Managing Devices and Hosts

Managing Your Device Inventory

The Device Inventory window displays the results of the discovery scan. To access the Discovery window, from the Navigation pane, click Device Inventory. The Device Inventory window appears.

Figure 1. Device Inventory Window




Note

The information that is displayed depends on the Layout that you selected.

After the initial discovery, network devices are polled every 30 minutes. Polling occurs for each device, link, host, and interface. Only devices that have been active for less than a day are displayed. This prevents any stale device data from being displayed. On average, polling 500 devices takes approximately 20 minutes.

Callout Number

Name

Description

1

Device Selection check boxes

Select devices to perform tasks.

2

Filters

Allows you to selectively screen the devices that are displayed in the table by name, location tag, and IP address.

3

Layout

Allows you to choose from three predefined layouts or a customized layout:

  • Status—Layout shows the device name, IP address, state of the device, how long it has been up, and the last time it was updated.

  • Hardware—Layout shows the device name, IP address, device family, platform, serial number, MAC address, and role, along with its IOS/firmware version and a link to its configuration file.

  • Tagging—Layout shows the device name, IP address, MAC address, device role, location, and tags.

Below the Device Inventory table, you can adjust the number of devices displayed in the table (10, 25, 50, 100), and you can click First, Previous, Next, Last, or the page number to navigate through the table.

The Device Inventory table displays the following information for each discovered device. All of the columns, except the Config column, support sorting. Clicking on the column header sorts the rows in an ascending order. Clicking on the column header again sorts the rows in descending order.

Table 1 Device Inventory

Device Inventory

Description

Device Status

State of the device.

  • Connecting—Controller is connecting to the device.

  • Authenticated:

    • Discovered—Controller has connected to the device and is able to execute Cisco commands using the CLI .

    • Failure—Controller has connected to the device, but is unable to execute Cisco commands using the CLI. This status usually indicates that the device is not a Cisco device.

  • Authentication Failed—Controller has connected to the device but is unable to determine what type of device it is. This device status also usually indicates that the device is not a Cisco device.

  • Not reachable—Controller is unable to connect to the device.

    Note    If credentials are not provided at the time a discovery request is made or earlier, then the device status could be displayed as "Not reachable." You need to perform a new discovery with the correct credentials.

Device Name

Name of the device. Click the device name to display the Device Overview dialog box with the following information:

  • Device serial number

  • Device IP address

  • MAC address

  • Cisco OS version

  • Up time

  • Product ID

  • Vendor

  • Memory size

Note   

The device name appears red for any device whose inventory has not been updated for more than 30 minutes.

The Device Overview dialog box also includes an Interfaces tab with the following interface data:

  • Status—Up or down

  • Interface name—Name of the interface.

  • MAC address—MAC address of the interface.

MAC Address

MAC address of the device.

IP Address

IP address of the device.

IOS/Firmware

Cisco IOS software currently running on the device.

Platform

Cisco product part number.

Serial Number

Cisco device serial number.

Up Time

Period of time that the device has been up and running.

Config

Click View to display detailed configuration information similar to the CLI show running-config command output.

Note   

This feature is not supported for access points and wireless LAN controllers, therefore configuration data is not returned for these device types.

Device Role

Role assigned to each discovered device during the scan process. The device role is used to identify and group devices according to their responsibilities and placement within the network. If the controller is unable to determine a device role, it sets the device role as unknown.

Note   

The controller can change the device role as the network topology changes, but if you manually change the device role, then the role will not change as the network topology changes.

If desired, you can use the drop-down list in this column to change the assigned device role. The following device roles are available:

  • Unknown

  • Access

  • Core

  • Distribution

  • Border Router

Location

Exactly one location can be applied to a device. Location information is maintained only by the APIC-EM controller; the location applied to a device is not available from the device itself. An APIC-EM location is not the "civic-location" property that some devices support. You cannot create or use locations in Topology view; therefore, locations cannot be attached to hosts, and you cannot search on location in Topology view. Location is a specific type of tag that can be applied to a device. A tag enables a grouping of devices based on an attribute.

Click Add in this column to open a Location window. You can add either an existing or new location in this window.

You can also add a geographical marker on a world map to the device. To add a geographical marker to a device:

  • Click Add Marker and move the marker icon to a location on the world map.

