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extensions:teemip-cable-mgmt

Cable Management

name:
Cable Management
description:
Documents cable infrastructures and physical connections between devices
version:
1.1.0
release:
2023-07-24
TeemIp:
3.x
iTop:
3.x
code:
teemip-cable-mgmt
localization:
English, French, German
state:
stable
keyword:
cmdb, cable
dependencies:
teemip-framework, teemip-config-mgmt-adaptor
download:
teemip-cable-mgmt-1.1.0-123.zip
github:
teemip-cable-mgmt
php-max:
8.1

This extension brings to TeemIp objects from the cabling world that will allow you to document the physical connections between CIs.

Vocabulary: by “TeemIp solution” or “TeemIP”, it should be understood: TeemIp standalone or the iTop solution on top of which TeemIp as a module has been installed.

Revision History

Version Release Date Comments
1.1.0 2023-07-24 Interfaces with no connections have been removed from the wiring diagram
Network cable class has been split into Backend, Frontend and Device network cable classes
An audit rule identifies the cables connected to one end only
Modelization of cables, sockets and interfaces have been enhanced
A socket can be attached to a location or a patch panel
A tab displays the list of patch panels mounted in a rack
Patch panels can be handled by Molkobain DC view extended
1.0.0 2022-12-04 Initial revision

Features

TeemIp cable management allows you to document the cable layouts of your organization. Connect physical interfaces to wall mounted network sockets, to patch panels hosted in racks or to other physical interfaces, document your patch cables and your underlying cabling layout: the extension enables a large scope of connection scenarios as the following drawing highlights:

Furthermore, the extension displays the wiring that links devices, physical interfaces and network sockets together, like:

Licensing

The TeemIp Cable Management extension is licensed under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License Version 3 as published by the Free Software Foundation. This gives you legal permission to copy, distribute and/or modify TeemIp Cable Management under certain conditions. Read the ’license.txt’ file in the TeemIp distribution. TeemIp Cable Management is provided AS IS with NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING THE WARRANTY OF DESIGN, MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Limitations

There is no specific limitations with that extension.

Requirements

TeemIp standalone: There is no specific requirement as the extension is embedded in TeemIp standalone starting with TeemIp 3.1.

iTop: When installed on an iTop application, make sure that IPAM for iTop is installed as well.

Installation

TeemIp standalone: Installation is done with the application itself, through the setup.

iTop: To add the extension on an iTop application, follow the Standard installation process.

Configuration

No specific configuration is required in TeemIp's configuration file or in IP configs for that extension.

Patch Panel

As everyone knows, a patch panel is a piece of hardware with multiple ports that helps organize a group of cables. Each of these ports contains a wire that goes to a different location and can be set for fiber optic cables, cat5 cables, RJ45 cables, and many others. That class allows you to register them in TeemIp's CMDB.

Patch Panel Properties

Name Type Mandatory?
General Information
Name Alphanumeric string Yes
Organization Foreign key to a(n) Organization Yes
Status Possible values: Implementation, Production No
Location Foreign key to a(n) Location Yes
Rack Foreign key to a(n) Rack Yes
Description Multiline character string No
More Information
Capacity Number of network sockets that the panel can host No

Should the extension Datacenter View Extended be installed on TeemIp, the following additional attributes will appear.

Name Type Mandatory?
More Information
Panel Possible values: Front, Rear Yes
Zero-U Possible values: Yes, No Yes
Vert. position Integer No
Height Integer No
Weight (kg) Decimal No

Tabs

Tab Description
Network sockets All the network sockets attached to the patch panel
Cables All cables connected to a network socket hosted by the patch panel
Peer front end panels List of other patch panels connected to the current one through the network socket port of its hosted sockets
Peer back end panels List of other patch panels connected to the current one through the back end network socket port of its hosted sockets

Displaying a Patch Panel

In the Network dashboard that is accessible from a submenu of the standard CMDB overview menu, find the Patch Panel dashlet, click on it and select the item you are interested in:

With the extension Datacenter View Extended, Patch Panel display will look like:

Network Socket

A network socket is the passive physical piece of hardware where you plug a network cable to establish a link between different network devices.

Network Socket Properties

Name Type Mandatory?
General Information
Code Alphanumeric string Yes
Status Possible values: Implementation, Production No
Location Foreign key to a(n) Location Yes
Rack Foreign key to a(n) Rack No
Patch panel Foreign key to a(n) Patch Panel No
Organization Organization that the patch panel belongs to N/A
Comment Multiline character string No
Front End Information
Connector Foreign key to a(n) Interface Connector No
Device Foreign key to a(n) Connectable CI No
Physical interface Foreign key to a(n) Physical Interface No
Network socket Foreign key to a(n) Network Socket No
Back End Information
Back end network socket Foreign key to a(n) Network Socket No

Tabs

Tab Description
Cables All cables connected to the network socket

Friendly name of a network socket is automatically computed as the concatenation of the location name, rack name (if exists), patch panel name (if exists) and code of the socket.

A network socket can be installed in a patch panel or as a stand alone equipment in a room.
  • When installed in a patch panel, attributes Location, Rack and Patch panel are mandatory.
  • When standing alone, attribute Location is mandatory but Rack and Patch panel must NOT be set.

Network Sockets have 2 sides:

  • A front end where RJ45 cables or optical fibers are plugged in,
  • A back end that links the socket to another network socket.
A few rules are enforced at front and back ends' levels.
  • On the front end side, a network socket cannot be connected to both a remote network socket and a connectable CI.
  • The front end network socket and the back end one cannot be the same.

