Labeling NEs Using Business Tags


A business tag is a string that is meaningful to the business, and which can be used to label a component of a network element for use in Prime Network screens and reports.

Business tags are normally applied to a business element, which is a construction or organization of certain network elements and their properties into a logical entity. This provides users with the ability to track them in a way that makes sense from a business perspective. Examples of business elements include Layer 2 VPNs, Layer 3 VPNs, and virtual routers.

The following topics describe how to manage and view Cisco Prime Network Vision business tags and business elements:

User Roles Required to Work with Business Tags and Business Elements

Using Chinese Characters

Attaching and Detaching Business Tags

Searching for Business Tags and Viewing Their Properties

Renaming a Business Element

Deleting a Business Element

User Roles Required to Work with Business Tags and Business Elements

This topic identifies the roles that are required to work with business tags and business elements. Prime Network determines whether you are authorized to perform a task as follows:

For GUI-based tasks (tasks that do not affect elements), authorization is based on the default permission that is assigned to your user account.

For element-based tasks (tasks that do affect elements), authorization is based on the default permission that is assigned to your account. That is, whether the element is in one of your assigned scopes and whether you meet the minimum security level for that scope.

For more information on user authorization, see the Cisco Prime Network 3.10 Administrator Guide.

The following tables identify the tasks that you can perform:

Table 7-1 identifies the tasks that you can perform if a selected element is not in one of your assigned scopes.

Table 7-2 identifies the tasks that you can perform if a selected element is in one of your assigned scopes.

By default, users with the Administrator role have access to all managed elements. To change the Administrator user scope, see the topic on device scopes in the Cisco Prime Network 3.10 Administrator Guide.

Table 7-1 Default Permission/Security Level Required for Working with Business Tags and Business Elements - Element Not in User's Scope 

Task
Viewer
Operator
OperatorPlus
Configurator
Administrator

Attach a business tag

Partial1

X

Detach a business tag

Partial1

X

Search for a business tag

Partial1

X

View business tag properties

Partial1

X

Rename a business element

X

X

X

X

X

Delete a business element

X

X

X

X

X

1 Configurator user role default permission supports the action for business elements, which do not have scopes. The Configurator user role default permission supports the action for elements only if the elements are in the user's scope.


Table 7-2 Default Permission/Security Level Required for Working with Business Tags and Business Elements - Element in User's Scope 

Task
Viewer
Operator
OperatorPlus
Configurator
Administrator

Attach a business tag

Partial1

X

Detach a business tag

Partial1

X

Search for a business tag

Partial1

X

View business tag properties

Partial1

X

Rename a business element

X

X

X

X

X

Delete a business element

X

X

X

X

X

1 Configurator user role default permission supports the action for business elements, which do not have scopes. The Configurator user role default permission supports the action for elements only if the elements are in the user's scope.


Using Chinese Characters

Cisco Prime Network Vision supports Chinese characters in business tags, enabling you to perform the following activities using Chinese characters:

Create a business tag—Attaching and Detaching Business Tags.

Search for business tags and view business tag properties—Searching for Business Tags and Viewing Their Properties.

Generate a list of business tags.

Edit the details of a business tag.

Write business tag notes.

Remove business tags.

Create aggregations.

Export a business tag through a northbound interface.

See the following documents for more information about these features:

Configuring your system to use Chinese characters— Cisco Prime Network 3.10 Installation Guide.

Integration over northbound interfaces—Cisco Prime Network 3.11 Integration Developer Guide.

Attaching and Detaching Business Tags

You can attach one business tag for each entity, such as a port or interface. A business tag might identify a new subscriber to a port, or other information that is relevant in your environment.

To attach a business tag:


Step 1 Right-click the required network object and choose Attach Business Tag. The Attach Business Tag dialog box is displayed, as shown in Figure 7-1.

Figure 7-1 Attach Business Tag Dialog Box

Step 2 Enter the information for the business tag:

Unique Key—Enter a unique identifier for the business tag.

Name—Enter a name for the business tag.


Note Business tag names are case-sensitive.


Type—Choose the type of business tag: Subscriber, Provider Connection, or Label.


Note If you select Label, the name of the network object changes to display the business tag name if the Replace name with Business Tag option is selected in the Options dialog box (Tools > Options). For more information about display options, see Adjusting the Prime Network Vision GUI Client Settings.


