- Preface
- 1. General Overview
- 2. System Overview
- 3. Using the SCA Reporter
- 4. Defining Reports
- 5. Working with Reports
- 6. The SCA Reporter Command-Line Interface
- A. Installing and Upgrading SCA Reporter Templates
- B. Troubleshooting
- C. The SCA Reporter as a Tool in the SCA BB Console
- D. SCA Reporter Templates
This preface describes who should read the Cisco Service Control Application Reporter User Guide, how it is organized, and its document conventions.
|
Cisco Service Control Release |
Part Number |
Publication Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Release 3.0.5 |
OL-8411-03 |
November, 2006 |
Description of Changes
Editorial changes only
|
Cisco Service Control Release |
Part Number |
Publication Date |
|---|---|---|
|
Release 3.0.3 |
OL-8411-02 |
May, 2006 |
Description of Changes
-
Updated Online Help
-
Added Troubleshooting Section
-
Added Glossary
|
Release 3.0.0 |
OL-8411-01 |
December, 2005 |
This guide is intended for experienced network administrators who are responsible for generating reports of the daily operation using the Cisco Service Control Application Reporter (SCA Reporter).
This guide is organized as follows:
|
Chapter |
Title |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Chapter 1 |
Provides a brief overview of the Cisco Service Control solution and describes the components of the system. |
|
|
Chapter 2 |
Provides an introduction to the Cisco Service Control Application Reporter, explains some basic concepts, and provides instructions on how to install and launch the SCA Reporter. It also provides Basic terminology and a Quick Start section. |
|
|
Chapter 3 |
Describes basic and advanced configuration of the SCA Reporter. It also describes how to navigate in the GUI. |
|
|
Chapter 4 |
Describes the features of the SCA Reporter, including creating a new report, generating a report, modifying an existing report, and deleting a report. |
|
|
Chapter 5 |
Describes the available actions for the SCA Reporter, including viewing and adjusting the chart display. |
|
|
Chapter 6 |
Explains how to use the SCA Reporter Command-Line Interface to generate reports. |
|
|
Appendix A |
Describes how to install and upgrade SCA Reporter templates. |
|
|
Appendix B |
Describes SCA Reporter error messages, and their probable causes and solutions. |
|
|
Appendix C |
Describes the SCA Reporter as a tool in the SCA BB Console. |
|
|
Appendix D |
Describes the report parameters of the SCA Reporter templates, organized by template groups. |
The following publications are available for the Cisco Service Control Application Reporter:
-
Cisco Service Control Application for Broadband User Guide
-
Cisco Service Control Application for Broadband Reference Guide
-
Cisco Service Control Management Suite Collection Manager User Guide
The following publications may also be useful:
-
The SCE platform installation and configuration guides:
-
Cisco SCE 1000 2xGBE Installation and Configuration Guide
-
Cisco SCE 2000 4xGBE Installation and Configuration Guide
-
Cisco SCE 2000 4/8xFE Installation and Configuration Guide
-
-
Cisco Service Control Engine (SCE) CLI Command Reference
This document uses the following conventions:
|
Convention |
Description |
|---|---|
|
boldface font |
Commands and keywords are in boldface. |
|
italic font |
Arguments for which you supply values are in italics. |
|
[ ] |
Elements in square brackets are optional. |
|
{x | y | z} |
Alternative keywords are grouped in braces and separated by vertical bars. |
|
[x | y | z] |
Optional alternative keywords are grouped in brackets and separated by vertical bars. |
|
string |
A nonquoted set of characters. Do not use quotation marks around the string, or the string will include the quotation marks. |
|
screen font |
Terminal sessions and information that the system displays are in screen font. |
|
|
Information you must enter is in |
|
|
Arguments for which you supply values are in |
|
< > |
Nonprinting characters, such as passwords, are in angle brackets. |
|
[ ] |
Default responses to system prompts are in square brackets. |
|
!, # |
An exclamation point (!) or a pound sign (#) at the beginning of a line of code indicates a comment line. |
Note
Means reader take note. Notes contain helpful suggestions or references to materials not covered in this manual.
Caution
Means reader be careful. In this situation, you might do something that could result in loss of data.
The following sections provide sources for obtaining documentation from Cisco Systems.
You can access the most current Cisco documentation on the World Wide Web at the following sites:
Cisco documentation and additional literature are available in a CD-ROM package that ships with your product. The Documentation CD-ROM is updated monthly and may be more current than printed documentation. The CD-ROM package is available as a single unit or as an annual subscription.
Cisco documentation is available in the following ways:
-
Registered Cisco Direct Customers can order Cisco Product documentation from the networking Products MarketPlace:
-
Registered Cisco.com users can order the Documentation CD-ROM through the online Subscription Store:
-
Nonregistered Cisco.com users can order documentation through a local account representative by calling Cisco corporate headquarters (California, USA) at 408 526-7208 or, in North America, by calling 800 553-NETS(6387).
