Resource Manager Essentials Overview

The Resource Manager Essentials (RME) package provides an enterprise solution to network management. This suite of web-based network management tools enables administrators to collect the monitoring, fault, and availability information needed to track devices that are critical to the network. RME also provides the administration tools needed to rapidly and reliably deploy and upgrade Cisco devices.

RME is based on a client/network architecture that connects multiple web-based clients to a server residing on the network. As the number of devices on the network increases, additional servers or collection points can be added to manage network growth with little impact on the client browser application.

By taking advantage of the scalability inherent in the intranet architecture, Essentials supports multiple users anywhere on the network. The web-based infrastructure gives network operators, administrators, technicians, help desk staff, IS managers, and end users access to network management tools, applications, and services.

Administrator Privileges

RME provides five services:

Help desk
Approver
Network operator
Network administrator
System administrator

A special admin login provides superuser privileges for the RME product. This login allows its user to perform any task.

There is also a guest login account, which the system administrator can use if desired.

Each role has a predetermined set of applications, tools, and product features that it has the right to use. To view role permissions, select Admin > User Accounts >
Permissions Report.

When users are granted logins to the RME application, they are assigned one or more roles. Users with the system administrator role and admin login are the only users allowed to assign roles. The role or combination of roles dictates which RME applications are presented to the user on the navigation tree.

After they receive logins, users can use RME administrative tools to change their own passwords and other aspects of their profiles. Ask your system administrator what your privilege level is and which tasks you can access.

RME comes with two user logins that map to the roles:

guest (help desk)
admin (superuser/all roles)

Caution When the system is installed initially, admin is the default password. To prevent all users from accessing privileged applications, change the password for admin immediately after installation. The guest login has no password. If you require passwords, add a password for the guest user.

If you have just installed the RME package and are logging in for the first time, you can use the reserved "admin" user name and password. To log in, complete the following steps:

Step 1 Enter admin in both the User Name and Password fields of the Login Manager.

Step 2 Click Connect. You are logged in.

Step 3 Change the admin password.

RME Features

RME has the following features for the user:

Availability
:
- Monitor the reachability and response time of user-selected devices on the network.
- Collect fault and performance information for routers and switches.
Change Audit : View and search a central repository of all network changes (for example, Inventory, Software Management, and so on), set up periods of time to monitor network changes, and maintain the repository.
Device Configuration
:
- Maintain an active archive of switch and router configuration files.
- Search the archive for configuration files based on user-specified criteria.
- Create custom reports for repetitive tasks.
Inventory
:
- Import devices from databases or files.
- Add, delete, change, and list devices in your network inventory.
- Schedule polling and collection to update your network inventory.
- Display reports and graphs of your hardware and software inventory.
Software management
:
- Schedule, download, and monitor software image upgrades for Cisco devices on your network.
- Validate images with devices before initiating downloads, and define and monitor the progress of scheduled jobs.
Syslog analysis
:
- Troubleshoot and track device problems.
- View summaries of real-time reports on events that are being logged to Syslog on behalf of a router.
- Process these messages to generate reports and statistical summaries.
- Configure automatic actions that occur when certain message types are received.
System administration
:
- Create, modify, and browse device views (groups of devices).
- Review your package options before installing or uninstalling task sets.
- Check log file status.
- Back up, move, and restore data.
- Manage user accounts.
- Start, stop, and check the status of processes running on the back-end server .
Tools
:
- Cisco Connection Online (CCO) tools, including technical tips, troubleshooting, a bug toolkit, open forum, and connections to the Technical Assistance Center (TAC) and CCO software.
- Link to the TAC department for opening and querying cases using Case Management.
- Check device connections to the RME server using Connectivity tools.
- Verify which of your Cisco devices are covered by a service contract using Contract Connection.
- Connect Device Navigator to the HTTP server running on a Cisco router or a Cisco access server.
Management connection: Create and install connection files that link RME to external applications.
Troubleshooting
:
- Collect server and self-test information.
- View process failures.
- Find error message log files.

Navigation Tree

Access to all RME tasks and operations takes place through the navigation tree. The navigation tree consists of one or more drawers, each of which contains a group of folders. These folders contain groups of associated or similar tasks, tools, reports, or other options. The drawer you select determines the folders you see.

To use the navigation tree, follow these conventions:

A closed drawer is represented by a gray box to the left of the drawer name. To open the drawer, click once on the box or the drawer name.
An open drawer is represented by a green box next to the drawer name and a list of folders below the drawer name.
A closed folder is represented by an icon of a closed folder to the left of the folder name. To open the folder, click once on the folder icon or name.
An open folder is represented by an icon of an open folder and a list of options below the folder name.

Adding Functionality

If you have CCO access, you can go to the Essentials web page to download software enhancements by selecting Home > Cisco Connection Online >
Resource Manager Essentials. Alternatively, open the following URL in your browser:

http://www.cisco.com/kobayashi/sw-center/netmgmt/cw2000

RME also lets you create and install connection files that link RME to external applications. After a connection file is installed, the newly defined folders and items are added to the Tools drawer.

Consult the package readme files and RME release notes for additional information on installing new features and enhancements.

Note Before proceeding to the next chapter, be sure your administrator has set up the RME applications and performed the necessary administrator tasks. If, for example, the proxy URL is not set, you might be unable to complete RME tasks outside your network.

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