Using Network Trace
You can use Network Trace to create a network diagram for any SMS site system that you select. The network diagram that you create displays network connectivity from the perspective of the site system that you have selected, not from the perspective of the computer from which you are running Network Trace. You can use Network Trace to display the IP network connections of a remote site system. Also, you can use Network Trace to display the site system roles performed by the selected site system and by all the servers connected to that site system.
You can create network diagrams that display the following information:
All servers connected to the selected site system
Site system roles performed by each server
Network devices such as routers
IP subnets
IP addresses
A network diagram displays information in either a trace view or a site view. In a trace view, only the site systems within the site database are displayed. In a site view, all known subnets and routers are also displayed, along with the site systems within the site database.
Network Trace creates network diagrams that are based upon information in the SMS site database. SMS gathers this information during the server and network discovery processes. SMS Server Discovery runs immediately after SMS installation and periodically thereafter to discover servers that you have configured as site systems. After Server Discovery runs, Network Trace can diagram the communication links between other servers and the site system you select. Network Discovery is not enabled by default. Also, you must schedule and configure Network Discovery to discover devices such as routers.
Note
- To diagram devices outside your local subnet, you must run Network Discovery on all subnets in the site that you want to diagram. If you do not do this, network diagrams created by using Network Trace display only the local subnet.
To create a network diagram for a site system
In the SMS Administrator console, navigate to Site Systems.
Where?
Systems Management Server > Site Database (site code - site name) >Site Hierarchy>site code - site name >Site Settings>Site Systems
Right-click a site system server, point to All Tasks, and then click Start Network Trace.
The Network Trace window opens and displays a diagram of the IP communication links between the site system you selected and other servers and network devices that are connected to the selected site system.
Other features of Network Trace include the ping provider and the Component Poller. You can use the ping provider to transmit an Internet Control Message Protocol echo, which is more commonly known as a ping. You can send a ping to all devices displayed in the network diagram, or to only the devices that you select, to confirm the IP communication link. Pings are sent from the site server, not from the computer on which you are logged on. For the ping provider to function correctly, you must be able to connect to the site server. For a primary site, this means that you must have DCOM/WMI connectivity enabled on the site server. For a secondary site, you must be an administrator on the site system.
You can use the Component Poller to query the status of SMS components installed on the selected site server. You can use it to determine if a component is running, paused, or stopped, the last time the component was polled, and the component type. Like the ping provider, the Component Poller runs on the site server. For the Component Poller to function correctly, you must have the appropriate connectivity and SMS security rights to the site server. For a primary site, this means that you must have DCOM/WMI connectivity enabled on the site server and you also must have Administer permission for the Site object, which you set by using the Security Rights console item in the SMS Administrator console. For a secondary site, you must be an administrator on the site system.
For More Information
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