Frequently Asked Questions and Answers -- Preliminary
 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Preliminary

 About Connectivity

 About Daemons

 About Events and Traps

 About Graphs

 About Integrating Applications

 About Installation

 About Network Discovery

 About Network Maps

 About Polling

 About Symbols

 About Performance

 About Other Things

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Trademarks

POLYCENTER, Digital and the Digital logo are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation.

AssetWorks is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation.

NetView and IBM are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.

UNIX is a registered trademark licensed exclusively by X/Open Co. Ltd.

Windows NT is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation

Cabletron is a trademark of Cabletron Systems, Inc.


 About Connectivity

 Why are nodes on the map red?

 Why can’t users connect to another node in the same network?


Why are nodes on the map red?

If you are using the NetView default colors to report node status, a node that is red is down.

To determine why the node status is red:

1.	Check that the node is powered up.

2.	Check if you can communicate with the node by choosing Ping from the Test menu.

3.	Check if you can exchange SNMP information with the node by displaying a MIB value using the MIB Browser.


Why can't users connect to another node in the same network?

If users on one node in the network cannot connect to another node in the network:

1.	Look at the other node on the network map. If the other node is red, it is down. If the node is not down, go to the next step.

2.	Check that both nodes are running.

Use the Test→Ping command to check if the management station can communicate with both nodes.

If the ping to either node fails, check if that system is down. If the NetView program can communicate with both systems, go to the next step.

3.	Determine whether there is a hostname-to-IP addressing problem.

a.	On the network map, select the node the users are on.

b.	Choose Telnet from the Tools menu to log in to the node the users are on.

c.	After you have logged in, ping the other system.

d.	If the ping fails, you may have a IP-address-to-link address mapping problem.

e.	If the ping is successful, you may have a host-to-IP address mapping problem.

4.	Determine whether there is a host-to-IP address mapping problem:

a.	Check the hosts files on both nodes to see that the hostname for each system is correctly defined. If the other host is incorrectly defined in the host file on the node the users are on, the users cannot connect to the other node.

5.	Determine whether there is an IP-address-to-link-address mapping problem:

a.	On the network map, select the management station and the node the users are on.

b.	Choose Monitor→Network Properties→ARP Cache to display the ARP cache tables of each system.

c.	In the dialog boxes, find the IP address for the other node and compare the addresses.

d.	If the addresses are different, change the link address for the other node on the node that the users are on. If the addresses are the same, you may have a performance or network service problem.


host files

On UNIX workstations the host file is /etc/hosts. On Windows NT systems, the host file is device:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.


 About Daemons

 Why won't the netmon daemon start?

 Why won't the ems_log_agent daemon (ovelmd) run?


Why won't the netmon daemon start?

Check the TCP/IP configuration for the management station. You must specify the host name in the DNS Configuration dialog box even if you are not using DNS. To specify the host name:

1.	Select Control Panel→Network→TCP/IP Protocol→DNS.

2.	Enter the system name in the Host Name field.


Why won't the ems_log_agent daemon (ovelmd) run?

If you are not using DNS, the ems_log_agent (ovelmd) daemon may not run. To fix this, you can add a line containing your IP address and hostname to the <winnt>\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file. Make sure you press the Enter key after the IP address and hostname line.


 About Events and Traps

 Why are no events displayed?

 How do I add traps from a command line?


Why are no events displayed?

The NetView program displays current and past events in the Current Events or Event History window. If you choose Monitor→Current Events or Monitor→Event History and no events are displayed, check to see if the ovesmd and ovelmd are running.

Double click on the Daemon Status icon or choose Options→NetView Setup→Daemons to check the status of the ovesmd and ovelmd daemons. If they are not running, do the following:

1.	Choose Options→NetView Setup→Daemons→Daemon Control

2.	Select the ems_seive_agent and the ems_log_agent

3.	Click on the Start button.

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See Also

Start Daemons


How do I add traps from a command line?

