UG - Imonitor User Guide IDX 2.0 - Rev C - 012110

iMonitor User Guide
iDX Release 2.0

A component of iVantage NMS
January 21, 2010
iMonitor User Guide i

iDX Release 2.0
Copyright 2010 VT iDirect, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is
prohibited. Information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The specifications and information
regarding the products in this document are subject to change without notice. All statements, information, and
recommendations in this document are believed to be accurate, but are presented without warranty of any kind,
express, or implied. Users must take full responsibility for their application of any products. Trademarks, brand
names and products mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. All such references
are used strictly in an editorial fashion with no intent to convey any affiliation with the name or the product's
rightful owner.
Document Name: UG_iMonitor User Guide iDX 2.0_Rev C_012110.pdf
Document Part Number: T0000242
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iDX Release 2.0
Contents
List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x
List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii

Purpose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Intended Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Contents Of This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii
Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii
Related Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix
Getting Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xix
The iVantage Network Management System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi
1 Overview of the NMS for iMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

1.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Components of the Network Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2.1 NMS Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2.2 Server Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 Installing iBuilder, iMonitor, and iSite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3.1 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3.2 Installation Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.4 Installing the Geographic Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4.1 Components of the Geographic Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4.2 Installing the License File on the NMS Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4.3 Installing the Client Software and Map Data on Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
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1.5 Launching iMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.5.1 Logging On To Additional Servers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.5.2 Multiple Users or PCs Accessing the NMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.5.3 Accepting Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.6 Overview of iMonitor Usage and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.6.1 iMonitor Time Frames in Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.6.2 Saving Historical Time Ranges across Multiple Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
1.6.3 Historical Save to File Capability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.6.4 Types of iMonitor Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.6.5 Multicolumn Details Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.6.6 Multiple vs. Grouped Display Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.7 Using iMonitors Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.7.1 Clicking on Elements: What Happens? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Right-Clicking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Single-Clicking vs. Double-Clicking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
1.7.2 Globe Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Using the Docking Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Hiding Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Expanding the Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Collapsing the Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Sorting Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Sorting the Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.7.3 Network Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.7.4 Using the Interface Toolbars and Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Title Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Audio Notification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Acknowledging Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
View Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Find Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Workspace Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Saving and Reloading Workspaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Operational Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Connection Details on Status Bar Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Conditions Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Legend Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Configuration Changes Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Viewing Real-Time Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
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1.7.5 Selecting Columns for Viewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
1.7.6 Monitoring iSCPC Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2 Monitoring Conditions and Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

2.1 Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2.1.1 Representing State of Element via Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
2.1.2 Conditions Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
2.1.3 Elements with Multiple Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.1.4 Offline State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.1.5 Alarms and Warnings on Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.2 Putting an Element under Observation for Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
2.2.1 Viewing Conditions or Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Viewing Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Viewing Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
2.2.2 Interpreting Conditions Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
2.3 Interpreting System Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
2.4 Snapshots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
2.4.1 Network, Teleport and Device Condition Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Multiple Selection Options in Condition Snapshot View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
2.4.2 Network and Line Card Data Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
3 Monitoring Performance and Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

3.1 Monitoring Blades in iMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
3.2 Using the Remote Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
3.2.1 Modifying the Timeout Duration for a CW or PN Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
3.3 CPU Usage (Blades Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
3.4 Timeplan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
3.4.1 Pausing the Timeplan Graph and Highlighting Individual Entries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
3.5 Inroute Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
3.5.1 Viewing Inroute Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
3.5.2 Performing ACQ Bounce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
3.6 Latency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
3.7 Retrieving Information on Remotes using Probe Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
3.8 Satellite Link Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
3.8.1 Line Card Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Identifying Remotes Causing Rx CRC Errors on iNFINITI Line Cards . . . . . . . . . 74
3.8.2 SATCOM Graph, Remote Status and UCP Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
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SATCOM Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Mesh UCP Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Selecting Parameters in the Mesh UCP Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Mesh UCP Parameter Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Remote Status and UCP Info Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
3.8.3 Group QoS Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Viewing QoS Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Saving QoS Statistics to an Excel Spreadsheet or to a CSV Formatted File . . . . 85
3.8.4 Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
3.9 Monitoring DVB-S2 Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
3.9.1 Monitoring the ACM Gain of Your DVB-S2 Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
3.9.2 Monitoring the MODCOD Distribution of Your DVB-S2 Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
3.9.3 Monitoring the MODCOD Utilization of Your DVB-S2 Remotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Determining the MODCOD from the MODCOD Index Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Customizing the Display with the Sparkline Context Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
3.9.4 Monitoring the Signal-to-Noise Ratio of Your DVB-S2 Remotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
3.9.5 Viewing DVB-S2 Hub Line Card Debug Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
3.10 Connecting to Network Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
3.10.1 Examining IP Routing and HDLC Information on Remotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
3.11 Monitoring Your Bandwidth with SkyMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
3.11.1 Viewing the Spectrum with SkyMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
3.11.2 Changing the SkyMonitor Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
3.11.3 Capturing and Recalling SkyMonitor Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Saving SkyMonitor Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Recalling and Viewing SkyMonitor Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Capturing an Image of the SkyMonitor Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
4 Traffic Statistics and Traffic Graphs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

4.1 Traffic Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
4.1.1 IP Traffic Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
4.1.2 Satellite Traffic Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
4.1.3 IP Traffic Statistics vs. Satellite Traffic Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
4.1.4 Mesh Traffic Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
4.1.5 Traffic Statistics Collection Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
4.2 Traffic Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
4.2.1 SAT Traffic Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
4.2.2 IP Traffic Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
4.2.3 Mesh Traffic Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
4.3 Satellite Bandwidth Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
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5 Reporting on Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
5.1 Long Term Bandwidth Usage Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
5.1.1 Generating Long Term Bandwidth Usage Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
5.1.2 Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Totals Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Averages Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
5.1.3 Interpreting the Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Percentage of Channel Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
5.2 Remote and Line Card Availability Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
6 Monitoring Remotes Using the Geographic Map . . . . . . . . . . . 143

6.1 Launching the Geographic Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
6.2 The Map Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
6.3 Tracking and Locating Mobile Remotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
6.3.1 Enabling Remote Tracking and Clearing Remote Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
6.3.2 Determining a Remotes Current Location and State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
6.3.3 Determining a Remotes Past Locations at Specific Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
6.4 Using the Map to Select from the Network Tree Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
6.4.1 Selecting from the Remote Submenu for a Single Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
6.4.2 Selecting from the Remote Submenu for Multiple Remotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
6.5 Geographic Map Filtering Based on Remote Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
6.5.1 Applying Filters Using the Geographic Map Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
6.5.2 Applying Filters Using the Filter Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Appendix A Accessing the NMS Statistics Archive . . . . . . . . . . . 155

A.1 Optimization of the Statistics Archive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
A.1.1 Optimized NMS Statistics Archive Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
A.1.2 Optimized NMS Statistics Archive Lookup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
A.1.3 Archive Consolidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
A.2 NMS Database Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
A.2.1 Connecting to the NMS Archive Database with ODBC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
A.2.2 Obtaining the ODBC Connection Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
A.2.3 Setting up a Simple ODBC Access Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
A.3 Basic Archive Database Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
A.3.1 Types of NMS Databases and Supported Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
A.3.2 Structure Changes between Releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
A.3.3 Accessing Remote and Network Names from Configuration Database . . . . . . . . 158
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A.3.4 Timestamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
A.3.5 Overview of the Archive Database Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
A.4 Database Table Details . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
A.4.1 IP Stats Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Consolidated IP Stats Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Statistics Consolidation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
A.4.2 Latency Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
A.4.3 Hub Line Card Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
A.4.4 Remote Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
A.4.5 Uplink Control Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
A.4.6 Event Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
A.4.7 Hub and Remote State Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
A.4.8 Protocol Processor State Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
A.4.9 Hub Chassis State Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
A.4.10 Over-the-Air Statistics Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Consolidated Over-the-Air Statistics Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
A.4.11 Over-the-Air Multicast Statistics Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Consolidated Over-the-Air Statistics Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
A.4.12 Mesh Statistics Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Consolidated Mesh Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
A.4.13 DVB-S2 Statistics Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
A.4.14 Group QoS Statistics Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Consolidated Group QoS Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
A.4.15 Revision Activity and Revision State Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
A.5 NMS Statistics Archive Database Restructuring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
A.5.1 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
A.5.2 The New Archive Database Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
A.5.3 The New Archive Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
A.5.4 Table Division Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
A.5.5 Table Selection Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
A.5.6 Converting Data between Table Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
After the Upgrade to Release 6.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Changing the 6.1 Table Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
A.5.7 Optimizing Archive Database Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Copying the Archive Database Partitioning Calculator to Your PC . . . . . . . . 190
Using the Archive Database Partitioning Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
A.5.8 Selecting from the Restructured Database . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Identifying the Location of the Result Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Ignoring the Location of the Result Set (Part One) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Ignoring the Location of the Result Set (Part Two) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
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Appendix B Alarms and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
B.1 Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
B.2 Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Appendix C SNMP Proxy Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

C.1 How the Proxy Agent Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
C.2 The iDirect Management Information Base (MIB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
C.2.1 Resetting Statistical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
C.2.2 iDirect MIB SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
C.2.3 Setting up SNMP Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
C.3 Working with HP OpenView . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
C.3.1 Linux SNMP Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Appendix D Rx CRC Error Correlation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

D.1 CRC Errors due to False Burst Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
D.2 Determining the Inroute IDs for Your Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
D.3 Enabling Rx CRC Correlation for Your Inroutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
D.4 Connecting to the Protocol Processor Blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
D.5 Running the CRC Correlation Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
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List of Figures
Figure 1. Desktop Shortcuts for NMS GUI Clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Figure 2. Windows Start Menu Entries for NMS GUI Clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Figure 3. iMonitor Login Information Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Figure 4. Using the File Menu to Log On To iMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Figure 5. Accept Changes Button Indicating Configuration Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Figure 6. Using the Pushpin to Set the Time Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Figure 7. iMonitor Main Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 8. Expand Tree Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 9. Expanded Tree with Child Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 10. Collapse Tree Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 11. Collapsed Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 12. Sort Preferences Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Figure 13. Fully-Expanded Network in iMonitor Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 14. iMonitor Title Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 15. iMonitor Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 16. iMonitor Main Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 17. Enabling Audio Notification from the Results Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Figure 18. Disabling Audio Notification from the Results Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Figure 19. Audio Notification Properties Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Figure 20. Condition Log Tab with Acknowledged Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Figure 21. iMonitor View Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Figure 22. Selecting Search Criteria on Find Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Figure 23. Find Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Figure 24. The Workspace Toolbar in Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Figure 25. iMonitor Operational Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Figure 26. iMonitor Status Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Figure 27. Conditions Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Figure 28. Legend Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Figure 29. iMonitor Tree with Real-Time Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Figure 30. Selecting Columns for Viewing from Context Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Figure 31. Select Columns Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Figure 32. Select Columns Dialog Box with Show Default Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Figure 33. iMonitor Conditions Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Figure 34. Selecting the Toggle Conditions Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Figure 35. Observing Conditions for an Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Figure 36. iMonitor Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Figure 37. Select Items Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Figure 38. Conditions Select Time Range Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
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Figure 39. Events Time Range Dialog Box with Text Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Figure 40. Get Past Drop-Down List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Figure 41. Conditions Results in Multicolumn Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Figure 42. Conditions Time Line Results in Graphical Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Figure 43. Event Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Figure 44. Conditions Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Figure 45. List and Details View of Condition Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Figure 46. Remote Submenu in Condition Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Figure 47. Teleport Condition Snapshot: Detail View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Figure 48. Condition Snapshot: Hovering Mouse in Details View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Figure 49. Network Conditions: Selecting Multiple Remotes in Details View . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Figure 50. Select Remotes Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Figure 51. Select Items and Stats Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Figure 52. Network Data Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Figure 53. iMonitor Blade Info Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Figure 54. iMonitor Blade Info Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Figure 55. Probe Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Figure 56. Change Remote Tx Power Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Figure 57. Probe Dialog Box: Cross Polarization and Adjust Transmit Power . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Figure 58. Probe Dialog Box: Selecting a Protocol Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Figure 59. Probe Dialog Box: Protocol Layer Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Figure 60. Setting the Timeout for a CW or PN Carrier in iBuilder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Figure 61. Select Items Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Figure 62. Blade CPU Usage: Chart View Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Figure 63. Blade CPU Usage: List View Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Figure 64. Select Line Cards Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Figure 65. Timeplan Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Figure 66. Viewing Timeplan Message Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Figure 67. iMonitor Pause and Resume Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Figure 68. Select Inroute Groups Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Figure 69. Inroute Distribution Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Figure 70. Performing ACQ Bounce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Figure 71. Select Items Dialog Box for Latency Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Figure 72. Select Time Range Dialog Box and Clock Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Figure 73. iMonitor Latency Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Figure 74. Select Mesh Remotes Pair Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Figure 75. Probe Mesh Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Figure 76. Select Items Dialog Box for Line Card Stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Figure 77. iMonitor Hub Stats Pane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Figure 78. Select Items Dialog Box with Remote Pre-Selected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
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Figure 79. iMonitor SATCOM Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Figure 80. iMonitor Mesh UCP Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Figure 81. Parameters Section of the Mesh UCP Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Figure 82. Remote Status Raw Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Figure 83. UCP Info Raw Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Figure 84. Selecting Elements for Group QoS Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Figure 85. Selecting a Single Node for Group QoS Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Figure 86. iMonitor Group Stats Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Figure 87. Select Group Dialog Box for a Single Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Figure 88. Group QoS Statistics: Plot Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Figure 89. Saving QoS Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Figure 90. Sample Control Panel Tabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Figure 91. Selecting Remotes for ACM Gain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Figure 92. Select Time Range Graphical Slot Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Figure 93. ACM Gain: ACM Gain Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Figure 94. Selecting Remotes in the Left Pane of the ACM Gain Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Figure 95. Changing the Remotes in the ACM Gain Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Figure 96. Changing the ACM Gain Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Figure 97. ACM Gain: List Data Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Figure 98. Selecting Remotes for MODCOD Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Figure 99. MODCOD Distribution Display: MODCOD Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Figure 100. MODCOD Distribution Display: List Data Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Figure 101. Selecting Remotes for MODCOD Utilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Figure 102. MODCOD Utilization Display: Message Structure Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Figure 103. MODCOD Utilization Display: MODCOD Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Figure 104. MODCOD Utilization Display: Changing the Graph Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Figure 105. MODCOD Utilization Display: Detailed Data Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Figure 106. MODCOD Utilization Display: Context Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Figure 107. Enabling Mouse Tracking for MODCOD Utilization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Figure 108. MODCOD Utilization: Setting MODCOD Boundaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Figure 109. MODCOD Utilization: Setting Size of Sparkline Column and Rows . . . . . . . . . . 100
Figure 110. MODCOD Utilization: Setting the Maximum Spark Lines for a Remote . . . . . . . 100
Figure 111. Selecting Remotes SNR Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Figure 112. ACM SNR Monitoring: SNR Plot Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Figure 113. ACM SNR Monitoring: List Data Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Figure 114. DVB-S2 Hub Debug View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Figure 115. Viewing Details of DVB-S2 Hub Debug Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Figure 116. Hub Debug Statistics: Selecting Structure for Second Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Figure 117. Hub Debug Statistics: ACM Packets Rx Low Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Figure 118. Hub Debug Statistics: Resetting the Counters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
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Figure 119. Viewing IP Routing and HDLC Information from the Remote Command Line . . . 107
Figure 120. SkyMonitor Initial View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Figure 121. Monitoring a Carrier with SkyMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Figure 122. Determining Frequency and Amplitude in the SkyMonitor Display . . . . . . . . . . 110
Figure 123. SkyMonitor Function Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Figure 124. Entering Data in SkyMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Figure 125. SkyMonitor Keypad: Instrument State Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Figure 126. SkyMonitor Keypad: Saving SkyMonitor Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Figure 127. SkyMonitor Keypad: Data Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Figure 128. Selecting a Time Range for Recalling SkyMonitor Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Figure 129. Select Sky Data to Recall Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Figure 130. SkyMonitor: Viewing Captured Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Figure 131. SkyMonitor Keypad: Copying a Bitmap Image of the Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Figure 132. Collection Points for IP Usage Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Figure 133. Collection Points for Mesh, SAT, and IP Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Figure 134. Select Items Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Figure 135. Select Time Range Dialog Box and Clock Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Figure 136. Get Past Drop-Down List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Figure 137. SAT Traffic Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Figure 138. SAT Downstream Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Figure 139. SAT Traffic Options Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Figure 140. Select Items Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Figure 141. IP Traffic Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Figure 142. IP Traffic SAT Downstream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Figure 143. Selecting Remotes for IP Traffic Graph (Group) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Figure 144. Selecting Remotes for Main Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Figure 145. IP Statistics Options Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Figure 146. Mesh Traffic Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Figure 147. Statistics Graphs Parameters Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Figure 148. Mesh Receive Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Figure 149. Select Remotes Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Figure 150. Real-Time SAT Bandwidth Usage Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Figure 151. SAT Long Term Bandwidth Usage Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Figure 152. IP Long Term Bandwidth Usage Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Figure 154. Remote Availability Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Figure 155. Launching the Geographic Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Figure 157. Selecting a Get Past Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Figure 158. Geographic Map: Initial View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
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Figure 159. Displaying the Geographic Map Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Figure 160. Geographic Map Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Figure 161. Geographic Map: Remote Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Figure 162. Geographic Map: Determining a Remotes Location and State . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Figure 163. Geographic Map: Determining a Remotes Past Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Figure 164. Displaying a Remotes Submenu from the Geographic Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Figure 165. Selecting Multiple Remote from the Geographic Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Figure 166. Geographic Map Toolbar Filter Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Figure 167. Geographic Map Filter Menu: Default Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Figure 168. Geographic Map: Selecting Visible Remotes by Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Figure 169. Default Table Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Figure 170. Release 6.0 and Earlier Stats Archiving Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Figure 171. New Stats Archiving Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Figure 172. Algorithm for Calculating Database Table Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Figure 173. Archive Database after Conversion to 6.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Figure 174. Retrieving the Database Partitioning Calculator Using Cygwin . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Figure 175. Allowing Blocked Content for Database Partitioning Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Figure 176. Archive Database Partitioning Calculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Figure 177. Segmented nms_remote_status archive tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Figure 178. SNMP Proxy Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Figure 179. dumpb Output with Real CRC Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Figure 180. dumpb Output with CRC Error Reported Due to False Burst Detection . . . . . . . 214
Figure 181. Compare Configuration Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Figure 182. Setting the Custom Key for CRC Correlation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
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iDX Release 2.0
List of Tables
Table 1. Main Toolbar Icons and Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Table 2. Operational Toolbar Icons and Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Table 3. Star Network vs. iSCPC Link Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Table 4. Elements and Types of Information Provided . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Table 5. Real-Time States and Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Table 6. Explanation of Alarms by Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Table 7. Explanation of Warnings by Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Table 8. DVB-S2 MODCOD Index Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Table 9. Geographic Map Toolbar Icons and Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Table 10. Archive Database Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Table 11. IP Stats Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Table 12. Additional Consolidated IP Stats Table Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Table 13. lat_stats Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Table 14. nms_hub_stats Table Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Table 15. nms_remote_status Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Table 16. nms_ucp_info Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Table 17. event_msg Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Table 18. state_change_log Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Table 19. pp_state_change_log Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Table 20. Chassis_state_change_log Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Table 21. OTA Stats Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Table 22. Additional Consolidated OTA Stats Table Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Table 23. OTACAST Stats Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Table 24. Additional Consolidated OTACAST Stats Table Fields. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Table 25. Mesh Stats Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Table 26. Additional Consolidated Mesh Stats Table Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Table 27. remote_dvbs2_stats Record Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Table 28. hub_dvbs2_stats Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Table 29. pp_dvbs2_stats Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Table 30. nms_group_qos_stats Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Table 31. nms_sl_qos_stats Record Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Table 32. rev_activity Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Table 33. rev_state Record Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Table 34. Default Data Striping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Table 35. TABLE_INFO Format and Default Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Table 36. Alarms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Table 37. Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Table 38. iDirect MIB Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
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iDX Release 2.0
Table 39. iDirect MIB Statistical Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Table 40. iDirect MIB Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Table 41. SNMP Command Line Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
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iDX Release 2.0
About This Guide
Purpose
The iMonitor User Guide provides detailed instructions for monitoring your iDirect networks
using the iMonitor client application of the iDirect Network Management System (NMS). For
details on configuring your iDirect networks, see the iBuilder User Guide.
Intended Audience
The iMonitor User Guide is intended for network operators, network architects, and other
personnel who operate or monitor iDirect networks. It is not intended for end users or field
installers.
Basic knowledge of TCP/IP concepts, satellite communications, and the Windows operating
systems is expected. Prior experience operating an iDirect network, although desirable, is not
required.
Contents Of This Guide

This document contains the following major sections:
The iVantage Network Management System
Overview of the NMS for iMonitor
Monitoring Conditions and Events
Monitoring Performance and Status
Traffic Statistics and Traffic Graphs
Reporting on Networks
Monitoring Remotes Using the Geographic Map
Accessing the NMS Statistics Archive
Alarms and Warnings
SNMP Proxy Agent
Rx CRC Error Correlation
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iDX Release 2.0
Document Conventions
This section illustrates and describes the conventions used throughout the manual. Take a
look now, before you begin using this manual, so that youll know how to interpret the
information presented.
Convention Description Example

Blue Used when the user is Enter the command:
Courier required to enter a cd /etc/snmp/
font command at a command
line prompt or in a console.
Courier Used when showing crc report all
font resulting output from a
3100.3235 : DATA CRC [ 1]
command that was entered
3100.3502 : DATA CRC [5818]
at a command line or on a
3100.4382 : DATA CRC [ 20]
console.
Bold Used when referring to text 1. If you are adding a remote to an inroute group,
Trebuchet that appears on the screen right-click the Inroute Group and select Add
font on a windows-type Remote.
Graphical User Interface
(GUI).
Used when specifying
The Remote dialog box has a number of user-
names of commands,
selectable tabs across the top. The Information tab is
menus, folders, tabs,
visible when the dialog box opens.
dialogs, list boxes, and
options.
Blue Used to show all For instructions on adding an iSCPC line card to the
Trebuchet hyperlinked text within a network tree and selecting a Hub RFT for the line card,
font document. see Adding an iSCPC Line Card on page 108.
Bold italic Used to emphasize Note: Several remote model types can be
Trebuchet information for the user, configured as iSCPC remotes.
font such as in notes.
Red italic Used when the user needs

Trebuchet to strictly follow the
WARNING! The following procedure may cause
font instructions or have
additional knowledge about
a network outage.
a procedure or action.
xviii iMonitor User Guide

iDX Release 2.0
Related Documents
The following iDirect documents are available at http://tac.idirect.net and may also contain
information relevant to this release. Please consult these documents for information about
installing and using iDirects satellite network software and equipment.
iDX Release Notes
iDX Software Installation Guide or Network Upgrade Procedure Guide
iDX iBuilder User Guide
iDX Technical Reference Guide
iDX Installation and Commissioning Guide for Remote Satellite Routers
iDX Features and Chassis Licensing Guide
iDX Software Installation Checklist/Software Upgrade Survey
iDX Link Budget Analysis Guide
Getting Help
The iDirect Technical Assistance Center (TAC) is available to help you 24 hours a day, 365 days
a year. Software user guides, installation procedures, a FAQ page, and other documentation
that supports our products are available on the TAC webpage. Please access our TAC webpage
at: http://tac.idirect.net.
If you are unable to find the answers or information that you need, you can contact the TAC at
(703) 648-8151.
If you are interested in purchasing iDirect products, please contact iDirect Corporate Sales by
telephone or email.
Telephone: (703) 648-8000
Email: [email protected]
iDirect strives to produce documentation that is technically accurate, easy to use, and helpful
to our customers. Your feedback is welcomed! Send your comments to [email protected].
iMonitor User Guide xix

iDX Release 2.0
xx iMonitor User Guide
iDX Release 2.0
The iVantage Network
Management System
iMonitor is a component of the iDirect iVantage Network Management System (NMS). The
iVantage NMS is a complete suite of tools for configuring, monitoring, and controlling your
iDirect satellite network.
The iVantage NMS consists of the following components:
iBuilder enables rapid, intuitive configuration of any iDirect network. It allows you to
easily add components to your network, change your current configuration, and download
configuration and software to network elements. The iBuilder Revision Server provides
automated management of software and firmware upgrades for your remote modems.
The iBuilder Group QoS (GQoS) user interface allows advanced network operators a high
degree of flexibility in creating subnetworks and groups of remotes with various levels of
service tailored to their network requirements. The iBuilder User Guide provides detailed
instructions for using iBuilder to configure and manage your network.
iMonitor provides network operators with detailed information on real-time and
historical performance of the network. Among its many capabilities, iMonitor allows you
to analyze bandwidth usage; view remote status; view network statistics; monitor
performance of networks, sub-networks and individual network elements; and manage
alarms, warnings and network events. Alarms, warnings and statistics can be forwarded as
SNMP traps. All events and performance statistics are automatically archived. Data
displayed on the iMonitor GUI can be exported directly into Excel for further analysis. A
Network Probe allows detailed investigation of network issues. The iMonitor User Guide
provides instructions for using iMonitor.
iSite allows you to monitor and configure iDirect devices in the field. It includes several
features that aid in the remote commissioning process, including assistance for antenna
pointing, antenna look angle calculation, and cross polarization. You can also use iSite to
configure and manage point-to-point SCPC connections between dedicated remotes. An
iSite API is available for custom development. For further information on these topics, see
the Installation and Commissioning Guide for iNFINITI remotes and the iSCPC User Guide.
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iDX Release 2.0
The Geographic Map is an optional iMonitor feature that displays in real time the exact
geographic location of all remotes within a given network on a world map. Functions
include mobile remote tracking; the ability to zoom, pan in or out, and add or remove
map features from the display; and filtering of remotes filter remotes by active state. The
Geographic Map is described in detail in the iMonitor User Guide.
SkyMonitor allows you to integrate one or more multi-port spectrum analyzers into your
hub installation and then use iMonitor to view your iDirect carriers or other areas of the
spectrum. SkyMonitor can be an invaluable tool for diagnosing performance issues from RF
interference or other carrier-related anomalies. Network Operators can view, analyze,
store and recall the spectral displays of any carrier from anywhere an iMonitor connection
is supported. Configuration of SkyMonitor is described in the iBuilder User Guide. The use
of SkyMonitor for spectrum analysis is described in the iMonitor User Guide.
iToolkit provides a software interface along with engineering services that support
iVantage integration with external systems. For example, you can integrate iVantage with
external web applications or OSS/BSS systems such as billing, provisioning, reporting or
customer access systems. Integrating the power of iVantage with other business tools
allows Network Operators to generate revenue through new service offerings such as
usage-based billing. iToolkit also enables Network Operators to integrate iVantage with
their service ordering and provisioning systems, greatly simplifying the process of adding
new customers and sites. The use of iToolkit is described in the iToolkit Users Guide.
A Virtual Network Operator (VNO) license enables network operators to view and
manage only their own networks and remotes, independent of other operators delivering
services out of the same hub. The VNO package makes it possible to scale investments to
actual business growth, significantly reducing initial capital equipment expenses.
Configuring VNOs is described in the iBuilder User Guide.
A Customer Network Observer (CNO) license grants filtered read-only iMonitor access,
allowing customers real-time and historical views into their own network performance
while maintaining overall network privacy. Configuring CNOs is described in the iBuilder
User Guide.
xxii iMonitor User Guide

iDX Release 2.0
Introduction
1 Overview of the NMS for

iMonitor
iDirects Network Management System (the iVantage NMS) is a powerful suite of applications
and servers that provide complete control and visibility to all components of your iDirect
networks. The NMS client/server system architecture consists of three series of components:
Three NMS applications with Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) that allow you to configure
and monitor your network
A database that stores the data entered by and displayed to users
A middleware tier that manages access to the database on behalf of user operations
For a description of all iVantage NMS components see the The iVantage Network
Management System on pagexxi.
Note: iDirect Mesh and iSCPC are not supported in iDX Release 2.0.
1.1 Introduction
This chapter provides some of the most important information you will need to understand
how iMonitor works and how to use it as effectively as possible. This chapter discusses how to
prepare for installation, what you will see when you first launch iMonitor, how to use the
many powerful tools available in iMonitor, how to create, customize, and print reports, and
how to determine the configuration status of network elements.
iMonitor provides complete visibility to real-time status and operational characteristics of
network elements.
Status refers to the real-time state of network elements (such as OK, Warning, Alarm).
iMonitor notifies you asynchronously of warnings and alarms for all network elements,
which are collectively called conditions.
Operational characteristics are captured in a variety of network statistical data, such as
IP traffic statistics, satellite link quality, and hardware component operating values.
You can also obtain and view data stored in the historical archive, which allows you to analyze
anomaly conditions and perform trend analysis.
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iDX Release 2.0
Components of the Network Management System
1.2 Components of the Network Management System

The NMS consists of several client/server components that work together to provide the
functions and views necessary to control your network. These components are briefly
discussed below.
1.2.1 NMS Applications

The iDirect NMS provides three GUI clients, each of which performs specific functions for
networks operators, field installers, and end users.
iBuilder
The iBuilder application provides all configuration and control functions to network
operators. Configuration options consist of creating network elements (e.g. networks, line
cards, remotes) and specifying their operational parameters, such as QoS profiles or IP
addresses. Control options consist of applying the specified configurations to the actual
network elements, retrieving active configurations, resetting elements, and upgrading
element software and firmware. Refer to Network Management System iBuilder User Guide
for more information.
iMonitor
The iMonitor application provides complete visibility to the real-time status and operational
data of network elements. Status refers to the real-time state of network elements, such as
OK, warning, or alarm. Operational data are captured in a variety of network statistical data
tables and displays, revealing, for example, IP traffic statistics, satellite link quality, and
hardware component operating values.
In addition to real-time visibility, iMonitor allows you to access state and statistics from the
historical archive in order to analyze anomaly conditions and perform trend analyses. This
guide has a complete list of real-time and historical data available through iMonitor.
iSite
The iSite application is used primarily for commissioning new sites and monitoring TDMA
remotes from the local LAN side. It contains functions to help installers calculate antenna
azimuth/elevation, perform antenna pointing, and put up a continuous wave (CW) carrier for
antenna peaking, cross-polarization and 1 db compression tests. It also provides configuration
and real-time state/statistical information for one or more remote units. Instead of
interacting with the NMS middleware, it connects directly to each remote to perform all of its
operations. iSite does not provide access to historical information. See the Remote
Installation and Commissioning Guide for more on commissioning iNFINITI remotes using iSite.
In addition to its commissioning functions, iSite can be used to configure and monitor remote-
to-remote SCPC connections. It also allows monitor-only capability to end-users, should you
decide to provide it to them.
Note: End-users do not need iSite in order to receive or transmit IP data over the iDS
system.
For more information about NMS applications, see The iVantage Network Management
System on pagexxi.
2 iMonitor User Guide

iDX Release 2.0
Components of the Network Management System
1.2.2 Server Components

The NMS server processes run on your NMS Linux Server machines. There are a number of NMS
servers processes, each of which performs a specific set of back-end functions.
Configuration Server
The configuration server is the core component of the NMS server family. It manages access to
the configuration database, which contains all the element definitions for your networks and
their operational parameters. Additionally, the configuration server provides most network
control functions (configuration apply, firmware download, resetting, etc.). The other servers
also use this server to determine what the network components are.
Real-time Data Server

The real-time data server collects most of the network statistics produced by your network
elements. These statistics include IP stats for each remote, remote status messages, timeplan
slot assignments, line card statistics, etc. Additionally, the real-time data server provides
these statistics to the GUI clients for real-time and historical display.
Event Server
The event servers primary job is to generate warnings and alarms and send them to iMonitor
for display. Warnings and alarms are collectively known as conditions. The event server also
collects and archives all system events and provides them to iMonitor for display.
Latency Server
The latency server measures round-trip time, or latency, for every active remote in your
networks. These measurements are stored in the archive and provided to iMonitor for display.
NMS Controller Server

The control server manages the PP Controller Server processes running on the NMS server.
PP Controller Servers
The PP Controller processes control the samnc process on each PP blade.
Chassis Manager Server

The chassis manger server controls access to all hub chassis. The CM server only allows access
to chassis slots that have been licensed by iDirect.
NMS Monitor Script

This simple script monitors all other servers and restarts them automatically if they terminate
abnormally. It records a log file of its activities and can be configured to send e-mail to
designated recipients when it restarts any of the other servers.
Consolidation Script
The consolidation process periodically consolidates records in the statistics archive to
preserve disk space on the server machine. Default consolidation parameters are already
entered into your configuration database; they can be tuned to your particular storage
requirements if necessary.

iDX Release 2.0
Installing iBuilder, iMonitor, and iSite
Database Backup Script

This script runs nightly to back up the data in your primary databases and copy it to your
backup NMS server. The database backup script must be custom-configured for each customer
site.
Database Restore Script

This script runs nightly on your backup NMS server. It restores your primary NMS database into
the backup database for NMS failover purposes.
1.3 Installing iBuilder, iMonitor, and iSite

This section provides the system requirements and procedures for installing your Network
Management System components.
1.3.1 System Requirements

The NMS GUI clients are Windows PC-based applications that run under the following versions
of Windows:
Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 or later
Windows XP
Windows Vista, Windows NT, Windows 98 and Windows 95 are not supported. iDirect does not
support server-based versions of Windows.
1.3.2 Installation Procedure

A single client installer .exe file, nms_clients_setup.exe, installs all three GUI clients and
associated library files for you.
To install, copy the .exe file to the target PC, double-click it, and follow the prompts.
By default, the clients are installed in the directory C:\Program Files\iDIRECT. The installer
automatically places a shortcut to each GUI application on your desktop and adds the
appropriate entries in the Windows Start menu. Click Start J All Programs J iDirect J NMS
Clients <RelNo>, where <RelNo> is your release number. The iBuilder, iMonitor, and iSite
clients are displayed, along with an Uninstall selection.
Figure 1. Desktop Shortcuts for NMS GUI Clients
Figure 2. Windows Start Menu Entries for NMS GUI Clients

iDX Release 2.0
Installing the Geographic Map
1.4 Installing the Geographic Map

iMonitors Geographic Map feature allows you to monitor the locations and status of your
remotes in real time. Before you can use this feature, you must install your Geographic Map
license on the NMS server and the map data on your client PCs.
Note: The Geographic Map is a licensed feature. Please contact your iDirect sales
representative for pricing and ordering information.
To support this feature, your client PC or laptop should meet the following requirements:
1.6 gigahertz (GHz) Pentium processor or higher
Microsoft Windows XP, Service Pack 2
512 megabytes (MB) of RAM or more
At least 1 gigabyte (GB) of free disk space
1.4.1 Components of the Geographic Map

The Geographic Map feature has the following primary components:
The map license file resides on the NMS server and allows or denies access to the map.
When you purchase the Geographic Map feature, you will receive your license file from
the iDirect Technical Assistance Center (TAC).
The mapx_setup.exe file is the executable file that installs the MapX client software on
your PC. It is a simple and quick InstallShield application that prepares your PC to run the
Geographic Map software.
The map data files, which are installed on your PC, supply the actual data for the map:
names, roads, bodies of water, cities, and other map features. The map data is shipped to
you on a read-only CD, and is quite large (approximately 1.13 GB uncompressed, 540 MB
compressed).
The README file contains instructions for installing the map software on your PC.
1.4.2 Installing the License File on the NMS Server

Once you have received your map license file from the iDirect TAC, you must copy it to the
following location on both your primary and backup NMS servers:
/home/nms/cfg/nmssvr_e.lic
Note: Do not change the name of the map license file. The license file name must be
nmssver_e.lic for the Geographic Map software to operate.
It is not necessary to restart any of the NMS servers; the new license will be enabled
immediately.

