CiscoWorks Blue Maps Features

CiscoWorks Blue Maps is a suite of UNIX applications for managing integrated networks with Systems Network Architecture (SNA) and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) environments. Maps applications let you manage networks of Cisco routers that are enabled for remote source-route bridging (RSRB), data-link switching (DLSw), or Advanced Peer-to-Peer Networking (APPN). This chapter introduces the functions and capabilities of CiscoWorks Blue Maps and presents brief overviews of the protocols. It contains the following main sections:

Introducing CiscoWorks Blue Maps

CiscoWorks Blue Maps is a set of applications that let you manage Cisco routers in an IBM SNA network. Each Maps application focuses on a particular protocol: DLSw, RSRB, or APPN. Maps displays graphical views of SNA networks connected with Cisco routers. These views are dynamically updated to provide snapshots of the network as it appears at any time.

Map Features

CiscoWorks Blue Maps applications provide the features described in the following sections:

Graphical Map Layout

CiscoWorks Blue Maps applications get network data from the MIBs to provide detailed logical maps of the SNA-related protocols. These maps are automatically drawn to depict specific protocols in the network. For example, the DLSw key devices map provides a view of the key DLSw routers with their peer routers and the rings and peer connections between them. Topology is drawn based on the DLSw protocol, and you can focus on different components of the DLSw network such as individual routers and links. Figure 1-1 is a sample DLSw key devices view. It shows you a small set of routers that you designate as "key devices" based on their networking attributes. This map also shows you the peer routers to those key routers, and it shows you the peer connections that connect the key routers to their peers.

Figure 1-1: Sample DLSw Map

Network Management Tools

CiscoWorks Blue Maps provides the network administrator with the tools needed to manage growing integrated SNA and TCP/IP networks. This set of Maps applications (RSRB, DLSw, and APPN) can be integrated with popular Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) management platforms such as IBM NetView for AIX, HP OpenView, or SunNet Manager. From the graphical maps, you can display path information or go directly to a device view using CiscoView.

Problem Determination

You can use the graphical maps to efficiently identify and diagnose problems related to the specific protocol under observation (RSRB, DLSw, and APPN). Having identified the problem area, you can easily access additional information by invoking other menus in the application. For instance, in a DLSw network, you can use a key routers view to display a selected set of routers and their peer connections. From this view, you can then display information about peer routers, peer connections, and DLSw circuits. You can also view new nodes as they are added, and view the changing status of the devices and links dynamically.

Maps Applications

CiscoWorks Blue Maps offers both Motif-based and Web-based network management applications.

Motif-Based Applications

CiscoWorks Blue Maps offers a set of network management applications that use the X Window System and Motif graphical interfaces to display graphical maps of the nodes and links in your network. Each application focuses on a particular protocol: DLSw, RSRB, and APPN.

Web-Based Applications

CiscoWorks Blue Maps offers a set of web-based client/server applications that let you use web browsers to display information about RSRB, DLSw, and APPN networks. The network information is presented in a tabular format. The web server runs on your Maps workstation and collects information from the Cisco routers in the network. If you have also installed SNA View, the web server also collects and displays physical unit (PU) and logical unit (LU) information. You can use a web browser from any workstation in the network to connect to the web server to view the network.

The SNA View Application

CiscoWorks Blue SNA View, a related CiscoWorks Blue application, lets you see beyond the routers to the SNA PUs and LUs. SNA View discovers the PUs and LUs from Virtual Telecommunications Access Method (VTAM) information at the mainframe, monitors those PUs and LUs, and reports their changing status to the Maps applications to update the Maps database and the graphical maps.

In troducing the Protocols

This section presents a brief overview of the protocols supported by CiscoWorks Blue Maps and contains the following sections:

Data-Link Switching Protocol (DLSw and DLSw+)

The DLSw and DLSw+ protocols are ways of transporting SNA and NetBIOS traffic over a campus or wide area network (WAN), which helps integrate SNA and local area network (LAN) internetworks by encapsulating non-routable SNA and NetBIOS protocols within routable IPs.

DLSw and DLSw + are alternatives to RSRB; they correct the following limitations of RSRB:

RSRB hop-count limits
Broadcast traffic (from RSRB explorer frames or NetBIOS name queries)
Unnecessary traffic (acknowledgments)
Data-link control timeouts
Lack of flow control and prioritization

Because these limitations occur when RSRB is extended across a WAN, DLSw is typically used to transport SNA and NetBIOS across a WAN.

DLSw Peers

Pairs of DLSw routers communicate SNA information across TCP/IP networks. The two routers exchanging SNA information are called peer routers or peers. The connection between any two peer DLSw routers is called a peer connection. Using CiscoWorks Blue Maps, you can select a DLSw router and then display information about that router and its DLSw peer routers.