Network sockets implements three 1:1 relations. As the datamodel doesn't provide such attributes by default, these 1:1 relations are automatically computed when objects are created, modified or deleted: when one side of the relation is changed, the other sides (new and old when appropriate) are changed. These relations are:

  • 1:1 relation between the physical interface of a CI and the network socket attribute of the interface,
  • 1:1 relation between the network socket and a remote network socket,
  • 1:1 relation between the network socket and a back end one.

Displaying a Network Socket

In the Network dashboard that is accessible from a submenu of the standard CMDB overview menu, find the Network Socket dashlet, click on it and select the item you are interested in or select it directly from the Patch panel detailed display :

Physical Interface

TeemIp Cable management extension alters Physical interfaces with new attributes that allow connections to a network socket or to the interface of another connectable CI.

Physical Interface Properties

Name Type Mandatory?
Wiring Information
Network socket Foreign key to a(n) Network socket No
Remote device Foreign key to a(n) ConnectableCI No
Remote physical interface Foreign key to a(n) PhysicalInterface No
A physical interface cannot be connected to both a network socket and another physical interface

These 2 relations brought by the extension implement 1:1 relations. As the datamodel doesn't provide such attributes by default, these 1:1 relations are automatically computed when objects are created, modified or deleted: when one side of the relation is changed, the other sides (new and old when appropriate) are changed. These relations are:

  • 1:1 relation between the physical interface and the network socket attribute of the interface,
  • 1:1 relation between the physical interface and another physical interface.

A connection between a physical interface and a network socket will look as follows.

A connection between two physical interfaces will look as follows.

Front End Network Cable

A front end network cable (known as well as patch cable, patch cord or patch lead) represents the piece of hardware that connects 2 network sockets through their front end.

Front End Network Cable Properties

Name Type Mandatory?
General Information
Cable type Foreign key to a(n) Cable Type No
Cable category Foreign key to a(n) Cable Category No
Length (m) Length of the cable, in meter No
Label Alphanumeric string No
Comment Multiline character string No
Connecting Points
Network socket #1 - Front end Foreign key to a(n) Network Socket Yes
Network socket #2 - Front end Foreign key to a(n) Network Socket Yes

Friendly name of a front end network cable is automatically computed as the concatenation of the two network sockets' name.

A few rules are enforced when creating or modifying front end network cables.
  • A cable must be connected to 2 different network sockets,
  • A cable connecting 2 sockets is unique, regardless the socket used (#1 or #2),
  • A cable is automatically updated when one of the sockets it connects is changing.

Displaying a Front End Network Cable

In the Network dashboard that is accessible from a submenu of the standard CMDB overview menu, find the Front End Network Cable dashlet, click on it and select the item you are interested in or select it directly from the Patch Panel or Network Socket detailed displays :

Back End Network Cable

A back end network cable represents the piece of hardware that connects 2 network sockets through their back end.

Back End Network Cable Properties

Name Type Mandatory?
General Information
Cable type Foreign key to a(n) Cable Type No
Cable category Foreign key to a(n) Cable Category No
Length (m) Length of the cable, in meter No
Label Alphanumeric string No
Comment Multiline character string No
Connecting Points
Network socket #1 - Back end Foreign key to a(n) Network Socket Yes
Network socket #2 - Back end Foreign key to a(n) Network Socket Yes

Friendly name of a back end network cable is automatically computed as the concatenation of the two network sockets' name.

A few rules are enforced when creating or modifying back end network cables.
  • A cable must be connected to 2 different network sockets,
  • A cable connecting 2 sockets is unique, regardless the socket used (#1 or #2),
  • A cable is automatically updated when one of the sockets it connects is changing.

Displaying a Back End Network Cable

In the Network dashboard that is accessible from a submenu of the standard CMDB overview menu, find the Back End Network Cable dashlet, click on it and select the item you are interested in or select it directly from the Patch Panel or Network Socket detailed displays :

Device Network Cable

A device network cable represents the piece of hardware that connects the front end of a network socket and the interface of a connectable CI.

Device Network Cable Properties

Name Type Mandatory?
General Information
Cable type Foreign key to a(n) Cable Type No
Cable category Foreign key to a(n) Cable Category No
Length (m) Length of the cable, in meter No
Label Alphanumeric string No
Comment Multiline character string No
Connecting Points
Network socket - Front end Foreign key to a(n) Network Socket Yes
Device Foreign key to a(n) ConnectableCI No
Physical interface Foreign key to a(n) PhysicalInterface No

Friendly name of a device network cable is automatically computed as the concatenation of the network socket's name and the interface's name.

A few rules are enforced when creating or modifying device network cables,
  • A cable connecting a socket and a network interface is unique,
  • A cable is automatically updated when one of its end is changing.

Displaying a Device Network Cable

In the Network dashboard that is accessible from a submenu of the standard CMDB overview menu, find the Device Network Cable dashlet, click on it and select the item you are interested in or select it directly from the Patch Panel or Network Socket detailed displays :

Wiring diagram

Once connections between Devices, Physical interfaces and Network Sockets are documented, the physical path that connects them all can be visualized through the menu “Wiring…” displayed under the “Other Actions” menu of Connectable CIs, Physical Interfaces and Network Sockets.

That action displays the wiring layout that connects the device it has been launch from, and all the elements that are part of the cabling path. For instance, from a network device :

For clarity reasons, only active interfaces are represented on the diagram.

Typology Elements

Two new typological elements are brought by the extension:

Name Description Attributes Example
Cable Type Type of a Network Cable Name, Description, List of Cable Categories using it Single mode
Cable Category Category of a Network Cable Name, Cable Type, Description, OS1, OS2

The extension groups network specific typological elements in the dashlet “Network typology configuration”.

extensions/teemip-cable-mgmt.txt · Last modified: 2023/09/14 22:05 by cnaud