SNMP Network Load Monitor NetMeter

How to Use

Main Window

Menu Topics

Setup Network

Select Interface

Setup Window Contents

Load Option

Copyrights

Glossary


How to Use

  This utility uses SNMP to measure and display the network load of the device connected to the TCP/IP network.  It measures MIB-II parameters listed below.

ifInOctets 	Total input byte

ifInUcastPkts 	Number of Input packet (Specify an address)

ifInNUcastPkts 	Number of Input packet (Broadcast)

ifOutOctets 	Total output byte

ifOutUcastPkts 	Number of Output packet (Specify an address)

ifOutNUcastPkts 	Output packet (Broadcast)

  The result will be displayed in an audiometer like indicator and its maximum record and time when it occurred will be recorded.

Operating Environment :

Microsoft Windows Version3.1 or above  (Windows95, WindowsNT Supported)

TCP/IP protocol based on Winsock (Microsoft TCP/IP supported)

CTL3D.DLL or CTL3DV2.DLL (Not essential)


Main Window

  Main window is the basic window of this utility.  On this window, the status will be displayed by number and graph for each topics.  Function buttons are located on top of the window, and if you click the button on the top left, it opens the System Menu (Windows 3.1/NT 3.51 or below and Windows95/NT4.0 or above are not the same).


Setup Network


Load setting from a file


Save the current setup with new file name.


ConfigureSetup Window Contents.


Open theDetail Window.

If the detailed Window is already opened, the window will be closed.


Clear the record before.


Start recording the network status.


Stop recording the network status.


Indicate the data to the graph.


Indicate the averaged data to the graph.


Indicate the maximum record to the graph.


Indicate the recorded data with number.

OCTETS: Indicate total input byte with Kbytes/sec.

UNPKTS: Indicate the number of input packet (specify an address) with Packets/sec.

NUPKTS: Indicate the number of input packet (broadcast) with Packets/sec.


Indicate the data on the graph.

The graph indicates with percentage to the maximum record set at

"Setup window contents".


Indicate the data with number.

OCTETS: Indicate total output byte with Kbytes/sec.

UNPKTS: Indicate the number of output packet (specify an address) by Packets/sec.

NUPKTS: Indicate the number of output packet (broadcast) by Packets/sec.


Indicate the data on the graph.

The graph indicates with percentage to the maximum record set at

"Setup window contents".


Menu Topics

[Main Menu]

Network 	Open the network submenu.

Display Mode 	Open the display submenu.

File 	Open the file submenu.

Help 	Open the help submenu.

Exit 	Exit from NetMeter.

[Network submenu]

Setup... 	Setup network.

Reset 	Clear the record before.

Start 	Start recording the network status.

Stop 	Stop recording the network status.

[Display submenu]

Display &options... 	Configure Setup window contents.

Detail Window 	Set display Detail windowor not.

Current 	Indicate recorded data on the graph.

Average 	Indicate record average on the graph.

Maximum 	Indicate maximum  on the graph.

[File submenu]

New... 	Configure Setup network.

Load... 	Load setting from a file.

Save... 	Save the current setting with a new file name.

Save as &default 	Save the current setting as the default.

The default setup will be saved to

NETMETER.INI in "Windows" directory.

[Help submenu]

Index... 	Open the contents page of the help file.

Using Help... 	Open the "How to use the Help" page.

About NetMeter... 	Display the versions information window of this utility.


Setup network

  On this window, setup the conditions of the network connection and measurement.

[Agent Address] edit box

  Setup the Agent IP address or host name.

[Community Name] edit box.

  Setup the Community name for SNMP request.  The community name must be less than 32 characters.

[Interface Number] edit box

  Setup the Interface numberof the interface for measurement.

[Browse...] button

  Get interface table�iifTable�j from the agent specified and open the Select interface window.

[Polling Interval] edit box

  Setup the polling time in millisecond.  If the polling time is set less than 100msec, a warning message will be displayed.

[Timer emulation] check box

  Set whether use timer emulation or not.

[Ok] button

  Start measuring with the new setting.

[Cancel] button

  Cancel the changes and load the setting before changed.

[Help] button

  Open help file.


Select interface

  On this window, the interface table (ifTable) found in the agent is displayed.  From this table interface, interface number you need to measure can be searched and specified.

  The interface table will be display in the list box located in the middle of the window.  Select a interface number and click "OK" button or double click on a interface number to specify the interface number as the target of measuring.

  The description for each section of the interface table is as follows.

Name 	MIB-II Section 	Description

Number 	ifIndex 	Number of the interface.

Type 	ifType 	Indicate the network type.

MTU 	ifMtu 	Indicate the maximum packet length in byte.

Speed 	ifSpeed 	Indicate the data transfer speed in bit/sec.

Status 	ifOperStatus 	Indicate the operating status by Up, Down, or Test.

Description 	ifDescr 	Description of the interface.

  The functions of the each buttons located in the bottom of the window are as follows.

[Abort] button

  Stop searching interfaces.  Only this button is available during the search.

[Retry] button

  Search interfaces again.

[Ok] button

  Select the interface number specified and back to the Setup network window.

[Cancel] button

  Back to the Setup network window without selecting an interface.

[Help] button

  Open the help file.


Setup window contents

  On this window, setup the settings of the graph display.

Meter range group

  Set the maximum records of each graph.  Graphs display this parameter as 100 %.

[Relative to maximum value] check box

  Indicate the relative display against the maximum record, measured before, as 100%.  When this mode is set, the setting of Meter range group will be disabled.

Meter display group

  Select the graph indication from current, average, or maximum.

[Meter peak hold] check box

  Set to hold the peak indication for a certain moment when the maximum record is renewed.