You can add traps from a command line. If you have problems with the syntax, review the following examples of correct command line syntax. These commands can be put in a batch file with an extension of .bat or .cmd.

addtrap -n NetView -l NodeAdded -i 1.3.6.1.4.1.2.6.3 -g 6 -s 58785794 -S 1 -o N -t 2 -c “Network Topology Events” -f ! -F “Node Added.” -C “pnvtclsh c:\\tcl\\examples\\rogue.tcl “ -A $2

addtrap -n EnterpriseManagement -l MailLoop -i 1.3.6.1.4.1.99 -g 6 -s 1 -S 2 -o A -t 8 -c “Status Events” -f - -F “Postmaster Detected Mail Loop”

addtrap -n DataMetrics -l PerfProb -i 1.3.6.1.4.1.1130 -g 6 -s 2 -S 4 -o D -t 8 -c “Status Events” -f - -F “Performance Problem Detected \n Description: $1 \n Services: $2 \n Receives: $3 \n Address: $4 \n Tcp Curr Est: $5 \n Up Time: $6”

addtrap -n Cabletron -l PortDown -i 1.3.6.1.4.1.52 -g 6 -s 260 -S 2 -o A -t 3 -c “Status Events” -f ! -F “Port Down for Card $1 Port $2 .“ -C “pnvtclsh c:\\tcl\\examples\\ctron-hub-lookup.tcl $A $1 $2 “

addtrap -n Cabletron -l PortDown -i 1.3.6.1.4.1.52 -g 6 -s 259 -S 0 -o A -t 2 -c “Status Events” -f ! -F “Port Up for Card $1 Port $2 .“

addtrap -n NetView -l LinkDown -i 1.3.6.1.4.2.6.3 -g 6 -s 58916867 -S 5 -o N -t 3 -c “WAN Link has Failed!” -f -


 About Graphs

 How do I scale data when there are multiple nodes?


How do I scale data when there are several nodes?

You can scale data when there are several nodes by using a multiplier in the NetView Graph tool.

The Graph All Data command graphs data for 15 devices. If one device is overtaking the NetView Graph display and reducing the effectiveness of the graph data for the other devices, choose Line Properties from the NetView Graph Edit menu and choose or enter a multiplier that will smooth out the data for all the nodes. See Comparing Data Using Multipliers for additional information.


 About Integrating Applications

 Is there any integration between Microsoft SMS and the NetView program?

 Why are there multiple copies of appmon running?

 How do I run my applications with debug help?

 Can the NetView program execute UNIX shell scripts?


Is there any integration between Microsoft SMS and the NetView program?

The NetView program provides integration with the Microsoft System Management Server (SMS) software and the Digital POLYCENTER AssetWorks software to display:

•	Microsoft SMS properties from the NetView program

•	NetView properties from Microsoft SMS and Digital POLYCENTER AssetWorks

Integration requirements:

•	You must have Microsoft SMS installed on your system to access SMS from the NetView program.

•	You must also have POLYCENTER AssetWorks Version T2.0 dated July 1995 or later installed to access the NetView program from Microsoft SMS. After you install AssetWorks, run the NetView program at least once to have it appear as a property on the SMS property sheet.

To run SMS from the NetView program:

1.	Select Object→Object Properties, then click on the System tab page.

2.	In the System tab page, click on the System Properties button to run SMS and display the SMS properties for a node.

To use the NetView program from the SMS property sheet:

•	Display the NetView object properties.

•	Find the node on the NetView map.

•	Display the MIB Browser for the node.

•	Ping the node and then perform all the other NetView Monitor commands on the node.

•	Graph the IP traffic for the node.

•	Graph the Interface traffic for the node.


Why are there multiple copies of appmon running?

If you are using appmon to launch an application that you have written, you may have multiple copies of appmon that remain on the system even when you close the appmon window.

You can create an application using the MIB Tool Builder or outside the MIB Tool Builder.

If you create an application using the MIB Tool Builder, it adds a -Shared switch to the application. The -Shared switch allows the application to share the same copy of the appmon program. The syntax of the switch is:

Command -Shared /usr/ov/bin/appmon.exe

If you create an application outside the MIB Tool Builder and want to share the same copy of the appmon program, add the -Shared switch to the registration files.


How do I run my application with debug help?

If you want to include debug help while you are testing your applications to run within the NetView program, do the following:

1.	Click on the Command Prompt icon to open a command window.

2.	Type cd \usr\ov\bin at the command prompt.

3.	Type set NV_DEBUG_LAUNCH=1 at the command prompt.

4.	Start the NetView program.

5.	Start your application.

A pop-up window is generated when you run applications.


