Novell Documentation: Novell Internet Access Server 4.1

The Role of ConnectView

ConnectView 2.x benefits include

Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 remote access and NetWare Connect 2.0 server management with a server list defined from the Server Advertising Protocol (SAP)

Real-time port and connection management to enable you to quickly view and monitor the status of each server's ports and connections

Graphical display of port status to enable you to quickly determine port utilization and verify important configuration data and modem status

NetWare Asynchronous Services Interface (NASITM) Connection Service (NCS) session management to enable you to dynamically monitor and manage NCS sessions

Trend analysis graphs to enable you to evaluate resource utilization, perform capacity planning, proactively anticipate performance problems, and efficiently distribute server usage

Accounting charges and reporting to enable you to create an accounting system, apply charges to your remote access users, and display and/or export accounting data and reports for further analysis

Service management to enable you to dynamically load and unload remote access services

Port threshold setting to enable you to receive proactive notification when port usage reaches a specified level on each managed server

Generated alerts and audit trail reports with summary and daily information to enable you to print and store histories of network events and records of remote access service access and usage

ConnectView uses the remote Btrieve client to access records stored in the server-based audit trail log file for the Trend Analysis, Accounting, Audit Trail, and Alerts windows. To display this data, users must have READ/SCAN rights to the server and SYS:\SYSTEM\CSLIB directories and files.

For users already logged in to a Novell Directory Services^TM (NDS^TM ) tree, ConnectView attempts background authentication the first time an Accounting, Trend Analysis, Audit Trail, or Alerts window is opened. If the authentication is successful, ConnectView displays the data. If the authentication is unsuccessful, ConnectView displays a Bindery login box. The user must enter a valid username and password to display the data. Subsequent access to servers in the same NDS tree will occur without a login prompt.

For users not logged into an NDS tree, ConnectView displays a Bindery login box. The user must enter a valid username and password before the data will be displayed.

ConnectView 2.1 Features

ConnectView 2.1 includes the following enhancements:

Management of Novell Internet Access Server 4.1 remote access software and existing NetWare Connect 2.0 servers

Port media type (Asynchronous, X.25, ISDN) displayed in the View All and View windows

Trend analysis for usage by media

Report preferences to enable you to customize accounting, alert, and audit trail report data

Enhanced accounting features

Additonal fields for connected time and baud rate in the Accounting Log window.

An accounting log display option to enable you to limit data in the Accounting Log window by date, account number, and username.

Additional fields for the total dial-in connections and charges, total dial-out connections and charges, baud rate, and dial type in the Accounting Report window.

An additional overhead rate option to enable you to apply the overhead charge to all users, including users who did not connect to the remote access software. Previously, the overhead charge was limited to users with valid remote access connections.

ISDN short hold support.

Management Features

ConnectView uses a combination of the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and the remote Btrieve* client to manage your remote access servers.

To implement the SNMP connectionless management protocol, each server running the remote access software must run the Remote Access Management Agent (RAMA) and the NetWare^® SNMP Agent (SNMP.NLM). The Remote Access Management Agent registers the IDs of the NetWare Connect^TM objects it manages with the SNMP Agent. When a request is received for data, the SNMP agent forwards the request to the RAMA service, which processes the request and returns the information to the SNMP Agent. The SNMP Agent then returns the data to ConnectView.The server's SNMP community strings are compared to the workstation's community string settings for that server. If they match, the request is performed. Otherwise, the request is denied. By default, ConnectView sets the workstation community strings to public (monitor=public control=public).

IMPORTANT: Ensure that the most up-to-date versions of NCMA.NLM and SNMP.NLM are loaded on the managed servers. ConnectView does not install the Novell TCP/IP stack and does not support SNMP over IP. Also, ensure that BSPXCOM.NLM is loaded on the managed servers and BREQUEST.EXE is running on the ConnectView workstation

ConnectView copies the necessary SNMP files to your workstation. This includes the WLIBSOCK.DLL file. If a different version of this file exists on your workstation, ConnectView displays a warning message.

However, ConnectView does not install the Novell TCP/IP stack and does not support SNMP over IP.

IMPORTANT: ConnectView SNMP options are available only when ConnectView is run in standalone mode.

