Documentation forNetwork Topology Mapper

NTM 2.2.1 release notes

Updated March 15, 2018

These release notes provide additional guidance for SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper version 2.2.1.

New features

These new features are available in NTM versions 2.2.x:

NTM version 2.2.1

  • Endpoints Summary:

    As a way of keeping maps from being overcrowded by clusters, an Endpoints Summary window is for a network device that switches or routes traffic to servers, VMWare or Hyper-V hosts, printers, or other devices that are part of your edge network.

  • CDP-generated Nodes:

    Undefined nodes that are created from CDP data appear in maps with their system name and any available description.

NTM version 2.2

  • Multiple Maps from One Scan:

    From a Discovery Wizard scan, you can create multiple maps, which update automatically with scheduled updates to the scan

  • Credential Management:

    Discovery Wizard stores credentials, allowing you to activate or deactivate based on the network segment(s) you are mapping

  • Etherchannel:

    Discovery of aggregates (PAgP and LACP protocols, or manually configured)

  • Do No Scan List:

    Define subnets or IP ranges that the Discovery Wizard will not contact

  • New Icons:

    A set of node icons, parallel link icons with indications of aggregation, and support for importing icons.

  • Usability Improvements:

    For example: clicking a Neighbors icon on a node reveals all directly connected nodes or the subnet/IP arrange to which the selected node is connected; and any overlapping but distinct links are indicated with arches.

Fixed issues

NTM version 2.2.1

  • Fixed issue with valid VIM credentials failing credential test.
  • Fixed issue with not detecting the first IP address in a subnet.

NTM version 2.2

  • Fixed the behavior of rescan detecting existing nodes as new nodes
  • Whitespace in Switching from Layered or Orthogonal View.
  • White space appears where excluded nodes would be.
  • Fixes restrictions with map layouts (through movable text, parallel connections, link aggregation indicators, and selectable topology configurations).
  • Fixes limitations with node icons (both by expanding options and flexibility of the NTM set out of the box, and through custom import function).
  • Fixes limitation in iconically representing nodes by model and vendor.
  • Resolves inability to export to Visio and edit NTM maps (with Visio stencils).
  • Resolves inability to customize NTM node icons.
  • Fixes an issue with a print operation crashing NTM.
  • Fixes an issue with NTM not mapping switch ports accurately.
  • Fixes a limitation in using different credentials for discovering different parts of network.
  • Fixes limitation in providing data on aggregated links (etherchannels).
  • Fixes an issue with reporting bandwidth for Allied Telesys switches.
  • Fixes am issue with the NTM jumbling node names.
  • Fixes issue with symbols in the SNMP community string blocking network discovery.
  • Fixes an issue that causes NTM to crash after rescanning a network.

Known issues

Installer

Stability

None.

Product Limitations

  • If the 'license.dat' file has been deleted, then NTM does not work and the repair option does not fix the issue.
  • Router Etherchannels are detected that do not in fact exist.
  • Orthogonal map layout function works unreliably with large maps.
  • Nodes from Shortcuts cannot be dropped onto the map after manual connections have been created. Drag/drop from Discovered Notes remains unaffected.
  • A map created in NTM v.1.0.1 that includes aggregated links (EtherChannels) does not display oval icons that indicate aggregated links even after being rescanned in NTM 2.2. The work-around is to uninstall NTM 1.0.1 before installing NTM 2.2, changing an upgrade to an installation operation.
  • Corruption of WMI service on a customer machine causes NTM to shutdown.
  • Missing L2 connections between switches.
  • Nodes identified using CDP/LLDP may display ASCII characters.
  • This behaviour is seen if nodes identified connecting to a SNMP device have unknown or empty device ID information.
  • If you run a discovery for an NTM map that contains virtual machines for which you have already entered credentials, then discovery will run twice.
  • Network Discovery also runs twice when when NTM exports map data with VIM credentials into Network Atlas
  • Maps containing larger than 1000 nodes may introduce a slight delay while toggling between filters and map layouts.
  • If your devices do not support CDP/LLDP or Bridge table data, then NTM cannot display Layer 2 connections between the devices. More likely these devices will show up as orphan nodes.
  • De-duplication does not work for connections, which were reported by CDP and LLDP.
  • If you run discovery for an NTM map that contains virtual machines that you've already entered credentials for, the discovery will run twice.
  • It takes a long time to open maps larger than 1000 nodes. NTM may appear unresponsive, but the map will open eventually.
  • The integrated Remote Desktop function won't work on Windows Server 2003 64-bit unless you have applied the Microsoft Hotfix and append %winDir%\Sysnative to your %path% variable.
  • If the NTM certificate is deleted or modified by another program, none of the scheduled discoveries will work until you repair the certificate and then reschedule all the discovery jobs.
  • NTM can't display L2 connections from devices that do not provide bridge table data. If you are missing L2 connections, this is the likely cause.
  • NTM does not import unmanaged nodes and edges from Network Atlas maps.
  • Network Segment Nodes do not show up by default in maps created in NTM 1.0.
  • Help links default to the top of the file when displayed in Internet Explorer v8. The workaround is to use a later version of the IE browser.

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