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IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
1629RackTablesdefaultpublic2016-07-15 17:36
Reportermsiqueira Assigned To 
PriorityhighSeverityfeatureReproducibilityalways
Status newResolutionopen 
PlatformRacktables 0.20.10OSLinuxOS VersionUbuntu 14.04
Product Version0.20.10 
Summary1629: [Feature Request] Change in Visualization of View for Ports and Links
DescriptionHello,

Recently I have used the list e-mail for trying to solve a problem racktables-users@freelists.org, but I obtained no success. But after it, I sent an e-mail to Maik Ehinger, that helped me a lot with my problem and pointed me out this WebSite to request the new feature.
I work for Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, and we final goal is to use Racktables to document all our equipment and links, not only on our data center but in our wiring closets.
First I thank all on the project for such a good quality software. But yet we here have a dire need of a new feature that i'll describe bellow.
We have a lot of Patch Panels in here, and to have that on the Racktables, I had to install the Link Management plugin. It solves my problem with Patch Panels, but, my need and my direct manager need is to have the information of a linked object on the View Page, the first one when you open an object.
For example: A switch linked with a patch panel, and them a server. With the link management I can see all the path to the server from the link, but in the view tab, I will just have one port linked with another, so for the Switch, I'll only see the Patch Panel linked port. What would be great, is to have another column that would show the end object of the path, or some object you could chose.
Motivation for the feature: We are changing our board network, and for that my manager needed a some view and analyse all the switchs and see where they end so we might think on better solutions. To do that, Link Management would be the better option available, but yet it is not very friendly viewing and it is scattered from the View tab, as it is a plugin. If there could be a way of iterating on the links and have it on the first View tab, that would be great. I thought of trying to change the code, but I don't want to have a version of the Software different from the official one.

Thank you,

Marcus Siqueira
Steps To ReproduceMain Page: Objects: Switch
TagsNo tags attached.

Activities

racktabler

racktabler

2016-06-29 10:28

reporter   ~0003273

The view is is now in the Link Management plugin ( FirstLast View link)
infrastation

infrastation

2016-07-04 13:41

administrator   ~0003307

As far as I understand the problem statement, the information you want to have in the default view (the remote endpoint) is already there. The Link Management code can manage intermediate hops in between of the principal endpoints, which remain the same and are displayed by default. Could you check once again?
msiqueira

msiqueira

2016-07-04 14:23

reporter   ~0003309

The FirstLast View minimizes the problem for now. What was intended was to have shown on the first tab the start of a link and the end of it. For some situations that there is a Patch Panel, the view tab will show just up a server linked with patch panels. That don't say much for a person not dealing with it everyday. For making it easier, I have put on the label field of the port a good description, and have it described in all the links until I reach the end of the link, the only problem is that if I update that information I'll have to update in all the link path. Sometimes here we have some really long path link with a lot of patch panels in the way.
infrastation

infrastation

2016-07-04 14:32

administrator   ~0003313

Could you add a screenshot when you have time? To me it seems I have something very different in my mind.
msiqueira

msiqueira

2016-07-04 16:26

reporter   ~0003315

Last edited: 2016-07-04 16:27

Hello,

I have just taken 2 screenshots, that I have to edit because of some information that can not be shown, but it does show what I was trying to explain.
In the first image, you have Switch on rack, and it's ports are linked with nothing on the view tab, and that is happening because the link on these ports comes from a back port from a Patch Panel. To have a look at the link on that Switch it is needed to look on the Link Management and follow the Patch Panel links to reach the end of it, witch will end in servers.
In the second image, you have a Patch Panel on a rack, and you can see it linked on server ports, but to follow the link that will end up in Switchs it is needed to look at Link Management.
In Both cases, what would be the best of the worlds, would be to have the end of the link shown at the view tab, so I would not need to put a description on the Visible label at each part of a link.
I understand that this would involve the use of link management with Racktables itself. For now, the FirstLast View somehow gives a better view of the link on the Link Management tab.
If there is anything more that I can provide to help, ask away.

And thank you.

msiqueira

msiqueira

2016-07-04 16:27

reporter  

msiqueira

msiqueira

2016-07-04 16:28

reporter  

infrastation

infrastation

2016-07-07 17:24

administrator   ~0003353

Thank you for the screenshots. In your use scenario is it possible first to link the server port to the switch port the usual way and then use Link Management to document the intermediate patch panel ports?
msiqueira

msiqueira

2016-07-15 17:36

reporter   ~0003377

Hello,

I am sorry to not have reported earlier. Well, I do use the Link Management and also the Ports, it helps a lot. But I have some cases that I don not have Patch Panels in all the Racks, so there are switch and servers that are linked with a backport of the Patch Panel. In that cases, the users will see the port empty, both in View and in Ports tab, and it might think the port is free, but it isn't. It is backlinked on LinkManagement. Sure would be great if the plugin gets incorporated on the system itself. But I know this requires a lot of study and work.
Thank you

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2016-05-13 15:44 msiqueira New Issue
2016-06-29 10:28 racktabler Note Added: 0003273
2016-07-04 13:41 infrastation Note Added: 0003307
2016-07-04 14:23 msiqueira Note Added: 0003309
2016-07-04 14:32 infrastation Note Added: 0003313
2016-07-04 16:26 msiqueira Note Added: 0003315
2016-07-04 16:27 msiqueira Note Edited: 0003315
2016-07-04 16:27 msiqueira File Added: PrintScreen_RackTables-01.jpg
2016-07-04 16:28 msiqueira File Added: PrintScreen_RackTables-02.jpg
2016-07-07 17:24 infrastation Note Added: 0003353
2016-07-14 11:26 infrastation Status new => feedback
2016-07-15 17:36 msiqueira Note Added: 0003377
2016-07-15 17:36 msiqueira Status feedback => new