The user interface makes it easy to manage networking features. These are the main parts that define the user interface:
•Menu Bar-The row of menus across the top of the window. It offers application services, a list of open windows, and online help.
•Toolbar-The row of icons directly below the menu bar. They represent the most often used application services and most often configured networking features.
•Left Navigation Pane-The scalable panel on the left side of the content pane in which you select the features to configure and monitor.
•Content Pane-The right side of the workspace, in which windows appear. You view reports here and enter information that configures networking features.
•Status Bar-The bar at the bottom of the window. Where Cisco CP displays the status of the application.
Menu Bar
The row of menus across the top of the window that offers application services:
•Create User Profile—Allows you to restrict users from using all of the features that are available in the left navigation pane. See User Profile.
•Import User Profile—Allows you to import a user profile. See User Profile.
•Options—Allows you to set user preferences such as log level, show community at startup, and show CLI preview parameters. See Options.
•Template—Allows you to create, edit, or apply a template. See Templates.
•Work Offline—Allows you to work with Cisco Configuration Professional in offline mode. See Offline or Demo Mode.
•Exit—Exits the Cisco Configuration Professional application.
Help
Contains the following options:
•Help Contents—Displays the online help contents, which includes online help topics and links to screencasts.
•Feedback—Displays a feedback form allowing you to provide feedback on Cisco Configuration Professional.
•About—Displays information about Cisco Configuration Professional such as the version number and allows you to view the end-user licence agreement.
Toolbar
Cisco CP features are available from the toolbar at the top of the window. Table 2-2 describes these tools.
Table 2-2 Toolbar
Tool Icon
Description
Home button. Click this button to display the Community View page, which summarizes the community information and allows you to add, edit, discover devices, and to view the discovery and router status of each device.
Configure button. Click this button to display the features that you can configure on a chosen device. The features are displayed in the left navigation pane.
Note If a feature (router, security, or voice) is not supported on a device, that feature is not displayed in the left navigation pane.
Note If the version of Cisco IOS that is installed on the device does not support a specific feature, but an upgrade does support it, then that feature is disabled (grayed out) in the left navigation pane.
Monitor button. Click this button to display the router and security features that you can monitor for a chosen device. The features are displayed in the left navigation pane.
Note If a feature (router or security) is not supported on a device, that feature is not displayed in the left navigation pane.
Note If the version of Cisco IOS that is installed on the device does not support a specific feature, but an upgrade does support it, then that feature is disabled (grayed out) in the left navigation pane.
Manage Community icon. Click this icon to open the Manage Community dialog box where you can add a new community or edit an existing community.
Refresh icon. Click this button to:
•Rediscover the selected device in the Select Community Member drop-down menu.
• Rediscover and reload the current feature.
Note Refresh is not available for offline mode.
Note Refresh is available only after successful discovery of one or more devices.
Note Clicking the Refresh button refreshes the device selected in the Select Community Member drop-down menu. Selecting a device in the Home > Dashboard page and clicking Refresh does not refresh that device.
Provide feedback to Cisco Systems icon. Click this icon to open the Cisco Configuration Professional Feedback form, which you can use to send feedback about this product to Cisco Systems.
Help icon. Click this button to open the help page for the active window.
Status Bar
The status bar displays Status information about Cisco CP and selected community members.
Note When you are in the Home > Dashboard > Community View page, the padlock icon in the status bar displays the connection mode of the device that is selected in the Select Community Member drop-down list.
Table 2-3 Status Bar
Feature Icon
Feature Name
Description
Secure Connection
The locked padlock icon indicates that Cisco CP has a secure connection with the chosen community member.
Nonsecure Connection
The unlocked padlock icon indicates that Cisco CP has a nonsecure connection with the chosen community member.
Choose the log level that you want displayed in the log file from the drop-down list. Options are:
•Error—Choose the Error option to display only error messages in the log file. This option is selected by default.
•Debug—Choose the Debug option to display error and debug messages in the log file. Use this option when you have experienced a problem with Cisco CP, and you want to send the log files to Cisco TAC for assistance.
After you choose the Debug option, recreate the problem that you want to log, and then use the Collect Data for TAC Support utility to send the log files to Cisco TAC. For procedure, see Collecting Cisco CP Technical Support Logs, page 3-21. After the problem is fixed, we recommend that you change the log level back to Error.
Show Community at Startup check box
By default the Show Community at Startup check box is checked. When this check box is checked, the Manage Community dialog box automatically displays when you start Cisco CP. See Manage Community Dialog Box, page 3-6.
Un-check the Show Community at Startup check box if you do not want Cisco CP to display the Manage Community dialog box on startup.
Show CLI Previews check box
By default the Show CLI Previews check box is checked. When this check box is checked, and you enter the parameters to configure a feature, the Deliver Configuration to Router dialog box opens displaying the CLI commands to be delivered to the router.
Un-check the Show CLI Previews check box if you do not want Cisco CP to display the CLI commands in the Deliver Configuration to Router dialog box before configuring a feature.
You must have internet access to view the screencast.
Offline or Demo Mode
Information about how to use Cisco Configuration Professional (Cisco CP) to configure the Offline or Demo mode feature, is provided in a screencast. Table 2-5 provides information about the dummy devices used in the screencast. It lists the hostnames, the corresponding hardware, and the mode used in the screencast. See Table 2-5 and then view the screencast at:
1FE ADSLoISDN, ILPM-8, Dual Band 802.11 A+B/G Radio Access Point
Security Routing
CISCO1941
EHWIC-D-8ESG
Security Routing
CISCO2801
AIM-VPN/EPII-PLUS, AIM-VPN/SSL-2
Security Routing
CISCO1812/K9
No modules
Security Routing
Note When a discovered device is moved to offline mode, Cisco CP sends the CLIs needed for identifying all the supported features in the device. Cisco CP sends the CLI irrespective of whether the feature is already configured on the device or not.
Online Help
Cisco Configuration Professional provides comprehensive online help. Help gives you background information on networking features procedures for performing configuration tasks, and descriptions of each configuration screen. Some of the features have screencasts instead of online help. The links to these sceencasts are provided in the online help.
Feedback
Understanding the User Interface