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Installing the Geographic Map
1.4.3 Installing the Client Software and Map Data on Your PC

Once you have purchased the Geographic Mapping license, you must install the client
software and the map data on each PC that will use the map. There is no limit to the number
of PCs that can run the map client software when connected to an NMS server with a valid
license.
To install the client software and map data on your PC:
1. Close any programs currently running on your PC.
2. Insert the distribution CD into the CD-ROM drive on your PC. The CD contains the
following files:
README.txt
mapx_setup.exe
WorldPlaces.zip
3. Copy the above files to your PC and perform the remaining steps from your PC.
4. Double-click the mapx_setup.exe command and follow the instructions to install the
software on your PC. A directory is created named
C:\Program Files\MapInfo\MapX<RelNo>\Maps
where <RelNo> is a release number.
5. Verify that the folder C:\Program Files\MapInfo\MapX<RelNo>\Maps contains
only the following two files: GeoDict.DCT and World4NMS.gst.
6. From the folder C:\Program Files\MapInfo\MapX <RelNo> execute the following
commands:
RegTypLib.exe mdatasetint.tlb
regsvr32 MAPX50.dll
7. Using WinZIP or another zip file utility, open the WorldPlaces.zip file and extract its
contents to the following folder on your PC:
C:\Program Files\MapInfo\MapX<RelNo>\Maps
For instructions on using the Geographic Map to monitor your remotes, see Monitoring
Remotes Using the Geographic Map on page143.

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Launching iMonitor
1.5 Launching iMonitor

iMonitor is initially installed with two default accounts: admin and guest. The admin user
has full access privileges to all iMonitor functionality, while the guest account has read-only
access. The passwords for these two accounts are identical to their associated user names.
For information on setting up user accounts, see the chapter titled Creating and Managing
User Accounts and User Groups in the iBuilder User Guide.
iDirect strongly recommends that you modify the admin user password as soon as possible
after the installation. This is especially important if your NMS Server is accessible via the
public Internet.
1. To launch iMonitor, double-click the desktop shortcut or select it from the Windows Start
menu.
2. Enter your user name and password in the Login Information dialog box.
Figure 3. iMonitor Login Information Dialog Box
3. Click Server and select the IP address or host name of your primary NMS Server machine.
The Server box holds up to three IP addresses. If yours does not exist, enter the IP Address
in the Server box.
4. Click OK to complete the login process.
Note: The NMS server version must match the iMonitor version in order for you to log
in. For example, version 8.0.0 of iMonitor may connect only to version 8.0.0 of
the NMS servers.
The iMonitor application automatically connects to the NMS server processes that are
required to perform the NMS functions. If this connection is lost for any reason, iMonitor
automatically reconnects to the servers when they become available.
1.5.1 Logging On To Additional Servers

In the event that there are multiple NMS servers in the same teleport or multiple teleports
under the network operators control, you may need to log out of one NMS server and log in to
another one. You can do this without exiting iMonitor. From the Main Menu, select File J Log

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Launching iMonitor
Off to log out of your current session and File J Log On to open the Login Information dialog
box again.
Figure 4. Using the File Menu to Log On To iMonitor
1.5.2 Multiple Users or PCs Accessing the NMS

Multiple users or multiple sessions may run simultaneously on the NMS database. For example,
the NMS offers the following capabilities:
1. You may run multiple simultaneous sessions of iMonitor on a single PC. These versions may
be connected to different servers or the same server.
2. Multiple PCs may run the same session of iMonitor at any given time and connect to the
same server at the same time.
1.5.3 Accepting Changes

When two iBuilder users are connected to the same server, and one of them modifies the
network configuration, the other user cannot modify the configuration until he accepts the
changes, which will automatically refresh his configuration view to reflect the latest changes.
When another user changes the configuration, or when you make a change that affects other
network elements, the Accept Changes button on your toolbar changes color from gray to
red. (For more information, see Table1 on page17.)
Figure 5. Accept Changes Button Indicating Configuration Change

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Overview of iMonitor Usage and Displays
Before you accept the changes, you may view the other users changes by selecting View J
Configuration Changes (see Configuration Changes Pane on page26). To accept the
changes and update your view of iMonitor, click Accept Changes. Any modifications the other
user has made are now displayed in your copy of iMonitor.
1.6 Overview of iMonitor Usage and Displays

1.6.1 iMonitor Time Frames in Requests
iMonitor provides three basic time periods for requesting data: real-time, historical, and Get
Past.
Real-time requests display data as it arrives into the NMS back-end in real-time. These
requests have no ending time periodthey continue displaying data as long as you keep
the display running. Closing either the specific display or the iMonitor application
automatically cancels real-time requests.
Historical requests retrieve data purely from the historical archive based on the start and
end times you specify. These requests are active in the back-end only until the data is
completely delivered to iMonitor.
Get Past requests represent a hybrid of real-time and historical: when you request Get
Past data, iMonitor retrieves the most recent data from the archive, and then continues
to give you real-time data until you cancel the request.
1.6.2 Saving Historical Time Ranges across Multiple Displays

Occasionally you are faced with a situation that requires you to launch multiple different
displays for the same time range. iMonitor makes this task much simpler by allowing you to
save a specified time range and re-use it in as many displays as necessary. You may save
purely historical time ranges and Get Past ranges independently.
To save a specified time range, use the following procedure:
1. Launch the first display and specify the time range for the time period you are
investigating. Notice the pushpin located next to the Time Range button (or the Get Past
drop-down list for Get Past requests).
2. Next, press the pushpin located next to the Time Range button (or the Get Past drop-
down list for Get Past requests). The pushpin will change to appear undepressed.
Figure 6. Using the Pushpin to Set the Time Range
All future requests will automatically use the time range you just saved, until you take
down the time range by clicking on the pushpin again.

iDX Release 2.0
Overview of iMonitor Usage and Displays
1.6.3 Historical Save to File Capability

You may specify a disk file name for iMonitor to save historical or real-time results into. This
feature is useful if you have requested a large amount of data for a large number of remotes.
You may specify a file name in the following parameters dialogs:
Latency
Line card statistics
Events
Conditions
Remote Status/UCP
1.6.4 Types of iMonitor Displays

The two data display types used in iMonitor are graphical displays and multicolumn lists.
Events are shown only in multicolumn lists. Network statistical data and conditions may be
displayed in both graphical format and/or multicolumn lists, depending on the type of data
you are viewing.
Graphical displays represent data in graphical charts.
Multicolumn lists represent data arranged in tabular format with rows and columns.
1.6.5 Multicolumn Details Displays

All of iMonitors multicolumn lists share certain characteristics in common. Among them are:
Data in multicolumn lists can be sorted in ascending or descending order by clicking on
the column heading containing the data you want to sort by.
The default sort order is normally ascending by time stamp.
All scrollbars function identically:
If the slider is at the bottom of the pane, the pane scrolls to continually show you new
data as its added to the display.
If the slider is positioned somewhere other than the bottom of the display, data
continues to be added at the bottom, but the display position remains constant at the
current point. This is based on the assumption that youre viewing data in the middle
of the display and you dont want the pane scrolling away from that data.
Multiple rows of data may be selected and copied/pasted into another application such as
Excel for offline viewing and analysis.
Multicolumn lists may be printed to any printer you have configured on your PC. Select
FileJPrint to print the contents of a list.
By using your mouse button inside the multicolumn list, you may select either the Expand
All or Fit to Window options. These options work as follows:
Expand All resizes each column to be the width of either the widest data in that
column, or the width of the column heading, whichever is wider.
Fit to Pane resizes all columns to fit inside the current width of the pane (so that no
scroll bar is required).
copy this data to a file
copy it without the headers to a file

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Using iMonitors Interface
1.6.6 Multiple vs. Grouped Display Results

When you request element data from a higher node level, iMonitor provides you with an
interim dialog where you can select which remotes for which to request data. How the data is
displayed depends on the type of data you are requesting. Two different behaviors are
possible:
When the data makes sense only for a single network element, iMonitor launches multiple
displays, one for each element.
When the data from multiple elements can be shown together, iMonitor launches a single
pane and displays all data in that pane.
1.7 Using iMonitors Interface

iMonitors main window is comprised of several toolbars and panes which are described
below.
Figure 7. iMonitor Main Window

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1.7.1 Clicking on Elements: What Happens?
Right-Clicking
In general, you must right-click on your mouse or use the task bar to display any list of options
in submenus that can be performed on the element you currently have selected.
Single-Clicking vs. Double-Clicking

You can single-click a plus (+) or minus (-) sign next to an element in the Tree to expand or
contract the branches to the next level down in the tree for that element. You can double-
click a remote or iSCPC line card in the tree to open the Control Panel for that element.
You can double-click any element in the Tree that has been expanded to automatically
contract the branches below that node.
1.7.2 Globe Functions

Right-clicking the Globe in the Tree allows you to move dockable panes, sort columns hide
elements, expand the Tree and Collapse the Tree.
Using the Docking Feature

Docking refers to the ability to move a window pane of the NMS interface to another location
on the screen or to detach it from the screen entirely and place it somewhere else on your
monitor. In iDirects NMS, the dockable panes have double-ridge lines at the top of the pane.
To dock a window pane somewhere else on the NMS interface or on your monitor, follow the
procedure below:
1. Point to and right-click the double-ridge lines of the pane you want to move and select
Allow Docking.
2. Place the pointer (mouse arrow) on the double-ridge lines and drag the pane wherever
you want it. Depending on where you drag it, the pane may change shape (for example,
from a vertical display to a horizontal display).
3. If you want to move the pane back into its original place or to another location, start by
grabbing the double-ridge lines with your pointer. Then, you can click the Name toolbar
at the top of the pane to move it around, and you can place your pointer at the edges of
the pane to resize the pane.

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4. To detach the pane completely, double-click the double-ridge lines. The pane becomes
separately parented and you may move it independently from the main iMonitor window.
Hiding Elements
You can click Hide to remove the iMonitor Network Tree from view.
Expanding the Tree

To expand the Tree to view all of the children elements, select Expand Tree. The Tree will
expand to show all of the child elements.
Figure 8. Expand Tree Selection Figure 9. Expanded Tree with Child Elements
Collapsing the Tree

To collapse the Tree to view only the top level elements, select Collapse Tree. The Tree will
contract to show only the top level elements.
Figure 10. Collapse Tree Selection Figure 11. Collapsed Tree

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Sorting Columns
In any pane with columns or list controls, you can sort the entries in the pane by clicking on
the heading of the given column.
Sorting the Tree

To sort the Tree, follow the steps below:
1. Right-click in the Tree pane (or right-click the double-ridge lines above the Tree pane) and
select Sort Tree. You can also select EditJSort Tree.
2. The Sort Preferences dialog box is displayed.

3. Click the Sort items in drop-down list and select either Ascending or Descending.
Figure 12. Sort Preferences Dialog Box
4. Click the Sort items by drop-down list and select one of the options. Depending on what
you select in this field, your choices in the Apply sort to field will change.

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5. If you select Name, either click the Names are case sensitive check box or clear it.
6. Select the element to which you want to apply the Sort feature. The options are:
Remote
Hub
Inroute Group
7. Click OK. The next time you log in, iMonitor will remember and display the last sort
preference you chose.
1.7.3 Network Tree

By right-clicking a tree element, a submenu of options appears, which you may click to view
various types of data and other information used to monitor and troubleshoot your network.
For specific information on how to use and interpret the information you view, see the section
on that particular option. Use the Contents or Index to locate this information if you do not
readily see it. Below is a description of the menu options for each element in the tree.
A plus sign (+) next to an element in the Tree indicates that additional elements exist at the
next level, or branch, of the Tree. Click the plus sign (+) to expand the element to view the
next level of the Tree.
A minus sign (-) next to an element indicates that the element has been expanded and
children are visible at the next level, or branch, in the Tree.
In the figure below, the UAT-RF Network has been expanded as far as possible. The UAT-RF
Network cannot include children in another network; therefore, its only children are the TxRx
and Rx line cards, and the IG_1_UAT-RF Inroute Group. The Inroute Group is a parent element

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that can be expanded by clicking its plus sign (+) to reveal its children elements at the next
level of the Tree.
Figure 13. Fully-Expanded Network in iMonitor Tree
1.7.4 Using the Interface Toolbars and Menu Options
Title Bar
The Title bar identifies the name of the application (in this case, iMonitor), the iDS software
version, and the IP address of the server to which you are connected.
Figure 14. iMonitor Title Bar
Menu Bar
The Menu bar at the top of the display provides access to log in, log out, quit, and other high-
level functions.
Figure 15. iMonitor Menu Bar
Toolbar
The main Toolbar (Figure 16) contains context-sensitive buttons, allowing you to perform a
variety of operations on a currently-selected element without using its context menu. Their
functions are described in Table 1.
Figure 16. iMonitor Main Toolbar

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Table 1. Main Toolbar Icons and Functions
Toolbar Icon Function
Allows you to view elements in the Tree Menu hierarchy
Allows you to view Conditions. The Conditions pane has two tabs you can select to
view different aspects of the conditions: Conditions Log and Observation View. See
Conditions Pane on page33 for more information.
Allows you to pause the Timeplan Graph.
Allows you to resume the Timeplan Graph.
Allows you to turn audio on or off when a new alarm or condition is presented or
when a condition is cleared.
Allows you to acknowledge a condition.
Opens the Find Toolbar next to the Main Toolbar
Allows you to accept any changes made to the system by another user. This does
not mean that you approve of or agree with the changes; it simply updates your
GUI with the latest database information.
Allows you to view the version number of the NMS and system information.

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Audio Notification
You can choose to turn on audio notification to alert you whenever a new alarm or condition is
raised. When you select audio notification, you are only notified of newly-raised conditions by
default. When you acknowledge conditions, the audio notification will stop, even if the alarm
has not yet cleared.
To configure audio notification, select ResultsJAudio Notification from the main menu. You
can select any of the three conditions under which you would like to have an audio
notification raised.
Figure 17. Enabling Audio Notification from the Results Menu
You may select one, two, or all three. If you wish to have no audio notification, select None.
Figure 18. Disabling Audio Notification from the Results Menu
To set up how often you want the audio notification to be repeated, or to specify that the
notification should play only when a new condition occurs, select ResultsJAudio Notification
J Properties from the main menu. Then configure one of the two choices in the Audio
Notification Properties dialog box (Figure 19).

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Figure 19. Audio Notification Properties Dialog Box
Acknowledging Conditions
You can also use iMonitor to acknowledge all conditions. If audio notification is in effect,
acknowledging conditions prevents continuous audio notification, even if the condition that
raised the audio notification has not cleared. Once youve acknowledged conditions, audio
notification will stop until a new condition is raised. When you acknowledge conditions in
iMonitor, all outstanding conditions are acknowledged. You cannot acknowledge individual
conditions.
To acknowledge conditions:
1. If not already visible, open the Conditions pane by clicking the Toggle Conditions icon on
the main toolbar.
2. On the Conditions pane, select the Condition Log tab.
3. Click the Acknowledgement icon on the main toolbar. On the Condition Log tab, a check
is displayed for all acknowledged conditions as shown in Figure 20.
Figure 20. Condition Log Tab with Acknowledged Conditions

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Note: When an operator acknowledges a condition, only that operators view is

affected. No changes are made on the NMS server or to other operator
accounts.
View Menu
The View menu on the main menu toolbar allows you to display or hide the following toolbars
and panes. You can also right-click your context menu button (typically the right mouse
button) to see the same options as those in the View menu.
Figure 21. iMonitor View Menu
Find Toolbar
The Find toolbar provides users the option to search the NMS for a given element and display
the results in either the Network Tree View or the Results Window. This becomes
increasingly important as the network grows larger. You can search by selecting a specific
element name in the first drop-down list (note that only elements you have created will be in
the list); by type of element in the second drop-down list; or by Name, IP address or ID
number in the third drop-down list. The figure below shows all of the various options within
each category; however, you can actually only click one drop-down list at time. To display the
Find toolbar, select View J Find Toolbar from the main menu.

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Figure 22. Selecting Search Criteria on Find Toolbar
You can also click the Find button on the toolbar to open a dialog box that gives you the same
options.
Figure 23. Find Dialog Box
To perform a search, follow these steps:

1. Select View J Find Toolbar, or click the Find button on the toolbar. Either the Find
toolbar appears to the right of the main toolbar, or the Find dialog box appears in the
Results pane.
2. Click the arrow on each drop-down list and click the criteria you want to use in your
search.
3. To execute the search, you can do one of three things:
Press Enter on the keyboard if you are searching from the Find toolbar
Click the Binoculars icon to the left of the toolbar if you are searching from the Find
toolbar
Click the Find Next button if you are searching from the Find dialog box
4. In the example below, the user chose to look for a Remote by the Name of 3100-410 and
display it in the Network Tree View.

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That remote is highlighted in the Tree when the user clicks the binoculars icon on the
toolbar. (See Figure 22 on page 21.)
Workspace Toolbar
The Workspace capability solves one of the biggest problems with real-time monitoring
systems: window real estate. As you launch more and more displays, you may find that youre
quickly running out of space in the results pane and you wish you had a bigger display. The
Workspace Toolbar provides a convenient way for you to organize multiple displays into a
series of virtual workspaces. The four workspaces on this toolbar effectively give you four
times the window real estate without having to add another display.
To launch the Workspace toolbar, select View J Workspace from iMonitors main menu. You
will see four small windows appear on the right-side of iMonitors main tool bar. Each of these
windows represents a virtual workspace where you can launch different displays. When you
click one of the workspace windows, displays you launched on another workspace are hidden
and a new, blank workspace appears. For convenience, each workspace is highlighted in
yellow whenever a display is present on that workspace.
The figure below shows the Workspace toolbar in action. In this example, workspace one
contains one or more displays and the other workspaces are empty. The fifth workspace pane,
when clicked, shows all panes in all workspaces.
Figure 24. The Workspace Toolbar in Action
Saving and Reloading Workspaces

In addition to using workspaces in real-time, you may also save the contents of a workspace to
be reloaded at a later time. The workspace file stores the following information about
displays:
The window pane size and position within the workspace.
The request parameters originally specified in the requests.
Note: Only real-time and Get Past requests are saved in workspace files.
To save the contents of a workspace, select File J Save Workspace As from the main menu.
This operation will save all the displays currently active in the workspace. You may also adjust
the contents of any workspace and re-save it by selecting File J Open Workspace from the
main menu.
To reload a previously-saved workspace, select File J Open Workspace from the main menu.
When you reload a workspace the saved requests will be automatically resubmitted to the
appropriate servers.
This feature works best when you have the iMonitor application maximized on your PC screen,
but will also function properly if the application is not maximized.

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Operational Toolbar
The Operational Toolbar (Figure 25) contains context-sensitive buttons, allowing you to
perform a variety of operations on a currently-selected element without using its context
menu. Those functions are described in Table 2.
Figure 25. iMonitor Operational Toolbar
Table 2. Operational Toolbar Icons and Functions
Request a Network Condition Snapshot.
Request a Network Data Snapshot.
Request a SAT Traffic Graph.
Request an IP Stats Graph.
Request a Mesh Traffic Graph.
Request a Timeplan Slot Assignment Graph.
Request latency results.
Request a SATCOM Graph.
Request a Remote Status/UCP report.
Request modem events.
Request conditions.

iDX Release 2.0
Table 2. Operational Toolbar Icons and Functions (continued)
Request a SAT Long Term Bandwidth Usage report.
Request a Long Term Bandwidth Usage report.
Put an element under observation.
Open a terminal session.
Status Bar
The Status bar is located at the bottom of the iMonitor window and displays the user name of
the person who is currently logged in and what their server connection status is. On the
toolbar shown below, the connection status is Ready.
Figure 26. iMonitor Status Bar
Connection Details on Status Bar Icon

When your mouse hovers over the PC icon next to the user name on the Status bar, the IP
address of the NMS servers that you are currently connected to is displayed.

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Conditions Pane
The Conditions switch on the View menu opens the Conditions pane. See Chapter 2,
Monitoring Conditions and Events for complete information on the tabs in this pane. Select
View J Conditions on the main menu to open the pane.
Figure 27. Conditions Pane
Legend Pane
The Legend view displays the Configuration State icons and their meanings. They are
organized by type of element as shown in Figure 28.
Figure 28. Legend Pane

iDX Release 2.0
Configuration Changes Pane

Whenever there are changes made to the database by another user, they can be displayed on
your screen in the Configuration Changes pane.
Viewing Real-Time Status

You can view the real time status of network elements in the Tree View by selecting View
Real-Time Status from the View menu. The status of the various elements is displayed to the
right of the element name in the tree.
Figure 29. iMonitor Tree with Real-Time Status
1.7.5 Selecting Columns for Viewing

In any iMonitor pane with columns, any operator can select the set of columns that will be
displayed whenever that operator views the pane. Once changed, the modified display will
persist for that operator even after log off. To select which columns to display, follow these
steps:

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1. Right-click anywhere in the column headings to display the column selection context
menu.
Figure 30. Selecting Columns for Viewing from Context Menu
2. You can use the menu to select or clear individual columns for display one at a time, or
you can select More to view the Select Columns dialog box.
Figure 31. Select Columns Dialog Box

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3. In the Select Columns dialog box, click the check boxes to select or clear the
corresponding columns for display. (You can also select and clear a check box by first
selecting the column name in the list, and then clicking the Show or Hide button.) Only
selected columns will be displayed in the pane.
4. Click Show All or Hide All to select or clear all check boxes.
Note: In some cases, the Select Columns dialog box also contains a Show Default
button (Figure 32). Click that button to select only the default columns.
Figure 32. Select Columns Dialog Box with Show Default Button
5. To change the order in which columns appear in the pane:

a. Click a column name to select it.
b. Click the Move Up button to move the selection one place up in the list. This will
move the column to the left in the pane.
c. Click the Move Down button to move the selection down in the list. This will move
the column to the right in the pane.
6. To change the width of a specific column, first select the column name. Then enter the
new width in Width of selected column.

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1.7.6 Monitoring iSCPC Links

With few exceptions, you can monitor iSCPC links using the same tools provided for Star or
Star/Mesh networks. In some cases, particular monitoring screens for Star/Mesh networks are
either different or not applicable to iSCPC links. One example is the graphical timeplan
display for TDMA receive line cards there is no equivalent display for iSCPC line cards
because the upstream channel for these links does not have a timeplan.
Note: iSCPC is not supported in iDX Release 2.0.

The following table compares iSCPC and Star network monitoring capabilities available in
iMonitor.
Table 3. Star Network vs. iSCPC Link Monitoring
Function Star and Star / Mesh iSCPC

Bandwidth Monitoring SAT and IP stats IP stats
Timeslot Monitoring Timeplan display N/A
Detailed remote Probe display Trace Route
debugging Trace Route
Control Panel Tabs General General
Events/Conditions Events/Conditions
SATCOM graph IP traffic
SAT traffic, IP traffic Remote Status
Probe Latency
Remote Status QoS
UCP
Latency
QoS
Built-in Reports SAT and IP Usage IP Usage
Remote Availability Remote
Latency Availability
Remote Status and UCP Latency
Events/Conditions RemoteStatus
QoS Statistics Events/Conditions

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Conditions
2 Monitoring Conditions
and Events
You can view Conditions on every element in the Tree, and you can view Events on every
element except the Chassis. On the Protocol Processor and the Blades, you can further view
Blade Information. Table 4 identifies the types of information iMonitor provides for each
element.
Table 4. Elements and Types of Information Provided
Type of Incident
Elements
Information Provided
Teleport Conditions
Protocol Processor Events/Conditions/Blade Info
Blades Events/Conditions/Blade Info
Network Events/Conditions
Line Card Events/Conditions
Inroute Group Events/Conditions
Remotes Events/Conditions
Chassis Conditions
2.1 Conditions
Conditions in iMonitor are made up of Alarms and Warnings, which are collectively called
conditions. Alarms alert you to an interruption in service, whereas Warnings indicate a
condition that could result in an interruption of service if not handled in a timely fashion.

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Conditions
2.1.1 Representing State of Element via Icons

iMonitor automatically displays the current state of all network elements in the network tree
view. The various network element states and the Icons that represent them are described in
Table 5.
Table 5. Real-Time States and Icons
State Icon Meaning

OK The element is functioning properly. Shown in
order from left to right are a properly
functioning PP, blade, line card, remote,
chassis and SkyMonitor.
OK This icon is seen in the Conditions Log and
indicates that the element is functioning
properly.
Warning One or more Warning conditions is active for

the element.
Alarm One or more Alarm conditions are active for

the element (layer 2/3 alarm, unit not
responding, etc.). Warnings may also be
active in the Alarm state.
Mesh Alarm One or more Mesh Alarm conditions are active
for the element (layer 2/3 alarm, unit not
responding, etc.). Warnings may also be
active in the Alarm state.
Offline The remote has been sent offline.
Elsewhere Indicates that a roaming remote is acquired in

a different network.
Sleep Mode The remote has entered sleep mode.
Unknown Condition state unknown

Condition
Disabled Disabled condition

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Conditions
2.1.2 Conditions Pane

In addition to representing the state of an element via an icon in the Tree view, you can click
ViewJConditions to open a dockable pane at the bottom of iMonitors main window.
Figure 33. iMonitor Conditions Pane
The Conditions pane has tabs that enable you to view conditions using different criteria, as
follows:
Active Conditions This tab shows all outstanding conditions that have not been
cleared. Any current alarms or warnings are displayed on this tab.
Observation View This tab shows all conditions for specific elements you have put
Under Observation. You put a Protocol Processor, Blade, Line Card or Remote under
observation by clicking the element and selecting Under Observation. You may cancel
the observation view by clicking the element in the tree and switching the Under
Observation control off, or by right-clicking on a specific condition in the Under
Observation tab and selecting Cancel Observation.
Disabled Conditions This tab shows any conditions that have been disabled. You can
disable an active condition by right-clicking the condition and selecting Disable
Condition.
Condition Log This tab shows the 500 most recent condition changes; older changes are
dropped from the display. All conditions shown on the Condition Log tab are sorted by the
time that the condition change occurred. iMonitor no longer groups condition changes.
You can clear the contents of the Condition Log tab as follows:
1. With the Condition Log tab selected, right-click anywhere in the Conditions Pane.
2. Select Clear List from the menu.

iDX Release 2.0
Conditions
2.1.3 Elements with Multiple Conditions

It is possible for multiple conditions to exist simultaneously on a given network element. In
fact, this is quite likely when a remote drops out of the network for some reason. In these
cases, the elements overall state reflects the highest severity of any one condition,
according to the following rules:
No conditions: overall state is OK
One or more Warnings: overall state is Warning
One or more Warnings and one or more Alarms: overall state is Alarm
Remote has been sent Offline: overall state is Offline
2.1.4 Offline State

The offline state is a special condition that overrides all other warnings and alarms. This state
applies only to remotes. The offline state can be initiated by a remote user just before
turning the remote off, to indicate to the network operator that no problem investigation is
necessary.
When a remote is sent offline by the remote user, iMonitor and the back-end event server will
ignore all subsequent alarms. If a unit is turned off without sending it offline first, the remote
will go into the Alarm state at the hub.
The offline state clears automatically when the remote is turned back on and acquires into
the network.
2.1.5 Alarms and Warnings on Elements

Table 6 and Table 7 list the alarm and warning conditions that can be raised for the various
elements.
Table 6. Explanation of Alarms by Element
Element Alarm Condition Explanation

Chassis Chassis Down iMonitor cannot communicate with the EDAS
Protocol Protocol Processor Down The heartbeat has not been received from the Protocol
Processor Processor
Hub Line Line Card Down iMonitor cannot communicate with the Hub Line Card
Card
Rx SCPC Loopback C/N Line card SCPC loopback exceeds clear sky C/N.
TDM Lock Hub line card is no longer locked to the SCPC loopback
10 MHz Clock Alarm Board does not support 10 MHz clock
Remote Mesh Mode Changed Mesh remote is no longer in mesh mode
Mesh Tx TDMA C/N Mesh remote transmit TDMA exceeds clear sky C/N

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Conditions
Table 7. Explanation of Warnings by Element
Element Warning Condition Explanation

Chassis Power Supply n Failed
Fan n Failed
RCM (Ref Clock Module) n Failed
Four-Slot Four Slot Chassis Over Chassis exceeds temperature limit
Chassis Temperature
Four Slot RCM A Not Present RCM A has not been installed in the Chassis
Four Slot RCM A Fault RCM A of the chassis has failed
Four Slot RCM B Not Present RCM B has not been installed in the chassis
Four Slot RCM B Fault RCM B of the chassis has failed
Four Slot Power Alarm A Chassis power supply A has failed
Bad
Four Slot Power Alarm A Chassis power supply A exceeds temperature limit
Over Temperature
Four Slot Power Alarm B Chassis power supply B has failed
Bad
Four Slot Power Alarm B Chassis power supply B exceeds temperature limit
Over Temperature
Four Slot FSM Not Present FSM has not been installed on the chassis
Four Slot FSM Fault FSM has failed on the chassis
Four Slot FSM Fan Fault FSM fan has failed on the chassis
Four Slot IFM Not Present IFM has not been installed on the chassis
Four Slot IFM Fault IFM has failed on the chassis
Four Slot Alarm Disabled Audible alarms are disabled for the chassis
Four Slot OPM A Fault OPM A has failed on the chassis
Four Slot OPM B Fault OPM B has failed on the chassis
Hub Line Rx Overflow of frames Downstream Packets per sec. overdrive
Card
Back plane lost 10 MHz The 10 MHz reference timing signal is absent from the chassis
Clock backplane
Acq Hub CRC Errors Number of acquisition CRC errors exceeds maximum
Traffic Hub CRC errors Number of traffic CRC errors exceeds maximum
Fll DAC Errors Internal oscillator is out of calibration. (Also referred to as Clock DAC)
Mesh SCPC loopback C/N Mesh SCPC loopback signal higher than defined offset for clear sky
nominal
Downstream PPS overdrive Downstream overdrive condition detected on line card

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Conditions
Table 7. Explanation of Warnings by Element (continued)
Element Warning Condition Explanation

GIGE health Error on GIGE Ethernet port of the line card
Line card AGC out or range AGC measurement above or below defined limits
Protocol Blade CPU high Blade CPU usage is above the defined limit
Processor
Remote Upstream SNR out of range The remotes upstream C/N measured at the hub is outside limits
Downstream SNR out of The downstream SCPC C/N measured at the remote is outside limits
range
Local LAN Disconnect LAN port on remote is disconnected
Lost Contact PP has temporarily lost contact with remote
Latency Measured latency, hub to remote, exceeds the define maximum
Symbol Offset PP has detected a symbol offset that exceeds +/- 1/2 the acquisition
aperture
Remote Off-line State The remote has been sent off-line
Calibrated Transmit Power Transmit power is outside the defined limits
GPS Signal Lost Dont reset remote warning
Remote Temperature Remote temperature is outside the defined limits
AGC Out of Range Remote Automatic Gain Control outside limits.
Rx SCPC C/N Remote receive SCPC exceeds clear sky C/N. Value will be -1 or -100.
Mesh Rx TDMA Loopback Mesh remote receive TDMA loopback exceeds clear sky C/N
C/N
Maximum Tx Power Remote transmit power is approaching the maximum
Fll DAC Errors Internal oscillator is out of calibration. (Also referred to as Clock DAC.)
Mesh Rx SCPC SNR SCPC signal measured at remote is higher than the defined offset for
clear sky nominal
Mesh Rx TDMA SNR TDMA loopback signal quality measured at remote is higher than the
defined offset for clear sky nominal
Local LAN Disconnect No device is connected to the remotes primary LAN port
Fan Alarm An internal fan has failed. Raised for 73xx remotes only
CRC8 Errors Number of CRC8 errors exceeds limit
CRC32 Errors Number of CRC32 errors exceeds limit
Note: SCPC conditions that apply to either network line cards or TDMA remotes also
apply to both iSCPC line cards and iSCPC remotes.