If you are reading Cisco product documentation on the World Wide Web, you can submit technical comments electronically. Click Feedback in the toolbar and select Documentation. After you complete the form, click Submit to send it to Cisco.
You can e-mail your comments to bug-doc@cisco.com.
To submit your comments by mail, use the response card behind the front cover of your document, or write to the following address:
Attn Document Resource Connection Cisco Systems, Inc. 170 West Tasman Drive San Jose, CA 95134-9883
We appreciate your comments.
Cisco provides Cisco.com as a starting point for all technical assistance. Customers and partners can obtain documentation, troubleshooting tips, and sample configurations from online tools. For Cisco.com registered users, additional troubleshooting tools are available from the TAC website.
Cisco.com is the foundation of a suite of interactive, networked services that provides immediate, open access to Cisco information and resources at any time, from anywhere in the world. This highly integrated Internet application is a powerful, easy-to-use tool for doing business with Cisco.
Cisco.com provides a broad range of features and services to help customers and partners streamline business processes and improve productivity. Through Cisco.com, you can find information about Cisco and our networking solutions, services, and programs. In addition, you can resolve technical issues with online technical support, download and test software packages, and order Cisco learning materials and merchandise. Valuable online skill assessment, training, and certification programs are also available.
Customers and partners can self-register on Cisco.com to obtain additional personalized information and services. Registered users can order products, check on the status of an order, access technical support, and view benefits specific to their relationships with Cisco.
To access Cisco.com, go to http://www.cisco.com.
The Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) website is available to all customers who need technical assistance with a Cisco product or technology that is under warranty or covered by a maintenance contract.
If you have a priority level 3 (P3) or priority level 4 (P4) problem, contact TAC by going to the TAC website http://www.cisco.com/tac.
P3 and P4 level problems are defined as follows:
-
P3—Your network is degraded. Network functionality is noticeably impaired, but most business operations continue.
-
P4—You need information or assistance on Cisco product capabilities, product installation, or basic product configuration.
In each of the above cases, use the Cisco TAC website to quickly find answers to your questions.
To register for Cisco.com, go to http://tools.cisco.com/RPF/register/register.do.
If you cannot resolve your technical issue by using the TAC online resources, Cisco.com registered users can open a case online by using the TAC Case Open tool at http://www.cisco.com/tac/caseopen.
If you have a priority level 1 (P1) or priority level 2 (P2) problem, contact TAC by telephone and immediately open a case. To obtain a directory of toll-free numbers for your country, go to http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/687/Directory/DirTAC.shtml.
P1 and P2 level problems are defined as follows:
-
P1—Your production network is down, causing a critical impact to business operations if service is not restored quickly. No workaround is available.
-
P2—Your production network is severely degraded, affecting significant aspects of your business operations. No workaround is available.
This chapter provides a general overview of the Cisco Service Control solution. It introduces the Cisco Service Control concept and the Service Control capabilities. It also briefly describes the hardware capabilities of the Service Control Engine (SCE) platform and the Cisco specific applications that together compose the total Cisco Service Control solution.
The Cisco Service Control solution is delivered through a combination of purpose-built hardware and specific software solutions that address various service control challenges faced by service providers. The SCE platform is designed to support classification, analysis, and control of Internet/IP traffic.
Service Control enables service providers to create profitable new revenue streams while capitalizing on their existing infrastructure. With the power of Service Control, service providers have the ability to analyze, charge for, and control IP network traffic at multigigabit wire line speeds. The Cisco Service Control solution also gives service providers the tools they need to identify and target high-margin content-based services and to enable their delivery.
As the downturn in the telecommunications industry has shown, IP service providers’ business models need to be reworked to make them profitable. Having spent billions of dollars to build ever larger data links, providers have incurred massive debts and faced rising costs. At the same time, access and bandwidth have become commodities where prices continually fall and profits disappear. Service providers have realized that they must offer value-added services to derive more revenue from the traffic and services running on their networks. However, capturing real profits from IP services requires more than simply running those services over data links; it requires detailed monitoring and precise, real-time control and awareness of services as they are delivered. Cisco provides Service Control solutions that allow the service provider to bridge this gap.
Service providers of any access technology (DSL, cable, mobile, and so on) targeting residential and business consumers must find new ways to get maximum leverage from their existing infrastructure, while differentiating their offerings with enhanced IP services.
The Cisco Service Control Application for Broadband adds a new layer of service intelligence and control to existing networks that can:
-
Report and analyze network traffic at subscriber and aggregate level for capacity planning
-
Provide customer-intuitive tiered application services and guarantee application SLAs
-
Implement different service levels for different types of customers, content, or applications
-
Identify network abusers who are violating the Acceptable Use Policy
-
Identify and manage peer-to-peer, NNTP (news) traffic, and spam abusers
-
Enforce the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
-
Integrate Service Control solutions easily with existing network elements and BSS/OSS systems
The core of the Cisco Service Control solution is the purpose-built network hardware device: the Service Control Engine (SCE). The core capabilities of the SCE platform, which support a wide range of applications for delivering Service Control solutions, include:
-
Subscriber and application awareness—Application-level drilling into IP traffic for real-time understanding and controlling of usage and content at the granularity of a specific subscriber.
