2 About Scans and Discrepancies

This chapter describes the various scans that can be carried out using the Network Integrity UI. It also describes the different types of discrepancies that NI reports.

Managing Scans and Viewing Scan Results

Management and viewing of discovery scans is carried out using the Network Integrity UI. By carrying out scans and viewing and correcting discrepancies, you can keep your inventory synchronized with your network and with other systems. Through cartridge extensibility, Network Integrity can potentially discover any type of network, service, or data source.

Types of Scans

A scan is a set of configurations used to perform a Network Integrity operation. Configurations can include discovery operations, constraints on what parts of the network are discovered, and so on.

Network Integrity supports the following types of scans:

  • Discovery scan: A discovery scan discovers your network. This can include network elements, physical resources, and logical resources. As part of the scan, you can specify network connection information such as name, port, community string, and time-out values. Network Integrity includes the following discovery scans:

    • Discover Generic SNMP Device: Scans all types of generic vendor devices and provides a physical and logical hierarchical model of the discovered devices. It uses the following MIBs for discovering devices: ENTITY-MIB (RFC 2737), RFC1213-MIB, IF-MIB (RFC 2863), IANAifType-MIB, IP-MIB (RFC 4293) and the ATM-MIB (RFC2737). It also models the associations between the physical and logical hierarchies.

    • Discover MIB-II SNMP: Discovers MIB-II RFC1213, IF MIB RFC1573, IP-MIB for IPv6, and uses IANA MIB for support. This scan discovers information of LLDP, Static routing, BGP and OSPF routing protocols. It also retrieves device information (including name, description, sysObjectId, and mgmtIpAddress) and interface details (including name, description, type, speed, status, alias and more) and uses the information to model the logical tree.

    • Discover TL1: Scans one or more Transaction Language 1 (TL1) devices using the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol to retrieve device information and interface details. It models the discovered data according to the Information Model.

    • Discover Cisco IOS XOR: Discovers Cisco IOS XR devices in Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS). It retrieves information about VPLS services on the discovered devices. It also models the logical device hierarchy and the VPLS service hierarchy.

    • Discover TMF814: Scans both physical (equipment) and logical (interface) hierarchy details of managed elements using the TMF814 CORBA interface as its discovery protocol. It also models the physical and logical hierarchies of the discovered devices.

    • Discover TMF814 Links Circuit Stitching: Scans SDH and DWDM domains and discovers topological links. This scan also performs circuit stitching across domains.

    • Discover Restconf Devices: Discovers devices in the network using the RESTCONF protocol and YANG models and produces physical and logical device hierarchies. It also discovers IP/MPLS Layer 2 and Layer 3 devices; the discovery result of this scan can be used by the IP Assimilation cartridge to assimilate Layer 2 and Layer 3 topology links.

    • Discover Netconf Devices: Discovers devices in the network using the NETCONF protocol and YANG models and produces physical and logical device hierarchies. It also discovers IP/MPLS Layer 2 and Layer 3 devices; the discovery result of this scan can be used by the IP Assimilation cartridge to assimilate Layer 2 and Layer 3 topology links.

    • Discover Alcatel 1359IOO RI: Scans one or more Alcatel 1359IOO RI CSV file instances in a directory, resulting in hierarchical physical device model instances.

    • Discover WDM Services: Discovers the DWDM entities like Client, OCH, ODUFlex, ODU, OTU, OMS using the TMF814 CORBA interface as its discovery protocol. This scan retrieves logical device details and models the logical device hierarchy.

    • Discover IMS Network FTP: Discovers devices in IMS network over FTP protocol and models physical and logical hierarchies. The scan also models the associations between the physical and logical hierarchies.

    • Discover Optical Devices FTP: Discovers optical network devices over FTP protocol and creates (network entities Physical device, shelf, card, port, and interface/sub-interface). This scan also models physical and logical hierarchies and the associations between them.

    • Discover TMF814 Optical Transmission Devices: Discovers physical and logical hierarchy details of the devices in the network. It uses the TMF814 CORBA interface as a discovery protocol to connect and retrieve details from network management systems (NMSs) or element management systems (EMSs)

    • Discover RAN Devices: Discovers RAN devices using FTP protocol by reading the RAN files, and models physical and logical hierarchies. The scan also models the associations between the physical and logical hierarchies.