iDX Release 2.0
Putting an Element under Observation for Conditions
2.2 Putting an Element under Observation for

Conditions
You can put an element under observation for the purpose of monitoring it for any
conditions that arise on that element. Only the following elements can be put under
observation for viewing conditions (alarms and warnings):
Protocol Processor
Blade
Line Card
Remote
Chassis
To use the Under Observation feature, follow these steps:
1. Right-click the element in the iMonitor tree for which you want to view alarms and
warnings and select Under Observation from the menu.
2. Select View J Conditions from the main menu or click the Toggle Conditions icon on the
main toolbar.

iDX Release 2.0
Figure 34. Selecting the Toggle Conditions Icon
3. Click the Observation View tab to view only the conditions (alarms and warnings) for the
element you chose.
Figure 35. Observing Conditions for an Element
Note: If you have previously put another element under observation, without
canceling that observation view, the previous elements information will still
be visible in the pane. To omit the unwanted information, right-click on the
unwanted element and select Cancel Observation.
4. You can right-click the element to either view the elements control panel or cancel the
observation.
5. If you click Cancel Observation, the data in the Observation pane disappears.

iDX Release 2.0
6. If you click Control Panel, a pane appears providing more information for you to view
(Figure 36). See Control Panel on page87 for details.
Figure 36. iMonitor Control Panel
2.2.1 Viewing Conditions or Events

To view conditions or events, you must specify certain criteria on the Select Items dialog box.
Viewing Conditions
If you want to view conditions, you may want to put an element under observation first. For
information on this, see Putting an Element under Observation for Conditions on page37.
Viewing Events
If you are viewing events, you may want to filter the results. Often its useful to retrieve
certain events over an extended time period for one or more remotes. Although you can
retrieve all events and sort the results to find the ones youre looking for, iMonitor also allows
you to specify a text filter when retrieving historical events. When you specify a text filter,
iMonitor shows you only those events that match the filter.

iDX Release 2.0
The text filter is available at the bottom of the historical time range parameters dialog box
(Figure 39 on page42), either prior to retrieving events or from the Time Range button on an
existing events display. The filter values are applied only to the Event Description section of
the event message. The simplest filter string is simply a substring of the event description,
such as server. Any event message that contains your specified substring will be returned
from the server and displayed in the pane. The text field also supports full Linux regular
expression matching, allowing you to apply an arbitrarily complex expression to the event
description text. For more information on regular expressions, see any of the commercially-
available Linux reference books.
Follow these steps to retrieve and view conditions or events for an element:
1. Right-click the element in the tree and select Conditions or Events from the menu. The
Select Items dialog box appears.
Figure 37. Select Items Dialog Box

iDX Release 2.0
2. Click either Historical or Get Past. If you are viewing Events, you can filter the results, or
simply click OK to begin retrieving events in real-time. If you enter a Text Filter in the
Get Past time range dialog box (Figure 39), the filter values are applied only to the Event
Description field of the event message.
a. If you click Historical, click Time Range. The Select Time Range dialog box appears
(see Figure 38 for Conditions and Figure 39 for Events). If desired, click the ellipses
next to the Start Time and End Time to set the time using the graphical clock display.
If you selected Get Past, see Step b.
Figure 38. Conditions Select Time Range Dialog Box

iDX Release 2.0
Figure 39. Events Time Range Dialog Box with Text Filter
b. If you click Get Past, the Get Past drop-down list appears.
Figure 40. Get Past Drop-Down List
3. Select the elements for which you want to view conditions or events.
Depending on what level in the system you chose to obtain information, the options in the
Select Items dialog box will differ in what is available and unavailable for selection.
4. When you have made your selections, click OK.
Depending on whether you chose to view conditions or events, either the
Conditions/Time Line pane appears or the Events pane appears. Follow the directions in
Step 5 for Conditions or Step 9 for Events below.
5. Conditions. If you are retrieving data on conditions, the Conditions/Time Line pane
appears, displaying the conditions logged for the specified period. This data is displayed
in a multicolumn format. See Figure 41 for an example of data displayed on the
Conditions tab.
On the Conditions tab, notice that many remotes have an arrow next to them. If you click
on the arrow so that it is pointing down, the conditions for that remote are revealed.

iDX Release 2.0
6. To view conditions in a graphical format, click the Time Line tab. See Figure 42 for an
example of data displayed on the Time Line tab.
Figure 41. Conditions Results in Multicolumn Format
Figure 42. Conditions Time Line Results in Graphical Format

iDX Release 2.0
7. On the Time Line display, you can right-click to elect to view the results in Seconds,
Minutes, or Hours.
8. You can also elect to view Details from this menu, which displays a heading line at the top
of the display showing the following information:
Name of Network Element
Type and Serial Number of a Remote or Line Card
Current Date
Number of hours it has been up
Number of hours it has been down
Percentage of time it has been up (Up %)
Percentage of time it has been down (Down %)
9. Events. If you are retrieving data on events, the Events pane appears, displaying the
events logged for the specified period. This data is displayed in a multicolumn format
only. It cannot be viewed in graphical format.

iDX Release 2.0
Figure 43. Event Results
2.2.2 Interpreting Conditions Results

By default, conditions are sorted in ascending order based on the timestamp. You may re-sort
at any time by clicking on the desired column heading.
Each line in the conditions display shows a particular state change for the unit in question
at the timestamp indicated. A state change occurs whenever a condition is raised or cleared.
If the entry contains the arrow icon, shown below, in the first column, it means that
additional conditions were active for this unit at the time of the state change. These
conditions, along with the time they first occurred, are shown when you click the arrow icon.
Arrow

iDX Release 2.0
Figure 44 shows an example conditions output, including multiple simultaneous conditions.
Figure 44. Conditions Example
The example in Figure 44 shows a remote reset resulting in the following conditions:
1. The first entry shows the remotes state at the start of the specified time range: the
remote is OK, and the last condition that cleared was DOWNSTREAM_SNR.
2. The next entry shows that the PP lost contact with the remote (this happens soon after
the reset was sent from iBuilder).
3. The next entry shows two conditions: the LOST_CONTACT warning is still active, and has
been joined by the layer 3 alarm LAT_TIMEOUT.
4. Finally, the Protocol Processor declares the remote OUT_OF_NETWORK, and this condition
is added to the list, giving us a total of three simultaneous conditions.
5. The next line shows that two of the three conditions cleared: The remote is back in the
network and the Protocol Processor has re-gained contact with it. The layer 3 alarm at
this point is still active.
6. The next line shows that the last condition, LAT_TIMEOUT, cleared.
7. The last two lines show a separate condition that was raised and cleared in a 15-second
time span.
When multiple conditions are shown in this display, the icon in the left column does not
represent the current state of the remote. Rather, it shows the type of condition that
occurred at that time. For example, in number 5 above, the state of this remote is still
ALARM, since the layer 3 alarm is still active. However, this particular entry represents the
clearing of two conditions, and the green icon indicates that to the user.

iDX Release 2.0
Interpreting System Events
2.3 Interpreting System Events

System events consist of a log of activity that occurs on elements in real-time and activity
that is stored in the historical archive. See Figure 44. Examples of system events include:
Terminal connection set up or torn down
Uplink control message from the Protocol Processor to remotes
SWEEP messages during remote acquisition
Multicast package processed or rejected
Firmware image or options file written to flash
By default events are displayed in real-time and are sorted in ascending order by timestamp.
You may re-sort the display in ascending or descending order by clicking on the appropriate
column heading. You may also select historical events up to one week prior to the current
date.
2.4 Snapshots
There are two types of snapshots: Conditions Snapshots and Data Snapshots.
Snapshots can be selected from the various elements in the iMonitor tree as follows:
Teleport: Teleport Condition Snapshot
Network: Network Condition Snapshot, Network Data Snapshot, Line Card Data Snapshot
Inroute group: Network Condition Snapshot, Network Data Snapshot, Line Card Data
Snapshot
Remote: Device Condition Snapshot
2.4.1 Network, Teleport and Device Condition Snapshot

All Condition Snapshots contain multicolumn lists that allow you to view the current states of
the elements more compactly than is possible from the iMonitor Tree view.
The Network and Teleport Condition Snapshots show all elements in the selected teleport,
network, or inroute group. The Device Condition Snapshot shows only the remote.
To view a Condition Snapshot, follow these steps:
1. Right-click the teleport, network, inroute group or remote for which you want to view the
Condition Snapshot.
2. Select Network Condition Snapshot, Teleport Condition Snapshot, or Device Condition
Snapshot to view the Condition Snapshot pane.

iDX Release 2.0
Snapshots
Figure 45 shows an example of a Network Condition Snapshot at the network level. (Both
the List and Detail views are shown. You can toggle between these views by right-clicking
in the window and selecting List or Details from the menu.)
Figure 45. List and Details View of Condition Snapshot
Depending on your selection, the Condition Snapshot includes the following elements:
If you select Teleport Condition Snapshot at the teleport level, all protocol
processors, protocol processor blades, chassis, inroute group, and remotes configured
under the teleport.
If you select Network Condition Snapshot at the network level, all inroute groups
and remotes in that network are displayed.
If you select Network Condition Snapshot on a particular inroute group, only the line
cards and remotes in that inroute group are displayed in the Network Condition
Snapshot box.
If you select Device Condition Snapshot from a remote, only the remote is displayed.

iDX Release 2.0
Snapshots
3. You can view different data depending on your selections when you right-click a network
element in the Condition Snapshot pane. Figure 46 shows an example of a remotes
submenu when right-clicked from this pane.
Figure 46. Remote Submenu in Condition Snapshot

iDX Release 2.0
Snapshots
4. In the lower half of the submenu shown in Figure 46 are several options that allow you to
tailor the Condition Snapshot view:
Compact Icons
Arrange Icons
List
Details
Details in Group
Real-time Status Only
Activated
5. Figure 47 shows the results of selecting Details for the Teleport Condition Snapshot.
Figure 47. Teleport Condition Snapshot: Detail View
6. If you hover the pointer (mouse arrow) over an element in the snapshot, a box of
information about that element is displayed. Figure 48 shows an example of the pointer
hovering over a line card in a network.
Figure 48. Condition Snapshot: Hovering Mouse in Details View

iDX Release 2.0
Snapshots
If you are ever in doubt as to the kind of element you are viewing, you can look at the
Type: line. In this case, you can see that the element pointed to by the mouse is a Line
card. The box also provides the following information on this element:
Type of Unit and Serial Number
Type of element
Name of element
Current Condition of element
Other Details about the element
7. You can double-click a Remote in the snapshot view to see the remotes Control Panel.
See Control Panel on page87 for information about the control panel.
Multiple Selection Options in Condition Snapshot View

You may use Windows multiple-select keys to select any number of remotes from the
Network Condition Snapshot display. The elements you select are used to populate the
parameters dialog windows for the following iMonitor displays:
SAT/IP Traffic Stats
Latency
Events
Conditions
Network Data Snapshot
SAT/IP Long Term Bandwidth Reports
Remote Availability Report
The following steps illustrate the use of multiple-select to populate a parameters dialog.
1. In the Network Condition Snapshot results view, with Details selected as shown in Figure
49, select the remotes whose data you want to automatically be filled in on one of the
above parameters dialog boxes, such as Remote Availability Report.
Figure 49. Network Conditions: Selecting Multiple Remotes in Details View

iDX Release 2.0
Snapshots
2. With your mouse pointer located within the region of the highlighted elements, right-click
and select a report from those available. For this example, the Remote Availability
report was selected.
Figure 50. Select Remotes Dialog Box
Notice that the resulting Select Remotes (Figure 50) dialog box shows only the remotes
that are highlighted in Figure 49. If you had selected this same report (Remote
Availability) from the Tree, even with these remotes highlighted, the resulting dialog box
would have listed all of the remotesnot just the ones you highlighted. Therefore, it is
important that your mouse pointer is actually over the highlighted elements when you
right-click.
3. Make your selections in the dialog box.
4. Click OK to display the selected report.

iDX Release 2.0
Snapshots
2.4.2 Network and Line Card Data Snapshot

The Network Data Snapshot allows you to select multiple real-time and configuration
parameters for a group of remotes and display the data in tabular form. The Line Card Data
Snapshot allows you to do the same thing for a group of line cards. This is useful for
monitoring a variety of real-time data points for multiple elements simultaneously.
To view a network or line card data snapshot, follow the directions below:
1. Right-click a network or inroute group.
2. Select Network Data Snapshot or Linecard Data Snapshot to display the Select Items
and Stats dialog box (Figure 51).
Figure 51. Select Items and Stats Dialog Box
The Select Items and Stats dialog box has two panes. The pane on the left lists the
Remotes or Line Cards that you can include in the data snapshot. (Figure 51 shows
remotes because Network Data Snapshot was selected for this example.) The pane on
the right lists all the data you can view for these remotes or line cards.
3. In the pane on the left, select the remotes or line cards you want to view.
By default all elements are displayed in the left-hand pane. To select only Activated
elements, click Active. To clear all selections, click Clear.
4. In the pane on the right, expand the tree. Then select all parameters you want to view for
the selected elements. These selections will appear as columns in the Data Snapshot.

iDX Release 2.0
Snapshots
5. Click OK to view the Data Snapshot. Only the selected elements and parameters are
displayed.
Figure 52. Network Data Snapshot
Note: Limit-checked parameters, such as downstream C/N, change to yellow if the

values go outside the defined limits. Remotes that are out-of-network are
displayed in red.
6. Right-click anywhere that data appears in the Data Snapshot to view the following
options:
7. From this set of options, you can do any of the following:

Copy this data to the clipboard for pasting into other applications
Copy the data without the headers to the clipboard for pasting into other applications
Expand the columns to view the complete data within each column
Fit the columns to the size of the window you have open for viewing

iDX Release 2.0
3 Monitoring Performance
and Status
You can obtain many types of performance information on the elements in your network. This
chapter describes how to view and interpret this information.
3.1 Monitoring Blades in iMonitor

iMonitor provides a number of monitoring tools that allow you to monitor blade activity and
configuration. Various displays allow you to determine the processes running on each blade,
the remotes assigned to each blade, and the CPU utilization of each blade. Additionally, the
CPU usage is archived for historical retrieval.
To view blade information:
1. Right-click a protocol processor or a blade in the iMonitor Tree and click Blade Info to
open the Blade Info pane.
Figure 53. iMonitor Blade Info Pane

iDX Release 2.0
Using the Remote Probe
2. Click any of the three tabs to view different types of information. Figure 54 shows
examples of all three Blade Info tabs.
Figure 54. iMonitor Blade Info Tabs
3. You can also right-click the blade in any of these displays and select CPU Usage. This
option allows you to view historical information about CPU usage on blades. See CPU
Usage (Blades Only) on page61 for instructions on how to obtain and use this
information.
3.2 Using the Remote Probe

The Probe pane is available from the individual Remote nodes in the iMonitor Tree view. It
allows you to perform specific tasks on a single remote, and provides a mechanism for
retrieving protocol layer statistics from the Protocol Processor controlling the remote.
Specifically, the probe allows you to perform any of the following operations from a single
dialog box:
Change a remotes transmit power
Connect to a remote or protocol processor blade
Reset a remote
Transmit a modulated or unmodulated carrier from a remote
Retrieve data from and perform other functions on a remotes protocol processor
Perform LL Bounce and Acq Bounce on all protocol layers
Because the information in the display is specific to an individual remote, when you select
multiple remotes from an intermediate tree node, iMonitor launches a separate pane for each
remote.
The Probe pane is organized into the following sections:
Remote Power allows you to dynamically change the remotes transmit power using a
MAC-level message from the Protocol Processor. The remote does not have to be in the
network to receive this message, but it must be locked onto the downstream carrier.

iDX Release 2.0
Terminal Sessions allows you to launch a terminal window to this remote or to the
remotes protocol processor blade. The remote must be in the network and your PC must
be able to ping the remote for the remote terminal function to work.
Reset Remote allows you to reset the remote using a MAC-level message from the
Protocol Processor. The remote does not have to be in the network to receive this
message, but it must be locked onto the downstream carrier.
Cross Polarization allows you to transmit an unmodulated or modulated carrier on a
specified frequency from a remote.
Protocol Processor allows you to view statistics, reset statistics, view parameters,
bounce the link layer, or perform an ACQ Bounce.
The Protocol Processor section of the Probe pane allows you to bounce the link layer,
which causes it to go through its initialization handshake sequence and perform the ACQ
Bounce function on this remote. ACQ Bounce is discussed in Performing ACQ Bounce on
page67. Inroute Distribution is discussed in Inroute Distribution on page66.
1. Right-click a remote and Select Probe from the menu to open the Probe dialog box.
Figure 55. Probe Dialog Box

iDX Release 2.0
2. To alter the Transmit Power Value, click Change in the Remote Power section to open
the Change Remote Tx Power dialog box.
Figure 56. Change Remote Tx Power Dialog Box
3. Type the desired New Tx Power and click Set.
Note: You cannot set the power outside of the Min/Max range defined for this remote
in iBuilder.
4. To connect directly to the remote or protocol processor blade, click Remote or Blade in
the Terminal Sessions area of the Probe dialog box (Figure 55).
5. To reset the modem, click the Reset button in the Reset Remote area of the Probe dialog
box (Figure 55).
6. To transmit an unmodulated (CW) or modulated (PN) carrier:
a. Specify an unused RF Uplink Frequency for transmission in the Cross Polarization
area of the dialog box (Figure 57). This is the center frequency of the satellite carrier
you want to transmit.
b. Specify the BUC LO Frequency translation for the remotes BUC.
c. Click Start CW to begin transmitting an unmodulated carrier, or click Start PN to
begin transmitting a modulated carrier.
Figure 57. Probe Dialog Box: Cross Polarization and Adjust Transmit Power

iDX Release 2.0
d. To dynamically change the transmit power once the carrier is active, select the up
and down arrows to adjust the Transmit Power (Figure 57). Each time you click an
arrow, the transmit power changes by .5 dBm.
e. To change to a different frequency, click the Stop button (Figure 57) to bring down
the existing carrier; specify a new RF Uplink Frequency; then click the appropriate
start button to retransmit the carrier.
f. When you have finished, reset the remote to return the remote to normal
functionality. You can use the Reset button on the probe, or you can reset the remote
from iBuilder.
Note: A carrier launched from this screen will automatically stop transmitting five
minutes after the carrier was started or the power was last adjusted. You can
configure a custom key on the remote to change this timeout. See Modifying
the Timeout Duration for a CW or PN Carrier on page60 for details.
7. To view statistics, reset statistics or perform bounce functions, select a layer in the
Protocol Layer drop-down list.
Figure 58. Probe Dialog Box: Selecting a Protocol Layer
Note: Interpretation of protocol layer statistics requires knowledge of the protocol

processor software. They can be useful when working with iDirect support
personnel or engineers to understand network performance. They are not
intended for customers working on their own and their meanings are not
documented in this user guide.
8. Select the appropriate button to the right to View the desired data, Reset the statistics,
or perform the desired Bounce function. You can also save data you retrieve to a file by
clicking the Save To File button.
Figure 59. Probe Dialog Box: Protocol Layer Operations

iDX Release 2.0
3.2.1 Modifying the Timeout Duration for a CW or PN Carrier

A carrier launched from the Cross Polarization section of the Probe will automatically stop
transmitting five minutes after the carrier was started or the power was last adjusted. You
can modify this timeout duration in iBuilder by configuring a custom key on the remote, as
follows:
1. Right-click the remote in the iBuilder network tree and select ModifyJItem.
2. Click the Custom tab.
3. In the Remote-side Configuration section of the Custom tab, define the following custom
key:
[OOB_PARAMS]
cross_pol_test_timeout = <Seconds>
where <Seconds> is the carrier timeout in seconds.
The example in Figure 60 sets the timeout to 600 seconds (10 minutes).
Figure 60. Setting the Timeout for a CW or PN Carrier in iBuilder
4. Click OK to save the remote configuration.

5. Right-click the remote in the iBuilder Tree and select Apply ConfigurationJReliable
Remote-Side (TCP).
6. When the confirmation dialog box opens, click Yes to send the changes to the remote.
7. When the new dialog box opens, click Reset Now for the updated timer to take effect on
the remote.

iDX Release 2.0
CPU Usage (Blades Only)
3.3 CPU Usage (Blades Only)

You can view the CPU Usage of individual blades as follows:
1. Right-click a blade in the iMonitor Tree and select CPU Usage. The Select Items dialog
box opens (Figure 61).
Note: Only Real-time is available in the Get Past menu when viewing CPU Usage.
2. Select the blade for which you want to view information. Notice that the Line Cards and
Remotes sections are unavailable for selection.
3. Click OK to view the Blade CPU Usage pane. The Chart View tab is selected by default
(Figure 62).

iDX Release 2.0
CPU Usage (Blades Only)
Figure 62. Blade CPU Usage: Chart View Tab
4. Click the List View tab to view the data in multicolumn format.
Figure 63. Blade CPU Usage: List View Tab

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Timeplan
5. You can also view limited CPU Usage information in list format on the CPU Usage tab by
following the directions in Monitoring Blades in iMonitor on page55.
3.4 Timeplan
The Timeplan graph shows you the number of TDMA time slots allocated to each remote on an
inroute, averaged over a one-second time period. This display provides an excellent glance at
the relative busy-ness of the inroute and the remotes that are getting the most time slots.
This display shows real-time data only; the NMS back-end does not archive Timeplan slot
allocations.
The Timeplan display can be selected from:
Receive line cards
Inroute groups
To view Timeplan information, follow the directions below:
1. Right-click a receive line card or an inroute group.
2. Select Time Plan from the menu.
If you selected a receive line card from the tree, the Timeplan graph appears
immediately (Figure 65 on page 64). However, if you selected an inroute group from the
tree, the Select Line Cards dialog box opens (Figure 64).
Figure 64. Select Line Cards Dialog Box
3. In the Select Line Cards dialog box, select the check boxes for receive line cards or
inroute groups for which you wish to view data. You can also use the buttons as follows:
All selects all elements in the list
Clear clears all elements in the list
Active selects only the active elements in the list

iDX Release 2.0
Timeplan
4. Click OK to view the Timeplan graph.
Figure 65. Timeplan Graph
Because the information in the timeplan graph is specific to an individual inroute (i.e. line
card), when you select multiple line cards from the inroute group level iMonitor launches a
separate graph for each line card.
The graph is organized into two sections. The top section of the graph shows the total number
of slots allocated across all remotes in the inroute. The Y-axis of this display is scaled to the
total number of time slots available on this inroute. For each entry written to the top graph,
the bottom graph shows the slot allocation to each remote, along with the total number of
unallocated (i.e. free) slots. Check the Show Serial Numbers box to toggle the display of
remote name vs. serial number in the bottom graph.
Note: The graph does not show slots handed out via free-slot allocation; it only shows
slots allocated based on remote demand.

iDX Release 2.0
Timeplan
5. Click the Slot Assignment tab to view each timeplan message as it is sent to the remotes.
Figure 66. Viewing Timeplan Message Data
3.4.1 Pausing the Timeplan Graph and Highlighting Individual

Entries
For convenience, and to study a particular section of the graph for an extended period of
time, iMonitor allows you to pause the output of the Timeplan graph. On iMonitors main tool
bar, press the Pause button to temporarily stop output. You may now click a particular
entry in the top graph; the lower graph changes to reflect the allocation across remotes for
that particular entry in the graph. Press the Forward button to resume the display. No
data is shown for the time period during which the graph was paused.
Figure 67. iMonitor Pause and Resume Buttons

iDX Release 2.0
Inroute Distribution
3.5 Inroute Distribution

Like the timeplan graph, the Inroute Distribution display also shows timeplan slot allocation
averaged over a 1-second interval, but in this case the data is displayed in table format for all
inroutes in an inroute group. This display is useful for determining how slots are allocated
across all inroutes in a group that is using Frequency Hopping. The display show data in real-
time only. The NMS back-end does not archive timeplan slot allocations.
Inroute distribution can be selected from:
Networks
Inroute groups
3.5.1 Viewing Inroute Distribution

To view the inroute distribution, follow the directions below. The procedure is slightly
different depending on whether you start by clicking on a network or directly on an inroute
group:
1. Right-click a network or an inroute group in the iMonitor Tree and select Inroute
Distribution.
2. If you right-clicked an inroute group, the Inroute Distribution pane (Figure 69 on
page 67) opens immediately.
However, if you right-clicked a network, you can select one or more inroute groups to
view:
a. Select the Inroute Groups for which you want to view data in the Select Inroute
Groups dialog box.
Figure 68. Select Inroute Groups Dialog Box

iDX Release 2.0
Inroute Distribution
b. Click OK to view the Inroute Distribution pane
Figure 69. Inroute Distribution Pane
Because the inroute distribution data is specific to an individual inroute group, when you
select multiple line cards from the network level, iMonitor launches a separate pane for each
inroute group in the network.
This Inroute Distribution display (Figure 69) is organized into the following columns:
Remote name and serial number
Total slots allocated to this remote across ALL inroutes
The totals at the bottom show the total slots allocated to all remotes across all
inroutes, the percentage of the total bandwidth this represents, and the total number
of slots in all timeplans
For each inroute, the total number of slots allocated to each remote in the inroute
The totals at the bottom show the total slots allocated to all remotes in this inroute,
the percentage of this inroutes bandwidth this represents, and the total number of
slots in this timeplan
3.5.2 Performing ACQ Bounce

The Inroute Distribution display allows you to perform the ACQ Bounce function for all
remotes or selected remotes in the inroute group. This function is most useful if the inroute
group is in Carrier Grooming mode, and due to a hub reset remotes are no longer evenly-
distributed across the inroutes in the group. ACQ Bounce causes remotes to go through the
acquisition process from scratch without resetting. It takes only a few seconds, and the
Protocol Processor will re-distribute the remotes evenly across all inroutes.
To perform the ACQ Bounce function, select the remotes you want to bounce, launch the
context menu with your right-mouse button, and select the ACQ Bounce option.
Figure 70. Performing ACQ Bounce

iDX Release 2.0
Latency
3.6 Latency
The NMS measures the round-trip time from the hub to each remote and back every five
seconds. All values are available from iMonitor in real-time. Latency responses exceeding 800
msec are available from the historical archive and are saved for one week by default. The
Latency display can be selected from:
Networks
Inroute Groups
Remotes
To view latency measurements for one or more remotes:
1. Right-click a network, inroute group, or remote in the iMonitor Tree.
2. Click Latency to open the Select Items dialog box.
Figure 71. Select Items Dialog Box for Latency Measurements

iDX Release 2.0
Latency
3. Select the remotes for which you want to view information. Notice in Figure 71 that all
but the Remotes section are unavailable for selection.
4. Select either the Historical or the Get Past check box, or click OK to begin viewing
latency in real-time.
a. If you select Historical, click Time Range to open the Select Time Range dialog box
(Figure 72). Then enter a Start Time and End Time, or use the slider to set the Start
Time.
Note: If desired, you can click the ellipses next to the Start and End times to set
the time via the graphical clock display.
Figure 72. Select Time Range Dialog Box and Clock Display
b. If you selected Get Past, the Get Past drop-down list appears. Select an interval of
time.

iDX Release 2.0
Retrieving Information on Remotes using Probe Mesh
5. Click OK to view the Latency pane.
Figure 73. iMonitor Latency Pane
Note: Historical latency reports show only data for latency timeouts. They do not
show measurements that are below the threshold.
The NMS measures latency by sending an empty ICMP echo request and measuring the elapsed
time until it receives a corresponding ICMP echo response from the remote. The round-trip
time (RTT) is limit-checked by default; if the RTT is greater than two seconds, iMonitor raises
a Warning for this remote. Additionally, the receipt of the ICMP echo response is used to
generate the layer 3 LATENCY Alarm, which indicates a potential IP problem. The NMS back-
end generates this alarm if it misses three consecutive ICMP echo responses.
Note: Latency is measured from the NMS server; the latency results do not represent
latency values from the remotes to arbitrary IP addresses on the public
Internet.
As with all multicolumn lists, you may copy and paste multiple rows from the latency display
into another Windows application such as Excel for further analysis.
3.7 Retrieving Information on Remotes using Probe

Mesh
The Probe Mesh pane is available from the individual mesh remote nodes in the iMonitor Tree
view. It allows you to examine statistics on mesh communications between pairs of mesh
remotes.
Note: Mesh is not supported in iDX Release 2.0.

Specifically, Probe Mesh allows you select a pair of remotes and observe the following data
for each:
The number of attempts to transmit to the peer remote
The number of bursts successfully transmitted to the peer remote
The number of bursts received from the peer remote

iDX Release 2.0
Retrieving Information on Remotes using Probe Mesh
The number of bursts received from the peer remote that were dropped
To open the Probe Mesh pane:
1. Right-click a mesh remote and select Probe Mesh to open the Select Mesh Remotes Pair
dialog box.
Figure 74. Select Mesh Remotes Pair Dialog Box
2. Select the peer remote from the Remote Two list and click OK. The Probe Mesh pane is
displayed showing the information described above.
Figure 75. Probe Mesh Pane
Note: Probe Mesh is primarily intended for debugging. When Probe Mesh is enabled,
the remotes send debug information to iMonitor. This increases the processing
on the remotes and uses upstream bandwidth that could otherwise be used to
send traffic.

iDX Release 2.0
Satellite Link Information
3.8 Satellite Link Information

Satellite link information can be selected from:
Networks
Line cards
Remotes
3.8.1 Line Card Statistics

The NMS collects hub line card statistics on a regular basis and saves them in the historical
archive. iMonitor can display these stats either in real-time or from the archive. By default,
the NMS saves line card statistics for one week.
The line cards statistics are available from the following nodes in the iMonitor Tree view:
Network
Line Cards
Because the information in the display is specific to an individual line card, when you select
multiple line cards from the network level, iMonitor launches a separate pane for each line
card.
The line card statistics contain the following information for each line card. Only applicable
fields are displayed depending on the role of the line card (Tx, Tx/Rx, Rx, DVB-S2, legacy
SCPC, Mesh). Therefore, not all fields are displayed for all line cards.
Date/time the measurement was taken
Name and serial number of the line card
Attempted transmits during the time period
Transmitted bytes during the time period
Transmit errors
Acquisition and Traffic CRC errors
TDMA Bursts detected
Received bytes
Receive power in dBm
Number of DMA resets (receive buffer overflow)
PP line card tunnel receive errors
PP line card tunnel transmit errors
Receive digital gain
Clock DAC (Also called FLL DAC)
SCPC loopback clear sky C/N
SCPC loopback symbol offset
SCPC loopback frequency offset
TDM lock (locked or not locked)
Number of times TDM lock was lost

iDX Release 2.0
To view line card statistics:

1. Right-click a network or line card and select Line Card Stats to open the Select Items
Dialog Box.
Figure 76. Select Items Dialog Box for Line Card Stats
Note: If you selected Line Card Stats at the Network level, every line card in that
network is displayed in the Line Cards area of the Select Items dialog box.
If you selected Line Card Stats on a particular line card, only that line card
is displayed in the Line Cards area of the Select Items dialog box.
2. Select either the Historical or the Get Past check box, or click OK to begin viewing
latency in real-time.
(Figure 72 on page 69). Then enter a Start Time and End Time, or use the slider to
set the Start Time.

iDX Release 2.0
b. If you click Get Past, the Get Past drop-down list appears. Select an interval of time.
3. Select the line cards for which you want to view statistics, and click OK to view the Hub
Stats pane.
Figure 77. iMonitor Hub Stats Pane
Identifying Remotes Causing Rx CRC Errors on iNFINITI Line Cards

Transmit problems on one or more remotes may cause CRC errors on the hub line card that is
receiving the upstream carrier. CRC errors could be caused by any of a number of problems: a
remote transmitting above the saturation point, a bad cable, interference, etc.
If the upstream carrier is being received by an iNFINITI line card, you can use the iDirect Rx
CRC Correlation feature to identify which remote or remotes are causing the receive packet
errors (Rx CRC errors) on the card.
See Rx CRC Error Correlation on page 213 for details.

iDX Release 2.0
3.8.2 SATCOM Graph, Remote Status and UCP Information

The SATCOM display shows satellite link characteristics for an individual remote on the
upstream and downstream channels, either in real-time or from the historical archive. This
display is most useful for showing the relationships between hub-side uplink power control
and remote transmit power. It also graphs the frequency and symbol offset calculations
applied to the remote from the Protocol Processor.
The SATCOM display is available only from remotes. Because the information in the display is
specific to an individual remote, when you select multiple remotes from an intermediate
node, iMonitor launches a separate pane for each remote.
Remote Status messages come from the remote itself, while UCP messages come from the
Protocol Processor during uplink control processing. Sometimes it is useful to see the actual
raw data that is used to generate the graph. The remote status message contains a number of
other pieces of information not shown in the graph. As with any multicolumn list, you may
copy/paste multiple rows from these tabs into another Windows application, such as Excel,
for further processing. These real-time/historical displays show raw UCP and Remote Status
information. This display allows you to request up to one week of UCP and Remote Status
messages.
Note: You may adjust the default color settings on this display by selecting the
Properties option from the context menu. Right-click anywhere inside the
display to launch the menu.
Note: You can also view this information on the remote Control Panel. See Control
Panel on page87.
To view the SATCOM Graph, Remote Status, or UCP Info on remotes, follow the directions
below:
1. Right-click a remote and select SATCOM Graph or Remote Status/UCP Info to open the
Select Items dialog box. The remote is pre-selected in the Remotes area of the dialog
box.
Figure 78. Select Items Dialog Box with Remote Pre-Selected
2. Click either Historical or Get Past, or OK for real-time.

