Managing Inventory

You can discover the devices using the auto discovery option, and import the details into VTS. You can also manually create a CSV file with device details, in a prescribed format, and import it into VTS.

This chapter has the following sections:

Performing Auto Discovery

In the auto discovery option, VTS automatically discovers the network topology in the data center and lets you export the device details as a CSV file that contains the port-server mapping . You can modify and import this CSV file to add details to the inventory.

The auto discovery option has the following prerequisites:

  • LLDP enabled on ToRs, Spine, DCI, Computes.

  • A seed device has to be identified, and the IP should be provided. The seed IP is that of one of the leaves or spine.

  • All devices that have to be discovered have the same credentials

To perform auto discovery:

    Step 1   Go to Inventory Management >Topology Discovery. The Auto Discovery page appears.
    Step 2   Enter the IP Address of the seed device.
    Step 3   Enter the Seed Device User Name and Seed Device Password.
    Step 4   Click Start Discovery.
    Step 5   After the auto discovery is complete, export the device details as a CSV file using the Export Inventory button.

    You may edit the CSV file to modify the device details, before you import the file into VTS using the Import Inventory option. See Importing Device Inventory, for details.

    The VTS discovery log file is under /var/log/ncs/vts-discovery.log. Check for any errors/exceptions in this log file.

    If, during auto discovery, VTS fails to log into any of the nodes, then the information of the nodes along with the error details can be found in /var/log/ncs/vts-discovery.errors

    Importing Device Inventory

    The device inventory details need to be uploaded using a CSV file, in the prescribed format. The inventory file is used to define device mappings. If the format is incorrect, VTC displays an error and provides the details of the error. After a successful import, the topology gets displayed based on the mapping specified in the file.


    Note
    In a VMware environment, each time you add a ToR, you must create a corresponding VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS). See the Creating VMware vSphere Distribution Switch section in the VTS Solution Quick Start Guide for details.

    A sample inventory file can be downloaded from the following url: https://<VTS-IPADDRESS>:8443/VTS/ps-mapping.csv

      Step 1   Go to Inventory Management > Import Inventory.
      Step 2   In the Import Inventory page, click Choose File.

      Click the ? icon to view details about the format of the CSV file you should upload.

      Step 3   Browse for the CSV file, and click OK.

      Viewing the Network Topology

      To view the network topology:

        Step 1   Go to Network Details > Topology.
        Step 2   Select the tenant for which you need to view the topology, from the Select Tenant drop down list.

        The topology is displayed in the Topology window. You can use the following buttons to control the display:

        • Select node mode

        • Move mode

        • Zoom in / Zoom out / Zoom Selection

        • Fit Stage

        • Full Screen mode

        Hover the mouse cursor over the Topology Setting icon to view Topology Setting popup, where you can change the display icon appearance, and display color.

        Viewing Network Inventory

        The network inventory table displays details about the devices which have been added to the inventory.

        To view the network topology:

          Step 1   Go to Network Details > Network Inventory. The Network Inventory table is displayed.
          Step 2   To view the most up to date information about a device, select the check box corresponding to the device.

          The following details are displayed:

          • Device Name

          • Admin State

          • Device Status

          • IP Address

          • Auth Group

          • Device Role

          • Group ID

          • Peering Mode

          • bgp-asn

          • Loopback Interface Number

          • Loopback Interface IP

          You can add network devices via the Network Inventory table. To do this, click the + icon, and provide the details. You can use this option to add devices to the inventory. You can also edit device details using the Edit Device option.

          Adding Fabric Connection

          To add fabric connection:

             Command or ActionPurpose
            Step 1Go to Network Details > Network Inventory. The Network Inventory table is displayed.    
            Step 2Click Fabric Connection tab, then click + Add.  

            The Add Fabric Connection popup is displayed.

             
            Step 3Enter the necessary details and click OK.    

            Viewing Host Inventory

            You can view the details of the hosts connected to the switches. To view host inventory details:
              Step 1   Go to Network Details > Host Inventory.
              Step 2   Select the device from the Select Device drop-down list. The Device port-host mapping table displays the details of the hosts connected to the device. The following details are displayed:

              • Host Name

              • Host Type

              • Host Interface

              • Host IP Address

              • Device Port Name

              • Connection ID

              You can add a host from the table. To do this, click the + icon in the table, and provide the necessary details. You can also edit or delete a host.