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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)Installation InstallationHow do I install Jumpnode?
All you have to do is plug the Jumpnode hardware appliance into your network or power on the virtual appliance. You then set up and configure your monitoring through a web browser using the Jumpnode Dashboard. How long does it take to configure Jumpnode?
Our autodiscovery feature and setup wizards walk you through virtually the entire configuration process. A typical install with configuration takes less than one hour. I have many sites to manage. How will Jumpnode benefit me?
Jumpnode's Dashboard provides a unified view of all the sites you monitor and lets you manage each of your appliances. What can I monitor with Jumpnode?
Jumpnode supports a large check library that can monitor systems running Unix, Windows, and Mac, plus a number of other vendor specific checks. Most devices support SNMP and Jumpnode works well with these devices. For example, we have multiple checks for Cisco's CallManager. I have many sites. Do I need to travel to each site to install Jumpnode?
You do not need to travel to each site to install Jumpnode. If you choose the Jumpnode hardware appliances, simply drop ship your appliances to each site and plug them in to your network. All you need is a DHCP server and access to the internet. If you do not have or use a DHCP server, you can use the on-board Web Console Utility to assign an IP address before the appliance ships. If you use the Jumpnode virtual appliances, just download the appliance image from the internet and power it on from your virtual host environment. This can usually be done remotely. Virtual appliances run in NAT mode, so all they require is a DHCP address from your virtual host environment. With either type of appliance, monitoring configuration can be set up from anywhere using the web-based Jumpnode Dashboard. It's that simple! What environmental parameters can I monitor with Jumpnode?
The Jumpnode hardware appliance comes with an integrated temperature sensor that can give you baseline room temperature where the device is located. In addition, both the hardware and virtual appliances can integrate with many 3rd party environmental sensors that support SNMP, allowing you to monitor temperature, humidity, fluid levels, and other metrics, throughout your remote locations. What's the difference between the Dashboard and the hardware appliance's node-console?
The Dashboard is a web-based application that is your primary monitoring management tool and can be accessed from anywhere you have an internet connection and a Flash supported web browser. AccessHow do I get access to Jumpnode when I'm on the road or out of the office?
Jumpnode's Dashboard can be accessed anywhere with internet access and a browser with the latest Flash Player Plugin. Do I need to have private or VPN connections back to Jumpnode or to my remote sites?
Jumpnode's appliances use outbound-only encrypted data trasmission. Typically, no firewall changes or VPN's are necessary. If you can browse the web, you're ready to go. If my WAN connectivity fails how will Jumpnode inform me?
The Jumpnode hardware appliance includes a built-in analog modem. In the event that connectivity to our data centers is lost, it will failover to modem access using Jumpnode's toll free dial-up service. If you do not have the modem plugged in or if you are using the virtual appliance, Jumpnode data centers will detect that the appliance is not submitting its data and will send you an alert. Do I have to pay for Jumpnode's emergency dial-up service?
No! Emergency dial-up service is included in your service plan with all hardware appliances. Can I use Jumpnode's emergency dial-up service for general internet access?
The Jumpnode emergency dial-up service only provides access to Jumpnode data centers. It is not usable for general internet access. Performance and SecurityHow does Jumpnode's architecture differ from other monitoring tools?
Jumpnode addresses the market by providing an elegant, Saas-based IT monitoring platform that is economical, simple to deploy and easy to use. Jumpnode's distributed architecture is fundamentally different than competitive offerings. Will I lose my data or configuration if the hardware fails?
No. Your monitoring data and your appliance's current configuration information are always stored at a Jumpnode data center. In the unlikely event of hardware appliance failure, we will ship a replacement unit to you. The replacement unit will pull down its monitoring and configuration information the moment it is plugged in. All you need to do is plug in the replacement unit! All hardware appliances come with a 90 day free replacement guarantee. What steps has Jumpnode taken to make sure I get my alerts in a reliable manner?
Jumpnode's architecture is designed using multiple layers of redundancy and security. We did the heavy lifting so you don't have to. When Jumpnode sends its data, is it secure?
Communication is always initiated by the Jumpnode appliance to the data center; all data transmission is compressed and protected with 168-bit key encryption. The data center transmits information to the Jumpnode appliance (for example, firmware upgrades) only in response to requests from the appliance. Remote access sessions are fortified by a 1024-bit cipher and commerce-industry-standard AES encryption - the entire communication path from your computer to the Jumpnode appliance on the LAN is protected. Can I monitor business metrics with Jumpnode?
Yes. Utilizing the custom SSH check, the Jumpnode appliance has the ability to log into a machine running SSH and execute a script. This script could pull information such as order, inventory or accounting information from a database. Thresholds can be built around these metrics and generate alerts if certain business metrics are breached. How does Jumpnode protect my data?
The Jumpnode appliance sends collected, encrypted data to a secure data center, where the data is stored on large storage arrays. All data is physically protected from unauthorized access and is backed up regularly. Because all data is stored on our enterprise class servers, you do not need to purchase or maintain any large disk arrays or tape backups to get reliable data retention for long-term trend analysis, auditing and network planning. Our remote locations are industrial sites. Will the hardware appliance hold up?
The Jumpnode hardware appliance is a fanless, diskless, industrial strength platform and can hold up in the harsh conditions. Does Jumpnode offer real-time monitoring?
With an appliance at each of your remote offices you will be able to monitor from any location just as if you were testing from that remote site yourself. This user perspective view of the network is essential when resources are centrally located as it is in a hub and spoke topology. The run-now check architecture allows the administrator to run a real-time check while on the phone with a remote user from their location. This feature vastly reduces fault isolation time. How does Jumpnode conserve bandwidth?
The Jumpnode appliance uses standard compression techniques for data transmission. I have a large team of people managing my infrastructure, can Jumpnode scale with our team?
Jumpnode can notify groups of people on a time schedule using our team-based escalation model. If a problem remains unresolved, the system will notify the next available team member based on how long the issue has gone unresolved. Individual users can choose to receive notifications on a time schedule using various contact methods. They can also deactivate themselves when they are off-duty. SupportDo I need to call someone to configure my Jumpnode appliance?
The Jumpnode system puts you in control. You can configure it online through the Jumpnode Dashboard. What kind of customer support can I expect from Jumpnode?
For fee-based subscriptions, support can be emailed 24/7 to gain assistance during configuration, installation or training. Free subscription support is limited to 30 days. How does Jumpnode update their software? Do I have to spend time maintaining Jumpnode?
Because the Jumpnode Dashboard application is hosted, features added to the platform are updated whenever you log in. The Jumpnode appliance is self updating as well. When a new software release is made available, the appliances apply the upgrade, continuing to monitor your systems. These maintenance-free updates are why Jumpnode is an asset to your organization, and not one more application needing time and attention. |