Network Map & Topology View

Overview: Network Map in Backup Manager

The Network Map provides a visual representation of your network infrastructure, showing how devices are connected to each other.

Key Features:

• Topology Visualization: See your network structure at a glance
• Auto-Discovery: Discover connections via LLDP/CDP protocols
• Device Details: Click any device to see detailed information
• Ping/ARP Sweep: Discover end devices on your network
• Manual Connections: Add connections not detected automatically
• Save Layout: Preserve your customized map arrangement

Prerequisites:

• Network devices added to Backup Manager
• SNMP configured and working on devices
• LLDP and/or CDP enabled on network devices

Step 1: Navigate to Network Map

Access the Network Map from the sidebar menu.

How to Access:

• Click on Network Map in the sidebar
• Click on Topology View to open the map

Top Bar Controls:

• Search: Find devices by name or IP
• Discover: Run network discovery
• Save Layout: Save current device positions
• Discovered: View devices found by scans

Step 2: Run Network Discovery

Discover network topology by analyzing LLDP/CDP neighbor information from your devices.

To Start Discovery:

• Click the Discover button in the top bar
• A confirmation modal will remind you about SNMP requirements
• Click Continue to proceed

Discovery Configuration:

• Primary Internet Device: Your edge router/firewall connected to the Internet
• Primary Core Switch: Main distribution switch in your network
• Secondary Devices: Optional redundant devices

Scan Options:

• Ping Sweep: Discover devices by pinging a subnet
• ARP Discovery: Discover devices from ARP tables
• Quick Subnet Scan: Skip topology, only scan for end devices

Step 3: Understanding the Legend

The legend panel explains the meaning of different connection types and device icons.

Uplink Types (Network↔Network):

• Internet Uplink: Connection to Internet
• Core Uplink: Router/Firewall connections
• Switch-to-Switch: Inter-switch links
• Wireless Controller: WLC connections

Access Links (Device→Network):

• Access Point: WiFi AP connections
• Server: Server connections
• End Device: Workstations, phones, etc.

Click the LEGEND header in the sidebar to expand/collapse it.

Step 4: Navigate the Map

Use zoom and pan controls to navigate your network topology.

Zoom Controls:

• + Button: Zoom in for more detail
• - Button: Zoom out for overview
• Fit Button: Fit entire topology on screen
• Mouse Wheel: Scroll to zoom in/out

Pan/Move:

• Click and drag on empty space to pan the view
• Click and drag a device to reposition it

Search:

• Type in the search box to find devices
• Matching devices will be highlighted

Step 5: View Device Details

Click on any device to see detailed information in the side panel.

Device Panel Tabs:

• Overview: Basic device info, status, uptime, and connections
• Interfaces: All network interfaces with status and traffic
• Neighbors: LLDP/CDP discovered neighbors
• Alerts: Active alerts for this device
• Logs: Recent syslog messages from this device

Panel Actions:

• SNMP Details: Go to SNMP monitoring page
• Edit: Edit device settings
• Re-discover: Refresh LLDP/CDP data for this device
• Add Connection: Manually add a connection
• End Devices: Show connected end devices

Step 6: View Interfaces & Neighbors

Explore device interfaces and discovered neighbors.

Interfaces Tab:

• Lists all network interfaces on the device
• Shows interface status (Up/Down)
• Displays speed and duplex settings
• Filter by "Up Only" or "With Neighbors"
• Search for specific interfaces

Neighbors Tab:

• Shows LLDP/CDP discovered neighbors
• Displays remote device name and interface
• Click a neighbor to navigate to that device

Tip: Use the Re-discover button to refresh neighbor data for a device.

Step 7: Add Manual Connections

When automatic discovery doesn't detect a link, you can add it manually.

To Add a Manual Connection:

• Select a device on the map
• Click Add Connection in the device panel
• The source device is pre-filled

Configure Connection:

• Source Interface: Select the local interface
• Destination Device: Select the remote device
• Destination Interface: Select the remote interface
• Connection Type: Ethernet, Fiber, Trunk, Uplink, Other

When to Use Manual Connections:

• LLDP/CDP is disabled on one or both devices
• Connection is through a media converter
• Legacy devices without neighbor protocols

Step 8: View Discovered Devices

See devices discovered through Ping Sweep or ARP Discovery.

To View Discovered Devices:

• Click the Discovered button in the top bar
• The badge shows the count of discovered devices

Discovered Devices Modal:

• Pending Connections: One-sided CDP/LLDP connections to confirm
• Discovered Devices: End devices found by scans
• Filter: Filter by type (Workstation, Phone, Printer, etc.)

Adding Discovered Devices:

• Click on a discovered device
• Enter device name and type
• Select which switch/port it connects to
• Click "Add to Topology"

Step 9: Save Your Layout

After arranging devices, save the layout to preserve your customizations.

To Save Layout:

• Drag devices to arrange them as desired
• Click the Save Layout button
• Positions are saved and restored on next visit

Layout Tips:

• Place Internet/edge devices at the top
• Core switches in the center
• Access switches and end devices at the bottom
• Group devices by location or function

Note: Layout is saved per-user and persists across sessions.

Best Practices for Network Mapping

Preparation:

• Configure SNMP on all devices before discovery
• Enable LLDP and/or CDP on network devices
• Run SNMP poll before topology discovery
• Identify your primary Internet and core devices

Discovery Strategy:

• Start with LLDP/CDP discovery for network devices
• Use Ping Sweep for end device discovery
• Confirm pending connections when prompted
• Add manual connections for devices without LLDP/CDP

Maintenance:

• Re-run discovery when adding new devices
• Use Re-discover on individual devices after changes
• Save layout after making arrangement changes
• Check for unmanaged devices in the Discovered list

Troubleshooting:

• Missing connections: Check LLDP/CDP is enabled
• No neighbors: Run SNMP poll first
• Devices not appearing: Add them to Network Devices first
• Layout not saving: Click Save Layout button