HP OfficeConnect, NetBuilder Getting Started Guide

Getting the Best from 3Com

Network Supervisor

Software Version 3.0 for Windows

http://www.3com.com/tns

Part No. DUA1510-0AAA04- PDF Published April 2001

3Com Corporation 5400 Bayfront Plaza Santa Clara, California 95052-8145

Copyright © 2001, 3Com Technologies. All rights reserved. No part of this documentation may be reproduced in any form or by any means or used to make any derivative work (such as translation, transforma tion, or adaptation) without written permission from 3Com Technologies.

3Com Technologies reserves the right to revise this documentation and to make changes in content from time to time without obligation on the par t of 3Com Technologies to provide notification of such revision or change.

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If there is any software on removable media described in this documentation, it is furnished under a license agreement included with the product as a separate document, in the hard copy documentation, or on the removable media in a directory fil e nam ed LICE NS E.TX T or !LICENSE.TX T. If you are unable to locate a copy, please contact 3Com and a copy will be provided to you.

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT LEGEND

If you are a Uni ted State s gov er nm ent agenc y, the n th is do cu men ta tio n an d the so f twa re d esc ri bed herein are provided to y ou subject to the follow ing:

All technical data and computer software are commercial in nature and developed solely at pri va te expense. Software is de l ivered as “Commercial Computer Software” as defined in DFARS 252.227-7014 (June 1995) or as a “commercial item” as defined in FAR 2.101(a) and as such is provided with only such rights as are provided in 3Com’s stan dar d comme rcial license for the Software. Technical data is provid ed with limited rights only as provided in DFAR 252.227-7015 (Nov1995) or FAR 52.227-14 (June 1987), whichever is applicable. You agree not to remove or deface any portion of any legend provided on any licensed program or documentation contained in, or delivered to you in conjunction with, this User Guide.

Unless otherwise indicated, 3Com registered trademarks are registered in the United States and may or may not be registered in other countr ies.

3Com, the 3Com logo, LinkBuilder, OfficeConnect, and SuperStack are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. CoreBuilder is a trademar k of 3Com C orporation.

Windows is a registe red trade mark of Mic rosoftCorporatio n. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are

associated. Guide written by Michael Lamont. Edited by Dave Hall.

ONTENTS

BOUT THIS GUIDE

How to Use This Guide 5 Who Is This Guide For? 5

Conventions 5 Related Documentation 6 Year 2000 Compliance 6 Documentation Comments 6

VERVIEW OF NETWORK MANAGEMENT

Why Use Network Management? 7 The Benefits of Network Management 7

Full Network View from a Single PC 7

Reducing Downtime 8

Improving Performance 8

Freeing Up Personnel 8

Reducing Equipment Costs 8 Key Network Management Functions 8

Monitoring Network Capacity 8

Predicting Problem Links and Devices 9

SING TRANSCEND NETWOR K SUPERVISOR TO MANAGE YOUR

ETWORK

Overview of Network Supervisor Wizards 12 Major Benefi ts of Network Management with Network Supervisor 12

Color-Coded View of Y our Network Connectivity 12

Real-Time Detailed Stress Monitoring 12

Total Visibility of Network Acti vity 13

Immediate Notification of Problems 13 Setting up Network Supervisor for the First Time 13

Discovering and Mapping Your Network 13

Monitoring Core Devices and Links 14 Reacting to Network Events 15

Viewing the Stress on your Network 15

Viewing Detailed Stress Indicators 16

Managing and Manipulating Events 19

Intelligent Event Generation 19 Instant Notification of Significant Activity Using Alerts 20 Viewing Network Trends and Patterns 21

Tracking the Devices on Your Network 21

Planning Your Network Capacity 22

Listing All the Devices Attached to Each Port 22

Network Discovery Report 22

IVE UPDATE

About Live Update 23

Live Update 23

Using Live Update 23

Live Update Setup 23

3COM END USER SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT

How to Use This Guide

BOUT

This guide is designed to be read before you start to use Supervisor. It should enable you to gain an overview of the application and how you can benefit from it.

