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"List Resources" should have ability to find and remove "Ghost Interfaces"

"Ghost Interfaces" are a term we use for interfaces that did exist once in a device, but no longer do.   There are a number of reasons for this, including:

  • Replacing a switch with all FastE interfaces with one that has all GigE interfaces.
  • Replacing a card in a router with a higher capacity one: ie: putting in a T3 interface in place of a T1 interface
  • Removing one virtual interface and replacing it with another (ie: Tunnel interfaces)

When this happens, you get a little grey box by the (hopefully) green circle that says your device is up, like this:  ghost1.png

Now, if you go into "Manage Nodes", you will see this "ghost interface", in this case "Tunnel1".  You can select it and remove it from here if you want and AFAIK this is the ONLY way to do this without editing the database directly.

ghost2.png

The problem with this is, having to go here to do this is not only a bit annoying, but its really easy to accidentally delete other things.   ie:  If I was to select the device along with the Tunnel1 interface, I could end up accidentally deleting both.

Usually when I WANT to do something like this, I'm in "Node Details" and I click on "List Resources".   "List Resources" will go out and discover what is on the device and allow you to monitor, or unmonitor, the interfaces and other resources on the device nice and easy.   Not only that, but its impossible to accidentally delete a device or something from here.   However, these "ghost interfaces" don't show up in list resources!!

I would like to see a section added to here which is something like "Monitored interfaces that no longer exist".   Have it work the same way as the discovered interfaces in that the interface will be selected and if I want to remove the interface from being monitored I'd just un-select it and it would then go away permanently.

This way you can accomplish everything in one place!   It gets confusing training others that you have to go to two places to delete and/or discover devices.   And I'm always having others accidentally delete the device on me and wanting me to re-add it (not to mention I've done it too!).    I think this simple addition to the "List Resources" screen would be a HUGE help to everyone!!