  • Click Set Coordinates to set the exact coordinates for the location on the world map.

  • Click Remove Marker to remove the marker from the world map.

To view the world map, from the Topology window, click the Map icon.

Note   

You can apply only one location tag per device.

Tag

Attribute assigned to a device to identify it or to group it with other devices with the same attribute. For example, you can create a tag and use it to group devices based on a platform ID, Cisco IOS releases, or location.

A number in the Tag column indicates how many tags have been applied to that device.

Click the number or Add in this column to open a Tag dialog box. You can add an existing tag or create a new tag.

Note   

You are permitted to use both a location tag and a device tag together.

Note   

To globally delete a tag, first remove the tag from devices that it is attached to.

Last Updated Time

The date and time that the device was last scanned and the controller database was updated.

Device Family

Group of related devices, as follows:

  • Cisco Interfaces and Modules

  • Routers

  • Switches and Hubs

  • Third Party Device

  • Unsupported Cisco Device

  • Wireless Controller

Device Series

Series number of the device, for example, Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series Switches.

Average Update Frequency

Average number of minutes between updates to the device. By default, devices are polled every 25 minutes.

Last Inventory Collection Status

Status of the last discovery scan for the device:

  • Managed—Device is in a fully managed state.

  • Partial Collection Failure—Device is in a partial collected state and not all the inventory information has been collected.

  • Unreachable—Due to device connectivity issues, the device could not be reached and no inventory information was collected. This condition can occur when periodic collection happens.

  • Wrong Credentials—If the device credentials are changed after adding the device to the inventory, this condition is noted.

  • In Progress—Inventory collection is occurring.

Related Tasks
Changing the Device Role
Adding or Removing a Tag
Adding or Removing Tags to Multiple Devices
Adding or Removing a Location Tag
Adding a Location Marker

Filtering the Devices Table View

You can filter the devices displayed in the Devices table by device name, location, and IP address.

Before You Begin

Access the Device Inventory window by clicking Device Inventory from the Navigation pane.

    Step 1   From the Device Inventory toolbar, click Filters.

    The following filters display:

    • Device Name

    • Device Location

    • Device IP Address

    Step 2   Enter the appropriate value in a selected filter field.

    For example, for the Device IP Address filter enter an IP address.

    Note   

    The controller presents you with auto-complete values as you enter the IP address or any of the other fields. Choose one of the suggested values or finish entering the IP address.

    Note   

    You can also use a wildcard (asterisk) with these filters. You can enter values with the asterisk at the beginning, end, or in the middle of the string value.

    Step 3   Click the plus (+) icon to perform the filter.

    The data displayed in the Devices table automatically updates according to your filter selection.

    Step 4   (Optional) If required for your filter, add one or more filters following the above steps.
    Note   

    You can filter on more than one value per filter or across several different filter types.

    Step 5   Click the x icon to close the filter field or fields and return to the original Devices table display.
    What to Do Next

    Review the updated information displayed in the Device Inventory window. If required for your network configuration, make changes to the displayed columns within the Devices table view.

    Changing the Devices Layout View

    You can change the information that is displayed in the Devices table by selecting different layout views or by customizing a layout view for the devices in your network.

    Before You Begin

    Access the Device Inventory window by clicking Device Inventory from the Navigation pane.

      Step 1   From the Device Inventory toolbar, choose a layout option.

      The following layout options are available:

      • Status—Displays general device status information, including up time, update frequency, and number of updates.

      • Hardware—Displays hardware information, including IOS/firmware, serial number, and device role.

      • Tagging—Displays tagging information, including device role, location, and tag.

      • Customize—Displays a list of options to choose from to create your own layout.

      After selecting a specific layout, the information in the Devices table adjusts for the new display.

      Step 2   To customize a specific layout, choose Customize and the desired display option.
      Note   

      Display options toggle on and off with a checkmark indicating that the option is on (displayed in the table).

      After making a selection, a new column is added to the Devices table and your selected option on the list turns blue with a check mark.
      What to Do Next

      Review the updated information displayed in the Device Inventory window. If required for your network configuration, make adjustments in the following columns:

      • Device Role

      • Location

      • Tag

      Changing the Device Role

      During the scan process, the controller assigns a role to each discovered device. The device role is used to identify and group devices according to their responsibilities and placement in the network.