DLSw Circuits

A DLSw circuit comprises three connections: the data-link control connection between an originating end system and the originating router; the peer connection between that router and its peer router (typically across a TCP/IP connection); and, the data-link control connection between this second peer router and the destination end system. Each peer connection can carry multiple circuits. DLSw+ supports circuits between pairs of SNA PUs, and between NetBIOS clients and servers.

What the DLSw Maps Application Provides

The DLSw application displays a graphical map of the network routers that are enabled for the DLSw protocol. It shows you the routers, the logical DLSw connections, and the Token Rings attached to the routers. Use the DLSw application to display information in the following categories:

DLSw Maps---graphical representations of selected peer routers and peer connections
Dynamic DLSw changes---status changes to the DLSw peers, either by polling or router-generated trap messages
Peer statistics---information about DLSw peers
Circuits---the logical connections between SNA devices through the DLSw network
Data-link types and Routing Information Field (RIF) data
IP paths, WAN link states, and traffic statistics
Event notifications messages---trap messages sent when network status changes
Poller exits that can start your user-written applications when routers do not respond to polling
Active, or last-known, connection paths for PUs and LUs

DLSw Maps provides the following main views of your network devices:

Global view---shows all routers in the DLSw network.
Key devices view---shows just those DLSw routers designated as key devices, and shows aggregations of the key router's peer routers and peer connections.
Focus view---shows the DLSw network from the perspective of a specified router called the focus router.
Dependency view---shows the path from a PU or LU back toward the mainframe.

The DLSw Maps application also provides event notification messages that notify a network management system of changes in DLSw status, and dynamic discovery of new DLSw devices. DLSw+ features such as border nodes and backup nodes are shown as regular DLSw nodes on the map.

The DLSw Maps application supports the CISCO-DLSW-MIB MIB.

Remote Source-Route Bridging Protocol

RSRB was Cisco's original implementation for transporting the Logical Link Control, type 2 (LLC2) Protocol traffic over an IP network. RSRB connects Token Ring and non-Token Ring media into one logical network segment.

The Benefits of RSRB

To address the need for performance, availability, scalability, and flexibility in internetworks, RSRB provides the following features:

Performance---IP load sharing and custom and priority queuing
Availability---Nondisruptive rerouting capability
Scalability---Broadcast reduction and source-route bridging (SRB) hop count reduction by RIF passthrough
Flexibility---Media conversion (SDLC to LLC2), SRB dynamics, transport options (Fast-Sequenced Transport [FST] and direct transport)

RSRB Transport Options

The following RSRB transport options are available:

Encapsulate the Token Ring traffic inside IP datagrams passed over a TCP/IP connection between two routers.
Use FST to transport RSRB packets to their peers without TCP/IP or User Datagram Protocol (UDP) header or processor overhead.
Use Media Access Control (MAC) layer encapsulation over a single serial line, Ethernet, Token Ring, or Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) ring connected between two routers attached to Token Ring networks.

The RSRB Application

The RSRB Maps application discovers IP-based RSRB devices in your network and displays them on a map. Using the RSRB Maps application, you can do the following:

View your entire network or specific portions of your network
View changes to peer states
Get network traffic statistics for a peer
Get peer information

What the RSRB Application Provides

The RSRB application displays a graphical map of the network routers that are enabled for the RSRB protocol. It shows you the routers, the links that connect them, the Token Rings attached to the routers, and the RSRB virtual rings. Use the RSRB application to display information in the following categories:

RSRB peers, peer status, and virtual rings
Data-link types and RIF data
IP paths, WAN link states, and traffic statistics

RSRB Maps provides the following main views of your network devices:

Global view---shows all routers in the RSRB network with their virtual rings and Token Rings.
Virtual ring view---shows a specific virtual ring with all routers belonging to that virtual ring. Peer routers appear on this map.
Focus view---shows the RSRB network from a specified router (focus router) perspective. The focus router, its peers, and the virtual rings and Token Rings appear on this view.
Dependency view---shows the path from a PU or LU back toward the mainframe.

The RSRB Maps application supports the CISCO-RSRB-MIB MIB.

Advanced Peer-to-Peer Networking Protocol

APPN is the second generation of SNA networking. It was developed for the following reasons:

To provide an effective routing protocol to allow SNA traffic to flow natively and concurrently with other protocols
To allow sessions to be established between end users without using the mainframe
To reduce excessive requirements for predefining resources and paths
To maintain the class of service (COS) method to provide prioritization within SNA traffic
To provide an environment that supports both legacy and APPN traffic

APPN dynamically locates and defines network resources and routes. Sessions can be established between any two LUs in the network without involving a mainframe.

Directory services are distributed. A network node need remember only those resources that use its services. Each network node maintains a complete map of the network topology, including all network nodes and transmission groups. This map allows routers to select the best path through the network at any time based on the COS. The topology is updated as changes in the network occur.

APPN Terminology

This section defines some of the APPN terminology you will encounter using the APPN application.

