[LWN Logo]
[Timeline]
From: shaneo@www.opennms.org
To: general@opennms.org
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2000 21:58:43 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: [opennms-discuss] OpenNMS Update v1.26

================
 OpenNMS Update
================
Vol 1., Issue 26
================

In this week's installment...

     * Project Status
          + New Tools, Old Tools
          + Hey Rocky! Watch me pull an ERD outta this hat!
          + Coding Projects Underway
     * Pending Announcements
     * OpenNMS & Security
     * The Wish List
     * Quote of the Week
       
================
Project Status
================

New Tools, Old Tools:

   It's been a while since I've drudged up anything about the current
   state of the web site, so for those of you that haven't visited
   recently, you might give it another look-see. There are some changes
   afoot that everyone should be aware of.

   Mailing Lists: Note that the standard mailing lists have changed
   (Props to Ben!). The former "general" list has been split into
   [announce] and [discuss], for two reasons. First, plenty of people
   were unsubscribing when any email traffic unrelated to the project
   came along (e.g., NetCool discussions). Second, this allows people the
   ability to opt in to the discussions if they want, or come and go as
   they please--all the while still receiving updates and announcements.
   By default, if you were subscribed to "general", you are now
   subscribed to both [announce] and [discuss]. If you want to
   subscribe/unsubscribe you still do what you always did...go to the
   "Developers Portal" and select "E-mail List Maintenance". The
   difference is that now you get and interface directly with the mailer
   package instead of our interface to majordomo.

   Bugzilla: We've finally got this bad boy moved over, but we're also
   exploring some other options as well. If you have any familiarity with
   Bugzilla, Jitterbug, and/or Double Choco Latte, drop a note with your
   input to ben@opennms.org

   CVSweb: Ben's the man! Finally, CVS access without the overhead of a
   client. You can access our CVS tree (read-only) via
   http://www.opennms.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi . Give it a spin! Note that
   you can also get to this page via the existing "Source & Jar Files"
   link off the web page (if you're signed in!).

   Home Page Links: Many of you have commented that our web site is not
   the easiest to navigate. We're stepping up to this and building some
   easy to use links off the main page to make it a little easier to get
   to some of the basic things: code, documentation, profile maintenance,
   etc.

   
Hey Rocky! Watch me pull an ERD out of this hat!:

   "Again? That trick'll never work." -- Rocky

   Ted Kender dropped a note to the db list this week along with a
   graphical ERD built from our SQL build scripts. Using ERWin, a tool
   that builds these things auto-magically, Ted single-handedly became
   "da man"! Thanks!

   He has since posted a newer revision (which Ben is actively moving
   into place for web access) and a series of questions (based on his
   perusal of the build script and the ERD). Admittedly, I haven't gotten
   a chance to look through them yet, but rest assured, I'll be making
   code changes and email responses tonight/tomorrow and you can be privy
   to the inner workings of my underpowered mind just by subscribing to
   the "db" list. Go to http://www.opennms.org/mailman/listinfo for
   additional details on how to get involved.

   More to follow later on the "db" list.
   
Coding Projects Underway

     * create.sql -- More iterations to follow very quickly. Note the IP
       field datatype changes.
     * Events -- Jacinta is working on a servlet which will read/write
       SOAP requests for event updates, providing a synchronization and
       update mechanism for the Master Station to get events from
       Distributed Pollers. This is an extension of the code she has
       recently completed to provide a command-line extractor to do
       effectively the same thing.
     * SCM -- Nearing completion, with testing possible by the end of
       this week (no promises). Currently, the code exists, but needs to
       be a little more cleanly integrated. It already reads a config
       file on the Master Station, starts client processes on Distributed
       Pollers and can maintain communications between everything
       throughout the life of the child processes. This thing is going to
       rock!
     * icmpd/Perl -- No major updates.
     * jReporter -- Development underway. Currently, we're parsing FO
       objects. Now the press is on to get our XML XSL'd (is that a
       verb?) to a point that it's parseable. OK. Now even I'm confused.
     * Filters -- Great progress is being made, and this can be a pretty
       sticky wicket.
     * Java MIB Compiler -- Old code provided courtesy David Nettleman.
       Still looking for someone interested in taking this one on.
       
=======================
Pending Announcements
=======================

   Some time ago, I promised a significant announcement that would
   provide some assurance that OpenNMS will be around for the long haul.
   I've not updated this, as we'd not heard any additional details on the
   timing of such an announcement.

   Well, we've heard the timing and it's getting very close.

   Watch the [announce] list for details early next week!
   
====================
OpenNMS & Security
====================

   Not surprisingly, this is a concern that many of you have had on your
   minds of late. I thought I'd just take a moment to let you know some
   of the steps we are taking to address this rather amorphous topic.

   First, we're still subject to the security concerns of any and all
   underlying protocols & technologies. This means that just because we
   are newer and cooler than all those other tools out there, it doesn't
   mean that community strings don't suck as a means of securing SNMP
   agents. And until everything support SNMPv3 (including us), this will
   continue to be a whole.

   We are taking steps where we can, though. For example, our target is
   to pass all XML transactions between the Distributed Pollers and the
   Master Stations via SOAP running over Secure HTTP. Beats the hell out
   of plain text, or so we think.

   Additionally, we are excepting events with some pre-configured fields
   from external sources. However, even if they are configured, we (by
   default) overwrite the AutomatedAction, OperatorAction, Troubleticket
   integration, and Notification fields to prevent a huge backdoor to the
   OS. This is configurable, but to unconfigure this could amount to a
   monumentally bad idea.

   The message here is that we are hearing your concerns and are trying
   our best to address these issues. But even more importantly, we need
   your help in watching for potential holes. Due to the nature of the
   system and underlying technologies, there will be some. But we are
   actively trying to reduce these wherever possible, and we appreciate
   your help.
   
===============
The Wish List
===============

   Often imitated, never equalled. Here again is our plea for your help
   and input. And in the same breath, our thanks for your ongoing support
   and help to date.

     * Add SNMPv3 functionality to jSNMP
     * Download the discovery code and give it the once over. Hell, you
       can even run it.
     * Implement the event correlation spec.
     * Review the database design
     * Consider the integration points for CIM/WBEM support
       
   I've started having some oddball problems with IBM's JDK 1.3, but
   there is still a pretty high likelihood that this is user error. I'll
   keep you posted.
   
=====================
A Welcome Diversion
=====================

   Thanks to our friends at the IT Olympics (http://www.itolympics.org), 
   I've finally got a reason to enjoy the Olympics.

   Maybe it's just me, and I've been known to over-personalize some of
   these things, but I don't need Bob Costas telling me (albeit subtlely)
   for several hours in prime-time every night for two weeks that I'm way 
   out of shape 
   
   I got married to get that kind of information.

Slothfully yours,

Shane O.
========
Shane O'Donnell
OpenNMS.org
shaneo@opennms.org
==================
American by birth, geek by choice.
_______________________________________________
discuss mailing list (discuss@opennms.org)
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or change your list options, go to:
http://www.opennms.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss