Extreme Networks, Inc.
3585 Monroe Street
Santa Clara, California 95051
(888) 257-3000
(408) 579-2800
http://www.extremenetworks.com
Published: November 2006
Part number: 100248-00 Rev 01
Alpine, Alpine 3804, Alpine 3802, Altitude, BlackDiamond, BlackDiamond 6808, BlackDiamond 6816, EPICenter,
Ethernet Everywhere, Extreme Ethernet Everywhere, Extreme Networks, Extreme Turbodrive, Extreme Velocity,
ExtremeWare, ExtremeWorks, ExtremeXOS, GlobalPx Content Director, the Go Purple Extreme Solution Partners
Logo, Sentriant, ServiceWatch, Summit, Summit24, Summit48, Summit1i, Summit4, Summit5i, Summit7i, Summit
48i, SummitRPS, SummitGbX, Triumph, vMAN, the Extreme Networks logo, the Alpine logo, the BlackDiamond
logo, the Summit logos, the Extreme Turbodrive logo, and the Color Purple, among others, are trademarks or
registered trademarks of Extreme Networks, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other
names and marks may be the property of their respective owners.
Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Merit is a registered trademark of Merit Network, Inc. Solaris and Java are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in
the U.S. and other countries. Avaya is a trademark of Avaya, Inc.
This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org).
This product contains copyright material licensed from AdventNet, Inc. (http://www.adventnet.com). All rights to
such copyright material rest with AdventNet.
Use of Open Source Libraries. The Software uses or links to the third party “open source” library(ies). Please read
the “Notice” files included with the Software for identification of these libraries and applicable license agreements.
VoIP Reports ..........................................................................................................................563
Index .......................................................................................................................................... 565
EPICenter Reference Guide
13
14
EPICenter Reference Guide
Preface
This preface provides an overview of this guide, describes guide conventions, and lists other useful
publications.
Introduction
This guide provides the required information to use the EPICenter software. It is intended for use by
network managers who are responsible for monitoring and managing Local Area Networks, and
assumes a basic working knowledge of:
● Local Area Networks (LANs)
● Ethernet concepts
● Ethernet switching and bridging concepts
● Routing concepts
● The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
NOTE
If the information in the Release Notes shipped with your software differs from the information in this guide, follow
the Release Note.
Terminology
When features, functionality, or operation is specific to the Summit, Alpine, or BlackDiamond switch
family, the family name is used. Explanations about features and operations that are the same across all
Extreme switch product families simply refer to the product as the “Extreme Networks device” or
“Extreme Networks switch.” Explanations about features that are the same for all devices managed by
EPICenter (both Extreme devices and others) are simply refered to “devices.”
EPICenter Reference Guide
15
Preface
Conventions
Tab le 1 and Ta bl e 2 list conventions that are used throughout this guide.
Table 1: Notice Icons
IconNotice TypeAlerts you to...
NoteImportant features or instructions.
CautionRisk of unintended consequences or recoverable loss of data.
WarningRisk of permanent loss of data.
Table 2: Text Conventions
ConventionDescription
Screen displaysThis typeface represents information as it appears on the screen.
Screen displays
bold
The words “enter”
and “type”
[Key] namesKey names appear in text in one of two ways. They may be
Words in bold typeBold text indicates a button or field name.
Words in italic typeItalics emphasize a point or denote new terms at the place where they are defined
This typeface indicates how you would type a particular command.
When you see the word “enter” in this guide, you must type something, and then
press the Return or Enter key. Do not press the Return or Enter key when an
instruction simply says “type.”
• referred to by their labels, such as “the Return key” or “the Escape key.”
• written with brackets, such as [Return] or [Esc].
If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key names are linked with a
plus sign (+). For example:
Press [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Del].
in the text.
Related Publications
The EPICenter documentation set includes the following:
● EPICenter Reference Guide (this guide)
● EPICenter Concepts and Solutions Guide
● EPICenter Installation and Upgrade Guide
● EPICenter Release Notes
● EPICenter License Agreement
16
EPICenter Reference Guide
Related Publications
Both the EPICenter Reference Guide and the EPICenter Concepts and Solutions Guide can be found online in
Adobe Acrobat PDF format in the
docs subdirectory of the EPICenter installation directory. They are
also available in a Microsoft Windows environment from the EPICenter Start menu.
You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or later (available from
http://www.adobe.com free of
charge) to view these manuals.
The EPICenter software also includes context-sensitive online Help, available from the Help menu in
each EPICenter applet, as well as through Help buttons in most windows and dialogs throughout the
software.