-
Subscriber awareness—The ability to map between IP flows and a specific subscriber in order to maintain the state of each subscriber transmitting traffic through the SCE platform and to enforce the appropriate policy on this subscriber’s traffic.
Subscriber awareness is achieved either through dedicated integrations with subscriber management repositories, such as a DHCP or a Radius server, or via sniffing of Radius or DHCP traffic.
-
Application awareness—The ability to understand and analyze traffic up to the application protocol layer (Layer 7).
For application protocols implemented using bundled flows (such as FTP, which is implemented using Control and Data flows), the SCE platform understands the bundling connection between the flows and treats them accordingly.
-
-
Application-layer, stateful, real-time traffic control—The ability to perform advanced control functions, including granular BW metering and shaping, quota management, and redirection, using application-layer stateful real-time traffic transaction processing. This requires highly adaptive protocol and application-level intelligence.
-
Programmability—The ability to quickly add new protocols and easily adapt to new services and applications in the ever-changing service provider environment. Programmability is achieved using the Cisco Service Modeling Language (SML).
Programmability allows new services to be deployed quickly and provides an easy upgrade path for network, application, or service growth.
-
Robust and flexible back-office integration—The ability to integrate with existing third-party systems at the Service Provider, including provisioning systems, subscriber repositories, billing systems, and OSS systems. The SCE provides a set of open and well-documented APIs that allows a quick and robust integration process.
-
Scalable high-performance service engines—The ability to perform all these operations at wire speed.
The SCE family of programmable network devices is capable of performing application-layer stateful-flow inspection of IP traffic, and controlling that traffic based on configurable rules. The SCE platform is a purpose-built network device that uses ASIC components and RISC processors to go beyond packet counting and delve deeper into the contents of network traffic. Providing programmable, stateful inspection of bidirectional traffic flows and mapping these flows with user ownership, the SCE platforms provide real-time classification of network usage. This information provides the basis of the SCE platform advanced traffic-control and bandwidth-shaping functionality. Where most bandwidth shaper functionality ends, the SCE platform provides more control and shaping options, including:
-
Layer 7 stateful wire-speed packet inspection and classification
-
Robust support for over 600 protocols and applications, including:
-
General—HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, TELNET, NNTP, SMTP, POP3, IMAP, WAP, and others
-
P2P file sharing—FastTrack-KazaA, Gnutella, BitTorrent, Winny, Hotline, eDonkey, DirectConnect, Piolet, and others
-
P2P VoIP—Skype, Skinny, DingoTel, and others
-
Streaming and Multimedia—RTSP, SIP, HTTP streaming, RTP/RTCP, and others
-
-
Programmable system core for flexible reporting and bandwidth control
-
Transparent network and BSS/OSS integration into existing networks
-
Subscriber awareness that relates traffic and usage to specific customers
The following diagram illustrates a common deployment of an SCE platform in a network.
The Cisco Service Control solution includes a complete management infrastructure that provides the following management components to manage all aspects of the solution:
-
Network management
-
Subscriber management
-
Service Control management
These management interfaces are designed to comply with common management standards and to integrate easily with existing OSS infrastructure.
Cisco provides complete network FCAPS (Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, Security) Management.
Two interfaces are provided for network management:
-
Command-line interface (CLI)—Accessible through the Console port or through a Telnet connection, the CLI is used for configuration and security functions.
-
SNMP—Provides fault management (via SNMP traps) and performance monitoring functionality.
Where the Cisco Service Control Application for Broadband (SCA BB) enforces different policies on different subscribers and tracks usage on an individual subscriber basis, the Cisco Service Control Management Suite (SCMS) Subscriber Manager (SM) may be used as middleware software for bridging between the OSS and the SCE platforms. Subscriber information is stored in the SM database and can be distributed between multiple platforms according to actual subscriber placement.
The SM provides subscriber awareness by mapping network IDs to subscriber IDs. It can obtain subscriber information using dedicated integration modules that integrate with AAA devices, such as Radius or DHCP servers.
Subscriber information may be obtained in one of two ways:
-
Push Mode—The SM pushes subscriber information to the SCE platform automatically upon logon of a subscriber.
-
Pull Mode—The SM sends subscriber information to the SCE platform in response to a query from the SCE platform.
Service configuration management is the ability to configure the general service definitions of a service control application. A service configuration file containing settings for traffic classification, accounting and reporting, and control is created and applied to an SCE platform. SCA BB provides tools to automate the distribution of these configuration files to SCE platforms. This simple, standards-based approach makes it easy to manage multiple devices in a large network.
