Learning to Use Cisco Works

This chapter introduces you to some CiscoWorks applications and provides instructions on how to use them. Perform the following tasks before using the CiscoWorks application:

Run the SunNet Manager (SNM) Discover tool to create an SNM database and a network map with network devices. For more information, see the following section, "Running the SNM Discover Tool." For detailed information, refer to the SunNet Manager 2.0 User's Guide.
Use the SNM Change Type command to change appropriate SNM devices to Cisco devices. See the section "Identifying Cisco Devices for CiscoWorks."
Use the CiscoWorks Sync w/Sybase application to synchronize the SNM database with the Sybase database. See the section "Synchronizing the SNM Database with Sybase."
Learn to display or use some basic CiscoWorks applications. See the section "Quick Tutorial on Using CiscoWorks."

Before performing the exercises in this chapter, you should be familiar with the SunNet Manager (SNM) Console window and know how to access the menu items in the Console window.

Running the SNM Discover Tool

Most CiscoWorks applications require a database of network devices. They also require a network map that contains these network devices.

SNM provides the Discover tool, which enables you to find the devices in the primary network to which your system is attached. Use the Discover tool to create a view (map) of your network and a run-time database for SNM. If you did not install the SNM software in the /usr/snm directory, you must set the environment variable for SNMHOME as described in the SunNet Manager 2.0 User's Guide.

Note The amount of time taken by the Discover tool to find all the devices on your network depends on the size of your subnet and the number of devices attached to it.

To run the Discover tool, perform the following steps:

Step 1 At the UNIX prompt, display the SNM Console by entering the following command:

hostname% /usr/snm/bin/snm

The SNM Console window appears.

Step 2 From the Tools menu, select Discover.

The SNM Discover Program window appears, prompting you to enter your superuser password.

Step 3 Enter your superuser password.

The Discover tool begins to construct views of the network. When the Discover tool completes the process, networks appear in the form of cloud glyphs, and devices appear in the form of workstation icons.

Step 4 To save the database of devices that you created, select Save from the File menu.

For detailed information on how to run the Discover tool, refer to the SunNet Manager 2.0 User's Guide. To add devices to your network map after CiscoWorks installation, you can use any of the following applications: Device Management, AutoInstall Manager, or Sync w/Sybase. For more information adding devices after a CiscoWorks installation, refer to the CiscoWorks User Guide.

Identifying Cisco Devices for CiscoWorks

Network devices that are discovered by the Discover tool exist as generic devices. You must identify them as Cisco devices to take advantage of CiscoWorks functionality.

To use the Change Type command to change a device from its generic status to the status of a Cisco device, perform the following steps:

Step 1 In the SNM Console window, use the mouse to point to a Cisco device then press the right mouse button.

The Glyph menu for the device appears. It is similar to the window in Figure 5-1.

Figure 5-1: Glyph Menu

Step 2 From the Glyph menu, select Change Type. Move the mouse to the right to display the drop-down menu, which lists device names and types.

Step 3 From the pull-down menu, select the device type that matches the one selected in your network map. For example, if the selected device in your network map is an AGS+, select Cisco-AGS+ from the pull-down menu.

The device appears as a Cisco device.

Step 4 Repeat steps 1 through 3 to identify other devices in the network map.

Step 5 Confirm that the selected devices have the correct SNMP Community Strings by using the SNM Properties Sheet application. (From the SNM Tools menu, select Properties.)

Synchronizing the SNM Database with Sy base

SNM maintains a run-time database of devices that you discover by using the Discover tool. In order to use CiscoWorks applications, you must list devices in the Sybase database. The
Sync w/Sybase application performs the following functions to enable you to use CiscoWorks applications:

Adds entries for your network devices into the SNM database.
Turns on the Cisco agent in the Properties sheet for Cisco devices.
Confirms that the device list in the SNM run-time database matches the device list in the Sybase database.

After you finish running the Discover tool and creating a run-time database with network devices, follow these steps to run the Sync w/Sybase application:

Step 1 From the Tools menu in the Console window, select Sync w/Sybase.

The Sync w/Sybase window appears. (See Figure 5-2.)

Figure 5-2: Sync w/Sybase Window

Depending on the number of database records and the information contained in each, database synchronization can be timely. To adjust for synchronization time and to meet special needs, select one of the following four commands from the Options menu of the Sync w/Sybase window:

Devices (Network-->Sybase)

: Copies the complete number and contents of database records from SNM to Sybase. These records might include information about the hardware platforms, community strings, and so forth. Allows you to choose the SNM device records that you want to add to Sybase. With the device name selected, click on the Sync button. To select contiguous items, hold down the Shift key and click additional device names or drag your mouse through a range of device names. To select discontiguous items, hold down the Control key and select individual device names.

Domains (Network-->Sybase)

: Updates device records for the selected domain in the Sybase database. With the domain name selected, click on the Sync button.

Quick Sync (SNM-->Sybase)

: Creates only entries in the Sybase table for devices listed in SNM--but excludes any specific information, such as interface details or hardware platforms. Use this command if you need the databases to quickly recognize the devices contained in each. Later, if you decide that you want the complete device information available from SNM, you can copy it using another command from the Options menu of Sync w/Sybase, or the CiscoWorks Device Management application.

Sybase-->SNM

: Because this process can be timely, upon selecting this option, you are first presented with a confirmation dialog box. If you click on the OK button, this process updates the device records from Sybase into the SNM database; if the device does not exist in the SNM database, then it is created in the Sync w/Sybase view (expressed as a cloud) in the network map. This is the inverse process of Devices (Network-->Sybase). When you use Device Management or the CiscoWorks AutoInstall feature to add a device directly to Sybase, it will not be recognized by SNM until you use the Sybase-->SNM command. Nor will the device name be recognized if you added it directly to Sybase but not yet added the glyph to SNM. If you delete a device from SNM, however, it remains as a record in Sybase until you manually delete it from Sybase. A network view, or cloud, appears in your network map that lists the device records that were added from this process.

