Element Manager User's Guide

Element Management-Managing Devices

Nways Manager Version 2.1 allows you to manage devices using Java-based Management Applications (JMAs). JMAs provide device-specific management functions and operations, such as support to enable and disable device ports or to update device microcode. Nways Manager Version 2.1 includes a variety of JMAs for IBM networking hardware products. These are listed in Supported Hardware.

For the most up-to-date information on hardware supported by Nways Manager Element Manager, see our Web site at:

http://www.networking.ibm.com/netmgt

In addition to the device-specific management applications, Nways Manager Version 2.1 includes RMON Management Integration.

Starting Nways Element Manager for AIX and HP-UX

The first time you start an application, be sure to log in as a root user. To start the Element Manager applications that you have installed, enter the command:

/opt/OV/bin/ovw

The Network Node Manager root map is displayed, from which you can open Nways Manager applications.

• To open a Java Device view:
  1. Select a device by clicking on an icon in Topology Map.
  2. Select Tools... -> IBM Nways Manager -> Java: Open Java Device View or select Tools... -> IBM Nways Manager Java: Open IBM 8260 Switching Module Series
• To open Deployment Manager (only runs with AIX):
  1. Access the NetView menu.
  2. Select Tools... -> IBM Nways Java... -> Open Deployment Manager.
• To open VPN Manager:
  1. Access the platform menu.
  2. Select Tools... -> IBM Nways Manager... -> Open VPN View.

Starting Nways Element Manager for Windows NT

The first time you start an application, be sure to log in as an administrative user. To start the Element Manager applications that you have installed, enter the command:

\opt\OV\bin\ovw

The Tivoli NetView IT Director's Edition for Windows NT or HP OpenView Network Node Manager on Windows NT map is displayed, from which you can open Nways Manager applications.

• To open a Java Device view:
  1. Select a device by clicking on an icon in Topology Map.
  2. Select Tools... -> IBM Nways Manager Java: Open Java Device View or select Tools... -> IBM Nways Manager Java: Open IBM 8260 Switching Module Series
• To open Deployment Manager:
  1. Access the platform menu.
  2. Select Tools... -> IBM Nways Java... -> Open Deployment Manager.
• To open VPN Manager:
  1. Access the platform menu.
  2. Select Tools... -> IBM Nways Manager... -> Open VPN View.

Java-based Management Application Window Operation

The Java-based Management application interface has four areas:

• A navigation tree at the left, which is a hierarchical structure that shows the status of the managed device and all the items associated with the managed device. This includes hardware items, such as ports, and information items that do not have status, such as configuration information.
• A device view, or picture of the managed device. This device view shows the real-time status of relevant items on the device, such as the ports.
• An information panel in the middle or lower-middle of the interface window. This information panel displays data about the selected item, such as configuration information or components that contributed to the particular status, and enables you to change settings or other configuration information.
• A message line, at the bottom of the window, that keeps you informed of progress and conditions in the JMA itself. The message line displays icons to alert you to changes in the status or configuration of the device.
• An IP Changeover icon may appear at the bottom of the display. This icon appears only when the JMA lost contact with the device at its primary IP address. Since it was unable to communicate via the primary address, it established a new session and is now communicating with the device via a secondary IP address.

  Note:

  This does not apply to Telnet equipment, which will not use a secondary IP address.

Items shown on the device graphic are the same as many items in the navigation tree, and show the same status conditions. Selecting an item on the device graphic produces the same information panel as selecting the item from the navigation tree.

If the JMA is unable to determine the device type during startup, the device view is empty, and only the navigation tree is displayed.

The Java-based Management Application Window also allows you to change the layout of the window and the colors used in the display. See the online help for information on how to do this.

The Navigation Tree

The navigation tree is a hierarchical structure that enables you to view the range of management information about the managed device. This includes the status of the device and its components, the configuration options, and the fault options.

Icons

The navigation tree uses several icons to represent monitored resources:

Folder

A higher level resource that represents one or more dependent items. The folder at the top of the tree, for example, usually represents the device itself. Other folders at subsequent levels might represent configuration information or fault information.

Within each folder are items that make up part of the overall folder of information. The status indicated for a folder is calculated from the statuses of immediate dependent items. Click on the plus (+) next to a folder to see and take action on the items within the folder.

Ball

A dependent resource, such as a port on the device, that has a status associated with it.

Page

A dependent resource that consists of information only, such as configuration information. This resource may or may not allow user changes, depending on the item, the device being managed, and the access rights of the user. This resource has no status associated with it.

