Topology v10+ (Video)

In Cruz products versions 10 and later, topology and map visualization has been updated to a non-Flash-based platform.

Refer to the video below for a review of features.

NOTE: if you are interested in how to use the Hierarchy Portlet to display equipment by groups, location, naming etc., you can review the  Hierarchy tutorial.

New Features and Capabilities in v10

All prior topology features and functionality still exist in the new topology and some new features that have been added: 

• From Topology, a user can now directly select a node (and in some cases multi-select nodes) and have access to all of the features. In past versions, this was only available from right-clicking a resource in the Resource Manager. For example, you can select a switch from the topology screen using right-click and execute a backup, run a compliance policy, check performance, etc.   
• You can now create new links (edges) directly from the new menu options. 
• Advanced filtering mode allows greater control over the display.  
• Advanced attributes let you create custom nodes, edges, and text styles.  These objects belong to only the current view and you need to save the view for the objects to remain in the view.   You can also remove the objects from the view, but make sure that you save the view for the object to remain removed from the view.
• New layout choices provide more options for the desired layouts. 

Please refer to the Topology Menu options below for details.  

Menu DIAGRAM OPTIONS

• New: Create a new topology view.  Dynamically exposed menu items allow the addition of new devices and other elements to the view. 
• Open: Select an existing 'Save the view' to open. 

• Refresh: Refresh the current view. 
• Reload: Reload the Topology portlet. 
• Save: Save or re-save the view. 
• Save as: Save the view with a new name. 
• Save as Image: Save the topology as a picture (.png). 

• Node labels:  Select IP Address, No labels, or Default
  • IP address will show the node's IP address.
  • No labels will remove the node labels.
  • Default will show the device's name and may vary based on how the device was discovered. You may see Sysname and IP address (discovery default), IP address, Hostname, Hostname and IP address, or Sysname. If the node has been edited and renamed, you will see the custom naming.
• Hide Edge Labels:  Hide/Show Edge Labels (full link label at the center of the link)
• Hide Endpoint Labels: Hide/Show Endpoint Labels. For example, port or interface names -- when shown, the label will appear at the ends of the edge/link. 
• Groups: Groups are created when you enable design mode and create new groupings. This option allows Expand ALL / Collapse ALL groups or Expand Selected / Collapse Selected groups. 
• Legends: This will display a legend. 

• Properties: Review/edit the properties of the save view. 
• Preference: Set the Topology view portlet preferences.  

• • Default View to Load: this is the default view loaded every time.  
  • Height: Portlet view height. 
  • Automatic Refresh Interval (sec): How often the view will pick up network changes.  

• • Context Mode: This is only applicable if there are other portlets on the same page as topology. Some portlets (applications) like Resource Manager, Groups, Hierarchy Views, etc., can broadcast context. This means when an element or row is selected it will broadcast the information about the selected item. Portlets on the same page that are set to “Listen to context” can display data relevant to the selected item. Examples include the Resources Page and “Managed Resources”. When a row is clicked, the port or interface portlet will show the data for the element.  
  • Listen For: Specify the portlet that contains the content that will be used to populate the Topology view.  The portlet needs to be on the same page as the Topology. 
  • Help: links to the Topology Knowledge base Article.

• • Enable/Disable Design Mode: When enabled, the Add, Nodes, Edges and style  menu option are exposed allowing you to further customize your view.

Menu FILTERS

• Available Nodes: Highlight or Hide nodes by node type. Only node types that exist on the topology view are displayed. 
• All Nodes -- Highlight/Hide/Select: Highlight will outline all nodes. Hide will hide from view. Select will select them. For example, once selected, you can go to Edit nodes and then bulk set parameters.   
• Available Edges: Highlight or Hide Edges by edge type. Only edge types that exist on the topology view are displayed. 
• All Edges -- Highlight/Hide/Selected: Highlight will outline all nodes and edges. Hide will hide from view. Select will select them.

• All --  Highlight/Hide/Selected: Highlight will outline all nodes and edges. Hide will hide from view. Select will select them.  
• Shortest Path:  Select two endpoint nodes on the topology and click "Shortest path" to see the path through the network. 
• Neighborhood:  Select a node and "Neighborhood" to highlight all associated topology elements.
• Hidden Nodes and Edges: If a view has hidden elements, this option will only show the hidden elements. 