This guide outlines:

The main concepts and benefits of network management and how

■

you can benefit from it. An overview of Network Supervisor and ho w it can help you.

■

This is not a procedural guide to using Network Supervisor. For detailed information on how to use and configure Network Supervisor, use one of the Wizards provided with the application or consult the online help.

HIS

UIDE

3Com

Network

Wh o Is T his G u i de For?

Conventions This s e ct ion sh o w s a n ex amp le of the informa tio n n ote icon th a t is used

This guide is designed for users who are PC-literate, with som e experience of networking hardware, particularly managed products.

However, you are not expected to have a ny experience of network management.

throughout this guide to indicate important features or instructions.

This is a s amp le informatio n no t e i co n .

6 A

BOUT THIS GUIDE

Year 2000 Compliance

Documentation Comments

The following document provides useful background information on networks and networking.

The 3Com Introduction to Networking (supplied with Network Supervisor).

This document can be accessed from the Windows Start menu, then by followin g this p a th: Programs>3C om Ne two rk Supervisor>Network Supervisor Guide.

For information on Year 2000 compliance and 3Com products, visit the 3Com Y ear 2000 Web page:

http://www.3com.com/products/yr2000.html

Your suggestions are very important to us. They will help make our documentation more useful to you. Please e-mail comments about this document to 3Com at:

pddtechpubs_com m ents @3com .com

Please include the following information when commenting:

Document title

■

Document part number (on the title page)

■

Page numb er (if appropriate)

■

Example:

Getting the Best from 3Com Network Supervisor

■

Part Number DUA1510-0AAA04-PDF

■

Page 20

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VERVIEW OF

ANAGEMENT

This chapter gives you an overview of the basic con cepts of network management. It outlines:

Why Use Network Management?

■

The Benefits of Network Management

■

Key Network Management Functions

■

ETWORK

Why Use Network Man agement?

The Benefits of Network Man agement

Full Network View

from a Single PC

Many businesses today run their computers on a computer network. Using a network man ag ement solution allows you to track the performance of your network and quickly identify problems before they affect your users. This in turn helps you to run your business more efficiently .

Network management provides the following benefits:

Full Network View from a Single PC

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Reduci ng Downtime

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Improving Performance

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Freeing Up Personnel

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Reduci ng Equipment Costs

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Some network management software (including 3Com Supervisor) allows you to view and display all devices, links and activity o n your network from the convenience of a single, centrally-situated PC. For example, you can easily locate and monitor the health of a specific PC or other type of device without leaving your desk.

Network

8 C

HAPTER

VERVIEW OF NETWORK MANAGEMENT

1: O

Reducing Downtime Network downtime can affect your business and its productivity. When

this happens, it is important that you restore connections as quickly as possible.

Reactive network management does reduce downtime by responding to device and link failures. However , a network management solution provides you with a proactive management capability. This reduces the number and severity of failures and can help avoid dow ntim e altogether.

Improving

Performa nce

Network topology and monitoring information give you an accurate view of your network’s struct ur e and traff i c rates . Using this information you can make changes to the structure of your netw ork to im pr ove its performance.

Freeing Up Perso nnel Using a network management solution which gives a full view of your

network and actively warns you of problems, reduces the day-to-day demands on person nel to find and fix problems. This automation allows people to focus on key management activities.

Reducing Equipment

Costs

Network manag em ent ena bles you to make better use of current equipment, delaying expensive and disr uptive upgrades until they are necessary . Understanding your network also enables you to choose upgrades that give the best return for any investment.

Key Ne two r k Man agement Functions

The key network management functions described here are useful tools which help to deliver the benefits of network management described in

“

The Benefits of Network Management”.

Monitoring Network Capacity

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Predicting Problem Links and Devices

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Monitoring N etwo rk

Capacity

This lets you track recurring bottlenecks and plan for a regulated exp a nsi on o f t he c ap ac ity ( b a n d w i dth ) ava ilab l e to your us er s.

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