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Cisco SwitchProbe devices are hardware products with embedded firmware, designed to collect statistical information of an attached network segment.
Using the various Cisco SwitchProbe models, you can monitor different network topologies such as Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Multiport Fast Ethernet, Token Ring, Wide Area Network (WAN), OC-3 and DS-3 Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), and High-Speed Serial Interface (HSSI).
SwitchProbe devices support Remote Monitoring1 (RMON1), Remote Monitoring2 (RMON2), and Cisco's enhanced RMON extensions. These devices provide complete protocol monitoring and decoding when used with a client equipped with protocol decode software. All models also support the MIB II system and interface groups.
Each SwitchProbe device contains specialized firmware known as agent code. The firmware is the intelligence that is built into the device. The firmware consists of a series of commands that instruct the device to examine and gather statistical information about packets or cells passed along the network segment to which the device is attached. This statistical information is stored in continuous counters in random access memory (RAM). You can reset the counters to zero upon command.
In addition to gathering statistics, the SwitchProbe device supports filters and
packet- capture RMON1 groups so you can examine individual packets or sequences of packets to identify and isolate network problems. The device also supports all RMON2 groups and can decode packets from the network layer through the application layer of the OSI model. With this feature, you can monitor traffic on the basis of network layer protocols and addresses, and monitor application-level traffic.
A typical network is equipped with multiple SwitchProbe devices, with one device connected to each individual network segment or to the Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) port on a Cisco Catalyst family switch.
You manage and control SwitchProbe devices from a centrally located traffic management console (using the TrafficDirector application) that is designated as the client. From the client, you can request and examine data provided by the agent you select. You can have multiple active clients and perform network diagnostic functions from multiple locations, such as from primary and secondary network management centers.
The following sections contain additional information:
When a SwitchProbe device is connected to the network segment or to the SPAN port on a switch, you can achieve greater network visibility.
Each port on a switch typically only supports mini-RMON. Mini-RMON supports four groups for monitoring network traffic—statistics, history, alarm, and events. When you attach a SwitchProbe device to a switch, you can achieve full RMON capabilities— RMON1 and RMON2 (see Tables 1-2 and 1-3)—so you can manage and monitor network traffic and isolate network problems.
The devices in the small chassis series measure 12 inches wide, by 13.5 inches deep, by
3 inches high (30.48 by 34.29 by 7.62 cm). They are housed in an external chassis that can be placed on a tabletop.
The interface cards in the small chassis series are located in the back of the device. They are available in different configurations with different combinations of interface types.
The following devices are part of the small chassis series:
Ethernet and Token Ring devices are intended for use in Ethernet and Token Ring environments. A single RMON agent is standard. An optional second Local Area Network (LAN) interface, and an RMON agent to monitor the second LAN link is also available. However, Cisco Systems recommends that you configure the second interface in manage mode only.
WAN SwitchProbe devices are used in WAN network applications where LAN traffic is transmitted over a wide area link. The WAN SwitchProbe devices with Ethernet use an RMON agent for a WAN link and include an Ethernet interface for connection to the network management software, or to monitor the LAN link.
The devices in the front-access chassis measure 17 inches wide, by 16.5 inches deep, by 5.25 inches high (13.34 by 43.18 by 41.91 cm). They are housed in an external, rack-mountable large chassis for mounting in a 19-inch equipment rack.
Unlike the small chassis, where the interfaces are on the back of the device, the interfaces in these devices are in the front.
The front-access devices include an Ethernet interface for connection to the network management software.
The following devices are part of the front-access chassis series:
For more information about the individual devices, see "Physical Description."
Table 1-1 provides a brief description of the devices available in the small and front-access series.
| Chassis Type | Description | SwitchProbe Devices |
|---|---|---|
Small |
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Front- |
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Cisco Systems recommends using the following TrafficDirector releases with these SwitchProbe firmware releases:
Cisco SwitchProbe devices are based upon two widely accepted industry standards:
Other emerging standards are supported to allow you to simultaneously monitor multiple network segments from various topologies using the TrafficDirector application. These emerging standards include:
The following are Cisco proprietary standards:
Although the RMON-MIB standard does not specifically address Fast Ethernet, ATM, FDDI, and WAN media, Cisco Systems has adapted its basic monitoring and diagnostic functions to meet requirements for managing these essential links. For more information, see "Shadow MIB Implementations."