(Figure 72 on page 69). Then enter a Start Time and End Time, or use the slider to
set the Start Time.

iDX Release 2.0
b. If you click Get Past, the Get Past drop-down list appears. Select an interval of time.
The SATCOM pane contains four tabs (Figure 79). The Remote Status and UCP Info tabs
contain the raw data used to draw the SATCOM graph. The Mesh UCP tab can be used to graph
various Uplink Control parameters for a remote.
SATCOM Tab
Figure 79 is an example of the graphs on the SATCOM tab.
Figure 79. iMonitor SATCOM Graphs
This example shows the most recent data using the Get Past option of the parameters dialog
box. The window is organized into three separate graphs. The displays show the following
information:

iDX Release 2.0
Graph 1: The downstream signal-to-noise ratio as perceived at the remote, superimposed

on top of the number of times the remote has lost lock on the downstream carrier (TDM
lost). The TDM lost value is cumulative since the remote was last powered-up, but this
graph shows only deltas from message to message.
Graph 2: The upstream signal-to-noise ratio as perceived at the hub, superimposed on top
of the remotes transmit power.
Graph 3: The symbol and frequency offset values applied to the remote from the Protocol
Processor as part of uplink control processing.
Each graph contains heading text that shows the last value received (either real-time or from
the archive depending on the type of request). You can close any of the displays by clicking on
the X in the upper-right corner of the graph.
Note: The maximum time range you may display in this pane is one hour. This limit
includes both historical and real-time information.
Mesh UCP Tab

You can click the Mesh UCP tab to display graphs of hub-side and remote-side UCP
information for a remote (Figure 80).
Figure 80. iMonitor Mesh UCP Graphs

iDX Release 2.0
There are three graphs in the Mesh UCP pane: View 1, View 2 and Tx Power.
To select the parameters to view in each graph:
1. Display the Parameters section of the screen by right-clicking anywhere in the Mesh UCP
pane and selecting Show Parameters from the menu.
2. In the Parameters section, select the parameters you want to display in the three graphs.
(Parameter selection and parameter definitions are discussed in detail in the next two
sections.)
Figure 81. Parameters Section of the Mesh UCP Tab
Selecting Parameters in the Mesh UCP Tab

The following rules apply when you select or clear the various parameter check boxes:
For parameters with two check boxes:
Selecting the first check box causes the parameter to be displayed in View 1.
Selecting the second check box causes the parameter to be displayed in View 2.
For Hub-Side and Remote-Side Information, you can select individual parameters, or you
can select the parameter group using the All or None check boxes.
The Show area of the pane allows you to select or clear groups of parameters in both
views as follows:
Selecting All (View 1 and 2) causes all parameters to be displayed in both views.
Selecting None (View 1 and 2) causes all parameters to be cleared from both views.

iDX Release 2.0
Selecting or clearing the two SCPC check boxes controls the display of all SCPC
parameters in View 1 and View 2 as a group.
Selecting or clearing the two TDMA check boxes controls the display of all TDMA
parameters in View 1 and View 2 as a group.
The Tx Power area of the pane allows you to select which of the transmit power
parameters are displayed in the Tx Power graph.
Mesh UCP Parameter Definitions

In the View 1 and View 2 graphs, you can view UCP parameters for both the downstream
SCPC carrier and for the remotes TDMA mesh carrier.
The first two parameters under Hub Side Information show the hubs values for the SCPC
carrier:
SCPC C/N (Loopback) is the current C/N value for the downstream SCPC carrier as
measured by the hub line card.
SCPC Clear Sky C/N is the C/N of the loopback SCPC carrier set during hub
commissioning.
The second two parameters under Hub Side Information show the hubs values for the TDMA
mesh carrier used by this remote:
TDMA C/N is the current C/N value for the remotes TDMA mesh carrier as measured by
the hub line card.
TDMA Clear Sky C/N is the C/N of the remotes TDMA mesh carrier set during hub
commissioning.
The first two parameters under Remote Side Information show the remotes values for the
SCPC carrier:
SCPC C/N is the current C/N value for the downstream SCPC carrier as measured by the
remote modem.
SCPC Clear Sky C/N is the C/N of the downstream SCPC carrier set during remote
commissioning.
The second two parameters under Remote Side Information show the remotes values for the
TDMA mesh carrier:
TDMA C/N is the current C/N value for the remotes TDMA mesh carrier as measured by
the remote modem.
TDMA Clear Sky C/N is the C/N of the loopback TDMA mesh carrier set during remote
commissioning.
In the Tx Power graph you can view the following transmit power parameters for the remote:
Tx Power is the current transmit power setting for the remote.
Init Tx Power is the initial transmit power for the remote set during remote
commissioning.
Tx Power Init Tx Power shows the difference between the first two parameters

iDX Release 2.0
Remote Status and UCP Info Tabs

The Remote Status data and UCP Info are shown in Figure 82 and Figure 83, respectively.
Note: Some of the content of the remote status message is based on the remote mode
of operation. For example, remotes in a DVB-S2 network report different status
than remotes in a legacy SCPC network, and mesh remotes report different
status than non-mesh remotes. Therefore the columns displayed by iMonitor
vary depending on the remote mode.
Figure 82. Remote Status Raw Data
Figure 83. UCP Info Raw Data

iDX Release 2.0
3.8.3 Group QoS Statistics

You can view the following real-time or historical Group QoS Statistics in iMonitor:
Upstream QoS statistics for QoS groups and subgroups for any Inroute Group
Upstream QoS statistics for individual remotes or for specific applications running on
individual remotes
Downstream QoS statistics for QoS groups and subgroups for any Network
Note: If the GQoS configuration has changed, then historical GQoS statistics that
were logged under the previous configuration are not displayed.
Viewing QoS Statistics

1. To view QoS statistics, do one of the following:
Right-click your Network in the iMonitor tree and select Downstream Qos Stats from
the menu, or
Right-click an Inroute Group or Remote in the iMonitor tree and select Upstream QoS
Stats from the menu.

iDX Release 2.0
2. In the Group Tree pane of the Select Group dialog box, select an element in the tree
over which you want to aggregate the Group QoS statistics. Sub-elements are
automatically selected.
Figure 84. Selecting Elements for Group QoS Statistics
Note: Checking Select single node allows you to select an individual element in
the Group Tree pane. This is illustrated in Figure 85.
Figure 85. Selecting a Single Node for Group QoS Statistics
3. Select Real time, or enter a Start Time, End Time and Duration.

iDX Release 2.0
4. Click OK to view the Group Stats display.
Figure 86. iMonitor Group Stats Display
5. Select elements at different levels of the tree in the left-hand pane to control the
aggregation of the statistics displayed in the List and Plot tabs of the right-hand pane.
Figure 86 shows the total statistics aggregated over the selected Service Group.
The following statistics are displayed in the List tab in the right-hand pane of the Group Stats
display:
BW Req shows the total bandwidth requested by the selected subgroup
BW Alloc shows the total bandwidth allocated by the selected subgroup
Free BW Alloc shows the number of slots allocated to the remote in excess of the
requested bandwidth.
Note: The BW Req column only displays correct data when congestion is not present.
Note: When you right-click a remote and select Upstream QoS Stats from the menu,
you can view all the QoS statistics for a single remote. The Select Group dialog
box for a single remote is shown below.

iDX Release 2.0
Figure 87. Select Group Dialog Box for a Single Remote
6. Click the Plot tab to view a graphical representation of the data on the List tab. By
default, three graphs appear: BW Requested, BW Allocated and BW Free.
Figure 88. Group QoS Statistics: Plot Tab

iDX Release 2.0
7. You can right-click anywhere in the plot area and highlight Select Graph to view or hide
any of the three graphs.
You can also use the right-click menu to change the display. For example, you can select
ChangeJScale to modify the scales of the X axis or Y axis; select Legend to display or hide
the legend; or Change the background (Back Color) or Text color. If you select Mouse
Tracking, you can click and drag along the plot line to view the value of each data point.
Saving QoS Statistics to an Excel Spreadsheet or to a CSV Formatted

File
You can export the Group QoS statistics from the Group Stats List tab to an Excel spreadsheet
or to Comma Separated Variable (CSV) formatted file by following these steps:

iDX Release 2.0
1. Right-click in the display area of the List tab and select Export to Excel or Export to CSV
from the menu.
2. In the Save As dialog box, browse to the folder in which you want to save the statistics.
Figure 89. Saving QoS Statistics
3. Enter a File Name and click Save.

iDX Release 2.0
3.8.4 Control Panel

The Control Panel is available only on remotes. It provides everything you ever wanted to
know about a remote in a single, multi-tabbed display. You can view configuration
information, SATCOM information, IP and satellite traffic statistics, Probe, QoS settings,
latency, and events/conditions simply by clicking from tab to tab in this single pane.
The Control Panel is available only from individual remotes in the iMonitor Tree view.
Additionally, you may have only four Control Panel panes launched at the same time.
When you launch the Control Panel it automatically requests real-time data for each tab in
the pane; you may also request historical data for any tab in the pane using the Historical or
Get Past tools at the top of each tab.
The Control Panel is organized into the following tabs:
General contains configuration information organized into functional areas, and a real-
time summary in the lower-left corner that updates in real-time as long as you keep the
pane open.
Events/Conditions shows events and conditions in real-time or for the specified time
period. When you re-submit requests, you may select only events or only conditions by
selecting the appropriate entry in the List drop-down box.
SATCOM Identical to the individual SATCOM pane, except this pane shows only the
graph, not the raw data behind it.
Mesh UCP Identical to the Mesh UCP tab on the SATCOM graph. (See Mesh UCP Tab on
page77.)
IP Traffic shows IP statistics on the downstream and/or upstream for this remote.
SAT Traffic shows satellite traffic statistics on the down/up for this remote.
Probe a Probe pane for this remote.
Remote Status and UCP Info these two tabs are not tied to the Control Panels SATCOM
display. They provide a means for retrieving these messages over a longer period of time
than can be shown in the SATCOM graph. A real-time/historical display shows raw UCP and
Remote Status information. This display allows you to request up to one week of UCP and
Remote Status messages.
Latency a latency pane for this remote.
QoS displays the current QoS profile settings for this remote.
Figure 90 shows two examples of the many tabs of information accessible from a remotes
control panel.

iDX Release 2.0
Figure 90. Sample Control Panel Tabs

iDX Release 2.0
Monitoring DVB-S2 Performance
3.9 Monitoring DVB-S2 Performance

You can monitor the performance of your DVB-S2 outbound carriers from the Network, Inroute
Group, Remote, or Transmit Line Card menus in the iMonitor tree.
ACM Gain can be monitored at the Network, Inroute Group, Remote and Tx Line card
levels of the tree.
MODCOD distribution can be monitored at the Network, Remote and Tx Line Card levels of
the tree.
Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) can be monitored at the Network, Inroute Group, and Remote
levels of the tree.
DVB-S2 hub line card debug statistics can be monitored at the Tx Line Card level of the
tree.
3.9.1 Monitoring the ACM Gain of Your DVB-S2 Carrier

The ACM Gain represents the increase in performance achieved on a DVB-S2 outbound carrier
when the MODCOD used to transmit data is higher than the minimum MODCOD configured for
the carrier. You can view the ACM Gain for the entire carrier by launching the ACM Gain
display from the Line Card level of the iMonitor tree. You view the ACM Gain achieved by
individual remotes by launching the ACM Gain display from the Network, Inroute Group, or
Remote level of the tree.
Follow these steps to view the ACM Gain for your DVB-S2 outbound carrier or remotes:
1. Right-click a DVB-S2 network, inroute group, line card, or remote in the iMonitor tree and
select DVB-S2 StatsJACM Gain from the menu.
2. If you selected ACM Gain from the Network or Inroute Group menu, the Select Remotes
dialog opens.
Figure 91. Selecting Remotes for ACM Gain
3. Select the remotes you want to monitor in the Remotes area of the dialog box.

iDX Release 2.0
4. Select the Historical check box to select a fixed time range for viewing. Otherwise, select
a time interval from the Get Past drop-down menu, or merely click OK to begin viewing
data in real-time. (Real-time is selected by default from the Get Past drop-down menu.)
Note: For historical data, you can click the ellipses next to Start Time and End
Time to set the Time Range using the graphical clock display.
Figure 92. Select Time Range Graphical Slot Display
5. Click OK to launch the ACM Gain display. The ACM Gain tab is selected by default.
Figure 93. ACM Gain: ACM Gain Tab
The ACM Gain tab graph (Figure 93) shows the ACM Gain over time for the selected
remote(s) or for the entire DVB-S2 outbound carrier (if you launched the display from the
Line Card level of the iMonitor tree).

iDX Release 2.0
6. If you launched the display from the Network or Inroute Group, you can click on any
available remote in the left pane to display the ACM Gain for that remote. You can switch
to a new remote at any time by selecting it.
Figure 94. Selecting Remotes in the Left Pane of the ACM Gain Display
7. If you want to change the list of remotes that you can view without relaunching the
display, click the Filter button to open the Select Remotes dialog box.
Figure 95. Changing the Remotes in the ACM Gain Display
a. Use the arrow buttons to move remotes between the Available Remotes pane and the
Selected Remotes pane to modify the list.
b. Click OK to return to the main ACM Gain display.
8. You can right-click in the graph to change the display by selecting menu options.
Figure 96. Changing the ACM Gain Display

iDX Release 2.0
For example, you can change the scales of the X axis or Y axis; display or hide the legend;
or change the background or text color. If you select Mouse Tracking, you can click and
drag along the plot line to view the value of each data point.
9. To see the ACM Gain data in tabular form, click the List Data tab.
Figure 97. ACM Gain: List Data Tab
The table on the List Data tab shows the following information for each time period:
Low MC shows the minimum MODCOD of the DVB-S2 carrier as configured in iBuilder.
CCM kSym shows the number of kilosymbols that would have been required to transmit
the data if it had all been transmitted using Low MC as the MODCOD.
Actual kSym shows the number of kilosymbols that were actually required to transmit the
data using ACM.
ACM Gain shows the percent gain in efficiency achieved by comparing the CCM bandwidth
that would have been required with the actual bandwidth used.
The remaining columns show the number of kilobytes transmitted at each MODCOD.
3.9.2 Monitoring the MODCOD Distribution of Your DVB-S2

Carrier
In an ACM network, the protocol processor adjusts the modulation and coding (MODCOD) of
the outbound channel on a frame-by-frame basis depending on the current receive
capabilities of the individual remotes in the network. When ACM is enabled for your DVB-S2
carrier, you can examine how the downstream data is distributed across the range of
MODCODs configured for the carrier in iBuilder. You can view the MODCOD distribution for all
downstream data by selecting MODCOD distribution from the Tx line card menu. You can view
the MODCOD distribution to specific remotes by selecting MODCOD distribution for a network
or remote.

iDX Release 2.0
Perform these steps to view the MODCOD distribution for your DVB-S2 carrier, or for selected
remotes receiving the carrier:
1. Right-click a DVB-S2 network, Tx line card, or remote in the iMonitor tree and select DVB-
S2 StatsJMODCOD Distribution to open the Select Remotes dialog box.
Figure 98. Selecting Remotes for MODCOD Distribution
2. Make your selections in the dialog box. (See page89 for details.)
3. Click OK to view the MODCOD Distribution display.
Figure 99. MODCOD Distribution Display: MODCOD Tab
4. If you launched the display from the Network, click on any available remote in the left
pane to display the MODCOD Distribution for that remote. You can switch to a new remote
at any time by selecting it.

iDX Release 2.0
Note: You can also click the Filter button to change the list of available remotes in
the left pane.
5. To see the MODCOD Distribution data in tabular form, click the List Data tab.
Figure 100. MODCOD Distribution Display: List Data Tab
The table on the List Data tab shows the Total kilobytes transmitted during the time period as
well as the number of kilobytes transmitted at each MODCOD. For specific remotes, this
includes all data sent to that remote. If you launched the display from the Tx line card, then
the table includes all data transmitted on the DVB-S2 downstream carrier.
3.9.3 Monitoring the MODCOD Utilization of Your DVB-S2

Remotes
In an ACM network, the protocol processor adjusts the modulation and coding (MODCOD) of
the outbound channel on a frame-by-frame basis depending on the current receive
capabilities of the individual remotes in the network. Ideally, under clear sky conditions, a
remote should receive its downstream data on its configured Nominal MODCOD a high
percentage of the time.
The NMS provides periodic statistics to iMonitor on the operating MODCOD of each remote.
iMonitor uses those statistics to determine how efficiently each remote is consuming
bandwidth relative to its configured Nominal MODCOD. This efficiency of bandwidth usage is
displayed as a single Bandwidth Utilization factor with the following characteristics:
The Bandwidth Utilization factor is always greater than or equal to 1.
A Bandwidth Utilization factor of 1 means that all selected statistics records report that
the remote received its downstream data at or above its configured Nominal MODCOD.
The higher the Bandwidth Utilization factor, the worse the bandwidth efficiency. For
example, a Bandwidth Utilization factor of 2 indicates that the remote used twice as
much satellite bandwidth as it would have required to achieve the same information rate
if it had operated at its Nominal MODCOD 100 percent of the time.

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Perform these steps to view the MODCOD Utilization for your remotes:
1. Right-click a DVB-S2 network or remote in the iMonitor tree. Then select DVB-S2
StatsJMODCOD Utilization from the menu to open the Select Remotes dialog box.
Figure 101. Selecting Remotes for MODCOD Utilization
3. Click OK to view the Message Structure tab of the MODCOD Utilization display. The
display contains one row for each remote.
Figure 102. MODCOD Utilization Display: Message Structure Tab
4. Select a remote in the Structure column. If you selected Historical in the Select Remotes
dialog box (Figure 101), the time range of the selected remotes data is displayed at the
top of the display.
The Message Structure tab contains the following columns:
The Structure column contains the remote names. When you select a remote in the
Structure column, the data for that specific remote is shown when you click the
MODCOD tab or the Detailed Data tab. (See page 96 and page 97 for descriptions of
those tabs.)
The Sparkline column provides a graphical indication of which MODCODs the remote
received during the reporting period. There is one vertical line per statistical record.
Each line represents the MODCOD index of the MODCOD reported in the corresponding
record. The MODCOD index range is 0 (QPSK 1/4) to 21 (16APSK 8/9). (See Table 8 on

iDX Release 2.0
page 98.) The height of each line is proportional to the index of the MODCOD reported
in the corresponding record.
You can configure a number of settings that affect how the Sparkline data is
displayed by right-clicking a Sparkline and selecting options from the context menu.
For details, see Customizing the Display with the Sparkline Context Menu on
page99.
The Nominal column shows the Nominal MODCOD configured for the remote at the
time of the latest statistics record of the statistics sample. (The fields of the statistics
record are described on page 97.)
The Current column shows the MODCOD received by the remote in the latest
statistics record of the statistics sample.
The Utilize column shows the overall Bandwidth Utilization factor as calculated from
all records in the statistics sample. (See page94 for an explanation of the Bandwidth
Utilization factor.)
5. Click the MODCOD tab for a graphical representation of the percentages of data received
at each MODCOD for the remote that you selected on the Message Structure tab.
Figure 103. MODCOD Utilization Display: MODCOD Tab
Figure 103 shows a remote that has received two MODCODs during the time represented
by the statistics. The remote received its outbound data on MODCOD 8PSK-3/5 for 91.95%
of the time and on MODCOD 8PSK-2/3 for 8.05% of the time.

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6. To change to a different type of graph (such as a pie chart), right-click anywhere in the
display and select Type. Select the format you want from the list of options.
Figure 104. MODCOD Utilization Display: Changing the Graph Type
7. To view a legend showing the color coding of the different MODCODs, right-click anywhere
in the display and select Legend. (See Figure 104.)
8. To see the MODCOD Utilization data in tabular form, click the Detailed Data tab.
Figure 105. MODCOD Utilization Display: Detailed Data Tab
This tab displays all the statistics records currently being analyzed for the specific remote
that you selected on the Message Structure tab. Each record includes:
The Date and time of the statistics record
The configured Nominal MODCOD of the remote at the time of the record
The Current MODCOD of the remote at the time of the record
The Bandwidth Utilization factor (BW Utilization) calculated for that specific record.
(See page94 for an explanation of the Bandwidth Utilization factor.)

iDX Release 2.0
Determining the MODCOD from the MODCOD Index Number

Some DVB-S2 MODCODs are reported in iMonitor as an index number rather than a name. Table
8 shows the MODCOD name for each MODCOD index number.
Note: The MODCOD Index Numbers (which start at 0) are not identical to the MODCOD
numbers used in the DVB-S2 standard as documented in the iDirect Technical
Reference Guide (which start at 1).
Table 8. DVB-S2 MODCOD Index Numbers
MODCOD Index Number MODCOD

0 QPSK 1/4
1 QPSK 1/3
2 QPSK 2/5
3 QPSK 1/2
4 QPSK 3/5
5 QPSK 2/3
6 QPSK 3/4
7 QPSK 4/5
8 QPSK 5/6
9 QPSK 8/9
10 QPSK 9/10
11 8PSK 3/5
12 8PSK 2/3
13 8PSK 3/4
14 8PSK 5/6
15 8PSK 8/9
16 8PSK 9/10
17 16APSK 2/3
18 16APSK 3/4
19 16APSK 4/5
20 16APSK 5/6
21 16APSK 8/9

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Customizing the Display with the Sparkline Context Menu

You can configure a number of settings that affect how the Sparkline data is displayed on the
MODCOD Utilization Message Structure tab. Right-click a Sparkline to select menu options in
the context menu. (Figure 106). Each option is discussed in this section.
Figure 106. MODCOD Utilization Display: Context Menu
1. If you enable Mouse Tracking, you can click and drag along the Sparkline to view the
MODCOD Index of each data point. In Figure 107, Mouse Tracking has been enabled and
the mouse is over a line representing a data point with MODCOD index of 12 (8PSK 2/3).
See Table 8 on page 98 for the MODCOD index associated with each MODCOD.
Figure 107. Enabling Mouse Tracking for MODCOD Utilization
2. Select Out of Bound to open a dialog box (Figure 108) that allows you to differentiate
between MODCODs inside or outside a configured range.
Figure 108. MODCOD Utilization: Setting MODCOD Boundaries
In the dialog box, you can set a minimum MODCOD index (Min. Boundary) and a Maximum
MODCOD index (Max. Boundary). Then click OK.
Individual spark lines that represent MODCOD indexes that fall within these boundaries
are displayed in one color in the Sparkline column. Individual spark lines that are outside
the boundaries are displayed as a different color.

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3. Select Size to open a dialog box (Figure 109) that allows you to configure the Width and
Height of your Sparklines.
Figure 109. MODCOD Utilization: Setting Size of Sparkline Column and Rows
Enter a Width to set the width of the Sparkline column in pixels. You cannot adjust the
column on the GUI to be smaller than this setting. Enter a Height to adjust the height of
the rows (in pixels) on the Message Column tab.
4. Select Apply Filter to open dialog box (Figure 110) that allows you to set the maximum
number of lines in a Sparkline.
Figure 110. MODCOD Utilization: Setting the Maximum Spark Lines for a Remote
In Max. Samples, enter the maximum number of lines that you want to display in the
Sparkline column for the selected remote. For example, if you enter 100 for Max.
Samples, only the latest 100 records are represented in the Sparkline column for that
remote.
3.9.4 Monitoring the Signal-to-Noise Ratio of Your DVB-S2

Remotes
In an ACM network, each DVB-S2 remote periodically reports its current Signal-to-Noise Ratio
(SNR) to the protocol processor. Based on the remotes last-reported SNR, the protocol
processor determines the maximum MODCOD at which the remote can currently receive data.
When the protocol processor sends data to the line card destined for that remote, it tells the
line card the maximum MODCOD on which the line card can send the data.
Note that the line card may not send the data to the remote at the remotes maximum
MODCOD. To achieve the most efficient frame packing and to minimize latency, an outbound
frame may contain data for multiple remotes with different maximum MODCODs. Therefore,
the line card may choose to send the data to the remote at a MODCOD that is lower than its
maximum MODCOD to ensure that all targeted remotes can demodulate the outbound frame.

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Note also that critical data (such as timeplan messages) and all multicast data are sent to all
remotes at the lowest MODCOD configured for the downstream carrier, regardless of the
current maximum MODCOD of the individual remotes.
Perform these steps to monitor the SNR values being reported by your remotes to the protocol
processor:
1. Right-click a DVB-S2 network or remote in the iMonitor tree and select DVB-S2 StatsJSNR
Graph to open the Select Remotes dialog box.
Figure 111. Selecting Remotes SNR Monitoring
3. Click OK to view the SNR Plot tab of the SNR Monitoring Display.
Figure 112. ACM SNR Monitoring: SNR Plot Tab

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4. You can right-click anywhere in the graph to change the graph display. See page102 for
more details.
5. To see the SNR data in tabular form, click the List Data tab.
Figure 113. ACM SNR Monitoring: List Data Tab
In the table:
The MODCOD column displays the best MODCOD at which the remote can currently
receive data
The Bitmap column is intended for use by iDirect engineers and support personnel. It
displays the bitmap sent from the protocol processor to the line card representing all
MODCODs at which the remote can currently receive data.
The SNR column displays the SNR values reported by the remote
3.9.5 Viewing DVB-S2 Hub Line Card Debug Statistics

You can view detailed hub statistics for DVB-S2 traffic that is sent from the protocol processor
to the line card and then transmitted by the line card on the DVB-S2 outbound carrier. These
are real-time-only statistics kept by the line card and reported to iMonitor. They are primarily
intended to help the iDirect technical support personnel and engineers perform detailed
analysis of the outbound traffic. Therefore, some of the information displayed in iMonitor
may not be meaningful to you unless you are working directly with iDirect to resolve a
question about your DVB-S2 network performance.
To view the DVB-S2 line card statistics in iMonitor:
1. Right-click a DVB-S2 transmit line card in the iMonitor tree and select DVB-S2 StatsJHW
Stats from the menu to display the DVB-S2 Hub Debug View (Figure 114).

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Figure 114. DVB-S2 Hub Debug View
The Structure column in Figure 114 shows the following types of statistical data that can
be viewed on this screen:
UDP Rx High/Low indicates the number high and low priority UDP packets received by
the line card from the protocol processor. These packets contain the data for
transmission on the outbound carrier. Each UDP packet is subdivided into ACM
packets. Each ACM packet contains data that can be sent on a specific maximum
MODCOD.
ACM Packets Rx High/Low indicates the number of high and low priority ACM packets
received by the line card from the protocol processor that can be transmitted at a
given MODCOD.
ACM Packets Tx High/Low indicates the number of high and low priority ACM packets
received by the line card from the protocol processor for a specific MODCOD that have
been transmitted.
Note: In some cases, the line card may not send the data to the remote at the
remotes maximum MODCOD. To achieve the most efficient frame packing and
to minimize latency, an outbound frame may contain data for multiple remotes
with different maximum MODCODs. ACM Packets Tx High/Low indicates the
number of packets received from the protocol processor per MODCOD that have
been transmitted. It does not indicate whether or not the packets were actually
transmitted at the requested MODCOD.

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LEGS Tx Overhead indicates the number of LEGS overhead bytes transmitted at a

given MODCOD. LEGS (Lightweight Encapsulation for Generic Streams) is the low-level
scheme used by iDirect to encapsulate the generic stream on the DVB-S2 outbound
carrier.
LEGS Tx Data indicates the number of LEGS bytes transmitted at a given MODCOD.
LEGS Tx Padding indicates the number of LEGS padding bytes transmitted at a given
MODCOD.
BB Frames Tx indicates the number of BB Frames transmitted at a given MODCOD. A
BB Frame is the basic framing structure of the standard DVB-S2 protocol. iDirect uses
short frames for ACM carriers and long frames for CCM carriers.
The Sparkline column provides a graphical indication of the data in each category.
The four remaining columns (Current, Total, Min and Max) track the statistical data
as it is received by iMonitor in real time. All data is set to zero when you launch the
display or reset the display. (See Step 5 on page106.) These columns show the most
recent value received (Current); the sum (Total) of all the values received; and the
minimum (Min) and maximum (Max) values received since you launched the screen or
reset the display.
2. To view the details of any type of statistical data, click the plus sign (+) to the left of the
statistics type. Figure 115 shows the expanded view of the low priority ACM packets
transmitted.
Figure 115. Viewing Details of DVB-S2 Hub Debug Statistics

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3. The Hub Debug Statistics display has two tabs. The row that you select in the Message
Structure tab determines which statistics are displayed in the other tab. In Figure 116,
the row containing ACM Packets Rx Low is selected. This causes the corresponding data
to be displayed on the second tab. Notice in Figure 116 that the name of the second tab
has changed to match the selected struture.
Figure 116. Hub Debug Statistics: Selecting Structure for Second Tab
4. Click the tab on the right to view the statistics in real time. All ACM statistics are
displayed by MODCOD.
Figure 117. Hub Debug Statistics: ACM Packets Rx Low Example

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Connecting to Network Elements
5. You can reset the counters in the display to zeroes by clicking the Reset View button
(Figure 118) at the top right of the screen.
Figure 118. Hub Debug Statistics: Resetting the Counters
When you click the Reset View button, iMonitor clears all values and sparklines and
begins accumulating data starting with the next set of statistics received from the line
card.
3.10 Connecting to Network Elements

You can access the Connect option from the Action section of any of the following elements
menus:
Protocol Processor
Blade
Line Card
Remote (also accessible from a remotes Probe dialog box)
The Connect command opens a PuTTY telnet session to the selected element for detailed
anomaly investigation. Please contact iDirects Technical Assistance Center for further
information on using system consoles.
3.10.1 Examining IP Routing and HDLC Information on Remotes

You can view the following IP Routing and HDLC information after connecting to a remote:
The IP routing table currently loaded on the remote
MAC and IP addresses for all remotes in the remotes inroute group.
To examine this data on a remote, follow these steps:
1. Right-click the remote in the iMonitor Tree and select Connect from the context menu.
2. When the PuTTY window opens, log in with Username: admin.
3. You can enter the following commands to view the IP and HDLC information:
ip table displays the IP routing table on the remote. In the Flags column for any
remote IP address:

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Connecting to Network Elements
An S+ indicates star routing (i.e., all transmissions pass through the hub).
An M+ indicates that mesh routing is in effect between this remote and other
mesh remotes in the inroute group.
rmtarp displays the MAC and IP addresses for all remotes in this remotes inroute
group. This does not include the remote you are connected to.
ll hdlc shows the HDLC address of this remote.
These commands are illustrated in Figure 119.
Figure 119. Viewing IP Routing and HDLC Information from the Remote Command Line

iDX Release 2.0
Monitoring Your Bandwidth with SkyMonitor
3.11 Monitoring Your Bandwidth with SkyMonitor

SkyMonitor is an iDirect digital spectrum analyzer that is fully integrated with the NMS. You
can use a SkyMonitor unit to view your iDirect carriers, or to view other carriers present at
your hub. Each SkyMonitor unit has eight RF ports, each of which can be configured in iBuilder
to monitor one or more L-band carriers or a specific area of the spectrum.
You can connect one or more SkyMonitor spectrum analyzers to your hub LAN using standard
Ethernet connections. In addition, a single iDirect Global NMS can connect to multiple
SkyMonitor units at multiple hub locations. Each unit can operate using either an internal
reference clock or an external 10 MHz reference signal. For details on SkyMonitor installation,
see the iDirect SkyMonitor 1880 Spectrum Analyzer Installation and Safety Manual.
Note: SkyMonitor is a licensed feature. If you plan to add SkyMonitor units to your
networks, please contact the iDirect Technical Assistance Center (TAC).
You can launch SkyMonitor from the iMonitor network tree either by right-clicking the
SkyMonitor unit itself, or by selecting a line card carrier that you have associated with a
SkyMonitor port in iBuilder. If in iBuilder you configured a port for a specific iDirect carrier,
then when you right-click the line card for that carrier and launch SkyMonitor, SkyMonitor
automatically displays the bandwidth defined for that carrier. If you launch SkyMonitor by
right-clicking the SkyMonitor unit, the ports are automatically tuned to the center frequency
that you configured for each port. For details on configuring SkyMonitor units in iBuilder, see
the iBuilder User Guide.
Note: When the NMS server processes are started, the NMS Sky Server process
automatically creates an exclusive connection to each licensed SkyMonitor
unit. If you are already connected to a SkyMonitor unit using a web browser,
the Sky Server connection will fail and you will not be able to view your
carriers from your iMonitor clients. Similarly, if the NMS has established a
connection to a SkyMonitor unit, you cannot connect using a web browser.
3.11.1 Viewing the Spectrum with SkyMonitor

Follow these steps to view the iDirect carriers or SkyMonitor ports as configured in iBuilder.
1. To view an iDirect carrier, right-click the line card that is transmitting or receiving the
carrier and select Spectrum MonitorTx or Spectrum MonitorRx from the menu. This
launches SkyMonitor and automatically selects the RF port associated with the carrier.
As an alternative, you can right-click the SkyMonitor unit in the tree and select Spectrum
Monitor. This launches SkyMonitor and selects RF port 1 by default.

