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Using the Topology Viewer

Owned by Youlia Ushakova (Deactivated)
Last updated: Oct 31, 2017
8 min read




Note: Infoblox also provides a separate soft ware utility to export NetMRI topology maps of all types to Microsoft Visio-compatible graphics files for editing and printing. This utility, the Topology Visio Export Tool, works with all six of the topology views from NetMRI.

The Topology Viewer (Network Explorer –> Topology) enables you to visualize the network from several viewpoints:

  • The global Network View, where you can view different parts of the network based on the network type: the aggregate, which shows all active links of every type; Link Discovery Protocols, Serial Links and Switch Forwarding, which shows only Ethernet-switched connections throughout the network;
  • The L2 nHop Network Topology, showing the Layer 2 switching paths of the network;
  • The L3 nHop Network Topology, showing the Layer 3 switching/routing paths of the network;
  • The L2/L3 Most Likely Path Network Topology, indicating the spanning tree paths preferred by switched network traffic in the network;
  • The L3 Most Likely Path Network Topology, indicating the routed paths preferred by most packet flows in the network;
  • The VLAN Network Topology, mapping the paths of VLANs throughout the network;
  • Path Analysis (see Performing Path Analysis), enabling L3 path visualization across the enterprise or wide-area network.



Note: Most Likely Path and Path Analysis options require the selection of a source network view.






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Introducing Network Explorer

Search, CSV Export and Refresh Grid tools appear for all lists in the left pane of the Topology page. The Search feature allows contextual search from within any list for an IP address or a string of characters within the specific list of polled information. CSV Export enables exporting the current tabular list to a tab-delimited data file suitable for opening in Microsoft ExcelTM. You can also refresh any list by clicking the Refresh Grid tool. If changes occur after a refresh, the topology will redraw.
In all topology types (L2 nHop Network Topology, L3 nHop Network Topology, and so on) clicking on a device in the left-pane list displays a Hop Count selector. This selector changes its fields based on the protocol. (The figure to the left shows an L3 n Hop selector, in which you can choose a Hop Count from 1 to 4, and the protocol to view. The protocol you choose may or may not be active for the current device.
The Hop Count selector does not apply to the Path Analysis feature.
After you generate a graph, follow the topics below to change and enhance the graph.
Devices of different types appear differently in the View. Firewalls and virtual hosts such as Cisco ASA security devices and Nexus switches will show different icons.

Using Refine View

The Refine View tool is handy for narrowing down the possibilities for path tracing, and for avoiding errors when attempting a possibly lengthy path analysis operation.
First, consider that Path Analysis is a L3 tracing feature. Before you perform any path analysis, click on Network Explorer –> Topology –> Network accordion menu –> Aggregate and click the Refine View button.
The Edit View dialog appears, displaying the Device Group tab.
Hover the mouse over the Action icon for the device group that you want to use as the basis for your path analysis. Choose Select Blue or Select Yellow from the Actions pop-up menu. The color for the Group appears under the Selections column. Click OK, and the Topology map redraws to add color markers to all devices in the map corresponding to the chosen device group. Apply colors to different device groups to help in a broader search across a large network.
Other tabs that you can use to outline parts of the network topology include the following:
VLAN–Select a VLAN form this tab, associate a color with it, and you can outline the path of a L3 switched VLAN in the network;
Network View–Select a network view from this tab, associate a color with it, and all devices participating in the network view will be labeled;
Issues–Enable the Show All Issues check box to show all devices in the network that are currently sustaining issues. Hover the mouse over the device icon to see an Issues Seen summary;
Change–Enable a checkbox, Show All Changes, to change the topology map to show an icon next to all devices that have sustained recent configuration changes. Hover the mouse over the Change icon to see a Changes Seen summary;
Policy–Enable a checkbox, Show All Policy Violations, to change the topology map to show an icon next to all devices that are currently sustaining policy violations. Hover the mouse over the Policy icon (icons are a green Pass checkmark icon or a Fail "X" icon) to view a summary of the device and its policy information;
By checking for Issues and general network connectivity characteristics, you can more easily choose the source and destination devices for a Path Analysis that have a correct L3 configuration to provide a likelihood of a successful path analysis operation.

Network Views Information in Topologies

The L2 nHop, L3 nHop, L2/L3 Most Likely Path, and L3 Most Likely Path topology menus all support the Network View data point, listing the network views in which each listed device participates. Clicking the link in this column for any device opens the Network Viewer window.





