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  Viewing and Managing Links
These tools are provided for working with specific technologies:
Labels—For Ethernet links, lists all LSPs and their source and destination labels. For more 
information, see Viewing LSPs Configured on an Ethernet Link, page 17-13. 
VCs—For ATM links, lists configured and misconfigured VCs. For more information, see Vi ew i n g  
ATM VPI and VCI Properties, page 26-10.
Checking the Impact of Link Problems (Impact Analysis)
The Vision client provides a feature that, for a selected network link, calculates the elements that might 
be affected if the link were to go down. 
NoteImpact analysis applies only to physical links.
To calculate impact analysis:
Step 1Select a map or aggregation in the navigation pane, and click Show Links View in the main toolbar. The 
links view is displayed in the content pane. 
Step 2In the table toolbar, click Link Filter. The Link Filter dialog box is displayed. For information about the 
Link Filter dialog box, see Using Link Filters to Find Links, page 7-21.
Step 3In the Filter dialog box: 
a.In the Match drop-down list, choose All. 
b.In the field drop-down list, choose Link Type. 
c.In the operand drop-down list, choose Equals.
d.In the matching criteria drop-down list, choose Physical Layer. 
e.Click OK. 
Only physical links are displayed in the links view.
Step 4In the links view, right-click the required link and choose Properties. The Topological Link Properties 
window is displayed.
NoteResize the window as needed to view all the information. 
						

							  
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Figure 7-16 Topological Link Properties Window
Step 5
Click Calculate Affected. The total number of potentially affected parties is displayed in the Affected 
Parties area.
Step 6Click Show Affected. The Affected Parties window is displayed as shown in Figure 7-17. For 
information on the status (Potential, Real, Recovered), see Viewing a Ticket’s Affected Parties Tab 
(Resource Pairs), page 11-15. 
						

							  
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Figure 7-17 Affected Parties Window
Step 7
To view the potentially affected destinations if a link were go to down, click an entry in the Source table. 
The potentially affected destinations are displayed in the Destination table. 
Step 8To view source or destination properties in inventory, click the required hyperlinked entry. 
Managing Missing Links (Static Links)
Prime Network allows you to create static links that do not perform any configuration or provisioning 
on a device or in the network. Static links are created in the Prime Network model and are not updated. 
Static links are useful for map visualization and network correlation; for example, if Prime Network 
does not discover a link that you know exists in the network, you can create a static link that is displayed 
in the map. For correlation purposes, Prime Network treats the static link as if it were a physical or 
logical link and allows correlation flows to go through the static link. Only advanced users can create 
static links; see Permissions for Vision Client Links, page B-6. For information on creating static links, 
see Managing Missing Links (Static Links), page 7-29.
Link Discovery and Flickering Ethernet Topology Links
Prime Network discovers topology links using various protocols, such as STP, CDP, and LLDP. In some 
situations, the link configurations themselves can prevent Prime Network from discovering the correct 
information. For example, if Layer 2 protocol tunneling is configured and the discovery protocols are 
tunneled, Prime Network can create an incorrect link. This scenario results in a flickering link that is 
first created incorrectly due to tunneled discovery information, and then disconnected when the Prime 
Network counters test discovers that the counters on the edges of the link do not match. During the next 
topology cycle, Prime Network recreates the link, which is disconnected again during the counters test.  
						

							  
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A link is considered flickering when it is connected, disconnected, and reconnected when using the same 
connection technique because the topology information is conflicting. When this situation occurs, Prime 
Network generates a system event with the message “Physical Link discovery inconsistent.”
To prevent an ongoing cycle of link creation and disconnecting, Prime Network detects such case of 
flickering links, creates a system event with the message “Inconsistent Physical Link Discovery between 
system:interface1 and system:interface2, and stops the link from flickering by disconnecting it. 
To remedy the situation, we recommend that you wait until the link disappears from the map and then 
create a static link. 
In addition, you can add a new link using the Administration client. For more information, see the 
Cisco Prime Network 4.3.2 Administrator Guide.
Adding a Static Link to a Map
NoteOnly advanced users can create static links. See Permissions for Vision Client Links, page B-6.
To create a static link, select a device or port and define it as the A side. Then define a second device or 
port as the Z side. Prime Network validates the new link after the two ports are selected. Validation 
checks the consistency of the port types (for example, RJ45 on both sides), and Layer 2 technology type 
(for example, ATM OC-3 on both sides). 
You can also create static links between Ethernet Link Aggregation Groups (LAGs) by choosing a LAG 
and the desired port channel for the A or Z side as described in the following procedure. 
When you add a new link, the color of the link reflects its current state. For example, if the operation 
status of a port is down, the link is colored red. You can add links from either a map or from an NE’s 
inventory window. 
Step 1Right-click the required A Side device in the navigation pane or in a map, and choose Topology > Mark 
as A Side. 
Step 2Right-click the required Z Side device or LAG in the navigation pane or properties pane to display the 
right-click menu and choose Topology  > Mark as Z Side. The Create Static Link window is displayed 
as shown in Figure 7-18, so that you can select the ports to connect. 
						

