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Drop-Down Arrows
Another option that allows you to customize reports is the Drop-Down Arrows. Any of the
reports available can be collapsed by using the Up arrow icon on the right side of the
corresponding menu bar. You can also expand an area in the Report tab using the Down
arrow icon .
Bar-Pie Graph Drop-Down
Some reports allow you to choose the graph types of either Bar Graphs or Pie Graphs.
Where this is available, you will be presented with a Drop-Down Box located in the Graph
title that will make available a bar graph or pie graph for the report.
Figure 4.3 Bar-Pie Graph Drop-Down
Snapshot-Real Time Drop-Down
The Snapshot-Real Time Drop-Down Menu allows you to view selected information
historically or in real time.
For example, if you are reviewing the report of Web Hits by Category (Report -> Internet
Usage -> Allowed) the default settings will post the results by Snapshot within the last 24
hours (historically). If you select the option of Real Time, the report will change and display
actual web hits as they pass through the device at the moment.
This option is found under Internet Usage reports (Report -> Internet Usage) and is a great
tool for troubleshooting and identifying problematic users or web sites as they occur.
Figure 4.4 Snapshot-Real Time Drop-Down
Real Time options also allow you to correlate reports by Network Node, Directory User,
Groups, and other criteria. This is useful for confirming problems immediately and
preventing them with less response time. For example, if a user is attempting to visit a
prohibited site, you can verify the web sites he or she is visiting right now by correlating
these reports by Network Node or Directory User.
Report Recommendations
Optinet is capable of reporting on a tremendous amount of information. Active users, web
sites visited, and general overviews of applications are examples of the reports most readily
available. Please keep in mind that while Optinet is recording information for reporting, the
device is also filtering web traffic and shaping network applications. This requires that
Optinet share resources between the different operations being performed.
Because of this, priority is given to filtering and shaping so that reporting does not consume
resources that may impact network performance. Optinet has a default timeout limit of five
minutes for reports to complete. This is done to ensure reporting will not consume needed