NBAR2 HTTP-Based Visibility Dashboard

The NBAR2 HTTP-based Visibility Dashboard provides a web interface displaying network traffic data and related information. The information is presented in an intuitive, interactive graphical format.

Finding Feature Information

Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest caveats and feature information, see Bug Search Tool and the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the feature information table.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Overview of NBAR2 HTTP-based Visibility Dashboard

The NBAR2 HTTP-based Visibility Dashboard provides a graphical display of network information, such as network traffic details and bandwidth utilization. The Visibility Dashboard includes interactive charts and a graph of bandwidth usage.

The basic workflow for using the Visibility Dashboard is:

  1. Using the procedure described in Configuring NBAR2 HTTP-Based Visibility Dashboard, configure the router to provide information for the Visibility Dashboard. This includes:

    • Enabling an HTTP server.

    • Setting up the router service that collects and stores traffic data.

    • Specifying an interface to monitor.

    • Enabling protocol discovery.

  2. In a browser, connect to the Visibility Dashboard web interface to display traffic information for the monitored interface(s), using the router IP address or hostname, and appending /flash/nbar2/home.html .

    Example: 10.56.1.1/flash/nbar2/home.html

    See Accessing the Visibility Dashboard.

  3. The HTTP server that operates with the Visibility Dashboard requires HTTP command access to the router to collect traffic data to present in the dashboard. Specifically, the HTTP server executes show ip nbar CLI commands on the router to collect the data. Access is provided to the Visibility Dashboard HTTP server by one of the following methods:

    • Providing "privilege 15" general access to the router.

      Use the ip http authentication enable CLI command on the router to set a password. When logging into the Visibility Dashboard web interface, use the specified password. No username is required.

    • Setting a local username and password for the router.

      Use the ip http authentication local command to set a local username/password providing HTTP command access. When logging into the Visibility Dashboard web interface, enter the specified username and password.

      Example configuration:

      Device(config)#ip http authentication enable
      Device(config)#ip http authentication local 
      Device(config)#username cisco
      Device(config)#password n449rbpsvq
      
      
    • Using an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server.

      The AAA server manages accounts, including username/password credentials. When logging into the Visibility Dashboard web interface, enter the username and password for an account managed by the AAA server.

      Note: The account must include authorization to execute show ip nbar commands on the router. If the account does not provide this authorization, a user could log in and pass authentication, but no traffic data would be available from the router. The Visibility Dashboard would appear in the browser, but showing no information.

Figure 1. Visibility Dashboard

This image is not available in preview/cisco.com

Configuring NBAR2 HTTP-Based Visibility Dashboard

Before you begin

The HTTP-based Visibility Dashboard uses the Protocol Discovery feature. For details about Protocol Discovery, see How to Enable Protocol Discovery.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. enable
  2. configure terminal
  3. ip http server
  4. ip nbar http-services
  5. interface gigabitethernet interface
  6. ip nbar protocol-discovery

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1

enable

Example:


Device>enable

Enables privileged EXEC mode. Enter a password if prompted.

Step 2

configure terminal

Example:


Device#configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3

ip http server

Example:


Device(config)#ip http server
Enables an HTTP server. The server operates with the Visibility Dashboard, providing the data collected by the router.
Step 4

ip nbar http-services

Example:


Device(config)#ip nbar http-services
Configures the HTTP services to collect traffic data and store it in a database.
Step 5

interface gigabitethernet interface

Example:


Device(config)#interface gigabitethernet 0/0/2
Specifies an interface to monitor.
Step 6

ip nbar protocol-discovery

Example:


Device(config)#ip nbar protocol-discovery

Enables protocol discovery. For more information, see How to Enable Protocol Discovery.

Example: NBAR2 HTTP-Based Visibility Dashboard

Example: Enabling NBAR2 HTTP-Services

Device> enable
Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# ip nbar http-services
Device(config)# end

Accessing the Visibility Dashboard

In a browser with access to the router, connect to the Visibility Dashboard web interface to display traffic information for the monitored interface(s), using the router IP address or hostname, and appending /flash/nbar2/home.html . This string is shown in the CLI help for ip nbar http-services by typing: ip nbar ?

Options:

  • http://<router-IP-address>/flash/nbar2/home.html

  • http://<router-hostname>/flash/nbar2/home.html

Example:

http://10.56.1.1/flash/nbar2/home.html

Additional References for NBAR2 HTTP-Based Visibility Dashboard

Related Documents

Related Topic

Document Title

Cisco IOS commands

Cisco IOS Master Command List, All Releases

Technical Assistance

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Link

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Feature Information for NBAR2 HTTP-Based Visibility Dashboard

The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
Table 1. Feature Information for NBAR2 HTTP-Based Visibility Dashboard

Feature Name

Releases

Feature Information

NBAR2 HTTP-Based Visibility Dashboard

Cisco IOS XE Release 3.16S

The NBAR2 HTTP-based Visibility Dashboard provides a web interface displaying network traffic data and related information. The information is presented in an intuitive, interactive graphical format.

The following command was modified or introduced by this feature: ip nbar http-services