Control Network Newsletter

Have your JACE also monitor your Ethernet network

July 2012 - Contemporary Controls has published an Application Note that explains how you can have your JACE also monitor your Ethernet Network.

It may not be well known that besides monitoring/controlling your HVAC systems, your lights, your security systems, etc. your JACE can also be used to monitor your Ethernet network. Most managed Ethernet switches support the Simple Network Management Protocol or SNMP. SNMP is the IT world's version of BACnet. Although Ethernet switches do not have any "points", they do have "binary inputs" in the status of each Ethernet port – something is or is not connected to the port. They also have "analog inputs" in the port statistics they collect. Managed switches will collect the quantity of various types of messages flowing through their ports. They will also provide the number of errors seen on each port.

SNMP also has its own version of an alarm. This is called an SNMP trap. When the switch has its power cycled it will send an SNMP trap when it regains power. This is called a cold start trap. If a port on the switch loses connection the switch will send a link down trap. When the port sees a new connection the switch will send a link up trap.

By loading the SNMP driver in the JACE it can now receive these trap alarms and have them appear along with all other alarms. The JACE can also poll the port status of the switch and put this into its trends/history. The JACE can also monitor the number of errors on each port and the number of bytes carried by each port. All of this information can be used to monitor the status of your Ethernet network.

Download the Application Note PDF to read the full story.