The device manager is a graphical device management tool for configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting of individual switches. Use this introduction to familiarize yourself with its
features.
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Introduction
The device manager displays real-time views of switch configuration and performance. It simplifies configuration tasks with features such as Express Setup for quickly setting up the switch and its ports. It uses graphical, color-coded displays, such as the Front Panel view, graphs, and animated indicators to simplify monitoring tasks.
Although extensive networking knowledge is not necessary, we recommend familiarity with LAN switch fundamentals. The Cisco Press General Networking Resources website has links to documents that provide internetworking overviews.
You can display the device manager from anywhere in your network through a web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.
We recommend running a secured session with the switch. See Secured Sessions for information on how to ensure that your management session with the switch is protected from unauthorized access.
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Using the Front Panel View
The Front Panel view is a graphical display of the switch front panel, and it is always visible during the device manager session. The switch components on the Front Panel view are color-coded by status. The colors help you to quickly see if a fault or an error condition exists. A
Legend describes the meanings of the colors.
The system-level LEDs and port-level LEDs on the Front Panel view and on the physical switch match. You can change the port LED behavior by selecting a port mode from the View list on the Front Panel view.
Move the pointer over a port to display specific information about the port and its status. The speed and duplex mode for a port only appear in the pop-up window when a device is connected to the port. The Type field displays either the type of X2 transceiver module installed or Not Present if a module is not installed.
Move the pointer over the Ethernet Management (Fa0) LED to display the port IP address and status.
The Uptime field shows how long the switch has been operating since it was last powered on or was restarted. Status is automatically refreshed every 60 seconds or when you click Refresh. The refresh counter shows the number of seconds that remain before the next refresh cycle starts.

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The meanings of the system-level LED colors are also described in the Legend.
SYST |
The status of the switch (system).
|
STAT |
The status of the ports. This is
the default mode. |
DUPLX |
The duplex mode (full duplex or
half duplex) of the ports.
Note: The 10/100/1000 ports operate only
in full-duplex mode. |
SPEED |
The operating speed (10, 100, or 1000 Mb/s or 10 Gb/s) of the ports. |
ETHERNET MANAGEMENT PORT |
The status of the Ethernet Management (Fa0) port. |
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By default, the port LEDs show port status. To display the port duplex mode or the port speed from the port LEDs, choose an LED mode from the View list.
The meanings of the port LED colors are also described in the Legend.
LED Mode |
Description |
Status |
In this mode, the port LEDs show the status of the ports. This is the default mode. |
Duplex |
In this mode, the port LEDs show the duplex mode (full duplex or half duplex) of the ports.
Note: The 10/100/1000 ports operate only in full-duplex mode. |
Speed |
In this mode, the port LEDs show the operating speed (10, 100, or 1000 Mb/s or 10 Gb/s) of the ports. |
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Using the Dashboard
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. For more information about the gauges, indicators, and graphs, see Dashboard.

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Using the Toolbar Icons
|
Refresh |
Click Refresh to update the
information displayed on the Front Panel view, the graphs, and the configuration
and monitoring windows. |
|
Print |
Click Print to print a device
manager window, such as the Dashboard or the Port Statistics window.
Note: The menu or the Front Panel view
cannot be printed. To print an online help page, click Print from the online help title bar. |
|
Software Upgrade |
Click Software Upgrade to
upgrade the switch software. You can also display the Software Upgrade
window from Maintenance > Software Upgrade.
For more information, see Software
Upgrade. |
|
Legend |
Click Legend to display a
color-coded explanation of the icons and colors used on the Front Panel,
Port Status, and Port Settings windows. You can also display the Legend from Help. |
|
Help |
Click Help for a description
of the device manager features and for procedures on how to use the
features. The Help also provides links to the Legend and to support resources (such as the switch
documentation and technical assistance). |
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Using the Menus

|
The device manager has options under
these menus to help you monitor and
configure the switch:
- The Dashboard to monitor overall switch and port conditions.
- The Configure menu options provide some simplified configuration tools to set up the switch and its ports. The menu also provides an option to restart and to reset the switch.
- The Monitor menu provides options to display status, alerts, and detailed run-time statistics every 60 seconds or when you click
Refresh.
- The Maintenance menu
provides the Software
Upgrade option to download new versions of the switch software and the Telnet option to display the switch CLI.
- The Network Assistant window to link to the Cisco Network Assistant website on Cisco.com.
|
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Using Secured Sessions
The switch uses the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol to secure the HTTP communications between the switch and your network management station. When you attempt to display the device manager, this protocol
- Authenticates the web-based connection between the switch and your network management station.
- Encrypts and decrypts the information exchanged between the switch and your network management station to protect the information from unauthorized access over the Internet.
SSL is enabled by default on the switch. It is only available on the cryptographic version of the switch software image.
When you first display the device manager, it displays a message that asks if you want a secured session with the switch.

If you choose Yes, the switch displays another message that asks if you want to proceed by using the security certificate of the switch.

If you
choose Yes, the switch displays the device manager
in secure mode.
If you choose No for either message, the switch displays the device manager in unsecured mode.
There are other ways to start a secured device manager session:
- Enter https:// before the switch IP address. (HTTP over
SSL is abbreviated as HTTPS.)
- Click the Session: Standard | Secured link at the top right corner of the device manager window.
There are several ways to determine whether your device manager session
is secured:
- Look at the URL in the browser Address field. A URL that starts
with https:// means that the session is secured through
SSL. A URL that starts with http:// means that the session
is not secured.
- Look at the Session: Standard | Secured link
at the top right corner of the device manager window.
- If the link appears as Session: Standard | Secured,
the switch is running a secured session.
- If the link appears as Session: Standard | Secured,
the switch is not running a secured session.
- Look for a locked padlock image at the bottom of your browser window. The locked padlock only appears if the session is secured.
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