    • Discover Microwave Devices: Discovers Microwave devices using FTP protocol by reading the microwave files, and models physical and logical hierarchies. The scan also models the associations between the physical and logical hierarchies.

    • Discover SDH Connectivity and Service: Discovers synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) entities like Topological links, Trails, Tunnel and Services using FTP (or SFTP) protocol and processes them to model the connectivities and services. It also assimilates end-to-end circuit stitching.

    For more details about the above discovery scans, refer to their respective cartridge guides.

  • Assimilation scan: An assimilation scan produces additional scan results from existing scan results. When configuring an assimilation scan, you can choose additional scans to serve as input to the assimilation scan. Network Integrity includes the following assimilation scans:

    • Assimilate Optical Circuits: The Assimilate Optical Circuits scan reads unprocessed circuit data, such as topological links, cross-connects, and other partially assimilated circuit data, from previous scans and models end-to-end circuits.

    • Assimilate Huawei Optical Circuits Scan: This scan assimilates the results from the Discover Enhanced Huawei U2000 scan and forms end-to-end SDH circuits.

    • Assimilate IP Links: This scan accepts discovery results of other discovery scans (such as Discover Generic SNMP, Discover NETCONF Devices, and Discover RESTCONF Devices scans) which define the scan scope to discover and model links between the devices. It reads the discovery scan results and creates links between them.

  • Import scan: An import scan imports network data from an inventory system. Network Integrity includes the following import scans:

    • Import MIB II from UIM: Imports device information (including name, description, sysObjectId, and mgmtIpAddress) and interface details (including name, description, type, speed, status, alias and more) from inventory system, and uses the information to model the logical tree.

    • Import from MSS: Connects to Oracle Communications MetaSolv Solution (MSS) to import specified inventory data and models them into Network Integrity.

    • Import WDM Services: This scan imports DWDM entities like Client, OCH, ODUFlex, ODU, OTU, OMS from UIM and models them into Network Integrity.

    • Import SDH Connectivity and Service from UIM: Imports the SDH entities like Topological links, Trails, Tunnel and Services from UIM and models them into Network Integrity.

    • Incremental Import SDH Connectivity and Service From UIM: This scan imports SDH entities like Topological links, Trails, Tunnel and Services from UIM, based on the NMS notifications and models them into Network Integrity.

    • Import Logical Optical from UIM: This scan imports logical optical data entities from UIM and models them in the Network Logical Device Model. This import scan also provides extensibility for features specific to SDH that can be added as per requirement.

    • Import Optical from UIM: This scan imports physical devices, logical devices, and channelized connectivities from UIM. Channelized connectivities are modeled into the Network Integrity model according to their rate code.

    • Incremental Import from UIM: This scan imports all logical and physical device information from UIM.

    • Import IP Links from UIM: This scan imports ethernet connectivities from UIM and models them into Network Integrity.

    • Import Restconf Device from UIM: This scan imports logical device and physical device hierarchies from the inventory system. It also provides parameters capable of filtering the device information to be imported.

    • Import Netconf Device from UIM: This scan imports logical device and physical device hierarchies from the inventory system. It also provides parameters capable of filtering the device information to be imported.

    • Import TMF814 Links Circuit Stitching from UIM: This scan imports topological link data reconciled into UIM, and models the link and pipe termination points information.

Network Integrity supports the simultaneous processing of multiple scans.

See the appropriate cartridge guides for more information about the above mentioned scans.

Creating Scans

Network Integrity uses cartridges to provide support for accessing different types of inventory targets and to specify scan actions for them. A scan typically specifies a scan action and scan action parameters, such as protocol and vendor properties, addresses (scope), and schedules.

You can associate a scan with one or more tags that define or describes the scope of the scan. Tags are customizable, and can relate to geography, ownership, network type, or other references.

