Resources to Troubleshoot the ONS 15454

Various resources are available for troubleshooting the ONS 15454. Understanding these resources greatly facilitates and reduces the amount of time it takes to troubleshoot an issue.

Documentation

Unlike most other vendors in the industry, Cisco Systems freely provides all product documentation online (both Hypertext Markup Language [HTML] and PDF formats). The most current and complete Cisco ONS 15454 documentation is readily available on the World Wide Web. To take advantage of this rich and useful resource, go to http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/ong/15400/index.htm.

At the website, identify the software release your ONS 15454 node/network is running, and then select the type of guide that best fits your needs. Some of the most commonly used guides include these:

• Procedure Guide Provides step-by-step instructions to perform any task to configure the ONS15454 node or multiple nodes as part of a network.

• Troubleshooting Guide Provides instructions on troubleshooting and fixing issues. Describes the alarm codes reported by the ONS 15454 and the corresponding possible solutions. Also addresses Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) parameters and performance monitoring.

• Reference Manual Provides reference material to every aspect of the ONS 15454 (such as card specifications, Synchronous Optical Network [SONET] topologies, and so on).

• Release Notes Addresses software releasespecific new features/functionality, closed issues, and any known caveats.

If you have limited access to the Internet, or prefer to have the documentation CD or the paper versions of the documentation contact your reseller. Both CD and paper versions can also be purchased directly from Cisco Systems by going to http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/es_inpck/pdi.htm.

Cisco Transport Controller Online Help

Cisco Transport Controller (CTC) is the software used by the end user. CTC is user-friendly and enables the user to graphically provision every aspect of the ONS 15454. CTC resides on the Timing, Communications, and Control card (TCC), and it automatically downloads to your PC or laptop the first time you connect to an ONS 15454. CTC is a Java-based application and requires the appropriate Java Runtime Environment (JRE) on your computer.

Note

Software releases prior to (and including) R4.6 are compatible with JRE 1.3. Newer releases since (and including) R4.6 are compatible with JRE 1.4.

In both the documentation and the software CDs for the ONS 15454, Cisco includes the appropriate JRE for the corresponding software version your node is running. The JRE is one of the items you might opt to install on your computer as part of the CTC Installation Wizard. Another item you might want to install is the Online Help (or Online User Manuals), which makes it easy to access help and additional information.

Note

CTC Online Help is always available to you because the documentation resides on your computer. It is useful to load this as part of the CTC Installation Wizard.

Installing Online Help

You need to install Online Help only once (per software release). To do so, perform the following steps:

Step 1.	Insert the documentation or software CD into your CD-ROM drive. The wizard autoruns and starts automatically. Figure 13-1 displays the CTC Installation Wizard screen that you see when inserting the documentation or software CD. Note that options can vary slightly, depending on release. Figure 13-1. Cisco Transport Controller Installation Wizard
Step 2.	Click the Next button. You have the option to select a Typical or Custom install, as shown in Figure 13-2. Figure 13-2. Typical or Custom Install
Step 3.	Click the Next button. The wizard provides you with the various options to select from. At this point, select Online User Manuals (or Online Help), as shown in Figure 13-3. Figure 13-3. Online User Manuals Note If you have not yet logged in to an ONS 15454 (that is using this computer) and you are not sure if you have the appropriate JRE, it is a good time to install JRE and CTC JAR files.
Step 4.	Click Next and follow the basic instructions provided by the wizard. Online Help and the manuals are then installed on your computer (along with any other options you select). Congratulations! You can now take advantage of Online Help! What exactly is Online Help? Well, when you are logged in to an ONS 15454, you have complete access to the ONS 15454 documentation. Figure 13-4 shows you how to gain access to this convenient resource. Figure 13-4. CTC Menu Bar, Help

Cisco Technical Assistance Center

If you require further assistance and want to engage Cisco support, Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) is available 24 x 7 to support you. You can contact TAC via phone at 800-553-2447. Have your contract number ready.

You can also go to the Technical Support Website at http://www.cisco.com/techsupport.

The Technical Support URL provides you with additional troubleshooting documents and tools to help you resolve your network issues. A Cisco.com user ID and password are required to access this website. If you have a valid service contract and do not have a Cisco.com user ID, you can register at http://tools.cisco.com/RPF/register/register.do.