How to Automate Network Captures with Network Monitor

Network Monitor gives you the ability to automatically start capturing network information upon starting the program. This is completed by using command-line parameters that can be passed to the program.

You can use this feature, for example, in conjunction with the AT command to start Network Monitor when a backup operation begins. To do this, put the command to AUTOSTART Network Monitor in the batch file just before the backup operation starts, as in the following example batch file: The rest of this article describes the command line options for running Network Monitor. For more information, see the Network Monitor Help file in the Systems Management Server Administrator's Guide.

/REMOTE <remote_name>

Starts Network Monitor with a connection to the Network Monitor Agent specified.

/NET <number>

Starts Network Monitor with a connection to the network number specified. Use the numbers 1 to N+1 where N is the number of Network cards present in the computer. The one additional interface is the RAS/VPN interface.

/CAPTUREFILTER: <path>

Starts Network Monitor with a specific capture filter loaded.

/DISPLAYFILTER <path>

Starts Network Monitor with a specific display filter loaded.

/BUFFERSIZE <number>

Starts Network Monitor with the buffers size preset to the number of bytes specified.

/QUICKFILTER <type>, <address>

Begins capturing as soon as Network Monitor is started, and filters on the address specified.

/AUTOSTART

Begins capturing immediately upon starting.

/AUTOSTOP

Stops the Network Monitor capture file when the buffer is full.

/BUFFERSIZE:NUMBER

Starts Network Monitor with the buffer size preset to the number of megabytes specified (Network Monitor 2.0).