CiscoWorks Windows is a suite of integrated PC-based network configuration and diagnostic tools for small to medium-sized networks or remote workgroups.
This chapter contains the following sections on CiscoWorks Windows applications and features:
The CiscoWorks Windows Show Commands and Health Monitor applications can run only under Castle Rock's SNMPc, HP OpenView Professional Suite, or HP OpenView Network Node Manager. Configuration Builder and CiscoView can run as standalone applications or within the SNMPc, HP OpenView Professional Suite, or HP OpenView Network Node Manager platforms.
Note For detailed information on all CiscoWorks Windows applications, see the context-sensitive help system. This comprehensive help system provides procedures, overview material, and links to related information.
To start an application in CiscoWorks Windows, go to the toolbar and double-click on the icon for the application. If the icon is grayed out, or if the icon is not displayed, the application is not supported on this device.
With Configuration Builder, you can create configuration files for multiple Cisco routers, access servers, hubs, and devices without having to remember complicated command-line syntax for the devices. Using Configuration Builder, you can configure Cisco devices with the most common Cisco IOS features. See Table 4-1 through Table 4-9 for an overview of supported Configuration Builder features. You can launch Configuration Builder as a standalone application by opening the Configuration Builder icon in your CiscoWorks Windows program group or by clicking the Configuration Builder icon in the CiscoView toolbar.
Note Advanced features or features added to Cisco IOS releases later than those listed in the help are supported through the Configuration Builder Add Commands window. See the help system for more details.
Configuration Builder provides the following features:
- Multiple device configuration windows
- You can configure multiple devices simultaneously for remote source-route bridging and Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC) transport. For example, when you configure a new router into an existing remote source-route bridging (SRB) virtual ring group, configuration files of all devices in the same virtual ring group are automatically updated.
- You can quickly import predefined priority queuing lists, Internet Protocol (IP) or Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) access lists, IPX Service Advertisement Protocol (SAP) filters, and AppleTalk filters into multiple configuration files. This ensures consistency among devices that share common configuration parameters.
- Duplicate address and configuration checking
- You can check for duplicate IP, IPX, and AppleTalk addresses in all open configuration files. You can also check for valid entries for common configuration parameters such as addresses, costs for DECnet and Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), and AppleTalk cable ranges.
- You can automatically move through the sequence of dialog boxes that need to be filled out to create a configuration file. To do so, complete the initial configuration dialog box and then do one of the following after you complete each configuration dialog box:
- Press the F2 key.
- Click the Guided Configuration icon from the toolbar in the main window.
- Select the Guided Configuration command from the Global menu.
- Learn hardware capability
- You can detect the model, software version and image type, and the number and type of installed interfaces on the router you are configuring. You can also learn the number of lines on an access server, and whether a hub is connected to a device. This information is automatically placed in the configuration file.
- Remote configuration capability
- You can configure remote devices if the PC is running a TCP/IP stack that is WINSOCK-compliant and has access via TCP/IP to the router you are configuring. The router must have the following minimum configuration:
- IP routing enabled
- An IP address assigned to an interface
- Enable and virtual terminal passwords
- You can perform the following configuration tasks for Cisco hubs and access servers:
- Grouping and ungrouping lines
- Using expert mode to quickly configure related features
- Configuring chat scripts
- Using list boxes to quickly select device features and modem communication parameters
- Configuring lines for IP, IPX, or AppleTalk Remote Access (ARA) protocols to allow flexibility for remote users to log in
- Configuring terminal services
- Setting up security
- Configuring dial-on-demand routing (DDR) to include asynchronous or synchronous serial lines and assigning them to a rotary group
- Configuring protocol translation to enable connections between hosts and resources running different protocols
Note For detailed information on all Configuration Builder features, see the context-sensitive help system. This comprehensive help system provides procedures, overview material, and links to related information. Open Configuration Builder and select
Help.