Service Control provides an easy-to-use GUI to edit and create these files and a complete set of APIs to automate their creation.
The Cisco Service Control solution generates usage data and statistics from the SCE platform and forwards them as Raw Data Records (RDRs), using a simple TCP-based protocol (RDR-Protocol). The Cisco Service Control Management Suite (SCMS) Collection Manager (CM) software implements the collection system, listening in on RDRs from one or more SCE platforms and processing them on the local machine. The data is then stored for analysis and reporting functions, and for the collection and presentation of data to additional OSS systems such as billing.
The SCA Reporter is the Cisco Service Control Application tool that allows you to produce reports based on the traffic analysis performed by the Service Control Engine (SCE) platform. The information is sent from the SCE platform and is stored in a database. The SCA Reporter can query and retrieve information from the database and present the results in a comprehensive range of reports, including global monitoring, subscriber monitoring, P2P, and traffic discovery statistics reports.
The SCA Reporter is a valuable tool for understanding the habits and resource consumption of the applications and subscribers that use your network. It can also be used to judge the efficacy of various rules and the possible impact of their implementation on the network.
The SCA Reporter is available only in a deployment with a database. You can generate reports using any of the following methods:
-
Standalone application
-
Command-line interface (CLI)—See The SCA Reporter Command-Line Interface
-
Tool of the SCA BB Console—See The SCA Reporter as a Tool in the SCA BB Console
The available reports can be presented in a variety of charts (for example, stacked-bar or area) or in tabular form. You can adjust the chart display for various presentation options (for example, 3D). You can export both tabular and chart reports to files. You can also modify the reports by changing the values assigned to the parameters (for example, time boundaries). You can duplicate, export, and save reports.
After generating an initial report, you can generate reports using the SCA Reporter Command-Line Interface (CLI) without using the GUI.
SCA Reporter consists of visual components (known as views). The following are the views and the tasks that are completed in each view:
-
Templates View—Used to select a template, create a new report instance, and generate a report.
-
Properties View—Used to view parameters and values of the object in focus, which can be template groups, templates, report instances, and chart display parameters. You can also configure report instance and chart display parameters.
-
Report View—Used to view the appearance of the report when chart tab is selected and to view the data when the table tab is selected. When a report is selected, you can navigate to the report instance that generated it.
-
Progress View—Used to monitor reports executed or exported. You can view progress details in this view, and also choose to generate reports in the background so that you can continue working on other reports.
Generating a report can be divided into three broad steps:
-
Create a report instance and execute the report from the Templates View.
-
Configure the parameters of the report in the Properties View.
-
Adjust the chart display and view reports in tabular or graphic form, using the Report View.
You can generate multiple reports simultaneously and later export them. While the reports are executing, you can monitor them and put them in the background by using the Progress View.
You can install the SCA Reporter GUI front end on any computer running Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT, or Windows XP.
The computer should have a minimum of 512 MB of memory; 1024 MB of memory is recommended.
To install the SCA Reporter:
-
Navigate to the SCA Reporter installation file, SCAS Reporter 3.0.5 Setup.exe, and double-click it.
The Welcome screen of the SCAS Reporter 3.0.5 Setup Wizard appears.
-
Click Next.
The Install Location screen of the Setup Wizard opens.
-
(Optional) Click Browse to choose a different destination folder.
-
Click Next.
The Start Menu Folder screen of the Setup Wizard opens.
-
(Optional) Enter a different Start Menu folder in the Start Menu Folder field.
-
Click Install.
The Installing screen of the Setup Wizard opens.
-
Wait until installation is complete.
The Next button is enabled.
-
Click Next.
The Installation Complete screen of the Setup Wizard opens.
-
Click Finish.
The SCAS Reporter 3.0.5 Setup Wizard closes
The SCA Reporter is now installed on the machine.
You can access the SCA Reporter from the Start menu.
This section defines terms and concepts that are necessary for understanding the SCA Reporter configuration and operation.
The part of the SCA Reporter configuration that is associated with a particular Cisco application. It consists of template groups and repository preferences.
For example, “SCA BB 3.0”.
A specification of a particular report, consisting of parameters and SQL code (which is not visible to the user).
For example, “Global Bandwidth per Service”.
An instance of a template in which some or all parameters have set values.
An item of a template whose value determines some aspect of the report instance.
If a report has undefined mandatory parameters, you cannot execute it. Some parameters have a default value, which is used if the user has not supplied a different value.
When you first use the SCA Reporter, you must set up and generate your first report, and then you can work with the report.
To generate your first report:
-
Add and configure a database for the SCA Reporter (see Configuring a Database Connection).
-
Set the IP address of the SCE (see Setting the IP Address of the SCE).
-
Confirm that there is an active database and that the system is configured correctly (see Checking System Conditions).
