Network Element-Level Management Help >> Basic Device Information >> Port Mirroring Management >> Creating a Mirroring Group

Creating a Mirroring Group

This function allows you to create a mirroring group for the device.

Operation Procedure

1. Select the Resource tab.
2. Select the device to be managed from the device list to enter the Device Details page.
3. Click the Mirror Group link in the Device Management list.
4. Click Add to enter the page for creating a mirroring group.
5. Select a MG ID (mirroring group ID) and MG Type (mirroring type), and then click OK to finish the operation.
6. You can click the MG Mirror, MG Monitor, MG Reflector, or MG VLAN ID link of an existing mirroring group to configure the corresponding information.

Parameter Description

• MG ID: Unique identifier of a mirroring group on the device, in the range of 1 to 7.
• MG Mirror: The monitored port. You can monitor and analyze packets passing the port.
• MG Mirror Direction: The mirroring direction can be inbound, outbound, or bidirectional. Inbound indicates that packets received by the mirroring port or VLAN are mirrored; outbound indicates that packets sent by the mirroring port or VLAN are mirrored; bidirectional indicates that packets sent and received by the mirroring port or VLAN are mirrored.
• MG Monitor: Also known as monitor port. The monitor port forwards the received packets to the data monitoring device for packet monitoring and analysis.
• MG Reflector: Broadcasts the packets of the mirroring port or VLAN within the probe VLAN and forwards the packets to the intermediate device or destination device.
• MG VLAN ID: Packets of the mirroring port or VLAN are broadcast within the remote probe VLAN and sent to the intermediate device or destination device.

Precautions

Local Mirroring Group
• To make a local mirroring group take effect, you must configure a mirroring port or VLAN and a monitor port for it.
• The mirroring port of a local mirroring group can be of the following types: Layer 2 Ethernet, Layer 3 Ethernet, POS, CPOS, serial, and MP-group. The monitor port of a local mirroring group can be of the following types: Layer 2 Ethernet, Layer 3 Ethernet, Tunnel, Layer 2 aggregate, and Layer 3 aggregate. Support for port types depends on you device model.
• The mirroring VLANs must be static VLANs that already exist.
• To ensure device performance, do not assign the mirroring ports to a mirroring VLAN.
• To ensure operation of the device, do not assign the monitor port to the mirroring VLAN or enable these functions on the monitor port: STP, MSTP, and RSTP.
• On some types of devices, you can configure an aggregation group member port as the monitor port.
• You can configure multiple mirroring ports or VLANs but only one monitor port for a mirroring group.
• Usually, a port can join only one mirroring group. On a device supporting multiple monitor ports, a port can join multiple mirroring groups as a mirroring port. However, in a mirroring group, a mirroring port cannot be configured as a reflector port, egress port, or monitor port.
• A VLAN can be used by only one mirroring group.
• The packets received on the monitor port include the packets copied from the mirroring ports or VLANs and the packets from other ports. To ensure that the data monitoring device analyzes only the packets from the mirroring ports or VLANs, use the monitor port for only port mirroring.

Remote source mirroring group
• The mirroring ports and the egress port of a remote source mirroring group must be located on the same device.
• The mirroring ports can be Layer 2 Ethernet ports or Layer 3 Ethernet interfaces, depending on the device model.
• To ensure device performance, do not assign the mirroring ports to the remote probe VLAN or mirroring VLAN.
• The mirroring VLANs must be static VLANs that already exist.
• The egress port can not be a mirroring port of the mirroring group.
• The egress port can be an aggregation member port depending on the device model.
• To ensure operation of the device, disable these functions on the egress port: STP, MSTP, RSTP, 802.1x, IGMP Snooping, static ARP, and MAC address learning.
• To ensure device performance, do not assign the egress port to a mirroring VLAN.
• You can configure only one egress port for a remote source mirroring group.
• To remove the VLAN configured as a remote probe VLAN, you must remove the remote probe VLAN configuration first. Removing the remote probe VLAN of a valid remote source mirroring group invalidates the remote source mirroring group.
• To remove the VLAN configured as a mirroring VLAN, you must remove the mirroring VLAN configuration first.
• You are recommended to use the remote probe VLAN for only remote port mirroring.
• Usually, a port can join only one mirroring group. On a device supporting multiple monitor ports, a port can join multiple mirroring groups as a mirroring port. However, in a mirroring group, a mirroring port cannot be configured as a reflector port, egress port, or monitor port.
• A VLAN can be used by only one mirroring group.

Remote destination mirroring group
• To remove the VLAN configured as a remote probe VLAN, you must remove the remote probe VLAN configuration first. Removing the remote probe VLAN of a valid remote source mirroring group invalidates the remote source mirroring group.
• You are recommended to use the remote probe VLAN for only remote port mirroring.
• Usually, a port can join only one mirroring group. On a device supporting multiple monitor ports, a port can join multiple mirroring groups as a mirroring port. However, in a mirroring group, a mirroring port cannot be configured as a reflector port, egress port, or monitor port.
• A VLAN can be used by only one mirroring group.
• Depending on the device model, the monitor port of a remote destination mirroring group can be of the following types: Layer 2 Ethernet, Layer 3 Ethernet, Layer 2 aggregate, and Layer 3 aggregate.
• To ensure operation of the device, do not assign the monitor port to the mirroring VLAN or enable these functions on the monitor port: STP, MSTP, and RSTP.
• The destination port can be an aggregation member port depending on the device model.
• The packets received on the monitor port include the packets copied from the mirroring ports or VLANs and the packets from other ports. To ensure that the data monitoring device analyzes only the packets from the mirroring ports or VLANs, use the monitor port for only port mirroring.