Colors

The status of a resource is indicated by the following colors:

Green

Normal. The object is in a normal operational state.

Yellow

Marginal. The operation of the object is impaired but the object is still functional.

Red

Critical. The object is not functioning.

Light Blue

Unknown. The object status cannot be determined. The statuses of the object's dependent items may be all light blue or some combination of light blue, wheat, and light grey.

Light Grey

The object has been administratively disabled.

Wheat

Unmanaged. Status information is not currently being collected on the object or is not being collected on the object's dependent items. For many dependent items you can specify whether or not to collect status.

Setting Status Collection On or Off

To conserve resources and reduce processing time, you can turn off the collection of status information for some items.

Status collection can be turned on or off only for objects that are in MIB tables. To view or change the status collection setting, click on the dependent object in the navigation tree to display the object's status information window.

If status collection can be set, the leftmost column in the table is reserved for that purpose. A checkmark in the leftmost column of a row indicates that status collection is on for that object. Turn checkmarks on or off by clicking in the leftmost column of a row.

When some rows are checked and others are not, the status reported reflects only the checked rows.

For MIB tables with status, a popup menu is provided with the displayed tables. This popup menu can be accessed in two ways:

• Click on the table header in the MIB table
• Right mouse click in either the Status or Critical column.

This menu allows you to turn status collection on or off, mark or unmark critical resources, and search through Monitored or Critical resources in the MIB table.

Critical Resource Monitoring

Critical Resource Monitoring enables the user to select one or more resources for which status is maintained as a critical resource. When status collection is turned on for a critical resource, a status of either Marginal or Critical is displayed as Critical (red) on the Navigation tree. The navigation tree also shows all parent objects (Ball and Folder Icons) in Critical status.

A critical resource can be Marked or Unmarked by clicking on its row. A checkmark in the column indicates the resource is marked as critical.

Note:

Status monitoring must also be enabled (a checkmark in the Status column) in order to calculate status for the resource.

The popup menu in the Navigation tree can be used to select resources on a per panel basis for those resources not in the MIB table. This method is only enabled for resources with a Ball icon on the Navigation tree, but not included in a MIB table.

Navigating

Expand folders by clicking the plus (+) next to the icon to display dependent items.

Collapse folders by clicking the minus (-) next to the icon to hide dependent items.

Double-click on the folder itself to display an information panel about the dependent item statuses that make up the folder status.

Double-click on a ball to display a detailed information panel about the selected item. Some of these information panels enable you to make configuration changes; others are display-only.

Some icons in the Navigation tree correspond to "hot spots" in the device view. To view status information for those resources, double-click on each resource's icon in the Navigation tree or on the hot spot in the device view.

Web-Based Network Management

The Web-based network management extensions provide access to the Element Manager Java-based management functions from Web browsers anywhere in your enterprise. When Nways Manager Element Manager is installed and configured for Web-based management, not only can you use Java-based management from the Nways Manager Element Manager workstation but you can access the Java-based functions from Web browser clients running on any platform from anywhere in your enterprise.

A couple of important points to remember:

• The Web-based network management functions are provided by these components:
  • Nways Manager Element Manager
  • Web server
  • Web browser client
• The Nways Manager Element Manager creates HTML pages on demand, and provides these pages and the Java code for Web-based management applets.

Things You Can Do

You can organize the Web pages into any structure that suits your needs. The following are examples of how you might integrate the pages into your own server structure.

• Identify all the critical managed devices, such as routers and servers, and their Web pages. Create a new Web page that includes URL links to these devices. You can create Web pages that provide other kinds of groupings of the Element Manager pages, such as by building/floor or operator responsibility.
• Save frequently accessed Web pages as bookmarks on your Web browser. If you have a database that contains useful information about the managed nodes, you can create an HTML criteria.

What Must Be Running

For Web-based network management, these things must be running:

• Your Web server
• The JMAintegrator, which is started in the opt/ovbin/ovstatus file.

Your Web Server

Almost any Web server will work with the Element Manager. Note that your Web server does not need Java support. The Web server accesses the Nways Manager Element Manager Java code only as data. The cgilaunder.exe file must be configured as an executable file.

Settings for AIX and HP-UX

All Web Servers must be configured to communicate with the client on port 80, which is the default port in most Servers. The following sections define the required settings for some common Web Servers.