A transmission group (TG) is the set of links connecting two or more nodes. The topology database contains network nodes and transmission groups that connect them.

A dependent logical unit is a traditional VTAM LU type (such as an LU type 0, 1, 2, or 3). They cannot initiate sessions without the intervention of VTAM, and they cannot participate actively in a peer-to-peer session initiation.

A PU type 2.1 is the PU type for peer-to-peer networking.

The control point (CP) in an APPN environment is similar to a traditional VTAM system services control point (SSCP). Each APPN node has a control point, which is responsible for activating and deactivating resources within the node or between one node and its adjacent nodes. The control point is also responsible for exchanging topology information with adjacent nodes.

A network node (NN) is a node in an APPN network to which other nodes make requests to activate sessions and locate other SNA resources.

An end node (EN) is a node that provides end-user services and supports sessions between its local control point and the control point in an adjacent network node. An end node can be thought of as a session endpoint that accesses the network through a network node. An end node contains a subset of APPN functionality, and does not include functions like network topology maintenance and routing.

A low-entry networking node (LEN) was the original peer node that IBM defined for
AS/400s and S/36 systems. It allowed communication between two nodes without the intervention of VTAM. It did not provide for intermediate routing, so relay applications or direct connections were also required. All resources had to be defined. APPN nodes are the extensions added to low-entry networking nodes to provide this function. Low-entry networking nodes can access an APPN network through a network node server, but resources must be predefined.

What the APPN Maps Application Provides

The APPN Maps application discovers APPN network objects and connections, then displays the nodes and transmission groups on a graphical map. It shows you the routers, the ports and links on the routers, and the transmission groups that connect them. Use the APPN application to display the following information:

APPN network nodes, end nodes, and low-entry networking nodes
Intermediate session information and session paths
Virtual routing nodes
Ports, links, and transmission groups
DLUR-DLUS sessions
PUs

APPN networks are dynamic. Nodes can be added, deleted, or moved within the network with no central administration. Sessions can travel between peer nodes in the network without going through a central host. Network administrators and users need to understand the topology and status of the network and need to be able to diagnose communication failures within the network. The APPN Maps application satisfies these needs by enabling administrators and users to do the following tasks:

View a graphical representation of their APPN network
View APPN nodes, transmission groups, ports and links, and transmission groups
Determine the status of objects based on color coding

APPN Maps provides the following main views of your network devices:

Global view---shows all network nodes in the APPN network.
Adjacent nodes view---shows the adjacent nodes for a selected APPN network node.
Ports and links view---shows the ports and links for a selected APPN network node.

The APPN Maps application supports the IBM-6611-APPN-MIB and APPN-DLUR-MIB MIBs.

What's New in Software Release 1.2

This section lists the major changes for CiscoWorks Blue Maps Software Release 1.2.

1. The Maps applications support an updated set of UNIX operating systems and related programs. To see which software products are supported, read the section "Hardware and Software Requirements" in the chapter "Preparing to Install CiscoWorks Blue Maps."

2. A new DLSw view, the key devices view, displays a set of key DLSw routers in the network. You can designate routers as key devices based on their importance to the network. Each key router's peers are aggregated and shown as one icon on the map. For more information, see the section "Using Key Devices" in the "Using the DLSw Application" chapter.

3. A new file, cwbinit, provides initialization data for both APPN and DLSw applications. The cwbinit file replaces the APPN initialization file appninit. For more information, see the section "Using the cwbinit Preferences File" in the "Using the DLSw Application" chapter and the section "Using the cwbinit Preferences File" in the "Using the APPN Application" chapter.

4. The DLSw application lets you specify, in the cwbinit file, how and at what intervals polling is done. For more information, see the section "Using the cwbinit Preferences File" in the "Using the DLSw Application" chapter.

5. The DLSw poller provides multi-threaded polling so that you can poll more routers concurrently. For more information, see the section "Using the cwbinit Preferences File" in the "Using the DLSw Application" chapter.

6. The DLSw and APPN applications can send event notifications to the network management system when network status changes. When DLSw peers or circuits go down, DLSw can call your own user-written applications. For more information, see the section "Using the cwbinit Preferences File" in the "Using the DLSw Application" chapter and the section "Using the cwbinit Preferences File" in the "Using the APPN Application" chapter.

7. DLSw can now receive traps from the network management system and will update the database with information from the traps.

8. The APPN application includes a standalone APPN poller. For more information, see the chapter "Using the APPN Application." APPN also features reduced polling for performance.

9. The Maps web interface now supports frames. For more information, see the chapter "Using the Web Browser."

10. You can configure Sybase using raw disk partitions. For more information, see the chapter "Installing and Configuring CiscoWorks Blue Maps."

11. All Maps executables are accessible from the $CWBROOT/bin directory.

Table of Contents

CiscoWorks Blue Maps Features

Network Management Tools

Problem Determination