The TrafficDirector application uses statistics based on the following RMON groups:
The TrafficDirector application can interpret and manipulate both RMON1 and RMON2 data; therefore, you can monitor all seven layers of the OSI model.
The RMON1 standard was developed under the guidance of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as an extension of its work in the development of the SNMP protocol. Using this standard, independent developers can design and develop monitoring equipment that interoperates and provides a standards base compatible with the widest range of network needs.
Because these groups have been defined, developers can implement products that include any or all of the nine groups for Ethernet or the ten groups for Token Ring. Some developers can supplement the defined groups with private MIBs that extend the functionality beyond the existing standard.
Table 1-2 summarizes the basic 10 RMON1 groups.
| This Group... | Provides This Functionality |
|---|---|
A mini-RMON group. | |
A mini-RMON group. | |
A table of statistical counters for each host. | |
A user-defined subset (TopN) of the hosts, sorted by a statistical counter. By aggregating this data at the agent and returning only the results, management traffic is minimized. | |
Traffic and errors between pairs of hosts. | |
A mini-RMON group. | |
A mini-RMON group. | |
Criteria for selecting traffic for packet capture. | |
Stores network traffic to be uploaded later to the management software. | |
Token Ring-specific information, including ring order and source routing. |
SwitchProbe devices support the following:
Table 1-3 lists the major protocol domains in the RMON2 group that provide network-layer and upper-layer monitoring capabilities.
| This Group... | Provides This Functionality |
|---|---|
Management stations may query RMON SwitchProbe devices to learn from which domains they are collecting information. | |
Defines how much traffic is distributed across the various protocols on the network based on monitoring at the SwitchProbe device. | |
A list developed by the SwitchProbe device that matches host network addresses to MAC addresses. | |
Network-layer host statistics. | |
Network-layer host pair conversation statistics. | |
Application-layer host statistics. | |
Application-layer host pair conversation statistics. | |
User-specified logging capability. | |
Standards for SwitchProbe device configuration, such as a method to define the current date and time settings and reset controls, including running, warmBoot, and coldBoot states. |
Table 1-4 describes the enhanced RMON extensions included in the licensed software options.
| This Software Option... | Provides This Functionality |
|---|---|
Monitors critical network resources. | |
Provides distributed monitoring of the router backbone. | |
Collects RMON2 statistics for each VLAN on a network link. | |
Collects Application Response Time (ART) statistics. | |
Analyzes aggregating traffic of separate full- duplex Fast Ethernet segments into one full-duplex trunk. | |
Monitors a WAN link that contains compressed data. |
In addition to the software options described in Table 1-4, Cisco's enhanced RMON extensions include the following functionality:
Default groups allow you to initialize the SwitchProbe as an RMON2 agent. When default groups are enabled and the SwitchProbe device is reset or powered on, the agent automatically installs the major protocol domains. For more information, see "Configuring the Default Domain" in "Configuring SwitchProbe Devices."
While you can only use the enhanced RMON functionality with the TrafficDirector application, SwitchProbe default RMON2 groups are compatible with some third-party management applications. You can configure the SwitchProbe agent to install these domains automatically by enabling default groups.
SwitchProbe agents support router discovery. You can configure network routers to send out periodic router advertisements used by the agent to configure its default gateway address. If the agent does not receive any router advertisements for the duration specified in the last router advertisement message, the agent displays a message on the console. You can enable or disable this feature with the agent_options parameter in command-line mode. For more information, see "Using Command-Line Mode to Customize SwitchProbe Devices."
SwitchProbe agent also include several routing options, including the ability to establish both semipermanent and permanent routes for individual IP addresses or subnets. A trap routing function also allows traps messages from other SNMP agents to be routed through the SLIP interface to alternative network management locations. These functions are often useful in implementing third-party maintenance operations at remote network management centers. For more information, see "Using Advanced Features."
SwitchProbe agents support the SNMP community mechanism. You can configure the read and write community string in the agent. Any management station that tries to read from or write to the agent must use community strings that match those set on the agent. To read any data from the agent, the read community strings must match. To change any settings on the agent, the write community strings must match. For more information about read and write community strings, see "Configuring SwitchProbe Devices."
Configurable access lists give you enhanced security. The access list uses the IP address of the management station requesting access to determine what read and write privileges to grant. For more information about security, see "Using Advanced Features."
The local and remote SwitchProbe login consoles are password-protected. There are two login types:
Posted: Wed Oct 2 08:07:49 PDT 2002
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