Menu LAYOUTS

Current Layout: < > Displays the current layout  

• • Enable (Disable) Auto Layout Mode: If enabled, views will be automatically be laid out any time the content changes (for example, in expand, collapse, or add content). If no new layout has been specified the system default layout will be used.  
  • New Layout Type: Select the desired layout. 
    • Breadthfirst:  A traversing algorithm where you should start traversing from a selected node (source or starting node) and traverse the graph layerwise thus exploring the neighbor nodes (nodes that are directly connected to the source node). 
    • Circle: The intersection graph of a set of chords of a circle. This is an undirected graph whose vertices can be associated with the chords of a circle. 
    • Concentric: An algorithm arranges the nodes (or vertices) of a graph on concentric circles. 
    • Compound Spring: CoSE is an algorithm based on the traditional force-directed layout scheme with extensions to handle multi-level nesting, edges between nodes of arbitrary nesting level, varying node sizes, and other possible application-specific constraints.  
    • Constraint-based Layout: A constraint-based layout for high-quality graph visualization. Works well on an average machine on graphs with fewer than 100 nodes. 
    • Directed:  A directed graph (or digraph) is a graph that is made up of a set of vertices connected by edges, where the edges have a direction associated with them.  
    • Euler: Based on Euler Path. Eulerian Path is a path in a graph that visits every edge exactly once. 
    • Grid: A two-dimensional grid graph, also known as a rectangular grid graph or two-dimensional lattice graph.
    • Radial: Whereas the circle layout is useful, when you want to order the nodes yourself, the Radial layout is useful to automatically order the nodes and avoid edge overlap. 
    • Random: An undirected graph constructed by randomly placing N nodes in some metric space (according to a specified probability distribution) and connecting two nodes.
      NOTE: Each of the above options will expose a set of attributes (not listed) that can be used to further tune the display.
  • Apply Layout: If you set a new layout type, click “Apply Layout” to render the new view. 

• Add Content: Add other discovered inventory to the view.
• Add Label: Place labels on the topology.  
• Add Cloud: Add a Cloud graphic. 
• Add Linked View: Add a link to another saved view. 
• Add Sticky Note  (New): Place sticky notes on the topology. This lets you capture unique network knowledge/tidbits on the Topology UI  for others to take advantage of.  
• Add Background: Saved images can be added to provide context for your topology view. For example, a data center floor map, a geographic map, a rack schematic, etc. A node can then be dragged to a location and saved.

• Add Node: Select and add a node from the discovered inventory.  
• Edit Node(s): Edit a selected node to change how it is displayed. 
• Remove Node: Remove the node from the topology view only (does not delete). 
• Create New Group: Multi-select 2 or more nodes and then Create group. Click the red “-” on the group to remove the grouping. 
• Enable Auto Grouping: When enabled, an ungrouped device can be dragged close to or onto an existing group, and it will automatically be grouped there. 
• All:  Highlight /Hide /Select: Highlight will outline all nodes. Hide will hide from view. Select will select them. For example, once selected, you can go to Edit Nodes and then bulk set parameters. 
  
  NOTE: You can select nodes by using the mouse left click to select. Multiple nodes may be selected by pressing the Ctrl key while selecting. You may also hold the Shift or Ctrl key while dragging the mouse around a group of nodes.

• Add User Edge: Select 2 nodes and Use this option to manually create a new edge/link between nodes.
• Edit User Edge(s): This allows you to select user-defined edge and edit.
• Remove Edge: This allows you to select a user-defined edge and remove it. 
• All:  Highlight/Hide/Selected: Highlight will outline all edges. Hide will hide from view. Select will select them. For example, once selected, you can go to Edit Edges and then bulk set parameters.   

• • • Create Border Style: For elements that have a border, you can create a border style and then apply this style to the selected element(s). 
    • Create Edge Style: For Edge elements (Links), you can create an edge style and then apply this style to the selected edge element(s). 
    • Create Text Style:  For elements that have a text, you can create a text style and then apply this style to the selected element(s).