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Finding and Restoring Data

Grid Manager provides tools for organizing and quickly retrieving your DNS, DHCP and IP address management data. The Finder panel, which appears on all pages in Grid Manager, provides tools for organizing your data. The Finder panel provides easy access to the following:

  • Smart Folders: Contains a hierarchical list of smart folders that are available in My Smart Folders. For information, see Smart Folders.
  • Bookmarks: Contains bookmarked objects, such as networks and IP addresses. 
  • Recycle Bin: Contains deleted objects that can be restored or permanently removed. 
  • URL Links: Contains a list of third-party URLs that you previously added. You can add more URL links, and modify and delete existing URL links. For information, see Managing Third Party URL Links below.

In the Finder panel, you can expand and collapse these sections. To expand a section, click the + icon next to the header. To collapse a section, click the - icon.
In addition, Grid Manager also provides the following:

  • Filters to customize data displays. For more information, see Using Filters and Using Quick Filters below.
  • Global Search to search the NIOS database for objects that match your criteria. For more information, see Applying Quick Filters below.
  • Go To function to quickly locate an object. For more information, see Using the Go To Function below.

Using Bookmarks

The Bookmarks section displays objects for which you have created bookmarks. You can create bookmarks for objects such as networks, DNS zones, and admin groups. To bookmark an object, navigate to its page and click the Bookmark icon at the top of the page. If you have more than one network view, Grid Manager displays the name of the bookmark with the network view to which the object belongs. For example, when you bookmark IP address 10.128.0.10 in the default network view, Grid Manager displays the bookmark as default > 12.128.0.10.
However, if you have only one network view, Grid Manager displays only the object name 12.128.0.10. If you create
a bookmark before adding more network views, the bookmark name (without the network view) remains the same. You can rename the bookmark at any time. You can create only one bookmark for each object, up to 500 objects. When your bookmarks are close to 500, you may want to remove some to create room for new ones.
You can perform the following in Bookmarks:

  • Access a bookmarked object
  • Edit the name of a bookmark
  • Delete a bookmark

To access a bookmarked object, click the name of the bookmark. Grid Manager displays the network view to which the bookmarked object belongs. For example, clicking on the bookmark of network 10.0.1/24 takes you to the network list view. You cannot access an object that has been deleted.
You can arrange the order of the bookmarked objects by dragging and dropping the objects in the Finder panel.

To edit the name of a bookmark:

  1. Mouse over to the bookmark.
  2. Click the Edit icon.
  3. Modify the name of the bookmark. Note that you cannot create multiple bookmarks with the same name.

To delete a bookmark:

  1. Mouse over to the bookmark.
  2. Click the Delete icon. Grid Manager removes the bookmark.

Using the Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin section contains objects that you deleted. It provides a way to restore data where the deletion of the object (such as a network) could result in a major data loss.
You must enable the Recycle Bin in Grid Manager to store and restore deleted objects. For information about how to enable and disable the Recycle Bin, see Enabling and Disabling the Recycle Bin below. When you use the Recycle Bin, you can restore deleted objects to the active configuration. You can also permanently remove the objects from the Recycle Bin. If you do not enable the Recycle Bin, the appliance immediately removes objects from the database when you delete them using Grid Manager.

Note

When you upgrade to a new NIOS release, the appliance permanently deletes the objects from the Recycle Bin.

On a NIOS appliance, only superusers have permissions to fully manage the Recycle Bin. If you have limited-access permissions, you can view, restore, and permanently remove only the objects that you deleted.
For Cloud Network Automation, the Recycle Bin is not supported on the Cloud Platform Appliance. Only deletions perform on the Grid Master are stored in the Recycle Bin. Deleted objects can only be restored from the Grid Master. For information about Cloud Network Automation, see Deploying Cloud Network Automation.

You can do the following in the Recycle Bin:

  • View deleted objects
  • Restore deleted objects
  • Remove deleted objects
  • Empty the Recycle Bin

Enabling and Disabling the Recycle Bin

To enable or disable the Recycle Bin:

1. From the Grid tab, select the Grid Manager tab, and then click Grid Properties -> Edit from the Toolbar.

2. In the Grid Properties Editor, select the General tab, and then complete the following:

   Select Enable Recycle Bin to enable the Recycle Bin
   or
   Deselect Enable Recycle Bin to disable the Recycle Bin.

3. Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

Viewing Objects in the Recycle Bin

Grid Manager displays the short name of all deleted objects in the Recycle Bin. For example, the short names for hosts and resource records are their domain names, and the short names for fixed addresses and reservations are their IP addresses.
The Recycle Bin does not display all deleted objects; it can display up to 15 of the most recently deleted objects. When the Recycle Bin contains objects that are not displayed in the Finder panel or multiple objects that have the same name, the Show All button appears. Click the button to display the Recycle Bin dialog box that contains detailed information about each deleted object. When you have multiple deleted objects that use the same name, you may want to view detailed information about the deleted objects before taking any action. You can remove and restore selected objects and empty the Recycle Bin in the Recycle Bin dialog box.
You can do the following in the Recycle Bin dialog box:

  • Sort the data in ascending or descending order by column.
  • Use filters and the search function to look for specific objects. For information about filters, see Using Filters below.
  • Create a quick filter to save frequently used filter criteria. For information, see Using Quick Filters below.
  • Use the GoTo function to quickly find the data in the list. With the autocomplete feature, you can just enter the first few characters of an object name in the GoTo field and select the object from the possible matches.

To view detailed information about deleted objects:

  1. In the Finder panel, expand Recycle Bin.
  2. Click Show All.

Grid Manager displays the Recycle Bin dialog box that contains the following information for each object:

  • Name: The short name of the object. For example, the short names for fixed addresses and reservations are their IP addresses.
  • Type: The object type.
  • Parent/Container: The parent object or parent container to which the object belongs.
  • Admin: The admin name of the user who deleted the object.
  • Data: The data that the object contains, if any.
  • Network View: The network view to which the object belongs.
  • Time: The time stamp when the object was deleted. To close the dialog box, click Close.

Restoring Objects from the Recycle Bin

You can restore deleted objects from the Recycle Bin only if you enable the Recycle Bin, and only if you select an object in the panel. You can restore only one object at a time. Deleted objects are stored in the Recycle Bin until you delete them or empty the bin.


To restore items from the Recycle Bin:

  1. In the Finder panel, expand Recycle Bin.
  2. Select the object you want to restore.
  3. Click the Restore icon.

Grid Manager restores the object to its corresponding container or configuration. You can confirm the restoration by checking that the object does not appear in the Recycle Bin any longer, and that it is reestablished in the appropriate panel in the GUI.

Deleting Objects in the Recycle Bin

You can permanently delete individual objects in the Recycle Bin only if the Recycle Bin is enabled.

To delete objects in the Recycle Bin:

  1. In the Finder panel, expand Recycle Bin.
  2. Select the object you want to delete.
  3. Click the Delete icon.
    Grid Manager displays the Confirm Delete dialog box.
  4. Click Yes to delete the object.

Emptying the Recycle Bin

You can permanently delete the contents of the Recycle Bin, if enabled. Only superusers can empty the Recycle Bin. Because the Recycle Bin can grow large, you can periodically empty the Recycle Bin to free up disk space.


To empty the Recycle Bin:

  1. In the Finder panel, expand Recycle Bin.
  2. Click Empty.
    Grid Manager displays the Confirm Empty Recycle Bin dialog box to confirm that you wish to empty the Recycle Bin.
  3. Click Yes.

Managing Third Party URL Links

In the URL Links section, you can add the URL links of frequently used third party portals and destinations.

To add URL links:

  1. In the Finder panel, expand URLLinks.
  2. Click Add.
  3. In the URL Configuration dialog box, complete the following:
    • URL: Enter the URL of the destinati characters. When you enter the URL, the appliance validates the entry. You cannot save the entry if the URL is not in a valid format.
    • Name: Enter a name that represents the portal or site of the URL.
    • Setasglobalparameter: This field appears only if you log in as a superuser. Select this checkbox to make the URL link globally available to all users.
    • Logo: Click Upload to add a logo to the URL. The appliance displays the logo in 16x16 pixels. Click ResettoDefault to use the default logo.
  4. Save the configuration.

To modify the information you entered for an existing URL link:

  1. In the Finder panel, expand URLLinks.
  2. Hover your mouse over the URL you want to modify, and then click the Edit icon.
  3. In the URLConfiguration dialog box, modify the information as described in  the previous section Adding URL Links.

To permanently delete an URL link:

  1. In the Finder panel, expand URLLinks.
  2. Hover your mouse over the URL you want to delete, and then click the Delete icon.
  3. In the DeleteURLLink dialog box, click Yes.

