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The Dashboard provides information about the switch and is the main window for monitoring the switch status and its performance. It is the default window and appears each time that you display the device manager. The Dashboard displays:
Tips on using this window:
The Switch Information area provides reference information about the switch.
The Switch Health area has gauges and indicators that show the overall status of the switch, such as:
The Bandwidth Used gauge shows the total percentage of the switch bandwidth being used. You can also move the pointer over the gauge to see this percentage. Each bar in the gauge represents 10 percent and does not show increments that are less than 10 percent. The gauge does not show total bandwidth under 5 percent. Data is collected at each 60-second system refresh. To manually refresh the gauge, click The Bandwidth Used gauge changes as the switch experiences the network activity from devices sending data packets through the network. As network activity increases, contention between devices to send data through the network increases. Contention can cause collisions (two devices sending data at the same time), and the devices need to resend their data. Excessive collisions can cause transmission delays. For example, users might experience excessive delays in sending or receiving information through the network. The Bandwidth Used gauge changes as the switch experiences the network activity from devices sending data through the network. As network activity increases, contention between devices to send data through the network increases. As you monitor usage on the switch, note whether the percentage of usage is what you expect during that given time of network activity. If usage is high when you expect it to be low, perhaps a problem exists. As you monitor the switch, note whether the bandwidth usage is consistently high. This can mean there is congestion in the network. If the switch reaches its maximum bandwidth (above 90 percent usage) and its buffers become full, it begins to discard the data packets that it receives. Some packet loss in the network is not considered unusual, and the switch is configured to help to recover lost packets (such as by signaling to other devices to resend data). However, excessive packet loss can create packet errors, which can degrade overall network performance. To reduce congestion, consider segmenting the network into subnetworks that are connected by other switches or routers. Look for other causes, such as faulty devices or connections, that can also increase bandwidth usage on the switch. To thoroughly monitor how the switch is handling network traffic, see The actual percentage appears below the graphic. You can also display the actual percentage by moving the pointer over the gauge. Each bar in the gauge represents 10 percent, and does not show increments that are less than 10 percent. The gauge does not show packet error percentages that are less than 10 percent. Data is collected at each 60-second system refresh. To manually refresh the gauge, click The packet error percentage is calculated by comparing two values:
If the packet-error percentage is high (that is, above 10 percent), the switch bandwidth usage might also be too high (a sign that the network is congested). Other causes for packet errors are faulty cabling and port misconfigurations, such as a duplex-mode mismatch. These problems can cause network users to experience intermittent connectivity or loss of connectivity to network resources (such as servers and printers) or to the Internet. Excessive collisions can cause transmission delays. For example, users might experience excessive delays in sending or receiving information through the network. The Port Statistics window displays some of the types of packet errors collected by the switch. The type of packet error can help you to identify a more precise cause for some network problems. To thoroughly monitor how the switch is handling network traffic, see These are some types of packet errors.
The PoE Utilization gauge is for switches with Power over Ethernet (PoE) ports. The power gauge shows the total percentage of power that is allocated to connected devices that are receiving power from the switch. Move the pointer over the gauge to display the actual percentage of power (in watts) that is used and is remaining. Each bar in the gauge represents 10 percent and does not show increments that are less than 10 percent. The gauge does not show total PoE usage under 5 percent. Data is collected at each 60-second system refresh. To manually refresh the graph, click The switch automatically maintains a power budget, monitors and tracks requests for power, and grants power only when it is available. If the switch is powering attached PoE devices, you should expect to see activity on this gauge. For more information about PoE budgeting, see the switch software configuration guide. The fan status is for switches with a fan (or blower). The animated fan shows whether the fan (or blower) on the switch is rotating and thus is functioning normally. On the Catalyst 3560E-12D and Catalyst 3560E-12SD switches, move the pointer over the animated fan to display the status of the installed fan modules. The Fan LED on the Catalyst 3560E-12D and Catalyst 3560E-12SD switches also provides fan status. See the Use the thermometer graphic with the animated fan to monitor the relative internal temperature of the switch. If the fan is not rotating, check the physical switch. Also see the switch hardware installation guide for information about the correct operating temperature range for the switch and for troubleshooting information. The Support window provides a link to the switch documentation. The temperature status is for switches with a temperature sensor and that support temperature threshold configuration. The thermometer graphic shows the relative internal temperature of the switch. The actual temperature (in Celsius) appears below the graphic. Use the thermometer graphic with the animated fan to monitor the switch internal temperature environment. The thermometer graphic displays:
The status shown by the graphic depends on the temperature threshold settings on the switch. These thresholds can differ among switches. To change the temperature thresholds, use the switch command-line interface (CLI). For more information about the temperature thresholds, see the switch software configuration guide and switch command reference. The Support window provides a link to the switch documentation. The Port Utilization graph displays the receive utilization (blue) and transmit utilization (purple) for all the ports. Move the pointer over the color-coded bars in the graph for the utilization percentage for the specific ports. Data is collected at each 60-second system refresh. To manually refresh the graph, click Note: Using the Refresh option from your browser reloads the device manager. For a graph that shows per-port utilization patterns over incremental instances in time (up to ten 60-second refresh cycles), click View Trends. For send and receive statistics for each port, click View Port Statistics. To have a better understanding on port performance, see: The proportion of bandwidth allocated to each port can be based on symmetric (evenly distributed bandwidth to each port) or asymmetric (unlike, or unequal, bandwidth among some ports) connections.
Bandwidth allocation can also be based on whether the connection is operating in half-duplex or full-duplex mode. |
Refresh to update the information displayed. The information on this window is automatically updated at each system refresh (every 60 seconds).