Monitoring VMware vCenter Appliance with SNMP

    

VMware provides a vCenter (Linux) Appliance since vSphere 5. Unfortunately, the one shipping with 5.0 was a bit low on features. I am giving a try on v5.1 and it is far better. Except that SNMP in not enabled…

I’ll keep the quick&dirty directions here. The source link is already quite complete.

Connect to the vCSA using SSH and the admin credentials ; the same you use to connect to the Web GUI.

Check your SuSe version to enable to right repository:

vcenter:~ # cat /etc/SuSE-release
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (x86_64)
VERSION = 11
PATCHLEVEL = 2

Configure the use of the standard SuSe repository using the yast command. Select the Software / Software Repositories option. Use the Add function to “Specify URL…” and enter the following “Repository Name”: http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/11.1/repo/oss/

Then, browse to Software /> Software Management, “Search Phrase” for “snmp”, select “net-snmp” and validate the installation. I was prompted to reboot the host, so I did it.

Issue the following commands to configure and automate snmpd start:

# chkconfig snmpd on
# vi /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf
(...)
syslocation Paris, France
syscontact Joel Carnat <jdoe@tumfatig.net>
rocommunity secret

# service snmpd start

I didn’t have to modify the hosts.allow file to have the SNMP daemon answer my monitoring server.

Finally, configure your monitoring server and get that stats out of the vCenter.

Source: Monitor vCenter Appliance (vCSA) via SNMP