Introduction to the Device Manager

The device manager is a graphical management tool for configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting the switch. Use this introduction to familiarize yourself with its features.

Introduction

The device manager displays real-time views of the configuration and performance of a single switch.

It simplifies configuration tasks with features such as Express Setup and Smartports for quickly setting up the switch and its ports. It uses graphical, color-coded displays such as the switch front panel view, graphs, and animated indicators to simplify monitoring tasks. It provides alert and diagnostic tools to help you identify and solve networking problems.

To use the device manager, you do need some basic knowledge about networking. For an overview of networking fundamentals, see "Networking Basics."

You can display the device manager from anywhere in your network through a web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator.

Note: We recommend that you run the cryptographic software image on the switch and use the device manager in a secured session. See Secured Sessions for information on protecting your device manager session from unauthorized access.

You can display the device manager in a number of languages. Select the language from the Language field at the top of the device manager window.

Notes:

  • The switch displays settings and status only in English letters.
  • Entries on the switch can only be in English letters.

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Using the Front Panel View

The Front Panel view is a graphical display of the switch front panel. The system LEDs and port LEDs on the Front Panel view and on the physical switch match. You can use the device manager View list to change the type of information displayed by the port LEDs.

The Front Panel view shows all the switch components color-coded according to their status, and it is always visible during the device manager session. The colors help you to quickly see if a fault or an error condition exists. A Legend describes the meanings of the colors.

Move the pointer over a port to display the port number, description, status, speed, duplex mode, and Power over Ethernet (PoE) status. The port speed and duplex mode for a port only appear in the pop-up window when a device is connected to the port. The PoE status is available only if the port is a PoE port.

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 on the toolbar. The refresh counter shows the number of seconds that remain before the next refresh cycle starts.

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System LEDs

For the meanings of the system LED colors, see the Legend.

LED Explanation
SYSTEM

The status of the switch (system).

ALERT

The presence of a switch problem.

When the switch detects a problem on one or more ports, the Alert LED turns amber. Move the pointer over the Alert LED to display a description of the most recent problem detected, the port on which the problem exists, and the time that it was detected. The Alert LED stays amber until the Alert Log is cleared. The link to the Alert Log provides more details about the problem.

PoE The status of PoE being provided to the ports.
RPS The status of the redundant power supply (RPS) if one is connected to the switch.
SETUP

The configuration mode in which the switch is operating.

The SETUP button on the Front Panel view is not active.

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Port LEDs

Choose an LED mode from the View list to change the type of information displayed by the port LEDs. Note that changing the modes of the LEDs is available only through the device manager.

For the meanings of the port LED colors, see the Legend.

Port Mode Explanation
STATUS

The port status. This is the default.

DUPLEX

The port duplex mode (full duplex or half duplex).
Note: The 10/100/1000 ports operate only in full-duplex mode.

SPEED

The port operating speed (10, 100, or 1000 Mbps).

PoE

The PoE status of the PoE ports.

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Using the Status Field

The Status field displays the severity and number of problems (hardware issues and misconfigurations) on the switch. If no problems exist, the field shows that the overall switch operation is normal. This field is always visible during the device manager session. It is below the Front Panel view.

Click Get Details to display a complete diagnostics report of the problems and their recommended actions.

View the Alert Log for the details of the problems and the most recent time at which the switch detected the problems.

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Using the Dashboard

The Dashboard is the main window for monitoring the switch status and its performance. It is the default window and appears each time 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 on the Front Panel view, the graphs, and the configuration and monitoring windows.

Note: If you use the Refresh option from your browser restarts the device manager, rather than refreshing the window.

Print

Click Print to print a device manager window, such as the Dashboard or the Port Statistics window.

Note: You cannot print the menu or the Front Panel view. To print an online help page, click Print from the online help toolbar.

Smartports Click Smartports to display the Smartports window from which you can enable Cisco-recommended port configurations (also referred to as port roles). You can also display the Smartports window from Configure > Smartports. For more information, see Smartports.
Software Upgrade Click Software Upgrade to upgrade the switch software. You can also display the Software Upgrade window from the main menu. For more information, see Software Upgrade.
Legend

Click Legend to display a color-coded explanation of the icons and colors used on the device manager windows. You can also display the Legend from Help.

Help

Click Help for descriptions of the device manager features and for procedures on how to use them. 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

Dashboard

The Dashboard is the primary window for monitoring overall switch and port conditions.

Configure Options

The device manager can execute basic configuration tasks at the switch and port levels. 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.

Monitor Options

The device manager displays status, alerts, and detailed run-time statistics every 60 seconds or when you click Refresh on the toolbar. The Monitor menu options display this data in graphs and tables.

Other monitoring tools are the Front Panel view (including the Alert LED) and the Status field.

Diagnostics

To troubleshoot the switch, use the Diagnostics window to create reports on issues about cabling, hardware, configuration, and network performance. These reports include recommended actions to help you solve the issues.

Software Upgrade

Use the Software Upgrade window to download new versions of the switch software.

Network Assistant

Advanced features for switch management are available from the Cisco Network Assistant application. Use the Network Assistant window to download the application to the switch.

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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. It is only available on the cryptographic version of the switch software image.

When you first launch 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 with 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 session:

  • Enter https:// before the switch IP address. (HTTP over SSL is abbreviated as HTTPS.)
  • Click Secured at the Session: Standard | Secured link at the top right corner of the device manager window. (Click Standard to open an unsecured session.)

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, then the switch is running a secured session.
    • If the link appears as Session: Standard | Secured, then the switch is not running a secured session.
  • Look for a locked padlock image at the bottom of your browser window. The locked padlock appears only if the session is secured.

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