Meraki VNA devices show IP addresses instead of device name in DX Netops Performance Management

Products

• Network Observability
• CA Performance Management
• Virtual Network Assurance
• Spectrum

Issue/Introduction

Meraki access point devices discovered via Virtual Network Assurance (VNA) are visible in the Data Aggregator Monitored Devices but the name is displayed as the IP Address.  

This same VNA gateway is integrated with Spectrum  and there, the device names are displayed correctly.

Environment

DX Netops Performance Management 22.2.x, 23.3.x
DX Netops Virtual Network Assurance  22.2.x, 23.3.x
DX Netops Spectrum 22.2.x, 23.3.x

Cause

The devices are not in DNS and by default, DX Netops Performance Management will attempt to discover VNA devices as SNMP using the IP domain discovery profile for the IP Domain the devices are discovered in using the naming order in the discovery profile.

As the devices are pingable, not SNMP accessible, and not in DNS, the discovery results in the devices being named by their IP address as hostname and sysName are not available.

Resolution

1) Set DiscoverVNADeviceAsSnmpManageable to false (use false instead of true)

This prevents devices from being discovered as ICMP/SNMP automatically.

OR:

If you need to discover VNA devices as SNMP, in the IP domain discovery profile, under the Protocols tab:

   a) Uncheck "Create Pingables". 
   
   b) Set "Discovery Protocols to "SNMP" in the dropdown

The IP Domain discovery profile with the same name as the IP Domain of the Data Collector
the VNA gateway is associated with.

Caveat this can make the discoveries take longer as we then we need o wait for the SNMP timeouts
Also reachability is now based on SNMP contact not ICMP.

2) Then either:

     a ) Delete the devices you wisht to use the VNA name

     b ) Delete the plugin and wait for the devices to clear out.

          Note both methods above delete any historical data for the devices .

3) Then:

     a) If you deleted the plugin re-add it and wait for the devices to repopulate.

     b) If you deleted individual devices, edit the VNA gateway and set
         "Administrative State* to "Down", wait a few minutes and set
         "Administrative State* to "Up".

         This is required to re add the deleted devices.

 Alternately you can do step 1 to prevent new devices from having the name as the IP and rename older devices via Data Aggregator REST.