Cisco Network Troubleshooting with Wireshark and Mediatrace with Nikhil Sharma

In this presentation, Nikhil Sharma, a technical marketing engineer at Cisco, discusses new features aimed at simplifying network troubleshooting on the Catalyst 4500 series switches. Sharma, who previously faced network troubleshooting challenges as a Cisco customer, introduces innovations designed to address these issues. He highlights that network administrators spend a significant portion of their time troubleshooting, often dealing with next-generation technologies like telepresence and video. The presentation focuses on three main features: Media Trace, IPSLA video operation, and the integration of Wireshark directly onto the switch.

Sharma explains that the new iOS XE release for the Catalyst 4500 includes the ability to perform Wireshark captures directly on the switch. This feature leverages the T-Shark binary, allowing administrators to capture and analyze network traffic without needing external span equipment. The Wireshark process is isolated in its own memory and CPU space, ensuring it does not interfere with other critical processes like spanning tree protocol or OSPF. This integration supports both data plane and control plane traffic, providing comprehensive packet analysis capabilities. The captured packets can be stored locally on the switch or transferred to a network management station for further analysis.

The presentation also covers Media Trace, a tool that traces the path of media streams across the network and identifies any changes or issues along the way. Media Trace uses RSVP as its underlying protocol, providing detailed statistics and alerts if there are changes in the path or if DSCP values are reset. Additionally, the performance monitor feature allows administrators to define and apply policies across multiple hops, automating the collection of RTP statistics and other relevant data. This combination of tools enables network administrators to quickly diagnose and resolve issues, ensuring their networks are ready for video and other high-bandwidth applications.