Interfaces Window
InterMapper can show the interfaces of a particular router or switch. This
is convenient for viewing the specifics of those interfaces (for example,
the ifAlias or Name assigned to each individual port) or for viewing the status
of the port.
To view the Interfaces window:
- Right-click the router or switch for which you want to view the Interfaces
Window.
- From the context menu, choose Interfaces Window.
or
- From the Monitor menu, choose Interfaces Window.
Note: You may open as many interfaces windows as you like. Each window is updated at the device's poll interval.
The Interfaces Window
The Interfaces window displays one row for each port/interface on the device.
It shows the following information in columns:
- Show/Hide Checkbox - When
checked this interface will be visible on the map. Unchecking this box will
hide the interface.
- ifAlias - The ifAlias assigned
to the interface.
- Name - The name assigned
to the interface.
- Description - The description
assigned to the interface.
- Type - The type of the interface,
as defined in MIB-II.
- Status - The status of the
interface as determined by ifAdminStatus and ifOperStatus. A green dot means
the interface is operational. If ifOperStatus is ≠1, then a red "X"
appears (the interface is down.) If ifAdminStatus is ≠1, then a blue "X" is shown (the interface has been disabled administratively.)
- TX Speed - The Transmit Speed reported
by the interface, in bits per second.
- RX Speed - User-settable value that is used when
InterMapper computes the utilization of the receive side of the interface. If
the value is not set, InterMapper uses the TX Speed for the calculation. This is
useful when the transmit and receive speeds are different (for example, in
asymmetric DSL links). You can set change both the RX Speed and TX speed using the
Set Link Speed... command, described below.
- Index - The ifIndex of the
interface.
- VLAN - Contains the VLAN ID that has been assigned to
the interface.
- Display unnumbered interfaces - Select or clear this
box to choose whether to see all the unnumbered interfaces on a switch. By default, InterMapper
does not display unnumbered interfaces.
- Allow periodic reprobe - Select or clear this box to choose whether or not a device
is to be automatically reprobed every 12 hours.
- Ignore interface discards - Select or clear this box to choose whether to ignore interface discards.
- Ignore interface errors - Select or clear this box to choose whether to ignore interface errors.
Hiding and Deleting Interfaces
You can hide interfaces, or you can delete them.
To hide an interface:
- Clear the check box next to the interface. If you hide an interface, a network associated that interface disappears from the map, and remains that way. The interface is no longer polled, and data is no longer collected.
To delete an interface:
- Click the line for the interface you want to delete and press Delete.
or
- Right-click the interface line and choose Delete from the context menu.
Hiding vs. Deleting an Interface
Use the following information to help you decide whether you want to hide or delete an interface:
- Probe rediscovery - When you hide the interface, it does not reappear unless you "unhide" it. When you delete an interface, InterMapper rediscovers it and displays it again the next time it re-probes the device unless you clear the Allow periodic reprobe check box.
- Data Collection - When you hide the interface, data collection stops. It starts when you re-enable it. When you delete an interface, data collection resumes when the interface is rediscovered.
- Polling - When you hide the interface, polling for that interface stops. It starts when you re-enable it. When you delete an interface, it is polled, and thus reappears when rediscovered.
- Layer 2 Discovery - When you hide the interface, Layer 2 discovery for that interface stops. It starts when you re-enable it. When you delete an interface, the interface is rediscovered, and Layer 2 information is collected.
Acknowledging Down Interfaces
You can acknowledge one or more down interfaces from the Interfaces window.
To acknowledge down interfaces:
- In the Interfaces window, select the rows for the interfaces you want to acknowledge.
- Right-click one of the selected interfaces and choose Acknowledge... The Acknowledge window appears.
- Create an acknowledgement as described in Acknowledging Device Problems.
Copying Data from the Interfaces Window
You can copy data from the Interfaces window for use in spreadsheet or other application.
To copy data from the Interfaces window:
- Select the rows you want to copy. Shift-click to select contiguous rows, Ctrl-click to select non-contiguous rows.
- Press Ctrl/Cmd-C. The selected rows are copied to the clipboard
in tab-delimited format.
Setting the Data Retention Policy for an Interface
You can set the retention policy for an interface from the Interfaces window.
To set the retention policy for a particular interface:
- Right-click the interface and choose Set Data Retention from the context menu.
The Set Retention Policy window appears.
- Choose a retention policy from the Data Retention Policy dropdown menu. Data is collected as specified by the selected policy.
Setting the Link Speed
With the map editable, use the Set Link Speed window to set the TX Speed and RX Speed for a particular interface. There are two ways to open the Set Link Speed window:
- Right-click the link, and choose Set Link Speed... from the context menu.
- From the Interfaces Window, right-click the Interface whose speed you want to set, and choose Set Link Speed... from the context menu.
The following units are permitted:
- K (Kilo), M (Mega), G (Giga), T (Tera), P (Peta)
These are all valid values:
Note: The RX Speed box is disabled when Type of interface is set to Baseband.