Location Hierarchy in Cisco Spaces

This chapter describes the structure of the location hierarchy in Cisco Spaces, and how to define the location hierarchy in Cisco Spaces.

Overview of Location Hierarchy

In Cisco Spaces, you can import the locations in the same structure in which you have defined in your wireless network such as Cisco AireOS Wireless Controller, Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller, or Cisco Meraki.

Each Cisco Spaces customer is provided with a default customer name (root name), and this customer name acts as the root location of the Cisco Spaces location hierarchy.

As Cisco Spaces provides universal account, you can import and manage the locations of multiple wireless networks. A proximity rule can include the locations of multiple wireless networks.

You can create proximity rules such as Captive Portal rule, Engagement rule, and Location Personas rule, and view access points, users, and child locations for any location in the location hierarchy. The number of access points, proximity rules, child locations, and users for each location in the location hierarchy are displayed against that particular location. For example, the number of proximity rules, child locations, and users for a group are shown against that group in the location hierarchy. The count of these location parameters are shown in cumulative manner.

Location Hierarchy automatically reflects the hierarchical structure defined in maps imported from Cisco Prime Infrastructure or Cisco Catalyst Center.

The Cisco Spaces Dashboard restricts the selective import of locations, like a campus, building, or floor, into the Location Hierarchy using the below methods:

  • Add AP Zones

  • Add Building

  • Add Campus

  • Add CMX zones

  • Add Floor

Location Hierarchy supports Meraki MT. The configurations required for receiving the data from the MT sensors are updated using Cisco Spaces and Meraki integration. The MT sensors are automatically imported to Location Hierarchy.

The list of Cisco Meraki supported devices in Location Hierarchy are:

  • Access Point models: MR, Z1, CW, VMR

  • Camera model: MV

  • Sensor model: MT

  • Security Appliance models: MX, Z3

Import Cisco Meraki Networks

Cisco Meraki networks with CiscoSpaces tags are automatically imported into Cisco Spaces Location Hierarchy during the background synchronization process. The Meraki organization must be present in the Location Hierarchy to support the auto-import of these tagged networks. CiscoSpaces should be the tag name added in Cisco Meraki network.


Note

  • If a location, like a campus, building, or floor, is deleted from Location Hierarchy, it can be added back to Location Hierarchy by uploading the previously uploaded map using Map Service > Maps Upload.

  • As a Cisco Spaces customer, you can migrate from Cisco Prime Infrastructure based maps to Catalyst Center based maps in Cisco Spaces. To ensure a seamless migration to new maps in a way that does not impact the Location Hierarchy and existing Cisco Spaces data, we recommend that you reach out to the Cisco Spaces support team to validate the location hierarchy and ensure the data is carried over without any issues.

  • We recommend that you use the Google Chrome Browser while working with maps. Map operations are best supported in Google Chrome. Map actions on other browsers are limited.

Cisco Smart Workspaces Support

The following features are introduced in Location Hierarchy to support the Cisco Smart workspaces use cases.

Location Hierarchy background synchronization now supports:

  • Synchronization of the Meraki MT sensor devices in the Meraki networks or floor locations.

  • Synchronization of Cisco Webex devices with meeting rooms and desks.


Note

During the background synchronization process, the Meraki Scanning API Notification URL for configuration template networks are updated automatically.

Camera Zone Support for Meraki Networks

In Location Hierarchy, for the newly added networks with camera zones in Meraki, zones are added to Location Hierarchy along with the networks.

For existing networks, the camera zones that are added, modified, or removed in Meraki are synchronized with the Location Hierarchy during the background synchronization process.


Note

Currently, GUI support to display the camera zones in the Cisco Spaces dashboard is not available.

Prerequisites for Defining the Location Hierarchy

To define the location hierarchy in the Cisco Spaces dashboard, you must first define the required hierarchy structure in your wireless network such as Cisco Meraki, Cisco AireOS Wireless Controller or Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller. In addition, you must establish connection between Cisco Spaces and your wireless network.

Displaying Cumulative Count in Location Hierarchy

In the location hierarchy, the count of APs, Proximity Rules, and child locations for the locations will be shown as cumulative. The count for a location will be the total of its count and the count of all its child locations. For example, the total count of APs for a floor will be the sum total of APs for the floor and the APs for each zone under that floor.

The locations with zero count will not have a link to view the details. You can view the APs, Proximity Rules, Locations, and Users of a location by clicking that location. You can view the details of a location parameter only from the associated location.

For the proximity rules, only the unique rules are counted. For example, if two zones of a floor are included in an engagement rule, when counting the rule for the floor, that engagement rule will be counted only once.