Discovery design checklist

Before discovering the network, the requirements in the following checklist must be completed. Each chapter in this guide includes a checklist. For ease of use, the checklists are all grouped together in Appendix E, “Design and Deployment Checklists.”
Discovery design checklist
Complete
Task
Description
Related documentation
Initial Discovery
Define a method for the initial topology discovery.
o Use a comprehensive seed file without autodiscovery.
o Use autodiscovery with a seed file or an agent.
Document the method in the deployment build guide.
Topology Maintenance and Subsequent Discovery
Define a schedule for full discovery.
Define a regular schedule for full discovery. Choose a time of relative inactivity. Document the schedule in the deployment build guide. Include crontab or sm_sched control file entries if used.
Define a schedule for pending discovery.
Define a regular schedule for pending discovery. Choose a time of relative inactivity. Document the schedule in the deployment build guide. Include crontab or sm_sched control file entries if these utilities are used.
Determine if autodiscovery is appropriate.
Document choice in the deployment build guide.
Choose a method for adding devices to the topology.
o Seed file without autodiscovery.
o Agent without autodiscovery.
o Use autodiscovery with a seed file or an agent.
Document choice in the deployment build guide.
Prepare seed file or choose agent.
If a seed file will be used to add devices to the topology, obtain a list of devices with names or IP addresses. Document how to obtain the list or the location of the list in the deployment build guide. If an agent will be used instead, document the IP address or name of the agent.
Define discovery filters.
If autodiscovery is enabled, configure autodiscovery filters. These are inclusive filters that add devices to the topology. Document the autodiscovery filter criteria in the deployment build guide.
Define an exclude filter.
To exclude specific devices, use the exclude filter in the
discovery.conf
file. This simplifies creation of the autodiscovery filters. Document exclude filter entries in the deployment build guide.
Obtain SNMP security parameters per device.
Domain Manager
s use SNMP to poll the device agents. In order to do this, the
Domain Manager
needs the appropriate security information for the SNMP version: v1 and v2c use read community strings for every SNMPv1/v2c device that will be managed; v3 uses the username, SNMP engine ID (optional), authentication protocol and password (currently
supports MD5 and SHA authentication protocols), privacy protocol and password (currently
supports AES and DES privacy protocols), and context name, if used. These parameters will be needed during discovery. Document in the deployment build guide if permitted.
Open necessary firewall ports.
If there is a firewall between any portions of the management infrastructure, certain TCP and UDP ports in the firewall must be opened for proper communications:
  • SNMP polls: 161
  • SNMP traps: 162
  • Broker: 426
  • License Manager: 1744
  • Domain Manager
    s (1 per manager): configurable
  • VMware Smart Assurance
    Adapters, including the
    Syslog Adapter
    and the
    SNMP Trap Adapter
    (Receiver): configurable
Document the opened ports in the deployment build guide.
Provide access to network devices to manage.
For each device that the
IP Manager
will monitor, the device’s access list must include the IP address of the hosts where the
IP Manager
s are installed. An
IP Manager
must have full access to browse the MIBs of the devices. Document in the deployment build guide.
Ensure DNS is properly configured.
For the
IP Manager
to name devices in its topology correctly, the DNS needs to be clean (proper forward and reverse lookup). If DNS is not used, use of an
/etc/hosts
file or not doing any name resolution at all can be considered.
Determine if discovery postprocessing is required.
Determine if discovery postprocessing using ASL rule sets will be used. Document in the deployment build guide.
List unreachable IP addresses
If there are groups of IP addresses that are NOT normally reachable, assemble a list of IP ranges or some matching criteria so that the
IP Manager
will not unnecessarily ping these addresses. Document these addresses in the deployment build guide.