Improving Network Discovery

Applications Manager | November 29, 2009 | 1 min read

I have done around close to 500 implementations of ManageEngine Products, particularly OpManager and ServiceDesk Plus and its variants – MSP, DE, SCP, AE. While implementing Network related solutions/product, it is mandatory that all devices have to be discovered automatically. This adds value and really makes sense while working with the product.

To improve the discovery process, we always have a practice to change the NATIVE PING to ‘true’. I used to wonder what NATIVE PING is all about.

Well, to begin with, let me give a quick brief on the Discovery Process.

Applications Manager ( or OpManager ) uses ICMP Ping to find the active devices during Network Discovery. The application sends a broadcast and comes up with the list of active ipaddresses, after which the deep discovery happens. There is every chance that the ICMP Ping may be disabled in Networks. In such cases, the active devices are not discovered.

In order to overcome this, the carrier grade platform , over which ManageEngine products have been built, comes up with a Native Ping tool. This ping request, when enabled, goes as any other TCP request and hence the discovery is successful.

Now to enable NATIVE PING Discovery, you have to edit the [ApplicationsManager_INSTALL]\conf\AvailabilityTests.conf and change the following parameter :

am.enablenativeping=false

as

am.enablenativeping=true

Native Ping is used to improve the performance of discovery over the default system ping. When Native Ping is enabled, the default system ping is not used for discovery. Hope this helps make your discovery process even more smooth.

  1. this can be a very useful discovery to manage engine products, but someone can explain me how it will work