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Prerequisites
Please ensure either opCharts or the Opmantek Virtual Machine are installed to use the below feature.
Overview
The Topological Diagram style Map allows the user to dynamically build live informational diagrams based on the logical Layer 2 connections devices have.
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Creating a New Topological Diagram
Join Paul McClendon, an Opmantek Support Engineer, as he demonstrates how to create a topological map in opCharts.
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1. A Topological Diagram must be created before it can be used or added to a Dashboard. To create a new Map, Click the New Map blue button with the "+" icon in the top-left corner from the Maps screen (Views -> Maps).
2. Next, select Topological Diagram from the Map Type drop-down located in the top-left corner.
3. Assign your Topological Map a Map Name - This must be unique; no 2 maps can have the same Map Name.
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The Add Node button allows you to add an individual Node to the Map.You may assign a Display Name, separate from the Node's internal name, or leave this field blank and no label will be displayed. A specific icon may also be assigned, or will be auto selected form the built-in icon options based on the type of equipment.
Link to Map
If set, the Link to Map option will open a new Dashboard rather than opening the Node detail window URL when the icon link is clicked. You can select either a Map on the current server, or by selecting Custom use any URL (even to other software/sites). This is especially powerful - allowing you to drill down from a top-level abstract diagram to more in-depth levels of detail.
By default the Link to Map / Custom option opens the target in the current browser window. However, you can force opCharts to open the link in a new tab/window by enclosing the link URL in double quotes and following it with target=_blank i.e "http://someserver.com//en/omk/opCharts/dashboards/myawesomedashboard" target=_blank
Once the node is added it may be moved around the Map by left-clicking and dragging it to position.
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The Add Interface Link button allows you to add an interactive Link representing a interface's flow traffic between 2 Node or Group icons. Select your Link Source, the Node providing the Interface, the specific Interface that handles the link, and the Link Destination.
The resulting link will be anchored to the 2 Nodes/Groups and display both the inbound and outbound link speeds as a percentage of the available interface speed. The link is also hinged in the middle, allowing some modicum of adjustment for background artwork and readability.
Note: Link sources and Node/Interface are not required to be the same, the GUI fills out the node name as a suggestion as it's the most likely scenario. If required, the link source and/or link destination can be left blank and the endpoint will remain open for moving to a convenient location.
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While you can manually add links and Interface Links to a Topological Map, the true power lies in using the logical information the network contains to create those connections.
Add
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Neighbors
Right-click on a node and select Add NeighboursNeighbors. Neighbours Neighbors are direct connections found between devices but can also be virtual machines hosted by a VMware host.
Add Subnets
Right-click on a node and select Add Subnets. Subnets are a logical connection between nodes and not a direct "physical" connection but help to organise and understand logical layouts..
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Nodes on the Topological Map can be edited. Simply return to edit mode (open the Map by selecting Edit from the Map view or by clicking the Edit button in the top-right corner of the Component window) then RIGHT-click on the Node you want to edit, select Edit from the pop-up menu.