How to Send Modbus Alarms to Your SNMP Manager

An increasing number of devices at your remote sites communicate alarm data using the Modbus protocol. Integrating Modbus into your overall network monitoring system is essential to protecting your infrastructure. If you don't properly handle alarms from Modbus, it's only a matter of time before your next preventable outage.

Network outages can be major financial disruptions that put careers at risk, and they're also incredibly dangerous to the customers you serve (think 911 service, police/fire radio, and even heating/cooling).

Think of the potential cost of not monitoring the generators at your remote sites. When commercial power fails, your entire network will depend on your generators running properly. That's why collecting Modbus alarm data from your generators is so important.

Installing separate, Modbus-compatible RTUs at remote sites creates unnecessary complication and expense

Not monitoring your generators isn't an option, but what can you do? One option is to install a separate, Modbus-compatible master station alongside your pre-existing SNMP manager. This won't work because it increases the risk of urgent alarms being missed. You'll overstretch your employees if you have them juggle multiple alarm management interfaces.

You could always hire more people, but this adds to your overall network monitoring cost.

You need a single Modbus-compatible RTU that can convert to SNMP

A "Modbox" will convert your Modbus registers into SNMP traps - unifying your monitoring under one umbrella.

What you need is a Modbus-compatible RTU that can be integrated into your pre-existing SNMP manager. This device will collect alarms from your generator (or any other Modbus device), process the data, and send SNMP traps to your SNMP manager.

This solution would allow you to efficiently monitor your remote Modbus devices through the same interface used to monitor the rest of your network (SNMP). No extra master station required. No extra personnel juggling multiple interfaces.

This "Modbox" device converts Modbus to SNMP

A device like the Modbox from DPS Telecom converts Modbus data to SNMP, integrating your remote Modbus devices into your SNMP manager. With the ability to monitor up to 1500 different registers, the Modbox doesn't force you to choose which alarms you can live without.

Monitoring so many registers, however, poses its own set of technical challenges. It can take an extended amount of time for RTUs to complete such a long polling loop (ex. 5 minutes). This means that notifications for alarms may not be received until it's too late.

The Modbox remedies this "long polling loop" challenge by allowing you to group alarms according to severity. As it polls Modbus registers, the Modbox will check for high-severity alarms more frequently. This ensures that you're notified of any potentially catastrophic problems before it's too late.

Don't forget about your network security policies

Finally, in a world in which cyber attacks are becoming more and more commonplace, it's imperative that you choose a network monitoring solution that is secure. That's why the Modbox has industry-standard security features, like IP whitelisting and an encrypted web interface (HTTPS).

We'll help you monitor your remote Modbus devices

Give us a call today at 1-800-693-0351 to discuss your most pressing Modbus issues. Our expert engineering team will craft a custom solution just for you.