Software Options

Resource Monitor

NetFlow Monitor

VLAN Monitor

ART MIB Monitor

Fast EtherChannel

Enabling a Software Option

Disabling a Software Option

NetFlow Monitor Parameters

Receiving NetFlow Packets on Eight Virtual Interfaces

Changing ART MIB Parameters

Software Options

When you select Software Options from the Agent Configuration Utility main menu (option 18), the following options and their current status appear in a submenu:

Resource Monitor
NetFlow Monitor
VLAN Monitor
ART MIB Monitor
Fast EtherChannel

Each of option provides additional functionality in the SwitchProbe device. To activate an option, you must purchase a software license. With the license, Cisco Systems provides a password so you can activate the option in the device.

Resource Monitor

This software option lets you configure the SwitchProbe agent to use with the TrafficDirector Resource Monitor application by enabling the following features in the agent:

IP ping requests to an IP device

SNMP get requests for arbitrary Management Information Base (MIB) variables to an SNMP device

When used with the TrafficDirector application, this option provides the following functions:

Measures round-trip delay using IP ping on which you can set alarms.

Allows the SwitchProbe device to be used as a shared modem device.

Allows you to trap aggregation and filtering from other SNMP devices.

Supports proxy SNMP polling and trap management for private MIB devices.

NetFlow Monitor

You can use your SwitchProbe device for distributed IP monitoring of the Cisco routers with NetFlow option to provide RMON, RMON2, and enhanced RMON information for the router backbone. NetFlow technology allows you to configure the Cisco routers with the NetFlow option, to redirect IP packet streams from all router ports to a preconfigured User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port and IP address.

The NetFlow Monitor option is available for Ethernet SwitchProbe device in the small chassis series and Fast Ethernet and Fast EtherChannel SwitchProbe devices in the front-access chassis series.

In the Fast Ethernet devices, the NetFlow Monitor option allows you to create the following interfaces:

A single special interface to receive the aggregated traffic of all router interfaces in a single Cisco Systems routers with NetFlow option.
A maximum of eight special interfaces, each of which can receive the traffic of a router interface within a Cisco Systems router with the NetFlow option enabled. Each monitored router interface (maximum of 8) can be in different routers.

Note The Cisco NetFlow documentation describes how to configure a router to redirect IP packet streams from all router interface to a particular UDP port and IP address, and how to configure the router to redirect IP packet streams from a specific router interface to a specific UDP port and IP address.

When you install NetFlow Monitor in a SwitchProbe device, the device creates a special internal interface numbered 50 that you can specify as this UDP port. You can monitor NetFlow traffic by adding interface 50 to the TrafficDirector application as an agent. You can configure agent groups to support integrated displays for multiple routers, and use the TrafficDirector Host and Conversation Lists features to monitor backbone loading and other interactions.

To monitor NetFlow traffic, you must configure the SwitchProbe device with the following information:

NetFlow UDP Port—The UDP port number that you configured in the router.

NetFlow Port Speed—The sum of all router interface speeds. For example, if the router has 10 interfaces each at 10 Mbps, you should specify 100,000,000 bits bps as the NetFlow port speed.

After you install the NetFlow Monitor license in a SwitchProbe device, you must set some additional NetFlow parameters. See "NetFlow Monitor Parameters."

VLAN Monitor

The Fast Ethernet SwitchProbe models provide virtual LAN (VLAN) monitoring of high-speed interswitch trunks and critical links. By enabling VLAN mode in a high-speed SwitchProbe agent, you can monitor packets in terms of VLAN IDs instead of MAC addresses. You can use the TrafficDirector application to monitor VLAN hosts and conversations.

This option allows a Fast Ethernet SwitchProbe device to collect full RMON2 statistics for each VLAN on a network link between two switches. VLAN Monitor enhances your view of Fast Ethernet network links by segregating the activity of each VLAN as a separate virtual interface.

ART MIB Monitor

The ART MIB Monitor option is an extension of RMON2 and is available for all Cisco SwitchProbe devices. This option allows a SwitchProbe device to collect a variety of Application Response Time (ART) statistics for many well-known server applications. These statistics include traffic volume, number of retries, number of rejections by the server for client requests, number of timeouts, and minimum/maximum/average response times for all client/server applications.

Fast EtherChannel

The Fast EtherChannel option allows you to aggregate the traffic of separate full-duplex 200 mbps Fast Ethernet segments into one full-duplex trunk.

The Fast EtherChannel option is automatically included with Fast EtherChannel SwitchProbes. The Fast EtherChannel option aggregates the traffic of four separate full-duplex 200 mbps Fast Ethernet segments into one 800 mbps full-duplex trunk.

