Transcend LinkBuilder Token Ring Manager v3.01 for OS/2

Modified: 02/15/96

Transcend LinkBuilder

Token Ring Manager for OS/2 v.3.0.1 Release Notes

Introduction

The following release note provides information on the 3.0.1 version of the Transcend LinkBuilder Token Ring Manager for OS/2 (herein referred to as Transcend). This version includes changes that appear under the Options menu and include the following new menu items:

· Ping

· Discover Agents

· Poll Agents

· Build Topology

· Polling Options

Figure 1 Options menu

These additional features allow you to use your systems resources more efficiently while reducing background network traffic created by the management station. All the other features and functions of Transcend remain the same. Refer to the Transcend LinkBuilder Token Ring Manager version 3.0 for OS/2 manual for installation instructions and other information.

Agent Discovery Procedure

This version of Transcend requires that all agents be discovered manually. This new feature provides greater control and flexibility. After you install Transcend, follow the steps below to discover agents.

1 From the Options menu select Discover Agents.

This forces a manual discovery of all known agents in the network.

2 From the Options menu select Poll Agents.

This forces a manual poll of all known agents in the network.

3 From the Options menu select Build Topology.

The forces a manual build of the network topology which includes all known hubs and ports.

Option Menu Enhancements

The changes and enhancements included in version 3.0.1 release include the following:

Ping Test

Ping is a TCP/IP standard command that allows you to check another system to see if it is up and running. In order for this function to work properly you must have a valid IP address assigned to your management station and you must query a valid IP address. To invoke a Ping query, proceed as follows:

1 From the Options menu, select Ping.

The Communications Test dialog box appears. See Figure 2.

Figure 2 Ping Test Dialog Box

2 Enter a valid IP address in the address text entry box.

3 Click on the Ping Test button to initiate the test or Close to exit.

The Ping query displays repeatedly until you press the Stop Test button which appears after you initiate the test. The dialog halts if you Ping an invalid address.

The Ping test will not degrade your networks performance, however, you should not use it too often as any extra traffic has some impact on the network.

SNMP Test

The SNMP Test provides a similar function as the Ping test except that it verifies the presence of a Simple Network Management Protocol agent. To invoke an SNMP query, proceed as follows.

1 From the Options menu, select Ping.

The Communications Test dialog box appears. See Figure 2.

2 Enter a valid IP address in the address text entry box.

3 Click on the SNMP Test button to initiate the test or Close to exit.

The SNMP query displays repeatedly until you press the stop button. See Figure 3. The query is based on the reporting systems up time (SysUptime) which displays in the dialog box as well as the IP address.

4 Press Stop to end the test.

Figure 3 SNMP Test Dialog Box

Discover Agents

The Discover Agents option allows you to manually discover agents. This option must be used during the initial set-up and when a new agent is added to the network.

In the past version of the application, agents were updated and discovered automatically. This feature provides greater control for the user. To Discover Agents, proceed as follows:

1 Select Discover Agents from the Options menu.

A dialog window displays every time the program discovers a new agent and adds it to the database. No dialog/confirmation displays if all agents are known. Discovered agents display as agent icons. See the Transcend LinkBuilder Token Ring Manager manual.

2 Select Poll Agents from the Options menu.

You must poll agents to build topology.

Poll Agents

The Poll Agents option allows you to manually poll all agents in the network. This command provides updated information to the management station by forcing a poll command other than the automatic poll. All agents are polled automatically, based on a frequency set with the Polling Options dialog box. The status window at the bottom of the screen reports when the poll is complete. See Figure 4. To poll agents, proceed as follows:

1 Select Poll Agents from the Options menu.

The polling dialog box appears at the bottom of the screen.

Figure 4 Poll Dialog Box

2 Scroll the dialog box to view list of polled agents.

To disable polling, enter 0 in the interval setting.

Build Topology

The Build Topology command allows you to force an update of the network topology. This feature is required to build a ring, stack, or hub views. This results in a manual sweep of the network in which all new hubs or ports are accounted for. Use this whenever you add a hub or change the topology of your network.

Polling Options

The Polling Options option allows you to set the time interval for the polling function. To set the Polling Options, proceed as follows:

1 Select Polling Options from the Options menu.

The Polling Options dialog box appears.

Figure 5 Polling Options Dialog Box

2 Select an auto polling interval. This time period determines how often the manager polls the agent. The default setting is 60 seconds. Enter 0 in the interval window to disable poll.

3 Select a Successive Polls for Down interval.

Agents that are not communicating or responding to polls display as not communicating. This setting allows you assign the number of polls that occur before this alarm is triggered.

4 Click OK to confirm your settings or Cancel to cancel.

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