Cisco DNCS System Release 2.8 3.8 4.3 Installation Guide

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Monitor DHCT Sign-on Rates 
 
4031324 Rev B 
 
Monitor DHCT Sign-on Rates 
Introduction 
When DHCTs download new software for the operating system and resident 
application, they lose the contents of their volatile memory. After the download, 
DHCTs sign back on to the network and their network configuration data is 
reloaded. The signonCount utility is useful in monitoring the rate at which DHCTs 
sign on to the network. 
Because some DHCTs make repeated attempts to sign on to the network before they 
are successful, too many sign-on attempts by DHCTs contribute to network 
congestion. The signonCount utility can help system operators quickly identify those 
DHCTs that are having trouble signing on, and the utility can then be used to 
facilitate the DHCT sign-on process. 
 
When to Use the signonCount Utility 
The signonCount utility enables system operators and our engineers to monitor the 
rate at which DHCTs sign on to the network. This monitoring is required in the 
following circumstances: 
 
When the QPSK modulator and demodulator software is upgraded—in this case, 
the signonCount utility is used in the following two situations:  
The first situation is to determine if the system is healthy enough to be 
upgraded. If it is not, the signonCount utility also provides a secondary 
mode of operation that can dramatically improve the health of the system 
prior to moving forward with the upgrade.  
The second situation is to use the signonCount utility to provide more 
meaningful guidance regarding when you can move forward with upgrading 
the next QPSK modulator. Previous upgrade guides instructed you either to 
wait a little while between upgrading units or to monitor the log file, but they 
offered no real tools to help in this effort. 
 
When DHCTs download new software—DHCTs lose the contents of their 
volatile memory when the DHCT downloads new software for the operating 
system and resident application. DHCTs reconnect to the network after the 
download, and the memory that contained information about the DHCT 
network connection (IP address, transmit timing, and level) is re-loaded. For 
systems that are forced to rapidly load DHCT software, the signonCount utility 
is useful in determining when to trigger the next group of DHCTs to load code.