Understanding the methods used to discover and add devices

Use this information to review the existing methods Netcool Configuration Manager provides to discover and add stand alone devices and head end devices. This information also identifies the method Netcool Configuration Manager uses to discover and add devices to be managed by head end devices.

A user can add a new stand alone device or head end device to Netcool Configuration Manager by using one of the following methods:

  • Device synchronization with Network Manager
  • Manual addition of the device through the Netcool Configuration Manager API or Netcool Configuration Manager client GUI
  • Discovery of the device through the Netcool Configuration Manager discovery mechanism

For head end managed devices, Netcool Configuration Manager automatically adds them when they are discovered through their associated head end devices.

In all of the these discovery methods, Netcool Configuration Manager determines if the device is a head end device through the driver associated with that device. Furthermore, once a device is discovered, Netcool Configuration Manager must determine the VTMOS for the device. The following table summarizes how Netcool Configuration Manager determines the VTMOS for the device, based on the discovery method.

Discover/add device method How Netcool Configuration Manager determines the VTMOS for the device

Device synchronization with Network Manager

The device synchronization process creates a device discovery unit of work (UOW). Part of this UOW is to access the device and apply a set of commands to the device. The response to these commands is parsed using a set of user defined regular expressions, from which the VTMOS is identified.

When the device is imported for the first time, a driver is identified based on this VTMOS. On access to the device, the driver will issue commands of its own to identify the VTMOS. If another driver offers better support for this device then a user can confirm acceptance of the new driver.

Manual addition of the device through the Netcool Configuration Manager API or Netcool Configuration Manager client

The user specifies the VTMOS when creating the device. If the VTMOS is entirely wrong for the device, then discovery fails. If however the VTMOS results in a driver being chosen which can at least access the device then the actual VTMOS “could” be determined (based on how “near” the original VTMOS is). The actual VTMOS will be used in subsequent accesses to the device which will result in the correct driver being chosen.

Discovery of the device through the Netcool Configuration Manager discovery mechanism

Identical to device synchronization with Network Manager

Netcool Configuration Manager auto discovery

The auto discovery feature currently does not support the automatic discovery of head end devices.

Discovery of conventional head end devices

A conventional head end device knows the VTMOS for its head end managed devices. There is no need to employ the current Network Manager discovery process. New devices discovered should have the same VTMOS as the parent head end device, except for the type field which should distinguish the head end managed device as a vdevice. This retains sufficient information in the VTMOS to relate it to a specific version of the OS. This type could be further refined to vrouter, vswitch, and vbridgeif required.

Note: The previous description describes a VMWare and HMC environment. A virtual device can have a different VTMOS (including vendor) than the head end device that manages it.