Other manuals that you will find useful are:
● ExtremeWare Software User Guide
● ExtremeWare Command Reference Guide
● ExtremeXOS Concepts Guide
● ExtremeXOS Command Reference Guide
For documentation on Extreme Networks products, and for general information about Extreme
Networks, see the Extreme Networks home page:
● http://www.extremenetworks.com
Customers with a support contract can access the Technical Support pages at:
The technical support pages provide the latest information on Extreme Networks software products,
including the latest Release Notes, information on known problems, downloadable updates or
patches as appropriate, and other useful information and resources.
Customers without contracts can access manuals at:
EPICenter is a powerful yet easy-to-use application suite that facilitates the management of a network
of Summit
EPICenter makes it easy to perform configuration and status monitoring, create virtual LANs (VLANs),
and implement policy-based networking in enterprise LANs with Extreme Networks switches.
EPICenter offers a comprehensive set of network management tools that are easy to use from a client
workstation running EPICenter client software, or from a workstation configured with a web browser
and the Java plug-in.
EPICenter leverages the three-tier client/server architecture framework represented by Java applets. The
EPICenter application and database support three of the most popular operating environments in the
marketplace, Microsoft Windows XP/2003 Server, Redhat Linux, and Sun Microsystems’ Solaris.
™
, BlackDiamond™, and Alpine™ switches, as well as selected third-party switches.
Summary of Features
The EPICenter software is a powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use application for centralizing the
management of a network of Extreme switches and selected third-party devices, regardless of the
network size. The EPICenter software provides the vital SNMP, HTML, and CLI-based tools you need
for network-wide management of Extreme Networks Summit, Black Diamond, and Alpine switches.
● Operational Simplicity. Simplicity begins with a detailed real-time view of the entire network.
EPICenter’s topology view provides users with an overview of every element of the network and
how they all connect at Layer 2 and Layer 3. Centralized configuration management and firmware
management simplifies the configuration and maintenance of your network elements. These
functions can be performed simultaneously on groups of devices anywhere on the network as well
as on devices individually. EPICenter’s stacking capability enables management of a stack of devices
as a single device and manages all ports on all devices using a single IP address.
● Voice-Class Availability. EPICenter’s availability is greatly enhanced by granular health and status
monitoring of the network. Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching (EAPS) protocol support within
EPICenter enhances a highly available Extreme Networks switching environment. The Policy
Manager lets you work with high-level policy components in defining network policies to protect
and guarantee delivery of mission-critical traffic. The Real Time Statistics feature provides a
graphical representation of utilization and error statistics for multiple ports on a device, device slot,
or within a port group.
● Comprehensive Security. EPICenter provides multiple features that control and monitor the security
features on Extreme Networks’ products. The VLAN Manager enables the creation and management
of VLANs easily throughout the network. The Policy Manager’s access-based security policies
enforce user-based security. The IP/MAC Address Finder tool to locate any MAC address on your
network.
EPICenter Reference Guide
21
EPICenter Overview
● Installed or web-based clients. The EPICenter software gives you a choice of installing full-function
client software, or connecting to the EPICenter server through a web-browser-based client running
under Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox.
● Hierarchical displays. Most information, including that found in EPICenter topology maps, VLAN
management, configuration management, and real-time statistics, is dynamically presented in an
easy-to-navigate hierarchical tree.
● Multi-platform capability. The EPICenter server supports Sun SPARC and Intel platforms, and the
Windows XP or 2003 Server, Linux and Solaris operating environments. Client applications on any
of these platforms can connect to servers on either platform.
● Support for multiple users with security. Users must log in to the EPICenter application, and can
be granted different levels of access to the application features based on their assigned role. Three
basic predefined roles are provided, and additional user roles can be created. Telnet and SSH access
to Extreme switches can also be controlled based on the user identity. To protect the sensitive data
from being intercepted or altered by unauthorized access, Secure Shell 2 (SSHv2) protocol and
HTTPS protocols are provided. These protocols encrypt traffic between the switch management port
and the EPICenter.
● Installed or web-based clients. The EPICenter software gives you a choice of installing full-function
client software, or connecting to the EPICenter server through a web-browser-based client running
under Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox.
● Monitor wireless Access Points (APs) and wireless clients. Through EPICenter’s dynamic reports
you can monitor the status of the Altitude 300 APs connected to your network and monitor wireless
client activity connected through those APs. You can also detect rogue APs connected to the
network, and add them to a “safe” list, or disable access to them if necessary.
● Support for third-party devices. Any device running a MIB-2 compatible SNMP agent can be
discovered by the EPICenter Inventory Manager and monitored at a basic level. These devices can
appear on a topology map, with basic status and alarm handling based on MIB-2 functionality.
Based on EPICenter’s Third Party Integration Framework, selected appliances from Extreme
Networks partners can be integrated into EPICenter in a robust fashion that allows reporting, the use
of Telnet macros, alarm management, and monitoring with graphical front and back panel views in
the Inventory Manager.
