Manage packet tracing

To manage packet tracing with the local management interface, use the Packet Tracing management page.

This page is not available in the LMI when the appliance runs in a Docker environment.

Steps

1. Select System > Network Settings > Packet Tracing. The status of packet tracing is displayed. The top grid shows the status of the packet tracing along with the details of the current PCAP tracing file only. The bottom grid shows the details of the current PCAP tracing file along with any existing rollover PCAP tracing files.
2. Manage packet tracing settings.
   • Start packet tracing

     1. Click Start.

     2. On the Start Packet Tracing page:

        1. Select the interface name in the Interface field. If no value is selected for the Interface field, packet tracing is enabled for all interfaces.
        2. Optional: Click the Filter field.
        3. Optional: On the Set Filter page, select a pre-defined filter in the Display Filter field, or enter the filter manually in the Filter String field.

        4. Click Save.

        5. Define the maximum size of the packet tracing file (PCAP file) in the Maximum File Size field. This value is the maximum size the packet tracing file can grow to before packet tracing is disabled. If no value is selected for the Maximum File Size field, the maximum file size is set to half the remaining disk size.

        6. Define the maximum amount of data (in bytes) to be collected for each frame in the snap length field. The valid range for this field is 1 to 65535. If no value is specified, the snap length is set to 65535 bytes.

        7. Define the maximum number of log rotation files in the maximum files field. If this number is greater than 0, the number of log files created is limited to the specified number.

           When the maximum number of files is reached the capture begins overwriting files from the beginning, thus creating a 'rotating' buffer. With this 'rotating' buffer, packet capture does not stop once the log files are full. If the value is set to 0 there is a single log file and when this file is full, packet capture stops. The valid range for this field is 0 to 99. If no value is specified, the maximum files is set to 0.

     3. Click Start. Only a single packet tracing operation can be running at the same time. A new packet trace cannot be started until the PCAP file from the previous trace is deleted.

   • Stop packet tracing

     1. Click Stop.

     2. Click Yes to confirm the action.

   • Export the packet tracing PCAP file

     1. Select the trace file to export from the Packet Tracing Files grid.

     2. Click Export. We must configure the software that blocks pop-up windows in the browser to allow pop-up windows for the appliance before files can be exported.

     3. Confirm the save action in the browser pop-up window.

   • Delete the packet tracing PCAP file

     1. Click Delete.

     2. Click Yes to confirm the action. If packet tracing is running, the PCAP file cannot be deleted. We must stop the associated packet tracing before you delete the PCAP file.

        The delete option deletes all the tracing files including the rollover files.

Parent topic: Network Settings