Scans support multiple IP address formats, including IPv4, IPv6, wildcards, and ranges. You can enter the IP addresses manually or import them from a file, and multiple IP address specifications can be combined into one scan. For example, you can carry out a discovery scan using a combined IPv4, IPv6, and Domain Name System (DNS) host name configuration.

To search within a scope while editing or creating a Discovery scan:

  1. From the Tasks panel, click Manage Scans.

    The Manage Scans page appears.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Click the Create icon on the Search Results table.

      The Create Scan page appears.

    • Select a scan record and click the Edit icon.

      The Edit Scan page appears.

  3. Go to the Scope tab.

  4. Select an option for Search Scope and enter the corresponding value.

  5. Click Search.

    The scan is created or edited according to the scope.

  6. (Optional) Enter a value in the text field and click the Add Address icon to add a network address.

  7. (Optional) From the Network Address table, select a record and click the Delete Address icon to delete the network address.

Setting Scan Schedules and Blackout Periods

The scan schedule determines when a scan runs. You can set a scan to run immediately, regularly, or on-demand. The frequency with which scans repeat is configurable. For example, you can set scans to repeat at monthly intervals, on the last day of the month, or at a set time every night.

A blackout window defines a period of time when a specified scan should not run, or be paused if already running. This can be used to avoid running scans during peak network traffic hours, or during a planned network outage. The scheduling options available for blackout windows are identical to those for scheduling scans.

Viewing Scan Results

When a scan runs, the Scan Results table lists the outcomes for one or more Network Integrity scans. Each scan is defined by scan name and by scan action type associated with the scan - discovery, import, or assimilation. In addition, the table identifies the data source assigned to each scan, the current status of the scan (in progress, completed, completed with errors).

The scan results list the date and duration of the scan run and details of errors in the scan. If selected, the summary of detected discrepancies is presented.

All scan data is presented in one place, and filtering and sorting are supported, so you can get to the key data to identify issues. By selecting individual scan result details, you can drill down to entity details, and to individual entity attributes.

Filtering Scan Data

You can filter the search results for devices based on one or multiple resource names. This helps you to view information about specific devices. You can filter the search results according to one or more resource names.

To filter scan results:

  1. Open NI user interface.

  2. Go to Display Scan Results.

  3. Click on a scan record to view the discovery scan results.

  4. Go to Resource Name and use the filter option to choose either of the following options:

    • Equals
    • Contains
    • Starts with
    • Ends with

  5. Enter the device name in the text field for the resource name.

  6. Click Search

    The search result displays the devices with the entered names.

  7. (Optional) You can view the device search results for multiple names as follows:

    1. Enter the device names separated with commas.
    2. From the filter, select Contains.
    3. Click Search.

    The search result displays all devices with the entered name.

About Discrepancy Detection, Review, and Resolution

Discrepancy detection is the process where Network Integrity compares discovered network data with imported inventory data and reports on differences between the sets of data. Discrepancy detection is an optional part of a scan run.

Network Integrity reports the following types of discrepancies:

  • Attribute Value Mismatch: An entity exists in both the network and the inventory results, but an attribute has different values.

  • Extra or Missing Entity: An entity (or any dependent children) is present in one set of results but is missing from the other side.

  • Extra or Missing Association: An association exists for an entity in one set of results, but is missing from the other side.

  • Ordering or Association Ordering Error: Matching entities or associations appear in different orders in the network and inventory results.

You can edit the details of a discrepancy, ignore the discrepancy, or send details of the data discrepancies to an external system. See "Integrating with Inventory Systems".

Discrepancy review is facilitated by extensive search capabilities, a color-coded severity system, and the ability to assign a priority and owner to each discrepancy. You can also store notes to track progress and enhance an audit trail.

Discrepancy resolution enables you to carry out in-context correction, multiple corrective actions, or bulk discrepancy correction. You can also ignore certain discrepancies. You can use Design Studio to create cartridges that extend Network Integrity to discover new types of devices, to import from different inventory systems, or to enhance Network Integrity to automatically resolve discrepancies.

For more information about discrepancies, discrepancy detection, discrepancy resolution, or cartridge creation, see "Using Design Studio to Extend Network Integrity" in Network Integrity Developer's Guide.