							  
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Figure 7-18 Create Static Link Window
Step 3
Select the required port on both the A Side device and the Z Side device.
Step 4Click Create to validate the connection and create the new link. 
A success message is displayed.
A warning message is displayed if any of the following apply:
A validation check fails.
The operation status of one port is Up and the other port is Down.
The selected ports are not of the same type.
The Layer 2 technology type is not the same.
One of the ports is part of another link.
Adding a Link Using the Inventory Window
Step 1Open the inventory window for the required A Side device.
Step 2In the navigation pane, navigate to the required port or LAG.
Step 3Right-click the required port or LAG and choose Topology > Mark as A Side. 
Step 4Repeat Step 1 and Step 2 for the Z Side port or LAG.
Step 5Right-click the required port or LAG and choose Topology > Mark as Z Side. A confirmation message 
is displayed. 
						

							  
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  Making Changes to the Device Appearance in the Map
Step 6Click Ye s . 
The ports are connected, and a link is created between the selected ports.
A warning message is displayed if any of the following conditions exist: 
One of the validation checks fails.
The operation status of one port is Up and the other port is Down.
The ports selected are not of the same type.
The Layer 2 technology type is not the same.
One of the ports is part of another link.
For information about removing a static link, see the Cisco Prime Network 4.3.2 Administrator Guide.
Making Changes to the Device Appearance in the Map
Maps present Prime Network’s model of your network devices and connections. This information is 
constantly updated in a variety of ways to keep the model current. It is important to understand when 
you are making a change to the Prime Network model of a device versus when you are making a change 
to an actual device. 
The following table lists actions you can perform from a map. These actions only affect the Prime 
Network model, not the real network element. Whether you can perform these actions depends on your 
permissions; see Permissions for Vision Client Maps, page B-2.
To do the following: Right-click the NE in a map and select:
Change  the  name  of  an  NE Apply a business tag to the NE (seeLabelling NEs 
to Associate Them with Customers (Business 
Tags), page 4-9)
Add a virtual link between two devices so 
correlation can proceed through the link but no 
alarms are generated (for example, if a link goes 
down)Right-click the device port or LAG and choose 
Topology (see Adding a Static Link When a 
Network Link is Missing, page 4-13)
Group the NE with other NEs in the map Create an aggregation (see Grouping Network 
Elements into Aggregations, page 4-7)
Change the location of an NE in a map Drag the NE to the desired location
Change the size of an NE icon Right-click the NE and choose Resize
Change the size of the text that is displayed with 
the NE iconChanging Vision Client Default Settings (Sound, 
Display, Events Age), page 4-15
Do not display an acknowledged badge with NE 
icon when ticket is acknowledged
Only display severity status badge at NE icon 
level (not in NE inventory where event occurred) 
						

							  
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  Adding and Removing NEs from Existing Maps
Prime Network provides many context-sensitive commands that you can use to make changes in the 
network. You can launch these commands by right-clicking an NE and choosing Commands. Your 
permissions determine whether you can run these commands, and the commands that are available 
depend on the device type, operating system, and if a service or technology is supported and enabled on 
the device. These commands are documented throughout this guide with the service or technology to 
which they apply. A complete list of commands, along with the devices that support them, is provided 
in Addendum: Additional VNE Support for Cisco Prime Network 4.3.1. You can also add support for new 
commands by downloading and installing Prime Network Device Packages (DPs). For information on 
DPs, see the discussion about adding new VNE support in the Cisco Prime Network 4.3.2 Administrator 
Guide. For information on commands that change basic NE properties (for example, SNMP 
configurations, port and interface properties, an NE’s DNS server, and so forth), see Drilling Down into 
the Properties of a Network Element, page 8-2. 
Adding and Removing NEs from Existing Maps
When you add an element to a map, the map is automatically saved in the Prime Network database. You 
can display all NEs by selecting Show All in Step 3, but devices you do not have permission to view are 
displayed with a lock icon; they are also not returned in search results.
To add an element to a map: 
Step 1Choose File > Open and select a map from the map list.
Step 2Choose File > Add to Map >element.
Figure 7-19 shows the type of elements you can add to maps.
Figure 7-19 Available Elements to Add to Maps
NoteIf you choose to add a new VPN, the Create VPN dialog box is displayed. For information on 
creating a VPN, see Creating a VPN, page 17-22. In all other instances, the Vision client 
presents a dialog box similar to Figure 7-20. 
						

