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Network Topology

NetQ lets you monitor your network by viewing performance and configuration data for individual network devices and the entire fabric networkwide. This section describes monitoring tasks you can perform from a topology view in the NetQ UI.

Access the Topology View

To open the topology view, click Topology in any workbench header. This opens the full-screen view of your network topology.

view of a networkwide topology displaying connections between devices

Topology Overview

The topology view provides a visual representation of your Linux network, showing the connections and device information for all monitored nodes. The topology view uses a number of icons and elements to represent the nodes and their connections:

SymbolUsage
Switch running Cumulus Linux OS
Switch running RedHat, Ubuntu, or CentOS
Host with unknown operating system
Host running Ubuntu
LinesPhysical links or connections

Interact with the Topology

There are a number of ways in which you can interact with the topology.

Move the Topology Focus

You can zoom in on a topology to view fewer nodes, or zoom out to view more nodes. As with mapping applications, the node labels appear and disappear as you move in and out on the diagram for better readability. To zoom, you can use:

  • The zoom controls at the bottom-right corner of the screen
  • A scrolling motion on your mouse
  • Your trackpad

You can also click anywhere on the topology, and drag it left, right, up, or down to view a different portion of the network diagram.

View Data About the Network

You can hover over the various elements to view data about them. Select an element to open a side panel with additional statistics.

overview of events, protocols, and utilization data for spine 1

Hovering over a line highlights each end of the connection. Select the line to open a side panel with additional configuration data.

side panel displaying configuration data between two nodes

From the side panel, you can view the following data about nodes and links:

Node DataDescription
ASICName of the ASIC used in the switch. A value of Cumulus Networks VX indicates a virtual machine.
NetQ Agent StatusOperational status of the NetQ Agent on the switch (fresh or rotten).
NetQ Agent VersionVersion ID of the NetQ Agent on the switch.
OS NameOperating system running on the switch.
PlatformVendor and name of the switch hardware.
Interface StatisticsTransmit and receive data.
Resource UtilizationCPU, memory, and disk utilization.
EventsWarning and info events.

Link DataDescription
SourceSwitch where the connection originates
Source InterfacePort on the source switch used by the connection
TargetSwitch where the connection ends
Target InterfacePort on the destination switch used by the connection

Change the time period by selecting the timestamp box in the topology header. Adjust the time to view historic network configurations.

Click Export in the header to export your topology information as a JSON file.

Rearrange the Topology Layout

NetQ generates the network topology and positions the nodes automatically. In large topologies, the position of the nodes might not be suitable for easy viewing. You can move the components of the topology by dragging and dropping them with your mouse. You can save the new layout so other users can see it by selecting the Save icon in the header.