Port Layout and Templating Enhancements in v15.04.00

We are excited to announce an overhaul to port layout handling in Device42 v15.04.00.

Port layouts revamped

We heard your requests for better port layout and connectivity handling, and v15.04 ships with lots of new features that make it much easier to accurately model parts, physical port layouts, connectivity, and more.

Change highlights:

Hardware model templates can now include part slot(s) in addition to direct ports
Parts can be modeled to include ports
Blades host’s chassis can be modeled to include blade slots and/or part slots in addition to direct ports
Switches are no longer modeled as blades

Ports and port names can now be templated
Ports may be added in bulk according to template
Re-vamped rack connectivity and layout screens
Better connectivity discovery
Better front/back handling for both chassis & rack connectivity

Updated templating for ports, parts, switches, PDUs

Users may now create parts templates that optionally include ports. Port templates are highly configurable and may include a custom naming prefix, consisting of a master “name template” that configures port naming semantics, the port type, and more. Ports may also be added in bulk, automatically named based on information configured in the template.

Parts (with or without ports) may optionally be placed into the all new “parts slot”, or a parts slot may simply be left empty. Part slots may be added to both blade-based and non-blade hardware.

Switch templating menus

Both switch templates and PDUs layouts also take advantage of the new layout features found in this release. For those users who are happy with the way things were working, “Switch Template — Legacy” can be found in the “Tools” menu.

Rack connectivity and device layout page enhancements

The rack / connectivity modeling mechanisms were overhauled as part of v15.04.00. Major changes include added support for modeling the new parts slots and parts’ connectivity both front and back, which in turn allows users to much more accurately model the physical locations of the ports on the hardware.

Enhancements extend to blade chassis layout modeling. You may now fully customize the layout of blade chassis and match the modeled chassis to its physical counterpart.

Model Dell NIC example

Better front and back of rack connectivity handling

Layout editing screens now feature an improved editing workflow. Rack connectivity screens have also been improved to now include both a front and a separate back view, as opposed to the “consolidated” view that existed prior. Users may now “save” edits on demand while editing mode is enabled, or conversely may exit and abandon recent changes without saving.

Assign different parts, part slots, and/or ports to front and back of hardware chassis

We’ve improved the ability of users to document the presence of specific parts, parts slots, and/or ports on both the front and back of hardware chassis templates, as well.

Users may assign any combination of parts, slots, and ports to the front or back of hardware templates.

Along with these improvements to front/back part assignments, this release also improves Device42’s ability to accurately display those different parts assigned to the front and/or back of both racks and chassis. The following screenshots illustrate a pre-v15.04 blade chassis front and back vs. the same chassis modeled in v15.04.00:

Pre v15.04.00, blades could be shown outside of chassis

V15.04.00+ features more accurate blade modeling

Auto-create ports and more

Add ports when creating devices

You may now elect to “auto-create ports” during creation of a new device. If the “Add Ports When Creating Device” checkbox is checked on the chosen hardware model template, the new device will be created with all its model-defined ports. Following a discovery run, Device42 will add discovered connections to these ports automatically.

Enjoy better connectivity documentation overall, easier creation and maintenance of connectivity information, and clearer connectivity representations in Device42. Your remote staff has never been better equipped to service your hardware right the first time.

Bug fixes

Renaming an asset could transfer the asset back to original location. Fixed.
Custom field dropdown results displayed behind other page elements. Fixed.
Import/Export sample file contained wrong API endpoint. Fixed.
Some pages did not load properly if machine had no internet access. Fixed.
Issues occured while dragging a device in rack mobile view. Fixed.
Some advanced reports could generate errors. Fixed.
Reverse x-axis, y-axis checkbox states not retained after room layout page reload. Fixed.
API endpoint api/1.0/devices/all was not working with multi-tenancy enabled. Fixed.
Xentools installation could fail. Fixed.
Asset number for stored devices not showing in room view. Fixed.
VMWare discovery could fail while detecting a valid IP. Fixed.