Using Filters

You can control the amount and the kind of data displayed in a specific panel by adding filter criteria. When you add filter criteria, the appliance screens the data based on your filter rules and displays only the information that matches the rules. To narrow your search for specific information, you can add up to 10 filter rules. In some panels, such as the DHCP Networks tab, you can switch between viewing information with and without the filter criteria by toggling the filter on and off. You can save filter criteria as quick filters so you can reuse the same filter rules to obtain updated information without redefining them each time you log in to the appliance. For information about quick filters, see Using Quick Filters below.
You can also use filters to find objects that have failed an operation. When you try to modify multiple objects with the same extensible attribute, the appliance may not modify all of the selected objects. For information, see About Extensible Attributes. For example, after you modify the extensible attribute "Building" with new value "West", you can find the objects that are not updated by defining a filter with "Building" "does not equal" "West".
Depending on the filter criteria, you can use different filter operations to narrow down your search results. Grid Manager supports the following filter operations based on your selected filter criteria:

  • equals: Defines a specific value for a selected filter criterion
  • does not equal: Defines a selected filter criterion that does not equal a specific value
  • begins with: Specifies a beginning value for a selected filter criterion
  • does not begin with: Specifies a selected filter criterion that does not begin with a specific value
  • has a value: Specifies a selected filter criterion that contains a value
  • does not have a value: Specifies a selected filter criterion that does not contain a value
  • belongs to: Defines a selected filter criterion that belongs to a specific parent object
  • Inheritance State equals: Specifies a specific inheritance state

To use a filter:

  1. In a panel, click Show Filter to enable the function.
  2. In the filter section, complete the following:
    • In the first drop-down list, select a field such as an object name, comment, or an extensible attribute (fields with a gray background) as the filter criterion. Grid Manager displays only the supported fields.
    • In the operator drop-down list, select an operator for the filter criterion. Depending on what you select in the first filter field, this list displays the relevant operators for the selection. The operator Inheritance State equals is displayed only when you select an inheritable extensible attribute from the Type drop-down list. This operator is not displayed if the extensible attribute is not inheritable.
    • In the value field, enter or select the attribute value for the first filter field. Depending on what you select for the first two filter fields, you can either enter a value or select an attribute from a drop-down list. For example, if you select an extensible attribute in the first filter field, you can enter the attribute value here. If you select an inheritable extensible attribute from the Type drop-down list, and select Inheritance State equals in the operator drop-down list, the value field displays a drop-down list with these values: Inherited and Overridden/No Parent. When you select Inherited, extensible attributes that are inherited by the descendants are listed. When you select Overridden/No Parent, extensible attributes which are overridden or do not have a parent are listed.
  3. Optionally, click the + icon to add another filter rule. You can add up to 10 filter rules.
  4. Click Apply to apply the rules
    or
    Click Reset to clear the filter criteria.

To view information with or without the filter criteria:

  • Click ToggleFilterOn to apply filter criteria to the displayed data. Grid Manager displays only the filtered data in the panel.
    or
    Click ToggleFilterOff to have the appliance list all data without applying filter criteria.

Using Quick Filters

  • System quick filters: These are predefined filters. You cannot modify the criteria of these filters. System quick filters are prefixed with \[S\] in the quick filter list. Infoblox currently supports the following system quick filters in the DNS data panels:
    • All Forward Mapping Zones: This quick filter displays all forward mapping zones in lexicographical order.
    • All Reverse Mapping Zones: This quick filter displays all IPv4 and IPv6 reverse mapping zones in numerical order. The appliance displays IPv4 zones before IPv6 zones.
    • All IPv4 Reverse Mapping Zones: This quick filter displays only the IPv4 reverse mapping zones in numerical order.
    • All IPv6 Reverse Mapping Zones: This quick filter displays only the IPv6 reverse mapping zones in numerical order.
    • RPZ Logs: This quick filter displays only the RPZ syslog messages in CEF format. This option is displayed only in the Syslog when RPZ license is enabled.

    Note that in the default DNS zone view, the appliance displays forward mapping zones first, followed by IPv4 reverse mapping zones, and then IPv6 reverse mapping zones.

  • Global quick filters: Only superusers can define global quick filters. You can make global filters available to all users. Limited-access users can use global quick filters, but they cannot modify them. Global filters are prefixed with \[G\] in the filter list.
  • Local quick filters: Limited-access users can create local quick filters for their own use. You cannot share local quick filters with other users in the Grid. Local filters are prefixed with \[L\] in the filter list.

Adding Quick Filters

To add quick filters:

  1. In a panel that supports filters, click Show Filters.
  2. In the filter section, define filter criteria for the quick filter, as described in Using Filters.
  3. Click Save.
  4. In the Save Quick Filter dialog box, complete the following:
    • Name: Enter a name for the quick filter. The name must be 20 characters or longer. Ensure that you use a unique name for each quick filter in a particular filter category. For example, you can use the same filter name for both a global and local filter, but you cannot do so for two local filters.
    • Set as a global quick filter: This displays only if you log in as a superuser. Select this checkbox to make the quick filter globally available to all users.
  5. Save the configuration.