Can the NetView program execute UNIX shell scripts?

By default, Windows NT and the NetView program do not run UNIX shell scripts.  You can , however, purchase tools for Windows NT that execute shell scripts and UNIX commands.

The NetView kit does contain the TCL/TK interpreter. For more information on the TCL/TK, see the description of the Tools→Other  command.  For sample scripts, see the files in the \usr\ov\tcl directory.


 About Installation

 Do you have any suggestions for installation?


Do you have any suggestions for installation?

The NetView installation or setup procedure generally returns error messages and recommendations for further actions. You may want to check the following in case your installation isn’t going smoothly:

•	Are you logged into the local system using the local Administrator account with all its privileges.

Note: Do not install the NetView program from a domain account.

•	Examine the following logs for any errors:

\<winnt>\system32\nvinstall.log

\usr\ov\log\pnvmsg_stderr.log

You can ignore any error references to \usr\ov\\bitmaps\bitmap.1st

•	Type the following commands from a command prompt window.  These are commands that are issued by the NetView setup procedures, but you can use them to help troubleshoot the installation.

\usr\ov\bin> ovstart -v ovwdb

\usr\ov\bin> ovw_fields

\usr\ov\bin> ovw_config

\urs\ov\bin> ovstop

•	If all else fails, delete the \usr\ov directory structure and install the NetView program again.


 About Network Discovery and Management

 Why were no nodes in the network discovered?

 Why were only some nodes in the network discovered?

 How do I discover nodes on other segments or subnets?

 Why are nodes in the wrong subnet?

 Why doesn’t the seed file discover nodes?


Why were no nodes in the network discovered?

Node discovery relies on SNMP Service, communication between the NetView program and SNMP, and correctly defined community names. To check these:

1.	Use the Control Panel to check that the SNMP Service is started on the management station.

If the SNMP Service is running, go to the next step. If the SNMP Service is not running, start it and start the NetView program again, then check whether nodes are discovered.

2.	Check that the management station’s SNMP agent is responding to the NetView program by using the MIB Browser to display any MIB variable from the SNMP agent.

For example, try to display the system group, mgmt.mib-2.system. For more information, see Display MIB Variables. If the SNMP agent is responding, then start the NetView program, use Test→Demand Poll for the management station. Network discovery should begin.

If the SNMP agent is not responding, go to the next step

3.	Check that the community name that the NetView program is sending matches the community name that the SNMP agent on the management station is using. To check whether the community names match:

a.	To display the community name that the NetView program is using, choose Options→SNMP→Default.

b.	To display the community name that the SNMP agent is using, choose Control Panel, Network, SNMP Service, Configure, Security, Accepted Community Names.

c.	Compare the community names to check whether they are the same.

d.	Check that Accept SNMP Packets from Any Host is turned on. If Only Accept SNMP Packets from These Hosts is turned on, note the nodes that are defined.

4.	If the community names do not match, change the community name for the NetView program to match the community name of the SNMP agent. Use Options→SNMP→Default to change the community name, exit the NetView program, then run it again.


Why were only some nodes in the network discovered?

The reasons the NetView program may find only some of the nodes in the network are:

•	The management station does not have a responding SNMP agent.

•	The node specified in the seed file does not have a responding SNMP agent.

•	The default router does not have a responding SNMP agent and the local nodes do not talk to each other.

•	Network discovery is initially limited to finding nodes one hop away from the management station. See How do I discover nodes on other segments or subnets? for additional information.

To check why only some nodes were found:

1.	Start the SNMP agent on the default router.

2.	Verify that the management station and the default router can communicate through SNMP by using the MIB Browser.

Use the MIB Browser to display any MIB variable from the default router. For example, try to display the system group, mgmt.mib-2.system. For more information, see Display MIB Variables.

•	If the management station's default router does not have an SNMP agent, then use a seed file to discover nodes on the other side of the router. For more information, see Creating a Seed File.

•	If there is no default router, ping the nodes from the management station, then Test→Demand Poll... to check each individual node.

Pinging nodes causes the IP and physical addresses of the nodes to be stored in the management station’s ARP cache. Storing these addresses in the ARP cache allows the NetView program to automatically discover the nodes. If you want to display the management station’s current ARP entries, open a Command Prompt (DOS) window, then enter the arp -a command.


