Setting Up the Module Discovery Trigger with Flow Profile
  • 19 Dec 2023
  • 9 Minutes to read
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Setting Up the Module Discovery Trigger with Flow Profile

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Article summary

A flow profile runs one or more configuration flow templates on new Skylight sensor: modules that have been installed on the network.

Enabling Inventory Modules

To ensure that new modules can be automatically provisioned and discovered, at least one Skylight sensor: control on the network must be enabled for discovery instances and for inventory-polling.

The procedures in this section explain how to create or change the discovery instances and inventory-polling state of managed modules.

Normally, a network administrator only needs to do these procedures once, when the Skylight orchestrator is installed. However, if you want to check for the availability of discovery instances, you can do so as explained in this section.


Note: The Skylight sensor: module will be loaded to Skylight orchestrator through the Skylight sensor: control.

To create/change the inventory instances of a Skylight sensor: control (from Skylight orchestrator)

For the Module Discovery Trigger, at least one Skylight sensor: control (managed by Skylight orchestrator) must be enabled for discovery instances. This can only be done on the Skylight sensor: control itself. However, you can log in on a managed Skylight sensor: control from Skylight orchestrator in order to create or change its discovery instances remotely:

  1. Access the list of managed Skylight sensor: control by selecting Devices ▶ Managed Elements.

  2. Locate the Skylight sensor: control that you want to access in the Managed Elements list and double-click its IP address (a link). After a brief delay, the login page for the Skylight sensor: control is displayed.

  3. Log in to the Skylight sensor: control and determine whether the discovery instance is configured and enabled. For detailed information about how to enable a device for inventory instances, see the user material for Skylight sensor: control.

To disable Override-config state in the Skylight sensor: control (in Skylight orchestrator)

When enabling Module Discovery Trigger, the Override-config state must be disabled.

  1. Access the list of managed Skylight sensor: control by selecting Devices ▶ Managed Elements.

  2. Locate the Skylight sensor: control that you want to access in the Managed Elements list and double-click its IP address (a link). After a brief delay, the login page for the Skylight sensor: control is displayed.

  3. Log into the Skylight sensor: control by selecting System ▶ Configuration ▶ RemDev Connection.

  4. Uncheck Override-config state.

To check/change the inventory-polling state of a Skylight sensor: control (in Skylight orchestrator)

All discovery instances of a Skylight sensor: control must also be enabled for inventory-polling in Skylight orchestrator. This means Skylight orchestrator will poll the inventory modules periodically and add any new modules in their inventory to the Skylight orchestrator Managed Modules & SFPs list.

You can view the inventory-polling state for all managed Skylight sensor: control as follows:

  1. Access the list of managed elements by selecting Devices ▶ Managed Elements.

  2. Display the Inventory Polling column in the Managed list as follows:

  • Right-click anywhere in the headings at the top of the table. A context menu is displayed.
    • Slide the cursor down the menu to Columns to view the full list of columns that can be displayed.
  • Check Inventory polling. The Inventory polling column is added to the table.
  1. To enable a module for inventory polling via Skylight sensor: control:
  • Double-click the Skylight sensor: control that you want to enable. The Device Configuration dialog is displayed.
  • Check the Enable Inventory polling? checkbox.
  • Click the Save button. The Device Configuration dialog closes.
  • Ensure that the Inventory polling column is checked for the module in the Managed list.

Preparing Configuration flow templates for the Module Discovery Trigger

The Module Discovery Trigger includes one or more Configuration flow templates that are set up in the standard way in the Job Configuration page (Commission ▶ Jobs). For an introduction to configuration jobs, see "About Configuration Flows”.

Typically, when new modules are going to be installed on the network, a network administrator prepares the Configuration flow templates.

Here are some guidelines for preparing Configuration flow templates for the Module Discovery Trigger:

  • For a detailed procedure for setting up a Configuration flow template see “Creating a Configuration Flow Template”.
  • A Configuration flow template (included in the Module Discovery Trigger) can include multiple configuration steps.


Note: If Device token is not entered, Device token will default to Configuration flow template name.

Preparing Flow profile for the Module Discovery Trigger

The Module Discovery Trigger with Flow profile are set up in the standard way in the Flow profiles page (Commission ▶ Flow Profiles). For an introduction to configuration jobs, see "Configuration Flow Profiles: Overview”.

Here are some guidelines for preparing Flow profiles for the Module Discovery Trigger:

  • See “Creating a Configuration Flow Profile” for a detailed procedure on setting up a Configuration flow profile.
  • Module Discovery Trigger with Flow profile can only select one flow profile at a time.

Preparing ME Reference Datasets for the Module Discovery Trigger

When new modules are going to be installed on the network, a network administrator prepares one or more ME Reference dataset files that list the modules to be installed. They will also prepare one or more configuration flow templates to run on the new modules.

When the Discovery Trigger executes a Flow profile, Skylight orchestrator scans the Unmanaged Modules & SFPs list looking for modules that are also in the ME Reference for the job. The flow job will run on each of the matching modules.

