The Dashboard provides information about the switch and is the main window for monitoring the switch status and its performance. It is the default window and appears each time that you display the device manager. The Dashboard displays:
Tips on Using this Window:
- Click
Refresh to update the information displayed. The information on this window is automatically updated at each system refresh (every 60 seconds).
- The Dashboard gauges and graphs are like the graphs on the Trends window. The Dashboard displays instantaneous status, while the Trends graphs displays historical status. By using them together, you can gather the detailed conditions of the switch and its ports.
- The Front Panel view LEDs provide information for monitoring the switch and its ports.
Back to the Top
Switch Information
The Switch Information area displays reference information about
the switch.
Host Name |
The name (Host Name) of this switch configured during initial setup.
If no name was provided, this field displays the default name, Switch. This information can be changed from the
Express Setup window. |
Product ID
|
The model of this switch. This information cannot be changed. |
IP Address
|
The IP address of this switch configured during initial setup. This information can be changed from the Express Setup window. |
Ethernet Management Port IP Address
|
The IP address of the Ethernet management (Fa0) port on the switch. This information can be changed from the Express Setup window.
|
MAC Address
|
The MAC address of this switch. This information cannot be
changed. |
Version ID |
The version ID of the switch. This information cannot be changed. |
Serial Number |
The serial number of this switch. This information cannot
be changed. |
Software
|
The Cisco IOS release that this switch is running.
This information is updated when you upgrade the switch software. |
Contact |
The name of the person who is the administrative contact
for this switch. This information can be changed from the Express Setup window. |
Location |
The location of this switch. This information can be changed from the Express Setup window. |
Back to the Top
Switch Health
The Switch Health area has gauges and indicators that show the
overall status of the switch, such as:
Back to the Top
Bandwidth Used Gauge
The Bandwidth Used gauge shows the total percentage of the switch
bandwidth being used. You can also move the pointer over the gauge to see this percentage.
Each bar in the gauge represents 10 percent and
does not show increments that are less than 10 percent. The gauge
does not show total bandwidth under 5 percent.
Data is collected at each 60-second system refresh. To manually refresh the gauge, click Refresh. For a graph that shows bandwidth utilization patterns over incremental instances in time (by 60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours, or 14 days), click View Trends.
The Bandwidth Used gauge changes as the switch experiences the
network activity from devices sending data through the network.
As network activity increases, contention between devices to send
data through the network increases. As you monitor usage on the switch, note whether the percentage of usage is what you expect during that given time of network activity. If usage is high when you expect it to be low, perhaps a problem exists.
As you monitor the switch, note whether the bandwidth usage is
consistently high. This can mean there is congestion in the network. If the switch reaches its maximum bandwidth (above 90 percent usage) and its buffers become
full, it begins to discard the data packets that it receives. Some packet
loss in the network is not considered unusual, and the switch is
configured to help to recover lost packets (such as by signaling to other
devices to resend data). However, excessive packet loss can create packet errors, which can degrade overall
network performance.
To reduce congestion, consider segmenting the network into subnetworks
that are connected by other switches or routers. Look for other
causes, such as faulty devices or connections, that can also increase bandwidth usage on the switch.
To thoroughly monitor how the switch is handling network traffic, see
Back to the Top
Packet Error Gauge
The Packet Error gauge shows the total packet error percentage for the
switch. You can also move the pointer over the gauge to see this percentage.
Each bar in the gauge represents 10 percent and
does not show increments that are less than 10 percent. The gauge
does not show total packet errors under 5 percent.
Data is collected at each 60-second system refresh. To manually refresh the gauge, click Refresh. To see a graph that shows packet error percentages over incremental instances in time (by 60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours, or 14 days), click View Trends.
The packet error percentage is calculated by comparing two values:
- The total number of packets that are sent and received
- The total number of packets with errors that are sent and received
If the packet-error percentage is high (that is, above 10 percent), the switch bandwidth usage
might also be too high (a sign that the network is congested). Other causes for packet errors are faulty cabling and port misconfigurations, such as a duplex-mode mismatch. These problems can cause network users to experience intermittent connectivity or loss of connectivity to network resources (such as servers and printers) or to the Internet. Excessive collisions can cause transmission delays. For example, users might experience excessive delays in sending or receiving information through the network.
The type of
packet error can help you to identify a more precise cause for
some network problems. The Port Statistics window displays some of the types of packet
errors collected by the switch.
To thoroughly monitor how the switch is handling network traffic, see
Back to the Top
Types of Packet Errors
Runt packets |
Packets that are smaller than the allowed minimum size (less
than 64 bytes). |
Giant packets |
Packets that are larger than the allowed maximum size (more
than 1518 bytes). |
Cyclic redundancy checksum (CRC) errors |
Errors generated by the originating LAN station or far-end
device do not match the checksum calculated from the data received.
On a LAN, this usually means noise or transmission problems
on the LAN interface or the LAN bus itself. A high number of
CRCs is usually the result of collisions or of a station sending
bad data. |
Overrun packets |
Packets that the receiving device was unable to receive. |
Frame packets |
Packets received because of a CRC error and a noninteger number
of octets. On a LAN, this is usually the result of collisions
or a malfunctioning Ethernet device. |
Ignored packets |
Packets that the interface ignores because the interface hardware
is low on internal buffers. These buffers are different from
the system buffers. Broadcast storms and bursts of noise can
cause the ignored count to increase. |
Back to the Top
Fan Status
The animated fan shows whether the fan (or blower)
on the switch is rotating and thus is functioning normally. Move the pointer over the animated fan to display the status of the installed fan modules.
Use the thermometer graphic with the animated
fan to monitor the relative internal temperature of the switch.
If the fan
is not rotating, check the physical switch. See the switch hardware
installation guide for information about the correct operating temperature
range for the switch and for troubleshooting information. The Support window provides a link to the
switch documentation.
Back to the Top
Temperature Status
The thermometer graphic displays these states:
Status |
Color |
Description |
OK |
Green |
Switch internal temperature is within
the acceptable temperature range. |
Warning |
Yellow |
Switch internal temperature is above
the acceptable range but is below the upper temperature threshold. |
Faulty |
Red |
Switch internal temperature is above
the upper temperature threshold. |
See the switch installation guide for the operating environment guidelines for the switch. The Support page provides a link to the switch documentation.
The status shown by the graphic depends on the temperature
threshold settings on the switch. These thresholds can differ among
switches. To change the temperature thresholds, use the
switch command-line interface (CLI).
For more information about the temperature thresholds,
see the switch software configuration guide and switch command reference.
The Support window provides a link to the
switch documentation.
Back to the Top
The Port Utilization graph displays the received usage (blue)
and sent usage (purple) on each port. Move the pointer
over the color-coded bars in the graph for the usage percentage
for the specific ports.
As you monitor usage on the ports, note whether the percentage of usage is what you expect during that given time of network activity. If usage is high when you expect it to be low, a problem might exist.
Bandwidth allocation can also be based on whether the connection is operating in half-duplex or full-duplex mode.
Data is collected at each 60-second system refresh. To manually refresh the graph, click Refresh. For a graph that shows power utilization patterns over incremental
instances in time (up to ten 60-second refresh cycles), click View Trends.
To have a better understanding on port performance, see:
Back to the Top
|