Cisco Network Assistant manual

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The rules should oblige the seller to give the purchaser an operating instrucion of Cisco Network Assistant, along with an item. The lack of an instruction or false information given to customer shall constitute grounds to apply for a complaint because of nonconformity of goods with the contract. In accordance with the law, a customer can receive an instruction in non-paper form; lately graphic and electronic forms of the manuals, as well as instructional videos have been majorly used. A necessary precondition for this is the unmistakable, legible character of an instruction.

What is an instruction?

The term originates from the Latin word „instructio”, which means organizing. Therefore, in an instruction of Cisco Network Assistant one could find a process description. An instruction's purpose is to teach, to ease the start-up and an item's use or performance of certain activities. An instruction is a compilation of information about an item/a service, it is a clue.

Unfortunately, only a few customers devote their time to read an instruction of Cisco Network Assistant. A good user manual introduces us to a number of additional functionalities of the purchased item, and also helps us to avoid the formation of most of the defects.

What should a perfect user manual contain?

First and foremost, an user manual of Cisco Network Assistant should contain:
- informations concerning technical data of Cisco Network Assistant
- name of the manufacturer and a year of construction of the Cisco Network Assistant item
- rules of operation, control and maintenance of the Cisco Network Assistant item
- safety signs and mark certificates which confirm compatibility with appropriate standards

Why don't we read the manuals?

Usually it results from the lack of time and certainty about functionalities of purchased items. Unfortunately, networking and start-up of Cisco Network Assistant alone are not enough. An instruction contains a number of clues concerning respective functionalities, safety rules, maintenance methods (what means should be used), eventual defects of Cisco Network Assistant, and methods of problem resolution. Eventually, when one still can't find the answer to his problems, he will be directed to the Cisco service. Lately animated manuals and instructional videos are quite popular among customers. These kinds of user manuals are effective; they assure that a customer will familiarize himself with the whole material, and won't skip complicated, technical information of Cisco Network Assistant.

Why one should read the manuals?

It is mostly in the manuals where we will find the details concerning construction and possibility of the Cisco Network Assistant item, and its use of respective accessory, as well as information concerning all the functions and facilities.

After a successful purchase of an item one should find a moment and get to know with every part of an instruction. Currently the manuals are carefully prearranged and translated, so they could be fully understood by its users. The manuals will serve as an informational aid.

Table of contents for the manual

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    Americas Headquarters Cisco Systems, In c. 170 West Tasman Drive San Jose, CA 951 34-1706 USA http://www.ci sco.com Tel: 408 526-4000 800 553-NETS (638 7) Fax: 408 527-0883 Get ting Started with Cisco Netw ork Assistant Ve r s i o n 5 . 4 Text Part Number: OL -6194-07[...]

  • Page 2

    THE SPECIFICATION S AND INFORMATION REGARDING TH E PRODUCTS IN THIS MANUAL ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITH OUT NOTICE. ALL STATEMENTS , INFORMATION, AND RECOMMENDATI ONS IN THI S MANUAL ARE BE LIEVED TO BE A CCURATE BUT ARE PRESENTED WI THOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EX PRESS OR IMPLIED. USERS MUST TAKE FULL RESPO NSIBILITY FOR THEIR APPLICATION OF ANY PRO[...]

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    iii Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 CONTENTS Preface v Audience i-v Purpose i-v Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Serv ice Request i-v CHAPTER 1 What Is Network Assistant? 1-1 CHAPTER 2 Network Assistant Features 2-1 Front Panel View 2-2 Topology View 2-3 Menu Bar, Toolbar, and Feature Ba r 2-4 Menu Bar 2-4 Toolbar 2[...]

  • Page 4

    Contents iv Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Hostnames 4-2 Passwords 4-3 Communication Protoc ols 4-3 Community Information 4-3 Creating a Community 4-3 Discovering a nd Adding Devices 4-3 Manually Adding Members 4-4 Converting a Cluster to a Community 4-4 Verifying a Community 4- 4 APPENDIX A Configuring a C atalyst 4500 Se[...]

  • Page 5

    v Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Preface Audience This guide is for system administrators, network mana gers, and other users who want to manage stand alone network de vices and device groups through a GUI. It pr esents Cisco Netw ork Assistant, kno wn as Network Assistant, as a solution. Purpose The purpose of this guid e[...]

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    vi Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07[...]

