User's Manual  for
PLANET ISDN Router Product

IRT-401


Chapter 11. IRT-401 Management

This chapter provides information on the Trace function of the router via NMS for trouble-shooting and problem solving. Also covered is a brief introduction to SNMP management and information on how to allow SNMP management sessions to be conducted on your IRT-401. The IRT-401 can also be managed via a Telnet session or via remote use of an NMS management program.

Topics covered:


  1. Statistics, Trace & Fault Finding

The SNMP Trap enables a function within the router that records its current LAN, connection & line status and is very useful for problem and fault finding.

Note: Trace is only available from one workstation (at a time), this is because only one workstation IP address can be entered, see below. Included in this section are detailed explanations of all statistics monitored on the ISDN, Ethernet and Trace screens, as well as full a Trace description of a successful and unsuccessful connection.

Monitoring and understanding your IRT-401 statistics

  1. Open the IRT-401 NMS program and logon to the router.
  2. This is a quick SNMP set-up for Trace, for full details on SNMP set-up please see the SNMP Management section later in this chapter.

  3. Click the SNMP tab.
  4. Locate the entry labeled "Trap Server IP Addr", in this field you must enter the IP address of the workstation you are currently running NMS on.
  5. Click "Yes" next to the "Trap Enable"   label to switch on the trace. Then click "Update".
  6. Click on the Statistics tab and select the relevant sub-page.

On each page in this section as well as relevant buttons, the two following buttons are used: "refreshbutton is used to collect a new page of statistics data. The "periodic on/off"   button is used to refresh this menu every second.

Figure 11-1. The Statistics / ISDN Page

The ISDN page contains the statistics and status data collected on the ISDN interface

D Channel Status:

This field indicates the current D channel status. The D channel is either Up or Down.

B1 Channel Status:

This field indicates the current B1 channel status. The B channel states are Up, Down, or Calling (in the process of call establishment).

B2 Channel Status:

This field indicates the current B2 channel status. The B channel states are in Up, Down, or Calling (in the process of call establishment).

B Channel(s) up Time:

Displays the time the ISDN channel, B1 or B2 has stayed up since last reset. Both channels up for 1 minute is counted as 2 minutes.

B Channel(s) in Use:

Displays the percentage of time the B channel, B1 or B2 has stayed up since last reset. 50% in use may mean one B channel is up all the time, and the other B is down all the time or both channels are up for 50% of the time. 100% in use means both B channels are up all the time.

B1 Utilization:

Displays the current B1 channel utilization, ranging for 0 to 100%. 0% means the channel is currently idle. 100% means full 64Kbps of the B channel bandwidth is busy in data traffic delivery.

B2 Utilization:

Displays the current B1 channel utilization, ranging for 0 to 100%. 0% means the channel is currently idle. 100% means full 64Kbps of the B channel bandwidth is busy in data traffic delivery.

Good Frames:

This is the number of good frames are received or transmitted on the corresponding channel.

Error Frames:

This is the number of error frames are received or transmitted on the corresponding channel. The error conditions are "misalignment", and "CRC error".

Figure 11-2. The Statistics / Ethernet Page

The Ethernet page contains the statistics data collected on the Ethernet interface. Both directions of the network traffic; receive and transmit, are monitored.

System up Time:

This is the time elapsed since the time the ISDN router has been powered-up, or reset.

Bytes:

This counter displays the number of byte the Ethernet has received or transmitted.

Frames:

This counter displays the number of frames the Ethernet has received or transmitted.

Broadcasts:

This counter displays the number of broadcast frames the Ethernet has received or transmitted.

Errors:

This counter displays the number of error frames the Ethernet has received or transmitted. The error conditions are "too short", "mis-alignment" and "excess collision".

Discards:

This counter displays the number of frames the Ethernet has discarded due to lack of buffer resource or error detection.

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Using the Trace log for troubleshooting/fault finding

Figure 11-3. The Statistics / Trace Page

Trace page

The Trace page contains a log of connection attempts and the connection sequence carried out.

Detail Log:

Detail Log, enables the ISDN router to send a lot of detailed information on IP, PPP, and ISDN activity to NMS trap. It should only be enabled for trouble shooting. Keeping it "on" all of the time will increase the Ethernet traffic, and work load to the ISDN router and therefore is not beneficial to the performance.

Clear Log:

This button is used to clear the trap information currently stored in the trace history.

Trace History:

In this window trap information is displayed, each line describes a single trap with date, time, type, and a brief explanation being supplied. Within the trap history area up to 100 traps are stored for review with the most recent trap on top of the list.

ISDN Data Call Attempts:

This field displays how many times the ISDN router has tried to make ISDN data call since last reset. Note: that incoming ISDN data calls do not contribute to this counter.

