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Catalyst2950 and Catalyst2955 Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter1 Overview
Management Options
•Upstream power back-off mechanism for normalization of the upstream receive power levels by
requiring the CPE devices on shorter lines to transmit at a lower power le vel th an the CPEs on lo nger
lines
•Support for sending LRE debugging messages to the LRE message logging process and to t he
system message logging process
Management Options
The switch is designed for plug-and-play operation: you only need to a ssign basic IP information to the
switch and connect it to the other devices in your network. If you have specific network ne eds, you can
configure and monitor the switch—on an individual basis or as par t of a sw it ch c lust er— thr oug h its
various management interfaces.
This section discusses these topics:
•Management Interface Options, page 1-8
•Advantages of Using CMS and Clustering Switches, page 1-9

Management Interface Options

You can configure and monitor individual switches and switch clusters by using these interfaces:
•CMS—CMS is a graphical user interface that can be launched from anywhe re in yo ur net work
through a web browser such as Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Internet Expl ore r. CMS is
already installed on the switch. Using CMS, you can configure and mon itor a st anda lon e swit ch, a
specific cluster member, or an entire switch cluster. You can also display network topologies to
gather link information and display switch images to modify switch and port level settings.
For more information about CMS, see Chapter4, “Getting Started with CMS.”
•CLI—The switch Cisco IOS CLI software is enhanced to support desktop-switching features. You
can configure and monitor the switch and switch cluster members from the CLI. You ca n access the
CLI either by connecting your management station directly to the sw it ch c onso le port or by usi n g
Telnet or SSH from a remote management station.
For more information about the CLI, see Chapter2, “U sing the Co mm and-L i ne I nter face. ”
•IE2100—Cisco Intelligence Engine 2100 Series Configuration Registrar is a ne t work management
device that works with embedded CNS Agents in the switch software. You can automate initial
configurations and configuration updates by generating switch-specific con figurat ion ch anges ,
sending them to the switch, executing the configuration change, and logging the results.
For more information about IE2100, see Chapter 6, “Configuring IE2100 CNS Agents.”
•SNMP—SNMP provides a means to monitor and control the switch and switch cluster members.
You can manage switch configuration settings, performance, and security and collect stat ist ics by
using SNMP management applications such as CiscoWorks2000 LAN Management Suite (LMS)
and HP OpenView.
You can manage the switch from an SNMP-compatible management station that is running
platforms such as HP OpenView or SunNet Manager. The switch supports a comprehensive set of
MIB extensions and four RMON groups.
For more information about using SNMP, see the Chapter28, “Configuring SNMP.”