Cisco MDS9000 Switch configuration, monitoring and troubleshooting (1)

Cisco Fabric Manager is a Web-based, easy-to-use, responsive application that can be used to manage switches and networks in an integrated manner, thus simplifying the storage lan san) management of Cisco MDS 9000 series switches. Cisco Fabric Manager provides network-level management functions for storage administrators, including identification, multi-Switch configuration, continuous network monitoring, and troubleshooting. This powerful method can greatly shorten the switch setup time, improve the reliability of the entire network, and provide a wide range of diagnostic information to help solve Network Problems and configuration inconsistencies.

Using the visual graphical interface of Cisco Fabric Manager, the storage administrator can compare the switch configurations, check the configuration policies of Cisco MDS 9000 series switches, and set the threshold for notifying third-party error management applications, view the statistical data and overall statistics of a device in real time, and analyze historical performance statistics. All these functions can be executed on a secure interface, and can be remotely managed from almost any location, as shown in Figure 1 ).

Figure 1 Cisco Fabric Manager user interface

Features of Cisco Fabric Manager

Java applications embedded with vswitches-integrate vswitches and network management into a performance optimization tool available with each Cisco MDS 9000 Series Switch.

Matrix visualization-performs Centralized Automatic Identification and displays the storage network topology, connection, and Region/virtual storage lan vsan. This enables relevant personnel to quickly understand network conditions and discover configuration problems.

Multiple Views, including matrices, devices, and summary-Simplify the configuration and monitoring of multiple switches and support configuration replication.

Full configuration of multiple switches-provides integrated network, switch and port-level configuration, simplifies region, VSAN, IP Fiber Channel FCIP), small computer system interface iSCSI), IBM fiber connection FICON) and smart service configuration.

Flexible monitoring and alarms-displays real-time and historical performance monitoring statistics in tabular and graphical formats. threshold-based alarm configurations, including call-to-home, facilitate quick response to exceptions.

Historical performance monitoring-provides tables and graphical reports to display ISL between switches) daily, weekly, monthly, and annual traffic between some Optical Fiber Channel source sites and target sites. The top 10 reports and daily summary reports with network-level statistics can greatly simplify the analysis of network hotspots.

Powerful Configuration Analysis Function: Performs regional Merge Analysis and configuration check to simplify the problem solving process, promote the successful merge of networks, and automatically resolve configuration inconsistency issues.

Network diagnosis-use the fiber Channel Ping and Traceroute to check the operation status of the network and vswitch, so that the administrator can quickly detect network connection and performance problems.

Comprehensive Security-use Simple Network Management Protocol version 3rd SNMP v3, Secure Shell protocol SSH) and Role-Based Access Control RBAC to prevent unauthorized management access.
Device Identification

Cisco Fabric Manager uses standard-based protocols to automatically identify all devices and connect one or more networks. All available vswitches, host bus adapter hbas, and storage devices can be identified. The identification information includes the device name, software version number, vendor, ISL, PortChannels, and VSAN.

Topology ing

Cisco Fabric Manager displays a topology based on device identification information to provide an accurate view of multiple networks. You only need to drag the mouse on the interface to modify the icon layout of the topology. You can also highlight some configuration information, such as the region where the usage threshold is exceeded, VSAN, and ISL.

Flexible View

Cisco Fabric Manager provides integrated network and switch management methods. All switch statistics and standard configuration parameters can be displayed in the matrix view, device view, and overall view. The operator only needs to click the mouse to view the view and configuration parameters.

Status and performance monitoring

Cisco Fabric Manager uses SNMP Traps and device spot checks to provide continuous status and event monitoring for the Cisco MDS 9000 Series. New devices will be automatically added to the topology, and the changes that have adverse effects on existing devices and interconnection are clearly indicated, so that problems can be quickly detected and solved. To eliminate redundant record items, network events are also filtered. Color encoding and classification can further enhance the accessibility of key event records.