-
Open the Templates View and select a template. From the drop-down menu in the tab, select New (see Creating a New Report Instance).
-
Fill in values for mandatory and other report parameters (see Configuring Parameters of a Report Instance).
-
Click
(Execute) to generate the report. -
View your Report.
The Chart display parameters are in the Properties View.
To work with your first report:
-
In the Report View, from the drop-down menu in the tab, select Go To Report.
The Report parameters are in the Properties View.
-
Click the Select Services to View parameter, and check E-Mail Services, Generic IP Services, and News Services.
-
Click
(Execute) to regenerate the report.
-
Click the Chart Rendering parameter, and change its value from STACKED_BAR to STAIR (see Configuring Parameters of a Chart Display).
-
Click the Settings parameter, change the Ambient Light sliding scale, and click OK.
-
To export the report to a file, from the main menu, choose File > Export (see Exporting Single or Multiple Reports).
-
To duplicate the report, from the drop-down menu in the tab, select Duplicate.
-
Exit the SCA Reporter (see Exiting the SCA Reporter).
This chapter explains how to use the GUI, which includes navigating and configuring.
You must create a basic configuration for the SCA Reporter, which includes selecting a database type, connecting to a database, activating the database, and setting the IP of the SCE platform for policy data.
In bundled mode, the Cisco Service Control Management Suite (SCMS) Collection Manager (CM) is used with the Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise (Sybase ASE). The Sybase data management platform supports transaction-intensive enterprise applications. It enables you to store and retrieve information online and can warehouse information as needed. (For more information, see the Cisco Service Control Management Suite Collection Manager User Guide.) The CM can also be configured to work with Oracle and MySQL databases.
After a database is activated, you must select one IP address of an SCE device in the database. The choice is made for each repository, represented by a tab in the Preferences dialog box. All options presented in the Templates View of the SCA Reporter (available packages, services, etc.) are determined by the service configuration currently applied to the configured SCE platform. Each report is generated according to the SCE device to which it is configured. In the sample configuration, there is one SCE device connected to the database and one repository preference.
To activate a database connection:
-
From the main menu, choose Window >Preferences.
The Preferences dialog box appears.
-
From the Preferences tree, select Reporter > Databases.
-
In the Databases pane, click Add.
The Add Database wizard appears, open to the Database connection definition mode screen.
-
Select one of the Choose definition mode radio buttons:
-
Simple
-
Advanced
-
-
Click Next.
The Define new database connection screen of the Add Database wizard opens. The actual screen depends on the definition mode you selected in step 4:
-
The simple screen:
-
The advanced screen:
-
-
Fill in all the fields.
-
Check the activate this database check box.
-
Click Finish.
The Add Database wizard closes.
The definition of the database is added to the list in the Preferences dialog box.
-
Click Apply.
The system activates the database.
Note
Clicking Apply is necessary to set the IP of SCE for policy data parameter (see Setting the IP Address of the SCE).
To set the IP address of an SCE platform:
-
From the main menu, choose Window > Preferences.
The Preferences dialog box appears.
-
In the Preferences tree, select Reporter >Templates
-
In the Templates pane, from the IP of SCE for policy data drop-down list, select the IP of SCE for the SCA BB templates repository.
-
Click Apply.
The IP address of the SCE platform is set for policy data.
Note
There may be more than one SCE platform, but you choose only one, when they all have the same policy data.
Note
If more than one repository (set of templates) is available in the Reporter, two tabs are displayed in the Preferences dialog box. In each, you choose one SCE platform. In this case, there will be two sets of template groups in the Templates View.
You can also create an advanced configuration that allows you to configure some functions of the SCA Reporter.
For example, you can set the following:
-
Whether to log debug messages
-
The number of seconds to wait for a database connection
To send debug messages to log:
-
From the main menu, choose Window > Preferences.
-
In the Preferences tree, select Reporter > Configuration.
-
In the Configuration pane, check the Send debug messages to log check box.
-
Click Apply.
The system applies the preferences to the session.
Note
Caution: Logging debug messages can cause the log file to grow rapidly.
To configure seconds to wait for a database connection:
-
From the main menu, choose Window > Preferences.
-
In the Preferences tree, select Reporter > Configuration.
-
In the Configuration pane, enter the number of seconds to wait for a database connection. This parameter dictates how long the SCA Reporter tries to connect to a database if the database does not respond immediately.
-
Click Apply.
The system applies the preferences to the session.
You can navigate to template groups, templates, and report instances in the Templates View. When you select an item, it is in focus and the Properties View shows its properties.
The Report View opens when a report is generated. You can navigate to the report instance that generated the report by choosing the drop-down menu item Go to report.
The Templates View tab is labeled Templates; the Properties View tab is labeled Properties; the Report View contains reports with the name of each open report on a separate tab. For example, the upper tab of a report may be labeled Global Bandwidth per Service. In the following figure, the report chart is displayed (the Chart tab is selected—indicated by an orange band on top of the tab’s label).