Configuration Builder generates and stores the following files in the Install-Dir/bin\data directory, where Install-Dir is the directory where CiscoWorks Windows is installed:
| *.cdf
| configuration files (binary)
|
| *.cfg
| configuration files (text)
|
| *.cbk
| configuration backup files
|
| snmphost.chl
| SNMP host names file
|
| zones.apt
| AppleTalk zones file
|
Configuration Builder generates and stores the following files in the \Install-Dir\bin\data\snapin directory, where Install-Dir is the directory where CiscoWorks Windows is installed:
| *.aal
| AppleTalk access lists
|
| *.ial
| IP access lists
|
| *.nal
| IPX access lists
|
| *.nsl
| IPX SAP filter lists
|
| *.pql
| Priority queuing lists
|
The \data\srb directory contains files with the extension *.srb. These files define remote source-route bridging (SRB) groups.
The \data\sdlc directory contains files with the extension *.s. These files define SDLC tunnel groups.
Note If you create additional Configuration Builder icons through the Windows Program Manager, be sure to include the directory name in which you installed Configuration Builder and the
ciscocb.exe command. The working directory must specify the Install-Dir
\bin\data subdirectory.
The Configuration Builder main window is illustrated in Figure 4-1. The number and types of network icons displayed in the main window vary according to your network configuration.
Figure 4-1: Configuration Builder Main Window

The Configuration Builder main window consists of the following elements:
- Title bar--Displays the application name and the name of the currently active router configuration. The active configuration name includes the router host name, followed by the file name in brackets. In Figure 4-1, the host name is Mt View, and the file name is MTVIEW.CDF.
- Menu bar--Provides access to all Configuration Builder dialog boxes. Table 4-1 through Table 4-9 list and explain the options under each menu.
- Toolbar--Contains the Guided Configuration icon in addition to the standard Create File, Open File, Save File, Print File, and Help icons. You can use the Guided Configuration icon or the F2 key to activate the guided configuration.
- Protocol list box--Used to select a routing protocol with configuration windows. The configuration window indicates whether interfaces are enabled for the specified routing protocol. In Figure 4-1, IP is the selected protocol. With this selected, you can double-click on any interface icon to open the IP Routing Configuration window.
- Configuration windows--Appear within the main window and indicate the router model, Cisco software version and image type, and interface status information.
- Configuration file icons--Display for any open configuration window that is iconized. In Figure 4-1, the London and Paris configurations are iconized.
- Status bar--Briefly describes the currently selected menu item.
Table 4-1: Configuration Builder File Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| New
| Create a new configuration file.
|
| Open
| Open an existing file.
|
| Close
| Close an existing file.
|
| Save
| Save changes to a file.
|
| Save Backup
| Create a backup of a configuration file.
|
| Save As Text
| Save a configuration file as a text file so it can be edited with a word processor or stored on a network server.
|
| Delete
| Delete a configuration file.
|
| Communication Timeouts
| Specify the timeouts to be used for data transfer from the Configuration Builder to the router.
|
| Send
| Send a configuration file to a local or remote router.
|
| Print
| Print a configuration file.
|
| Print Setup
| Set up printer parameters.
|
| Exit
| Exit Configuration Builder.
|
Table 4-2: Configuration Builder Global Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Guided Configuration
| Step through the guided configuration.
|
| Basic
| Set basic system parameters, including host names, passwords, and banner.
|
| SNMP
| Specify SNMP parameters for network management data, set community strings, and restrict SNMP access to the device.
|
| Priority Queuing
| Create new priority output queuing lists or import snap-in lists.
|
| Modify Interfaces
| Add or delete device interfaces and specify device type, software version, and image type. Specify device interfaces and lines. Change the sequence of the guided configuration.
|
| Add Commands
| Configure advanced features and features added in later Cisco IOS releases.
|
| Hub
| Enable hub configuration features.
|
Table 4-3: Configuration Builder Routing Menu Options
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| IP:
Configuration Routing Protocols
Access Lists
| Configure primary and secondary IP addresses. Configure Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP), and/or OSPF. Create new access lists or import snap-in lists.
|
| DECnet:
Configuration Options
| Configure DECnet Area numbers, Node numbers, and Cost. Set the Minimum cost within an area and the Maximum cost between areas.
|
| AppleTalk:
Configuration Distribute-Out Filters
| Configure AppleTalk addresses, cable ranges, and zones. Create access lists for filtering AppleTalk packets.
|
| IPX:
Configuration Access Lists SAP Filters
| Configure IPX addresses. Create new access lists or import snap-in lists. Create new SAP filters or import snap-in lists.
|
| XNS
| Configure XNS addresses.