      A device can have one of the following roles:

      • Unknown—Device role is unknown.

      • Access—Device is located in and performs tasks required of the access layer or first tier/edge of the network.

      • Border Router—Device performs tasks required of a border router.

      • Distribution—Device is located in and performs tasks required of the distribution layer of the network.

      • Core—Device is located in and performs tasks required of the core of the network.

      You can change the device role in the Device Inventory window.


      Note

      You can also change the device role from the Topology window. See Changing the Device Role in the Topology Window.

      Before You Begin

      Access the Device Inventory window to change the role of a device.


      Note

      You must have administrator permissions to perform the following procedure. For information about the user permissions required to perform tasks using the Cisco APIC-EM, see Chapter 4, Managing Users and Roles.

        Step 1   From the Navigation pane, click Device Inventory.

        The Devices Inventory window appears.

        Step 2   From the Device Inventory toolbar, choose one of the options from the Layout drop-down list.

        Valid options are Hardware, Tagging, or Customize > Device Role. The table refreshes and includes a column for the Device Role.

        Step 3   Locate the device you want to change and choose a new role from the drop-down list in the Device Role column.

        Valid choices are Unknown, Access, Core, Distribution, or Border Router.

        What to Do Next

        If required, change the role of other devices in the Device Inventory window.

        Related Concepts
        Managing Your Device Inventory

        Deleting a Device

        From the Device Inventory window, you can delete a device from the Cisco APIC-EM database.

        Before You Begin

        Ensure that you have administrator permissions. For information about the user permissions, see Managing Users and Roles.

        Ensure that your network has been scanned using the discovery functionality of the Cisco APIC-EM to populate device inventory database.

          Step 1   From the Navigation pane, click Device Inventory.

          The Devices Inventory window appears.

          Step 2   Click the check box next to the device that you want to delete.

          A toolbar opens.

          Note   

          Even after the toolbar opens, you can select multiple devices by clicking additional check boxes, or you can select all devices by clicking the checkbox at the top of the list.

          Step 3   From the toolbar that opens, click Delete.

          Adding or Removing a Tag

          A device tag allows you to group devices based on an attribute. For example, you can add a tag and group devices based on a platform ID, Cisco IOS release, or location.


          Note

          A single device can have multiple tags; similarly, a single tag that can be applied to multiple devices.

          You can add tags to or remove tags from devices in the Device Inventory window.

          Before You Begin

          Note

          You must have administrator permissions. For information about the user permissions, see Managing Users and Roles.

            Step 1   From the Navigation pane, click Device Inventory.

            The Devices Inventory window appears.

            Step 2   From the Device Inventory toolbar, choose Layout > Tagging from the drop-down list.

            The table refreshes and, in addition to other columns, displays a Tag column.

            Step 3   Click the check box to the left of the name of the device that you want to apply a tag to or remove a tag from. You can select more than one device.

            The Set Location and Add Tag drop-down buttons appear.

            Note    If you want to add or remove tags on one device only, you can also click the number in the Tag column for the desired device. This action brings up the Multiple Device Tagging dialog box. Proceed to Step 5.
            Step 4   Click Add Tag.

            The Multiple Device Tagging dialog box appears.

            Step 5   Do one of the following:

            • Apply a tag.

            1. From the Available Tags list, click the tag or tags that you want to apply to the selected devices.

              After the tag is applied to the device, it appears in the Applied Tags list.

            2. If the tag is not in the list, enter a name for the tag and click +New Tag.

              The new tag appears in the Available Tags list. Return to the previous step and apply the tag.

            3. Click x to close the dialog box.

            • Remove a tag.

            1. From the Applied Tags list, click the Trash can icon next to the tag or tags that you want to remove from the selected devices.
              Note   

              The Applied Tags list is populated if at least one device has a tag applied to it. The Applied Tags list displays the number of devices each tag has applied to it or whether all devices are applied to it.

              The tag is removed from the device and is removed from the Applied Tags list.
            2. Click x to close the dialog box.
            What to Do Next

            If required for your network configuration, add tags to or remove tags from other devices.