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Figure 120 shows the initial SkyMonitor view. The current settings (Center Freq., Span, etc.)
are displayed in the monitor pane on the left.
Figure 120. SkyMonitor Initial View
2. The keypad on the right allows you to temporarily change the RF port settings, capture
data, recall captures, and save screen images. These functions are discussed in detail
later in this section.
3. You can select a new SkyMonitor port by clicking a port number in the RF Port section of
the keypad. (If you launched SkyMonitor from a line card, the RF port configured for the
carrier is automatically selected.)
4. Click the Start button to begin monitoring your preconfigured carrier or RF port. Figure
121 shows an iDirect carrier being monitored by a SkyMonitor spectrum analyzer.
5. Click the Stop button if you want to stop monitoring the bandwidth and clear the display.

iDX Release 2.0
Figure 121. Monitoring a Carrier with SkyMonitor
Note: You can determine the exact frequency and amplitude of any point on the
monitor by positioning your cursor over that point on the screen.
Figure 122. Determining Frequency and Amplitude in the SkyMonitor Display

iDX Release 2.0
3.11.2 Changing the SkyMonitor Settings

SkyMonitor displays the iBuilder configuration for the carrier or RF port by default. However,
you can use the spectrum analyzer keypad to temporarily change these settings during your
SkyMonitor session. However, you must make any permanent configuration changes in iBuilder.
The Frequency, Span, and Amplitude buttons all have associated sub-function buttons. The
sub-function buttons appear in the upper-left portion of the keypad when you click one of
these main buttons. The results of clicking Frequency, Span, and Amplitude are shown in
Figure 123.
Figure 123. SkyMonitor Function Buttons
Operate the keypad buttons as you would the buttons on a typical spectrum analyzer. As an
example, if you want to temporarily change the Center Frequency to be different from the
iBuilder configuration, follow these steps:
1. Click the Frequency button to view the sub-function buttons. (See Figure 123.)
2. Click the Center Frequency button.
3. Using the Data section of the keypad, click the number buttons to enter the value of the
new center frequency.
As you enter the data, it is displayed in the monitor pane on the left side of the window as
shown in Figure 124. You can click the up and down arrow buttons to increment or
decrement the last digit you entered. You can also click the minus sign button (-) to clear
the previously-entered digit.
Figure 124. Entering Data in SkyMonitor

iDX Release 2.0
4. Click the appropriate button for the units you are entering (GHz, MHz, KHz or Hz). Once
you select the units, the value displayed at the bottom of the screen changes to the new
center frequency, converted to KHz.
5. If you want to restore the iBuilder configuration, click the Preset button in the
Instrument State section of the keypad.
Figure 125. SkyMonitor Keypad: Instrument State Section
3.11.3 Capturing and Recalling SkyMonitor Data

SkyMonitor allows you to:
Save the current spectrum analyzer data to a file on the NMS server
Periodically save the spectrum analyzer data to a file at five minute intervals
Recall saved data files for viewing in SkyMonitor
Copy a bitmap image of the monitor pane to your computer clipboard for pasting into an
application such as MS Word.
Saving SkyMonitor Data

To save the current SkyMonitor data, or to initiate a background task to capture data at
intervals over a set period, follow these steps.
1. Click the Save button in the Instrument State area of the SkyMonitor keypad. This allows
you to view the Copy Bitmap, Save Data, and Save Continuous buttons.
Figure 126. SkyMonitor Keypad: Saving SkyMonitor Data
2. If you want to save the current data, click the Save Data button. This writes the spectrum
analyzer data to a file on your NMS server.
3. To capture data at five minute intervals over a set time period:
a. Click the Capture Time button.

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b. In the Data area of the keypad, enter the time period over which you want to collect
data and click the Min or Sec button.
Figure 127. SkyMonitor Keypad: Data Section
c. Click the Save Continuous button. Data is saved to a single capture file on the NMS
server every five minutes for the specified time period.
Recalling and Viewing SkyMonitor Data

Follow these steps to recall and view saved SkyMonitor data files:
1. If you are currently monitoring the spectrum, click the Stop button below the monitor
pane. (See Figure 121 on page110.)
2. In the Instrument State area of the SkyMonitor keypad, click the Recall button to display
the Select Time Range dialog box.
Figure 128. Selecting a Time Range for Recalling SkyMonitor Data
3. Select a time range within which to search for data files by entering a Start Time and End
Time or by adjusting the slider.
4. Click OK to view the Select Sky Data to Recall dialog box. (The maximum time range you
can enter is one week.)

iDX Release 2.0
5. In the Select Sky Data to Recall dialog box, select the data you want to recall and click
OK. The dialog box shows the Center Frequency and Timestamp of each data file. For
iDirect carriers, the line card Name is also displayed.
Figure 129. Select Sky Data to Recall Dialog Box
6. If the file you selected contains a continuous capture, you can click the Prev and Next
buttons to sequentially display the captured data.
Figure 130. SkyMonitor: Viewing Captured Data
7. Click the Stop button when you want to stop viewing the data file.

iDX Release 2.0
Capturing an Image of the SkyMonitor Display

Follow these steps to copy a bitmap image in SkyMonitors monitor pane to your computer
clipboard and paste into an application such as MS Word.
1. Click the Save button in the Instrument State area of the SkyMonitor keypad. This allows
you to view the Copy Bitmap, Save Data, and Save Continuous buttons.
Figure 131. SkyMonitor Keypad: Copying a Bitmap Image of the Display
2. Click the Copy Bitmap button. This copies the image on the monitor pane to the
computers clipboard.
3. Open the application into which you want to past the image.
4. Select the paste function of the application, or type Ctrl + V to paste the image into the
application.

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Traffic Statistics
4 Traffic Statistics and

Traffic Graphs
This chapter discusses the IP, Satellite, and Mesh Traffic graphs. It also describes the statistics
on which the various graphs are based.
4.1 Traffic Statistics

This section describes the IP statistics, satellite statistics and mesh statistics collected by the
NMS.
4.1.1 IP Traffic Statistics

iMonitors IP Traffic Graph is based on IP traffic statistics in both downstream and upstream
directions for any number of remotes in your networks. You can launch the display from the
following nodes in the iMonitor tree:
Network
Inroute Group
Individual Remotes
The procedure for viewing the IP Traffic Graph is described in IP Traffic Graph on page125.
4.1.2 Satellite Traffic Statistics

The SAT Traffic Graph can be launched from the same locations as the IP Traffic Graph, but
displays statistics differently. The following fields represent SAT bytes:
Reliable bytes sent to and received from remotes (e.g. TCP traffic)
Unreliable bytes sent to and received from remotes (e.g. UDP traffic)
Overhead bytes sent to and received from remotes (e.g. TDMA protocol header bytes)
On the downstream only, multicast and broadcast bytes sent to remotes.
The procedure for viewing the SAT Traffic Graph is described in SAT Traffic Graph on
page120.

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Traffic Statistics
4.1.3 IP Traffic Statistics vs. Satellite Traffic Statistics

Bandwidth usage statistics are divided into two different displays in iMonitor, each
representing different classes of usage: over-the-air bytes and upstream LAN bytes.
To understand why this is necessary, lets first review the TCP acceleration process. When the
PP accelerates TCP traffic on the downstream, it sends acknowledgements to the sending
server at the same time it queues the traffic for transmission to the remote. When the
receiving client actually receives the data and acknowledges it, the remote no longer needs
to send the acknowledgement; it has already been sent by the protocol processor.
This technique allows TCP traffic to flow at line rate across the satellite, and it minimizes the
number of TCP ACKs that are transmitted over the air. Because of this, the amount of traffic
flowing upstream from the protocol processor (eth0 to the Internet) differs from the amount
of traffic flowing across the satellite. A large TCP download, for example, can cause
significant traffic to flow out of the upstream interface of the protocol processor, even though
little of that traffic is transmitted across the satellite.
The IP Statistics display shows the traffic on the upstream side of protocol processor while
SAT Statistics display shows the traffic on the tunnel side of the protocol processor. This is
illustrated in Figure 132.
To Internet
Upstream Lan Segment
Tunnel Lan Segment
Upstream Router
To Protocol
To line cards, satellite, remotes
Internet Processor
IP Traffic Stats Collected Here SAT Traffic Stats Collected Here
Figure 132. Collection Points for IP Usage Statistics
Note: Due to the different collection points for IP and SAT statistics, the IP Statistics
display may show more upstream traffic than is actually possible; i.e., greater
than the channel rate or configured rate limit. This is normal and not a cause
for concern.

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Traffic Statistics
4.1.4 Mesh Traffic Statistics

The NMS collects mesh traffic statistics to and from remotes, saves it in the data archive, and
provides it to iMonitor for real-time and historical displays. You can view the following mesh
traffic statistics:
Reliable bytes sent to and received from remotes on mesh inroutes (e.g. TCP traffic)
Unreliable bytes sent to and received from remotes on mesh inroutes (e.g. UDP traffic)
Overhead bytes sent to and received from remotes on mesh inroutes (e.g. TDMA protocol
header bytes)

Mesh statistics refer only to single-hop traffic between mesh remotes. In a typical network
configuration, TCP traffic between remotes will be routed through the hub. In that case, the
reliable byte count will be zero. However, if TCP acceleration is turned off for a mesh inroute
group, then both reliable (TCP) and unreliable (UDP) traffic between mesh remotes will be
single hop traffic and will be counted in these statistics.
When viewing statistics for mesh-enabled remotes, its important to keep the following facts
in mind:
Remote-to-remote traffic traverses the satellite on the TDMA inroute.
When viewing the SAT traffic graph, the upstream graph includes any remote-to-remote
mesh traffic.
The Mesh traffic graph includes any remote-to-remote mesh traffic and remote-to-hub
traffic. The displays for transmitted and received traffic do not include non-mesh traffic.
That is, traffic from remotes destined for an upstream host is not included on the display.
Mesh traffic is never displayed on the IP traffic graph, since this display represents traffic
upstream from the protocol processor.
You may use the Mesh IP statistics to determine if there is mesh traffic loss on the link. In
order to do this, you must select all mesh remotes for the display. When you do this, the
transmitted kbps and received kbps should be identical. If they are not identical, it is likely
there is packet loss across the mesh link.
The procedure for viewing the Mesh Traffic Graph is described in Mesh Traffic Graph on
page130.

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Traffic Graphs
4.1.5 Traffic Statistics Collection Points

Figure 133 shows the various collection points for Mesh, SAT, and IP statistics.
Mesh Traffic Stats Collected Here
To Internet
Remote 1
Upstream Router
Upstream Lan Segment
Tunnel Lan Segment

Remote 2
Protocol
Processor
Remote 3
IP Traffic Stats Collected Here SAT Traffic Stats Collected Here
Figure 133. Collection Points for Mesh, SAT, and IP Statistics
4.2 Traffic Graphs

This section contains the step-by-step procedures for viewing the following displays in
iMonitor:
Sat Traffic Graph
IP Traffic Graph and IP Traffic Graph (Group)
Mesh Traffic Graph
4.2.1 SAT Traffic Graph

The SAT Traffic Graph can be selected from the following elements in the iMonitor tree:
Networks
Inroute groups
Remotes
To view the satellite traffic graph, follow the directions below:
1. Right-click a network, an inroute group or a remote.

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Traffic Graphs
2. Click SAT Traffic Graph. The Select Items dialog box appears.
3. Select the remotes for which you want to view information. Notice that all but the
Remotes section are unavailable for selection.
4. Click either Historical or Get Past, or OK to view real-time.
You may specify a historical time range or Get Past value from the parameters dialog. The
maximum interval you can select is 12 hours. The farther you go back in time, less
granularity will be available from the database due to archive consolidation.
If you retrieve more than 30 minutes of data, the display will be easier to read if you
select the Minutes or Hours interval from the context menu.

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Traffic Graphs
a. If you select Historical, click Time Range. The Select Time Range dialog box appears
(see below). If desired, click the ellipses next to the Start and End times to set the
time via the graphical clock display. If you selected Get Past, see Step b.
Figure 135. Select Time Range Dialog Box and Clock Display
time.
Figure 136. Get Past Drop-Down List
5. Click OK.
6. The SAT Traffic pane appears with three tabs. Below are examples of the SAT Traffic tab
(Figure 137) and the SAT Downstream tab (Figure 138). The SAT Upstream tab has the
same format as the downstream, but displays data regarding the upstream path.
Note: You can also view the total kbps traffic in both directions for a selected group
of remotes by launching the SAT Bandwidth Usage display. See Satellite
Bandwidth Usage on page132 for details.

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Traffic Graphs
Figure 137. SAT Traffic Tab
Figure 138. SAT Downstream Tab

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Traffic Graphs
7. You can change the graphical display on the Sat Traffic tab by toggling the buttons to the
left of the graphs (Figure 137). The buttons work as follows:
The U and D buttons (shown below) toggle on and off the Upstream and Downstream
graphs. Click these buttons to display one or both graphs.
The Hour, Min and Sec buttons change the scale of the X axis to hours, minutes or
seconds.
The Bits and Bytes buttons toggle the scale of the Y axis to Kbits per second or Kbytes
per second.
The All and None buttons select all traffic types for the graphs or clear the display.
The Scale button applies only to the Downstream graph for DVB-S2 ACM networks. If
the Scale button is not selected, the actual data rate is shown on the Y axis. If the
Scale button is selected, the Y axis changes to show the downstream data rate that
would have been achieved if all downstream data had been transmitted at the
networks best MODCOD.
The Totals button adds a line to the graphs showing the total traffic for all the
selected traffic types.
The last five (traffic type) buttons determine which traffic types are included on the
graphs. You can select any combination of: Reliable, Unreliable, Overhead, Multicast
and Broadcast.
8. To choose among various display options on the graph, right-click inside the window to
view the menu below.
Figure 139. SAT Traffic Options Menu

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Traffic Graphs
The menu options are described below:

Show Legend displays a color-coded legend of the graph contents.
Show Parameters shows a statistics options section at the top of the pane. (See Figure
147 on p. 132.)
Scroll Lock locks the upstream and downstream scroll bars together after a historical
query.
Direction allows you to view upstream traffic, downstream traffic, or both.
Units switches between kilobits per second and kilobytes per second.
Interval switches among the following:
Seconds (3 minutes total)
Minutes (1 hour total, averaged over 1 minute)
Hours (12 hours total, averaged over 10 minutes)
Activity allows you to selectively choose which IP types to display, or to show the total IP
traffic as a single graph line.
Rate Limits displays configured upstream and downstream rate limits. This selection only
exists for Satellite Traffic statistics; it does not exist in the IP Traffic statistics menu.
Copy copies the current graph display to your PCs clipboard.
Properties allows to you modify the default color settings.
4.2.2 IP Traffic Graph

The IP Traffic Graph can be selected from the following elements in the iMonitor tree:
Networks
Inroute groups
Remotes
You can select IP Traffic Graph at all three levels of the tree. At the Network and Inroute
Group levels, you can also select IP Traffic Graph (Group).
If you select IP Traffic Graph, iMonitor displays the aggregate total IP traffic for all the
remotes you selected for the graph. If you select IP Traffic Graph (Group), iMonitor displays
the IP traffic of multiple individual remotes side by side on the same graph rather than
aggregating the traffic.
To view the IP traffic graph, follow these steps:
1. Right-click a network, inroute group, or remote.

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Traffic Graphs
2. Click IP Traffic Graph or IP Traffic Graph (Group). The Select Items dialog box appears.
3. Select all remotes for which you want to view information. Notice that only the Remotes
section is available for selection.
4. Click either Historical or Get Past, or OK to view real-time.
a. If you select Historical, click Time Range. The Select Time Range dialog box
appears. (See Figure 135 on p. 122).
If desired, click the ellipses next to the Start and End times to set the time via the
graphical clock display.
time.

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Traffic Graphs
5. Click OK.
6. The IP Graph pane appears, as shown in Figure 141. Refer to the Accessing the NMS
Statistics Archive on page155 for information on these results.
Figure 141. IP Traffic Graphs
7. You can click the Upstream Data or Downstream Data tabs to view the raw statistics used
to draw the graphs. (Refer to the Accessing the NMS Statistics Archive on page155 for
information on these statistics.)
Figure 142. IP Traffic SAT Downstream

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Traffic Graphs
8. You can change the graphical display on the IP Graph tab by toggling the buttons on the
left. (See Figure 141.) The functions of the various buttons are documented on page 124.
9. If you selected IP Traffic Graph (Group), the selected remotes are shown at the left of
the display. You can show or hide the traffic of individual remotes by selecting or clearing
the check boxes. This is illustrated in Figure 143. The top image shows the traffic graph
with two remotes selected. The bottom image shows the same graph for only one of the
remotes.
Figure 143. Selecting Remotes for IP Traffic Graph (Group)
10. If you selected IP Traffic Graph (Group), you can click the Filter button (Figure 143) to
open the Select Remotes dialog box (Figure 144).

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Figure 144. Selecting Remotes for Main Display
Use the Select Remotes dialog box to select which remotes are displayed in the pane on
the left side of the main display (Figure 143). Click the arrow buttons to move remotes
between the Selected Remotes area and the Available Remotes area. Only Selected
Remotes are shown on the main display.
11. To choose among various display options on the graph, right-click inside the window to
view the menu below.
Figure 145. IP Statistics Options Menu
The menu options are described below. Some of these options perform the same functions as
the buttons on the left side of the display. (See Figure 141.)
Select Graph allows you to select the Upstream and/or Downstream graph for display
Change allows you to change characteristics of the graph such as text color; the scale of
the X axis and Y axis; the data refresh rate; and the units for the Y axis.
Note: If you change the scale of the X axis, you must enter the new values in seconds
since January 1, 1970.
Legend displays a color-coded legend of the graph contents.
Traffic allows you to select some or all of the following traffic types for display on the
graph: TCP, UDP, ICMP, IGMP, HTTP, Other. It also allow you to graph the Total traffic.
Copy sends the current graph display to your PCs clipboard.
Max Points allows you to limit the number of statistics records used to plot the graph.
Refresh Rate allows you to change the data refresh rate for the graph.
Manual Refresh refreshes the display immediately.

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Traffic Graphs
4.2.3 Mesh Traffic Graph

The Mesh Traffic Graph can be selected from the following elements in the iMonitor tree:
Networks
Inroute groups
Remotes

To view the mesh traffic graph, follow the directions below:
1. Right-click a network, an inroute group or a remote.
2. Click Mesh Traffic Graph. The Select Items dialog box appears. (See Figure 134 on p.
121.)
3. Select the remote or remotes for which you want to view information. Notice that all but
the Remotes section of the dialog box are unavailable for selection.
4. Click either Historical or Get Past; or click OK to view real-time statistics.
You may specify a historical time range or Get Past value from the parameters dialog. The
maximum interval you can select is 12 hours. The farther you go back in time, less
granularity will be available from the database due to archive consolidation.
If you retrieve more than 30 minutes of data, the display will be easier to read if you
select the Minutes or Hours interval from the context menu.
a. If you select Historical, click Time Range. The Select Time Range dialog box
appears. (See Figure 135 on p. 122.)
If desired, click the ellipses next to the Start and End times to set the time via the
graphical clock display. If you selected Get Past, see Step b.
time.
5. Click OK.

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Traffic Graphs
6. The Mesh Traffic pane appears with three tabs. Below are examples of the Mesh Traffic
tab and the Mesh Receive tab. The Mesh Transmit tab has the same format as the Mesh
Receive tab but displays data regarding the transmitted traffic.
Figure 146. Mesh Traffic Graphs

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Satellite Bandwidth Usage
7. If you right-click inside the frame and click Show Parameters from the context menu, you
can select what you want to see in the graph from the options shown in Figure 147.
Figure 147. Statistics Graphs Parameters Options
Note that the Rate Limits (Downstream Max and Upstream Max) are only selectable if
you have configured rate limits on the QoS tab of the selected remotes.
8. Click the Mesh Receive tab or Mesh Transmit tab to view the mesh statistics in tabular
form. Figure 148 shows an example of the Mesh Receive statistics display.
Figure 148. Mesh Receive Statistics
4.3 Satellite Bandwidth Usage

This display is useful as an at-a-glance display of the total kbps traffic in both directions for a
selected group of remotes. The information is shown in real-time only in a multi-column list.
You can sort each column in ascending or descending order.
The Bandwidth Usage display can be selected from:
Networks
Inroute Groups

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To view the bandwidth usage, follow these steps:

1. Right-click a network or inroute group.
2. Click Sat Bandwidth Usage. The Select Remotes dialog box appears,
3. Make the appropriate selections, and click OK. The SAT Bandwidth Usage results pane
appears, as shown below.
Figure 150. Real-Time SAT Bandwidth Usage Display

iDX Release 2.0

iDX Release 2.0
Long Term Bandwidth Usage Reports
5 Reporting on Networks
iMonitor allows you to generate reports from the statistics archive. Each is discussed in detail
in this chapter.
You can generate reports from the following elements in the iMonitor tree:
Networks
Inroute groups
Remotes
TDMA line cards
iSCPC line cards
The following reports are available from multiple levels of the iMonitor tree:
SAT Long Term Bandwidth Usage
IP Long Term Bandwidth Usage
Mesh Long Term Bandwidth Usage
Remote Availability
Line Card Availability
5.1 Long Term Bandwidth Usage Reports

Long-term bandwidth usage reports provide you with a fast and flexible way to show
bandwidth utilization. On the Average Tab of the SAT or Mesh Long Term Bandwidth Usage
report, a percent-of-max-capacity figure is also calculated, which quantifies unused
bandwidth margin on both the upstream and downstream channels. At each level of the Tree,
you can report on all remotes below the element you have selected.
5.1.1 Generating Long Term Bandwidth Usage Reports

To generate, view, save, or print a Long Term Bandwidth Usage report, follow these steps:
1. Right-click a network, inroute group, or remote.

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2. Select IP Long Term Bandwidth Usage, SAT Long Term Bandwidth Usage or Mesh Long
Term Bandwidth Usage. The Long Term Bandwidth Usage Parameters dialog box
appears.
3. In Remote Devices, select the check boxes of the remotes for which you want to
generate reports.
4. When the Total All Remotes box is selected, iMonitor will add all the values together for
all of the selected remotes. If clear, iMonitor reports on each remote individually.
5. In Direction, select Downstream, Upstream, or Both to tell iMonitor whether to report
on downstream usage, upstream usage, or usage in both directions.
6. In IP Type, SAT Type or Mesh Type, select one or more protocol types that you would like
in your report, or select None to report only on total traffic, not broken down by

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protocol. Selecting the All check box selects all of the protocol type boxes and results in a
complete listing of the individual values for each protocol type.
7. Select Total Traffic to sum the columns of IP traffic in a Grand Total.
8. In Time Range select the time period for your report. By default, you can select up to six
months in the past; values older than this are not saved by the back-end server. If you
wish to save IP statistics for longer than six months, please contact iDirects Technical
Assistance Center (TAC).
In Time Range, enter the start date by selecting a day, month, and year from the
calendar drop-down box. You can enter time values using the text boxes, or by clicking
the Details button to display the clock tool.
To specify an hour value, click the hour hand, and then click the hour. To select a minute
value, use the same technique, but click the minute hand instead. You can also double-
click anywhere on the dial to move both hands to that location.
Note: This method for specifying time is available from all historical query
parameters panes.
9. The Interval box allows you to specify the time period represented by each message
returned from the server. This feature allows you to show more or less granularity in the
results depending on the type of report you want. In general, raw data is less informative
for long-term reporting than data consolidated to represent larger time periods.
The minimum interval available will vary depending on the Start Time you specify for
your report. As usage data ages, the NMS server automatically consolidates records to
save disk space, so the higher-granularity intervals may not be available if your Start
Time value is far in the past. iMonitor automatically chooses the highest-granularity
interval for you. For more information on how the NMS server consolidates usage records
see Accessing the NMS Statistics Archive on page155.
10. In the Sort By drop-down list, specify an initial sort order for the report. Once the report
is generated you can re-sort at any time by clicking on the appropriate column heading.
11. When you have finished specifying the parameters, click OK to run the report. After the
server has retrieved the data, consolidated it into your chosen interval, and delivered it
to your client, a separate pane appears showing the results of the report.

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5.1.2 Results
The report is organized into Totals and Averages tabs. The Totals tab shows total kilobytes
for each message returned from the server in the interval that you selected. There is a total
value at the end of each row, and a grand total at the bottom of each column. The Averages
tab shows the calculated kilobits per second value for each message.
Totals Tab
Figure 151 shows an example of the Totals tab of the Sat Long-Term Bandwidth Report. In
this example, the user chose to total all remotes, and to not break out the report by IP
protocol type. If the user had chosen to report individual IP protocols, each supported
protocol would have appeared in its own column.
Averages Tab
Figure 152 shows the same report as Figure 151, but with the Averages tab selected. As with
the Totals tab, only the averages for the total IP traffic are calculated, since the user chose
to not break out the data by individual IP protocol type.
Figure 151. SAT Long Term Bandwidth Usage Report

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12. Click Averages to view the average values for each parameter for the period of time the
report covers.
Figure 152. IP Long Term Bandwidth Usage Report
5.1.3 Interpreting the Report
Percentage of Channel Capacity

In addition to the kbps value, the averages tab of the SAT or Mesh Long Term Bandwidth Usage
report contains the percentage of the maximum channel capacity for your upstream and
downstream channels for the interval chosen. The values in these two columns will give you a
general idea of the bandwidth margin you have on your upstream and downstream. The values
are estimates only; the actual channel capacities may be slightly higher or lower depending
on a number of factors, such as the number of remotes in the network, whether or not the
Download Distributor is turned on, etc. However, the values are accurate enough to tell you
when you should consider adding additional bandwidth to a particular channel.
For the downstream, we take 2.5% off the top for overhead. Overhead includes HDLC framing,
timeplans, UCP commands, etc. The theoretical maximum for a downstream with a 2 Mbps

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Remote and Line Card Availability Reports
information rate would be 2 * .975 = 1.95 Mbps.For the upstream, we use the following
calculation to determine the theoretical maximum in bits per second:
(bytes per slot)*(8 bits per byte)*(slots per frame)*(1000/frame_len)
In the first clause, the byte count per slot does NOT include our internal overhead.
Additionally, this calculation removes unique word and guard band overhead. In a typical
network configuration with small FEC blocks, a 658 kbps information rate, a 125 ms frame,
and 109 traffic slots, the theoretical maximum would be as follows:
(70 bytes per slot)*8*(109 slots)*(1000/125)= 488320 bps = 488.320 kbps
The upstream theoretical maximum is an estimate only; the actual maximum will vary
depending on a number of factors, such as the number of remotes in the network, the
minimum data rate for each remote, and IP packet sizes.
Keep in mind that the larger your interval, the lower the percentage will probably be. This is
due to the fact that kbps values are averaged over the entire period of the interval, so spikes
in activity will tend to be hidden in the average value.
5.2 Remote and Line Card Availability Reports

The Remote Availability report and Line Card Availability report allow you to report on the
amount of time a remote or group of remotes was active in the network and able to pass IP
traffic. The availability reports also includes a count of the number of times a remote or line
card was out-of-network during the reporting period.
This report is available from the following levels of the network tree view:
Network
Inroute Groups
Individual Remotes
Individual Line Cards
This example explains how to view the Remote Availability report. You can perform similar
steps to view the Line Card Availability report.
To generate, view, save, or print the Remote Availability report, follow these steps:
1. Right-click a network, inroute group, or remote and select Remote Availability from the
menu.

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The Select Remotes dialog box appears.
2. Select the devices on which you want to report.

3. Select a time range for the report.
4. Click OK to view the Remote Availability report.
Figure 154. Remote Availability Report
An example report is shown below. For each remote you selected, the report displays the
percentage of the time period the device was up and down, and the total number of hours
during the time period the device was up and down. Up refers to the time the remote was
able to pass traffic, and Down refers to the time the remote was unable to pass traffic due
to either a Layer 2 or Layer 3 Alarm being active (or both). The last line of the report shows
the average up/down hours and percent of all the devices for which you generated the report.

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Launching the Geographic Map
6 Monitoring Remotes
Using the Geographic
Map
You can view your teleport and all remotes in your networks on iMonitors Geographic Map.
These elements are positioned on the map according to their current geographic locations. A
remote is represented by a green, yellow, or red icon, depending on its real-time state. You
can interact with the map to zoom, pan, select remotes for further operations, toggle labels
and elevation, and perform other useful functions.
Note: You must be logged on as a Super User to use the Geographic Map in iMonitor.
See the iBuilder User Guide for information on configuring user account
privileges.
6.1 Launching the Geographic Map

To launch the geographic map:
1. Right-click a Teleport, a Network or an Inroute Group in the Network Tree and select
Geographic Map.
Figure 155. Launching the Geographic Map

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Launching the Geographic Map
The Select Remotes dialog box opens.
2. In the Remotes area of the Select Remotes dialog box, select the remotes you want to
view on the map. You can use the buttons to select All remotes, to Clear all remotes, or
to select only Active remotes. If you select Historical and enter a Time Range, the map
will be displayed with remote tracking over the selected time. (See Tracking and
Locating Mobile Remotes on page147 for details.)
3. As an alternative to selecting Historical and a Time Range, you can select a duration
from the Get Past drop down menu to display tracking for that time period up to the
present.
Figure 157. Selecting a Get Past Duration

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The Map Toolbar
4. When you have finished making your selections, click OK to view the Geographic Map in
the main pane of the iMonitor display.
Figure 158. Geographic Map: Initial View
6.2 The Map Toolbar

The Map Toolbar allows you to interact with the map in various ways. To display the toolbar,
select GeoMap Toolbar from the iMonitor View menu.
Figure 159. Displaying the Geographic Map Toolbar
The toolbar is shown below. It is highlighted whenever one or more Geographic Maps is active.
Figure 160. Geographic Map Toolbar

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The Map Toolbar
Table 9 describes the functionality of all buttons on the Map Toolbar. Icon names used in this
document are in bold typeface.
Table 9. Geographic Map Toolbar Icons and Functions
Allows you to Zoom In through successive map levels, centered on the current mid-
point of the map.
Allows you to Zoom Out through successive map levels, centered on the current
mid-point of the map.
Allows you to Pan to a new region of the map within the current zoom level by using
the hand cursor to drag the map in any direction. If the entire map is visible, this
function does nothing.
Jumps directly to the Highest Zoom Level from the current zoom level. (The
highest zoom level shows the entire map.)
Allows you to Group Select a number of geographically-adjacent remotes by

dragging a box around a group of remote icons. You can then right-click to launch the
Network Tree menu for operations on multiple remotes. As with other group-select
modes, the parameters dialog box for the selected display is pre-populated with your
selected remotes.
Allows you to click your mouse on a remote icon to determine Details of that
remote. When you click a remote icon, the remotes name, exact location, and any
current conditions are displayed.
Enables and disables Mobile Remote Tracking. When enabled, mobile remotes
that move within the network leave a trail on the map indicating where they have
been.
The Clear Track button clears the trails of mobile remotes from the map that result
when Mobile Remote Tracking is enabled. This button does not disable Mobile
Tracking.
The Toggle Elevations button turns on or off elevation measurements and contours
on the map display. Elevations are available only on lower zoom levels.
The Map Labels button turns on or off the name display for map features such as
cities, towns, rivers, ports, and highway route numbers. The labels displayed vary
with zoom level.
This button causes remotes to be displayed as Small Icons on the map.
This button causes remotes to be displayed as Medium Icons on the map.

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Tracking and Locating Mobile Remotes
Table 9. Geographic Map Toolbar Icons and Functions (continued)
This button causes remotes to be displayed as Large Icons on the map.
When enabled, the Circle Remote Images button causes the map to display a
shadow or outline around each remote icon. This function is useful when remotes are
clustered, or when elevation or label data obscures the remote icons.
When enabled, the Flash Remote Images button causes all remote icons to flash
continuously. This feature allows you to quickly identify all remotes in a specific
network or inroute group. It is especially useful at higher zoom levels.
When the Filter on Alarms button is selected, remotes with alarm status are visible
on the map.
When the Filter on Warnings button is selected, remotes with warning status are
visible on the map.
When the Filter on Mesh Alarms button is selected, remotes with mesh alarm
status are visible on the map.
When the Filter on OK button is selected, remotes with OK status are visible on the
map.
When the Filter on Elsewhere button is selected, roaming remotes with elsewhere
status for the network being monitored are visible on the map.
When the Filter on Offline button is selected, remotes with offline status are
visible on the map.
6.3 Tracking and Locating Mobile Remotes

Stationary remotes are placed on the map during initialization when their geographic
locations are stored in the NMS database. Mobile remotes, however, cannot be placed
correctly until they report their locations to iMonitor.
By default, the map shows all mobile remotes in the same location: 0 degrees latitude and 0
degrees longitude. To show your mobile remotes in the current, correct location, select the
Mobile Remote Tracking button on the Map Toolbar. As the remotes transmit their geographic
coordinates to the NMS, iMonitor places the remotes on the map in their reported locations.
Mobile remote tracking also traces the location history of each mobile remote in real time by
leaving a grey ghost image of the remote whenever its reported location changes. In Figure

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161, the green icon just off the coast of Russia is the current location of the remote. The grey
trail traces its movement over time.
Figure 161. Geographic Map: Remote Tracking
Note: It is not possible to track Secure Mobile Remotes. By design, these units do not
report their geographic locations to the hub.
6.3.1 Enabling Remote Tracking and Clearing Remote Tracks

To turn on Remote Tracking, select the Mobile Remote Tracking button on the Geographic
Map Toolbar. iMonitor will update the map with your remotes new locations each time they
report their positions to the NMS. Past positions will be indicated by trails of grey icons on the
map. To clear the trails for your remotes from the map, select the Clear Tracks button on the
toolbar.

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6.3.2 Determining a Remotes Current Location and State

When tracking your remotes, you can determine a remotes current location and state as
follows:
1. Select the Details button on the Geographic Map toolbar.
2. Click the icon representing the remote on the map. An Information Message displays the
remotes name, its current position, and any conditions associated with the remote.
Figure 162. Geographic Map: Determining a Remotes Location and State
6.3.3 Determining a Remotes Past Locations at Specific Times

You can also determine the past locations of a remote at exact times.