|
| Banyan VINES
| Configure Banyan VINES metrics.
|
| ISO CLSN(OSI)
| Configure CLNS NSAP addresses.
|
Table 4-4: Configuration Builder Access Server Menu Options
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
Line Characteristics: Chat Script Manager Line Configuration
| Configure modem or login chat scripts. Configure line characteristics for TTY and auxiliary lines.
|
Remote Node: Extended BootP Manager
ARA Line Configuration
| Configure an access server for BootP to allow Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) and Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) requests from clients. Configure AppleTalk Remote Access (ARA). Configure remote nodes for TTY and auxiliary lines.
|
Terminal Services: LAT Manager XRemote Manager Line Configuration
| Configure Local Area Transport (LAT). Configure XRemote protocol. Configure terminal services for console, TTY, auxiliary, and virtual terminal lines.
|
Security: Local User Name Manager TACACS Manager
Line Configuration
| Assign usernames and passwords. Configure login method, line passwords, Point-to-Point PPP authentication, and assign IP access lists. Configure security for console, TTY, auxiliary, and virtual terminal lines.
|
Dial-on-Demand: Dialer Rotary Group IP IPX
| Configure the dialer rotary group. Configure DDR for IP. Configure DDR for IPX.
|
| Protocol Translation
| View configuration protocol translation features.
|
Table 4-5: Configuration Builder Bridging Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
Transparent Bridging: Configuration Bridge Groups
| Configure transparent bridging. Create bridge groups and set spanning-tree and circuit options.
|
Source-Route: Simple Remote
| Configure simple SRB options. Configure remote SRB options. Remote source-route bridging provides multiple router configuration capability. That is, equivalent statements in the configuration files of devices in the same virtual ring are automatically updated.
|
| SR/TLB
| Configure source-route translational bridging (SR/TLB).
|
Table 4-6: Configuration Builder WAN Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Wide-Area Protocols
| Configure wide-area network (WAN) protocols, including High-Level Data Link Control (HDLC), PPP, X.25, Frame Relay, and Switched Multimegabit Data Service (SMDS).
|
| Dial-on-Demand
| Configure DDR destination subnet, subnet mask, telephone numbers, destination router IP address, and timers.
|
| Dial Backup
| Configure dial backup interfaces and delay options.
|
| SDLC Transport
| Configure devices for SDLC transport, a subset of serial tunneling (STUN). Provides multiple router configuration capability. That is, equivalent statements in the configuration files of other SDLC devices are automatically updated.
|
Table 4-7: Configuration Builder View Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| By Protocol
| Display configuration options grouped by protocol type.
|
| By Interface
| Display configuration options grouped by interface.
|
| Configuration
| Display the configuration as a text file.
|
| Toolbar
| Display or hide the toolbar.
|
| Status Bar
| Display or hide the status bar.
|
| Expert Mode
| Select expert mode to enable an additional path for configuring global access server features.
|
Table 4-8: Configuration Builder Window Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Cascade
| Resize and layer windows so that each title bar is visible.
|
| Tile
| Resize and arrange windows side by side.
|
| Arrange Icons
| Arrange icons evenly.
|
| File selection
| Select a previously opened configuration file.
|
Table 4-9: Configuration Builder Help Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Contents
| Open the Configuration Builder help system table of contents.
|
| Cisco Support Information
| Find out how to contact Cisco Systems for product support and how to obtain additional documentation.
|
| Using Help
| Learn how to use the help system.
|
| About Configuration Builder
| Display Configuration Builder software release and copyright information.
|
With Show Commands, you can quickly display detailed system and protocol information for routers without having to remember complicated command-line syntax for each device. Launch Show Commands by clicking on the Show icon in the CiscoView toolbar.
You can display the following system information for devices:
- Shows which version of the device you are using.
- Device configuration (running memory and nonvolatile random-access memory [NVRAM])
- Shows the configuration information of the device, card or port.
- Controller status
- Buffer status
- Device voltage and temperature status
- Flash memory status
Note For detailed information on all Show Commands features, see the context-sensitive help system. This comprehensive help system provides procedures, overview material, and links to related information. Open the Show Commands application and select
Help.
The Show Commands main window is illustrated in Figure 4-2.
Figure 4-2: Show Commands Main Window

The Show Commands main window consists of the following elements:
- Title bar--Displays the Show Commands application name, the active device name, and the name of the current Show Commands window.