Notes—(Optional) Enter a free-text message.

Step 3 Click Save. The business tag is attached to the network object and displayed in the Business Tag tab of the inventory window for the selected network object. The business tag name is also displayed throughout Cisco Prime Network Vision, such as in the navigation pane, maps, and Cisco PathTracer.


You can search and edit business tag information attached to a network object using tools available from the appropriate Business Tag dialog box.

To detach a business tag, right-click the network object and choose Detach Business Tag.

Searching for Business Tags and Viewing Their Properties

Cisco Prime Network Vision enables you to find a business tag by entering the full or partial business tag key, the full or partial business tag, or by specifying a specific type of business tag. In response, the business tags that meet the search criteria are listed.

If you know the location of the business tag, you can view its properties by opening the Business Tag tab in the element's inventory window.

To search for a business tag:


Step 1 Choose Edit > Find Business Tag from the main menu. Figure 7-2 shows an example of the Find Business Tag dialog box.

Figure 7-2 Find Business Tag Dialog Box

Table 7-3 describes the fields in the Find Business Tag dialog box.

Table 7-3 Find Business Tag Dialog Box Fields 

Icon
Name
Description

Find Business Tag

Finds the business tag according to a name, key, or type entered in the Find Business Tag dialog box.

Clear Search

Clears the search information entered in fields in the Find Business Tag dialog box.

Edit Business Tag

Opens the Edit Business Tag dialog box so you can edit the selected business tag.

Detach Business Tag

Removes the selected business tag from the element.

Help

Displays online help for Cisco Prime Network Vision and Cisco Prime Network Events.

Input Fields

Unique Key

Enter the key you are searching for.

Name

Enter a full or partial entry of the name you are searching for.

The search function is case-insensitive, so entering the string biz tag in the Name field results in business tags with names containing Biz Tag, Biz tag, and biz tag.

Type

From the drop-down list, select the type of business tag you are searching for: Label, Subscriber, Provider Connection, or All Types.

Note

Enter a full or partial entry of the note for the business tag you are searching for.

Results Table

Key

Business tag key matching the search criteria.

Name

Business tag names matching the search criteria.

Type

Business tag type matching the search criteria.

Entity

Entity to which the business tag is attached, hyperlinked to entity properties.


Step 2 Enter the search criteria using the information for the Input Fields in Table 7-3, keeping in mind that the search function is case-sensitive.

Step 3 Click Find. The search results are displayed in the Results Table at the bottom of the Find Business Tag dialog box, as shown in Figure 7-2.

Step 4 View additional details as required:

To view the business tag's properties, double-click the business tag in the search results table.

To go to the business tag's location, click the hyperlink provided in the search results table.


Renaming a Business Element

The following caveats apply when renaming a business element:

Except for network VLANs, the original name of the business element is not saved, so you cannot revert to the original name.

Renaming a business element affects all users who have the business element loaded in their service view maps.

To rename business elements in service view maps, right-click the business element and choose Rename.

Deleting a Business Element

You can delete business elements from the database. However, if you delete a business element from the database, it can no longer be viewed in Prime Network. We recommend that you delete a business element only when the physical element no longer exists.


Caution Deleting business elements affects all users who have the business elements loaded in their service view map.

Table 7-4 lists the requirements that must be met before you can delete a business element.

Table 7-4 Business Element Deletion Requirements 

Business Element
Requirements

Layer 2 VPN

The Layer 2 VPN has no Logical Circuit Peers (LCPs), or, if it does, the LCPs display the reconciliation icon.

Layer 3 VPN

The VPN has no virtual routers, or, if it does, the virtual routers and sites display the reconciliation icon.

Site

No sites or interfaces are connected or bound to the VRF, or, if they are connected, they display the reconciliation icon.

Virtual router

The virtual router contains no VRFs, sites, or interfaces, or, if it does, the VRFs, sites, and interfaces display the reconciliation icon.


To delete a business element:


Step 1 Verify that the business element meets all requirements specified in Table 7-4. You cannot delete the element if all requirements are not met.

Step 2 In the Cisco Prime Network Vision navigation pane or a map, right-click the business element, and choose Delete.

Step 3 In the confirmation message, click Yes to delete the currently selected element, or click Yes to All to delete multiple selected elements.

The selected business element is deleted from the business configuration of all users.