							  
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Figure 7-20 Add Element Dialog Box
Step 3
Use one of the following tools to locate the NEs you want to add to the map. 
Search for the elements you want to add to the map. For example, you can search Ethernet Services 
by the system name, NEs element type, pseudowires by their role, and so forth. 
NoteIf you are working with a large number of NEs, use the search filter. Otherwise, it may take 
some time for all of the NEs to be listed.
To  v i e w  a l l  a v a i l able elements, choose Show All. If you do not have permission to view an NE, it is 
shown with a lock icon.
The available elements are displayed in the dialog box in table format. The dialog box also displays the 
date and time at which the list was generated. To update the list, click Refresh.
Step 4Select the elements that you want to add.
Step 5Click OK. If you selected a large number of elements (for example, more than 25 VLANs or VPLS 
instances), the action may take a while to complete.
The NEs are added to the map and are displayed in the navigation pane and content area. In addition, 
any associated tickets are displayed in the ticket pane. 
						

							  
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Removing Elements from a Map 
When you delete an element from a map, it is removed from the map in the database. However, it 
continues to be managed by Prime Network. Your user account permissions determine whether you can 
remove items from a map. 
To remove a network element from a map, right-click the NE and choose Remove from Map.
Grouping NEs Using Aggregations
Drilling Down Into NE Groups (Aggregations), page 7-16, explains how to traverse between nested 
aggregations—that is, aggregations that contain other aggregations. Aggregations can contain network 
elements, services, other aggregations, and so forth. 
NoteIf you cannot create an aggregation, you either do not have sufficient privileges or the device is not in 
your scope. See Permissions for Vision Client NE-Related Operations, page B-4.
To aggregate network elements:
Step 1Select multiple NEs and aggregate them by choosing Node > Aggregate.
Step 2In the Aggregation dialog box, enter a unique name for the aggregation and click OK. The aggregation 
is displayed in the navigation pane and the map pane. Aggregations are displayed as a single entity with 
the aggregation icon and a plus sign, as in the following two examples:
The aggregation icon changes color according to the alarm severity. For more information about severity 
colors, see Interpreting NE Icons, Badges, and Colors, page 7-4. 
						

							  
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Chapter 7      Viewing Devices, Links, and Services in Maps
  Closing Maps, Renaming Maps, and Other Map Operations
Making Changes to Aggregations
This table shows how to make changes to aggregations:
Closing Maps, Renaming Maps, and Other Map Operations
NoteIf you cannot perform these tasks, you do not have sufficient privileges.If you want to... Do this...
Add an NE to an aggregation (certain 
restrictions exist; for example, you cannot 
add an EVC to a VLAN)
1.Double click the thumbnail frame so only the 
aggregation is displayed.
2.Select File > Add to Map and select the NE. You can 
choose NEs that are not in the parent map (the NE 
will have a dotted grey border around it).
Remove an NE from an aggregation
1.Double click the thumbnail frame so only the 
aggregation is displayed.
2.Right-click the device you want to remove and 
choose Remove from Map. The device is removed 
from the aggregation but not the parent map.
Ungroup (disaggregate) an aggregation 
(nested aggregations will be moved up one 
level)
1.Go to the parent map level. (If you are in a thumbnail, 
double-click the thumbnail background.)
2.Right-click the aggregation and choose 
Disaggregate. 
To perform this operation: Choose or do the following:
Close a mapFile > Close
Rename a mapFile >Save as New Map
or
1.Select File > Open.
2.From the Open Map Dialog, select the map and click 
Rename Map in the toolbar.
Save a map’s appearanceFile > Save Map
Save the map as an imageFile > Save as Image
Print the mapFile > Print
Display all maps that include a specified 
NERight-click an NE in a map and choose Open Relevant 
Maps
Delete a map from the Vision client and 
Prime Network database
1.Select File > Open.
2.From the Open Map Dialog, select the map and click 
Delete from Map in the toolbar.