Planet Technology WGS3-2620 - Manual (Page 256)

WGS3 Layer 3 Switch User’s Manual - 248 -
6.8 SNMP Management Software
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is a communication protocol designed specifically for
managing devices or other elements on a network. Network equipment commonly managed with SNMP
includes hubs, switches, bridges, routers and host computers. SNMP is typically used to configure these
devices for proper operation in a network environment, as well as monitor them to evaluate performance
and detect potential problems.
6.9 Remote Monitoring (RMON)
Remote Monitoring provides a cost-effective way to monitor large networks by placing embedded or
external probes on distributed network equipment (hubs, switches or routers). Network management
software can access the embedded probes in network products to perform traffic analysis, troubleshoot
network problems, evaluate historical trends, or implement proactive management policies. RMON has
already become a valuable tool for network managers faced with a quickly changing network landscape
that contains dozens or hundreds of separate segments. RMON is the only way to retain control of the
network and analyze applications running at multi-megabit speeds. It provides the tools you need to
implement either reactive or proactive policies that can keep your network running based on real-time
access to key statistical information.
This switch provides support for mini-RMON which contains the four key groups required for basic
remote monitoring. These groups include:
Statistics: Includes all the tools needed to monitor your network for common errors and overall traffic
rates. Information is provided on bandwidth utilization, peak utilization, packet types, errors and collisions,
as well as the distribution of packet sizes.
History: Can be used to create a record of network utilization, packet types, errors and collisions. You
need a historical record of activity to be able to track down intermittent problems. Historical data can also
be used to establish normal baseline activity, which may reveal problems associated with high traffic
levels, broadcast storms, or other unusual events.
Historical information can also be used to predict network growth and plan for expansion before your
network becomes too overloaded.
Alarms: Can be set to test data over any specified time interval, and can monitor absolute or changing
values (such as a statistical counter reaching a specific value, or a statistic changing by a certain amount
over the set interval). Alarms can be set to respond to either rising or falling thresholds.
Events: Defines the action to take when an alarm is triggered. The response to an alarm can include
recording the alarm in the Log Table or sending a message to a trap manager. Note that the Alarm and
Event Groups are used together to record important events or immediately respond to critical network
problems.