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Planning and Reporting

If I have an enhancement to the Visual UpTime Select application that I believe would be beneficial, where do I send the requests?
Visual Networks encourages customers to submit enhancements on behalf of its products. Please send all feature requests to your Visual Networks Sales Representative or Systems Engineer. The Visual Networks Product Management Team will review your request and consult the parties necessary to determine whether to include your feature request in an upcoming release.

Can I obtain technical support for an old software version?
Customers who purchase software maintenance are eligible for support of the current software release and two prior releases. A best effort attempt is made for older software releases.

What is Visual's recommendation for installing the software license key on my UpTime Select server? The key was emailed to me but I do not have access to email from the server. You should copy and paste the license key into a new text file and save the file to a floppy disk. Then open the text file while on your UpTime Select server and copy and paste the license key into the appropriate field within the PAM Administration tool. You should not attempt to manually type the software license key into the tool.

After I removed a license key, the PAM Status Monitor is in a yellow state and I can't re-add the license key back into the PAM Administration tool?A.
The license key you' re attempting to add is a temporary key and it has expired. You should contact your Visual Sales Rep to obtain a permanent license key. Note, permanent license keys can be re-added.

If I have a domain license key, do I need a Feature License Key (Per Server or Power User)?
Yes, you need a Feature License Key as well as domain licenses. A feature license key is required on either a 'Per Server' or 'Power User' basis prior to installing a domain license key.

Feature License vs Agent License vs Token License
Feature licenses control access to feature modules. Agent licenses control how many of each kind of ASE (and partner device) you can have. Token licenses add a set of feature tokens to the system.

Server-Wide License vs Domain License
A license can apply to all domains on the server, or to one specific domain. This is true of each of the license types listed above. So you can have:
a server-wide feature license

a server-wide agent license

a server-wide token license

a domain-specific feature license

a domain-specific agent license

a domain-specific token license
All-User License vs Power-User License
For certain types of licenses, you can optionally request a license that applies only to power users. (Which users are power users?) Any that are configured to be automatically added to new domains. The following license types can be purchased either for all users or for power users:
a server-wide feature license

a server-wide token license

a domain-specific feature license
The other license types (that is, domain-specific token licenses, and all agent licenses) are never limited to power users only.

My company requires us to have a backup Visual UpTime Select server. In the event the primary server fails, what is the process for moving the license key(s) from the primary server to the backup server?
You can purchase a back-up license which allows the backup server to collect data while the primary server is being repaired. Please contact your Visual Networks sales representative or channel partner for ordering this service. Please note, a backup license does not permit access to the Network Configuration module.

Can I rename my domain after the license key has been applied?
Yes, but your existing domain license will not work. Prior to renaming the domain you must request a new license key and after renaming your domain, install the new license key.

In what scenarios will I have to update a feature license key or a domain license key?
You will have to request and install an updated license key if the number of ASEs is increased or decreased or if modules are added or removed from your feature or domain license key.

I received multiple license keys from Visual Networks. Do the keys have to be installed in a specific order?
Yes, first you must install the feature license key (either Per Server or Power User). Then, you can install your Agent or Domain licenses in any order.

What benefits do I receive for software maintenance?
Software maintenance includes patches, bug fixes, VTAC assistance (including access to the customer care website) and enhancements to each purchased software module.

What countries are you able to provide on site hardware support?
Visual Networks has multiple partners that can provide on-site support to over 60 countries. Contact VTAC for a list of international cities supported.

How long can I buy Visual UpTime Classic PAMs, ASEs and associated software and hardware maintenance?
Until April 30 2004.

I am a current Visual UpTime customer. How do I get my Visual UpTime Select upgrade CD and licenses?
If you have valid software maintenance you will receive a letter explaining the new Visual UpTime Select product. You must accept the new conditions and return a signed authorization form. You will then receive your new Visual UpTime Select CD. If you have not received your upgrade letter contact Visual Networks Sales.

After receiving the CD, register online for your upgrade license key at the Visual Networks Customer Care website: www.visualnetworks.com/customercare.