● Manage large numbers of devices. The EPICenter Gold Upgrade enables the EPICenter server to
manage up to 2000 devices with a single installation of the EPICenter software. For even larger
networks, you can split the management task among several EPICenter servers in a distributed
server mode that lets you monitor the status of those servers from a single client.
● Policy-based management. The EPICenter Advanced Upgrade is an optional, separately licensed
component of the EPICentersoftware that lets you work with high-level policy components (users,
desktop systems, groups of users, devices, or applications) in defining network policies used to
protect and guarantee delivery of mission-critical traffic. The policy system translates these into the
specific information needed for QoS configuration of network devices. It also detects overlaps and
conflicts in policies, with precedence rules for resolving conflicting QoS rules.
Extreme Networks switches and many other MIB-2 compatible devices can be monitored and controlled
from a central interface, without exiting EPICenter to run a separate program or Telnet session. Features
such as SmartTraps
and the EPICenter alarm system further maximize network monitoring capability
while maintaining network usage efficiency.
You can organize your network resources into non-exclusive groups (including groups made up of
selected ports from multiple switches) that you can manage as a single entity. Device groupings can be
based on a variety of factors, such as physical location, logical grouping, devices that support SSH2, and
so on. Using device groups, you can search for individual IP addresses and identify their connections
into the network. You can monitor the status of your network devices either visually, through the
22
EPICenter Reference Guide
Extreme Networks Device Support
Inventory Manager applet, or by setting alarms that notify you about conditions or events on your
network devices. You can display a high-level overview of the status of your network devices as a
hierarchical topology map.
Extreme Networks Device Support
Extreme Networks devices running the ExtremeWare software version 6.2 or later, or ExtremeXOS
software, are supported by most features in the EPICenter system, including the VLAN Manager and
the graphical display features of the Inventory Manager applet. Some features, such as ESRP, or the
Policy Manager, require more recent versions of the ExtremeWare software.
Devices running versions of ExtremeWare that have reached the end of their support life may continue
work with many features of the EPICenter system. However, continued support in the future cannot be
guaranteed.
NOTE
See the EPICenter Release Notes or the Extreme Networks web site for the most current information on device
support in the EPICenter software.
Third-Party Device Support
Any device running a MIB-2 compatible SNMP agent can be discovered by the EPICenter Inventory
manager, and saved in the Inventory database. All devices in the database can also appear on a
topology map. The EPICenter alarm system can handle basic MIB-2 SNMP traps from any device in the
inventory database, including RMON traps from devices with RMON enabled. The Real-Time Statistics
module can display statistics for any device with RMON enabled.
EPICenter’s third-party integration framework allows selected devices to be integrated into EPICenter
with a higher level of functionality. Devices integrated through this framework may include devicespecific front and rear panel views, additional SNMP trap support, support for Telnet macros, and the
ability to launch external applications from within EPICenter, if appropriate.
EPICenter also provides support for Avaya Voice Network devices through an integration between
EPICenter and Avaya Integrated Management software that co-reside on the same system.
EPICenter Reference Guide
23
EPICenter Overview
24
EPICenter Reference Guide
2Getting Started with EPICenter
This chapter covers the following topics:
● The EPICenter Home Page on page 25
● Navigating EPICenter Applications on page 29.
● The Main Feature Frame on page 31
● Right-Click Pop-Up Menus on page 38.
● Printing from EPICenter on page 42
● Help on Help on page 42
This manual assumes you have successfully installed or upgraded to the current EPICenter software
version—version 6.0 or later. If you have not yet installed version 6.0, see the EPICenter Software
Installation and Upgrade Quick Start for instructions.
The EPICenter Home Page
The EPICenter Home page displays the Network Status Summary Report—a simple HTML report with
some basic statistics on the status of your network. Click on the description of the problem where it is
underlined in the left-hand side of the page to display a detail report about a specific status item.
The Network Summary Report can also be accessed from the Reports applet. See Chapter
15, “EPICenter Reports” for a more detailed discussion of this reports.
EPICenter Reference Guide
25
Getting Started with EPICenter
Figure 1: The Network Status Summary Report page
26
This summary shows the following statistics:
● The number of devices known to the EPICenter server that are not responding to EPICenter queries.
● The number of devices reported to be in marginal condition (such as a problem with the fan,
temperature, or power).
● The number of devices that are offline for planned service.
● The number of critical alarms in the last 24 hours that have not been acknowledged.
● The number of Syslog messages with a priority of Critical or worse that occurred in the last 24
hours.
● The number of Invalid Login alarms that have occurred in the last 24 hours.
● The number of Authentication Failure alarms that have occurred in the last 24 hours.
For any of these items where the number is non-zero, the description becomes a link to a sub-report
that gives you more information about the situation—a list of devices or alarms or messages.
The Network Status Summary Report also provides version information about the EPICenter software
running on your machine.