To view the raw data, select the tab labeled Table:
The following table lists and describes the menus and options of the SCA Reporter menu bar.
Table 3.1. SCA Reporter Menu
|
Menu |
Option |
Description |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
|
File |
New Window |
|
|
|
|
Export |
Saves the report to a file |
Opens the Export wizard. See Exporting Single or Multiple Reports. |
|
|
Exit |
Closes the SCA Reporter |
|
|
Window |
Show View |
|
|
|
|
Preferences |
Install/Update Templates |
|
|
|
|
Databases |
Allows you to add, remove, or activate databases. See Configuring a Database Connection. |
|
|
|
Templates |
Allows you to create settings for installed templates. See Setting the IP Address of the SCE. |
|
|
|
Configuration |
Allows you to set the database connection timeout and select whether to log debug messages. See Configuring Seconds to Wait for Database Connection and Sending Debug Messages to Log. |
|
Help |
Welcome |
Welcome View |
Links to databases and templates preferences. |
|
|
|
Create a basic configuration |
|
|
|
Help Contents |
Opens a separate Help window to search for information |
|
|
|
Search Help |
Opens Help View in the SCA Reporter window to search for information |
|
|
|
Manage Configuration |
Opens the Product Configuration dialog box |
Allows you to scan for updates, view installed history, show activities, and add an extension location for browser. |
|
|
Find and Install |
Opens the Install/Update wizard for new/current features |
|
|
|
Check Conditions |
|
|
|
|
About SCA Reporter |
Current Version of SCA Reporter, license, plug-in details, confirmation details, and confirmation details with system summary and error log |
The GUI has a drop-down menu for each view. When the menu is selected, all the available actions for that view appear. You can select menu items from the menu of each view, but there are icons on the tab of the view for frequently used actions.
The GUI also has a popup menu for each view. Right-click the tab of a view, and select an option to personalize the layout of the SCA Reporter window. Some of the available actions are:
-
Detached—Detach a view and move it over the SCA Reporter window
-
Move—Move a view or a tab group
-
Size—Change the size of a pane
The following figure shows the Templates View after it is detached from the SCA Reporter.
The Help menu accesses a number of options:
-
Welcome (see Creating a Basic Configuration for the SCA Reporter)
-
Help Contents (see Accessing Online Help)
-
Search (see Accessing Online Help)
-
Manage Configuration, Provides a description of the current configuration
-
Find and Install (see Installing and Upgrading SCA Reporter Templates)
-
Check Conditions (see Checking System Conditions)
-
About SCAS Reporter Details (see Installing the Reporter Templates and Viewing the Error Log)
The Properties View always shows the properties of the item that is selected in the view in focus. You can control how the properties are presented by clicking on one of the following buttons:
-
(Show Categories)—To view the parameters with or without their categories -
(Show Advanced Properties)—To view all parameters or only mandatory ones -
(Restore Default Value)—To reset a selected parameter to its default value:-
When a parameter is not mandatory, it is unset.
-
When a parameter is mandatory and has a default value, it is reset to the default value.
-
When a parameter is mandatory and does not have a default value, the parameter is not changed.
-
To change the value of a parameter, select the parameter and reconfigure it (see Configuring Parameters of a Report Instance and Configuring Parameters of a Chart Display). Then re-execute the report so that the new report will appear with the new configuration.
In the following example, notice the actions and how they affect displayed parameters in the Properties View.
To shift the displayed parameters in the Properties View:
-
Generate a report from the Global Bandwidth per Service template.
The parameters in the Properties View are chart display parameters (because a chart is displayed in the Report View).
Note
The default value of the Units of Results parameter is Mbps. The chart below is shown with kbps. To change the value, select the report instance so that the report parameters are shown in the Properties View, set Units of Results to kbps and, from the drop-down menu in the tab, select Execute.
-
In the Report View, from the drop-down menu in the tab, select Go to report.
In the Properties View, the display shifts from chart display parameters to report instance parameters. The report instance used to generate the report is selected, and the view in focus shifts from the Report View to the Templates View. The mandatory parameters are displayed.
-
In the Properties View, from the drop-down menu in the tab, select Show Advanced Properties.
All the parameters are displayed.
-
Click
(Show Categories) to toggle viewing parameters with or without displaying categories.Category names are removed from the Properties View.
-
Click Services to View, and uncheck Generic TCP Service.
-
Click
(Check) to select the new choices.The Services to View parameter is updated.
-
Click
(Execute) in the Properties View.Generic TCP Service is removed from the legend and from the graph.
When working with reports, you may want to assign values to report instance parameters. You would use a similar method to assign values to chart display parameters. How the field is applied to the value of the parameter depends on the type of parameter. In report parameters, the new value is applied the next time the report is generated. In chart display parameters, the value is applied as soon as the field is applied.
