Recent Blog Posts
Harden the SL1 Platform with Oracle Linux 8 (OL8)
1 MIN READ In the upcoming ScienceLogic PowerHour we are covering the ‘Harden the Foundation’ of SL1 topic and why you should upgrade from existing Oracle Linux 7 (OL7) to the new Oracle Linux 8 ((OL8) platform. The virtual appliance format that SL1 utilizes allows us to harden the core with OL8 to improve platform security, scalability, and application performance. This session will share the value of that migration with your teams along with details that can be utilized in your internal conversations about the upgrade process. One of the most important aspects of the upgrade is Enhanced Security with OL8; which will enable SL1 users to support advanced security features. For instance: dedicated OL8 STIG builds with FIPS 140-2, TLS 1.3. Additionally, Package Application Streams DNF YUM Package Manager and Faster SL1 System Updates. Another major reason to join the PowerHour is the SL1 application improvements. With Increased Processing Speed of the Database, I/O Performance (Open 7K Business Svcs in 10sec) and, Large SQL queries which will enable the platform to have a roughly 30% faster query response. Join us for the May 22nd PowerHour and learn about all the options and value in the newest upgrades from ScienceLogic. To learn more about the conversion process please visit the Conversion Resource Center.Building Effective Run Book Automations: Maximizing Operational Efficiency with SL1
2 MIN READ In today's dynamic IT landscape, operational efficiency and control are paramount for businesses to stay competitive and resilient. ScienceLogic'sRun Book Automation (RBA) offers a comprehensive solution aimed at streamlining operations, enhancing control, and identifying critical events. In SL1, creating an automation policy will define the event conditions that must be met before SL1 will trigger an automatic action. Consider a scenario where an unplanned network device configuration change triggers a compliance alert in SL1, but the alert doesn’t provide all the information necessary to determine the best action for resolution. ScienceLogic’s automations can collect additional event information through a python script and return the data to SL1 and/or your incident platform. With this full information set, the best course for remediation can be determined. If appropriate, automations can also assist with resolution steps to avoid human error as you work to reduce your mean time to repair (MTTR). This systematic approach ensures that key events are promptly addressed, reducing the risk of compliance violations and operational disruptions. Operational efficiency is further enhanced through tailored automation actions that alleviate repetitive tasks. Another common scenario is for a web server supporting the front-end of your most important application to have a performance problem that can come and go at a moment's notice. At the time of occurrence, the SL1 platform can trigger an automation to collect the necessary data that allows your support team to decide on the best resolution. Furthermore, if the resolution also includes a scriptable solution (and SL1 has many) the resolution step can be performed and tracked, therefore reducing MTTR. ScienceLogic RBAs offer a powerful solution by identifying critical events, streamlining processes, and enhancing operational control. With the ability to align automation policies with critical events, organizations can adapt to evolving challenges with agility and confidence. To learn about how to build effective RBAs to maximize your operational efficiency with SL1, attend our upcoming PowerHour session on April 24, 2024. I’ll walk you through how to align automation policies with critical events and how to create automations that help reduce repetitive tasks. If you have automation questions leading up to the event, let me know. Post them below!Spicing up Maps by Adding Images in SL1 (AP2)
2 MIN READ Adding new images to a map as a background graphic is a powerful feature of SL1 maps but getting it right can be tricky. Showing a background image of a location, datacenter rack, or a company logo with active SL1 devices provides a better user experience andunderstanding of those devices in addition to their current health status and relationships. The first three steps in adding images to maps are: Selecting devices via query Adjusting initial depth of relationships Naming the map Once those basic steps are complete you have an active map! To add a background image or multiple images, the next step is to load them into SL1. Start this process in ‘Edit’ mode from within the current map by selecting ‘Settings’ indicated by the cog wheel in the upper right corner then select the ‘Edit’ icon as shown below. The ‘Edit’ function for images will default to ‘Rectangle.’ Next, using the drop down, select ‘Image.’Then, use the button for ‘Add Shape’ and a variety of graphic images will be available for selection accompanied by a search capability. Depending on your resolution or browser you may need to scroll to the right to find the elusive ‘Add Image’ feature to upload custom images. You can add a new image from your local workstation either by browsing or drag and drop as prompted. The image must fit the following criteria: Be SVG, JPEG, or PNG format Be less than 7MB No animation Once the image is uploaded, it is available to select from the same screen and add to the map. While in the ‘Edit’ function, the newly imported shape/image can be resized. To get things just right proportionally in relation to the devices, you may need to select ‘Map’ above the ‘Edit’ icon in ‘Settings’ and scroll in or out to resize the devices for the map. This can require an element of patience, but the result will be well worth it. Pro Tip: make sure the queried nodes in the map can be fixed in place over the image. Do this by selecting ‘Map’ and ensure the slider for ‘Fixed Current Nodes In Place’ is ‘On.’ With the nodes fixed and proportion of node to image sizing is as desired, save the map! The resulting map is now available as a ‘Map’ and as a dashboard map element. A more advanced use of the feature with multiple images and nodes is illustrated below. Using this feature within SL1 is an excellent way to spice up location maps, datacenter maps, and other examples where single or multiple background images add valuable context to a map. Features for maps in addition to those above can be referenced in ourChanging the Appearance of a Map documentation.Best Practice: Leveraging N-Tier Service Types Effectively