The Fast EtherChannel option (and the Fast Ethernet Tap) is also available as a licensed software option which you can purchase separately and activate on Cisco Systems' (four-port) Multiport Fast Ethernet SwitchProbes. The Fast EtherChannel option aggregates the traffic of two separate full-duplex 200 mbps Fast Ethernet segments into one 400 mbps full-duplex trunk. The Fast EtherChannel option will only function on four-port Multiport Fast Ethernet SwitchProbes when you configure all Fast Ethernet ports on the SwitchProbe device to full-duplex mode, and two full-duplex segments populate the four ports on the SwitchProbe device.

For information about configuring the SwitchProbe's mode, see "Selecting the Probe ModeMultiport Fast Ethernet" in "Configuration."

Enabling a Software Option

To enable (install) a software option, follow these steps:

Step 1 Access the Agent Configuration Utility main menu.

Step 2 Enter 18 and press Enter.

Step 3 Enter the option number and press Enter.

The prompt "Enter password to enable," is displayed.

Step 4 Enter the password (supplied by Cisco Systems when you purchase the software option license) and press Enter.

If the password is valid, the option is activated in the SwitchProbe device. Some software options require the configuration of special parameters.

Table 11-1 lists these special parameters.

Table 11-1: Special Parameter Configuration for Software Options

Software Option	Special parameter configuration
Resource Monitor	No special parameters. Proceed to Step 5.
NetFlow Monitor	"NetFlow Monitor Parameters."
VLAN Monitor	No special parameters. Proceed to Step 5.
ART MIB Monitor	"Changing ART MIB Parameters."
Fast EtherChannel	No special parameters. Proceed to Step 5.

Step 5 Return to the Agent Configuration Utility main menu by entering 32 and pressing Enter.

The Agent Configuration Utility main menu is displayed again.

The enabled software option will not take effect until you reset the SwitchProbe agent. To reset the agent, see "Resetting a SwitchProbe Device Agent" in "Configuration."

The enabled software option and any related settings become effective the next time the SwitchProbe device is booted or reset, and remain permanently installed in the SwitchProbe device until you disable it.

Disabling a Software Option

To disable (de-install) a software option, follow these steps:

Step 1 From the Software Options sub-menu, enter the option number and press Enter.

The prompt "Do you wish to deinstall this option [n]?" is displayed.

Step 2 Enter y and press Enter.

The option will be disabled in the SwitchProbe device the next time the SwitchProbe device is booted, and will remain disabled on the SwitchProbe device until you enable it.

Step 3 Return to the Agent Configuration Utility main menu by entering 32 and pressing Enter.

NetFlow Monitor Parameters

After you enter the license password to enable the NetFlow Monitor software option on a SwitchProbe device, you must set some additional parameters for the following reasons:

To receive aggregate NetFlow packets via one virtual interface (50).
To configure the SwitchProbe device to receive the aggregate traffic of a Cisco Systems router with the NetFlow option using the SwitchProbe device's special virtual
interface 50.

Note The small chassis Ethernet SwitchProbe device supports only the receipt of NetFlow packets on interface 50, and therefore must be configured. In contrast, you can configure the front-access Fast Ethernet SwitchProbe device to receive NetFlow packets on interface 50, or configure it to receive NetFlow packets from a maximum of eight individual router interfaces using eight separate special virtual interfaces in the device.

To configure the device to receive aggregate traffic through special virtual interface 50, follow these steps:

Step 1 Enter 11 to access the command-line mode option and press Enter.

Step 2 Enter the following command to specify the NetFlow UDP port number:

set netflow_port <port number>

<port number> is the number of the Cisco router NetFlow port.

Step 3 Enter the following command to specify the UDP port speed:

set netflow_speed <port speed>

<port speed> is the sum of all router interface speeds (in bits per second). For example, if the router has 10 interfaces each at 10 Mbps/sec, you should specify 100,000,000 bits/sec as the NetFlow port speed.

Step 4 Enter quit and press Enter to exit command-line mode.

The Agent Configuration Utility main menu is displayed again.

The enabled software options will not take effect until you reset the SwitchProbe agent. To reset the agent, see "Resetting a SwitchProbe Device Agent" in "Configuration."

Receiving NetFlow Packets on Eight Virtual Interfaces

To configure a Fast Ethernet SwitchProbe device to receive NetFlow packets of a maximum of eight individual router interfaces on eight separate special virtual interfaces in the device, follow these steps:

Step 1 Enter 11 to access the command-line mode option and press Enter.

Step 2 Enter the following command for each router interface whose packets you want to direct to the SwitchProbe device.

set netflow_ifn add <netflow_ifn> <netflow_speed>
<router _ip_address> <router_ifn>

<netflow_ifn> is the number of one of the SwitchProbe's eight special virtual interfaces where you want to direct NetFlow packets. The valid range is 57 through 64.

<netflow_speed> is the rate (in bits per second) that NetFlow packets travel over the router interface of the router. The speed of the SwitchProbe's virtual interface receiving packets must match the speed of the router interface generating packets.

<router_ip_address> is the IP address of the router that contains the router interface(s) you want to receive.