- Menu bar--Provides access to all Show Commands dialog boxes. Table 4-10 through Table 4-15 list and explain the items under each menu.
- Toolbar--Contains Save File, Copy Text, Print File, Window Refresh, Enter Text for Searching, Find Entered Text, and Help icons.
- Status bar--Briefly describes the currently selected menu item.
- Show Commands palette--Floating window from which you can access all Show Commands options.
Table 4-10: Show Commands File Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Close
| Closes the Show Commands window.
|
| Save
| Save changes to a file.
|
| Save As
| Save Show Commands output to a new filename.
|
| Connect
| Connect to a specific device.
|
| Print
| Send a Show Commands screen display to a printer.
|
| Print Preview
| View the file before printing. Zoom in or out and scan pages.
|
| Print Setup
| Set printing options.
|
| Exit
| Exit the Show Commands application.
|
Table 4-11: Show Commands Edit Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Copy
| Copy text from an active window.
|
| Select All
| Select all text within an active window.
|
| Find
| Find a keyword within an active window.
|
Table 4-12: Show Commands View Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Toolbar
| Display or hide the toolbar.
|
| Status Bar
| Display or hide the status bar.
|
| Show Command Palette
| Display or hide the Show Commands Palette floating window.
|
Table 4-13: Show Commands Show Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Show!
| Display the Show Commands window from which you can execute and display output from a specific show command.
|
Table 4-14: Show Commands Window Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Cascade
| Resize and layer windows so that each title bar is visible.
|
| Tile
| Resize and arrange windows side by side.
|
| Arrange Icons
| Arrange icons evenly.
|
| Close All
| Close all open Show Commands windows.
|
| Refresh
| Refresh the active Show Commands window. The time and date are updated.
|
| window selection
| Select a previously opened Show Commands window.
|
Table 4-15: Show Commands Help Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Contents
| Open the Show Commands help system table of contents.
|
| Help for Current Show Command
| Open the help window specific to the active show command window.
|
| Cisco Support Information
| Find out how to contact Cisco Systems for product support and how to obtain additional documentation.
|
| Using Help
| Learn how to use the help system.
|
| About Show Commands
| Display Show Commands software release and copyright information.
|
Health Monitor is a dynamic fault and performance management tool that provides real-time statistics on device characteristics, interface status and utilization, and protocol utilization. Launch Health Monitor by clicking on the Health Monitor icon in the CiscoView toolbar.
With Health Monitor, you can customize feedback on device and interface status with settings in the Preferences dialog box:
- Choose fatal and warning thresholds for CPU load and interface types.
- Fatal and warning indications are provided by color changes. Color indications are:
- Green (up)
- Yellow (warning)
- Red (fatal)
- Color indications are provided within the IfErrors, IfUtilization, IfStatus, and Environment tabs. For the overall health of a device, color indication is also provided within the Health Monitor application icon.
- Select a polling frequency value to control when you receive device and interface feedback.
- Set the no-response timeout value to control the duration of time that Health Monitor waits for a reply from a monitored device.
- Sort interfaces by status or media type.
Health Monitor provides the following device and interface information:
- Provides device name, type, Cisco IOS version, location, and device contact information. Lists total and available RAM, flash memory, and NVRAM. Also provides a reason for the last restart of the device.
- Graphs interface error rates and provides color warning and fatal threshold indications for interface error rates.
- Graphs interface utilization and provides color warning and fatal threshold indications for interface utilization.
- Graphs the number of bytes per protocol that an interface has sent or received. Provides interface status by color indication: up (green), test (magenta), dormant or waiting for an external event (cyan), administratively down (brown), and operational failure (red).
- Graphs the number of packets per protocol that the device has forwarded.
- Graphs the device CPU utilization in 5-second, 1-minute, and 5-minute intervals.
- Environmental card status
- Depicts air temperature and power supply voltage readings for a device. Provides color warning and fatal threshold indications for these readings.
Note For detailed information on all Health Monitor features, see the context-sensitive help system. The comprehensive help system provides procedures, overview material, and links to related information. Open the Health Monitor application and select
Help.
The Health Monitor main window is illustrated in Figure 4-3.
