NEMS Linux Community Forum

How do I use NEMS?

My Background.
I am a retired IT person.  I worked in technology as a communications technician, System Administrator and Database Administrator for over 32 years before retiring in 2014. 

As such I had/have a home network that was a little bit more sophisticated than the average so I went searching for a tool that could monitor it for me.  I found NEMS & Robbie!

I first started using NEMS with version 1.1 and I am now using 1.4 (currently running on a Raspberry Pi 3 B+).

What do I monitor?

I monitor my 22 (or thereabouts) devices.  These include:

• Router and internet gateway (1)
• Smart Ether Switches (2). A 16 Port 1Gb switch and an 8 port PoE 1Gb switch for PoE devices.
• my NAS & the UPS connected to it  using NUT.
• Central WAP for mobile phones, tablets etc
• Security Cameras (mostly PoE)
• My Solar Energy System Gateway and Energy Monitoring System (uploads to PVOutput.org)
• Weather Station (connected to WeatherUnderground)

NEMS alerts me via eMail if any of these devices go offline or if they are SNMP capable, go out of set Critical & Warning parameters.

For example with my NAS is SNMP enabled & with NEMS check_snmp I can check:

• The NAS is online, what it's input voltage is if it's on mains and what the output voltage is if on battery.
  If the UPS is on battery, how much autonomy time  in seconds (with good batteries should be about 3600 seconds). The UPS also powers other critical infrastructure such as routers, switches etc.
  My NAS uses NUT & becomes a NUTserver.  This controls automatic shutdown of all NUT clients and the NAS in the event of mains failure. 
• What HDD drive temperatures are
• What the system temperature is

I have really only scratched the surface of what could be done with SNMP as I see the potential but how to do it in NEMS is the Challenge!
Attachments give a simple view.

Nice, Ron! Thanks for sharing how you use NEMS! I love how clearly your setup shows the diversity of how NEMS can be used, and how you're monitoring so many things simultaneously (ie., NEMS is not a "one trick pony" by any stretch). I also love that even though you've been using NEMS since 1.1, you still find new and exciting features (eg., SNMP).

Keep up the great work! Thanks for making NEMS such an integral part of your network infrastructure!

By the way Ron, I have been unable to replicate your issue - that's why I'm interested in looking at your internal setup to rule that out :)