<router_ifn> is the number of the specific router interface in the router that you want to receive. The valid range is 0 through 65535.

If you enter 0 as a router interface number, the SwitchProbe device interprets that as an unspecified router interface and will direct the aggregate of NetFlow packets from the specified router (router_ip_address) to the specified special virtual interface of the SwitchProbe device (netflow_ifn).

For example, to direct NetFlow packets from interface 2187 of a router (having an IP address of 100.100.210.43) to special virtual interface 57, you would use this command:

set netflow_ifn add 57 9600 100.100.210.43 2187

Note

Step 3 Enter quit to exit command-line mode and press Enter.

The Agent Configuration Utility main menu is displayed again.

The enabled software options will not take effect until you reset the SwitchProbe agent. To reset the agent, see "Resetting a SwitchProbe Device Agent" in "Configuration."

Changing ART MIB Parameters

When you select Change ART MIB Parameters from the Agent Configuration Utility main menu (option 21), several options display in a submenu. These options allow you to define time, slice, and report values that the SwitchProbe device will use to prepare application response statistics.

The first six options of the ART MIB Parameter submenu let you modify six separate time ranges into which application response statistics are grouped. Each option uses its preceding option's value as its minimum, and its own value as its maximum. For example, if an option value is 72 (milliseconds) and its preceding option value is 30 (milliseconds), the range of the option encompasses responses that take more than 30 milliseconds but less than or equal to 72 milliseconds.

Note All Cisco SwitchProbe devices passively monitor request/response packets; therefore, Application Response Time (ART) statistics are measures with respect to the SwitchProbe device and the server. Therefore, the positioning of the device in relation to the server is significant.

The following list summarizes each option:

Change art_resp_time1—Displays and allows you to modify the maximum boundary (in milliseconds) of an application response time range. The maximum boundary must be less than the value of the Change art_resp_time2 option. The minimum boundary of this range is 0.

Change art_resp_time2—Displays and allows you to modify the maximum boundary (in milliseconds) of a second application response time range. The maximum boundary must be less than the value of the Change art_resp_time3 option. The minimum boundary of this range is a response time greater than the value specified in the Change art_resp_time1 field.

Change art_resp_time3—Displays and allows you to modify the maximum boundary (in milliseconds) of a third application response time range. The maximum boundary must be less than the value of the Change art_resp_time4 option. The minimum boundary of this range is a response time greater than the value specified in the Change art_resp_time2 field.

Change art_resp_time4—Displays and allows you to modify the maximum boundary (in milliseconds) of a fourth application response time range. The maximum boundary must be less than the value of the Change art_resp_time5 option. The minimum boundary of this range is a response time greater than the value specified in the Change art_resp_time3 field.

Change art_resp_time5—Displays and allows you to modify the maximum boundary (number of milliseconds) of a fifth application response time range. The maximum boundary must be less than the value of the Change art_resp_time6 option. The minimum boundary of this range is a response time greater than the value specified in the Change art_resp_time4 field.

Change art_resp_time6—Displays and allows you to modify the maximum boundary (number of milliseconds) of a sixth application response time range. The maximum boundary must be less than the value of the Change art_resp_timeout option. The minimum boundary of this range is a response time greater than the value specified in the Change art_resp_time5 field.

Change art_resp_timeout—Displays and allows you to modify an application response time-out value. This value serves two purposes. The value is the maximum boundary (number of milliseconds) of one final application response time range (the minimum boundary of this range is a response time greater than the value specified in the Change art_resp_time6 field). This value also establishes a "timeout" time limit. Whenever that limit is reached (no responses within the period of time), the device will empty its application response time counters.

Change art_report_interval—Displays and allows you to modify the frequency (in seconds) at which the contents of a table of application response time statistics (updated one interval ago) is replaced with a table of the most recent application response time statistics and the application response time counters are reset to 0. For example, if you enter 900 in this field, the contents of a table of application response time statistics is replaced every 15 minutes with a new table of the most recent application response time statistics, and the application response time counters are reset to 0.

Change art_report_size—Displays and allows you to modify the maximum number of client/server pairs for which you want to collect application response time statistics.

Toggle start_art—Determines whether the device tracks application response time statistics. If set to off, the SwitchProbe device will not collect application response time statistics; the TrafficDirector ART Monitor application will have no data to present.

To modify the value of a particular ARTMIB parameter, follow these steps:

Step 1 From the Change ARTMIB Parameters sub-menu, enter a parameter option number and press Enter.

Step 2 Enter the desired value and press Enter.

The new value appears next to the parameter.

Step 3 Return to the Agent Configuration Utility main menu by entering 12 and pressing Enter.

The Agent Configuration Utility main menu is redisplayed. The new values do not take effect until you reset the SwitchProbe agent. To reset the agent, see the section "Resetting a SwitchProbe Device Agent" in "Configuration."

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