ISDN Data Call Success:

This field displays how many times the ISDN router has succeeded in making an ISDN data call since last reset. Note: that incoming ISDN data calls do not contribute to this counter.

PPP Attempts:

This field displays how many times the ISDN router has tried to negotiate PPP data connection since last reset.

PPP Success:

This field displays how many times the ISDN router has succeeded in negotiating PPP data connection since last reset.

The "Trace History from Router" window:

Figure 11-4. Rebooted router in detailed trace mode.

If the trap is working correctly some information should be displayed in the Trace History window. The information shown in the window above is a 'detailed' log of a rebooted router.

Underneath this trace window are 4 other entries, which show the 4 states that need to be passed before a connection to your ISP/Intranet is successful.

Below is a successful Internet login 'detailed' trace (note: the trace window has been extended to show the complete login sequence).

Figure 11-5. Successful Logon in detailed trace mode.

This trace shows a perfect connection to your Internet Service Provider. A "PPP Login Success" & "IPCP Negotiation Success" indicates a successful login and connection to your ISP. In some instances this may not occur, and you are usually told by the trace where something is failing. Below are some examples of this:

Continuous, Send LCP Config Req. = indicates a temporary connection problem to your ISP/Intranet, the router will timeout and try to connect again. A reboot of the router may be required.

PPP Info: PAP Name/Password Rejected = this usually only occurs in two instances, either the username or password is incorrect or you are using the wrong dial-in authorisation, PAP/CHAP.

ISDN Call Disc by Remote or Network Congestion = you cannot login or have been disconnected because your network or ISP is very busy, down, etc.

Activation Request T3 Timeout = you do not have your ISDN line connected or there is a problem with the line.

  1. SNMP Management

What is SNMP Management?

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is used to manage and monitor network devices. There is usually one management station on a LAN. You can configure your IRT-401 to be monitored by the management station.

How to Allow SNMP Management Access to Your IRT-401

  1. Open the IRT-401 NMS program and logon to the router.
  2. Click the SNMP tab.
  3. Figure 11-6. The SNMP Page

  4. Description: This gives a brief description of your IRT-401 as programmed in the software.
  5. Name: In this field, enter a name for your IRT-401 for your own reference.
  6. Location: In this field, enter a description of the location of your IRT-401 for your own reference.
  7. Contact: In this field, enter the name of the person who is in charge of taking care of your IRT-401.
  8. Trap Enable: A trap is an event message that is sent to the SNMP management workstation. If you want to have your IRT-401 send trap messages to this workstation, select Yes. If you do not want trap messages sent, select No.
  9. Trap Server Port: In this field, enter the UDP port number that you want to send traps to.
  10. Trap Server IP Addr: In this field, enter the IP address of the SNMP management workstation.
  11. Read Community: If you want to restrict access to looking at SNMP information, enter a password here. If you do not enter a password, access will not be restricted.
  12. Read-Write Community: If you want to restrict access to changing SNMP configurations, enter a password here. If you do not enter a password, access will not be restricted.
  13. Update: Click the "Update button".

Your SNMP settings are now configured.

  1. Using the IRT-401 RMONITOR

The RMONITOR provides you with a small window that displays IRT-401 information in real time. The display mimics the front panel of the IRT-401 unit. This feature is very useful if your IRT-401 is located where you cannot see it.

Opening the IRT-401 RMONITOR

  1. In Windows, click Start/Programs/IRT-401Nms. Under the IRT-401Nms icon, click the RMONITOR icon.
  2. Figure 11-7. The RMONITOR Router IP Address window

  3. Router IP Address: When you open the RMONITOR program, you will see the Router IP Address window. Enter your IRT-401's current IP address and click OK.
  4. Figure 11-8. The RMONITOR window

  5. The RMONITOR displays the following information:

Figure 11-9. The Display Trap Messages window

  1. Telnet Management

Accessing From a Local/Remote Computer Using Telnet

  1. Using a Windows 95 or 98 PC, click the Start / Run.
  2. Enter the telnet command and bracketed IP address of the target IRT-401.
  3. For example: telnet [0.0.0.0]

    Telnet settings are: Emulation: VT100/ANSI

    Blinking Cursor, Block Cursor and

    VT100 Arrows are enabled

  4. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Accessing From a Remote NMS Management Program

You can also remotely manage an IRT-401 with a remote NMS management program.

  1. Using a PC with an installed NMS program, open the program as usual.
  2. In the login panel, enter the IP address of the remote IRT-401 you wish to configure. The NMS will function to manage the remote IRT-401 as usual and the remote router has to enable the "Remote SNMP Enable" in the Internet/Intranet page of NMS.




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Copyright (C) 1999 PLANET Technlogy Corporation