Administration > RMON

Remote Monitoring allows a remote device to collect information or respond to specified events on an independent basis. This switch is an RMON-capable device which can independently perform a wide range of tasks, significantly reducing network management traffic. It can continuously run diagnostics and log information on network performance. If an event is triggered, it can automatically notify the network administrator of a failure and provide historical information about the event. If it cannot connect to the management agent, it will continue to perform any specified tasks and pass data back to the management station the next time it is contacted.

The switch supports mini-RMON, which consists of the Statistics, History, Event and Alarm groups. When RMON is enabled, the system gradually builds up information about its physical interfaces, storing this information in the relevant RMON database group. A management agent then periodically communicates with the switch using the SNMP protocol. However, if the switch encounters a critical event, it can automatically send a trap message to the management agent which can then respond to the event if so configured.

Configuring RMON Alarms

Use the Administration > RMON (Configure Global - Add - Alarm) page to define specific criteria that will generate response events. 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 rising or falling thresholds. (However, note that after an alarm is triggered it will not be triggered again until the statistical value crosses the opposite bounding threshold and then back across the trigger threshold.

Configuring RMON Events

Use the Administration > RMON (Configure Global - Add - Event) page to set the action to take when an alarm is triggered. The response can include logging the alarm or sending a message to a trap manager. Alarms and corresponding events provide a way of immediately responding to critical network problems.

Configuring RMON History Samples

Use the Administration > RMON (Configure Interface - Add - History) page to collect statistics on a physical interface to monitor network utilization, packet types, and errors. A historical record of activity can be used to track down intermittent problems. The record can be used to establish normal baseline activity, which may reveal problems associated with high traffic levels, broadcast storms, or other unusual events. It can also be used to predict network growth and plan for expansion before your network becomes too overloaded.

Configuring RMON Statistical Samples

Use the Administration > RMON (Configure Interface - Add - Statistics) page to collect statistics on a port, which can subsequently be used to monitor the network for common errors and overall traffic rates.