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Q&A
Q. What is the CiscoWorks Device Fault Manager (DFM)?
A. CiscoWorks DFM provides real-time, detailed fault analysis, designed specifically for Cisco® devices. This focus on Cisco devices allows CiscoWorks DFM to monitor Cisco technology-based networks for a variety of fault conditions, analyze these conditions, and only notify the user through intelligent traps, detailing the problem that has occurred.
Q. How is CiscoWorks DFM packaged?
A. CiscoWorks DFM is available as part of the CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution (LMS).
Q. I am currently using an enterprise management system for fault management. Do I need CiscoWorks DFM? If so, why?
A. CiscoWorks DFM can be used as a Cisco fault subsystem, generating intelligent traps to other event-management systems installed in the network. Cisco Systems® has worked closely with a number of enterprise management systems, helping enable these intelligent Cisco traps to be displayed properly in their respective event systems.
Q. What type of event rules do I need to write to support the Cisco routers and switches in my network? What happens if I add more ports on one or more of my switches-do I have to rewrite my rules?
A. CiscoWorks DFM is designed to be automatically operational, with support for more than 120 of the most common Cisco routers, switches, access servers, and hubs already built in. For each of these supported devices, CiscoWorks DFM will automatically look for a range of common problems at the device and VLAN level without ever requiring users to write rules or set polling or threshold values. As the network grows and changes, CiscoWorks DFM will detect changes in Cisco devices and adjust its analysis accordingly.
Q. How does CiscoWorks DFM perform its fault analysis?
A. CiscoWorks DFM actively monitors a wide range of symptoms that Cisco has identified can occur in an operational network. Depending on the type of device, CiscoWorks DFM will actively monitor different conditions through Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) polling, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) MIB interrogation, and SNMP trap reception, and track only those conditions known to cause higher-level problems in that particular device. If CiscoWorks DFM receives information from the device that does not relate to a higher-level problem, CiscoWorks DFM will not issue an alert, minimizing the need for IT managers to look at every event happening on the network. This provides the opportunity for IT managers to proactively manage Cisco device faults.
Q. Can I extend CiscoWorks DFM to monitor the SNMP variables of third-party devices, such as my NT or UNIX system-based application servers?
A. CiscoWorks DFM is designed specifically for monitoring faults from Cisco devices. If you need a solution to monitor a multidevice, multivendor environment, you can use CiscoWorks DFM as a Cisco fault subsystem generating intelligent Cisco traps to other enterprise management systems.
Q. How is CiscoWorks DFM integrated with the CiscoWorks Family of products?
A. As part of the CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution, DFM is designed to work with the entire CiscoWorks Family. It integrates with the CiscoWorks Family in the following ways:
• Provides new CiscoWorks DFM folder on CiscoWorks desktop
• Uses CiscoWorks security roles
• Uses CiscoWorks server process and backup management services
• Automatically imports Cisco devices from CiscoWorks Resource Manager Essentials (RME), for both local and remote installations of DFM and RME
Q. I understand CiscoWorks DFM comes ready to use with thresholds and polling intervals already established for a wide range of Cisco devices. Can I tune these settings to meet the unique needs of my network?
A. Yes, CiscoWorks DFM users with administration rights have the ability to tune all of the thresholds and polling intervals.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the CiscoWorks Device Fault Manager and CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution, visit http://www.cisco.com/go/lms or contact your local Cisco account representative or send an e-mail to the Product Marketing group at ciscoworks@cisco.com.
