B-2 APPENDIX B: REMOTE MONITORING (RMON) TECHNOLOGY

Benefits of RMON Traditional network management applications poll network devices such as switches, bridges, and routers at regular intervals from a network management console. The console gathers statistics, identifies trends, and can highlight network events. The console polls network devices constantly to determine if the network is within its normal operating conditions.

As network size and traffic levels grow, however, the network management console can become overburdened by the amount of data it must collect. Frequent console polling also generates significant network traffic that itself can create problems for the network.

An RMON implementation offers solutions to both of these problems:

The RMON probe looks at the network on behalf of the network management console without affecting the characteristics and performance of the network.

The RMON MIB reports by exception rather than by sending constant or frequent information to the network management console. The RMON probe informs the network management console directly if the network enters an abnormal state. The console can then use more information from the probe, such as history information, to diagnose the abnormal condition.

CoreBuilder

The CoreBuilder Extended Switching software offers fulltime

RMON

embedded RMON support through SNMP for seven RMON Groups.

Implementation

When combined with the Roving Analysis Port (RAP) function, RMON

 

support for these groups provides a comprehensive and powerful

 

mechanism for managing your network.

 

You can gain access to the RMON capabilities of the CoreBuilder 6000 system

 

only through SNMP applications such as Transcend® Enterprise Manager

 

software, not through the serial interface or telnet. For more information

 

about the details of managing 3Com devices using RMON, see the user

 

documentation of 3Com’s Transcend Network Management for Windows

 

suite of applications.

Page 54
Image 54
3Com 10002211 manual CoreBuilder, Implementation