- 16 -
Can be accessed from any location
Most visually appealing
May encounter delay times on
poor connections
SNMP Agent
Communicates with switch functions at
the MIB level
Based on open standards
Requires SNMP manager
software
Least visually appealing of all
three methods
Some settings require calculations
Security can be compromised
(hackers need only know the
community name)
The administration console is an internal, character-oriented, menu-driven user interface for performing
system administration such as displaying statistics or changing option settings. Using this method, you
can view the administration console from a terminal, personal computer, Apple Macintosh, or
workstation connected to the Switch’s console (serial) port.
There are two ways to use this management method: via direct access or modem port access. The
following sections describe these methods. For more information about using the console, refer to
Chapter 4 Menu-Driven Console Management.
Direct access to the administration console is achieved by directly connecting a terminal or a PC
equipped with a terminal-emulation program (such as HyperTerminal) to the Switch console (serial)
port.
When using this management method, a null-modem cable is required to connect the Switch to the PC.
After making this connection, configure the terminal-emulation program to use the following
parameters:
The default parameters are:
115,200 bps
8 data bits
No parity
1 stop bit
You can change these settings, if desired, after you log on. This management method is often preferred
because you can remain connected and monitor the system during system reboots. Also, certain error
messages are sent to the serial port, regardless of the interface through which the associated action
was initiated. A Macintosh or PC attachment can use any terminal-emulation program for connecting to
the terminal serial port. A workstation attachment under UNIX can use an emulator such as TIP.