Pandora: Metaconsole: Documentation en: Introduction
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This is an advanced topic. You should already be familiar with Pandora FMS before attempting to deploy a Metaconsole. For more information contact us at [email protected] |
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Contents
1 Introduction
The Metaconsole is a web interface where you can visualize, synchronize and manage in a unified way different Pandora FMS monitoring systems, from now on Instances (nodes), exclusive of the Enterprise version. Thanks to this console hundreds of thousands of different devices can be monitored in a centralized way, without having to look at each Instance (node) individually.
The Metaconsole offers a multitenant service, where it can be the access point for a user that belongs to a company or where a single console can provide service to different companies, and within each company to different users.
Below there is a schema of the architecture of the Metaconsole where its horizontal scalability is shown and where each instance has its own database to operate.
It is a very complex environment, which encompasses the necessary functions to manage the different Instances. The Metaconsole is designed not to operate at a low level as the Instances, but to manage all the infrastructure, centralizing that way all the Instances.
Thanks to this console, lots of information can be observed through different functions, such as report or visual console generation with elements from different Instances, as well as event synchronization. In addition, the different Instances can be managed by means of creating new agents, distributing them and managing alert templates, policies and other functions.
2 Comparative
If you already knew Pandora FMS before version 5.0, then you know that the Metaconsole concept already existed.
This section discusses the differences between the current Metaconsole and the old one, and also the solved failures and the developments proposed.
2.1 Before version 5.0
Before version 5.0, a normal Pandora FMS installation (Console+Server) could also work as Metaconsole.
2.1.1 Communication
The communication between the Metaconsole and the instances was unidirectional. The Metaconsole was connected to the instance databases and managed all memory data.
It did not store almost nothing in its own database.
2.1.2 Synchronization
Synchronization is done one-way between instances: from Metaconsole to instances.
Let us suppose that you wish to configure some alert templates so that they have several or all the instances.
Without logging out of the Metaconsole, templates can be configured and synchronized with the desired instances.
2.1.3 Troubleshooting
The Metaconsole was very inefficient due to its non-centralized architecture. A lot of connections to different databases were established and user experience was poor.
The available options were insufficient to get the intended control of instance environments without logging out of the Metaconsole.
Summarizing, the Metaconsole was slow when it was a little bit loaded and the user was very limited by its options.
2.2 From Version 5.0
The Metaconsole from version 5.0 is an special environment completely independent and incompatible with the console.
2.2.1 Communication
The communication between the Metaconsole and the instances is bi-directional. The Metaconsole connect with the instance database and the instances replicate part of their data to the Metaconsole database.
Other data, such as groups, alert templates, tags... are stored in the Metaconsole.
2.2.2 Synchronization
The synchronization is done in a one way: From the Metaconsole to the instances.
For example:
Lets suppose that we want to configure some alert templates for the ones that have several or all instances. Without exit from the metaconsole we could configure the templates and synchronize them with the instances that we want.
2.2.3 Developments
From version 5.0 onwards, the Metaconsole is a much more centralized, quick, and flexible tool than the previous version. It also includes many more views and features, as well as developments in the existing ones. It does not manage all data in memory, storing part of the information, which improves user experience.
2.3 Summary table
This table summarizes the differences between the old Metaconsole features and the new ones.
| Before version 5.0 | From version 5.0 | |
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| The metaconsole can work as an instance |  |
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| Synchronization | ||
| Communication | ||
| Instance configuration | |
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| User panel | |
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| Tactical view | ||
| Agent browser | |
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| Group view | |
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| Event visor | (Data in Instances) |
(Data in the Metaconsole) |
| Tree view | |
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| Alert view | |
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| Module view | |
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| Network map | |
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| Traffic monitoring (Netflow) | |
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| Synchronization tools |
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| Move agents between instances | |
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| Report templates | |
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| Editors |
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| Apply/Policy queue | |
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| Monitor view | |
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| Custom field view | |
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| Wizard | |
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| Visual console viewer | |
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| Cronjob setup | |
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