How do I discover nodes on other segments or subnets?

The NetView program does not discover your entire network or discovers the local subnet but stops at the router.

A little background: The NetView netmon daemon is responsible for automatically discovering nodes. The netmon daemon:

•	Discovers nodes and networks one hop away from the management station.

•	Relies on netmasks to limit the discovery. The netmask of the first discovered node determines what subnets the netmon daemon searches.

•	Manages the first subnet that the netmon daemon discovers, then displays the subnet in green on the network map.

•	Discovers subsequent subnets, but leaves them unmanaged and displays them in gray on the network map. You can further discover these unmanaged subnets by managing the object that represents the subnet to the NetView program.

Procedures:

You can expand node discovery in one of two ways:

Method 1:

1.	Select the unmanaged object that is gray on the network map.

2.	From the Object menu, choose Manage.

Method 2:

Create a seed file. A seed file contains one or more IP addresses. The node(s) in the seed file must have a running SNMP agent or autodiscovery does not find any node other than the one in the seed file. Gateways often make the best seed nodes. For more information, see Creating a Seed File and How do I use a seed file?.


Why are nodes in the wrong subnet?

The NetView program uses the subnet mask associated with an IP address to determine which subnet contains the discovered node.

To determine why a node is in the wrong subnet:

1.	Check that the subnet mask associated with the IP address of the management station is consistent with the network’s addressing scheme. Use Control Panel→Networks→TCP/IP Protocol→Configure to find the subnet mask.

2.	Check the subnet mask of any node that was put in a subnet where the node does not belong. You can check the submask by running the MIB Browser and displaying the mgmt.mib-2.ip.ipAddrTable.ipAddrEntry.ipAdEntNetMask value.


Why doesn't the seed file discover nodes?

The NetView program automatically discovers nodes that are one hop away from the management station. If you want to restrict discovery to a few nodes or discover nodes beyond the one hop, you must use a seed file.

If you created a seed file and start experiencing difficulties discovering nodes:

1.	Check that the nodes in the seed file are IP addresses or hostnames.

2.	Stop and start the netmon daemon after you specify a seed file.

3.	Check that the nodes specified in the seed file support SNMP. If the nodes in the seed file do not support SNMP, the netmon daemon does not find any nodes other than the seed node.

4.	Check the /usr/ov/log/pnvmsg_stderr.log for errors.

a.	Run the Write program to display the file.

b.	Do not convert the file to Write format.

c.	Check for errors such as “no seed file found”.

5.	Check the /usr/ov/conf/ovsuf for a seed file.

a.	Run the Write or Notepad program to display the file.

b.	If you use the Write program, do not convert the file to Write format.

c.	Look for the -s seedfile option.

d.	If a seed file is not specified, use Options→NetView Setup→Daemons→Netmon to specify one.

e.	Stop and restart netmon using Options→NetView Setup→Daemons→Daemon Control

6.	Turn on netmon tracing to check how the netmon daemon is discovering nodes.

a.	Open a Command Prompt window (DOS) and type the netmon -M 0xffffffff command.

b.	Examine the netmon.trace file in \usr\ov\log for information about the decisions the netmon daemon made and the reasons for those decisions.


 About Network Maps

  Can I manually add nodes to the network map?

  Can I add an object between two existing objects?

  Why are some interface cards labeled with an IP address rather than an interface name?

  Why has one of the nodes in a segment submap started appearing in other submaps?

  Why does an interface card have a Physical Address that is all zeros?

  Why does one of my interface cards always appear as Critical

  Why do I frequently see Down nodes in a particular segment?

  Can I count how many nodes I am managing?

  How many nodes can I manage with the NetView program?


Can I manually add nodes to the network map?

You can manually add nodes to a network map.

To add a node:

1.	Go to the submap.

2.	Choose Object→New.

3.	In the Type combo box, select Computer, then click on Next>.

4.	In the General tab page, click on SNMP Supported if the node supports SNMP.

5.	Click on the Other tab, then type the Hostname, IP Address, and Subnet Mask.

6.	Click the Verify button.

7.	After the information is verified, click on OK.

After you add a node, you can start collecting information by choosing Test→Demand Poll from the NetView menu.

_______________

See Also

Add Objects


Can I add an object between two existing objects?

