Thanks for the feedback. Let me explain where my head is...
The video shows that configuation (shut/no shut) is possible but
that's
not the big thing. The only reason to open a switch to the "huge"
display is diagnostic. I've configured mine to show... Admin status,
interface errors, speed, duplex, utilization, cpu error codes, and fan
alarm. Yes, all that info is easily available via a few telnet
commands.... Or double click and just look at the graphic.
I do 99% of my configuration via the CLI. The only "configuation"
SNMPc
is good for is shut/no shut. And half the time, I do that from telnet
as well. Graphics are a simple pre-configured way to check the normal
things. And with a scripted SNMP language, you can code it to show
whatever you want. You only open a switch if you need to check status
or a problem.
Why do I want to know what type of switch it is? Because when it goes
down, I *can't* telnet to it, and I certainly can't remember what's
where :-). So all I have to do is look at the last view of SNMPc,
and I
know what type of switch to send out as the replacment. This is all
about ease of managmenet. No database to update, no paperwork to keep
track of inventory, just glance at the screen, tell my tech to grab a
2960-48TT, or whatever, and hit the road. Easy. And I don't worry
about the tech updating a screen to ensure it's reporting the right
model when we do an upgrade. It's always right.
I'm not certain what you mean about monitoring 800 devices actual
size.
The initial geographic map you see in the video shows my 100 sites
(each
one containing 5 to 20 devices). So with one map, I'm monitoring my
~800 devices and I only drill down to the full device view when
troubleshooting.
You're right, telnet is a configuration tool. SNMPc is a monitoring
tool. Intermapper doesn't provide the flexibility to monitor/display
SNMP variables like SNMPc can. Your comment about checking
temperature
or AP clents... That's *EXACTLY* the type of thing I'm talking about.
If it's an SNMP variable, SNMPc can display it. And that's what I
want
to do with Intermapper.
Thanks again for your comments. We all want different things.
Ed
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jon Myers
Sent: Friday, August 21, 2009 12:37 PM
To: InterMapper Discussion
Subject: Re: [IM-Talk] What Intermapper can't do
I might be missing something, but I don't see anything too interesting
there. I'd rather double click on the switch to ssh/telnet to it
like I
do now, and make the changes manually. I really don't like the huge
pictures of switches taking up my screen, especially when all that
info
is readily available in a much smaller form factor.
We use Intermapper as a MONITORING tool, not a configuration tool.
Once
Dartware figures out how to properly do the monitoring side, then
maybe
if they want to jump to the configuring side, then sure... But
theres a
long way to go, and in the 5 years we've been with them, only
meaningless/minor changes have been made. The biggest change so far
has
been plastering a huge "ifAlias not available" on switch ports with no
description, rather than allowing it to just remain blank if its
blank.
So then I had to write a script to set the description on all
unlabeled
switch ports to a dot.
If you want dynamically changing icons for various switches, perhaps
setting up a script to check the switch, and whack on the database
of IM
to change the icon might work for you. Could be built right into a
custom probe. Not quite sure why though. Of course if the custom
probe
scripting was a little better, you could see the model number right in
the status window.
The BIG thing that intermapper can't do is send meaningful alerts,
like
"NOC Temperature is 80 degrees", all it can do is report Alert,
warning,
or OK. Nor can I even update the label of a temperature device to
display the temp without right clicking on it and going to status.
Same
applies for APs and seeing number of clients, or any other
information.
So thats why we're looking for a replacement for intermapper.
And as for SNMPc, I really don't want to see around 800 devices actual
size at the same time to get information at a glance.
At 08:50 AM 8/21/2009, you wrote:
Intermapper is a great program I've been using for many years. I
was an
original Mac user before Dartware migrated to Windows. But, we're
always
looking for new tools and better problem identification. Here's a
short
video I captured from my workstation (no audio) showing a product
called
SNMPc.
http://public.leeschools.net/edk/snmpc.wmv
The reason I'm posting this to the Intermapper list (with their
approval) is to hopefully generate some interest from other users, so
that Dartware moves in this direction. The functionality and graphics
you'll see in SNMPc were created using scripts I wrote in their
limited
SNMP scripting language. If Dartware provided similar tools, this
could
be even better.
Notice that the icons are active representations of the actual gear
deployed. By just looking at the maps you can tell what hardware you
have installed. And since it's polling via SNMP, the icon's change
when
hardware is changed - no editing necessary.
Please comment...
Ed Konowal
Network Operations Supervisor
Lee County School District
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