Remote Monitoring (Rmon) - Alcatel OmniSwitch 6600 Family Network Configuration Manual

Diagnosing Switch Problems

Remote Monitoring (RMON)

Remote Network Monitoring (RMON) is an SNMP protocol used to manage networks remotely. RMON
probes can be used to collect, interpret and forward statistical data about network traffic from designated
active ports in a LAN segment to an NMS (Network Management System) application for monitoring and
analysis without negatively impacting network performance. RMON software is fully integrated in the
Chassis Management software and works with the Ethernet software to acquire statistical information.
The following diagram illustrates how an External RMON Probe can be used with port mirroring to copy
RMON probe frames and Management frames to and from the mirroring and mirrored ports. Frames
received from an RMON probe attached to the mirroring port can be seen as being received by the
mirrored port. These frames from the mirroring port are marked as if they are received on the mirrored
port before being sent over the switch backplane to an NMS station. Therefore, management frames that
are destined for the RMON probe are first forwarded out the mirrored port. After being received on the
mirrored port, copies of the frames are mirrored out the mirroring port—the probe attached to the mirror-
ing port receives the management frames.
NMS Workstation
B. ...appear to come from the mirrored port
when the NMS Workstation receives them.
C. Management frames from the NMS Workstation are sent to the mirrored port....
NMS Workstation
OmniSwitch 6600 Family Network Configuration Guide
A. RMON probe frames sent from the mirroring port...
OmniSwitch 6648
Mirrored Port
OmniSwitch 6648
OmniSwitch
Mirrored Port
Port Mirroring Using External RMON Probe
Mirroring Port
RMON Probe
OmniSwitch 6648
Mirroring Port
OmniSwitch 6648
RMON Probe
OmniSwitch
D. ...and port mirroring sends copies of the
Management frames to the mirroring port.
April 2006
Remote Monitoring (RMON)
page 27-25