Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bbn!gatech!ulysses!smb
From: smb@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com (Steven Bellovin)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Can ethernet TCP/IP lock up?
Keywords: network management
Message-ID: <10316@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com>
Date: 21 May 88 16:18:46 GMT
References: <299@fedeva.UUCP> <22765@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 23

The whole discussion about Ethernets locking up raises another issue:
what do folks use for network control, monitoring, and management?
We have a moderately complex topology:  one building wired with thinwire
Ethernet according to the DECconnect wiring scheme (which I described
recently in a long posting to comp.sys.sun), linked by LANbridges and
fiber transceivers to another building; it in turn has an IP-level
gateway to two other Ethernets, one of which is a multi-organization
backbone.  There are assorted other links as well, using varying
technologies.

The question is this:  what can we buy/build to monitor this?  I'm
especially concerned about the Ethernets; I'm interested in routine
monitoring for collision rates, plus fault isolation in case of network
meltdowns, collision storms, etc.  Presumably we need a TDR (and baseline
photographs of each segment); what else do we need?  Are etherfind(1) and
traffic(1) on our Suns sufficient?  How about an Excelan Lanalyzer, or
a Cabletron LAN MD or LAN SPECIALIST?  Does anyone have any experience
with any of those products?


		--Steve Bellovin
		ulysses!smb
		smb@ulysses.att.com