Figure 4-3: Health Monitor Main Window

The Health Monitor main window consists of the following elements:
- Title bar--Displays the Health Monitor application name and the name of the current connected device.
- Menu bar--Provides access to all Health Monitor dialog boxes. Table 4-16 through Table 4-19 list and explain the items under each menu.
- Tabs--Provides access to all Health Monitor tabs. Table 4-20 lists and explains each tab item.
- Status bar--Briefly describes the currently selected menu item.
Table 4-16: Health Monitor File Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Connect
| Connect to a specific device.
|
| Preferences
| Set the threshold value, interface sorting, polling frequency, and timeout preferences.
|
| Exit
| Exit the Health Monitor application.
|
Table 4-17: Health Monitor View Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Status Bar
| Display or hide the status bar.
|
Table 4-18: Health Monitor Interface Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Utilization
| View interface utilization.
|
| Protocols
| Determine interface protocol usage.
|
| Errors
| View interface error rates.
|
| Show
| View show interface command statistics for an interface.
|
Table 4-19: Health Monitor Help Menu Items
| Item
| Explanation
|
|---|
| Contents
| Open the Health Monitor help system table of contents.
|
| Help on Current Tab
| Open the help window specific to the active Health Monitor tab.
|
| Cisco Support Information
| Find out how to contact Cisco Systems for product support and how to obtain additional documentation.
|
| Using Help
| Learn how to use the help system.
|
| About Health Monitor
| Display Health Monitor software release and copyright information.
|
Table 4-20: Health Monitor Tabs
| Tab
| Explanation
|
|---|
| System
| View information on restarts, device identification, contact information, and memory usage.
|
| IfErrors
| View interface error rates.
|
| IfUtilization
| View interface utilization.
|
| IfStatus
| Determine interface status (up, down, dormant, failure, or test). Determine interface protocol usage.
|
| Protocols
| View traffic forwarded per protocol for a device.
|
| CPU
| Measure the device CPU load.
|
| Environment
| Check the device temperature and power supply voltage.
|
Context-sensitive online help provides you with step-by-step instructions on how to use CiscoWorks Windows applications. The help system also contains a glossary and keyword search capability. The following table is a quick guideline for accessing help from a number of vantage points:
| For Information About
| Do This
|
|---|
| The help system for specific products
| Select Help>Contents.
|
| How to use the help system
| Select Help>Using Help.
|
| How to use CiscoWorks Windows applications
| Open the CiscoWorks Windows application and select Help.
|
| Current CiscoWorks Windows applications versions
| Select Help>About Application Name.
|
| The current device package version
| Select Help>About CiscoView.
|
Because Configuration Builder, Show Commands, and Health Monitor are independent applications, the content of the help system for each application varies slightly.
Note Report any help or documentation bugs to cs-ciscoworks@cisco.com or bug-doc@cisco.com
Two key concepts in using the help system are jumps and popup windows. Click on a highlighted underlined topic to jump to a help window specific to that topic. When you jump to another topic, you have to click Back on the menu bar to go back to the previous help topic. Click on a dotted underlined term to open a popup window, which defines that term. When you go to a popup window, press Return to return to your previous help topic.
The Help Contents tab has three functional tabs:
- Contents tab--links CiscoWorks Windows device, application, and help topics and subtopics.
- Index tab--searches for keywords in the help system.
- Find tab--searches the help system and indexes every help word.
- For information on how to use this tab, select Help>Using Help.
Each help window has a menu bar and a button bar. The menu bar provides standard help functions for printing help topics, copying and pasting text from help topics, making online notes about particular help topics, and placing bookmarks.
The button bar contains the following buttons:
- Help Topics--Opens the current help table of contents. Help topics are highlighted and underlined. Select a help topic to open a help window specific to the underlined topic. Some topics open popup windows that contain a list of subtopics. Select a help subtopic to open a help window specific to the underlined subtopic.
- Back--Moves you back sequentially to previously opened help windows.
- Print--Prints current help topic window.
- << and >> (Browse)--Allows you to browse through sets of related help screens, providing quick access to overviews of particular help topics.
Many help windows have Overview and See Also links in the help window topics. You can select the Overview link to obtain background information for the procedure described in the current help window. Select the See Also link to view a list of related topics and go directly to those topics from the current help window.
Select File>Exit from the Help window menu bar to exit Help.