The website explains the procedure for verifying the number of licenses required. The license will include all of the functionality is currently enjoyed with Visual UpTime today. However, keep in mind that most but not all legacy ASE models are supported in Visual UpTime Select. Supported ASEs include: 0001, 0007, 0022, 0023, 0024, 0044, 0045, 0046, 0049, 0076, 0080, 0081, 0082, 0083, 0090. All other ASE models are not supported.

To determine what model number ASEs you have, run ASE inventory and look at the first four digits of the "product ID" number (the portion before the dash) to determine the model number.

How long will my current Visual UpTime v7.2 software maintenance be valid?
All current software maintenance is valid until expiration. We are also offering a last time buy program for v7.2 software maintenance. Until April 30, 2004 all customers, even if they allowed their software maintenance to expire, may purchase one more year of the v7.2 software maintenance (all applicable surcharges apply) in order to become current on software maintenance and eligible to receive Visual UpTime Select.

How does the Visual UpTime Select license key deployment work?
The first step is to order Visual UpTime Select software module licenses via PO and include the server serial number. Licenses must be ordered per software module and per ASE for all ASEs on the network. Then request your license key via the VTAC customer care website. We will send the license key via e-mail once verified with a valid PO (usually within two business days).

How does the Visual UpTime Select software licensing work for different ASE speeds?
Visual UpTime Select software modules are speed independent. One license is required for each module and for each ASE on the server regardless of the ASE model number / speed. The actual ASE prices vary by speed.

Can I purchase software maintenance for one module and not another?
No. You may not purchase software maintenance for just a portion of your network or a few of your license modules. Everything must be covered, or nothing at all. Additionally, all modules must be covered at the same level (i.e. Standard or Enhanced).

What happens if I decide not to upgrade to Visual UpTime Select and I remain at Visual UpTime v7.2?
With continued software maintenance you will receive VTAC access and bug fixes but no upgrades. However, your option to agree to the new terms and upgrade to Visual UpTime Select remains available until your software maintenance agreement expires. Eventually support for v7.2 will not be offered since we support the current software version and the two prior versions.

Can upgrade to Visual UpTime Select with only a subset of the functionality licenses to which I am entitled in order to avoid paying software maintenance later on a module that I do not use? For example, can I exclude traffic capture?
Yes. However, if you decides that you want the feature back later you must buy the license and the maintenance.

If my Visual UpTime system elements (ASEs, PAMs, and clients) are located in different time zones, to which time zone should I set each ASE?
ASEs, PAMs, and clients work together to assure that the statistics collected are stored with the proper time reference. There is no need to set clocks on the ASEs. However, each PAM and client should be set to its own local time zone so that data you display on the PAM or client is relative to your viewing location. The client's local time determines the time displayed for all events (in the Event Processor window), conversations, traffic captures, troubleshooting data, and client-displayed report data. Some tasks which you schedule from the client (such as data collection, database maintenance, and scheduled report group generation), actually occur on the PAM and their results are displayed in log files on the PAM. Consequently, enter the PAM's time in the client's corresponding dialog when scheduling these tasks.

What are my options in configuring IP Transport ASEs from the PAC?
From the PAC, you can set up IP Transport ASE access lines and end-to-end circuits on an IP-switched network. When you configure IP Transport ASEs, you can configure up to ten protocols (and three additional custom protocols), up to 32 subnet ranges per site, and the committed access rate (CAR). You can also view the class of service settings and modify the policing threshold for the ASE. You configure the ASE's frame relay or HDLC link layer settings and its physical layer settings in the standard way. You need to configure each circuit's far end point; single ended IP circuits are not supported. You have options for viewing circuit subnets, and for removing old circuits when the ASE's circuit is full. You can also upgrade

Why does the automatic detection of my ASE during ASE Setup not detect the committed information rate (CIR)?
Annex-D link management interface (LMI) status messages do not include information regarding CIR as part of the full status response-only Frame Relay Forum status messages include CIR information. Furthermore, depending on how your WAN service provider has configured the switch, the switch may not disclose the CIR value. Consequently, if your WAN service provider is using Annex-D or is not setting the switch option to disclose CIR, Visual UpTime cannot automatically detect CIR.