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Using the Map to Select from the Network Tree Menu
2. Click any of the grey icons in the trail of a remote. An Information Message will display
the name of the remote along with its position and the time of day when its location
corresponded to the grey icon you selected.
Figure 163. Geographic Map: Determining a Remotes Past Location
6.4 Using the Map to Select from the Network Tree

Menu
You can use the Geographic Map to display the remote Network Tree submenu and make menu
selections for one or more remotes.
6.4.1 Selecting from the Remote Submenu for a Single Remote

If you hold the mouse pointer over a remote icon and right-click, the Tree submenu for
remotes is displayed. You can then select an iMonitor operation from the remote menu. The
remote you are pointing to will be pre-selected for the operation. This is identical to right-
clicking the remote in the Network Tree View.
To use the Geographic Map to display the Network Tree menu for a single remote:
2. Place the cursor over the icon representing the remote on the map. (Do not click the
remote.)

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Using the Map to Select from the Network Tree Menu
3. Right-click to display the remote submenu. When you select an operation from the menu,
iMonitor will display the results with the remote pre-selected.
Figure 164. Displaying a Remotes Submenu from the Geographic Map
6.4.2 Selecting from the Remote Submenu for Multiple Remotes

If you right-click after selecting a group of geographically-adjacent remotes on the map, then
all of those remotes will be pre-selected when the parameters dialog box is displayed.
To use the Geographic Map to select an operation for multiple remotes:
1. Select the Group Select button on the Geographic Map toolbar.
2. On the map, drag a box around the group of remotes you want to select.
3. Right-click with the cursor over the selected group of remotes and select from the remote
submenu. iMonitor will display the parameters dialog box with the all remotes in the

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Geographic Map Filtering Based on Remote Status
group pre-selected. The figure below shows the results of selecting three remotes on the
map, and then selecting Network Data Snapshot from the menu.
Figure 165. Selecting Multiple Remote from the Geographic Map
6.5 Geographic Map Filtering Based on Remote Status

By default, all remotes are visible on the geographic map. However, you can set filters to view
or hide remotes on the map based on the real-time status of the remotes in the network.
When a remote filter is selected, all remotes with that status are displayed. When a filter is
not selected, remotes with that status become invisible.
Note: If the status of a remote changes so that the remote status no longer matches a
selected filter, the remote will disappear from the map. Similarly, if a remote
that was not visible due to filtering changes to a visible status, the remote will
appear on the map.
The following criteria can be applied when filtering Remotes on the geographic map:
Show all remotes (no filtering)
Show or hide remotes with Alarm status
Show or hide remotes with Warning status
Show or hide remotes with Mesh Alarm status
Show or hide remotes with OK status
Show or hide remotes with Elsewhere status (See note below.)
Show or hide remotes with Offline status
Hide all remotes
Note: Remotes with Elsewhere status are roaming remotes that are configured in the
network being monitored, but that have moved to another network. An icon for
a remote with Elsewhere status reflects the last position in which that remote
was displayed on the geographic map prior to leaving the network.

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Filters can be set either by selecting icons on the geographic map toolbar, or by right-clicking
in the map pane and using the filter menu. The following two sections describe these options.
6.5.1 Applying Filters Using the Geographic Map Toolbar

Clicking a filter icon on the map toolbar toggles the associated remote status between visible
and invisible. When a filter icon is selected, remotes with that status are visible on the map.
When a filter icon is cleared, remotes with that status are not displayed. By default, all filter
icons are selected, making all remotes visible on the map. With the settings shown in the
figure below, only remotes with Alarm status or Warning status are displayed on the map. (See
The Map Toolbar on page145 for filter icon definitions.)
Figure 166. Geographic Map Toolbar Filter Icons
6.5.2 Applying Filters Using the Filter Menu

To filter on remote status using the geographic map filter menu:
1. Right-click anywhere in the geographic map pane where no remotes are present to display
the menu. By default, all remotes are visible, regardless of status.
Figure 167. Geographic Map Filter Menu: Default Selections

iDX Release 2.0
2. Select or clear the check marks in the menu to choose the remotes you want to view on
the map. You can select any combination of status filters. With the settings shown in the
figure below, only remotes with Alarm or Warning status are visible on the map.
Figure 168. Geographic Map: Selecting Visible Remotes by Status
Note: Selecting All from the filter menu selects all menu items. Selecting None clears
all selections. These are quick methods for toggling all geographic map
filtering on or off.

iDX Release 2.0
Optimization of the Statistics Archive
Appendix A Accessing the

NMS Statistics Archive
Many iDirect customers have requested specific reports on various aspects of their network
behavior, ranging from IP traffic activity to system uptime to satellite link behavior. iMonitor
allows users to retrieve historical data and populate a number of raw and graphical displays
on both firmware versions and per-remote uptime via web-based tools. iMonitor also provides
an easier way of retrieving long-term bandwidth usage statistics for network usage profiling.
iDirect also provides limited support for read-only direct archive access. This section
discusses how this is done and provides information about specific tables in the archive
database.
Note: The intended audience for this appendix are technical personnel with
experience developing relational database applications, preferably using
ODBC.
A.1 Optimization of the Statistics Archive

The NMS employs the techniques described in this section in order to store the archive data
efficiently and to minimize data retrieval time.
A.1.1 Optimized NMS Statistics Archive Storage

In order to efficiently store the data, the statistics archive eliminates or consolidates certain
records according to the following rules:
All-zero IP Stats and SAT Stats are not logged to the archive. This happens for remotes
that are out-of-network. The long-term bandwidth reports and usage displays handle
missing messages automatically.
Note: Note: if you access the stats archive using ODBC, you may have to modify your
reporting software to handle gaps in the data.
Latency measurements below a default threshold of 800 msec are not logged to the
archive; only measurement times above this value are logged.

iDX Release 2.0
NMS Database Overview
Consecutive latency time-outs are written to a single entry in the database along with a
count. For example, 10 consecutive latency time-outs are written as a single database
record with a count of -10.
Consecutive Sweep messages are written to a single entry in the database along with a
count. For example, 10 consecutive Sweeps are written as a single database record with a
count of 10.
All of these settings can be overridden or modified if necessary. Please contact iDirects
Technical Assistance Center for help changing the default archive behavior.
A.1.2 Optimized NMS Statistics Archive Lookup

Large historical requests are broken into multiple segments that are processed separately.
This results in better memory utilization on the server and improved response time in the GUI.
A.1.3 Archive Consolidation

To prevent filling up the NMS servers hard disk, a consolidation process runs every night at
approximately midnight by default. Using rules defined in the config database, it runs through
all tables in the archive database and either deletes old records or collects multiple records
together into a single record.
Consolidation rules govern how long data is saved, and are given default values when your
configuration database is created. These defaults are designed to allow your networks to
grow quite large (many hundreds of remotes) without you having to worry about disk space
problems. If you want to modify the default values, please contact iDirects Technical
Assistance Center (TAC) at (703) 648-8151 for assistance. The default consolidation values for
each table are listed in Table 10 on page159.
A.2 NMS Database Overview

A.2.1 Connecting to the NMS Archive Database with ODBC
All statistical archive information is contained in a MySQL relational database on the primary
NMS server machine. MySQL is an open source database server that is widely praised in the
Linux community for its reliability, speed, and ease-of-use. There are many different books
available on MySQL, and there is a wealth of information online at www.mysql.com.
A.2.2 Obtaining the ODBC Connection Library

MySQL supports access via the Microsoft standard called ODBC (for Open DataBase
Connectivity). The installation of MySQL on your NMS server already contains support for
ODBC connections, so theres nothing you have to download to from the Internet to enable
ODBC access on the server-side. However, you must download the appropriate ODBC client
library from the MySQL web site. Full details, including an installation and usage manual, are
available from www.mysql.com.

iDX Release 2.0
Basic Archive Database Information
A.2.3 Setting up a Simple ODBC Access Account

As the name implies, access with ODBC is open, i.e. not secure, so we require setting up a
specific read-only MySQL account to restrict access to just the information you need to
generate reports. The details of this user account are typically specific to each customer
installation. However, we have provided instructions here for setting up a generic read-only
account.
1. Log in to the NMS server as root.
2. Enter the mysql database utility:
# mysql
3. At the mysql prompt, type the following command:
mysql> grant SELECT on *.* to <user>@% identified by <password>;
Replace the string <user> with the user name you want for the account, and replace the
string <password> with the password you want. Note that the double quotes around
password and single quotes around the percent sign are required.
4. Activate the account:
mysql> flush privileges;
5. Exit the mysql utility:
mysql> quit;
The user you just created has the following privileges:
Can connect from any host.
Can see all databases.
Can only read information.
You can further restrict the access privileges on this account, e.g. you can specify connection
only from a specific remote host. If you wish to tailor this account to provide additional
security, you should contact iDirects TAC at (703) 648-8151.
Once you have set up the read-only access account, you must connect to the database named
nrd_archive. Other connection details are your responsibility. There are a number of
database clients that support ODBC connections, each with their own specific requirements.
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide support for all the different ODBC clients in the
marketplace.
A.3 Basic Archive Database Information

This section provides a general description of the Archive Database.
A.3.1 Types of NMS Databases and Supported Access

The NMS stores its information in two separate databases. One database, typically called the
config database, contains all the configuration information that you define in iBuilder:
remotes, hub line cards, carriers, etc. The other database, called the archive database,
contains all the real-time statistical information generated by your networks: IP stats, remote
status, conditions, etc.

iDX Release 2.0
iDirect supports read-only access to the archive database only. The configuration database
contains a number of intricate relationships between tables that require a detailed knowledge
of the structure to interpret. This structure usually changes from one release to another to
allow configuration of new data path features, which would further complicate customer
access.
A.3.2 Structure Changes between Releases

The structure of the archive database tables has remained relatively static over recent
releases. While we anticipate this to be the case in the future as well, iDirect reserves the
right to change this structure from one release to another to improve the product and to
enhance statistical information about real-time operation. These changes may impact your
custom reports, and if so will require ongoing maintenance by someone on your staff. We will
document all changes and additions to the archive database, but iDirect cannot take
responsibility for customer reports that break due to database structure changes.
A.3.3 Accessing Remote and Network Names from Configuration

Database
There are two exceptions to the restriction on accessing the config database: retrieval of
remote names and network names. Entries in the archive database are keyed to individual
remotes by a unique database ID, and do not contain the name assigned to the remote in
iBuilder. To retrieve the remotes name, you must reference the appropriate table in the
config database with the unique ID.
Note: Retrieving information based on serial number is not recommended you will
lose access to historical data if the hardware is swapped in the field.
In the archive database, remote unique ids in all tables are stored in the column named
unique_id. In the config database, this same ID is stored in a table named NetModem in the
column NetModemId. The remote name is in the column named NetModemName.
A sample SQL query that retrieves the remotes name from a known remote ID is:
select NetModemName from nms.NetModem where NetModemId = 15;
The config database name is nms, and that name must be in your query to tell the MySQL
server which database to look in.
In the archive database, network ids in all tables are stored in the column named
network_id. In the config database, this same ID is stored in a table named Network in the
column named NetworkId. The network name is in the column named NetworkName.
A sample SQL query that grabs a remotes network name from a known network ID might be:
select NetworkName from nms.Network where NetworkId = 1;
A.3.4 Timestamps
All raw data received from network elements is time stamped at the NMS prior to being
written to the database. All timestamp fields in the archive database are Linux time_t values,
which represent the number of seconds since January 1, 1970.

iDX Release 2.0
A.3.5 Overview of the Archive Database Tables

The following table contains a list of all the archive database tables, what information each
one contains, and how long the data is saved. Each table is discussed in greater detail later in
this appendix.
Note: For efficiency, archive data is divided into multiple tables for each data type.
Names of tables that contain data are derived from the base table names
shown in Table 10. For details, see Consolidated Group QoS Statistics on
page180. When referring to tables in this section, the base table name is
used.
Table 10. Archive Database Tables
Data
Base Table Name Contains
Saved For
raw_ip_stats IP stats sent from the protocol processor 24 hours
ip_minute_stats raw IP stats consolidated to one record per minute 30 days
ip_hour_stats IP minute stats consolidated to one record per hour 6 months
lat_stats latency measurement 1 week
nms_hub_stats hub line card statistics 1 week
nms_remote_status remote information 1 week
nms_ucp_info uplink control adjustments 1 week
event_msg events sent from protocol processors, hub line cards, and 1 week
remotes
state_change_log hub line card and remote state changes (conditions raised and 30 days
lowered)
pp_state_change_log protocol processor state changes 30 days
chassis_state_change_log chassis state changes 30 days
raw_ota_stats Over-the-air stats sent from the protocol processor 24 hours
ota_minute_stats raw ota stats consolidated to one record per minute 30 days
ota_hour_stats ota minute stats consolidated to one record per hour 6 months
raw_otacast_stats Over-the-air multicast stats sent from the protocol processor 24 hours
otacast_minute_stats raw otacast stats consolidated to one record per minute 30 days
otacast_hour_stats otacast minute stats consolidated to one record per hour 6 months
raw_mesh_stats Mesh stats sent from the remote 24 hours
mesh_minute_stats raw mesh stats consolidated to one record per minute 30 days
mesh_hour_stats mesh minute stats consolidated to one record per hour 6 months
remote_dvbs2_stats DVB-S2 statistics per remote 30 days
hub_dvbs2_stats DVB-S2 statistics per line card 30 days
pp_dvbs2_stats DVB-S2 statistics per protocol processor blade 30 days
nms_group_qos_stats group-level GQoS statistics 30 days

iDX Release 2.0
Database Table Details
Table 10. Archive Database Tables (continued)
Data
Base Table Name Contains
Saved For
nms_sl_qos_stats service level GQoS statistics 30 days
group_qos_hour_stats group-level qos stats consolidated to one record per hour 6 months
group_qos_minute_stats group-level qos stats consolidated to one record per minute 30 days
rev_activity revserver log per network upgrade Unlimited
rev_state revserver log per remote per network upgrade Unlimited
sl_qos_hour_stats service-level qos stats consolidated to one record per hour 6 months
sl_qos_minute_stats service-level qos stats consolidated to one record per minute 30 days
A.4 Database Table Details

The following sections describe each of the archive tables in some detail. For further
information, please contact iDirects Technical Assistance Center (TAC) at (703) 648-8151.
A.4.1 IP Stats Tables

As shown in Table 10, there are three separate base table types for IP stats, each one
containing records that cover a particular period of time. The ip_minute_stats and
ip_hour_stats tables have all the fields contained in the raw_ip_stats plus additional fields
containing maximum and standard deviation calculations for all IP types. These fields are
discussed in more detail later in this section.
IP statistics for all active remotes are calculated on the protocol processor and sent to the
NMS every five seconds. After sending a stats message, the protocol processor zeros its
counts, so that every database record contains the delta in activity from the previous record.
The protocol processor continues to send messages to the NMS even if a remote is out-of-
network; the counts for these records contain all zeros.
Note: For convenience, HTTP traffic is broken out separately from TCP traffic, but
the TCP counts include HTTP as well. If you want a total count of traffic, do not
include the HTTP values in your addition.
Table 11. IP Stats Record Format
Column Name Data Type Meaning

timestamp timestamp(14) time_t that the message arrived at the NMS server
t_interval int(10) unsigned interval in seconds that the data covers
network_id smallint(5) unsigned identifies the network
unique_id int(10) unsigned uniquely identifies the remote
modem_sn smallint(5) unsigned remotes serial number
rx_tcp_kbyte double kilobytes of TCP data received from the remote (upstream)

iDX Release 2.0
Table 11. IP Stats Record Format (continued)

tx_tcp_kbyte double kilobytes of TCP data sent to the remote (downstream)
rx_udp_byte double kilobytes of UDP data received from the remote
tx_udp_kbyte double kilobytes of UDP data sent to the remote
rx_icmp_kbyte double kilobytes of ICMP data received from the remote
tx_icmp_kbyte double kilobytes of ICMP data sent to the remote
rx_igmp_kbyte double kilobytes of IGMPdata received from the remote
tx_igmp_kbyte double kilobytes of IGMP data sent to the remote
rx_http_kbyte double kilobytes of HTTP data received from the remote.
tx_http_kbyte double kilobytes of HTTP data sent to the remote
rx_other_kbyte double kilobytes of data from other protocol types received from
the remote.
tx_other_kbyte double kilobytes of data from other protocol types sent to the
remote
Consolidated IP Stats Tables

The two consolidated tables, ip_minute_stats and ip_hour_stats, contain all the fields in the
raw_ip_stats table plus the additional fields that hold maximum and standard deviation
values for each IP type. Each maximum column indicates the maximum individual
measurement of all records consolidated into this record. Each standard deviation value,
calculated using a common formula, tells you how clustered the consolidated measurements
were around the average of all consolidated data records.
Table 12. Additional Consolidated IP Stats Table Fields

rx_tcp_max double The maximum rx_tcp_kbyte value of the records consolidated into
this record
tx_tcp_max double As above, for tx_tcp_kbyte
rx_udp_max double As above, for rx_udp_kbyte
tx_udp_max double As above, for tx_udp_kbyte
rx_icmp_max double As above, for rx_icmp_kbyte
tx_icmp_max double As above, for tx_icmp_kbyte
rx_igmp_max double As above, for rx_igmp_kbyte
tx_igmp_max double As above, for tx_igmp_kbyte
rx_http_max double As above, for rx_http_kbyte
tx_http_max double As above, for tx_http_kbyte
rx_other_max double As above, for rx_other_kbyte.

iDX Release 2.0
Table 12. Additional Consolidated IP Stats Table Fields (continued)

tx_other_max double As above, for tx_other_kbyte.
rx_tcp_stddev float(10,5) The standard deviation of all consolidated rx_tcp_kbyte records.
tx_tcp_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_tcp_kbyte
rx_udp_stddev float(10,5) As above, for rx_udp_kbyte.
tx_udp_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_udp_kbyte.
rx_icmp_stddev float(10,5) As above, for rx_icmp_kbyte
tx_icmp_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_icmp_kbyte
rx_igmp_stddev float(10,5) As above, for rx_igmp_kbyte
tx_igmp_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_igmp_kbyte
rx_http_stddev float(10,5) As above, for rx_http_kbyte
tx_http_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_http_kbyte
rx_other_stddev float(10,5) As above, for rx_other_kbyte
tx_other_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_other_kbyte
Statistics Consolidation Process

Four types of statistics are consolidated by the NMS:
IP statistics
Over-the-air statistics
Over-the-air multicast statistics
Mesh statistics
The statistics consolidation process is more complicated than for data in other tables. Its a
multi-step process designed to keep very old data without losing information, and at the same
time optimize disk space usage. As the stats data gets older, multiple individual records are
combined together to form a single record. Using this method, the count of total traffic sent
through the system is maintained as the data ages; all thats lost is the granularity between
shorter periods of time.
The consolidation process works as follows. Every day, using consolidation parameters from
the config database, the consolidator process performs the following tasks on the each of the
four raw stats tables (default values are used here):
1. Delete all records from the hour stats table older than 4464 hours.
2. Consolidate all records from the minute stats table older than 744 hours into one record
per hour and write that record to the ip_hour_table.
3. Delete all records from the minute stats table older than 744 hours.
4. Consolidate all records from the raw stats table older than 24 hours into one record per
minute and write that record to the minute stats table.
5. Delete all records from the raw stats table older than 24 hours.

iDX Release 2.0
A.4.2 Latency Measurements

The lat_stats table contains latency measurement results for all active remotes in the
network. To generate latency information, the NMS latsvr process sends ICMP echo requests to
all active remotes every five seconds and measures the round trip time. Queries for individual
remotes are offset in time to prevent a burst of messages every five seconds. For remotes
that are out-of-network, the round trip time is -1 or -100. Table 13 shows the contents of the
lat_stats table.
Table 13. lat_stats Record Format

timestamp timestamp(14) time_t the round trip time was calculated
modem_sn int(10) unsigned remotes serial number
rtt double the measured round trip time in milliseconds
(-1 or -100 if remote is out-of-network)
ip_addr varchar(20) IP address that was queried (management IP
address of the remote)
If remotes are not active in the network, i.e. they are deactivated or incomplete in iBuilder,
the latency server will not attempt to measure their latency and no data will be written to
this table in the database for them.
A.4.3 Hub Line Card Statistics

All hub line cards in steady state send a statistics message into the NMS every 20 seconds. This
message serves two purposes: the absence of the message causes an alarm to be raised in
iMonitor, and it contains useful information about the last 20 seconds of hub line card activity.
The data values in each message represent deltas from the previous message. Table 14 shows
the contents of the nms_hub_stats table.
Table 14. nms_hub_stats Table Format

timestamp timestamp(14) time_t that the message arrived at the NMS
server
unique_id int(10) unsigned uniquely identifies the hub line card
modem_sn int(10) unsigned hub line cards serial number
scpc_num_tx_attempts int(10) unsigned number of SCPC transmit attempts
scpc_num_tx_bytes int(10) unsigned number of SCPC bytes transmitted
scpc_num_tx_errors int(10) unsigned number SCPC transmit errors

iDX Release 2.0
Table 14. nms_hub_stats Table Format (continued)

acq_crc_errors int(10) unsigned number of acquisition CRC errors
traffic_crc_errors int(10) unsigned number of traffic CRC errors
bursts_detected int(10) unsigned number of TDMA bursts detected at this hub
bytes_rxed int(10) unsigned number of TDMA bytes received at this hub
rx_overflow_frames int(10) unsigned number of times the DMA was reset due to an
overflow condition
rx_composite_power double output of the receive power detector converted
to dBm.
rx_tunnel_errors int(10) unsigned number of receive tunnel errors.
tx_tunnel_errors int(10) unsigned number of transmit tunnel errors.
rx_digital_gain smallint(5) unsigned receive digital gain at the hub
scpc_snr_cal double calibrated SNR value of the loopback
downstream carrier
scpc_sym_offset int(11) loopback SCPC symbol offset.
scpc_freq_offset int(11) loopback SCPC frequency offset.
scpc_frame_lock_status tinyint(4) SCPC loopback lock status (locked, unlocked)
lostlock_count int(10) unsigned number of times legacy SCPC frame lock was lost
or number of times DVB-S2 NCR lock was lost
fll_dac int(10) unsigned current value of the frequency locked loop
digital to analog converter
flags int(10) unsigned health of GIGE port on evolution line card. 1: up;
0: down
m_time_ticks int(10) unsigned line card counter value
m_temp double line card temperature
m_tx_power double line card transmit power
rx_ddc_agc_dac_data int(10) unsigned dual downconverter AGC
buffer_overflow int(10) unsigned buffer overflow data for debugging
Transmit (tx) values are always zero for receive-only line cards, and receive (rx) values are
always 0 for transmit-only line cards. While traffic CRCs almost always indicate an anomaly
condition, acquisition CRC values well above zero are normal when remotes are coming into
the network. In fact, by default iMonitor doesnt raise a warning condition on acquisition CRCs
until they go above 200 in a 20 second period.
A.4.4 Remote Status

All remotes in steady state send a status message into the NMS every 20 seconds. This
message is sent as a UDP datagram, so theres no guarantee that every message sent will be

iDX Release 2.0
received. However, built-in QoS rules give it higher priority than other types of traffic, and
our experience has shown that these messages are rarely dropped. The message contains a
variety of information about the remote, including temperature, number of milliseconds since
last boot-up, perceived SNR, etc. In the absence of other traffic from the remote, the
nms_remote_status message fits into a single small-block TDMA burst. Its contents are shown
in Table 15 below.
Table 15. nms_remote_status Record Format

time_tics bigint(20) unsigned number of milliseconds since last boot-up
snr_cal double calibrated SNR value of the downstream carrier
rx_power double output of the receive power detector converted to dBm
power_in_dbm double current transmit power in dBm
temperature_celcius double current temperature measured on the board (not
ambient temp)
digital_rx_power double derived from the digital gain setting in the SCPC
demod, converted to dBm
lostlock_count int(10) unsigned number of time since boot-up that the remote has lost
lock on the downstream carrier
fll_dac int(10) unsigned current value of the frequency locked loop digital to
analog converter
rmtflags int(10) unsigned boolean flag field; contact iDirects TAC for latest
definition
rx_cof int(11) carrier offset frequency; difference, in Hz, of the
incoming frequency and the receivers reference
frequency
scpc_rx_errors int(10) unsigned number of SCPC receive errors since last boot-up
tdma_snr_cal double calibrated SNR value of the upstream carrier
tdma_sym_offset smallint(6) TDMA symbol offset
tdma_freq_offset int(11) TDMA frequency offset
tdma_crc_errors int(10) unsigned number of tdma crc errors during the last interval
rx_reliable_byte int(10) unsigned reliable (e.g. TCP) bytes received by the remote
tx_reliable_byte int(10) unsigned reliable (e.g. TCP) bytes sent by the remote
rx_unreliable_byte int(10) unsigned unreliable (e.g. UDP) bytes received by the remote
tx_unreliable_byte int(10) unsigned unreliable (e.g. UDP) bytes sent by the remote
rx_oob_byte int(10) unsigned out-of-band bytes received by the remote

iDX Release 2.0
Table 15. nms_remote_status Record Format (continued)

tx_oob_byte int(10) unsigned out-of-band bytes sent by the remote
local_fo_correction int(11) Delta between oscillator and receivers reference clock
lost_pl_lock_count int(10) unsigned Number of physical layer frame sync lost since restart
fast_fade_correction int(10) unsigned Number of fast fade corrections
dvb_s2_crc8_error int(10) unsigned Number of CRC8 errors
dvb_s2_crc32_error int(10) unsigned Number of CRC32 errors
dvb_s2_raw_agc int(10) unsigned Digital AGC gain applied by demodulator
m_tuner_agc_gain int(10) unsigned RF AGC gain applied by unlocked tuner
clock_delta_count int(10) unsigned clock delta count for DVB-S2 remotes
A.4.5 Uplink Control Adjustments

To maintain iDirects industry-leading always on feature, the protocol processor sends a
network adjustment message to each in-network remote every 20 seconds. The message is
also sent into the NMS for archiving purposes. The timing of each message is offset to prevent
a burst of traffic at 20-second boundaries, so timestamps will typically vary from remote to
remote. This message contains adjustment values for power, frequency, and timing offset to
account for a variety of conditions: satellite drift, weather conditions at the hub or remote,
and remote transmit equipment inaccuracies. The format of the nms_ucp_info table is shown
in Table 16.
Table 16. nms_ucp_info Record Format

sym_offset int(11) timing offset in symbols; the remote applies this offset
to its current frame start delay value
power_adjustment int(11) power offset in dBm; the remote adjusts its transmit
power by this value
freq_offset int(11) frequency offset; the remote adjusts it current transmit
frequency by this value
snr_cal double the current SNR of the remotes transmit signal as
perceived at the hub
scpc_snr_cal double the current SNR of the hub loopback SCPC transmit
signal as perceived at the hub

iDX Release 2.0
A.4.6 Event Messages

All protocol processors, hub line cards, and remotes send in event messages to record certain
situations that arise during operations. Some events cause conditions to be raised in iMonitor
and others are for informational purposes only. Event messages are not sent at regular time
intervals, nor do they follow a specific text format. The format of the event_msg table is
shown in Table 17.
Table 17. event_msg Record Format

timestamp timestamp(14) time_t that the message arrived at the NMS server.
event_level int(11) a number signifying the severity level of the message. This
field deprecated.
event_class int(11) a number signifying the portion of the system that
generated the event. This field is deprecated.
unique_id int(10) unsigned uniquely identifies the remote or hub line card (0 for
protocol processor events)
modem_sn int(10) unsigned the remotes or line cards serial number (0 for protocol
processor events)
time_tics bigint(20) unsigned for remotes and line cards, the number of milliseconds since
boot-up; for protocol processors, time_t in milliseconds of
the machine
msg varchar(255) free-form event message text
A.4.7 Hub and Remote State Changes

During everyday system operation, situations occasionally arise that require operator
attention, or at least operator notification. These situations are called conditions, and are
associated with a change in the operational state of the network element in question.
Examples of conditions include temperature warnings, SNR below limit warnings, and out-of-
network alarms.
All conditions and changes of state are recorded in the archive database. For hub line cards
and remote units, these conditions are recorded in the archive table state_change_log. The
format of this table is shown in Table 18.
Table 18. state_change_log Record Format

timestamp timestamp(14) time_t that the condition was raised or cleared
unique_id int(10) unsigned uniquely identifies the remote or hub line card
modem_sn int(10) unsigned remotes or line cards serial number

iDX Release 2.0
Table 18. state_change_log Record Format (continued)

current_state enum current state of the modem after this condition is processed;
values are:
OK
WARNING
ALARM
UNKNOWN
OFFLINE
ELSEWHERE
MESHALARM
SLEEP
STATE_NONE
NOTE: MySQL enumeration types are 1-based, not 0-based.
occurred_at timestamp(14) time_t of original condition in the case of multiple
simultaneous conditions
error_type smallint(6) translates to a condition type; current values are (in
ascending numeric order):
UPSTREAM_SNR = 0
DOWNSTREAM_SNR
LOCAL_LAN_DISCONNECT
UCP_LOST_CONTACT,
TEMP_LIMIT
LL_DOWN
UCP_OUT_OF_NETWORK,
LATENCY
LAT_TIMEOUT
LACK_HUB_STATS
ACQ_HUB_MODEM_CRC
TRAFFIC_HUB_MODEM_CRC
SYMBOL_OFFSET
REMOTE_OFFLINE
RX_OVERFLOW_FRAMES
CALIBRATED_TX_POWER
TX_FREQUENCY
MOBILE_LOST_GPS
DOWNSTREAM_PPS_OVERDRIVE
BACKPLANE_LOST_10MHZ
FAILED
RESET
UNREADY
SCPC_RX_ERRORS
FLL_DAC_ERRORS

iDX Release 2.0
Table 18. state_change_log Record Format (continued)

(error_type) FLASH
ACTIVATION_STATUS
ELSEWHERE_ERROR
FANALARM
AGCOUTOFRANGE
error_severity enum severity of the condition; values are:
EVTWarning
EVTAlarm
EVTCleared
EVTOffline
EVTElsewhere
EVTMeshAlarm
EVTSleep
EVTNone
NOTE: MySQL enumeration types are 1-based, not 0-based.
reason varchar(255) text explanation of the condition
Interpreting the entries in the state_change_log table requires some understanding of how
the NMS manages conditions and overall element state. First of all, it is possible for multiple
conditions to be active for a single hub or remote at any given time. Consider the following
scenario:
1. A remote is in steady state with no active conditions. The overall state of the unit is OK.
2. A rain storm blows into a remotes location, which causes the SNR of the downstream
signal to drop below the defined low limit. This is condition 1, a warning. The overall
state of the unit changes to WARNING.
3. The weather situation persists, and the protocol processor loses contact with the remote.
This is condition 2, a warning. The overall state of the unit remains at WARNING.
4. The protocol processor is unable to re-gain contact with the remote, so it declares the
unit out-of-network. This is condition 3, an alarm. The overall state of the unit changes to
ALARM.
5. The NMS latency server stops hearing ICMP echo responses from the remote. This is
condition 4, an alarm. The overall state of the unit remains at ALARM.
We now have four simultaneously active conditions, and the overall state of the remote is
ALARM. Each time a new condition is raised for a remote, it is written to the database with
the current time of the NMS server machine in the timestamp field. The occurred_at field is
also given the same timestamp. All pre-existing conditions for that same element are re-
written with the same timestamp in the timestamp field. However, their occurred_at fields
remain unchanged, thus indicating the time those conditions were first raised. Using the
timestamp field as a key, you can determine all active conditions for a remote at any given
time.

iDX Release 2.0
When conditions clear, they are written once again to the state_change_log table, but this
time with the severity field set to EVT_CLEARED. Not all conditions clear at the same time,
but when all conditions have cleared the overall state of the unit returns to OK.
The only conditions with alarm severity are those that cause a service interruption. Currently
there are three conditions that fall into this category: LLDOWN (layer 2),
UCP_OUT_OF_NETWORK (layer 2), and LAT_TIMEOUT (layer 3). You can generate a remote
up/down report for a given time period by correctly parsing the entries in this table and
ignoring all warning conditions.
A.4.8 Protocol Processor State Changes

Protocol processor state changes are stored in their own table in MySQL, named the
pp_state_change_log. Currently the event server generates no PP-specific warnings; its
possible states are UNKNOWN, OK, and ALARM. The OK state is present whenever the event
server is hearing a special PP heartbeat event, and ALARM when that event fails to arrive two
successive timeout periods (six seconds each). The UNKNOWN state is the default state of all
PPs in the event server when it initially starts up, before it has heard from PPs in the network.
All changes of PP state are stored in the pp_state_change_log table. The format of this table
is shown in Table 19 below.
Table 19. pp_state_change_log Record Format

timestamp timestamp(14) time_t that this condition was raised or cleared
pp_id int(10) unsigned uniquely identifies the protocol processor
blade_id int(10)unsigned identifies the protocol processor blade
current_state enum current state of the protocol processor after this
condition is processed; values are:
OK
WARNING
ALARM
UNKNOWN
OFFLINE
STATE_NONE
Currently, only OK, ALARM, and UNKNOWN are
raised for protocol processors.
occurred_at timestamp(14) time_t the condition was first raised in case of
multiple simultaneous conditions
error_severity enum severity of the condition; values are
EVTWarning
EVTAlarm
EVTCleared
EVTOffline
EVTNone
reason varchar(255) text explanation of the condition

iDX Release 2.0
Entries in this table can be processed in essentially the same way as hub line card and remote
state changes. See Hub and Remote State Changes on page167 for more details.
A.4.9 Hub Chassis State Changes

