ONdemand NCS for UNIX is a layered application technology that provides graphical management, monitoring and control of Chipcom devices. ONdemand NCS provides seamless integration with industry-standard UNIX-based management platforms.
For the ultimate in flexibility, ONdemand NCS for UNIX manages Ethernet, Token Ring and FDDI networks. You can even mix Ethernet, Token Ring and FDDI networks in the same ONcore, ONline or ONlocation hub, and manage these networks down to the port level with ONdemand NCS. Management at the port level is also available for the ONsemble Stackable Hubs.
ONdemand NCS allows you to manage your network from a logical perspective by maintaining data associated with the ports in the ONdemand NCS environment. Associating machines, hubs, ports and wire numbers with network users greatly reduces the time required to isolate faults or relocate users.
ONdemand NCS provides comprehensive, yet, intuitive views of Chipcom devices. Expanded views can be invoked by double clicking the mouse cursor. This design, complemented by a color-coding system, allows you to immediately determine the status of every hub, module and port on the network. For example: a green port indicates that the port is enabled and operating correctly; a black port indicates that the port is disabled; and a red port indicates the port is not operating due to a network problem. Status information is updated dynamically to ensure the information is always current. In addition, when a module is removed from the hub, the outline of the module icon fades. The graphical display returns to full color when the module is reinserted into the hub.
The ONdemand NCS software gathers information from the management agents in the network to provide network-wide and port-level management of your Ethernet, Token Ring and FDDI segments. This information can be displayed in bar charts, pie charts, line graphs or text tables. ONdemand NCS extends the automatic inventory and power management features of the ONcore Switching System through dynamic graphical displays. A context-sensitive Help facility provides a clear explanation of these and other system features. Accessing module and parameter descriptions online can save time by eliminating the need to refer to a printed reference manual.
ONdemand NCS leverages the capabilities of Chipcom's TriChannel Architecture to provide the ultimate in network configuration flexibility. The software gives you the information you need to pinpoint performance bottlenecks and the architecture gives you the ability to reconfigure your network "on-the-fly." This type of manageability can be essential when you need to balance network loads. With a simple point-and-click operation, ONdemand NCS lets you reassign individual ports on Chipcom's Port-Switching Modules, banks of ports on Bank-Switching Modules or all the ports on Module-Switching Modules. For diagnostic or security purposes, you can isolate any module from the backplane.
If a problem occurs in your network, you need to know about it immediately. To this end, ONdemand NCS Provides real-time notification of traps and events. ONdemand NCS defines multiple categories of alarm conditions including threshold, security, configuration and reachability to stand guard over network operations. In addition, you can assign low, medium, high or ignore priority to each error type, depending on the needs of your network. When a fault occurs, ONdemand NCS notifies you by automatically invoking a dialog window on the workstation screen. The type of fault, its location and the date and time it occurred are displayed in the window and entered in an alarm log file. You can also configure the system to notify you via E-Mail, a dialog window or an audible alarm. You can search log entries by a number of different parameters, including category of alarm, time of day and device name, to determine when and where a problem originated.
An integrated network management strategy enables you to manage your network more easily and comprehensively. To this end, ONdemand NCS is integrated with SunNet Manager from Sun Microsystems, Digital Equipment Corporation's POLYCENTER Network Manager 200 and the POLYCENTER SNMP Manager 300, Hewlett Packard's HP OpenView and IBM's NetView/6000. Integration with industry-standard platforms emphasizes Chipcom's commitment to long-term enterprise network computing.
In addition, the ONdemand NCS software integrates with other applications, including ONdemand LANsentry Statistical Analyzer, ONdemand LANsentry Packet Decoder and ONdemand LANconnect Manager, to enhance the management of your multi-vendor, multi-protocol network and provide a solid foundation for the next generation of network management.