Instruction manual

InfraStruXure Central 4.0 User’s Reference 257
Using Post Only Mode with InfraStruXure
Central
APC NetBotz devices support InfraStruXure Central Post Only Mode. When a device is configured
to use Post Only mode, the APC NetBotz device initiates all communications. Typically,
InfraStruXure Central periodically queries any APC NetBotz device that it has discovered for status
and environmental data information (for more information, see “Data Collection/Monitoring
Settings” on page 74). However, when an APC NetBotz device is configured to use Post Only mode
the device controls when data is delivered to InfraStruXure Central, posting specified data directly to
one or more InfraStruXure Central servers according to user-specified settings.
Post Only Communications Behavior
• Post Only mode is configured on your APC NetBotz devices using the Advanced View. See
“Enabling Post Only Mode on Your Devices” on page 258 for instructions.
• When Post Only mode is in effect, all communications between the APC NetBotz monitoring
device and InfraStruXure Central is initiated by the device. Alerts are sent immediately, as
always: If an alert fails, the monitoring device will hold and re-try. Sensor data is posted to
InfraStruXure Central at user-defined intervals.
• If a InfraStruXure Central console user makes a configuration or threshold change to a device
that is in Post Only mode, the task will be placed in the Pending Requests queue and will be sent
as a reply on the next occasion it receives a sensor data post from the device. The device will
then acknowledge the InfraStruXure Central request and confirm that the task has been
completed.
• In Post Only mode, the normal definition of Offline does not apply because by definition the
device is Online only when it contacts InfraStruXure Central. Therefore, Post Only devices are
typically in an Offline/Configurable state, and are considered Offline only if InfraStruXure
Central has not received a post from the device within the amount of time specified by the
Device Interval setting (for more information, see “Management Device Job Control” on
page 88).
• In the InfraStruXure Central Map View, Post Only devices are indicated by a small arrow image
that appears over the device icon, as well as over any other devices that are associated with the
device (pods and crawlers, for example). If you hover the mouse over the icon, the ‘Last Post’
date and time is shown with the sensor readings.
• The Device Job Control task enables you to check the status of tasks that have been assigned to
Post Only devices. You can use the Device Job Control task to delete a pending task. However,
if any task is deleted, all other subsequent tasks that are also pending for the same device will
also be deleted.
• When a device is using Post Only mode, InfraStruXure Central is aware of the state of the
device as of the last post. For example, if the last post was 25 minutes ago, the sensor readings
and camera image displayed are also from 25 minutes ago. If changes are made to the device
configuration using the Basic View or Advanced View between posts, InfraStruXure Central
will assume that the BotzWare settings are correct and synchronize with the new device settings
it receives. APC strongly suggests that you restrict Advanced View configuration access to