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Conference netcad::hub_mgnt

Title:DEChub/HUBwatch/PROBEwatch CONFERENCE
Notice:Firmware -2, Doc -3, Power -4, HW kits -5, firm load -6&7
Moderator:NETCAD::COLELLADT
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:4455
Total number of notes:16761

1787.0. "Find address fails...." by NAC::LICAUSE () Thu Dec 15 1994 13:50

    We're running V3.1 of the OSF version of HUBwatch and have noticed that
    the find address function often fails.
    
    It appears that it is not querying all devices in the hubs and only 
    repeaters are included in the search.
    
    Is this really the case and if so why?
    
    We have some workstations directly connected to Bridges and it is also
    possible to have addresses off of terminal servers.
    
    Thanks,
    Al
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1787.1Please use HUBwatch HELP... Our writers are the greatest !!!SLINK::HOODI'd rather be at the PenobscotThu Dec 15 1994 14:2627
Nice idea.  However...

The find address function is *designed* to work only for stations connected
to repeater ports.  Quoting directly from the HELP text you get when you
press the "HELP" button in the Find Address window...

	+---------------------------------------------------------------+
	|                                                               |
	|  Find Address Window                                          |
	|                                                               |
	|  Open the window to search for an Ethernet station            |
	|  by MAC Address, DECnet address , DECnet name , IP            |
	|  address, or IP name .                                        |
	|                                                               |
	|                                  Note                         |
	|                                                               |
	|      The Find Address function only finds stations that are   |
	|      connected to repeater ports.                             |
	|                                                               |
	+---------------------------------------------------------------+

If finding addresses on terminal servers, bridges, and switches is important,
please contact the HUBwatch product manager, Jack NAC::Forrest.  This is not
planned nor scheduled for V4.0.

Tom Hood
HUBwatch
1787.2ThanksNAC::LICAUSEFri Dec 16 1994 12:4411
    Thanks,
    
    this is definately a shortcoming.
    
    It would seem that the most appropriate way to do a find address would
    be to look only in the bridges, allowing a much faster search time.
    This would isolate to a particular hub or hub group.  Then allow
    hubwatch to selectively search for addresses on particular hubs or
    devices.
    
    I'll send mail to the product manager.
1787.3SLINK::HOODI'd rather be at the PenobscotFri Dec 16 1994 17:413
But also keep in mind a find on an address from a group of bridges would be
inconclusive.  The same MAC address can appear in any number of bridges'
forwarding databases...
1787.4NETCAD::SLAWRENCEMon Dec 19 1994 17:0724
    
    A well constructed find-address function for a set of bridges would
    display not only the ports on which the address was seen, but also
    those ports where the bridge was the designated bridge for the LAN
    (that is, the port in the direction of the packet source).
    
    For example:
    
        Address 08-00-2B-55-66-77 found on:
    
           Bridge        Port
           office_wge      1
           netcad_wge      1
           hubwatch_giga  22
           lab_wge         3 *
           blue_wgb        2 *
    
        * indicates that the address is not on the same port 
          as the spanning tree root.
    
    This requires some understanding on the part of the user on what a
    spanning tree is, but the present situation (requiring the user to
    perform the same search manually one bridge at a time) requires more.
    
1787.5Find Address, should do exactly that...MSDOA::REEDJohn Reed @CBO, (803) 781-9571 NIS NetworkerMon Dec 19 1994 17:3018
    I second that request.  I have a command procedure that I run (from
    DCL) to poll all bridges, and create listings periodically, and do
    ascii searches for address informration.  This only works on bridges
    managable from MCC and ELMS.   I use this function very frequently,
    every time I try to find an offending node, for any reason.  Knowing
    your spanning tree and which bridge port an address was last seen is
    CRITICAL to a network manager trying to find a babbling NIC, or someone
    breaking into the non-managed (coax) section of his LANs. 
    
    	PLEASE provide something for HUBwatch that could perform the same
    function to any repeater card, or Bridge port.   The older legacy
    bridges would be nice too, and perhaps Vitalinks, and then there's
    CISCO, and UB, and Wellfleet, and Newbridge, and 3com, and ..... .. ..
    
    
    Sorry,
    
    JR