UserTracking Overview

The UserTracking software is an application in the CWSI Campus suite of network management applications. The CWSI Campus package allows you to configure, monitor, and manage a switched internetwork. The CWSI Campus package includes the following applications:

AtmDirector
Network Map
VlanDirector
UserTracking
TrafficDirector

To install CWSI Campus, refer to the installation guide included with the product.

The UserTracking application discovers and populates a database of end-user nodes on your network. With the UserTracking application, you also can modify the port-mapping information maintained by the VLAN Management Policy Server (VMPS) within Catalyst switches.

This chapter describes the UserTracking application, including the following topics:

How Does UserTracking Work?

The UserTracking application uses information that it reads from network devices (routers and switches) to display information about end-user nodes in the network, for example, MAC address and IP address. The UserTracking application discovers end-user nodes on both Ethernet and Token Ring networks.

The UserTracking application displays information for the following end-user nodes:

Nodes connected to ports that are statically assigned to a specific VLAN
Nodes connected to ports that are dynamically assigned to a VLAN based on the MAC address of the end-user nodes connected to the ports

In Ethernet networks, the UserTracking application also allows network administrators to create and download configuration information to VMPS servers (MAC-to-VLAN mapping information, and groups and port restriction information).

In Token Ring networks, UserTracking tracks end-user devices based on their trCRF ring numbers and MAC addresses. VMPS is not supported in Token Ring networks.

What Components Comprise UserTracking?

The UserTracking application consists of two main components (Figure 1-1):

UserTracking client---An application that runs as a part of CWSI Campus.
UserTracking service module---An asynchronous network interface (ANI) module that services UserTracking client requests.

The UserTracking application also uses the following network components (Figure 1-1):

ANI---The server process that communicates with the network and provides information to CWSI Campus network management applications. The UserTracking application communicates through ANI with network entities, including switch and router agents and VMPS servers.
CWSI Campus database---A database running on a server that stores ANI network information, including UserTracking service module information.
TFTP---A Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server that stores and transfers configuration information to a VMPS server.
VMPS---A server process running on a Catalyst 5000 switch. VMPS provides dynamic port management services to switches within its VLAN Trunk Protocol (VTP) domain. For more information, refer to "Configuring Dynamic Port VLAN Membership with VMPS" in the Catalyst 5000 Series Software Configuration Guide.

Figure 1-1: User Tracking Key Components

What Features Does UserTracking Provide?

The UserTracking application allows you to access and modify information about end-user nodes in the CWSI Campus and VMPS databases in a network. With UserTracking you can do the following tasks:

Query the CWSI Campus database using up to two search criteria, including username, IP address, and MAC address
Display the results of queries in a table that you can customize
Modify, add, and delete port mappings

When this data is discovered, the UserTracking application can do the following:

Update the VMPS servers
Manage the schedules that specify when UserTracking acquires information about end-user nodes
Add operator entries in the database

What Software Is Required for UserTracking to Work?

The VMPS servers must first be configured from outside of the CWSI Campus environment before you can use the UserTracking features with VMPS. To configure the VMPS servers see "Configuring TFTP Information" in Chapter 3, "Managing VMPS Servers and Dynamic VLANs" for more information. However, for more information about the VMPS server and configuring dynamic VLANs on your network, it is strongly recommended that you refer to the Catalyst 5000 Series Software Configuration Guide.

In order for UserTracking to transfer information to and from the VMPS server there must be an FTP server and a TFTP server installed somewhere in the network. They also must be installed on the same computer and have access to the same files. Refer to Chapter 3, "Managing VMPS Servers and Dynamic VLANs" for more information about how UserTracking uses FTP and TFTP to update the VMPS server and manage dynamic VLANs.

Note A TFTP server is installed by default with Resource Manager Essentials. This can be used as your TFTP server. Refer to your Essentials documentation for more information.

Starting UserTracking

You can start UserTracking from the CWSI Campus main window:

Select Tools>UserTracking, or click the UserTracking icon.

In Windows NT, you can also start UserTracking from the Start menu.

select Start>Programs>CWSI 2.2>Start UserTracking.

The UserTracking main window opens, (Figure 1-2) containing the following components:

Figure 1-2: UserTracking Main Window

Query Selector Items---Use this area to specify criteria for database queries. See "Constructing a Query" in Chapter 2, "Tracking End-User Node Information" for more information.
Screen Layouts---Use this area to select a layout for displaying your query in the screen table and to customize your own layouts. See "Customizing Tables" in Chapter 4, "Working with UserTracking Tables" for more information.
Save button---Click Save to write any changes you make in the table to the CWSI Campus database. Saving to the CWSI Campus database does not automatically update the VMPS server; see "Making Changes to the Table Entries" in Chapter 4, "Working with UserTracking Tables" for more information.
Screen display table---This table displays the results of your queries with information about workstations and other end-user nodes on the network. See Table 2-1 in Chapter 2, "Tracking End-User Node Information" for a description of these entries.
Session information---The number of entries currently in the screen display table is displayed at the bottom left of the window. Your login status is displayed at the bottom right of the window.

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