Only one ME Reference file can be selected but we can define different flow templates for different modules in the Flow token data set file. You can define the modules on which to run a discovery flow job by including one or more of the following pieces of information in the ME Reference file:

  • Sysname: Name of module
  • Serial number: Serial number of the module
  • Model: Module model
  • Management IP address: Can be specified with a subnet. Using a subnet is one of the most convenient ways of specifying modules for the Module Discovery Trigger.
  • Firmware: The active firmware of modules
  • Parent IP address: The IP address of Skylight sensor: control, the modules will be managed by this Skylight sensor: control and only for Module Discovery Trigger.

Examples

Here are some examples of ME Reference files that could be used for the Module Discovery Trigger:

Management IP address. You can specify particular IP addresses, if they are known.
image.png

Management IP address with subnet. Skylight orchestrator will scan Unmanaged Modules & SFPs list for modules in the specified subnet.


Note: You cannot specify an IPv6 address with subnet in an ME Reference file.

The base IP address can only be in IPv4 format.

The subnet must be specified after the base IP address using CIDR notation: a forward slash followed by a value. For IPv4, the value can be from 0 to 32.

ipAddress/subnet

For example:
image.png

Serial number only. Skylight orchestrator will scan the Unmanaged Modules & SFPs list for the modules with the serial numbers specified in the ME Reference.

image.png

Model only. Skylight orchestrator will scan the Unmanaged Modules & SFPs list for all modules of the specified model.

image.png

Firmware. Skylight orchestrator will scan the Unmanaged Modules & SFPs list for all modules with the specified firmware.
image.png

Parent IP address. Skylight orchestrator will scan the Unmanaged Modules & SFPs list for all modules of a particular model on a subnet and manage the modules to Skylight sensor: control that are defined in the Parent IP address.
image.png

Any combination of the above. Skylight orchestrator will scan the Unmanaged Modules & SFPs list for modules matching all the specified parameters. For example, you might want to specify all modules of a particular model on a subnet.

image.png


Notes:

The subnet for Parent IP address is not supported.

If the Parent IP address is not entered, the module will be managed by the Skylight sensor: control that loaded those modules.


For more general information about ME Reference datasets and how to prepare them, see "About ME Reference Datasets (Device Datasets)".

Preparing Flow Token Dataset for the Module Discovery Trigger

When creating a new Configuration Flow template, a system administrator defines a variety of templates using standard values to define most parameters and flow tokens for parameters that require user input at execution time. They will also prepare one or more configuration Flow templates to run on the new modules.

Then, a system administrator prepares one Flow token data set file to define values for flow tokens defined in Configuration Flow template, following pieces of information in the Flow token data set file:

NE ID: The module ID defined in ME Reference Dataset.
Device token: Device token defined in Configuration Flow templates.
Data: The value definition for flow token is defined in the Configuration Flow template.

Examples

With one Configuration flow template in an instance

The NE ID will match the module in ME Reference Dataset and Device token. Flow token will match in the Configuration Flow template. The flow tokens are separated by "&".

image.png


Notes:

It is possible to define a range of NE IDs such as [1-6], [3-8], etc.

If the system administrator wants to match all modules, we can define NE ID with an asterisk, such as [*].


With more than one Configuration flow templates in one instance

There can be more Device tokens in one instance. Device tokens are separated by "&".
image.png


Note: You cannot define Device token in Configuration flow template containing “&” character.

Making Selections in the Module Discovery Trigger Page with Flow profile

The final task in setting up the Module Discovery Trigger with Flow profile is making a few selections in the Module Discovery Trigger page. You must enable the trigger and select one Flow profile, ME reference data set and Flow token data set.

  1. Access the Module Discovery Trigger page by selecting Commission ▶ Module Discovery Trigger.

  2. Click the icon.png button (in the upper left corner of the page) [Configure discovery scheduler parameters]. The Module Discovery Trigger dialog is displayed.

  3. Click the Flow profile tab.
    Setting Up the Module Discovery Trigger with Flow Profile_1.png

  4. Check Enable.

  5. Select the Profile name.

  6. Select the ME reference data set.

  7. Select the Flow token data set.

  8. When you have finished selecting Flow profile, ME reference data set and Flow token data set, click Apply, then click Close. For descriptions of the settings in the Module Discovery Trigger with Flow profile dialog, see the following table.

Module Discovery Trigger with Flow profile (Commission ▶ Discovery Trigger ▶ Flow profile)

ParameterDescription
Enable
  • Checked: The Module Discovery Trigger with Flow profile is enabled and will scan the Unmanaged Modules & SFPs list periodically looking for new modules that match the modules listed in the ME Reference file for a selected configuration job.
  • Unchecked: The Module Discovery Trigger with Flow profile is disabled.
Profile nameA configuration flow profile defines the list of configuration templates that are required for a particular workflow. A system administrator can create a variety of configuration profiles for different workflows.
ME reference data setThis type of dataset file contains a list of the modules to be installed. For more information about ME Reference datasets (including examples), see "About ME Reference Datasets (Device Datasets)".
Flow token data setFlow token dataset files to define values for flow tokens defined in Configuration Flow template.

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