Discovery

Location in GUI: Tools » Discovery

Diagram

Classes

inventory (catalyst_center)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory	Default Value
discovery	List	`[discovery]`	No

discovery (catalyst_center.inventory)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory
name	String		Yes
type	Choice	`Single`, `Range`, `Multi Range`, `CDP`, `LLDP`, `CIDR`	No
global_credential_list	List	String	No
ip_address_list	String		No
preferred_mgmt_ip_method	Choice	`UseLoopBack`, `None`	No
protocol_order	String		No
time_out	Integer		No
cdp_level	Integer		No
enable_password_list	List	String	No
ip_filter_list	List	String	No
netconf_port	String		No
retry	Integer		No
user_name_list	List	String	No
snmp_version	Choice	`v2`, `v3`	No
snmp_user_name	String		No
snmp_rw_community_desc	String		No
snmp_ro_community_desc	String		No
snmp_ro_community	String		No
snmp_rw_community	String		No
snmp_priv_protocol	Choice	`AES128`	No
snmp_priv_passphrase	String		No
snmp_mode	Choice	`AuthPriv`, `AuthNoPriv`, `NoAuthNoPriv`	No
snmp_auth_protocol	Choice	`SHA`, `MD5`	No
snmp_auth_passphrase	String		No
https_read_credential	Class	`[https_read_credential]`	No
http_write_credential	Class	`[http_write_credential]`	No

https_read_credential (catalyst_center.inventory.discovery)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory
name	String		Yes
username	String		Yes
password	String		Yes
port	Integer	min: `1`, max: `65535`	No

http_write_credential (catalyst_center.inventory.discovery)

Name	Type	Constraint	Mandatory
name	String		Yes
username	String		Yes
password	String		Yes
port	Integer	min: `1`, max: `65535`	No

Examples

Prerequisite: CLI, SNMP, HTTPS credentials listed under global_credential_list needs to exists in Catalyst Center or you can define them using following example:

Example-1: Basic IP Range Discovery

This example demonstrates how to configure basic network device discovery using an IP address range in Catalyst Center. Network discovery is the foundational process for identifying and onboarding network devices into the Catalyst Center inventory for centralized management and monitoring.

The discovery configuration includes:

Discovery name (Discovery1) for identification and tracking of discovery jobs
Range type discovery for scanning contiguous IP address blocks
Global credential list (dnacadmin) referencing pre-configured CLI credentials for device authentication
IP address range (198.18.130.1-198.18.130.10) defining the scope of network devices to discover
Preferred IP method set to None for automatic IP selection during discovery
Protocol order (SSH, Telnet) specifying connection priority for device authentication
Timeout setting (60 seconds) for discovery connection attempts and device response

catalyst_center:
  inventory:
    discovery:
      - name: Discovery1
        type: Range
        global_credential_list:
          - dnacadmin
        ip_address_list: "198.18.130.1-198.18.130.10"
        preferred_mgmt_ip_method: None
        protocol_order: SSH,Telnet
        time_out: 60

Example-2: Device Credentials for Discovery Authentication

This example shows how to configure the CLI credentials required for network device discovery. These credentials must be defined in Catalyst Center before being referenced in discovery jobs to ensure proper device authentication and access.

The CLI credentials configuration includes:

Credential name (dnacadmin) matching the reference in discovery global credential list
Username and password for device authentication and CLI access
Enable password for privileged mode access on discovered devices
Foundation for secure device discovery and subsequent management operations

catalyst_center:
  network_settings:
    device_credentials:
      cli_credentials:
        - name: dnacadmin
          username: cisco1
          password: Cisco123!
          enable: cisco

Example-3: Multi-Network Discovery with Different Credential Sets

This example demonstrates how to configure multiple discovery jobs targeting different network segments with specific credential sets for diverse network environments and security requirements.

catalyst_center:
  inventory:
    discovery:
      - name: CAMPUS_CORE_DISCOVERY
        type: Range
        global_credential_list:
          - campus-admin
          - backup-admin
        ip_address_list: "10.1.0.1-10.1.0.50"
        preferred_mgmt_ip_method: UseLoopBack
        protocol_order: SSH
        time_out: 90
        enable_password_list:
          - campus-enable