Types of parameters include:
-
No Value—When no value is assigned, (not set) is displayed.
-
Free Text—Any text string can be entered.
-
Boolean—The value toggles between True and False.
-
Date—Click the
icon to open a Choose Date and Time dialog box. -
Single Choice—Click the
icon to open a drop-down menu. -
Multiple Choice—Click the
icon to open a dialog box where more than one value can be checked.The icons of the Multiple Choice dialog box are described in the following table.
Table 3.2. Parameter Option Icons
|
Icon |
Option |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Select All |
Select all values. |
|
|
Invert Selection |
Uncheck the checked boxes and check the unchecked. |
|
|
Select None |
Uncheck all boxes. |
|
|
Cancel |
Exit the Parameter Option dialog box without saving. |
|
|
OK |
Save and exit the Parameter Option dialog box. |
Note
Some parameters are mutually exclusive. From the last number of hours and Starting after date and time cannot both be implemented, even if both are selected.
Thus, if you want to define the time frame to begin at a specified time, select Starting after date. Even if From the last number of hours is also chosen, the report time frame will be according to the date and time values.
The following is an example of assigning values to report instance parameters.
To assign values to report instance parameters:
-
In the Templates View, choose (or create) a report instance.
The report instance is selected in the Templates View, and the report parameters are displayed in the Properties View.
Note
If the parameter that you are modifying is not displayed, click (Show Advanced Properties). -
Click in the Traffic Direction parameter row, and click the
icon that appears.A drop-down menu of parameter values opens.
-
Select a value.
-
Click in the Services to View parameter row, and click the
icon that appears.A checklist of parameter values appears.
-
Check the services you want to view.
-
Click
(OK). -
Click in the Ending Before Date parameter row, and click the
icon that appears.A choose date and time dialog box appears.
-
Select a date and time, and click OK.
-
Click
(Execute).The report is generated with the configured values.
You can configure chart display parameters, which are those in the Look category of theProperties View. When you commit the changes, the chart display is updated. There are also adjustments that are made directly in the Report View (see Adjusting Chart Display).
The following is a table displays the Chart Display parameters and their descriptions:
Table 3.3. Chart Display Parameters
|
Parameter |
Type |
Default |
Values |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3D |
Boolean |
False |
True, False |
If True, the chart is three-dimensional. |
|
Chart Rendering |
Single choice |
Stacked Area |
See list following table |
The chart can be displayed in many graphical formats. |
|
Legend Visibility |
Boolean |
True |
True, False |
If True, the legend is displayed in the chart. |
|
Oblique |
Boolean |
True |
True, False |
Only displayed when 3D is True. If True, there is always 90 degrees between the x and y axes when the graph is rotated. |
|
Settings |
Sliding scale |
See following table |
See following table |
Only displayed when 3D is True. Sliding scales of eight characteristics (see following table). |
Possible values for the Chart Rendering parameter:
|
|
|
Table 3.4. Chart properties set by the Settings parameter:
|
Property |
Values |
Default |
|---|---|---|
|
Rotation |
-90 ... 90 |
35 |
|
Elevation |
-90 ... 90 |
45 |
|
Depth |
0 ... 100 |
20 |
|
Depth Gap |
0 ... 100 |
0 |
|
Zoom |
0 ... 200 |
1.0 |
|
Ambient Light |
0 ... 100 |
0.1 |
|
Light Latitude |
-90 ... 90 |
0.0 |
|
Light Longitude |
-90 ... 90 |
0.0 |
The following is an example of assigning values to chart display parameters.
To assign values to chart display parameters:
-
In the Templates View, choose (or create) a report instance.
The report instance is selected in the Templates View, and the report instance parameters are displayed in the Properties View.
-
Click
(Execute).The report is selected in the Report View and the chart display parameters are displayed in the Properties View.
-
Select the Chart Rendering row. From the drop-down list, choose the type of chart you want to display.
The report is updated.
-
To display the chart in three dimensions, click the 3D parameter.
The value changes from False to True and the Oblique and Settings parameters appear.
-
Select the Settings parameter and set the three-dimensional properties using the sliding scales.
-
Click OK.
The new values are assigned to the Settings parameter. Changes can be viewed in theReport View.
The following is an example of configuring parameters.
To configure average data by hour:
-
Select a report instance.
Mandatory parameters are visible in the Properties View. In this example, the mandatory parameters are Average Data by Hour, SCE IP to View and Traffic Direction. When any of the parameters are not set, the report cannot be generated.
-
Set the Configure Average Data by Hour parameter to False.
-
From the drop-down menu in the tab, select Execute.
You can access relevant parts of this user guide from the SCA Reporter.
To access online help:
-
From the Help menu, choose Help Contents.
Online help opens in a separate window.
You can also search online help from the current tool.
To search online help:
-
From the Help menu, choose Search.
