Alarm Configuration

4-2 Basic Alarm Configuration

Using the Advanced Alarms feature, you can define custom alarms for almost any
MIB-II or RMON object, as long as it is present in the device firmware and its
value is defined as an integer (including counters, timeticks, and gauges). All
aspects of these alarms are user-selectable: thresholds can be established on either
the absolute or delta value for a variable; events can be configured to create a log,
generate a trap, or both; and for devices that support the new Actions MIB, events
can also be configured to perform any defined SNMP SET or series of SETs on
device objects. The Advanced Alarms feature also allows you to configure any
events you wish to use in conjunction with the Packet Capture functionality. (For
more information on using the Packet Capture feature, see the RMON User’s
Guide.)
The Basic Alarms feature allows you to assign alarms to any interface type; using
the Advanced Alarms feature, you need only be sure to select variables
appropriate to the interface — Ethernet for Ethernet, Token Ring for Token Ring,
etc. — when defining your alarms.
Basic Alarm Configuration
Using the Basic Alarm Configuration application, you can define both rising and
falling alarm thresholds for three selected MIB-II objects: ifInOctets,
ifInNUcastPkts, and ifInErrors. Because these pre-selected objects are not
RMON-specific, you can configure alarms for all interfaces installed in your
MultiSwitch 700 module — including those, like FDDI, for which no specific
RMON statistics currently exist.
In addition to configuring separate rising and falling thresholds, you can also
configure your device’s response to an alarm condition. When a threshold is
crossed, the RMON device can create a log of alarm events, send a trap notifying
your management workstation that an alarm condition has occurred, or both. You
can even configure an alarm to enable or disable bridging on the offending port in
response to a rising or falling alarm condition.
TIP
As long as there is at least one Ethernet or Fast Ethernet module installed in your
MultiSwitch 700 chassis, you can use the RMON Alarms feature to configure alarms for
MIB objects on FDDI, ATM, and other interfaces that don’t specifically support RMON:
the Basic Alarms window provides MIB II objects as alarm variables; Advanced Alarm
configuration allows you to select any object as an alarm variable, as long as its value is
defined as an integer and you assign the correct instance value. See step5 on page 4-18
and the Note which follows it for more information on assigning the correct instance value
to an advanced alarm.