3 MIN READ Business Services are a significant differentiator and feature of the SL1 platform. Sl1 has 2 types of service models, the 3 Tier consisting of Business, IT, and Device Services – and the N-Tier offering greater tiers of service models. Both 3 Tier and N-Tier models ‘end’ in a Device Service where actual SL1 devices drive the Health, Availability, and Risk status reflected in the service structures. For more information on Business Services in SL1, reference: https://docs.sciencelogic.com/latest/Content/Web_Monitoring_Tools/Business_Services/business_services_intro.htm A challenge presented in defining N-Tier models is that multiple tiers can be defined in a model then published, the design of that model dictates the service type names but any service added to the published model will be categorized as ‘New Service’ by default. The categorization of a tier is not impactful to how it operates but can have a downstream affect ease of administration, reporting, and visualization in dashboards. Having a disciplined naming convention for services (as in many other areas of the platform) will save time, effort, and complexity in maintaining the system overall. It is not uncommon to change an approach or realize a new tier is needed to deployment of an N-Tier structure. The thought occurs often after the model is published and work has already gone into defining structure, policies, and populating Device Services when it is realized another tier or even branch is needed. That’s where this best practice focuses. SL1 makes it fairly easy to create another tier in an N-Tier structure, simply edit a service higher in the hierarchy and under ‘Services’ another tier can be added as a ‘Service Group’. When a new Service Group is added, it only needs a name (highlighted in a red underline) and will default to ‘New Service’ in a pull-down menu next to the name. The Service Type pull down menu will have types already defined within the model or previously created. You can type in a custom service type for the new service tier and once saved, it will be available in the pull down for other services. The best practice of naming service types will be important when administering other features of the system such as dashboard, where choosing what services are displayed within a dashboard can be based on Service Type – making it efficient to create a dashboard showing all Location based services as an example. When using that criteria, as new services (locations) are created, they would automatically appear in the service-based dashboard without additional administration – IF the service type equaled ‘Location Environment’ as in the example above. This discipline will also make it much easier for an administrator to audit service creation, using a filter on the Business Services page to search for ‘New Service’ and instantly know something was created and correct it to best practices and ensure it ‘fits’ within the approved model. The SL1 N-Tier service structure capability can facilitate a great user experience in a complex IT environment, but with great power comes great responsibility! Administering very large models (some environments have models 30 tiers deep totaling 1000’s of services) can be complex but using best practices around service naming, descriptions, tagging, and importantly Service Types can make it significantly easier.How to Utilize the SL1 ‘RSS Feeds’ Feature to Simplify Industry Alert Collection
2 MIN READ It's important to be aware of end of life (EOL) or end of support (EOS) notices affecting devices in your IT estate and worrying about missing critical vulnerability notices or common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE) alerts isn’t very fun. The good news is, ScienceLogic SL1 has something that can help. Instead of chasing website postings, emails, or combing forums, leverage SL1 to bring the information to you using ‘RSS Feeds’ subscriptions. SL1 can monitor RSS news feed sites often available through most manufacturers including USCert, DHS CISA, and more. Using a feature called ‘RSS Feeds’ (configured under Events), SL1 will reach out to configured sources, pull available postings into the system, and present them individually as ‘notice’ events in the event console. Configuring the feature is easily done under Events -> RSS Feeds. Simply create a new event feed using a URL, align it to an organization, choose to represent it in the event console, and choose a collector to poll for the feed. It’s that easy! ‘RSS Feeds’ uses and internal collection that runs every 10-minutes using the ‘Data Collection: RSS Event Feed’ admin process (found under System -> Admin Processes) and utilizes the event policy ‘Syndication: News Feed’ as the mechanism to collect and present in the event console. Changes to the admin process can alter frequency and changes to the event policy can affect event duration and criticality, which is defaulted to ‘Notice’ and auto expires after 15-minutes. A common use case is to create a dedicated organization for ease of tracking and visibility then change the event expiration to 30-minutes. I often follow these steps: Add an organization called ‘Industry Alerts’ Subscribe to various original equipment manufacturer (OEM) EOL or EOS feeds Use a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) feed for security and vulnerability alerts using ‘https://www.cisa.gov/cybersecurity-advisories/all.xml’ as the feed source Most sources of good information are easily found by searching the OEM site or looking for sources in a search engine to find ones relevant to your organization. An example might be ‘Cisco RSS Feed.’ Operational policies using SL1 ‘Events’ to search devices and software versions, etc., can then make quick work of identifying what’s affected in your environment. Then begins a change management process to update or configure your event feed based on the information referenced from your feed source. Isolating all feeds or events to a dedicated organization in SL1 makes it easy to create a dashboard or simply reference the information in a single place. Gone are the days of chasing sites, email, or forums to find critical information that could affect your IT estate. To learn more about how to simplify industry alert collection using SL1, check out our documentation on RSS Feeds and Events.Welcome to the ScienceLogic Product Blog
1 MIN READ Here, you’ll find dedicated information that’s all about you and how to get the most out of our products. It’s not just a list of features; it highlights product updates and is a collection of stories, tips, and insights tailored to enhance your experience. Think of it as your go-to guide for everything related to maximizing your product knowledge, crafted to help you use our solutions more effectively and enjoy all the benefits they offer. We’re here to support your journey, listen to your feedback, and evolve together. Dive in and discover all the ways our products can make a difference in your daily routine! Meet our Blogger: Lee Koepping Sr. Director, Global Sales Engineering