The NetView program uses symbols to represent network objects. Symbols graphically represent the information contained in objects about devices in the network. Location symbols allow you to add an object between existing objects.

For example, if the IP internet is the parent of node 203.57.1, you can insert an object between the IP internet and 203.57.1. The new object is a child object of the IP internet and the parent of 203.57.1.

To insert an object between two existing objects:

1.	Create container objects by choosing Object→New from the NetView menu.

2.	In the Type combo box, select Location and create the location object.

3.	After you create the Location object, choose Edit→Cut to cut the Network object.

4.	Navigate into the Location object and choose Edit→Paste to place the Network object under the Location object.


Why are some interface cards labeled with an IP address rather than an interface name?

The SNMP agent on the node that contains the cards may not be installed. Install the SNMP agent or ask the system manager of the node to install it.


Why has one of the nodes in a segment submap started appearing in other submaps?

Why does an interface card have a Physical Address that is all zeros?

Why does one of my interface cards always appear as Critical

The answer to all these questions is the impact of RAS servers on NetView behavior. RAS (the Remote Access Service) is a service you can install on a Windows NT machine if the machine has a modem card installed.

When you configure the RAS server, you specify a pool of IP addresses that clients dialing into the machine can use. Clients that dial into the machine through the RAS server interact with the LAN server as if they were connected directly to the LAN.

The NetView program changes its general behavior when it manages a node in which RAS Services has been installed. The unusual behavior does not begin until the first client dials into the RAS server, but continues until you restart RAS services, and delete then re-discover the RAS server.

If you restart RAS services and users do not dial into the server, when the NetView program discovers the machine and queries it for configuration information, the machine appears as any other node on the network. The machine appears as a node with one interface card (the Ethernet card).

However, when the first client dials in, the NetView program adds a second interface card to the node's submap. If you display the properties of the new card with Object Properties, the Object Properties dialog box displays a unique IP address and a Physical Address of 0x000000000000.

After the NetView program adds the second interface card, the NetView program also promotes the RAS server node to a router and the following steps take place:

•	The RAS server node is added to the IP Internet submap.

•	The RAS server node is added to the IP Network for your LAN, for example 11.22.333.

•	Three meta-connection submaps are created that detail the connection symbols drawn between this RAS node symbol and other symbols in three separate submaps. The three separate submaps actually represent multiple connections to these other symbols

For example, in the 11.22.333 LAN, the following 3 meta-connection submaps may be created:

Segment1 to nova

11.22.111 to nova

nova connections

Each one details the status of the connections between two symbols.

Eventually the netmon daemon attempts to ping the new interface card and, because of the card’s Physical Address, fails. When the ping fails, the card’s status color changes to yellow for a Critical status. The Critical status propagates the color change up to the symbols that represent the RAS server.

When the client logs out of the RAS server, the NetView program continues to display the card as Critical and the RAS server node is still treated as a router. This means that the RAS server remains displayed in the two parent submaps and the meta- connection submaps.


Why are all my hostname labels displayed in uppercase?

When the NetView program attempts to map an IP address to hostname, the default name resolution order is most likely finding the hostname using either WINS or NetBT.

See Why do symbols appear with IP addresses instead of hostnames? for more information on the default name resolution order and how to change it.


Can I count how many nodes I am managing?

You can count how many nodes you are managing using the ovmapcount command or Edit→Find→Status Normal within the NetView program

To count nodes using the ovmapcount command, open an command prompt (DOS) window and enter ovmapcount.  The ovmapcount command displays the number of networks and nodes, but does not differentiate between managed and unmanaged devices.

To count nodes within the NetView program, choose Edit→Find Status→Normal.  This command displays a count of all managed objects.


How many nodes can I manage with the NetView program?

The number of nodes that the NetView program can effectively manage depends upon the amount of memory that is available in a steady state. A steady state for the NetView program is the state of managing discovered nodes after the initial work of discovering new nodes.

Please view the following as a rough guideline. Individual settings such as the polling intervals and the number of MIB variables being collected can impact these numbers.

Amount of RAM	Number of Nodes effectively managed	Pagefile size
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

32 Meg	420	128
80 Meg	2500	270
128 Meg	4450	320


 About Performance

 Why am I running low on disk space?