            Related Concepts
            Managing Your Device Inventory

            Deleting a Tag

            Before you delete a tag, you need to remove it from all devices.

            You can delete tags from the controller in the Device Inventory window or the Topology window. This procedure shows you how to delete tags from the Device Inventory window.

            Before You Begin

            Access the Device Inventory window by clicking Device Inventory from the Navigation pane.


            Note

            You must have administrator permissions. For information about the user permissions, see Managing Users and Roles.

            SUMMARY STEPS

              1.    From the Navigation pane, click Device Inventory.

              2.    From the Device Inventory toolbar, choose Layout > Tagging from the drop-down list.

              3.    Click the check box to the left of the name of the device that you want to remove a tag from. You can select more than one device.

              4.    Click Add Tag.

              5.    From the Applied Tags list, click the Trash can icon next to the tag or tags that you want to remove from the selected devices.

              6.    From the Available Tags list, click the Trash can icon next to the tag or tags that you want to delete from the controller.

              7.    Click OK to confirm the deletion.

              8.    Click x to close the dialog box.


            DETAILED STEPS
              Step 1   From the Navigation pane, click Device Inventory.

              The Devices Inventory window appears.

              Step 2   From the Device Inventory toolbar, choose Layout > Tagging from the drop-down list.

              The table refreshes and, in addition to other information, displays a Tag column.

              Step 3   Click the check box to the left of the name of the device that you want to remove a tag from. You can select more than one device.

              The Set Location and Add Tag buttons appear in the Device Inventory toolbar.

              Note    If you want remove and delete tags from one device only, you can also click the number in the Tag column for the desired device. This action brings up the Multiple Device Tagging dialog box. Proceed to Step 5.
              Step 4   Click Add Tag.

              The Multiple Device Tagging dialog box appears.

              Step 5   From the Applied Tags list, click the Trash can icon next to the tag or tags that you want to remove from the selected devices.
              Note   

              The Applied Tags list is populated if at least one device has a tag applied to it. The Applied Tags list displays the number of devices each tag has applied to it or whether all devices are applied to it.

              The tag is removed from the device and is removed from the Applied Tags list.
              Step 6   From the Available Tags list, click the Trash can icon next to the tag or tags that you want to delete from the controller. A confirmation dialog box appears.
              Step 7   Click OK to confirm the deletion. The tag is removed from the Available Tags list. If the deletion fails, it may be due to the tag still being assigned to devices. Remove the tag from these devices and try to delete the tag again.
              Step 8   Click x to close the dialog box.
              What to Do Next

              If required for your network configuration, add tags to or remove tags from other devices.

              Adding or Removing a Location Tag

              A location tag enables the grouping of devices based upon a location attribute.

              You add or remove locations to a device in the Devices table.

              Before You Begin

              Access the Device Inventory window to add or remove a location to a device in the Devices table.


              Note

              You must have administrator permissions to perform the following procedure. For information about the user permissions required to perform tasks using the Cisco APIC-EM, see Chapter 4, Managing Users and Roles.

                Step 1   Select Tagging from the Layout field at the top of the Devices table, or select Customize and choose Location from the drop-down list.

                The Devices table adjusts its display to include a Location column.

                Step 2   (Optional) To add a new location to the Available Locations column, enter a location for the device and click the + New Location button in this window.

                The new location then appears in the Available Locations column.

                Step 3   Click an existing location in the Available Locations column to add that location to the device. The new location is then moved to the Applied Location column.
                Note   

                To remove an existing location, click the trash can icon to the left of the location in the Applied Location column. The location is then moved to the Available Locations column.

                Step 4   Click the X icon at the upper right of the Location window to save your new location to the device.
                What to Do Next

                If required for your network configuration, add or remove other locations to other devices.

                Related Concepts
                Managing Your Device Inventory
                Related Tasks
                Adding a Location Marker

                Adding and Removing Location Markers

                In addition to adding a location tag to a device, you can add a location marker that represents your device's geographical location on a world map. You can view these markers in the Topology window.

                Adding a Location Marker

                You can add a location marker to the devices in the Device Inventory window.

                Before You Begin

                You must have administrator permissions.

                You have already added location tags to your devices.

                  Step 1   From the Navigation pane, click Device Inventory.

                  The Device Inventory window appears.