ConnectView uses the remote Btrieve client to access records stored in the server-based audit trail log file for the Trend Analysis, Accounting, Audit Trail, and Alerts windows. To display this data, users must have Read/Scan rights to the server's SYS:\SYSTEM\CSLIB directories and files.

For users not logged in to a Novell Directory ServicesTM (NDSTM) tree for NetWare 4.1 or later servers, ConnectView displays a Bindery login box. The user must enter a valid username and password before ConnectView displays trend analysis, accounting, audit trail, and alert data.

ConnectView displays a list of all available servers in the View All window. Available servers are servers that respond to the SAP of the server you are logged in to. If you are not logged in to a server, ConnectView uses the SAP notification from the server to which you are attached.

Unavailable servers that become available after ConnectView is started can be added to the View All window by choosing View >Update (F5 ).

IMPORTANT: If you want to manage a server that is active but not displayed in the View All window, log in to either the desired server or a server that can receive SAP notification of the desired server. Then, from the View All window choose View > Update.

Accounting Features

To calculate billing charges, ConnectView

Matches start connection records with end connection records to determine the valid connections that occurred during the billing period.

Applies the rates from the rate tables to the hourly intervals of the connection durations.

Matching Start Connection and End Connection Records

ConnectView determines valid connections within the specified billing period by matching start connection records and end connection records.

If both a start connection record and an end connection record are found within the billing period for the same connection ID, ConnectView logs the connection as valid. Otherwise, ConnectView considers the connection incomplete and does not use the connection in the accounting process.

If a start connection record is found, but a matching end connection record cannot be located within the specified billing period, ConnectView searches for the end connection record one day beyond the end date of the billing period. If the matching end connection record is found within this 1-day buffer, ConnectView logs the connection as valid. If the matching end connection record is not found during the one day buffer, ConnectView considers the connection invalid and logs the connection in the Discarded Connections dialog box.

NOTE: Checking for end connection records during this 1-day buffer helps eliminate incomplete connections that might occur when connections are started near the end of the billing period.

If an end connection record without a matching start connection record is found within the specified billing period, ConnectView considers the connection invalid and logs the end connection record in the Discarded Connections dialog box. Logging the unmatched end connection records avoids duplicating billing and invalid connections across billing periods.

NOTE: The grace period, by default set to 30 seconds, determines the minimum connection duration required for a connection to be valid.

The following table summarizes the process of determining valid connections for a connection that began on 3/1/96 at 8:00 a.m. and ended at 3/4/96 at 3:00 p.m.

Billing Period	Accounting Result
3/1/96 to 3/4/96	Valid Connection The connection is included in the accounting data, because both the start time and the end time are within the billing period.
3/1/96 to 3/3/96	Valid Connection The connection is included in the accounting data, because the start time is within the billing period and the end time is outside the billing period by less than one day.
3/1/96 to 3/2/96	Invalid Connection. The connection is counted as an incomplete connection, because the start time is within the billing period, but the end time is outside the billing period by more than one day. The start connection record is logged in the Disacarded Connections dialog box.
3/2/96 to 3/2/96	Invalid Connection The connection is not included in the accounting data, because neither the start time nor the end time is within the billing period.
3/2/96 to 3/4/96	Invalid Connection The connection is not included in the accounting data and is not counted as an incomplete connection, because the start time is outside the billing period, even though the end time is within the billing period. The end connection record is logged in the Discarded Connections dialog box.

Applying Rates to Connection Durations

After the valid connections are determined, ConnectView applies the billing rates from the assigned accounting profiles to the connection durations.

For charges based on the rate per minute, ConnectView determines the amount of time in seconds that applies to each hourly interval within the connection duration. Next, ConnectView checks the hourly rates in the assigned accounting profile and applies the rates. The cost of each hourly interval is then added together to equal the total charge for the connection.

For charges based on rate per connection and overhead rate, ConnectView checks the assigned accounting profile for rates and charges, determines the connected time in seconds for each hourly interval of the billing period, and applies the assigned rates. The costs of each hourly interval are then added together to equal the total charge for the connection.

The connection example in the following table illustrates this process.

