Integrating NIMS with ORS

You can strengthen the security of Observer Reporting Server by integrating with Network Instruments Management Server (NIMS). This also allows for tighter control of products licenses.

Note: If you enable NIMS integration in Observer Reporting Server, the Observer/GigaStor probes, analyzers, and Observer Infrastructure instances you use for Observer Reporting Server data sources must also be managed by NIMS and have the same key.

To use these features in Observer Reporting Server, choose Options > Program Settings > Security tab. Table 1 shows the options used to configure security and NIMS.

Table 4. ORS security options

Option	Description
Observer Reporting Server network name	Your Observer Reporting Server product provides a random name for itself. This allows ORS to self-identify when communicating with other Network Instruments products. The name itself is arbitrary, so if necessary you can change it to anything you want. For example, “Third Floor ORS Appliance.”
Use Observer Encryption Key file for secure connections	Strong encryption is available for Observer Reporting Server. Observer Encryption Key (.OEK) files let you use private encryption keys to ensure that unauthorized persons do not have access to the data flowing between Observer Reporting Server and its configured data sources. If you have not already created a private key for Observer, use the Observer Encryption Key Utility (located in C:\Program Files\Observer\ObsEncryptUtil.exe) to generate secure keys. If you have, copy that key and paste it into the installation directory (usuallyC:\Program Files\ObserverReportingServer) and to the installation directory of each Observer analyzer. To generate a key file, use the Encryption Key Utility (which is located in the Observer program group from the Windows Start Menu).
Authenticate users	This forces Observer to use NIMS to authenticate users rather than Observer’s local user list. A user list is maintained in NIMS. When this option is enabled, the Security tab is removed from the user interface and all users are maintained in NIMS.
Manage ORS licenses with NIMS	An Observer Reporting Server license can be stored and managed locally, or it can be managed centrally by NIMS. If this option is cleared, it is managed locally and you must provide a license for each installation. If selected, you can provide a pool of licenses in NIMS and Observer Reporting Server will take an available license when the application or service starts.
Primary/Secondary server	Provide the IP address of the primary NIMS server. If you are also using a failover NIMS server, type its IP address in the Secondary server box.