                  Step 2   From the Device Inventory toolbar, choose Layout > Tagging from the drop-down list.

                  The table refreshes and, in addition to other columns, displays a Location column.

                  Step 3   (Optional) To display devices with a specific location tag, from the Device Inventory toolbar, click Filters, enter a location tag in the Device Location field, and click the + icon.
                  Step 4   Click a location from the Location column.

                  The Location dialog box appears with the name of the device at the top. The location tag appears in the Applied Locations list.

                  Figure 2. Location Window

                  Step 5   (Optional) Drag and zoom the map to get a detailed location on the map.
                  Step 6   Click Add Marker to add a location marker to the map.
                  Step 7   Drag the marker to the specific location on the map.
                  Figure 3. Placing the Location Marker

                  Step 8   Click Set Coordinates to set the coordinates of the marker.
                  Step 9   Click X to close the dialog box.
                  Note   

                  To add additional location markers, close the Location dialog box and click another location from the Location column. If you select another location in the current Location dialog box, you will apply that location to the currently selected device.

                  What to Do Next

                  Add additional location markers for all of your locations.

                  Access the Topology window to view the location markers on a map.

                  Related Concepts
                  Managing Your Device Inventory
                  Topology
                  Related References
                  Topology Icons
                  Topology Toolbar

                  Removing a Location Marker

                  You can remove location markers from the devices in the Device Inventory window.

                  Before You Begin

                  You must have administrator permissions.

                  You have already added a location marker.

                    Step 1   From the Navigation pane, click Device Inventory.

                    The Device Inventory window appears.

                    Step 2   From the Device Inventory toolbar, choose Layout > Tagging from the drop-down list.

                    The table refreshes and, in addition to other columns, displays a Location column.

                    Step 3   (Optional) To display devices with a specific location tag, from the Device Inventory toolbar, click Filters, enter a location tag in the Device Location field, and click the + icon.
                    Step 4   For the desired device, click the location in the Location column.

                    The Location dialog box appears with the name of the device at the top. The location tag appears in the Applied Locations list.

                    Figure 4. Location Window

                    Step 5   Click the Remove Marker button.
                    Step 6   Click X to close the dialog box.
                    Note   

                    To add additional location markers, close the Location dialog box and click another location from the Location column. If you select another location in the current Location dialog box, you will apply that location to the currently selected device.

                    Managing Your Host Inventory

                    The Host Inventory window displays the discovered hosts and users in your network.

                    To view your host inventory, click Host Inventory in the Navigation pane. The Host Inventory window opens, listing the discovered hosts in your network. The following table describes the information that is displayed about the hosts in your inventory.


                    Note

                    Use the filters located below the Host Inventory table to limit the number of hosts displayed in the table (10, 25, 50, 100) or to view groups of a hosts at a time (First, Previous, Next, Last, or 1-3).

                    Figure 5. Host Inventory Window



                    Table 2 Host Inventory

                    Host Inventory

                    Description

                    Host Name

                    Name of the host.

                    Host MAC address

                    MAC address of the host.

                    Host IP address

                    IP address of the host.

                    Host type

                    Type of host (wired or wireless).

                    Connected Network Device IP Address

                    IP address of the device that is connected to the host.

                    Connected Interface Name

                    Name of the interface that the device is connected to. For example, GigabitEthernet1/0/24.

                    Related Tasks
                    Changing the Hosts Table View

                    Changing the Hosts Table View

                    You can change the information that is displayed in the Hosts table by accessing a Hosts checklist and choosing the data that you wish to display.

                    Before You Begin

                    Access the Host Inventory window to change the information that is displayed within the Hosts table.

                      Step 1   Place your cursor over the Wheel icon at the top left of the Hosts table in the Host Inventory window to access a Host Inventory checklist.

                      After placing your cursor over the Wheel icon, the Hosts checklist appears.

                      Step 2   Choose the information that you want displayed in the Hosts table by checking the appropriate box on the list. For example, if you want the Hosts table to display the host type (wired or wireless), choose Host Type from the list by checking it.
                      Step 3   Close the Host Inventory checklist by clicking anywhere outside of it.
                      What to Do Next

                      Review the updated information displayed in the Host Inventory window.

                      Related Concepts
                      Managing Your Host Inventory