

This parameter appears only when v3 is selected as the SNMPVersion. SNMP version 3 (SNMPv3) is an extensible SNMP Framework which supplements the SNMPv2 Framework, by additionally supporting message security, access control, and remote SNMP configuration capabilities. To extract performance statistics from the MIB using the highly secure SNMP v3 protocol, the eG agent has to be configured with the required access privileges – in other words, the eG agent should connect to the MIB using the credentials of a user with access permissions to be MIB. Therefore, specify the name of such a user against this parameter.

AuthPass

Specify the password that corresponds to the above-mentioned Username. This parameter once again appears only if the SNMPversion selected is v3.

Confirm Password

Confirm the AuthPass by retyping it here.

AuthType

This parameter too appears only if v3 is selected as the SNMPversion. From the AuthType list box, choose the authentication algorithm using which SNMP v3 converts the specified username and password into a 32-bit format to ensure security of SNMP transactions. You can choose between the following options:

  • MD5 - Message Digest Algorithm
  • SHA - Secure Hash Algorithm
  • SHA224 - Secure Hash Algorithm 224 bit
  • SHA256 - Secure Hash Algorithm 256 bit
  • SHA384 - Secure Hash Algorithm 384 bit
  • SHA512 - Secure Hash Algorithm 512 bit

EncryptFlag

This flag appears only when v3 is selected as the SNMPVersion. By default, the eG agent does not encrypt SNMP requests. Accordingly, the this flag is set to No by default. To ensure that SNMP requests sent by the eG agent are encrypted, select the Yes option.

EncryptType

If the EncryptFlag is set to Yes, then you will have to mention the encryption type by selecting an option from the EncryptType list. SNMP v3 supports the following encryption types:

  • DES - Data Encryption Standard
  • 3DES - Triple Data Encryption Standard
  • AES - Advanced Encryption Standard
  • AES128 - Advanced Encryption Standard 128 bit
  • AES192 - Advanced Encryption Standard 192 bit
  • AES256 - Advanced Encryption Standard 256 bit

EncryptPassword

Specify the encryption password here.

Confirm Password

Confirm the encryption password by retyping it here.

Timeout

Specify the duration (in seconds) within which the SNMP query executed by this test should time out in this text box. The default is 10 seconds.

Data Over TCP

By default, in an IT environment, all data transmission occurs over UDP. Some environments however, may be specifically configured to offload a fraction of the data traffic – for instance, certain types of data traffic or traffic pertaining to specific components – to other protocols like TCP, so as to prevent UDP overloads. In such environments, you can instruct the eG agent to conduct the SNMP data traffic related to the monitored target over TCP (and not UDP). For this, set this flag to Yes. By default, this flag is set to No.

EngineID

This parameter appears only when v3 is selected as the SNMPVersion. Sometimes, the test may not report metrics when AES192 or AES256 is chosen as the Encryption type. To ensure that the test report metrics consistently, administrators need to set this flag to Yes. By default, this parameter is set to No.

Measurements made by the test
Measurement Description Measurement Unit Interpretation

Request in last 10 seconds

Indicates the number of HTTP requests in the last 10 seconds.

Number

These measures are effective indicators of the workload on the Datapower device.

 

Request in last minute

Indicates the number of HTTP requests in the last 1 minute.

Number

Request in last 10 minutes

Indicates the number of HTTP requests in the last 1 minute.

Number

Reused in last 10 seconds

Indicates the number of reused connections in the last 10 seconds.

Number

 

Reused in last minute

Indicates the number of reused connections in the last 1 minute.

Number

 

Reused in last 10 minutes

Indicates the number of reused connections in the last 10 minute.

Number

 

Created in last 10 seconds

Indicates the number of HTTP connections created in the last 10 seconds.

Number

 

Created in last minute

Indicates the number of HTTP connections created in the last 1 minute.

Number

 

Created in last 10 minutes

Indicates the number of HTTP connections created in the last 10 minute.

Number

 

Returned in last 10 seconds

Indicates the number of returns in the last 10 seconds.

Number

 

Returned in last minute

Indicates the number of returns in the last 1 minute.

Number

 

Returned in last 10 minutes

Indicates the number of returns in the last 10 minute.

Number