Pools

Overview

A Pool is a collection of objects of the following types:

• Devices.
• Links.
• Users.
• Services.
• Networks.

Pools can contain a single type of object or a mix of objects types. For each object type, a set of selection properties is used to determine which objects of that type will be included in the pool. If the properties of an object matches the pool properties, that object is automatically included in the pool. Alternatively, pools can be edited to manually select objects instead of using criteria based on properties.

The context where a pool is used determines which object types are used from the pool. For example, when a pool specifies the targets for a workflow, the devices are used and links, users, and services in the pool are ignored.

Pools are used in several parts of the application:

• Targets of a Service or Workflow: Devices can be added to a pool, which is then selected as the execution target for a Service or Workflow automation to run on.

  • Pools can also be specified as the execution targets of a Scheduled Task. If a pool is also specified as the target within the service or workflow, the Scheduled Task's pool overrides which devices the automation executes against.

• Visualization Scope:

  • Geographical Visualization: pool selection is used to filter which objects are presented on the map. The pool list only shows pools with devices and links. Pools of only Users and Services are omitted since these don't make sense to show on a map.
  • Network Builder: displays existing Network objects (from Inventory -> Networks) on the graph. The Add to Network button allows pools of devices and links (as well as individual devices and links) to be added to the currently displayed Network.

• Advanced Search / Relationship Based Filtering: Pools can be targets for the union, intersection, or empty match in order to filter a table in the application.

• RBAC (Role Based Access Controls): Pools are used in the Administration -> Access menu to define which objects a user can access: Devices, Links, Services.

  • Also, when defining credentials in `Administration -> Credentials', Pools of Users are used to define who can access that credential.

Pool Management

The Inventory -> Pools menu supports the following operations on each pool listed in the Pools table:

• Update: Recalculate membership in the pool based on the current pool properties and object properties to determine are now included in the pool.

• Edit: Modify the properties for matching this pool.

• Duplicate: Copy this pool's properties to a new pool and make some slight modification for different criteria.

• Run Service: Run a service or workflow against this pool's devices.

• Delete: Delete this pool.

The following operations are supported from the menu bar above the table. Note that bulk operations apply to all currently displayed pools based on filtering or advanced search criteria:

• Refresh: Refresh the table.

• Advanced Search: Apply an advanced filter against the table to select which pools are displayed.

• Clear Search: Clear all filtering that has been applied to the table.

• Copy Selection to the Clipboard: Copy the list of Pools to the clipboard as a comma-separated list.

• New: Create a new Pool of objects.

• Export: Export the list of Pools as a .csv file that is downloaded to the user's browser.

• Update All Pools: Recalculate pool membership.

• Run Service on All Pools in the Table: Run a Service or Workflow using all the pools in the table as the combined set of execution targets.

• Bulk Deletion: Delete all pools currently displayed in the table.

Device Pool Creation Example

This pool enforces the intersection of the following conditions:

• name: sto - Match is Inclusion; all devices whose name includes sto. Boston and Houston both match.
• subtype: GATEWAY|PEER - Match is Regular Expression; all devices having subtype GATEWAY or PEER will be selected.
• vendor: Cisco - Match is Equality; all devices whose vendor is Cisco will be selected.

In summary, all Cisco devices with subtype GATEWAY or PEER whose name includes sto will match these conditions and be included as members of the pool.

Note

• All empty properties are ignored unless the Empty match option is selected. This option matches objects where the property is empty, e.g. not defined.

• The Invert checkbox reverses the logic for that parameter. So if Cisco is specified in the vendor field, Invert will cause all devices to match whose vendor is NOT Cisco.

• Along with all properties of a device, you can use the device's collected Configuration and Operational Data as a constraint for the pool.

Links Pool Creation Example

This pool enforces the intersection of the following conditions:

• subtype: Ethernet link - Match is Equality; all Ethernet links will be selected.
• source name: sto - Match is Inclusion; all links whose source name includes the string sto are matched, e.g. Boston and Houston.

In summary, all Ethernet Links starting with source devices whose name includes sto will be members of the pool.

Default Pools

Three pools are created by default in eNMS:

• All objects: A pool that matches all Devices and Links.
• Devices only: A pool that matches all Devices, no Links.
• Links only: A pool that matches all Links, no Devices.

Pools Based on Configuration

Pools can be created by searching the configuration data collected from all of the devices, rather than just the Inventory parameters for each device. Configuration collection must be first configured, and then allowed to run at least once before the data exists for pool matching.

Filter the View with a Pool

Pools can be used as filters for Devices and Links on the geographical view: Visualization -> Geographical View. The first alphabetical pool in the list will be displayed on the map by default, so make sure to create a smaller pool to display as the default if your inventory is large. Use the pool selector at the top to change the displayed devices and links.

Use a Pool as target of a Service or a Workflow

In Service Edit Panel -> Step 3, select Device(s) and/or Pool(s) as target(s).

Use a Pool to restrict User Access or Credential Use

In Administration -> Access and Administration -> Credentials, the administrator has the ability to restrict users. See Credentials

Pool Recalculation

All Pools are subject to automatic updates by eNMS (contingent upon the fact that its Manually Defined flag is NOT set). Pool recalculations occur after creation in the following cases:

• When the eNMS starts up or restarts.
• When a device is manually added to the inventory (only for applicable pools).
• When a device is modified.
• After pulling or cloning the content from the git configuration repository, and the applicable pool relies on configuration and/or operational data parameter fields.
• When a service runs that has Update pools before running selected in Step 3 of the service targets panel, only the target pools for that service are updated.
• When a service runs that has Update all pools after running, all pools are updated once that service terminates.

To manually update a Pool:

• Click on the Update button of a desired pool in the Inventory -> Pool Management table listing.
• Click on the Update all pools button at the top of Pool Management panel.

Manual definition and Manually Defined option

Initially, by default, the devices and links within a pool are determined based on the pool properties. First edit the pool and set Manually Defined to enabled.

Next, the individual pools can be edited by the user clicking the hyperlink for each object type: device, link, user, service. The table for that object type's included members will be displayed. Click the + button at the top of the table to add the object. The user can select the devices to manually add from the inventory list or paste a list of comma-separated devices from the clipboard (however, all devices must exist in the inventory).

Note that pools with manually selected objects MUST have the Manually Defined checkbox selected. This prevents manually selected pools from being recalculated based on pool criteria. If the user wants to run against a pool that has some criteria specified as well as some manually specified devices, it is advised to have 2 pools: one with the criteria specified, and another with the manually selected devices. When running a service, multiple pools and multiple devices can be specified, and the service will run against all specified objects.

Note

Tip: the Bulk Delete button will clear a manually defined pool.