 Why is performance slow with a reasonable hardware configuration?

 Are there times when performance is strained in a healthy configuration?

 Any more recommendations in relation to performance?


Why am I running low on disk space?

The NetView program collects SNMP data on nodes and devices in the network. This data is stored in the \usr\ov\database\snmpCollect databases.

If you have been collecting SNMP data for some time, these files may be quite large and can use disk space and impact performance.

You can remove these files at regular intervals using the Options→NetView Setup command. In Setup, choose the Files tab, then the Schedule SNMPcollect Data to Delete from the drop-down list.


Why is performance slow with a reasonable hardware configuration?

If your hardware configuration is within the reasonable guidelines for the network you are managing and you used Performance Monitor to eliminate system performance problems, check that you are logged into the local Administrator account with administrator privileges.

If you are logged into the management station using a domain account, performance degrades significantly because of the extensive security checks performed by the domain server.


Are there times when performance is strained in a healthy configuration?

Performance can be strained by the automatic discovery of nodes and by updating maps from the local database.

Automatic discovery of nodes generates significant SNMP traffic. For example, you decide to manage 10 routers. When you select the routers and choose manage, there are a significant number of snmp requests performed to discover the nodes on the routers. Generally, there is particularly heavy traffic associated with key nodes such as routers.

Updating maps is also a process that can takes time. When you start the NetView program, the IP Map application updates the network map displayed in the NetView window with the current contents of the topology database. If the netmon daemon has discovered may new nodes since the last time the network map was updated, this process can take a while.

During the time the IP Map application is updating the network map, the NetView program displays the Updating Map message in the status bar at the bottom of the window and does not respond to user requests.

The IP Map application updates the network map based on IP topology events, such as a newly discovered node. The IP Map application only updates the network map with all the corresponding symbols after it receives a certain number of these events.


Any more recommendations in relation to performance?

You may want to consider examining your paging files. The following quote from the Windows NT (3.1) User's Guide provides some information about paging files”

"If you have multiple hard disks, you should consider creating a paging file for each local hard drive on your computer. Depending on the capabilities of your system's hard disk controller, the disks can be reading or writing information simultaneously, greatly improving performance. Also, because Windows NT expands the paging file as necessary, multiple paging files make expansion easier, since each file expands a little rather than a single file expanding a lot."

Note: It is highly recommended that you set the minimum and maximum page file size to the same value.  For example, set the minimum and maximum to 120 megabytes, not minimum to 10 megabytes and maximum to 120 megabytes.


 About Polling

 How can I save polling information?

 What happens to the polling changes I make with the Options command?


How can I save polling information?

You may want to save polling information before clearing the database. To save polling information:

1.	Copy the /usr/ov/databases/openview/topo/polling file to another disk, diskette, or file with a different name. This file stores database information about the changes you make with Options→Polling.

2.	Copy the /usr/ov/conf/ovsnmp.conf file to disk, diskette, or to another file with a different name. This file stores database information about the changes you make with the Options→SNMP.

The netmon daemon uses both these databases to get polling information. The netmon daemon uses the /usr/ov/conf/ovsnmp.conf database for the status polling interval, the timeout period, the number of retries, and the community name.

The netmon daemon uses the /usr/ov/databases/openview/topo/polling file for all other information such as whether to poll nodes at all, the new node polling interval, and when to delete nodes that are not running from the poll.

_______________

See Also

What happens to the polling changes I make with the Options command?

Change Polling Intervals

Change SNMP Polling


What happens to the polling changes I make with the Options command?

The Options→Polling and Options→SNMP commands let you change polling and SNMP intervals.

When you change the status polling interval with the Options→Polling command, an event is sent to the netmon daemon and it sets the new status polling interval. This interval is in effect until you change it again or exit the NetView program. The NetView program does not update the /usr/ov/conf/ovsnmp.conf database that contains polling interval information.

When you change the SNMP polling interval with the Options→SNMP command, the /usr/ov/conf/ovsnmp.conf database is updated, but you must restart netmon to see the change take effect.


 About Symbols

 Which type of symbol can be moved to which type of submap?

 Why can't I change the symbol type of my hub?

 Why don't some of my computer symbols contain icons?

 Why do symbols contain IP addresses rather than hostnames?