      - name: BRANCH_NETWORK_DISCOVERY
        type: Range
        global_credential_list:
          - branch-readonly
          - branch-admin
        ip_address_list: "192.168.100.1-192.168.100.254"
        preferred_mgmt_ip_method: UseLoopBack
        protocol_order: SSH,Telnet
        time_out: 45

Example-4: CIDR-Based Discovery for Large Network Segments

This example shows how to configure discovery using CIDR notation for efficient scanning of large network segments, suitable for enterprise environments with substantial network infrastructure.

catalyst_center:
  inventory:
    discovery:
      - name: ENTERPRISE_WIDE_DISCOVERY
        type: CIDR
        global_credential_list:
          - enterprise-admin
          - monitoring-readonly
        ip_address_list: "172.16.0.0/16"
        preferred_mgmt_ip_method: None
        protocol_order: SSH
        time_out: 120
        snmp_auth_passphrase: snmpAuthPass123
        snmp_auth_protocol: SHA
        snmp_mode: AuthPriv
        snmp_priv_passphrase: snmpPrivPass123
        snmp_priv_protocol: AES128
        snmp_user_name: snmp-discovery

Example-5: Single Device Discovery with SNMP Integration

This example demonstrates how to configure discovery for specific devices with comprehensive SNMP integration for enhanced device monitoring and management capabilities during the discovery process.

catalyst_center:
  inventory:
    discovery:
      - name: CRITICAL_DEVICE_DISCOVERY
        type: Single
        global_credential_list:
          - critical-admin
        ip_address_list: "10.10.10.1"
        preferred_mgmt_ip_method: None
        protocol_order: SSH
        time_out: 180
        snmp_version: v3
        snmp_auth_passphrase: CriticalAuth2024
        snmp_auth_protocol: SHA
        snmp_mode: AUTHPRIV
        snmp_priv_passphrase: CriticalPriv2024
        snmp_priv_protocol: AES256
        snmp_username: critical-snmp
        http_read_credential: api-readonly
        http_write_credential: api-admin

Example-6: Comprehensive Multi-Protocol Discovery Job

This example shows how to configure a comprehensive discovery job with multiple authentication protocols and credential fallback options for complex network environments with diverse device types and configurations.

catalyst_center:
  inventory:
    discovery:
      - name: COMPREHENSIVE_DISCOVERY
        type: Range
        global_credential_list:
          - primary-admin
          - secondary-admin
          - legacy-admin
        ip_address_list: "10.0.0.1-10.0.255.254"
        preferred_mgmt_ip_method: Management
        protocol_order: SSH,Telnet
        time_out: 300
        retry: 3
        snmp_version: v2
        snmp_ro_community: public
        snmp_rw_community: private
        http_read_credential: monitoring-api
        http_write_credential: config-api
        netconf_port: 830

      - name: Discovery_10_9_1_15
        type: Single
        global_credential_list:
          - primary-admin
          - secondary-admin
          - legacy-admin
        ip_address_list: '10.9.1.15'
        preferred_mgmt_ip_method: UseLoopBack
        protocol_order: SSH,Telnet
        time_out: 300
        retry: 3
        snmp_version: v2
        snmp_ro_community: public
        snmp_rw_community: private
        http_read_credential: monitoring-api
        http_write_credential: config-api
        netconf_port: 830

      - name: Discovery_10_9_0_1_to_11
        type: Range
        global_credential_list:
          - primary-admin
          - secondary-admin
          - legacy-admin
        ip_address_list: '10.9.0.1-10.9.0.11'
        preferred_mgmt_ip_method: UseLoopBack
        protocol_order: SSH,Telnet
        time_out: 300
        retry: 3
        snmp_version: v2
        snmp_ro_community: public
        snmp_rw_community: private
        http_read_credential: monitoring-api
        http_write_credential: config-api
        netconf_port: 830

      - name: Discovery_Muliti_Range
        type: Multi Range
        global_credential_list:
          - primary-admin
          - secondary-admin
          - legacy-admin
        ip_address_list: '10.9.1.16-10.9.1.16,10.9.1.19-10.9.1.20'
        preferred_mgmt_ip_method: UseLoopBack
        protocol_order: SSH,Telnet
        time_out: 300
        retry: 3
        snmp_version: v2
        snmp_ro_community: public
        snmp_rw_community: private
        http_read_credential: monitoring-api
        http_write_credential: config-api
        netconf_port: 830