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Using the Topology Viewer

Using the Topology Shortcut Menu

Right-clicking on any device icon on the Topology pane provides a selection of device exploration features. Its contents change based on the selected device.
Device Viewer–Opens the Device Viewer for the chosen device.
Config Explorer–Opens the Device Viewer's Config Explorer page for the chosen device. You can browse the list of configs in the device and edit existing config files.
View Running Config–Displays the currently running configuration for the chosen device in a Configuration Viewer window.
Changes–Opens the Device Viewer's Network Analysis –> Changes page for the chosen device.
Issue List–Opens the Device Viewer's Network Analysis –> Issues page for the chosen device. This page lists all Error, Warning and Info issues for the chosen device.
Policy Compliance–Opens the Device Viewer's Network Analysis –> Policy Compliance page for the chosen device. The current device's status in DISA-standard security and stability levels is outlined here, with links to configuration policy analysis functions from this page;
L2 nHop–Displays the L2 nHop Network Topology in a separate window, showing the Layer 2 switching paths directly associated with the current device.
L3 nHop–Displays the L3 nHop Network Topology map in a separate window, showing the Layer 3 routed switching paths directly associated with the current device.
L2/L3 Path Viewer–Displays the L2/L3 Most Likely Path Network Topology map in a separate window, indicating the VLAN spanning tree paths directly associated with the current device.
L3 Path Viewer– Displays the L3 Most Likely Path Network Topology map in a separate window, indicating the L3 routed paths directly associated with the current device.
Schedule Job–Schedule a job script (CCS, Perl, or Python) to run on the chosen device, from the Script Run Now wizard. See Creating and Scheduling Jobs for more information about job scripting.
Execute Command–Opens the Script Run Now wizard, with the Commands to be Executed section active. Type in any configuration command.

Using Different Network Topologies

The Network view list (Network Explorer –> Topology –> Network) shows L2 and L3 network devices and their respective connections, in aggregate or a choice from several individual layer 2 link types.

  • To select a network view: In the left panel, open the Network section, then click the view type. Available network views are:
  • Aggregate combines the Link Discovery Protocols, Serial Links and Switch Forwarding views. It gives you a graphical depiction of the entire network discovered and polled by NetMRI.
  • Pass the mouse over any device icon in the map. A popup message appears listing the name and basic characteristics of the device represented by that icon.
  • Link Discovery Protocols shows L2/L3 devices using Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) or Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP), and their interconnections.
  • Serial Links shows L2/L3 devices connected by serial links.
  • Switch Forwarding shows L2/L3 devices using switch forwarding.


Adjusting the View

You can zoom into and out of the graphic view, resize the graphical view, and enable or disable visual features, such as the legend.

    • To show/hide the Graph Overview, which is a thumbnail view of the entire graphical map of the network: choose Menu –> Graph Overview.
    • To zoom in: Click Zoom In, or resize the box in the Graph Overview to make it smaller.



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Introducing Network Explorer

    • To zoom out: Click Zoom Out, or resize the box in the Graph Overview to make it larger.
    • To fit the graph in the panel: Click the Fit Content button.
    • To pan the graph: Drag the box in the Graph Overview.


Viewing Data

Various methods are available to view device data in the Topology Viewer:

    • To view basic data about a device: Hover the mouse over the device.
    • To view detailed data about a device: Click the device. (The Device Viewer opens.)
    • To view basic data about the link between two devices: Hover over the link.
    • To view issues for a device: Right-click the device, then click Show issues on Device Viewer.... The Device Viewer appears.
    • To view a device's configuration file: Right-click the device, then click View Configuration for....
    • To generate a new graph with a device as the starting point: Right-click the device, then click Show n Hops (L2) from... Show n Hops (L3) from... Show L2/L3 path starting from... or Show L3 path starting from.



Note: Graph choices depend on what can be viewed from the selected device.


Modifying the Graph

You can change the elements shown in the topology graph in the following ways:

  • To restrict devices shown in the graph: Select a device group in the Select Device Groups panel. (This feature is not available for VLAN graphs.)
  • To show all devices in the graph: Select All Devices in the Select Device Groups panel.
  • To modify the graph in other ways: Click the Refine View button. The Edit View dialog appears, where you can:
    • Show end hosts (by enabling the Show End Hosts option).
    • Color-code members of a device group or VLAN (in the appropriate tab, select a color).
    • Highlight devices having issues, changes and/or policy violations (in the appropriate tab, enable the option).


Printing, Exporting and Changing Topology Views

NetMRI's Topology View provides several tools for manipulating the visual map, including exporting the map as a graphic, printing it, detaching the map into a separate popup window, or refine the current view to show
more-specific parts of the map or filter the view by device group, VLAN or other specification.

  • To print the graph: Menu –> Print.
  • To export the graph as an image: Menu –> Export as Image. Printing or exporting the graph reproduces the entire graph, not just the portion currently shown.
  • To launch a larger view of the current graph in a separate window: Menu –> Detach View.
  • To show a legend at the bottom of the screen: Menu –> Legend.



Note: Only items you have chosen in the Refine View will appear on the legend. If you have no options chosen you will not be able to turn on the legend.









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L2 nHop Network Topology