Hub chassis state changes are stored in their own table in MySQL, named the
chassis_state_change_log. Chassis warnings are raised for power and fan alarms from the
chassis. The event server and iMonitor treat these alarms as warnings, since service is not
interrupted and immediate action is not absolutely necessary. The ALARM condition is raised
only when the event server loses contact with the hub chassis. In this case, service may still
not be interrupted, since the event server communicates with an independent component of
the chassis known as the EDAS board.
Chassis state changes are stored in the chassis_state_change_log table. The format of this
table is shown in Table 20.
Table 20. Chassis_state_change_log Record Format

timestamp timestamp(14) time_t that this condition was raised or cleared
chassis_id int(10) unsigned uniquely identifies this chassis
current_state enum current state of the chassis after this condition is processed;
values are:
OK
WARNING
ALARM
UNKNOWN
OFFLINE
STATE_NONE
occurred_at timestamp(14) time_t this condition was first raised in the case of multiple
simultaneous conditions.
error_severity enum severity of this condition; values are:
EVTWarning
EVTAlarm
EVTCleared
EVTOffline
EVTNone
reason varchar(255) text explanation of this condition

iDX Release 2.0
A.4.10 Over-the-Air Statistics Tables

As shown in Table 10, there are three separate base table types for over-the-air statistics,
each one containing records that cover a particular period of time. The ota_minute_stats and
ota_hour_stats tables have all the fields contained in the raw_ota_stats plus additional fields
containing maximum and standard deviation calculations for all fields of over-the-air data.
These fields are discussed in more detail later in this section.
Over-the-air statistics for all active remotes are calculated by the protocol processor and sent
to the NMS every five seconds. After sending a stats message, the protocol processor zeros its
counts, so that every database record contains the delta in activity from the previous record.
The protocol processor continues to send messages to the NMS even if a remote is out-of-
network; the counts for these records contain all zeros.
Table 21. OTA Stats Record Format

network_id smallint(5) identifies the network
unsigned
current_mc_idx int(5) unsigned index of remotes current MODCOD
rx_reliable_kbyte double kilobytes of reliable (e.g. TCP) data received
tx_reliable_kbyte double kilobytes of reliable (e.g. TCP) data sent to the remote
double kilobytes of unreliable (e.g. UDP) data received
rx_unreliable_kbyte
double kilobytes of unreliable (e.g. UDP) data sent to the remote
tx_unreliable_kbyte
rx_oob_kbyte double kilobytes of out-of-band bytes received
tx_oob_kbyte double kilobytes of out-of-band bytes sent to the remote
Consolidated Over-the-Air Statistics Tables

The two consolidated tables, ota_minute_stats and ota_hour_stats, contain all the fields in
the raw_ota_stats table plus the additional fields that hold maximum and standard deviation
values for each field of over-the-air data. Each maximum column indicates the maximum
individual measurement of all records consolidated into this record. Each standard deviation

iDX Release 2.0
value, calculated using a common formula, tells you how clustered the consolidated
measurements were around the average of all consolidated data records.
Table 22. Additional Consolidated OTA Stats Table Fields

rx_reliable_max double The maximum rx_reliable_kbyte value of the records
consolidated into this record
tx_reliable_max double As above, for tx_reliable_kbyte
rx_unreliable_max double As above, for rx_unreliable_kbyte
tx_unreliable_max double As above, for tx_unreliable_kbyte
rx_oob_max double As above, for rx_oob_kbyte
tx_oob_max double As above, for tx_oobb_kbyte
rx_reliable_stddev float(10,5) The standard deviation of all consolidated rx_reliable_kbyte
records
tx_reliable_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_reliable_kbyte
rx_unreliable_stddev float(10,5) As above, for rx_unreliable_kbyte
tx_unreliable_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_unreliable_kbyte
rx_oob_stddev float(10,5) As above, for rx_oob_kbyte
tx_oob_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_oobb_kbyte
A.4.11 Over-the-Air Multicast Statistics Tables

As shown in Table 10, there are three separate base table types for over-the-air multicast
statistics, each one containing records that cover a particular period of time. The
otacast_minute_stats and otacast_hour_stats tables have all the fields contained in the
raw_otacast_stats plus additional fields containing maximum and standard deviation
calculations for all fields of over-the-air multicast data. These fields are discussed in more
detail later in this section.
Over-the-air multicast statistics for all active remotes are calculated by protocol processor
and sent to the NMS every five seconds. After sending a stats message, the protocol processor
zeros its counts, so that every database record contains the delta in activity from the previous
record. The protocol processor continues to send messages to the NMS even if a remote is out-
of-network; the counts for these records contain all zeros.
Table 23. OTACAST Stats Record Format

timestamp timestamp(14) time_t the message arrived at the NMS server
current_mc_idx int(5) unsigned index of current MODCOD

iDX Release 2.0
Table 23. OTACAST Stats Record Format (continued)

tx_unscaled_mcast_kbye double unscaled kilobytes of multicast data transmitted
tx_bcast_kbyte double kilobytes of broadcast data transmitted
tx_mcast_kbyte double kilobytes of multicast data transmitted
Consolidated Over-the-Air Statistics Tables

The two consolidated tables, otacast_minute_stats and otacast_hour_stats, contain all the
fields in the raw_otacast_stats table plus the additional fields that hold maximum and
standard deviation values for each field of over-the-air data. Each maximum column indicates
the maximum individual measurement of all records consolidated into this record. Each
standard deviation value, calculated using a common formula, tells you how clustered the
consolidated measurements were around the average of all consolidated data records.
Table 24. Additional Consolidated OTACAST Stats Table Fields

tx_bcast_max double The maximum tx_bcast_kbyte value of the records consolidated
into this record
tx_mcast_max double As above, for tx_mcast_kbyte
tx_bcast_stddev double The standard deviation of all consolidated tx_bcast_kbyte records
tx_mcast_stddev double As above, for tx_mcast_kbyte
A.4.12 Mesh Statistics Tables

As shown in Table 10, there are three separate base table types for mesh stats, each one
containing records that cover a particular period of time. The mesh_minute_stats and
mesh_hour_stats tables have all the fields contained in the raw_mesh_stats plus additional
fields containing maximum and standard deviation calculations for all fields of mesh
statistics. These fields are discussed in more detail later in this section.
Mesh statistics for all active remotes are calculated by the remote and sent to the NMS every
20 seconds. After sending a stats message, the remote zeros its counts, so that every
database record contains the delta in activity from the previous record. The remote continues
to send messages to the NMS even if a remote is out-of-network; the counts for these records
contain all zeros.
Table 25. Mesh Stats Record Format

t_interval int(10) interval in seconds that the data covers
unsigned

iDX Release 2.0
Table 25. Mesh Stats Record Format (continued)

unsigned
unique_id int(10) uniquely identifies the remote
unsigned
modem_sn smallint(5) remotes serial number
unsigned
rx_reliable_kbyte double kilobytes of reliable (e.g. TCP) mesh data received by the
remote
tx_reliable_kbyte double kilobytes of reliable (e.g. TCP) mesh data sent by the
remote
rx_unreliable_kbyte double kilobytes of unreliable (e.g. UDP) mesh data received by
the remote
tx_unreliable_kbyte double kilobytes of unreliable (e.g. UDP) mesh data sent by the
remote
rx_oob_kbyte double kilobytes of out-of-band mesh data received by the remote
tx_oob_kbyte double kilobytes of out-of-band mesh data sent by the remote
Consolidated Mesh Tables

The two consolidated tables, mesh_minute_stats and mesh_hour_stats, contain all the fields
in the raw_mesh_stats table plus the additional fields that hold maximum and standard
deviation values for each field of mesh data. Each maximum column indicates the maximum
individual measurement of all records consolidated into this record. Each standard deviation
value, calculated using a common formula, tells you how clustered the consolidated
measurements were around the average of all consolidated data records.
Table 26. Additional Consolidated Mesh Stats Table Fields

rx_reliable_max double The maximum rx_reliable_kbyte value of the records
consolidated into this record
tx_reliable_max double As above, for tx_reliable_kbyte
rx_unreliable_max double As above, for rx_unreliable_kbyte
tx_unreliable_max double As above, for tx_unreliable_kbyte
rx_oob_max double As above, for rx_oob_kbyte
tx_oob_max double As above, for tx_oob_kbyte
rx_reliable_stddev float(10,5) The standard deviation of all consolidated
rx_reliable_kbyte records
tx_reliable_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_reliable_kbyte
rx_unreliable_stddev float(10,5) As above, for rx_unreliable_kbyte

iDX Release 2.0
Table 26. Additional Consolidated Mesh Stats Table Fields (continued)

tx_unreliable_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_unreliable_kbyte
rx_oob_stddev float(10,5) As above, for rx_oob_kbyte
tx_oob_stddev float(10,5) As above, for tx_oob_kbyte
A.4.13 DVB-S2 Statistics Tables

As shown in Table 10, there are three separate table types for DVB-S2 stats. The
remote_dvbs2 table (Table 27) contains DVB-S2 statistics per remote as reported by the
protocol processor. The hub_dvbs2_stats table (Table 28) contains DVB-S2 statistics reported
by the line card. The pp_dvbs2_stats table (Table 29) contains DVB-S2 statistics reported by
the protocol processor per blade.
Table 27. remote_dvbs2_stats Record Format

remote_did int(10) unsigned uniquely identifies the remote
current_modcod smallint(5) unsigned bitmap representing the remotes current MODCOD
current_modcod_range int(10) unsigned bitmap representing the remotes available MODCODs
available_modcod smallint(5) unsigned bitmap representing the networks available MODCODs
current_SNR int(10) unsigned current SNR as reported by the remote to the pp
bytes_sent_mc01 int(10) unsigned number of bytes sent at MODCOD 01

iDX Release 2.0
Table 27. remote_dvbs2_stats Record Format (continued)

Table 28. hub_dvbs2_stats Record Format

hlc_did int(10) unsigned identifies the hub line card

iDX Release 2.0
Table 28. hub_dvbs2_stats Record Format (continued)

Table 29. pp_dvbs2_stats Record Format

pp_id smallint(5) unsigned identifies the protocol processor
pp_blade_id smallint(5) unsigned identifies the protocol processor blade
target_hlc_id smallint(5) unsigned identifies the target hub line card
available_modcod smallint(5) unsigned bitmap representing the range of available MODCODs

iDX Release 2.0
Table 29. pp_dvbs2_stats Record Format (continued)

A.4.14 Group QoS Statistics Tables

As shown in Table 10, there are two separate table types for group QoS stats. The
nms_group_qos_stats table (Table 30) contains group-level GQoS statistics. The
nms_sl_qos_stats table (Table 31) contains service level GQoS statistics. In addition, the

iDX Release 2.0
group-level and sevice-level statistics are consolidated into minute and hour Group QoS
statistics. See Consolidated Group QoS Statistics on page180.
Table 30. nms_group_qos_stats Record Format

unique_id int(10) unsigned Identifies the group
root_id smallint(5) unsigned GQoS tree root
is_vr smallint(5) unsigned virtual remote or not virtual remote
direction smallint(5) unsigned downstream (0) or upstream (1)
bw_requested double amount of bandwidth requested
bw_allocated double amount of bandwidth allocated
free_bandwidth double amount of free bandwidth
cir_not_satisfied double unused
req_not_satisfied double unused
loops double unused
Table 31. nms_sl_qos_stats Record Format

unique_id int(10) unsigned Identifies the remote
vr_id smallint(5) unsigned identifies the virtual remote
profile_id smallint(5) unsigned identifies the group profile
service_level_id smallint(5) unsigned identifies the service level
direction smallint(5) unsigned downstream (0) or upstream (1)
tx_bytes double number of bytes transmitted
tx_packets double number of packets transmitted
rejected_packets double number of packets rejected
dropped_packets double number of packets dropped
Consolidated Group QoS Statistics

For each group QoS table, there are two consolidate tables. The group_qos_minute_stats and
group_qos_hour_stats contain the same fields as the nms_group_qos_stats table (Table 30).

iDX Release 2.0
The sl_qos_minute_stats and sl_qos_hour_stats contain the same fields as the

nms_sl_qos_stats table (Table 31).
A.4.15 Revision Activity and Revision State Tables

As shown in Table 10, there are two separate table types used to log revision server upgrades.
The rev_activity table (Table 32) contains one record per network upgrade. The rev_state
table (Table 33) contains one record per remote per network upgrade.
Table 32. rev_activity Record Format

idx int(10) unsigned record index
ofiles_only tinyint(1) set to 1 for options-file-only upgrade
transmit_rate float(10,5) transmit rate in bytes per second
last timestamp(14) end time of upgrade
start timestamp(14) start time of upgrade
nr_tries int(10) unsigned number of cycles required to upgrade all remotes
nr_remotes int(10) unsigned number of remotes upgraded
nr_down_rev int(10) unsigned number of remotes not yet upgraded
flag_status smallint(6) 0: upgrade in progress; 1: upgrade complete;
-1: upgrade stopped in progress
credentials int(10) unsigned protocol processor multicast credentials
group_address varchar(25) multicast group address
Table 33. rev_state Record Format

idx int(10) unsigned record index
user varchar(32) nms user
remote_name varchar(64) identifies the remote
remote_type varchar(32) identifies the remote model type
remote_sn int(10) unsigned remote serial number
remote_did int(11) remote derived id
remote_family enum Values are:
UNKNOWN
NM2
2plus
Phoenix (used for iNFINITI and Evolution remotes)

iDX Release 2.0
NMS Statistics Archive Database Restructuring
Table 33. rev_state Record Format (continued)

activity_idx int(10) unsigned links remote record to network upgrade record using
idx field of rev_activity log
up_rev int(10) unsigned 0: remote not upgraded; 1: remote upgraded
date smallint(6) date and time of upgrade
rev_status enum Current state of upgrade cycle. Values are:
unknown
cumulative
binary
options
combined
check_cumlative
check_binary
check_options
check_combined
A.5 NMS Statistics Archive Database Restructuring

iDS Release 6.1 and all later releases include a major overhaul to the statistics archive
database. The primary goal of this restructuring is to improve overall performance of the NMS
server machines as networks grow, and to improve historical query response times on large
networks.
iMonitor users will see no difference in the way historical archive statistics are retrieved and
displayed other than a noticeable improvement in performance. If you access the current
archive directly, or if youre interested in the new structure, you should read this section.
Otherwise you may safely skip ahead to Converting Data between Table Formats on
page188.
WARNING! If you are currently accessing the statistics archive directly using ODBC, your
software will not work on this new archive structure without modifications.
See the following sections for detailed information.
A.5.1 Background
In older iDS releases, each archive data type was represented by a single MySQL database
table. Using the raw_ip_stats table as an example, all IP statistics for all remotes were
written directly to this table as they arrived at the NMS. Historical queries for IP statistics
were performed on this table as well. In large networks, the table could grow to well over one
gigabyte. This large size, combined with a large amount of read and write operations, caused
a significant performance load on the NMS servers CPU and degraded response time in the
iMonitor and iBuilder GUIs.

iDX Release 2.0
To alleviate this situation, the NMS now uses a multiple-table storage scheme in which each
type of archived data is divided among multiple tables by time and groups of remotes.
Dividing tables in this manner is known as data striping. The following sections discuss this
implementation change in detail.
A.5.2 The New Archive Database Structure

Each type of statistical data that was formerly stored in a single database table is now stored
in multiple tables. All the tables that together contain the records of a particular statistics
type are called a table set. The table set for each type is sized on two dimensions: time and
unique ID. The default values specify a time dimension of 6 x 360 and an ID dimension of 1.
The time dimension consists of two parameters: the number of tables (which defaults to 6)
and the time span of the data in each table (which defaults to 360 minutes). For a complete
list of data types, see Table 35 on page186.
These two dimensions result in the table set shown in Figure 169. Data in this default table
set is striped across the six tables in six-hour segments (hence the 6 x 360 time dimension).
Day by day, the six tables in the set will have the data striped across them as shown in Table
34 .
All Remotes { Time Table 0
Time Table 1
Time Table 2
D
at
a
S
Time Table 3
tri
pe
d
in
Time Table 4
6-
ho
ur
Time Table 5
se
gm
en
ts
Figure 169. Default Table Set
Table 34. Default Data Striping
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Table 0 00:00 06:00 12:00 18:00 00:00 06:00 12:00 18:00
Table 1 06:00 12:00 18:00 24:00 06:00 12:00 18:00 24:00
Table 2 12:00 18:00 00:00 06:00 12:00 18:00
Table 3 18:00 24:00 06:00 12:00 18:00 24:00

iDX Release 2.0
Table 34. Default Data Striping (continued)
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Table 4 00:00 06:00 12:00 18:00 00:00 06:00
Table 5 06:00 12:00 18:00 24:00 06:00 12:00
A.5.3 The New Archive Process

The following two diagrams illustrate how statistics archiving has changed in iDS 6.1 from
previous releases.
Database
Archive Operation Server Incoming Stats
Table
Figure 170. Release 6.0 and Earlier Stats Archiving Process
Database
Tables
Database
Tables
Archive
Database
Tables
Table
Database
Operation Selection Incoming Stats Server Incoming Stats
Tables
Algorithm
Database
Tables
Database
Tables
Figure 171. New Stats Archiving Process
In iDS 6.1 as well as later releases, instead of writing all data to one table as it arrives at the
NMS, the server first passes the data through a table selection algorithm. This process
determines the correct database table for the data that has just arrived. A similar selection
process also occurs when historical data is queried from iMonitor.
The selection rules are based on the following criteria:

iDX Release 2.0
The type of data IP statistics, events, condition changes, etc. As before, each type of
data has its own table structure
The remotes unique database ID
The current timestamp

iDX Release 2.0
A.5.4 Table Division Rules

All table selection rules are stored in the NMS configuration database in a table called
TABLE_INFO. This table has the following format and default values:
Table 35. TABLE_INFO Format and Default Contents
table_type_id
time_table_number
second_dimension_table_number
time_interval
base_table_name
second_dimension_name
The type of The number The number of The time The actual tables names, The second
statistics of time tables per segment derived from the base dimension
data periods kept time period interval in table name. (These data type ID
for this kept for the each table, match the table names in
statistics second in minutes prior releases)
type dimension
data type ID
0 6 1 360 chassis_state_change_log chassis_id
1 6 1 360 event_msg unique_id
2 6 1 360 lat_stats unique_id
3 6 1 360 nms_hub_stats unique_id
4 6 1 360 nms_remote_status unique_id
5 6 1 360 nms_ucp_info unique_id
6 6 1 360 pp_state_change_log blade_id
7 6 1 360 raw_ip_stats unique_id
8 6 1 360 raw_ota_stats unique_id
9 6 1 360 raw_otacast_stats network_id
10 6 1 360 state_change_log unique_id
11 6 1 360 ip_minute_stats unique_id
12 6 1 360 ip_hour_stats unique_id
13 6 1 360 ota_minute_stats unique_id
14 6 1 360 ota_hour_stats unique_id
15 6 1 360 otacast_minute_stats unique_id
16 6 1 360 otacast_hour_stats network_id
17 6 1 360 raw_mesh_stats unique_id

iDX Release 2.0
Table 35. TABLE_INFO Format and Default Contents (continued)

18 6 1 360 mesh_minute_stats unique_id
19 6 1 360 mesh_hour_stats unique_id
20 6 1 360 hub_dvbs2_stats hlc_id
21 6 1 360 pp_dvbs2_stats pp_blade_id
22 6 1 360 remote_dvbs2_stats remote_did
23 6 1 360 nms_sl_qos_stats unique_id
24 6 1 360 nms_group_qos_stats unique_id
25 6 1 360 sl_qos_minute_stats unique_id
26 6 1 360 sl_qos_hour_stats unique_id
27 6 1 360 group_qos_minute_stats unique_id
28 6 1 360 group_qos_hour_stats unique_id
A.5.5 Table Selection Process

Insertion, selection, and deletion operations all use table selection algorithms, based on
current timestamp and current id, to determine which table to access.
The algorithm for calculating a table name for an operation has a number of steps, as shown
below:
Constants:
base_time = 1072915201 (Linux time_t)
Database Values:
ttn = TABLE_INFO.time_table_number
tis = (TABLE_INFO.time_interval * 60) // convert to seconds
sdtn = TABLE_INFO.second_dimension_table_number
btn = TABLE_INFO.base_table_name
Variables:
t = <timestamp> (Linux time_t)
id = unique_id of element (e.g. remote)
Calculate the current Remote Index value

remote_index = id % sdtn
Calculate the current Time Index value

time_index = (t base_time) / tis) % ttn
Calculate the current Table Index value

table_index = (ttn * remote_index) + time_index
Derive the appropriate Table Name

table_name = btn <concat> _ <concat> table_index
For example, table_name = event_msg_3
Figure 172. Algorithm for Calculating Database Table Name

iDX Release 2.0
Note: When running a distributed NMS system, you must read TABLE_INFO from the
master MySQL machine. This is typically the same machine as your
Configuration Server.
A.5.6 Converting Data between Table Formats
After the Upgrade to Release 6.1

Your existing archive data is not converted to the new format during the NMS upgrade. Rather,
the new table structure is created with empty tables, and all your existing data remains in the
old tables. The following figure illustrates the database structure for raw_ip_stats statistics
after you complete the upgrade of your NMS server machine to iDS 6.1.
raw _ip_stats_0
raw _ip_stats_1
raw_ip_stats_2
Existing
Data { Existing
raw _ip_stats
data
Empty
{
raw _ip_stats_3
raw _ip_stats_4
raw_ip_stats_5
Figure 173. Archive Database after Conversion to 6.1
When you restart the NMS servers, new data arriving at the NMS will be archived to the new
tables. The old data will remain in the old tables until you delete it or convert it to the new
format.
If you want to convert your existing archive data to the new format, follow these steps:
1. Log on to the NMS server as root.
2. At the command prompt, type:
cd /home/nms/utils/db_maint
3. Convert your archive data by typing:
./DB-Conversion.pl
Converts your archive data to the new table format
The DB-Conversion.pl command has the following format and output:
./DB-Conversion.pl -h
Usage:
DB-Conversion.pl [-cd=NAME] [-ad=NAME]
-cd : Change config database from [nms]
-ad : Change archive database from [nrd_archive]

iDX Release 2.0
Changing the 6.1 Table Structure

You can modify the TABLE_INFO settings show in Table 35 on page186. For example, you can
change the number of time tables, the second dimension tables, or the time interval.
WARNING! If you choose to modify the default TABLE_INFO settings, and you are running
a Distributed NMS, you must change the database on the master MySQL
machine. This is typically the same machine as your Configuration Server.
Follow these steps to modify the TABLE_INFO settings:

1. Log on to the NMS server as root.
2. At the command prompt, type:
cd /home/nms/utils/db_maint
3. Stop NMS Services by typing:
service idirect_nms stop
WARNING! You must stop NMS Services before changing the table structure, or run this
process offline.
4. Use the ./DB-Migration.pl script to change the table structure. All forms of this
script are shown below.
# ./DB-Migration.pl -h
DB-Migration.pl [-cd=NAME] [-ad=NAME] [-DD]
-cd : Change config database from [nms]
-ad : Change archive database from [nrd_archive]
-DD : Do not touch any data outside of the ip_stats
-suffix : Change suffix for existing tables for database
[nrd_archive], default is "old"
If you run the script with no arguments as shown below, it will rename the existing tables by
adding the suffix old. For example, event_msg_1 becomes event_msg_1_old. Once you have
verified the data in the new format, you should remove these renamed tables by entering the
command:
./DB-Migration.pl
This converts existing data to new table structure.
A.5.7 Optimizing Archive Database Performance

The efficiency of archive database access is affected by the size and number of tables for
each of the 17 statistics types in the archive. iDirect provides a database partitioning
calculator to help you determine the optimal size of these tables based on the number of
remotes in your network and the frequency with which the statistics are updated in the
archive. Once you have used the calculator to determine the optimal settings, you can update
the information in columns two through four of the TABLE_INFO table shown in Table 35 on
page186 to match the results of your calculations.

iDX Release 2.0
Copying the Archive Database Partitioning Calculator to Your PC

The calculator is installed on your NMS server as part of the iDirect software release. Before
using the calculator, you should copy it to your PC or laptop. The procedure in this section
shows how to use Cygwin to retrieve the calculator.
Note: You must have access to the root account on the NMS server to retrieve the
calculator.
Follow these steps to copy the archive database partitioning calculator to your PC or laptop
using Cygwin:
1. Create a folder on your PC or laptop where you want to store the calculator.
2. Start Cygwin on your PC or laptop.
3. In the Cygwin window, use the cd command to change your directory to the new folder.
The command syntax is show here using the directory db_calculator at the top level of
the C: drive.
cd /c/db_calculator
4. In the Cygwin terminal window, type:
SCP root@<IP Address>:/home/nms/utils/db_maint/table_info-
calculator.htm ./
where <IP Address> is the IP address of your NMS server.
5. Enter the root password when prompted. The calculator will be transferred to your PC.
6. Enter the following command to reformat your copy of the file for the Windows
environment.
unix2dos table_info-calculator.htm
7. Close your Cygwin terminal window.
Figure 174 presents an example of these steps.
Figure 174. Retrieving the Database Partitioning Calculator Using Cygwin

iDX Release 2.0
Using the Archive Database Partitioning Calculator

The archive database partitioning calculator is an HTML application that must be run in
Microsofts Internet Explorer (IE) web browser. To use the calculator:
1. On your PC or laptop, navigate to the folder into which you copied the calculator.
2. Right-click the calculator and select Open With J Internet Explorer to display the
calculator in your browser window.
3. If you are running Windows XP with Service Pack 2, you must right-click the security
message at the top of the calculator window and select Allow Blocked Content. Then
click Yes in the warning dialog box.
Figure 175. Allowing Blocked Content for Database Partitioning Calculator

iDX Release 2.0
4. Use the calculator to determine the optimal settings for your archive database partitions.
The parameters and their usage is described below.
Figure 176. Archive Database Partitioning Calculator
Figure 176 shows the calculated results for the nms_remote_status table in a network with
750 remotes with a logging rate of four times per minute. The parameters are entered in the
top portion of the screen. The results appear in the lower (yellow) portion of the screen when
you click the Calculate Table_Info data button.
The following parameters can be entered in the calculator.
The Base Table Name (identical to the base_table_name in the TABLE_INFO table on
page186) represents the table definition for the table set that contains all statistics of
this type. Before calculating the results, you should select the Base Table Name of
interest from this list.
Time to Keep Data (hrs) represents the amount of time in hours to retain the data for
this Base Table Name before it is overwritten. You can modify this parameter based on
your requirement to keep records of this type on the NMS server and your available disk
space.

iDX Release 2.0
Maximum Table Size (MB) is used to calculate the optimal number of tables that should
be created for this Base Table Name. This parameter is not stored in the database. It is a
limit used by the calculator to help compute the best results. In general, you should use
the default setting.
Number of Records per Minute is the rate per minute at which records of this type are
being logged for each remote (or other device) in the table set. This is not a configurable
parameter and it varies dynamically with network load. If you have measured a value for
your network for which you want to optimize the table set, you can change this
parameter to reflect that value. Otherwise, you should use the default setting.
Number of Second Dimension Elements represents approximately the total number of
devices (second dimension elements) associated with the Base Table Name in your
network. Note that if the number of remotes in your network changes significantly, you
should consider re-executing the calculator and reconfiguring the TABLE_INFO for tables
that log remote statistics. You can vary the number of second dimension elements used by
the calculator in increments of 250.
Record Size (in bytes) is the size of the database record for this Base Table Name. In
general, you should use the default setting.
After entering all parameters, click the Calculate Table_Info data button to calculate the
following results:
Time Table Number represents the optimal number of time segments recommended for
this Base Table Name based on the parameters entered. This result corresponds to the
time_table_number in the TABLE_INFO table shown in Table 35 on page186.
Second Dimension Name represents the number of tables per time period recommended
for this Base Table Name based on the parameters entered. This result corresponds to
the second_dimension_name in the TABLE_INFO table.
Time Interval (hrs) represents the length of time for each time segment recommended
for this Base Table Name based on the parameters entered. This result corresponds to
the time_interval in the TABLE_INFO table.
After you have calculated the optimal time_table_number, second_dimension_name and
time_interval for all tables you want to optimize, you can log into the root directory of the
NMS server and use MySQL to change the TABLE_INFO configuration in the NMS database to
match the optimal values.
Figure 177 shows the table set that would be created for nms_remote_status if INFO_TABLE
were modified in accordance with the values calculated in figure Figure 176 on page192.

iDX Release 2.0
Figure 177. Segmented nms_remote_status archive tables
A.5.8 Selecting from the Restructured Database

In the past, when selecting records from the statistics archive, you would use a single query
against a single table to find your answer. For instance, to get all state_change_log records
with time range of 2006-11-20 10:00 to 2006-11-20 14:00, you would issue the query:
SELECT * FROM state_change_log WHERE timestamp BETWEEN
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
Because all records were in one table, state_change_log, a complete result set was returned.
A bit more work goes into getting the same answer from a striped database. The main thing
to remember is that in the restructured database, a query on a sufficiently large time range
(by default +6 hours) is guaranteed to span multiple tables. When a querys time range
reaches ttn * tis hours (6 * 6 = 36 hours by default), the result takes stripes from every table
in the table set. Up to the ttn * tis time range limit, you must choose between efficiency and
simplicity. When the goal is efficiency, a query must be pre-processed and split, so that only
tables containing matching records are queried. When the goal is simplicity, queries are re-
factored to cast a wide net, potentially querying tables that do not contribute to the result
set.
Identifying the Location of the Result Set

When the result set is guaranteed to come from only one or two tables, it makes sense to
avoid query overhead by applying the query selectively. To do so, first calculate the index for
every table containing records in your query time range. Then, run one query per table index
calculated.

iDX Release 2.0
Using the example above and default striping parameters:

Inputs:
Stripe base time (base) = 2004-01-01 00:00:01 = 1072915201
TABLE_INFO.time_table_number (ttn) = 6 tables
TABLE_INFO.time_interval (tis) = 6 hours = 21600 seconds
TABLE_INFO.second_dimension_table_number = 1
This allows us to ignore this dimension. (Anything modulo 1 equals 0, so there is no
second dimension component to the table index.)
Query start time (start) = 2006-11-20 10:00:00 = 1164016800
Query end time (end) = 2006-11-20 14:00:00 = 1164031200
Calculate all table indexes:
To get the range of table indexes, calculate the index of the query start and end times. Those
two indexes, and everything in between, must be included in the queries.
The first table index is derived from start:
Idx_0 = ((start base) / tis % ttn
= ((1164016800 1072915201) / 21600) % 6
=5
The last table index derives from end:
Idx_N = ((end base) / tis) % ttn
= ((1164031200 1072915201) / 21600) % 6
=0
Divide the query among all indexes:
In this case, the first half of our records is in state_change_log_5:
SELECT * FROM state_change_log_5 WHERE timestamp BETWEEN
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
and the remaining records are in state_change_log_0:
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
Concatenating the two result sets returns the same answer arrived at in the 1st example.
Larger time range:
The procedure is exactly the same with a larger time ranges:
Query start time (start) = 2006-11-20 19:00:00 = 1164049200
Query end time (end) = 2006-11-21 07:00:00 = 1164092400
Idx_0 = ((1165059200 1072915201) / 21600) % 6
= 1
Idx_N = ((1164092400 1072915201) / 21600) % 6
= 3

iDX Release 2.0
The queries to run are:

20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
Ignoring the Location of the Result Set (Part One)

When the goal is to write simpler scripts, or when query time ranges near the tis * ttn limit,
skip query pre-processing and simply query all tables. There are two portable methods for
doing this:
Multiple queries, external concatenation:
As in the second example, you could make multiple queries, and then concatenate and sort
externally (in Perl, for instance):
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000;
Unions:
A slightly simpler method is to use UNIONs:
(SELECT * FROM state_change_log_0 WHERE timestamp BETWEEN
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000)
UNION
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000)
UNION
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000)
UNION
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000)

iDX Release 2.0
UNION
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000)
UNION
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000)
ORDER BY timestamp;
With this method, MySQL concatenates and sorts the records for you. No external post-
processing required.
Ignoring the Location of the Result Set (Part Two)

MySQL has a feature that makes querying multiple tables even simpler. A MERGE table is a
collection of identical tables that can be used as a single table. To create a MERGE table of
state_change_log_X:
CREATE TABLE state_change_log_merged (
`timestamp` timestamp(14) NOT NULL,
ùnique_id` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
`modem_sn` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL default '0',
`current_state`
enum('OK','WARNING','ALARM','UNKNOWN','OFFLINE','ELSEWHERE','MESHAL
ARM','SLEEP','STATE_NONE') default NULL,
òccurred_at` timestamp(14) NOT NULL,
èrror_type` smallint(6) default NULL,
èrror_severity`
enum('EVTWarning','EVTAlarm','EVTCleared','EVTOffline','EVTElsewher
e','EVTMeshAlarm','EVTSleep','EVTNone') default 'EVTNone',
reason` varchar(255) default NULL,
KEY ÌDX_TIME_UQ` (`timestamp`,ùnique_id`))
TYPE=MERGE
UNION=(state_change_log_0, state_change_log_1, state_change_log_2,
state_change_log_3, state_change_log_4, state_change_log_5);
Most of the CREATE statement consists of a copy of state_change_log_Xs CREATE statement
(you can view it by issuing the query SHOW CREATE TABLE state_change_log_0.) The
differences are the name, of course; the TYPE or ENGINE clause, which tells MySQL what
kind of table were creating (normally MyISAM); and an additional UNION clause, which
identifies the list of tables in the collection.
With a MERGE table interface to the restructured database, your old queries require only one
change:
SELECT * FROM state_change_log_merged WHERE timestamp BETWEEN
20061120100000 AND 20061120140000 ORDER BY timestamp;
A query on a MERGE table behaves, internally, the same way as the UNION query. MySQL runs
the query on every table in the collection then collates the results (as directed by the ORDER
BY clause.) The sole benefit is shorter, cleaner queries.