A new area containing a Help tab is added next to the current tool.
-
Enter a word, phrase, or more complex search expression in the Search expression field.
The Go button is enabled.
Note
Click >> (Expand) for an explanation of how to construct search expressions. -
Click Go.
Help topics containing your search expression are listed under Local Help.
-
Click a help topic to view its contents.
Note
You can bookmark topics for later reference. -
By clicking the appropriate link at the bottom of the Help tab, you can switch to:
-
All topics
-
Related topics
-
Bookmarks
-
The SCA Reporter supplies templates for a wide variety of reports, such as:
-
Global or package hourly or daily usage volume per service
-
Top server/clients/protocols/web hosts/e-mail senders/newsgroups
-
Subscriber hourly or daily usage volume per service
-
Top P2P consumers/uploaders/downloaders/protocols
-
Global, package, or subscriber bandwidth per service
The Properties View presents all the parameters of the report, both mandatory and non-mandatory, so that you can select the desired values. For example, if you want to see global bandwidth per service, create a new report from the Templates View of the SCA Reporter. TheProperties View allows you to specify the desired service(s), traffic direction, and time frame (either start/end time or previous number of hours). For a complete description of all templates see SCA Reporter Templates.
The report is defined in the Templates View. When the report is generated, it is displayed in theReport View. The Properties View displays the chart display parameters. To view the report instance parameters, go to report instance in the Templates View. This shifts the parameters that appear in the Properties View. You can duplicate the existing report instance. After that, modify the report instance by adjusting the chart display and report instance parameters. Renaming the original or duplicated report instance helps manage the reports. You can delete the report instance when you no longer require it (see Properties View).
When you create a report, you select the desired report template and then specify values for the various report parameters.
The procedure for defining a report depends on the report selected and the number of changes made to the basic report description. Also, the exact steps in selecting specific values for parameters may vary. Therefore, the following example is intended only as a general guide to the process of creating a new report instance.
The following example illustrates defining the Global Hourly Aggregated Minutes per Service report.
To create a new report:
-
Select a template from the Templates View (for example, Global Monitoring > Global Hourly Aggregated Minutes per Service). Right-click the template, and, from the popup menu that appears, choose New.
A new report instance is displayed and the report parameters appear in the Properties View.
-
Click
(Execute).The report is generated with default values. TheReport View and the Properties View appear. When mandatory parameters are set, the Chart Display parameters (Look category) appear in the Properties View. An error may appear when the mandatory parameters are not all defined.
Duplicating an existing report instance is a useful way to create a new report that is similar to an existing report. It is faster to duplicate a report and then make changes than to define the report from scratch.
You can locate and then modify an existing report instance.
To modify an existing report instance:
-
Do one of the following:
-
Select an existing report from the Report View and, from the drop-down menu in the tab, select Go to report.
-
Select a report instance from the Templates View.
The existing report instance is selected in the Templates View and the report instance parameters are displayed in the Properties View.
-
-
If only mandatory parameters are displayed in the Properties View, click
(Show Advanced Properties).All parameters are displayed in the Properties View.
-
Click
(Show Categories) when Categories are displayed in the Properties View.The Categories are not displayed in the Properties View.
-
Edit the parameters by clicking on the row of the parameter, making changes, and then committing the changes.
Change the Services to view—Uncheck Generic UDP Service and P2P Service.
The changes are saved for the next time the report is executed.
-
Click
(Execute).The report is regenerated without Generic UDP Service and P2P Service. The Report View opens. The Chart Display Parameters are displayed in the Properties View.
You can rename an existing report instance. This is useful when the same report is generated on a regular basis. The date or other identifying information can be included in the name of the report.
To rename a report instance:
-
In the Templates View, choose a report instance.
-
Right-click the report instance and, from the popup menu that appears, chooseRename.
The report instance is highlighted and you can edit its name.
-
Type in a new name and press Enter.
The report instance is listed with the new name.
You can delete report instances.
You use the Templates View of the SCA Reporter to define and generate a report, and the generated report is displayed in the Report View. You can display the report in chart or tabular form. You can adjust a chart display, save it, and export it to a file.
The views found on the SCA Reporter display menu items. Some commonly used actions have icons for easy navigation.
The actions and their icons are described in the following table.
Table 5.1. Actions
|
Action |
Icon |
Description |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Home |
|
Opens the Welcome View. |
|
|
Menu |
|
Displays all the available actions for the view. |
Common to all views. Has different actions depending on the view. |
|
Execute |
|
Generates the selected report. |
In Properties View and Templates View. |
|
New or Report (From Legend) |
|
Creates a new report instance. |
In Templates View—When you select a report template, the icon is new. In Report View—When you right-click a legend item, the Subset of Template Groups and Templates View appear. Choose a template, and clickOK. The report instance is created (modified). |
|
Refresh |
|
Refreshes the Templates View so that only the report groups are dis |
