Frequently asked questions about general configuration
Which limitations should I keep in mind for the specifications of a DMA?
How do I keep DataMiner Cube from disconnecting automatically?
Which limitations should I keep in mind for the specifications of a DMA?
You can find these on the DataMiner Metrics page.
When must a DataMiner Agent be restarted?
A DataMiner Agent must be restarted in the following cases:
After a manual change has been made to a DataMiner XML file.
E.g. when you have added a custom command to the Alarm Console shortcut menu in Hyperlinks.xml.
After the IP address of the server hosting the DataMiner Agent has been changed.
After the time zone on the DataMiner Agent has been changed.
Note
After an upgrade, the DMA will automatically be restarted.
How do I synchronize time settings within a DMS?
Within a DMS, it is essential that the time settings on the different DMAs are synchronized. Without proper time synchronization among the different DMAs, it is impossible to correlate events or even to have a correct overview of what is happening on the DMS.
Time synchronization options
The most common way to make sure that time is synchronized among all DMAs is to make them all members of the same domain.
However, if this is not possible, you can set up a time synchronization mechanism among the DMAs that is based on SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol). This mechanism involves turning one computer into a time server, and all other computers into time clients.
More information about SNTP can be found in RFC 4330:
Time server
The time server will provide the correct time settings for all DMAs.
To turn any computer into a time server, whether it serves as a DMA or not, do the following:
Log on locally to the machine that will act as time server, or establish a remote desktop session with it.
Stop the Windows Time service via Start > Control Panel > System and Security > Administrative Tools > Services.
Open the registry editor via Start > Run... > regedit.
Search for the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer.
Set the Enabled value to 1.
Search for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\W32Time\Config.
Set the AnnounceFlags value to 5.
Start the Windows Time service again and set the start type to Automatic.
Time client
All DMAs in the DMS have to be turned into time clients that will synchronize their time settings with those of the time server.
To turn a DMA into a time client, do the following.
Log on locally to the DMA, or establish a remote desktop session with it.
Open the Services dialog box via Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services, and select the Windows Time service.
Right-click the service, and select Properties.
Change Startup type to Automatic, and click OK.
This will make Windows Time service start automatically when the DMA is started.
Right-click the Windows Time service, and select Start.
Check whether the service is actually running, and then close the Properties dialog box.
Open a command prompt window via Start > Run... > cmd.
Enter w32tm /config /update /manualpeerlist:, followed by the IP address of the time server, and press Enter.
Other time-related commands
The following table contains a few other commands that may be useful when synchronizing time settings among DMAs.
To retrieve the time server that is being used by a particular DMA, execute the following command on that DMA:
w32tm /query /source
To get the current time from a specific time server, execute the following command, replacing the “192.9.200.1” placeholder with the actual IP address of the time server:
w32tm /stripchart /computer:192.9.200.1 /samples:1 /dataonly
To get a detailed report about the most recent time synchronization, execute the following command:
w32tm /query /status /verbose
![TIP] See also: Windows Time service tools and settings
How do I keep DataMiner Cube from disconnecting automatically?
By default, a DataMiner Cube session will disconnect after a certain period without user activity. This way, users cannot leave sessions open on unattended workstations.
However, under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to keep a session open for an indefinite period of time. To do so:
Go to the DataMiner Cube user settings. See User settings.
Go to the Connection tab.
Clear the option Time before automatic disconnect.
What do I do if two DMAs cannot communicate?
In some cases, a DMA may not be able to communicate with another DMA because of a change in setup. This could for instance be because one Agent is a domain member, while the other Agent is not in a domain but in a workgroup.
To solve this problem, you can specify a custom user account for inter-DMA authentication purposes.
To configure a custom user account:
Open the SLNetClient test tool. See Opening the SLNetClientTest tool.
Connect to the DMA. See Connecting to a DMA with the SLNetClientTest tool.
Edit the connection strings between the DMAs. See Editing the connection string between two DataMiner Agents.
What do I do if there is an SLNet process disappearance?
A process disappearance of SLNet can be caused by an issue in the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.
You can resolve this by installing the appropriate Microsoft hotfix:
KB3139551 Hotfix Rollup HR-1602 - NPD 4.6/4.6.1 RTM - Win7SP1/Win2K8R2RTM/Win2K8R2SP1/VistaSP2 - KB3139551
KB3139550 Hotfix Rollup HR-1602 - NPD 4.6/4.6.1 RTM - Win8.1RTM/Win2K12R2RTM- KB3139550
KB3139549 Hotfix Rollup HR-1602 - NPD 4.6/4.6.1 RTM - Win2K12RTM - KB3139549