Introduction to NetBrain Site Introduction A network Site is a collection of network devices located in the same administrative domain, either physically or logically. A Site (Container Site) can contain one or more child Sites and each child Site can contain its own child Sites. After the network is divided into Sites, a user can create a Site map to represent the high level overview of the entire network or a parent site. For example, in the following diagram, the network is divided into three Sites: North America, Asia and Europe. North America and Asia are linked by LA_Core and BST_Core. How to use: 1.1 Define Site Tree 1. Right click the My Network site node of the Site Pane, Select the Site Manager option Or click the My Network-Site node, select the Site Manger item from the Floating Menu to open the Site Manager window. You can also go to the Workspace tab and click the Site Manager button from the site group to open the Site Manager window
2. Click the Import from File button from the bottom of Site Manager window to import spreedsheet(ms Excel, CSV file) which contains Site information.
Note: Usually, companies maintain Site info via spreadsheet such as MS Excel. An example is shown below. NetBrain allows users to define a Site tree by importing a spreadsheet which makes it easy to setup the Site definition procedure. Users can define a Site hierarchy by assigning a column header level. 3. Select the spreadsheet containing the site information from local PC to open the Import File to create Site window.
(a) Define Site Level Level # indicates the Hierarchy relationships of a Site; the lower of the level number means the higher of the Hierarchy level. NetBrain retrieves the header of each column in the first available spreadsheet page, you can click the corresponding combo box to select a specific column value as the appointed level and update it to NetBrain. (b) Add Site Identification After defining the Site Level, click Add Site Identification tab to edit the identification of Leaf Site.
Device Hostname info will be imported to the Add group of the corresponding device list of Leaf Site, to be as a static added device of the site. Import the content of Device IP Address to the corresponding dynamic search criteria set. If there is already the IP address criteria, it can be appended directly. Otherwise, Netbrain will build a new search criteria of IP address and append it, both IP address and subnet are available. Import the info of Border Interface IP address from spreadsheet to the corresponding Border Interface Edit Box. During this progress, NetBrain will find the device interface by corresponding IP address. After completing all the info above, click OK button to import the file, the Site Tree will be displayed on the left side of Site Manager window.
The sites in the Site Tree support manually Add, Rename, Move and Delete operations.
Add Container Site:Add a Container Site under the selected site node. Right click the Site and choose Add Container Site option to add a new Container Site. When adding a new site, it will add a editable unnamed-site node under the Site Tree, you can rename the site as your wish. Add Leaf Site:Add a Leaf Site under the selected site node. Right click the Site and choose Add Leasf Site option to add a new Leaf Site. When selecting a Leaf Site and then check the Lockdown Members Checkbox at top right corner of the Static Define tab, no devices will be allowed to be added into this Leaf Site. Move to:move the selected site to the other site. Select Move to option and open a Move Site window, select the site you want to move to and click OK.
Delete:Delete the selected site. If it is a Container Site, it will delete all its child sites at the same time. Rename:Rename the selected site. 1.2 Define Border Interface Click the Border Interface tab to edit the Border Interface which will be used for splitting Clusters from entire topology map.
If you want to divide the real network manually, you can check the Disable Dynamic Site Calculation item, and then all the clusters divided by border interface will be resign to Unassigned site. If you want to assign all the interfaces of MPLS Cloud as border interfaces to split the Cluster, then click the MPLS Could Edit button to open Select MPLS Cloud Window, select all the MPLS Clouds.
1.3 Rebuild Site
Click Rebuild Site Button to calculate Sites. After rebuliding sites, click Commit button to commit the result to the Netbrain Server. The new Site Tree will be displayed in the Site Pane.
(1) Site Pane Site Pane displays all the sites and devices in a treelike structure way, and supports Search function to find sites and devices quickly. (2) Overview Map The Overview Map supports the Hierarchy View and Topology View. Hierarchy View displays the logic hierarchical relationships between sites. Topology View displays the topology connection among Leaf Site. (3) Action Pane Display detail information of selected site in the current Overview Map
2 Overview Map 2.1 Auto Layout Hierarchy view Hierarchy View has two layout styles: Tree Layout Style and Circular Layout Style. The Tree Layout Style displays Site relationships as a multi-layered tree. The root Site is displayed on the top of the hierarchy view, and the leaf Sites are displayed at the bottom. The circular Layout style organizes site nodes in circular clusters of related objects. Both styles can be switched manually, right-click blank area of Overview Map, and select the Auto Layout item, you can choose the style you desired. You can switch the layout style by right clicking the blank area of the Overview map canvas. Click Preview button to preview the selected layout styles. This is Tree Layout Style. That is Circular Layout Style.
2.2 Auto-Layout Topology view In the Topology View, click the Auto Layout button on the top right corner, or click the blank area of the Overview map canvas, the Select Layout Style window pups up. The Topology View contains five styles by default and those styles can be switched manually. You can click Preview button to preview the select layout style. 2.3 Update Overview map Click the Update Overview Map item in the right-click menu in Topology View or Hierarchy View, NetBrain will update the current Overview Map by using the current baseline data. For example, if a Site is deleted from site manager, it will be removed from the Overview Map. Also the new created site will be added to the Overview Map.
3. Auto Split Site 1. Background There are two offices in different districts in Beijing. The user wants to split the devices in the different offices into different sites. The devices in BJ_Office are as follows: Step 1: Select the tunnel link, right click Split Network by This link. Add the interface tunnel to Auto Split list (as shown below).
Step 2: Click the Split option to get 2 sites (one child site for each office). Step 3: Click the submit option to finish the operation. 2. Display There are two options for displaying the Beijing office sites (as follows): 1: Drag 2 sites to the working window and execute the Auto Link option. 2: Drag 1 site to the working window and execute the Extend Neighbor option. Right-click the blank area in the working window, and click the Show All Border Devices option. This will show the devices that connect the two sites.
3. Site Monitor Choose the Monitor option in the floating bar to monitor the sites border devices (as follows): 4. Extend Neighbor Terminology Border Device: The device that connects different sites (except Unassigned Sites and Inventory). The interface that the Border device uses to connect the sites is called the Border Interface. 4.1 Site to Site: Opening the Extend Neighbor dialog in Site-Site mode shows the other site s Border Device and Border Interface, as well as the neighbor site itself. Extend Neighbor Dialog: Topology:
4.2 Site to Device Opening the Extend Neighbor dialog in Site-Device mode just shows the other site s Border Device and Border Interface. Extend Neighbor Dialog: Topology: 5. Internal Device & Border Device Terminology: Internal Device: The device in a site without connections to other sites (except the Unassigned Site and Inventory). Currently, the sites in Beijing office are as following:
The internal devices in BJ_office.1 are as follows: BJ_POP BJ_core_3550 You can use the Extend operation to see the internal device through Device-Site mode. The Border devices in BJ_office.1 are as follows: Sanjose_Core You can use the Extend operation to see the internal device through Site-Site/Site-Device mode.