  • Page 7

    CH A P T E R 1-1 Getting Starte d with Cisco Network A ssistant OL-6194-07 1 What Is Network Assistant? Network Assistant is an applica tion that you can use to manage standalone de vices and device groups—communities and clust ers—from anywhere in your in tranet. Y ou can perfor m multiple confi guration tasks without using command-line inte r[...]

  • Page 8

    1-2 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Chapter 1 What Is Network Assistant? • If a community member fails, Network Assi stant can continue to manage the ot her members. If a cluster command de vice fails, Network Assistant cannot manage the other members of the cluster unless a cluster st andby de vice has be en configured. [...]

  • Page 9

    CH A P T E R 2-1 Getting Starte d with Cisco Network A ssistant OL-6194-07 2 Network Assistant Features Network Assistan t simplif ies the managemen t of comm unities or clusters by offer ing a GUI, alternati ve modes for configuring network de vices, two lev e ls of access, and comprehensive online help. Figure 2-1 sho ws the main features of the [...]

  • Page 10

    2-2 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Chapter 2 N etwork Assistant Features Front Panel View • Menu Bar , T oolbar , and Feature Bar , page 2-4 • Network Assistant Modes, page 2-8 • Wi z a r ds , p a ge 2-9 • Smartports, page 2-9 • Pri vilege Le vels, page 2-9 • Updates for Network A ssistant, page 2-9 • Online [...]

  • Page 11

    2-3 Getting Starte d with Cisco Network A ssistant OL-6194-07 Chapter 2 Network Assistant Featur es Topology View Figur e 2-2 Fr ont P anel Vi ew and P ort P opup Window Topology View When Network Assistant connects to a community or a cluster , the T opology vie w appears by default . If you change t his default, yo u can see the T opology vie w b[...]

  • Page 12

    2-4 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Chapter 2 N etwork Assistant Features Menu Bar, Toolb ar, and Featur e Bar Figur e 2-3 T opol ogy View and Device P opup Windo ws Note When you are managing a communit y , the T opology vie w displays all the de vices in that community . T o display a dif ferent community , you must conne[...]

  • Page 13

    2-5 Getting Starte d with Cisco Network A ssistant OL-6194-07 Chapter 2 Network Assistant Featur es Menu Bar, Toolbar, and Feature Bar • W indow—na vigate to open the Network Assi stant windo ws. • Help—open the onl ine help. Toolbar Ta b l e 2-1 lists t he toolbar options from left t o right on the toolbar . Ta b l e 2-1 T oolbar Icons and[...]

  • Page 14

    2-6 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Chapter 2 N etwork Assistant Features Menu Bar, Toolb ar, and Featur e Bar Feature Bar The feature bar shows the networking features tha t are av ailable for the device s in your communi ty or cluster . By default, the feature bar is in standard mo de. In this mode, it is al ways visible,[...]

  • Page 15

    2-7 Getting Starte d with Cisco Network A ssistant OL-6194-07 Chapter 2 Network Assistant Featur es Menu Bar, Toolbar, and Feature Bar Figure 2-4 sho ws the feature bar . Figur e 2-4 Feat ure Bar The features are grouped under menus. When you click a menu item, th e configuration window for th e feature opens. Access modes af fect the av ailability[...]

  • Page 16

    2-8 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Chapter 2 N etwork Assistant Features Network Assista nt Modes Network Assistant Modes Y ou can use Network Assistan t in these modes: • Expert Mode—Conf igures a feature in a single windo w . Network Assistant is in expert mod e by default. T o run a feature i n expert mode choose Ex[...]

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    2-9 Getting Starte d with Cisco Network A ssistant OL-6194-07 Chapter 2 Network Assistant Featur es Wizards Wizards All wizards contai n Wi z a r d in their names on the feature bar . Like guide mode, wizards provide a step-by-step approach for completi ng a spe cific conf iguration task. Unlike guide mode, wizards do not prompt you to enter inform[...]

  • Page 18

    2-10 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Chapter 2 N etwork Assistant Features Online Help Online Help Network Assistant pr ovides comprehensi ve online help that e xplains configuration and moni toring tasks. Sometimes the informatio n in a help topic dif fers for di fferent de vices. In these cases, the right pane of the Help[...]