Why do some ASE network probes auto-detect T1 channels and others do not?
A significant amount of traffic must be present across all T1 channels for a probe to auto detect the channels. If the line is idle or very underutilized, the ASE cannot detect the channels because it looks specifically at the data to derive channel information.

Under what circumstances can the Visual UpTime server database miss network performance data, and how can I prevent this from occurring?
The database will not receive network performance data if data is not downloaded from the ASE for 48 hours or if database maintenance is not executed for two weeks. To prevent these situations, leave the PAM server running 24 hours a day.

When I download a new ASE image to my desktop, where do I need to put it in order for the PAC to recognize there's a newer image that can be applied?
After you download an image, first unzip the file and extract the enclosed image into the C:\Program Files\Visual Networks\UpTime\Images directory on a workstation where a PAC's installed.

Does Visual UpTime Select support frame relay, ATM, and IP?
YES. However, the technology supported depends on the limitations of each ASE model. For example, ASE models 1, 7, and 24 do not support IP Transport.

Can ASEs automatically discover protocols being used?
Yes. v7.4 IP Transport ASEs support the automatic discovery of most-used protocols. On the PAC, users can activate the automatic Selection of all protocols from the ASE, manually configure all protocols, or configure some protocols manually and let the ASE update others automatically.

Do the v7.4 IP Transport ASEs monitor the same default protocols as v5.2 Multi-Protocol ASEs?
No. v7.4 IP Transport ASEs replace the default IP, IPX, and SNA protocol settings included for v5.2 Multi-Protocol ASEs with the following nine protocol groups: WEB, FTP, MAIL, ROUTING, SERVICE, TUNNEL, NETBIOS, DATABASE, and VOICE. Every seven days (or when the protocol list is modified), the ASE re-evaluates and adjusts the configured protocol settings based on protocol usage.

Have any security enhancements been made to Visual UpTime administration in Visual UpTime Select?
Visual UpTime Select introduces a number of security and administrative enhancements over Visual UpTime. Improved access control features allow you to:

require a minimum password length, limit the re-use of passwords, and place restrictions on password text automatically lock user accounts that go unused for too long, or are used in too many failed login attempts
require users to log in from specific IP addresses

Administrative improvements include the introduction of "power users," which are automatically added to new domains. Visual UpTime Select also allows you to activate product features for use only by power users.

What operating systems are supported under the Visual UpTime Select v1.0 PAC and Web Client?
Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Professional (Service Pack 1), Windows 2000 Server and Professional (Service Pack 4), and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 (Service Pack 6a).

When accessing Planning and Reporting with my browser, I get the error message: Server is not responding. Why?
You will receive this message if a firewall exists between the Web Client workstation and the PAM server. The firewall must be configured properly to allow communication between the Web Client and the server. See the Client User Guide Appendix F, "Supported Standards" for the ports and protocols used by Visual UpTime Select.

When launching Planning and Reporting toolset, the browser hangs and displays a blank white screen and hourglass cursor. Why?
If this occurs, check the following:

The WWW service must be running on the PAM server. Make certain that the World Wide Web Publishing Service status is set to start within Settings > Control Panel > Services.
The WWW service account's user ID and password must match in both User Manager For Domains and Internet Service Manager. During most installations, the WWW Service Anonymous login user ID is set to the IUSRxxxxx (where xxxxx is the NETBIOS name of the PC) and the password is randomly generated. You can find this user ID in the NT User Manager for Domains toolset and the Internet Service Manager. The accounts must match in both places. Because the passwords are not visible (noted by *****), there is no way to verify a match. If the user IDs match in both locations but you believe that the password could have been changed, you can set them manually through the corresponding tool sets.

When I choose Planning and Reporting, it does not start -- the screen remains blank.
If the PAC is running on a Windows NT system, the PAC may not have been installed by someone using a user ID with Windows NT administrator privileges. Consequently, the Java modules required by Planning and Reporting were not installed correctly. If this is the problem, reinstall the PAC using a user ID with Windows NT administrator privileges.