Structure of blackbox.xml

The blackbox.xml file is used to load passive (unmanageable) entities in your network so that you can view them in a topology map.

Use this example of a blackbox.xml file to understand the syntax of statements allowed in the file.
1]    <blackbox>
2]    
3]     <ne name="Passive_NE1" ip="10.20.1.2" type="Passive">
4]            <properties>
5]                    <property name="company" value="IBM"/>
6]            </properties>
7]            <entities>
8]                <entity tom_id="rack" type="FLEX_Bay" position="1" />
9]                <entity tom_id="shelf" type="FLEX_shelf" position="1-1" />
10]               <entity tom_id="shelf" type="FLEX_shelf" position="1-2" />
11]               <entity tom_id="card" type="OC12Card" position="1-2-1" />
12]               <entity tom_id="card" type="TRMTR_Slot_HS" position="1-9-1" />
13]               <entity tom_id="ptp" type="OC12_LS_PTP_V" position="1-2-1-1" />
14]               <entity tom_id="ptp" type="OC48_LINE_PTP_TRMTR_HS" position="1-9-1-1" />
15]               <entity tom_id="ctp" type="STS3_OC48_TRMTR_HS" position="1-9-1-1-25" />
16]           </entities>
17]     </ne>
18]   
19]     <ne name="Passive_NE2" ip="10.11.1.30" type="ECI">
20]           <properties>
21]                   <property name="Vendor" value="ECI"/>
22]                   <property name="NeType" value="XDM100"/>
23]                   <property name="LocationName" value="MELAKA"/>
24]                   <property name="Address" value="THIRD FLOOR , COLLEGE , MELAKA , , Malaysia"/>
25]                   <property name="City" value="MELAKA"/>
26]                   <property name="State" value="ALOR GAJAH"/>
27]           </properties>
28]           <entities>
29]                   <entity type="FLEXPort" tom_id="ptp" label="PORT" position="1-1-3021-1" />
30]                   <entity type="FLEXPort" tom_id="ptp" label="PORT" position="1-1-3022-1" />
31]           </entities>
32]     </ne>
33]   
34]     <ne name="Passive_NE3" ip="10.11.1.29" type="ECI">
35]           <properties>
36]                   <property name="Vendor" value="ECI"/>
37]                   <property name="NeType" value="XDM100"/>
38]                   <property name="LocationName" value="ARAU KANGAR"/>
39]                   <property name="Address" value="3 Ground , Sate Road , Arau, Kangar "/>
40]                   <property name="City" value="KANGAR"/>
41]                   <property name="State" value="PERLIS"/>
42]           </properties>
43]           <entities>
44]                   <entity type="FLEXPort" tom_id="ptp" label="PORT" position="1-1-3036-2" />
45]                   <entity type="FLEXPort" tom_id="ptp" label="PORT" position="1-1-3033-1" />
46]           </entities>
47]     </ne>
48]   
49]     <tc>
50]           <aend ne="Passive_NE2" tp="1-1-3021-1"/>
51]           <zend ne="Passive_NE1" tp="1-9-1-1-25"/>
52]     </tc>
53]   
54]     <tc>
55]           <aend ne="Passive_NE3" tp="1-1-3036-2"/>
56]           <zend ne="Passive_NE2" tp="1-1-3022-1"/>
57]     </tc>
58]   
59]   </blackbox>
The table below describes this query.
Table 1. Example of a blackbox.xml file

Line numbers

Element

Description and attributes

1-59

<blackbox>

Blackbox. Does not take attributes.

3-17

19-32

34-47

<ne>
Network element. Takes the following attributes:
name
(Required) The name of the network element. Example: name="Passive_NE1".
type
(Required) A value of type ="Passive" indicates a passive entity.
ip
(Optional) IP address of the passive entity.

4-6

20-27

35-42

<properties>

The properties of the entity to which the element applies.

5

21-26

36-41

<property>
A property of the entity. The entity might be a network element or topological connection.
name
(Required) Name of the property. Example: name="company".
value
(Required) The property value. Example: value="IBM".

7-16

28-31

43-46

<entities>

The entities within a network element.

8-15

29-30

44-45

<entity>
An entity within a network element.
label
(Optional) Label for this entity.
position
(Required) The relative location of the entity within the network element. Example: position="1-2-1-1" means the first rack - second shelf - first card, first PTP. As a best practice, list the entity statements in a descending hierarchical order.
tom_id
(Required) The Telecom Object Model ID. Example: tom_id="rack". Valid values are:
  • rack
  • shelf
  • card
  • ptp (physical termination point)
  • ctp (connection termination point)
type
(Optional) The type of entity. Example: type="FLEX_Bay".

49-52

54-57

<tc>

A topological connection.

50

55

<aend>
The notional start of a topological connection.
domain
(Optional) The name of the domain to which the endpoint belongs (the domain name of the PTP and the network element to which the PTP belongs). You can use this attribute to specify that one of the endpoints resides in some other network domain. If the remote network element exists in the database, a topological connection is created. If it does not exist in the database, no topological connection is created.
ne
(Required) The name of the network element.
tp
(Required) The relative location of the termination point of the endpoint in the topological connection. Example: tp="1-1-3021-1" means the first rack - first shelf - card 3021 - first termination point.

51

56

<zend>
The notional end of a topological connection.
domain
(Optional) The name of the domain to which the endpoint belongs (the domain name of the PTP and the network element to which the PTP belongs). You can use this attribute to specify that one of the endpoints resides in some other network domain. If the remote network element exists in the database, a topological connection is created. If it does not exist in the database, no topological connection is created.
ne
(Required) The name of the network element.
tp
(Required) The relative location of the termination point of the endpoint in the topological connection. Example: tp="1-1-3036-2" means the first rack - first shelf - card 3036 - second termination point.