  • Page 19

    CH A P T E R 3-1 Getting Starte d with Cisco Network A ssistant OL-6194-07 3 Installing Cisco Network Assistant This chapter describes how to install Cisco Network Assistant and ho w to connect it to a device or an existi ng community . For information about the requi rements needed to install Network Assi stant, see the Release Notes at :http://ww[...]

  • Page 20

    3-2 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Chapter 3 Insta l ling Cisco Network Assistant Connecting to Networ k Assistant Connecting to Network Assistant Use the Connect window in Netw ork Assistant to connect to a community or cluster . Figure 3-1 .s hows the Connect window . T o connect Networ k Assistant to a de vice: Step 1 F[...]

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    3-3 Getting Starte d with Cisco Network A ssistant OL-6194-07 Chapter 3 Insta lling Cisco Network Assistant Connecting to N etwork Assistant When the connection occurs, the Ne twork Assistan t windo w is in connect mode. The toolbar adds ico ns that represent de vice features. Similarl y , the feature bar f ills with menus that list the de vice fea[...]

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    3-4 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Chapter 3 Insta l ling Cisco Network Assistant Connecting to Networ k Assistant[...]

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    CH A P T E R 4-1 Getting Starte d with Cisco Network A ssistant OL-6194-07 4 Planning and Creating Communities This chapte r provid es the concep ts and procedures for planning and creating communities by using Network Assistant. It co ntains these sections: • Planning a Community , page 4-1 • Creating a Community , page 4-3 For info rmation ab[...]

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    4-2 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Chapter 4 Planning a nd Creating Communities Planning a Community Community Device Limit The combined number of Catalyst switches, Cisco access routers, and PI X f irewalls in a community cannot e xce ed 40. Th ere ar e n o lim it s on in di vi du al de vic e t yp es . There is no limit o[...]

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    4-3 Getting Starte d with Cisco Network A ssistant OL-6194-07 Chapter 4 Plannin g and Creating Communities Creating a Community Passwords When connecting to a community , Network Assistant prompt s you for each unique passwo rd that has already been assigned for members of th e community . Network Assistant attempts to use these passwords to co nne[...]

  • Page 26

    4-4 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Chapter 4 Planning a nd Creating Communities Creating a Co mmunity 3. Click the Advanced butto n if you want to set an HTTP port ot her than 80, the default port. Enter the HTTP port number that you want to use. Click OK . 4. Enter the IP address for th e starting de vice, and click Disco[...]

  • Page 27

    A-1 Getting Started with Cisco Netwo rk Assistant OL-6194-07 APPENDIX A Configuring a Catalyst 4500 Series Switch for Network Assistant Management This appendix describes ho w to configu re a Catalyst 4500 series switch for Network Assistant. It also lists the Networ k Assistant feature def aults for the switch. Note For complete informat ion on co[...]

  • Page 28

    A-2 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Appendix A Configuring a Catalyst 4500 Series Switch for Network Assistant Management Configuring Your Switch for Network Assistant This section descri bes how to configu re your switch for Netw ork Assistant. It includes these sections: • Minimum Conf iguration to Access Catalyst 45 00[...]

  • Page 29

    REVIEW DRAFT—CISCO C ONFIDE NTIAL A-3 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Appendix A Configurin g a Catalyst 4500 Series Switch for Network Assistant Manag ement Additional Configuration Re quired to Manage a Community Note If you ha ve enabled clus tering, disable clustering before conf iguring a community . If you plan to u[...]

  • Page 30

    A-4 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 Appendix A Configuring a Catalyst 4500 Series Switch for Network Assistant Management Step 6 Switch(config-if)# end Return to pri vileged EXEC mode. Step 7 Switch# show running-config V erify the config uration. Command Purpose[...]

  • Page 31

    IN-1 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assista nt OL-6194-07 INDEX A accessing communities 4-2 automatic discovery adding members 4-3 considerations connectivity 4-2 non-CDP-capable devices 4-4 in communi ties 4-2 See also CDP C candidates automatic discovery in communi ties 4-3 Catalyst 4500 switches cluster configura tion A-3 community configura[...]

  • Page 32

    Index IN-2 Getting Started with Cisco Network Assistant OL-6194-07 D device limits in a com munity 4-2 discovery, communiti es See automatic discovery F features Front Panel view 2-2 menu bar 2-4 online help 2-10 privilege levels 2-9 Topology view 2-3 wizards 2-9 H hostnames in communi ties 4-2 I installing Network Assistant procedure 3-1 IP addres[...]