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Discovery: profiles/template for import/discovery

RichardLetts

Each time I go through the network sonar discovery I find myself repeating a number of actions:

on setup:

the ONE community I want to use

no vmware

no windows credentials

no NCM node create (quite why this is discovery rather than Import I don't know)

the list of IP addresses to run discovery one

the same set of discovery parameters

some discovery name

some discovery schedule

having run a periodic discovery I then repeat the same set of actions

a) do not create new nodes

b) do not import interfaces

c) import all ports

d) do not import volumes

e) import

f) finish

I'd really like this workflow to be more templated/streamlined for repetitive actions

be able to skip over the things I never want to do during discovery (vmWare and windows credentials)

or save the options I chose for the previous discovery settings and reuse them

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Status: None

Comments

bluefunelemental

I am joining the sonar discovery camp and attempting to use them for everything now. The filter is better then before but still so lacking in persistence that I had to take the approach of just letting it bring in everything then delete on the backend. Not my preferred method at all but I wanted to try and use discoveries before going back to scripted import.

A big improvement other then more granular and saving the filter options would be to tie those into the ignored nodes/volumes/interfaces tables.

User Story:When I filter out interfaces in a discovery I do not want to presented those same interfaces on the very next scheduled discovery. I don't have Alzheimers yet thank you.

cnorborg

Agreed, I find myself using it quite a bit as I convert sites we just acquired in a merger, but it's PAINFUL to use! Problem is, there is no better option. I actually re-use an old saved discovery and "Edit" it, this at least allows my SNMP community(ies) to be saved for the first step. The next step I just skip over (VMWare Creds). I do have it add my node to NCM. No windows creds on the next step. Under "network" is the only place I change something, and that's the IP range I'm discovering. Nothing changed in Discovery settings either. And "discovery scheduling" I just run it now...

So, what I would love to see, the ability to set up a template like this and maybe once the discovery is set up, have it prompt me with a page that asks for the range of IP's and maybe has a set of boxes I can click on for "SNMP", "VMWARE", "NCM", "WINDOWS", "DISCOVERY SETTINGS" where I can change up the template should I desire to do so, and a "run now" box. That's it. One screen, change the IP's, click "Run Now" and go.

I also hate that once I click discover, it puts up a box that the only thing I can do is click "OK" on it. The one that says "Once this discovery starts all information about" prior discoveries will be gone, yada yada... If rather than "Edit" a discovery I just click on discover I don't get this box! How about a little checkbox on it saying "Don't show me this again" or something, even get rid of this box!!

Post-Discover, ie: the "results wizard" should also be part of the template IMHO. Once the nodes are discovered it brings up the "Device Types to Import", that's an OK screen, don't mind that. However, for "Interfaces" I should be able to have as part of the discovery what properties I want and such - I usually do only "up" ports and those in "Trunk" and "Physical". Advanced selection properties would be nice to have as part of the template also.

I believe with UDT you also have a "Ports" part of the results wizard. Same thing here as the "Interfaces", allow me to preselect what stuff I want, for me it's usually "Access" and "Physical" UP ports here...

Volumes I usually skip when I'm doing network devices, but I'm sure you could do a template for windows guys and such.

All-in-all I think this could move from being a PITA feature that you need to use sometimes, to one that you would want to use all the time. I know when I'm adding a single node, I'd like to have the features of the discovery wizard sometimes, but it's easier to add a single node than it is to use the wizard. I'd like to see this change!!!

planglois

Part of your Idea was integrated:

There's still room for improvement, but few of your mentionned points (and some from ) were taken into consideration...