System information

Using the Switch Dashboard 309
• you must either write a script for Observer to control the mirroring or use one of the
scripts included, and
• you must enable looping or capture in the Probe setup.
More information on scripting is included at the end of this section. Probe configuration
options are documented in the “Using Probes” section of this manual and briefly at the end
of this section.
Web-Based Management
Many switches offer some limited management information via a browser directly
connecting to the switch via a specific port (usually 80). While this information is often
provided in a visually pleasing format, it is often limited and suffers from the same
dependencies as SNMP (the information will be reliable only when the device is
functioning correctly). As with SNMP, Web-based information is often more useful from a
management perspective as opposed to a troubleshooting one.
Configuration
To enable Probe looping, you must tell Observer about your switch and either specify one
of the included scripts for the Probe to use or write a script for your specific switch.
Observer includes a number of scripts for specific switches. These scripts have been tested
at Network Instruments on the switch models listed in the beginning comments of the
script itself. Scripts should be similar within vendor’s switch implementations. Both of
these items are configured in the Switch Dashboard.
Using the Switch Dashboard
The Switch Dashboard is the control console for starting, stopping, and configuring all
looping and capturing of switch data by a Probe or the Observer local Probe. Additionally,
this is where you tell the Probe which switch (by IP address) to connect to.
Notches probe must be set to switched mode to be able to view the Switch
Dashboard. This is done in the Local Observer Configuration dialog.
Standard (Non-Distributed) Observer
From the main menu select Options > Selected Probe or SNMP Device Properties >
Switched Observer
(option button).
For Distributed Observer
Select the Probe you want to put into switched mode in the list of Probes. From the main
menu select
Options > Selected Probe or SNMP Device Properties > Edit Probe Entry
tab, and then select the SWITCHED OBSERVER option button.
Main Switch Dashboard – Switch Setup Tab