Connected Time	Hour Intervals	Rates per Minute	Rates per Second	Connected Seconds per Interval	Total Charges
3:30:35 p.m.-5:30:10 p.m.	3:00-3:59 4:00-4:59 5:00-5:59	0.60 0.60 0.50	0.01 0.01 0.008	1765 3600 1790	1765 x .01 = 17.65 3600 x .01 = 36.00 1790 x .008 = 14.32 Total Charge = $67.97
09:00:10 a.m.- 09:54:31 a.m.	9:00-9:59	0.30	0.005	3281	3281 x .005 = 16.40 Total Charge = 16.40
11:30:15 a.m.-2:45:03 p.m.	11:00-11:59 12:00-12:59 1:00-1:59 2:00-2:59	0.85 0.85 0.85 0.85	0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01	1815 3600 3600 2703	1815 x .01 = 18.15 3600 x .01 = 36.00 3600 x .01 = 36.00 2703 x .01 = 27.03 Total Charge = 117.18

IMPORTANT: Baud rate and port name rates assigned in accounting profiles do not apply to NCS dial-out and AIOPAD connections. NCS and AIOPAD do not report the baud rate used during these connections.

Handling Invalid Connections and Duplicate Connection IDs

Invalid connections are connections for which ConnectView can find only one connection record, but cannot locate the matching start or end connection record.

ConnectView automatically checks for end connection records up to one day after the end date of the billing period. If a matching end connection record is found in the one day after the billing period end data, ConnectView logs the connection as valid and includes the connection in accounting data for the specified billing period. If the matching end connection record is not found, ConnectView counts the connection as invalid. Invalid connections are not included in the accounting data for the specified period, but they are logged in the Invalid Connections dialog box.

NOTE: Because of the checking one day beyond the end date of the billing period and to avoid duplicate billing, ConnectView discards any end connection records for which a matching start connection record cannot be found.

Duplicate connection IDs occur when a new connection record contains the same connection ID as an existing connection record of the same type. When this occurs, ConnectView displays a warning message and allows you to terminate or continue the accounting process.

If the accounting process is continued, ConnectView cannot guarantee the integrity of the accounting data.

Security Features

ConnectView uses SNMP to retrieve data with GET requests and to control the remote access software with SET requests. These management operations affect a large number of windows and are dependent on the SNMP community string settings on each managed server and the ConnectView workstation.

On the server side, you can set the desired community strings on the command line either when you are loading SNMP.NLM or through the NIASCFG utility.

IMPORTANT: By default, SNMP.NLM on your servers grants public access to the MonitorCommunity (monitor=public) but disables access to the ControlCommunity.

Table 1 describes the server SNMP community strings.

Table 1. Server SNMP Community Strings

Community String	Description
MonitorCommunity	Controls security for the read-only GET and GET NEXT operations. The default is public .
ControlCommunity	Controls security for the read-write SET operations. By default, this operation is disabled.
TrapCommunity	Controls security for receiving SNMP-trap messages. The default is public .

IMPORTANT: The ConnectView use of community strings follows SNMP v1 security.

Your workstation's community string settings must match the community string settings on the managed servers. By default, ConnectView sets the workstation community strings to public (monitor=public control=public).

To configure workstation community strings for each server, choose File > Preferences and click the SNMP Options tab button. This dialog box also contains options for SNMP time-out and retry values.

IMPORTANT: ConnectView does not support SNMP over the NetWare Core Protocol^TM (NCP^TM ) or SNMP over IP. An SNMP workstation can still access the Management Information Base (MIB) objects using the MIB browser over an IP stack.

Performance Considerations

When using ConnectView, it is important to keep several performance issues in mind:

If large amounts of data are involved in trend analysis, accounting, audit trail, or alert log viewing, ensure that sufficient memory is available.

A substantial amount of time may be required to process large amounts of data. The time required to process the data depends on the available disk space, the number of records, and your Windows configuration. During low memory conditions, Windows may begin to swap data to disk, increasing the amount of time required to process the data. In extremely low memory conditions, you may not be able to complete the operation.

If ConnectView is running with other Windows applications, ConnectView competes with the other applications for Windows resources and memory, especially if many windows are open.