  Can two symbols with different IP addresses represent the same machine?

  Why do symbols appear with IP addresses instead of hostnames even when I have mappings defined in the host file?


Which type of symbol can be moved to which type of submap?

The IP Map application supports a submap hierarchy that determines which symbols can appear on which submaps. You can use this information to create your own hierarchy by starting with a location type and adding networks to it. Choose Object→New to add networks and objects.

Submap	Type	Symbols Supported
Root	Network	IP Internet
Location or Internet	Location	All
	Network	IP Internet
	Network	IP Network
	Connector	Gateway
	Connection	All
Network	Network	Segment (Bus, Star, Token Ring, FDDI Ring, Serial)
	Connector	Gateway
	Connection	All
Segment	Computer	All
	Connection	All
Node	Card	IP


Why can't I change the symbol type of my hub?

The NetView program, using the IP topology, discovered your hub as a COMPUTER because the hub only has one address. You can not change the symbol type, because a CONNECTOR object has a number of attributes that do not apply to the COMPUTER object does.

You can, however, change the object information for the hub, then change its symbol.

1.	Select the hub on the submap.

2.	Choose Edit→Object Properties.

3.	Choose the Other tab.

4.	Note the object description (OID) of the object.

5.	Edit the \usr\ov\conf\c\oid_to_sym file

6.	Search for the OID of the hub and change if from COMPUTER:something to CONNECTOR:MULTI-PORT.

Tip: Check your format against the format of other multi-port objects defined in the file.

7.	Delete the hub object from the map.

8.	Stop and start the NetView program and the NetView daemons.

The hub is now defined and discovered as a CONNECTOR:MULTI-PORT.


Why don't some of my computer symbols contain icons?

SNMP may not be installed or properly configured on the node represented by the symbol. For example, if SNMP is not properly installed, the MIB instance value for iso.org.dod.internet.mgmt.mib-2.system.sysObjectID may not match any found in object-to-symbol mapping file, \usr\ov\conf\c\oid_to_sym.


Why do symbols appear with IP addresses instead of hostnames?

In order for symbols to contain hostnames, such as mynode, instead of IP address, such as 12.34.567.890, the name resolution on the management station must be properly defined.

The default order for resolving a hostname is:

1.	Local Cached Information

2.	Host files

3.	DNS Servers

4.	NetBt (NetBIOS over TCP/IP)

NetBIOS over TCP/IP name resolution can consist of local subnet broadcast.

Using host files to define name resolution

If you are using the NetView program in a very small networking environment it may be sufficient to use the <winnt>\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file to add all the IP address-to-hostname mappings.

Tip: Make sure to press the Enter key after adding the last entry to the host file. If the last line in the host file is an IP address-to-hostname entry, then the symbol for this host may contain an IP address rather than a hostname.

The changes you make to the host file take effect immediately and do not require that you restart the system or TCP/IP services

Using DNS to define name resolution

You can change the default resolution order by adding a DNS section to the <winnt>/system.ini file.  For example:

The following section would use the default resolution order:	The following section would use only the local cache and host files, but not DNS or NetBt:
------------------------------------------------	---------------------------------------------------------
[DNS]	[DNS]
LocalPriority=1	LocalPriority=1
HostPriority=2	HostPriority=2
DnsPriority=3
NetbtPriority=4

If you already have a DNS name server and want to use it for name resolution, specify its IP address in the DNS Configuration dialog box. To specify its IP address:

1.	Choose Control Panel→Network→TCP/IP Protocol.

2.	Click on the DNS button.

3.	In the DNS Configuration dialog box, specify the IP address of the DNS server in DNS Search Order.

4.	Click on OK

5.	Restart the system.

If you do not have a DNS name server but want to install one, you can obtain a beta version of DNS for Windows NT by sending mail to dnsbeta@microsoft.com.


Why do symbols appear with IP addresses instead of hostnames even when I have mappings defined in the host file?

A common mistake in editing the hosts file is to leave an IP address-to-hostname mapping entry as the last line of the file.  Make sure to press the Enter key at the end of the last entry to the host file. If an IP address-to-hostname mapping entry appears as the last line in the hosts file, the symbol for the hostname displays an IP address instead of a hostname.


Can two symbols with different IP addresses represent the same machine?

Why do I frequently see nodes appear as Down in a particular segment?