iDX Release 2.0

iDX Release 2.0
Alarms
Appendix B Alarms and

Warnings
The iDirect NMS provides real-time notification of system anomalies, classified by severity.
The iMonitor GUI provides complete visibility to the real-time status and operational
characteristics of network elements. Status refers to the real-time state of network
elements, i.e. OK, warning, and alarm.
Alarms indicate an interruption in service or remote sites that are out-of-network. Warnings
display potential anomalous conditions and system values that are out of range.
This appendix provides troubleshooting recommendations for a subset of alarms and warnings.
Not all warnings are listed in this appendix. See Table 7 on page 35 for comprehensive lists
of warnings for each element.
B.1 Alarms
Table 36 lists alarms, their descriptions and recommended actions.
Table 36. Alarms
Alarm Description Action, Troubleshooting

Chassis Down The HUB Chassis Check if the network path to the HUB Chassis is available
controller interface from the NMS server (ping, tracert).
has failed or Check if the HUB Chassis is powered up.
become unavailable
Make sure the chassis controller card (EDAS) is connected
from the NMS
to the upstream LAN, not the tunnel LAN.
Note: It is likely that the HUB line cards are still
operating.

iDX Release 2.0
Warnings
Table 36. Alarms (continued)
Alarm Description Action, Troubleshooting

Line Card Down Line Card is Make sure the NMS server can reach the Line Cards across
powered off or has upstream router (ping, tracert).
failed. Check chassis slot power via NMS.
In case of card failure, check status LED on Line Card
front panel for cause. Solid Red status LED indicates that
the Universal Line Card has detected a fault, or
Application software or firmware cannot be loaded.
Replace Line Card or reload firmware images.
PP Down Protocol Processor is Check if the network path to Protocol Processor is
not responding available from the NMS server (ping, tracert).
Check if Protocol Processor is powered up and
operational.
Remote Layer 2 Remote is not in Verify configuration in iBuilder.
network (out of Check stability of the RF link
network or link layer
Check history in iMonitor of Tx Power and Down C/N of
down)
remote. Higher Tx power and lower C/N indicate
degradation.
Short-term possibly due to rain fade.
Long-term possibly due to degradation of
installation. Check RF chain: BUC, LNB, cables,
connectors for moisture. Dish positioning.
Remote Layer 3 Remote is not This can be due to high traffic load. (Remote may still be
responding to ICMPs, in network)
i.e. has missed 3 Check if network path to Remote is available from the
ICMPs in a row. NMS server (tracert, ping) or where the network path is
broken.
B.2 Warnings
Warnings signal a condition that could possibly result in a future interruption in service if not
handled in a timely fashion. Table 37 lists a subset of warnings, their descriptions and
recommended actions. See Table 7 on page 35 for comprehensive lists of warnings for each
element.
Note: The following alarms are classified as warnings in the NMS:

PowerAlarm(1/2/3), FanAlarm, RCM(A/B)Alarm.
Note: Warning limits can be configured using iBuilder. For details on setting warning
limits, see the iBuilder User Guide.

iDX Release 2.0
Warnings
Table 37. Warnings
Device Warning Condition Description Action, Troubleshooting

HUB PowerAlarm1 HUB Chassis power supply 1 Replace power supply 1
Chassis failed.
If one of the three Power
Supply Modules fails, the other
two Power Supply Modules are
capable of sourcing enough power
to make up for the failed supply
module.
PowerAlarm2 HUB Chassis power supply 2 failed Replace power supply 2
PowerAlarm3 Hub Chassis power supply 3 failed Replace power supply 3
FanAlarm A Fan failure is reported if the any Verify the Fan Alarm Status on
of the three Fan Modules the rear of the HUB chassis. A
propeller spins below a failed fan will be indicated by
predetermined revolution-per- the red color LED.
minute (RPM). Replace failed cooling fan
A fully loaded iDirect HUB Chassis
(20
Universal Line Cards) can remain
in operation with two of the three
Fan Modules still functioning.
RCMAAlarm HUB chassis reference clock If RCM [A, B] is set to external
module (RCM) A failed. clock mode, check for loss of
10 MHz clock source.
Check RCM A for failure.
Replace reference clock
module A.
RCMBAlarm HUB chassis reference clock If RCM [A, B] is set to external
module (RCM) B failed. clock mode, check for loss of
10 MHz clock source.
Check RCM B for failure.
Replace reference clock
module B.
HUB Line RX_OVERFLOW_FRAMES Received frames are lost. Total of Add new HUB line card and
Card received and transmitted frames dedicate one line card to
exceed HUB line cards transmission only.
performance limits.
DOWNSTREAM_PPS_OVERDRIVE Downstream packets-per-second
count above fixed limit
BACKPLANE_LOST_10MHZ Line card lost the chassis Make sure both RCMs are
backplane 10 MHz timing signal installed and functional. If
they are, this could mean a
possible chassis backplane
failure; contact the TAC for
further assistance.

iDX Release 2.0
Warnings
Table 37. Warnings (continued)
Device Warning Condition Description Action, Troubleshooting

Remote UPSTREAM_SNR Remotes C/N as perceived at HUB Weak signal could be due to
is below/above limits rain fade.
Check transmit power levels in
iBuilder and iMonitor to
determine if the remote is
transmitting at max power.
DOWNSTREAM_SNR Downstream C/N as perceived at Weak signal could be due to
remote is below/above limits rain fade.
Check transmit power levels in
iBuilder.
LOCAL_LAN_DISCONNECT LAN port on remote is Call customer.
disconnected
UCP_LOST_CONTACT Protocol Processor has
temporarily lost contact with
remote. Could be due to rain
fade.
TEMP_LIMIT Remotes on-board temperature is Call customer.
below/above defined limits
LATENCY Measured latency, hub to remote Increased latency may be
is more than 2000 ms. related to high traffic load.
ACQ_HUB_MODEM_CRC Line cards acquisition CRC count Normal during acquisition
above defined limit of 200 within process.
15 seconds.
TRAFFIC_HUB_MODEM_CRC Line cards traffic CRC count Check for timing problem,
above defined limit of 10 within power problem, RF link.
15 seconds.
SYMBOL_OFFSET Remotes timing offset below or Verify exact geographic
above calculated limits location of satellite, hub, and
remote. Adjust in order to
minimize offset.
REMOTE_OFFLINE (Typically a mobile) remote has This is not an alarm or
been taken offline by local warning.
operator. Causes all alarms and When remote comes in again,
warnings from this remote to be it clears.
ignored.
CALIBRATED_TX_POWER Remotes transmit power below or
above defined power limits
MOBILE_LOST_GPS Mobile remotes GPS has stopped Dont reset remote!
functioning Contact customer.

iDX Release 2.0
How the Proxy Agent Works
Appendix C SNMP Proxy

Agent
iDirects NMS includes an SNMP proxy agent that provides real-time status, statistical
information, and basic configuration information to any interested SNMP client.
C.1 How the Proxy Agent Works

The SNMP Proxy Agent is a client of the NMS Configuration Server, NMS Event Server, NRD
Server and Latency Server. It gets a list of network elements from the Configuration Server;
the real-time status of each element from the Event Server; Statistical information for all
remotes and line cards from the NRD Server; and the Latency information from the Latency
Server. The statistical information is provided beginning in Release 7.0. Figure 178 illustrates
how the SNMP Proxy Agent fits into the overall NMS architecture.

iDX Release 2.0
How the Proxy Agent Works
Figure 178. SNMP Proxy Architecture
The SNMP Proxy Agent Management Information Base (MIB) supports both SNMP Get requests
for polling and SNMP traps for asynchronous notification of status changes. The MIB is
automatically updated to reflect changes in element status and/or configuration, including
the addition and deletion of network elements. It also collects statistical information
regarding network elements.
The SNMP Proxy Agent is automatically installed on the NMS server as part of the iDirect
software release and is included in the normal NMS server startup and shutdown procedure.

iDX Release 2.0
The iDirect Management Information Base (MIB)
C.2 The iDirect Management Information Base (MIB)

The SNMP MIB supplies the information in Table 38 for iDirect network elements.
Table 38. iDirect MIB Contents
Element Type Available Information

Protocol Processor ID
Name
Teleport ID
Current State
List of Warnings
List of Alarms
Condition Raised (trap)
Condition Cleared (trap)
Chassis ID
Name
Current State
List of Warnings
List of Alarms
Remote Modem ID
Serial Number
Name
Geographic Location
Coordinates
Network ID
Protocol Processor ID
Teleport ID
Receive ID (identifies
inroute)
IP Address
Type ID
Current State
List of Warnings
List of Alarms

iDX Release 2.0
Beginning with iDirect Release 7.0, the SNMP MIB supplies the statistical information in Table
39 for iDIRECT network elements.
Table 39. iDirect MIB Statistical Information
Statistics Type Available Information Data Class

IP Statistics Net Modem DID Not Applicable
Rx tcp Packets in bytes Running Total
Rx udp Packets in bytes Running Total
Rx icmp Packets in bytes Running Total
Rx igmp Packets in bytes Running Total
Rx http Packets in bytes Running Total
Rx other Packets in bytes Running Total
Tx tcp Packets in bytes Running Total
Tx udp Packets in bytes Running Total
Tx icmp Packets in bytes Running Total
Tx igmp Packets in bytes Running Total
Tx http Packets in bytes Running Total
Tx other Packets in bytes Running Total
Ip statistics last updated timestamp
OTA Statistics Net Modem DID Not Applicable
Downstream reliable in bytes Running Total
Downstream unreliable in bytes Running Total
Downstream overhead in bytes Running Total
Downstream multicast in bytes Running Total
Downstream broadcast in bytes Running Total
Downstream total in kilobytes Running Total
Upstream reliable in bytes Running Total
Upstream unreliable in bytes Running Total
Upstream overhead in bytes Running Total
Upstream total in kilobytes Running Total
OTA statistics last updated Timestamp

iDX Release 2.0
Table 39. iDirect MIB Statistical Information (continued)

Remote UCP Net Modem DID Not Applicable
Upstream SNR in dB Overwrite
Power Adjustment in dBm Overwrite
Symbol Offset Overwrite
Frequency Offset in Hz Overwrite
Remote UCP statistics last updated Timestamp
Latency Net Modem DID Not Applicable
Net Modem Name Not Applicable
Net Modem SN Not Applicable
IP address Overwrite
Latency in seconds Overwrite
Network Name Not Applicable
Latency statistics last updated Timestamp
Hub Statistics Line Card DID Not Applicable
Type SN Not Applicable
Tx attempts Running Total
Tx bytes Running Total
Tx errors Running Total
Acq CRC errors Running Total
Traffic CRC errors Running Total
Bursts Running Total
Rx bytes Running Total
Rx power Overwrite
dma reset Running Total
tunnel rx errors Running Total
tunnel tx errors Running Total
Hub statistics last updated Timestamp

iDX Release 2.0
Table 39. iDirect MIB Statistical Information (continued)

Remote Status Net Modem DID Not Applicable
Down SNR in dB Overwrite
Tx power in dBm Overwrite
Rx power in dBm Overwrite
Digital rx gain in dB Overwrite
Fll dac (also refered to as Clock DAC) Overwrite
Rx cof Overwrite
Temperature Overwrite
TDM lost Running Total
SCPC errors Running Total
Time ticks Overwrite
LAN Port Overwrite
Ethernet mode Overwrite
Ethernet speed Overwrite
Ethernet auto-negotiate Overwrite
terminal session Overwrite
iSite session Overwrite
Remote Status last updated Timestamp
Server Start This Timestamp specifies the start time of the
Time statistical Data
C.2.1 Resetting Statistical Data

There are two classes of statistics contained in the MIB: cumulative statistics, such as IP
statistics and CRC errors; and discrete snapshot measurements, such as temperature and
frequency offset.
Each time statistics arrive from the network and the MIB is updated, new values for
cumulative statistics are added to current values, creating running totals. In contrast, new
values for discrete statistics overwrite the old values. These two types of statistics are
distinguished in Table 39 by the Data Class column.
Cumulative statistics are useful in determining a total value since some previous time period.
In order to reset the baseline time period for cumulative statistics, that is, to reset the counts
to zero, a special object type is included in the MIB. When referenced, this object will reset
all the statistics counters to zero.

iDX Release 2.0
The object is defined in the MIB as follows:

resetAllStatTables OBJECT-TYPE
SYNTAX Unsigned32
MAX-ACCESS read-write
STATUS current
DESCRIPTION " This field will reset all the statistical
tables under the idirectstats OID"
::= {idirectstats 7}
To reset the statistical data, follow these steps:
1. Log in to the NMS server machine as root.
2. Using the vi editor, edit the Net-SNMP daemon configuration file snmpd.conf:
# cd /etc/snmp
# vi snmpd.conf
3. Add the following line:
rwcommunity private
Note: Add the above line only if snmpd.conf does not already contain it.
4. Restart the snmpd service:
Example: /etc/init.d/snmpd restart
5. Use the SNMP SET command to set the MIB Object resetAllStatTables to 1.
Usage: snmpset -v 2c -c private <NMS server Ipaddress>
resetAllStatTables.0 u 1
Data types and table entry names are available from the MIB itself, which is available in the
following file on the NMS server machine:
/usr/share/snmp/mibs/IDIRECT-REMOTE-MIB.txt
C.2.2 iDirect MIB SNMP Traps

The iDirect SNMP Proxy Agent sends traps to any configured trap recipient based on network
element state changes and raised or cleared element conditions. See the next section of this
document for information on configuring trap recipients.
The complete list of traps is shown in Table 40. You will receive each trap when the specified
anomaly arises, and again when the condition clears. The trap-level field in the MIB specifies
the severity.
Table 40. iDirect MIB Traps
Trap Name Generate When... Severity Network Elements

snmpProxyStart SNMP Proxy Agent starts up N/A SNMP Proxy Agent
snmpProxyStop SNMP Proxy Agent shuts down N/A SNMP Proxy Agent
upstreamSNR Upstream SNR goes outside Warning Remotes
specified limits

iDX Release 2.0
Table 40. iDirect MIB Traps (continued)
Trap Name Generate When... Severity Network Elements

downstreamSNR Downstream SNR goes outside Warning Remotes
specified limits
tempLimit Onboard temperature goes outside Warning Remotes
specified limits
latency Latency measurement exceeds high Warning Remotes
limit
symbolOffset Symbol offset goes outside Warning Remotes
specified limits
ethernetUnplugged The local LAN port is non- Warning Remotes
functional
ucpLostContact The protocol processor loses Warning Remotes
contact with a remote
lldown The protocol processors link layer Alarm Remotes
interface for a remote goes down
ucpOutOfNetwork The protocol processor declares a Alarm Remotes
remote out of network
latTimeout Latency measurements are failing Alarm Remotes
remoteOffline The remote has been commanded Offline Remotes
offline
lackHubStats The NMS is no longer receiving hub Alarm Hub Modems
statistics
acqHubModemCRC Acquisition CRC count exceeds high Warning Hub Modems
limit
trafficHubModemCRC Traffic CRC count exceeds high Warning Hub Modems
limit
ppStateTrap The NMS has stopped hearing from Alarm Protocol Processor
the protocol processor
powerAlarm1, 2, 3 The specified power supply has Warning Chassis
failed
fanAlarm One of the fans has failed Warning Chassis
chassisDown The NMS cannot contact the chassis Alarm Chassis
scpcRxErrors A remote has received SCPC errors Warning Remotes
on the downstream
fllDacErrors A remotes digital-to-analog Warning Remotes
converter (DAC) is operating
outside the defined limits

iDX Release 2.0
Working with HP OpenView
C.2.3 Setting up SNMP Traps

If you want the SNMP Proxy Agent to send traps for network element state changes, you must
designate one or more machines to receive them. The machine name is a parameter in one of
Net-SNMPs configuration files.
To designate a machine to receive traps, use the following procedure:
1. Log in to the NMS server machine as root.
2. Using the vi editor, edit the Net-SNMP daemon configuration file:
# cd /etc/snmp/
# vi snmpd.conf
Note: In a few instances, the SNMP trap configuration has been moved into
/home/nms/snmpsvr/para_cfg.opt. If the instructions above are not accurate,
execute these commands instead:
# cd /home/nms/snmpsvr/
# vi para_cfg.opt
3. Add a line like the following for each machine to which you want to send SNMP Version 1
(v1) traps:
trapsink host [community [port]]
Replace host with the name of the desired recipient. The community and port strings are
optional.
4. Add a line like the following for each machine to which you want to send SNMP Version 2
(v2) traps:
trap2sink host [community [port]]
Replace host with the name of the desired recipient. The community and port strings are
optional.
WARNING! Do not change or remove any other lines in this file.
C.3 Working with HP OpenView

The SNMP product installed on the NMS server machine is an open-source package called Net-
SNMP. The MIB syntax processing is slightly different between this package and HP OpenView.
If you use HP OpenView as your SNMP client software, you will need to load the special HP
OpenView-specific MIB instead of the MIB that comes standard with our agent.
The HP OpenView MIB can found on the NMS server machine in the following location:
/home/nms/snmpsvr/IDIRECT-REMOTE-MIB.hpov.txt
C.3.1 Linux SNMP Tools

The Net-SNMP package supplies a number of command-line utilities that perform various
SNMP-related functions. These commands are listed in Table 41, along with a one-line
description of what each one does.

iDX Release 2.0
Working with HP OpenView
Table 41. SNMP Command Line Utilities
Command Name Severity

snmpbulkget Communicates with a network entity using SNMP GETBULK Requests
snmpbulkwalk Communicates with a network entity using SNMP BULK Requests
snmpcmd Not a command, but a manual page that describes the common options for the
SNMP commands
snmpconf Creates and modifies SNMP configuration files
snmpdelta Monitor deltas of integer valued SNMP variables
snmpdf Gets a listing of disk space usage on a remote machine via SNMP
snmpget Communicates with a network entity using SNMP GET Requests
snmpgetnext Communicates with a network entity using SNMP GET NEXT Requests
snmpnetstat Show network status using SNMP
snmpset Communicates with a network entity using SNMP SET Requests
snmpstatus Retrieves important information from a network entity
snmptable Obtain and print an SNMP table
snmptest Communicates with a network entity using SNMP Requests
snmptranslate Translate SNMP object Id (OID) values into more useful information
snmptrap Sends an SNMP trap to a manager
snmpusm Creates and maintains SNMPv3 users on a remote entity
snmpwalk Communicates with a network entity using SNMP GETNEXT Requests
For more information on any of the commands in this list, log in to the NMS server machine
and type the following command:
# man <command name>
This will display the Linux manual entry or man page for the specified command that
provides usage details, output descriptions, etc. Note that some of the commands above will
not display anything about your iDIRECT networks, but instead display Linux system
characteristics, such as disk space and network status.

iDX Release 2.0
CRC Errors due to False Burst Detection
Appendix D Rx CRC Error

Correlation
Transmit problems on one or more remotes may cause CRC errors on the hub line card that is
receiving the upstream carrier. CRC errors could be caused by any of a number of problems: a
remote transmitting above the saturation point, a bad cable, interference, etc.
If the upstream carrier is being received by an iNFINITI or Evolution line card, you can use the
iDirect Rx CRC Correlation feature to identify which remote or remotes are causing the
receive packet errors (Rx CRC errors) on the card.
Note: CRC error checking is a processor-intensive operation. To avoid overloading the

processes of your line cards, iDirect recommends that you delete the custom
keys that enable Rx CRC Correlation when you are finished.
D.1 CRC Errors due to False Burst Detection

There is a possibility that you may see CRC errors reported for slots in which no bursts were
actually transmitted. This is caused by false burst detection due to random noise in the idle
slots. It occurs primarily in IF test networks or other networks with a high number of idle
bursts on the upstream carrier(s). These CRC errors due to false burst detection are not a
problem and should be ignored.
You can determine if CRC errors are being reported due to false burst detection as follows:
1. Using a terminal emulator (such as PuTTY), use SSH to log on to the line card receiving the
upstream carrier.
2. From the command line of the line card, enter the following command and log on to the
admin account:
telnet 0
3. Use the dumpb command to examine the bursts being received by the line card. The
dumpb command has several forms shown in the syntax below:

iDX Release 2.0
CRC Errors due to False Burst Detection
> dumpb -h
Usage: dumpb <n> <options> - dumps trailer and first 4 words of n
rxd bursts on hub
-t - traffic bursts only
-a - acquisition bursts only
-r - for the remote specified only
-c - crc errors only
-s <m> - size of dumped packet
For example:
dumpb 50 displays the next 50 bursts.
dumpb 50 -c displays the next 50 bursts that contain CRC errors.
The following figures highlight the difference between real CRC errors and CRC errors
reported for false burst detections. Bursts with CRC errors contain a 0 in the crc field.
Figure 179. dumpb Output with Real CRC Error
Figure 179 shows an example of a real CRC error captured by a dumpb command. Notice that
the highlighted burst has a relatively high SNR value. Also notice that the pattern of the data
is similar to other bursts, indicating that this was not the detection of random noise.
Figure 180. dumpb Output with CRC Error Reported Due to False Burst Detection

iDX Release 2.0
Determining the Inroute IDs for Your Network
Figure 180 shows three CRC errors reported because of false burst detections, two in traffic
slots (T) and one in an acquisition slot (A). Notice that the SNRs reported for the bursts are
zero or near zero. Notice also that the burst data is random compared to other bursts. These
are indications that the CRC errors were reported due to false burst detections. If your CRC
errors are due to false burst detections, they do not affect the performance of your network.
You do not need to perform the remaining steps in this procedure.
D.2 Determining the Inroute IDs for Your Network

Follow these steps to determine the Inroute IDs for each Inroute being received by a line card
with CRC errors:
1. In iBuilder, right-click on the Network and select Compare Configurations from the menu
to open the Configuration Comparison dialog box.
Figure 181. Compare Configuration Dialog Box
2. In the Configuration Comparison dialog box, clear the Show Differences Only check box.
3. Examine the Latest pane to determine the Inroute IDs for the Inroutes in your Network.
Inroute IDs are displayed in the format INROUTE_#, where # represents the ID of the
Inroute. (See Figure 181.) Note the ID of each Inroute.
D.3 Enabling Rx CRC Correlation for Your Inroutes

Once you have determined the Inroute IDs, follow these steps to enable Rx CRC correlation
for the Inroutes:
1. In iBuilder, right-click the Network in the iBuilder tree and select ModifyJItem from the
menu.
2. Click the Custom tab.
3. Enter a network-level custom key in the following format:
[INROUTE_#]
disable_lock = 0
where # is the Inroute ID determined in the previous step.

iDX Release 2.0
Connecting to the Protocol Processor Blade
If you have multiple Inroutes in the Network, you need to create a custom key for each.
For example:
[INROUTE_1]
disable_lock = 0
[INROUTE_2]
disable_lock = 0
etc.
Figure 182 shows an example of setting the disable_lock custom key for three inroutes.
Figure 182. Setting the Custom Key for CRC Correlation
4. Click OK to save your changes.

5. Right-click the Network in the iBuilder tree and select Apply ConfigurationJNetwork
from the menu.
Repeat this process for any other Networks you want to check.
D.4 Connecting to the Protocol Processor Blade

Once you have configured the custom keys, follow these steps to connect to your protocol
processor blades to determine which remotes are causing the errors. Follow these steps to
connect to a blade:
1. Using a terminal emulator (such as PuTTY), log on to your NMS server using SSH.
2. From the command line of the NMS server, enter the following command to log on to a
blade:
> telnet <IP Address> 13255
where <IP Address> is the address of the protocol processor blade.
3. Log on to the blade with Username: admin.

iDX Release 2.0
Running the CRC Correlation Report
D.5 Running the CRC Correlation Report

Once you have logged on to a protocol processor blade, follow these steps to view the Rx CRC
errors for the Networks configured to use the blade.
1. From the command line, use the proc list command to identify the sarmt processes
running on the blade. Depending on your release, one of the following commands will
display a process list:
> proc list
> proc list sum
The following sample output shows two sarmt processes: sarmt 3 and sarmt 5.
sada(2): Up
Console Port: 13456
PID: 21304
NET: 1
remotes (2)
sana(1): Up
Console Port: 13457
PID: 21305
NET: 1
remotes (2)
sarmt(3): Up
Console Port: 13458
PID: 21306
NET: 1
multicast
remotes (0)
sarmt(5): Up
Console Port: 13459
PID: 21307
NET: 1
remotes (2)
sarouter(4): Up
Console Port: 13460
PID: 21308
NET: 1
remotes (2)
Execute the remaining steps for each sarmt processes that you identified.
2. From the command line, enter the following command:
> sarmt process number;
where process number is the number of the sarmt process. For the sample output
shown above, you would repeat these steps with process numbers 3 and 5. (Be sure to
include the ; as part of the command.)

iDX Release 2.0
Running the CRC Correlation Report
3. Enter the net list command to determine the networks available on this blade. You
will see a list of valid networks, as in the following example:
> net list
Valid Networks are: 1 4 6
4. Enter the net command to select the Network you want to examine. For example:
> net 1
NETWORK 1
5. Enter the crc report command to see the number of CRC errors generated by each
remote over time. The crc report command has several forms shown in the syntax
below:
> crc report
Usage:
crc report {data|acq|all} [reset]
6. Enter the following command to see a count of data CRC errors for each remote:
> crc report all
3100.3235 : DATA CRC [ 1]
3100.3502 : DATA CRC [5818]
3100.4382 : DATA CRC [ 20]
3100.4463 : DATA CRC [ 3]
3100.4656 : DATA CRC [ 11]
3100.7249 : DATA CRC [1369]
3100.8963 : DATA CRC [ 1]
3100.9162 : DATA CRC [ 1]
You can clear the counts by entering:
> crc report all reset
7. Repeat Step 4 through Step 6 for each Network on current blade, or enter the following
command to see all CRC errors for all Networks on the blade:
> net * crc report all
8. Repeat Step 2 through Step 7 for each sarmt process identified in Step 1.
If you have more protocol processor blades to check, execute this procedure again, beginning
with the instructions in the section Connecting to the Protocol Processor Blade on page216.
When you have finished, iDirect recommends that you delete the custom keys you configured
for your Network(s) and re-apply the changes.

iDX Release 2.0
Index E
elements
A putting under observation 37
events 31
alarms
interpreting 47
see conditions viewing 39
archive, see statistics archive
audio notification 18
audio notification for conditions F
disabling 18 find toolbar 20
enabling 18
G
B
geographic map
blades
clearing remote tracks 148
cpu usage 61 components of 5
monitoring 55 determining a remotes past locations 149
button enabling remote tracking 148
accept changes 8 filtering 152
filtering criteria 152
filtering using the context menu 153
C filtering using the toolbar 153
installing on PC 6
conditions 31 installing server license 5
acknowledging 19 launching 143
alarms and warnings on elements 34 launching with historical tracking 144
audio notification 18 license for 5
condition log tab 33 monitoring remotes with 143
interpreting 45 PC requirements 5
observation view tab 33 selecting remotes to view 144
viewing 39 toolbar 145
conditions pane 25, 33 tracking mobile remotes 147
configuration changes 26 using the map to select from Network Tree menu
150
connecting to network elements 106
viewing the toolbar 145
CRC errors
globe
Identifying Rx errors on line cards caused by remote
hiding elements 12
transmissions 74
sorting elements 12
cw carrier tree 12
enabling from remote probe 58 graphs
modifying timeout duration 60
IP traffic 125
mesh traffic 130
D mesh UCP 77
SAT traffic 120
DVB-S2 SATCOM 75
monitoring ACM gain 89 timeplan 63
monitoring carrier MODCOD distribution 92 Group QoS
monitoring remote MODCOD utilization 94 explanation of statistics displayed 83
monitoring SNR of remotes 100 exporting statistics to excel or CSV 86
viewing hub line card statistics 102 limitation of BW Req statistic 83
viewing statistics 81

iDX Release 2.0
viewing statistics for a single node 82 UCP parameter definitions 79
viewing statistics for a single remote 83 mobile remotes
determining past locations 149
tracking on geographic map 147
H
modifying
HDLC addresses, viewing on remotes 106 accepting changes 8
I N
iBuilder network condition snapshot 47
description 2 network data snapshot 53
installing 4 network tree 15
iMonitor see also: tree
description 2 NMS
launching 7 applications 2
using the interface 11 iVantage NMS components xxi
installation main components 1
NMS applications 4 multiple users accessing 8
IP long term bandwidth usage 135 servers used 3
IP routing table, viewing on remotes 106 NMS database
IP statistics 117 overview 156
IP traffic graph 125
iSite 2 O
iVantage NMS components xxi
observation
putting elements under 37
L
offline state 34
latency, monitoring round-trip 68
launching iMonitor 7 P
legend 25
line card data snapshot 53 panes
line cards conditions 25
configuration changes 26
identifying remotes causing Rx CRC errors on 74
legend 25
statistics on 72
probe 56
logging in probe mesh 71
passwords 7 See also dialog boxes
to other servers 7 selecting columns for viewing 26
sorting columns in 14
M passwords 7
pn carrier
main toolbar 20 enabling from remote probe 58
map, see geographic map modifying timeout duration 60
mesh probe 56
mesh long term bandwidth usage 135 adjusting remote transmit power 58
mesh statistics 119 functions of 56
mesh traffic graph 130 transmitting a modulated or unmodulated carrier
mesh UCP tab 77 58
probe mesh 70 probe mesh 70
selecting UCP parameters for viewing 78

iDX Release 2.0
R partitioning the database 189
querying the restructured database tables 194
remotes restructuring for release 6.1 182
viewing IP and HDLC information on 106 table details 160
using the partitioning calculator 191
reports 135 to 141
status bar 22
long-term bandwidth usage 135
remote availability 140 system requirements 4
requirements
system 4 T
right-click
menu options 20 teleport condition snapshot 47
time periods
for requesting data 9
S time ranges, saving 9
SAT long term bandwidth usage 135 timeplan graph 63
SAT statistics 117 toolbars
SAT traffic graph 120 configuration changes 26
find 20
SATCOM graph 75
geographic map 145
saving data to files 10 icons 20
saving workspaces 22 legend 25
selecting columns for viewing 26 main 16, 20
servers 3 main menu 20
SkyMonitor status bar 22
view menu 20
capturing a bitmap image of the display 115
changing RF port settings 111 tree
described 108 description 15
launching from the iMonitor tree 108 sorting the tree 14
recalling and viewing saved data 113
saving data to the NMS server 112
viewing carriers and pre-defined bandwidth 108 U
snapshots 47 upstream carriers
SNMP Rx CRC errors on 74
iDirect MIB 205 users
iDirect traps defined 209
multiple 8
resetting MIB statistics 208
setting up traps 211
statistics in MIB 205 W
support on iDirect 203 to 212
sorting columns 14 windows, See panes
sorting the tree 14 See also dialog boxes
statistics workspaces
IP 117 saving and reloading 22
SAT 117
statistics archive
accessing
basic information 157
changing the 6.1 table structure 189
converting data between table formats 188
installing the partitioning calculator on your PC 190
optimized storage 155

iDX Release 2.0

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iMonitor User Guide

iDX Release 2.0

January 21, 2010

iMonitor User Guide i

Document Name: UG_iMonitor User Guide iDX 2.0_Rev C_012110.pdf

Document Part Number: T0000242

ii iMonitor User Guide

About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii

The iVantage Network Management System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi

1 Overview of the NMS for iMonitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

iMonitor User Guide iii

iv iMonitor User Guide

2 Monitoring Conditions and Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

3 Monitoring Performance and Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

iMonitor User Guide v

4 Traffic Statistics and Traffic Graphs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

vi iMonitor User Guide

6 Monitoring Remotes Using the Geographic Map . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Appendix A Accessing the NMS Statistics Archive . . . . . . . . . . . 155

iMonitor User Guide vii

viii iMonitor User Guide

Appendix C SNMP Proxy Agent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Appendix D Rx CRC Error Correlation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

iMonitor User Guide ix

Figure 1. Desktop Shortcuts for NMS GUI Clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

x iMonitor User Guide

iMonitor User Guide xi

xii iMonitor User Guide

iMonitor User Guide xiii

xiv iMonitor User Guide

Table 1. Main Toolbar Icons and Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

iMonitor User Guide xv

xvi iMonitor User Guide

Contents Of This Guide

iMonitor User Guide xvii

Convention Description Example

Red italic Used when the user needs

xviii iMonitor User Guide

iMonitor User Guide xix

iMonitor User Guide xxi

xxii iMonitor User Guide

1 Overview of the NMS for

iMonitor User Guide 1

1.2 Components of the Network Management System

1.2.1 NMS Applications

2 iMonitor User Guide

1.2.2 Server Components

Real-time Data Server

NMS Controller Server

Chassis Manager Server

NMS Monitor Script

iMonitor User Guide 3

Database Backup Script

Database Restore Script

1.3 Installing iBuilder, iMonitor, and iSite

1.3.1 System Requirements

1.3.2 Installation Procedure

Figure 1. Desktop Shortcuts for NMS GUI Clients

Figure 2. Windows Start Menu Entries for NMS GUI Clients