Apache Web Server

Add the following lines, in this order, to the file /Server_root/conf/srm.conf:

Alias /nways      "/usr/CML/JMA/java/websvr"
Alias /cgi/code   "/usr/CML/JMA/java/websvr/code"
ScriptAlias /cgi  "/usr/CML/JMA/java/websvr"

Where Server_root is the directory in which Apache Websvr is installed, and usr is the directory where the Nways product is installed.

Netscape Web Server

1. Go to the server main page to verify that the server is on.
2. Select the Programs menu from the menu bar.
3. Select CGI File Type.
4. Select Yes to activate CGI as a file type.
5. Select Content Management from the menu bar.
6. Select Additional Document Directories, and add the follwing lines:

   URL prefix: nways
   Map To Directory: /usr/CML/JMA/java/websvr
    
   URL prefix: cgi
   Map To Directory: /usr/CML/JMA/java/websvr
   

Domino Web Server

1. Go to http://Machine/Frntpage.html, where Machine is the directory in which you installed the Domino Web Server.
2. Select Configuration and Administration Forms, which will take you to http://Machine/admin-bin/Cfgin/initial.
3. Select Request Routing, which will take you to http://Machine /admin-bin/Cfgin/mpfrule.
4. Add the following lines in this order:

   Action     Request Template      Replacement File Path
   ------     ----------------      ---------------------
   Pass       /nways/*           /usr/CML/JMA/java/websvr/*
   Exec       /cgi/CgiLauncher*  /usr/CML/JMA/java/websvr/CgiLauncher*
   Pass       /cgi/*             /usr/CML/JMA/java/websvr/*
   

Settings for Windows NT

All Web Servers must be configured to communicate with the client on port 80, which is the default port in most Servers. The following sections define the required settings for some common Web Servers.

Apache Web Server

Add the following lines, in this order, to the file \Server_root\conf\srm.conf:

Alias \nways      "\Nways\java\websvr"
Alias \cgi\code   "\Nways\java\websvr\code"
ScriptAlias \cgi  "\Nways\java\websvr"

Where Server_root is the directory in which Apache Websvr is installed, and Nways is the directory where the Nways product is installed.

Netscape Web Server

1. Go to the server main page to verify that the server is on.
2. Select the Programs menu from the menu bar.
3. Select CGI File Type.
4. Select Yes to activate CGI as a file type.
5. Select Content Management from the menu bar.
6. Select Additional Document Directories, and add the follwing lines:

   URL prefix: nways
   Map To Directory: \Nways\java\websvr
    
   URL prefix: cgi
   Map To Directory: \Nways\java\websvr
   

Domino Web Server

1. Go to http://Machine/Frntpage.html, where Machine is the directory in which you installed the Domino Web Server.
2. Select Configuration and Administration Forms, which will take you to http://Machine/admin-bin/Cfgin/initial.
3. Select Request Routing, which will take you to http://Machine /admin-bin/Cfgin/mpfrule.
4. Add the following lines in this order:

   Action     Request Template      Replacement File Path
   ------     ----------------      ---------------------
   Pass       \nways\*           \Nways\java\websvr\*
   Exec       \cgi\CgiLauncher*  \Nways\java\websvr\CgiLauncher*
   Pass       \cgi\*             \Nways\java\websvr\*
   

Your Web Browser

This section provides details for configuring Web browsers to use the Element Manager. A few important points:

• Any Web browser that meets the requirements defined below should be able to access the Element Manager Web-based features.
• After the Element Manager has been installed on the management workstation, you need to copy the files named ClientClasses.jar, CommonClasses.jar, mlsoft.jar, to any Web browser client machine that will be using the remote management functions of Element Manager. This will dramatically improve the performance of the JMA clients, because their Java code will be loaded from the local system instead of having to be downloaded from your Web server. After copying those files, modify the classpath to access those files.

Browser Requirements

For a Web browser to be compatible with the Element Manager, it must have Java support at the appropriate level. The required level of Java is JDK 1.1.5 or later. The Java support will come with your browser, so you should not have to obtain and install Java separately.

Note:

If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 4.x or 5.x, then you need to update the Java Virtual Machine and RMI Patch available by selecting other options at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/download/default.asp

Examples

Locating JMA help information

There are four ways to get help information for a JMA:

• Select Help from the JMA toolbar
• Double-click the ? icon located in the JMA Device View
• Click the Help button located in the JMA Information Panel.

You can also get information on the latest upgrades to Nways Manager Element Manager by visiting our Web site at:

http://www.networking.ibm.com/netmgt