You are seeing the effects of the NetView program interaction with the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

DHCP is a protocol that allows machines to temporarily use IP addresses. Client machines use DHCP to request a temporary lease of an IP address. When the client machine requests an IP address, a DHCP server allocates an address for this client from a pool of addresses that the DHCP manages. The client then uses this address to access the network.

DHCP simplifies network administration in environments where, for example, notebook users may wish to use one subnet one day and a different subnet the next day. However, unlike most IP addresses that are established by a particular machine, DHCP-allocated IP address are established for frequent reuse by multiple machines.

The frequent reuse of addresses by multiple machines leads the NetView program to manage DHCP nodes in the following way:

•	When an IP address is used by one machine one day and a different machine the next day, the NetView program assumes that the MIB information associated with this IP address does not need updating.

When the MIB information is not updated, you may see two symbols that apparently represent the same machine. You can display machine information by choosing Object Properties from the Edit menu. The NetView program displays the two symbols because it does not know to update the attributes associated with the old IP address.

•	Symbols associated with IP addresses that are in the DCHP server IP address pool frequently appear with the Down status. This happens whenever a mobile user releases a leased address and leaves the network.


About Other Things

  How can I convert my UNIX bitmap files to NT?

  Why did the NetView program stop running or running properly after installing another product?

  Can I capture the data in NetView windows?

  How can I get started with the NetView program?

  Why can't I see the Navigation Tree?


How can I convert my UNIX bitmaps to Windows NT bitmaps?

You may have X-Window system bitmap files that you want to carry over to your NetView for Windows NT management station.

To convert the bitmap files:

1.	Convert the X11 bit map files to GIF using an industry available conversion tool.

2.	Convert the GIF files to Windows NT bitmaps (.BMP) using an industry available conversion tool.


Why did the NetView program stop running or running properly after installing another product?

Installing other products can replace DLLs in the /<winnt>/system32 directory. Some of the newer DLLs may not work well with the NetView program. To determine if another product’s DLL changed any NetView program DLLs:

1.	Compare the dates and sizes of the .dll files in the intel subdirectory of your installation CD with the .dll files in the system32 directory.

2.	If the dates and sizes are different, copy the .dlls from the installation CD to the /usr/ov/bin subdirectory.


Can I capture the data in NetView windows?

You can capture network maps or the Navigation Tree. For example, you may want to print a segment or subnet map.

To print a network map:

1.	Select the segment or subnet map window. This is now the active window.

2.	Press ALT+PRINT SCREEN. This action copies the bitmap to the clipboard.

3.	Choose the Microsoft Write application from the Accessories program group.

4.	Choose Edit→Paste to copy the bitmap into the file. The entire active window is now in the Write application.

5.	Choose File→Print Setup, then choose the Postscript to File option.

6.	This option converts the bitmap file into a Postscript file. See the Help for creating a printer for additional information.

7.	Send the postscript file to a postscript printer.

Note: You may want to experiment with the NetView Options→Settings command to change window colors as some colors convert better to black and white than others.

You can also use the Microsoft Paint program to print NetView windows.

1.	Select the segment or subnet map window. This is now the active window.

2.	Press ALT+PRINT SCREEN. This action copies the bitmap to the clipboard.

3.	Choose the Microsoft Paint application from the Accessories program group.

4.	Choose Edit→Paste to copy the bitmap into the file. The entire active window is now in the Paint application.

5.	Choose File→Print.

6.	You can save the file as a bitmap and include it in other applications.


How can I get started with the NetView program?

You can choose many ways to get familiar with the NetView program, but one path is to examine the descriptions of all the available menus by choosing Help→Menus.

In addition to this Frequently Asked Questions and Answers help, there is the NetView product help and the Books Online. You can access the help and the online books from the NetView program group or the Help menu.


Why can't I see the Navigation Tree?

If you are having problems displaying the Navigation tree, check that the monitor is set to display a pixel value of greater than 640 x 480.

To change the pixels:

1.	Choose Control Panel→Display.

2.	In the Display Settings dialog box, click on the List All modes... button.

3.	Choose a value greater than 640 x 480, then click on OK.

You may also have noticed a problem in the installation where the installation screens appeared cut off on the right or with displaying the MIB instance value in the MIB Browser.