Set Up Maps

This section contains the following topics:

Define Map Display Settings

The network topology can be displayed on a logical map or a geographical map (geo map), where the devices and links are shown in their geographic context. The logical map shows devices and their links, positioned according to an automatic layout algorithm, ignoring their geographical location. The geo map shows single devices, device clusters, links, and tunnels, superimposed on a map of the world. Each device location on the map reflects the device's GPS coordinates (longitude and latitude).

The logical map is automatically rendered with no intervention required. The geographical map is rendered by default using map tiles from an external map provider (Mapbox). Internet access is required when using an external map provider. If there is no Internet access, you can download map files from Cisco.com and upload them into the system. These map files will be accessed internally in order to render the geo map. See Use Internal Maps Offline for Geographical Map Display.

When setting up maps, administrators can also define display settings, for example, colors representing changes in link bandwidth utilization.

To set up your maps and define display settings, see:

Use Internal Maps Offline for Geographical Map Display


Note

The option to work offline using internal maps is not available for the Topology View in the Network Automation dashboard. The Network Automation menu is present if the Cisco Crosswork Change Automation application is installed.

The system is set up by default to get the geo map tiles from a specific Mapbox URL through a direct Internet connection. If you do not have an Internet connection and therefore the system cannot access an external map provider to retrieve geographical map tiles, you can upload internal map files to represent the areas of the world you require for your network. These map files must be downloaded from Cisco.com and then uploaded into the system. The name of the map file indicates the area of the world it contains, for example, africa-geomaps-1.0.0-for-Crosswork-4.0.0-signed.tar.gz. If you will be managing a network in a specific part of the world, upload only the relevant map files. You do not need to upload all available map files.


Note
If you choose to work offline with internal maps and you do not upload map files, your geographical map will display as a generic world map without details of cities, streets, and so on.

To use internal maps to display the geographical map:

Before you begin

Download the required map files from Cisco.com and place them on an accessible server. The server must support SCP protocol for file transfer.

Procedure

Step 1

From the main menu, choose Administration > Settings > System Settings.

Step 2

Under Visualization Settings, click the Map option.

Step 3

Select the Work offline with internal maps radio button and click Manage.

Step 4

In the Manage Internal Maps dialog, click Import icon to upload a new map file. Note that you can upload one file at a time.

Step 5

In the Upload Map File dialog, browse to the location of the map file you downloaded so that the system can access the file.

Step 6

Click Upload.

The system uploads the map from the specified location. The upload process might take some time and must not be interrupted by closing the browser or clicking Cancel. When the process is complete, the new map appears under Uploaded Maps in the Manage Internal Maps dialog.
Step 7

Upload additional maps, as required.

Define Color Thresholds for Link Bandwidth Utilization

Link bandwidth utilization can be visualized and monitored in the logical and geographical maps. Links are colored based on the percentage of total bandwidth currently utilized on the link. Following is the default set of bandwidth utilization thresholds (percentage ranges) and corresponding color indicators. These color thresholds can be customized by administrators.

  • Green—0–25% usage

  • Yellow—25–50% usage

  • Orange—50–75% usage

  • Red—75–100% usage

To define color thresholds for link bandwidth utilization:

Procedure

Step 1

From the main menu, choose Administration > Settings > System Settings.

Step 2

Under Visualization Settings, click the Bandwidth Utilization option.

Step 3

In the Polling Interval field, enter a whole number from 5 to 60 (minutes) to specify how often links will be polled for bandwidth utilization. By default, link bandwidth is polled every 5 minutes.

Step 4

In the Link Coloring Thresholds area, define the criteria for coloring the links. Each row defines a color and the bandwidth percentage range that the color will represent. Note that:

  • You can enter values in the "To" fields only. Each row begins automatically from the end of the previous row's range.

  • The thresholds must be sequential, meaning that each row's range must follow on from the previous row's range. For example, if the range in the first row is 0-25%, the second row's range must end with a value greater than 25.

  • You cannot use the same color for multiple thresholds. For example, you cannot choose Green for both the first and second rows.

Step 5

Click Save.