The appliance adds the quick filter to the quick filter drop-down list in the specified panel.

Modifying Quick Filters

To modify quick filters:

  1. In a panel that supports filters, click ShowFilters, and then select the quick filter you want to modify from the QuickFilter drop-down list.
  2. In the filter section, click the Edit icon next to the filter name.
  3. Modify the filter criteria, as described above in Using Filters.
  4. Click Save.
  5. In the SaveQuickFilter dialog box, you can click Save to save the modified filter criteria under the same quick filter name. You can also modify the quick filter name, as described in Modifying Quick Filters, and save the entry as a new quick filter.
  6. Save the configuration.

Applying Quick Filters

To apply quick filters:

  1. In a panel that supports filters, click Show Filters, and select the quick filter from the Quick Filter drop-down list.
  2. Based on the filter criteria, the appliance displays the filtered information in the panel. The selected quick filter remains active in the panel until you select another quick filter.

Turning Off Quick Filters

You can do one of the following to turn off a quick filter:

  • Select None from the quick filter drop-down list.
  • Click ToggleFilterOff or Reset in the filter section.
  • Delete a quick filter, as described in Deleting Quick Filters below.

Deleting Quick Filters

To delete quick filters:

  1. In a panel that supports filters, click ShowFilters, and then select the quick filter you want to delete from the QuickFilter drop-down list.
  2. In the filter section, click the Delete icon next to the filter name.
  3. In the DeleteQuickFilter dialog box, click Yes to permanently delete the quick filter.

Using Global Search

Note

  • Depending on the size of your database, global search may take a long time to complete. Grid Manager times out when queries or searches take longer than 120 seconds. To expedite searches, use filters to refine the search criteria. You can also use basic global searches if you have a large data set and you only need to search by a single filter criterion.
  • To search for any DHCP objects or its attributes using Global Search, you must have DHCP license installed.
  • Click the Open icon to view detailed information of the matching object.
  • Click the Edit icon to edit the matching object information. For information, see Editing Matching Objects in Search Results below.
  • Click the Extensible Attributes icon to edit the value of the respective extensible attribute. For information, see Editing Multiple Extensible Attributes in Search Results below.
  • Click the Export icon to export the data displayed in the Results table.
  • Click the Print icon to print the data displayed in the Results table.

To perform a global search:

  1. Click the Global Search icon on the navigation bar.
    By default, the appliance opens the Basic tab of the Search dialog box.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • If you want faster search results and you can search by DNS name, DUID, IP address, or MAC address, do the following in the Basic tab:
      Include Network Insight Devices and Interfaces: This appears only when you have the Network Insight license installed. Select this checkbox to include devices and interfaces discovered through Network Insight. Note that it might take longer than expected for the appliance to return results for these objects. The setting is saved between user sessions.
      • ChooseFilter: Select a value from the drop-down list. You can explicitly search by DNS name (FQDN or CNAME only), DUID, IP address, or a MAC address. Note that you can apply only one filter at a time.
      • ChooseOperator: Select an operator for the filter criterion. Depending on what you select in the first filter field, this list displays the relevant operators for the selection. Possible values include equals, beginswith, and contains. For example, if you choose a DNSName filter, contains is the only applicable operator.
      • In the value field, enter the value for the filter field. For example, if you select DUID in the first filter field, you can enter the DUID of the client's device in the value field.
    • If you have a more complex search requirement and need to include multiple filter criteria, do the following in the Advanced tab:
      • In the first field, enter the value that you want your search results to match. For example, if you want to search for hostnames that contain "Infoblox," enter Infoblox in this field. You can also specify the value of an inheritable extensible attribute. You can use regular expressions in the search value.
      • In the Type drop-down list, select an object type, comment, or an extensible attribute (fields with a gray background) as the filter criterion. Grid Manager displays all the supported fields in the drop-down list. The default is Type. Grid Manager searches all objects when you use the default. You can narrow down the search and improve the search performance by selecting an object type. Extensible attributes are displayed with a gray background.
      • In the operator drop-down list, select an operator for the filter criterion. Depending on what you select in the first filter field, this list displays the relevant operators for the selection. The operator InheritanceStateequals is displayed only when you select an inheritable extensible attribute from the Type drop-down list. This operator is not displayed if the extensible attribute is not inheritable.
      • In the value field, enter or select the attribute value for the first filter field. Depending on what you select for the first two filter fields, you can either enter a value or select an attribute from a drop-down list. For example, if you select an extensible attribute in the first filter field, you can enter the attribute value here. If you use the default Type in the first filter field, you can select an object or record type from the drop-down list. The default is ALL. Grid Manager searches all object types when you use the default. If you select an inheritable extensible attribute from the Type drop-down list, and select InheritanceStateequals in the operator drop-down list, the value field displays a drop-down list with these values: Inherited and Overridden/NoParent. When you select Inherited, extensible attributes that are inherited by the descendants are listed. When you select Overridden/NoParent, extensible attributes which are overridden or do not have a parent are listed.
      • Optionally, click the + icon to add another filter. You can add up to 10 filter rules.
      • IncludeExtensibleAttributesValues: Select this checkbox to include extensible attributes in the search results for the matching objects. Once selected, this configuration affects all future searches for the current user. Note that it might take longer for the search results to appear if there are a large number of extensible attributes associated with the matching objects.
        Note that you can save each search that contains multiple filter criteria as a quick filter for future use. For information about quick filters, see Using Quick Filters above.

