Checking the Activity of a VPN Server

The VPN Member Activity window displays the real-time activity of a selected VPN member and its associated VPN tunnel connections for IP or the Internetwork Packet ExchangeTM (IPXTM) software.

There are two ways to display the VPN activity. If you select a slave server, both methods have the same capabilities: 1) From the VPN tab, and 2) From the Tools menu. If you select a slave server, both methods have the same capabilities. If you select the VPN master server, the first enables you to view connection information from the perspective of any VPN member, while the second enables you to view connection information only from the perspective of the master server.

IMPORTANT:  To view the activity of any VPN server that is also a member of another VPN, you must go to the VPN server in your local VPN that is directly connected to that server.


Displaying the VPN Activity from the VPN Tab

To display the VPN activity using the first method, complete the following steps:

  1. In NetWare Administrator, double-click a VPN server and select the Novell BorderManager 3.7 Setup page.

  2. Click the VPN tab.

  3. Double-click Master Site-to-Site or Slave Site-to-Site under Enable Service.

  4. Click Status.

    For the master server, the screen displays the VPN's synchronization status, the progress of the master server updating all slave servers with the current VPN topology and encryption information. A server's synchronization status can assume one of the following states:

    • Up-to-Date---The server has been configured with the latest topology and encryption information. This state does not indicate that the server's VPN tunnel connections are up. Use the Activity display to determine the status of the VPN tunnel connections.
    • Being Configured---The server has not received the newest topology and encryption information from the master server.
    • Being Removed---The server is being removed from the VPN.

    NOTE:  Any server state that remains at Being Configured or Being Removed for an extended period of time indicates a problem with the master server's ability to communicate with that VPN member. If a VPN member has been removed from the VPN, its state will remain at Being Removed as long as the master server cannot communicate with it. You can remove the VPN member from the Synchronization Status list by clicking Free VPN Member. For all other cases, view the audit log to troubleshoot the problem.

  5. If you are viewing the status from the master server, click a VPN server.

  6. Click Activity.

    • To check the activity between the selected VPN member and an associated connection, click the name of the associated connection in the Associated Connections window.

      This updates the IPX Associated Connection Details and the IP Associated Connection Details windows, and reflects the VPN tunnel activity information for this VPN member.

    • To see the latest activity information, click Update.

      This updates the VPN Associated Connections window with the latest activity information. The monitor is automatically updated every 10 seconds.


Displaying VPN Activity from the Tools Menu

To display VPN activity only from the perspective of the server that you select, complete the following steps:

  1. In NetWare Administrator, click the VPN server from whose perspective you want to view the activity information.

  2. Select Novell BorderManager 3.7 from the Tools menu to open the Novell BorderManager 3.7 window.

  3. Right-click Virtual Private Network and select View Member Activity/Log from the menu of options to view the VPN Activity window.


The VPN Activity Window

The following information is contained in the VPN Activity window:

To view the latest activity information, click Update. The VPN Associated Connections window is refreshed with the latest activity information. The monitor automatically refreshes every 10 seconds.


The Security Window

To view the encryption and authentication key parameters, click Security. The following information is contained in the Security window:



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