[Delay count] edit box

  Set the peak hold time.  The time will be the multiplication of the number set here by polling time.  If "0" is set here, it will keep holding the peak poing..

[Ok] button

  Enable the setup for display.

[Cancel] button

  Clear the setup changed.

[Help] button

  Open the help file.


Detail window

  This window shows the detail information of the measurement.

Agent status group

  Display the current, average, maximum record, and the time maximum record is measured.

Manager status group

Roundtrip

  Display the minimum, current, and maximum time of reply from SNMP in millisecond.

Lost response

  Display the number of times of no reply from SNMP during the polling time.

Last Reset Time

  Display the time to start the measurement or the last time to reset.

[Close] button

  Close the detail window.

[Help] button

  Open the help file.


Load option

  You can set use load option ).  The load option is superior to the default setting.

file name

  If the first letter of the option is not "-", hyphen, nor "/", slash, the string will be recognized as setup file name.  If the setup file is successfully loaded, the utility will start measuring with the setting set by the file.

-HOST=host name

  Specify the IP address or host name to connect.  When this option is set, the utility will start measuring automatically.

-IF=interface number

  Specify the Interface number of the target interface.

-COMMUNITY=community name

  Specify the Community name for SNMP request.

-POLL=poling time

  Set the polling time in millisecond.

-TIMER=timer mode

  Specify the timer mode.  If "3.1" is set for this option, Emulation will be used , and if other, "NT" or "95", is set for this option, timer event will be used.


Copyrights

  Japan Computer Industry Inc..has copylight of this program.  The copy light of part of the libraries and cords of the executive file is owned by Borland inc..

  ANY USE OF THE SOFTWARE PRODUCT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.  IN NO EVENT SHALL JCI BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SOFTWARE PRODUCT.

Contact�F

Internet E-Mail : support@jci.co.jp

World Wide Web : http://www.jci.co.jp


Glossary

CTL3D.DLL

  This is a module for Windows that shade the window and dialog box in order to make it look like 3 dimension.  There are CTL3D.DLL and CTL3DV2.DLL but they have same functions.  This program uses the either one exist, and if there is none, the Windows3.1 style will be used to operate.

ifTable

  In SNMP MIB-II, the logical device to connect to a network is called "interface".  ifTable is the list of all interfaces equipped to the product.

MIB

  MIB stands for Management Information Base and is a database of a control topics using in SNMP.  Ordinary control topics are standardized as "Basic MIB", and this software uses the most popularized standard MIB, "MIB-II".

MIB-II

  This is the most popular standard MIB.  In network control items, this is a standard of network information concentrated on the TCP/IP. RFC1213 document is also available.

SNMP

  SNMP stands for Simple Network Management Protocol and a standard protocol to control network equipment on a network.  Out of SNMP function, this software uses input and output measurement function of the network and measures the network load.

  Refer to the manual of the device to check if the product support SNMP or not.

WINSOCK

  WINSOCK is a standard method to use TCP/IP protocol on Windows environment.  WINSOCK is attached to Windows95 and WindowsNT, so just install from Windows disk as you need.  Windows3.1 does not have WINSOCK, so you need to purchase and install a TCP/IP software supports WINSOCK.

Interface number

  Specify the interface number to measure.  For the ones with multi interface like router and bridge, the interface number should be specified accurately.  Please note that personal computers and workstation may have logical interface like loop back other than physical interface.  To specify the interface number, Select interface works conveniently.

Agent

  Agent is a host that has the function of SNMP parameter and reply to the request.  To access to the agent, a community name for SNMP request should be specified.

Community name

  Community name is a string specified in SNMP that works like user name and password.  Usually the default, "public", is available.  If the setting is changed, ask the community name to the manager of the host.

Timer event

  Timer event is a function of the Windows registered by SetTimer() API calls that send message to the window specified in certain interval.  This function is comparatively reliable and the load for the system is low, but in Windows3.1 environment, there is a limit for the total timer event registered by all application.  Therefore, if you operate time event from too many application at a time, it affects to the other application.

  In this this application, , you can use polling function without using timer event if you set the timer emulation.

Timer emulation

  In Windows3.1, you can register maximum of 5 timer event. This option is to prevent to beyond the limit by measuring the time during event loops and sends message in place of timer event.

  Since timer emulation does not functioned well as timer event and the unnecessarily load for the system will be high, please do not use this option with Windows95 and WindowsNT.  Even with Windows3.1, we do not recommend to use timer emulation unless you need to load applications simultaneously.

Broadcast (Non-Unicast)

  The addresses for received or sent packets are unspecified.  Besides the strict meaning of broadcast, multi casting is included in this category.  In MIB-II topics, ifInNUcastPkts and ifOutNUcastPkts correspond to this.

Polling time

  The interval to renew the measuring topics.  If the polling time is set short, the load of network and host will be high.  Usually range of this parameter is from hundreds of millisecond to seconds.

Specify an address (Unicast)

  The addresses for received or sent packets were specified to certain host.  In MIB-II topics, ifInUcastPkts and ifOutUcastPkts correspond to this.

Relative measurement

  In this mode, set the maximum record as 100% to indicate by graph. Indication may not be stable for a moment because the maximum record will be renewed often, but it will indicate a reliable network load after a certain moment..

current data

  This is the currently measured data..  Since the measure topic of MIB-II is COUNTER type and keep adding the record, the current data per second will be calculate by following formula.  (Latest record - the record before latest) / polling time

Average data

  Since the current data is not stable, it averages data to close to the real network load.  The average data is calculated by following formula.  �iEx-average * 3 + latest value) / 4

Maximum data

  Indicate the maximum record since the last time reset.  The time reset and time when each maximum record is measured are able to check from the detail window.