EPICenter Reference Guide
The EPICenter Home Page
For further discussion of the information shown on this page, see the section “Network Status Summary
Report” on page 382 in Chapter 15 on Reports.
The Distributed Server Summary
If you are running in a distributed server configuration, a Distributed Server summary appears below
the Network Summary, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2: Distributed Server Summary Report
Each row in the summary provides the status of one of the EPICenter server group members. It
provides the following information about each server:
● The server name. Clicking on the server name initiates the Dynamic Reports module for that server.
You can then run any of the available HTML reports.
● A link that can launch a client connection to the server. Clicking on the Client link launches a client
that attempts to connect to that server.
● The number of devices managed by the server that are up or down.
● The number of critical alarms that have occurred on devices managed by the server.
EPICenter Reference Guide
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Getting Started with EPICenter
● The date and time of the last update of the server summary information for this server.
● The status of the server (whether it is responding to the periodic poll).
This report is also discussed in the section “The Distributed Server Summary” on page 383 in
Chapter 15 on Reports.
The “About EPICenter” Page
From the bottom of the Summary Report panel you can navigate to the About EPICenter page.
The About EPICenter page, shown in Figure 3, provides information about the version of EPICenter
that you are running. This information may be needed if it becomes necessary for you to contact
Extreme Networks’ Technical Support.
Figure 3: The About EPICenter page
From this page you can do the following:
● Access the online EPICenter Reference Guide from the View Documentation link.
● Send e-mail to Extreme Networks’ technical support organization.
● Return to the Network Summary Report page.
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EPICenter Reference Guide
Navigating EPICenter Applications
Navigating EPICenter Applications
The EPICenter client consists of two frames:
● The Navigation Toolbar, from which you can access the EPICenter applets.
● The Main Applet frame, where the currently active applet runs.
The Navigation Toolbar
The Navigation Toolbar, on the left, displays a set of buttons you can use to access various EPICenter
features. The buttons that appear in this Toolbar are determined by the features that the EPICenter
administrator has enabled or disabled for this installation of EPICenter, and by the features enabled by
the role assigned to your user account. The Navigation Toolbar may include additional optional
features, such as the EPICenter Policy Manager, if you have a license for those features.
Home returns you to the Network Summary Report display shown in Figure 4. From this page, you can
access the About EPICenter page.
Figure 4: The EPICenter Home page
EPICenter Reference Guide
29
Getting Started with EPICenter
The following list describes all the EPICenter features available; depending on the role assigned to your
user account, and the features enabled or disabled by the EPICenter administrator, some of these
features may not be available.
● Inventory: The Inventory Manager, where you can discover devices on your network, and set up
device groups so you can manage network elements in sets (as groups of devices) rather than
managing them individually.
● Alarm: The Alarm Manager, where you can view and browse alarms that have occurred on your
network devices, as well as define alarms and the actions that should occur when an alarm happens.
This button also indicates that a new alarm has been received by displaying its label in red text
instead of black text.
● Config: The Configuration Manager, where you can upload and download switch configuration files
and baseline configuration files to your managed devices.
● Firmware: The Firmware Manager, where you can obtain and manage the most current
ExtremeWare software and BootROM images for your switches and modules, and download those
images to your devices.
● Groups: The Grouping Manager, where you can set up groups of resources, including Port groups
and groups of users or hosts, and can import resources from external source such as a NT Domain
Controller or LDAP directory.
● Find IP/MAC: The IP/MAC Address Finder applet, where you can search for the ports associated
with one or more MAC or IP addresses, or identify the IP or MAC addresses connected to a set of
ports.
● Te l n et : An interactive Telnet application where you can create and run command-line macros on
multiple devices in one operation. You can also establish Telnet sessions with individual switches,
both Extreme Networks and third-party devices.
● RT Stats: The Real Time statistics applet, that provides graphs of various device and port statistics.
● To p ol o gy : The Topology feature, which provides a hierarchical, logical map-based view of your
network topology, including the status of alarms propagated up through the hierarchy.
● VLAN: The VLAN Manager, where you can set up and manage VLANs.
● ESRP: The ESRP Monitor, which lets your view your ESRP-enabled switches and VLANs.
● Admin: The Administration feature, where a user with Administrator access can administer
EPICenter user accounts and roles, configure RADIUS authentication, and configure many aspects of
the EPICenter server, including the availability of EPICenter applets. Other users can change their
own password using this applet.
● Reports: The browser-based Dynamic Reports feature, where you can run a number of pre-defined
HTML-based reports from data in EPICenter’s inventory database. You can also define your own
reports.
● Logoff: The Logoff button ends your session and returns you to the Login window.
NOTE
You must be logged in as a user with an Administrator, Manager, or other role that provides read/write access to a
feature in order to use most of the functions of that feature. Users with a Monitor role can view status and statistics
in most features, but cannot set up or change EPICenter or device configurations.
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EPICenter Reference Guide
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