nShield Monitor Alarm Conditions

nShield Monitor provides the following alert conditions for monitoring and tracking system and device level conditions:

Alarm Condition Alarm Severity Notes

Device is added or removed

Added: INFO

Deleted:
Warning

System Alarm - nShield Monitor

Alarm gets generated by nShield Monitor when a device gets enrolled or deleted from the system. Add operation will create an INFO alarm and delete of enrolled device reported as WARNING.

When the nShield Monitor average CPU usage is higher than 95%

ERROR

System Alarm - nShield Monitor

This is a health alert for nShield Monitor, when the average CPU usage is higher than 95%. nShield Monitor will not shut down. Send debug logs to your Support organization.

nShield Monitor License Expiry

alerts

WARNING

CRITICAL

EMERGENCY

System Alarm - nShield Monitor

nShield Monitor will keep sending alerts with different severity a few days before expiration.

A WARNING alert message will be sent out every day from 23rd day to 28th day. A CRITICAL alert will be sent out on 29th day and an EMERGENCY alert will be sent out on 30th day. An Emergency alert is the final alert before the evaluation license expires.

User needs to install valid license at this point for nShield Monitor to monitor the devices.

When the nShield Monitor Memory is over 90% full

ERROR

System Alarm - nShield Monitor

This Alarm gets generated when system memory gets 90% full. At this point, nShield Monitor does not stop monitoring or shut down. The system will continue with normal operation.

When the nShield Monitor disk is over 90% full

ERROR

System Alarm - nShield Monitor

This Alarm gets generated when system disk gets 90% full. At this point nShield Monitor does not stop monitoring or shut down. The system will continue with normal operation. Follow this link to find disk size recommendations Server Requirements.

Add storage space by expanding the virtual hard disk.

nShield Monitor Security Related Alarm Warning when Master key has not been generated and Critical when Master key is not loaded

WARNING CRITICAL

Security Alarm - nShield Monitor

It is a security alarm regarding master key not being generated or not being loaded. If key is not generated a WARNING message and CRITICAL when MK is not loaded. Administrator needs to take appropriate action by configuring the same on Security page.

nShield Monitor Security Related Alarm

User: has enabled/disabled Service

INFO

Security Alarm - nShield Monitor

If SSH, WebUI or Open VMTool services are enabled or disabled.

nShield Monitor Security Related Alarm

WARNING

CRITICAL

Security Alarm - nShield Monitor

It is a security alarm regarding master key not being generated or not being loaded.

If the key is not generated a WARNING message is generated and a CRITICAL message is generated when a master key is not loaded.

The Administrator needs to take appropriate action by configuring the same on the Security page.

The license features have been changed for Device

INFO

Device Alarm - nShield

There are optional feature licenses for the nShield HSM. At a later date, when you require a new feature, you can order it from Sales and install the new License. Change in those featured licenses are going to be monitored by nShield Monitor and notified by an event.

The nShield device temperature change alerts

WARNING / CRITICAL

Device Alarm - nShield

System reports device temperature change WARNING message when exceeds lower configured threshold value and CRITICAL above upper threshold value.

Hard Server failure in Client Host

WARNING

Device Alarm - nShield

A WARNING message would be generated when hard server program fails.

Follow Remote Administrator Client User Guide for further investigation.

Module count is Zero for Client Host

WARNING

Device Alarm - nShield

When Client host discovers no nShield HSMs attached to enrolled Client Host.

Follow up with nShield User Guide.

The software base release updated, revision, build number, core API version, performance model update, crypto algorithm host command update and optional license update

INFO

Device Alarm - nShield

This is an nShield monitored Event. Event is logged for audit purposes. A Security World software upgrade operation would update revision, build number, core API versions and optional licensing update information, and so on. No action needed.

License count exceeded

Device count license Exceed - NOTIFICATION
Install new License - NOTIFICATION
Device count license exceeds for <N> days - WARNING
Device count license exceeds for <0> days - ALERT

NOTIFICATION / WARNIING / ALERT / CRITICAL

System Alarm - nShield Monitor

When nShield Monitor detects more nShield HSMs connected to ClientHost than the permitted “nShield Monitor” License count, nShield Monitor generates this event.

When the License count is exceeded, a new license (with more HSM count) should be installed within 30 days. If this does not occur, ONLY Administrator privilege users of nShield Monitor will be allowed to login.

Group Manager Privileged Users won’t be allowed to login to nShield Monitor.

After 30 days, nShield Monitor will still continue to monitor the detected nShield HSMs in the background. Once the new “nShield Monitor” license with a sufficient HSM count is installed, Group Manager Privileged Users are allowed to login.

Client Host does not belong to a security world

WARNING

Device Alarm – nShield

When the Client host is not configured with correct Security World information but is enrolled for monitoring. WARNING message gets generated. Refer to Remote Administrator Client User Guide.

Solo XC fan speed down to zero

CRITICAL

Device Alarm - nShield

This CRITICAL alarm generates when the fan speed for Solo goes down to zero or is not functioning. Refer to nToken Installation Guide if needed.

Power Supply failed for nShield module

WARNING

Device Alarm - nShield

This WARNING alarm generates when power supply to nShield module fails.

Refer to nToken Installation and Solo installation guide if needed.

Number of nShield discovered by nShield Monitor

INFO

Device Alarm - nShield

nShield Monitor generates alarms when client host start discovering nShield configured to it.

HSM module hard failure

CRITICAL

Device Alarm - nShield

It’s an nShield/ClientHost module hard failure event. Customer needs to investigate on Client Host about module failure and refer to Remote Administrator Client User guide suggest how to restart it.

Device State changed to offline

ALERT

Device Alarm - nShield

An ALERT alarm is generated when the Device State changes to offline.

Device State changed to online

NOTIFICATION

Device Alarm - nShield

A NOTIFICATION alarm is generated when the device state changes to online.

Device State changed to unavailable

ALERT

Device Alarm - nShield

An ALERT alarm is generated when the device state changes to unavailable.

Device State changed to secure

NOTIFICATION

Device Alarm - nShield

A NOTIFICATION alarm is generated when the device state changes to unavailable.

Device information Modified

NOTIFICATION

System Alarm - nShield Monitor Enrolled device

nShield Monitor enrolled device information has been modified. Device Details include Hostname, HostIP, Description, Location; SNMP Details include username, port, Authentication algorithm/password or Privacy algorithm/password or Group membership information.

Device Monitoring Enable/Disable

WARNING

Device Alarm - nShield Monitor Enrolled device

WARNING message gets generated when administrator disables or enables monitoring option for enrolled devices.

Object Count Notification

INFO / WARNING / CRITICAL

Device Alarm - nShield Monitor Enrolled device

WARNING and/or CRITICAL notifications are raised if the object count of any HSM in a defined group exceeds one of the thresholds for a pre-configured period. INFO message gets generated when the object count for that device falls back under the lower threshold value for a pre-configured period.

The alert indicates:

  • The threshold value

  • The HSM hostname and IP address (or the HSM ESN if hostname and IP address are not present)

  • The group that the HSM belongs to.

SNMP Trap Notification

NOTIFICATION / ALERT /

CRITICAL

Device Alarm - nShield Monitor Enrolled device

nShield Monitor generates alerts and notifications when the SNMP TRAP state changes.

ALERT when the state changes to offline or unavailable.

NOTIFICATION when the state changes to secure or online.

CRITICAL when the connection status is unreachable.