Timeout Interval

: Displays a dialog box in which you can specify how much time can elapse before synchronization terminates and declares the device unreachable. You can also specify the default timeout using X Resource timeout Interval in your .Xdefaults file.

Figure 5-3: Sync w/Sybase Window

The synchronization process takes from 3 minutes to over an hour, depending on the size of your network and the number of devices you are synchronizing.

You can stop the synchronization process at any time by selecting Exit from the File menu. The devices that have been synchronized up to this time will be saved in the Sybase database.

Step 2 Select Exit from the File menu to exit this window.

Quick Tutorial on Using CiscoWorks

This section provides steps for viewing or using four different CiscoWorks applications:

Device Management
Path Tool
Show Commands
Real-Time Graphs

In order to use these applications, you must have at least two network devices in the Sybase database. Use the Sync w/Sybase application to add network devices to the Sybase database. After completing the exercises in this chapter, you will have a general idea of how to use CiscoWorks applications. For a detailed explanation of all the CiscoWorks applications, refer to the CiscoWorks User Guide.

Displaying Devices in the Devices Window

When the SNM database is synchronized with the Sybase database, the device information in the Sybase database can be displayed with the Device Management application by accessing the Devices window.

After you synchronized the SNM database with Sybase, perform the following steps to display the names of devices present in the Sybase database:

Step 1 Click on the Tools button in the menu bar to display the Tools menu.

Step 2 Select Device Management.

The Device Management window appears, as shown in Figure 5-4.

Figure 5-4: Device Management Window

The Device Management window uses information stored in the database to display all the devices on the network, the interfaces of the device, and the names of contacts--people who are likely to have more information about a selected device.

Step 3 Select a device name to display the interfaces and contacts associated with that device.

Step 4 To add, modify, or delete interfaces or contacts for a specified device, select a corresponding item from the Edit menu.

Step 5 To modify, add, or delete a device, click on the corresponding button.

Step 6 To search for a specific device or range of devices, from the Search menu, select Find.

Step 7 Select Exit from the File menu to exit the Devices window and the database.

Displaying the Path between Two Devices

The Path Tool application enables you to display the routing path between a source device and a destination device.

To graphically display the path between two devices, perform the following steps:

Step 1 In the SNM Console window, click on the SNMP device to display the Glyph menu.

Step 2 Select Tools to display the Tools menu.

Step 3 From the Tools menu, select Path Tool.

A window similar to that in Figure 5-5 appears. The information about the source device is filled in.

Figure 5-5: Path Tool Window

Step 4 To select the destination device, click on the Select button beside the Path Destination field or enter the complete device name.

If you click on the button, the Device Selection window appears listing the devices in the SNM database. It is similar to the window shown in Figure 5-6.

Figure 5-6: Device Selection Window

Step 5 Click on the device that you want to specify as the destination and click on the OK button.

After the connection has been established, the device name appears in the Path Destination field in the Path Tool window.

Step 6 Click on the OK button to launch the Path Tool.

When the Path Tool is launched, a browser window (similar to the window shown in
Figure 5-7) appears, displaying the progress of the Path Tool as it makes each network hop from the source to the destination device.

Figure 5-7: Path Tool Window with Text

After the connection is established, the Path Tool window appears (similar to the window shown in Figure 5-8), displaying the path between the source and the destination device you specified.

Figure 5-8: Path Tool Window with a Graphic Display

Step 7 From the File menu in the Path Tool window, select Exit to close the window.

Using Show Commands

The Show Commands application provides a unique interface to the Cisco devices on your network. It enables you to display device data, such as the status of a device or traffic information.

To use the Show Commands application to obtain data from a device, perform the following steps:

Step 1 In the SNM Console window, select a Cisco device.

Step 2 Select Tools from the Glyph menu to display the Tools menu.

Step 3 Select Show Commands.

The Show Commands window (similar to that shown in Figure 5-9) appears.

Figure 5-9: Show Commands Window

Step 4 Click on the Interface button to display the interfaces for the device.

The Show Interface window (similar to the window shown in Figure 5-10) appears.

Figure 5-10: Show Interface Window

Step 5 From the File menu, select Close to exit from the Show Interface window.

The Show Commands window redisplays.

Step 6 From the File menu, select Exit to exit from the Show Commands application.

Graphing MIB Objects

You can use SNM real-time graphs to observe real-time information by means of a two- or three-dimensional graph. CiscoWorks enables you to graph data about the health of your device and interface, and traffic information.

To display a real-time graph with information on the buffer characteristics for a device, perform the follow the steps:

Step 1 In the SNM Console window, select the SNMP device to display the Glyph menu.

Step 2 Select Tools from the Glyph menu to display the Tools menu.

Step 3 Select Real-Time Graphs.

The Real-Time Graphs window appears as shown in Figure 5-11.

Figure 5-11: Real-Time Graphs Window

Step 4 In the Router Health section, click on the Buffer Space button to display the buffer characteristics for the device.

The Results Grapher window appears briefly (see Figure 5-12) followed by the Real-Time Graphs Free Memory window, which displays the buffer space information in the form of a graph (see Figure 5-13).

Figure 5-12: Results Grapher Window

Figure 5-13: Real-Time Graphs Free Memory Window

Step 5 From the close box at the top left corner of the window, click on the box to display a drop-down menu; then select Close to exit the window.

Select the item in the Results Grapher and click on the Remove button.

Step 6 From the File menu, select Exit to exit from the Real-Time Graphs window.

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