  3. Optionally, you can click Reset to clear the search results and start a new search. You can also click the Refresh icon to refresh the search results.
    Grid Manager stores the search results until you reset the search parameters or log out.
  4. After you finish defining filters, click Search or press Enter.

In the Results table, Grid Manager displays the following information:

  • Name: The name of the matching object. This field displays the name of the matching object and the path to the matching object if the object is a network or an IP address. You can click the link to open, view, and edit the object.
  • Type: The type of the matching object. For example, bulk host, NS record, forward-mapping authoritative zone, or network container.
  • MatchedProperty: The attribute or property of the matching object. For example, if the search value matches the email address that corresponds to a hostname, this field displays Email. If the search value matches the DNS view of a resource record in a DNS zone, this field displays DNSView/FQDN.
  • MatchedValue: The value of the matching object. For example, if an IP address contains the search value, this field displays the IP address. If a hostname contains the search value, this field displays the hostname.
  • IPAddress: The IP address of the matching object. When you click the IP address link, Grid Manager displays the corresponding IP address panel from which you can view detailed information.
  • Comment: Comments that were entered for the matching object.
  • Site: Values that were entered for the matching object.


Note

If you have selected to include extensible attribute values, you can select the corresponding columns to be displayed in the search results. Extensible attribute columns are hidden by default.

Editing Matching Objects in Search Results

Grid Manager displays search results in the Results table. You can open and view detailed information about an object. You can also edit the properties of a selected object.

To edit an object in the Results table:

  1. In the Results table, select the object checkbox.
  2. Click the Open or Edit icon. You can also click the link of an object if Grid Manager displays the path. Grid Manager displays the object in the corresponding editor depending on the type of object you selected.
  3. Edit the properties of the object in the editor.
  4. Save your changes.

Deleting Matching Objects in Search Results

You can delete one or multiple matching objects in the search Results table.

To delete a matching object:

  1. In the Results table, select the object checkbox. You can delete multiple objects.
  2. Click the Delete icon.
  3. In the Delete Confirmation dialog box, click Yes.

Grid Manager deletes the selected objects from the database. Most deleted objects are stored in the Recycle Bin. For information, see Using the Recycle Bin above.
You can print search results. You can also export search results in CSV (comma separated value) format. For information For information about CSV Import and Exporting Displayed Data, see Importing and Exporting Data using CSV Import.

Editing Multiple Extensible Attributes in Search Results

You can edit one or multiple extensible attributes of the matching objects in the search Results table using the Multi-Select Edit Extensible Attributes editor. When you change multiple extensible attribute values for selected objects, the values of all selected extensible attributes will be updated.

To edit multiple extensible attributes:

  1. In the Results table, select the object checkbox. You can edit multiple extensible attribute values.
  2. Click the Extensible Attributes icon.
  3. In the Multi-Select Edit Extensible Attributes editor, click on the Value column to edit the value of the respective extensible attribute. For information about which values you can edit, see Managing Extensible Attributes.

Using the Go To Function

You can use the Go To function to quickly locate an object, such as a network or a DNS zone. With the autocomplete feature, you can just type the first few characters of an object name in the Go to field and select the object from a list of possible matches. You can also enter the entire object name, and then click Go to locate a specific object.


To use the Go to function:

  1. From a selector, enter the first few characters of the object name in the Go to field. Grid Manager displays up to ten possible matches in a drop-down list.
  2. Click the object from the drop-down list or use the up and down arrow keys to select the object and then press Enter. Grid Manager completes the operation based on the selected object.