User's Guide

Using the Web Interface

You can manage your switch through your Web browser and Internet connection. This is referred to as Web-based management. To access the switch, your Web browser must support:

• HTML version 4.0, or later
• HTTP version 1.1, or later
• JavaScript(TM) version 1.2, or later

This chapter explains how to access the switch Web-based management panels to configure and manage your switch.

It is important to note that there are equivalent functions in the Web interface as in the terminal interface (that is, there are usually the same menus to accomplish a task). For example, when you log in, there is a Main Menu with the same functions available, and so on. The Web login session will be automatically logged off based on the Telnet timeout settings. There are several differences between the Web and terminal interface. For example, on the Web interface the entire forwarding database can be displayed, and the terminal interface only displays 10 entries starting at specified addresses.

So, if you have read Configuring your switch and Using the Terminal Interface, navigating the Web interface will not be difficult. This chapter is a brief introduction to the Web interface.

Configuring for Web Access

To have Web access to the switch:

• Configure the switch for in-band connectivity (see Accessing the switch).
• Enable Web mode (see Configuring network connection for the switch.)

Web Page Layout

A Web interface panel for the switch Web page consists of three frames (Figure 62). Frame 1, across the top, appears a banner graphic of the switch. Frame 2, at the bottom-left displays a hierarchical-tree view. The tree consists of a combination of folders, subfolders, and configuration and status HTML pages. You can think of the folders and subfolders as branches and the configuration and status HTML pages as leafs. Only the selection of a leaf (not a folder or subfolder) will cause Frame 2 to display a new HTML page. A folder or subfolder has no corresponding Frame 3 HTML page. Frame 3, the bottom-right frame, displays the currently selected device configuration status or the user configurable information that you have selected from the tree view of Frame 2, or both. You can resize each of these frames. There are no fixed-sized frames.

Figure 62. Web interface panel-example

(artname: fgl1a010.EPS)

Starting the Web Interface

Follow these steps to bring up the switch Web interface:

1. Enter the IP address of the switch in the Web browser address field.
2. When the Login panel is displayed, enter the appropriate User Name and Password. The User Name and associated password are the same ones used for the terminal interface. Click on the Login button. The navigation tree is displayed in Frame 2, and the System Description Menu is displayed in Frame 3.
3. Make your selection by clicking on the appropriate item in the navigation tree in Frame 2.

Commands

The following command buttons are used throughout the Web interface panels for the switch:

Undo

Restores any changes made on the panel to their original value since the last Apply or Save.

Save

Implements and saves the changes you just made. Some settings may require you to reset the system in order for them to take effect.

Apply

Implements the changes you just made. Some settings may require you to reset the system for them to take effect.

Refresh

The Refresh button that appears next to the Apply button in Web interface panels refreshes the data on the panel.

Restart

Refreshes the list and displays the data starting at the beginning of the list.

Next

Displays the next set of information in the list.