Creating Network Maps


IPSpotter provides several methods to help you search your network and create network map, then you can start to monitor your network with default properties that IPSpotter set to the map. You can also customize the map so that IPSpotter monitors the network in exactly the way that best suits your needs. This chapter describes how to use IPSpotter tools to create, modify, and save the network map.

Using Map Wizard

Map Wizard provides a means for you to automatically search and create network map.

To craete map with Map Wizard:
1. If there is no map opening, select New Map from the File menu, otherwise select Map Wizard from the Action menu.
2. Select Auto Scan or Blank Map. If you select Blank Map, the wizard will create an empty map for you. You can add devices and customize the map manually.
3. Select one or more methods to discover devices in your network.
4. Enter network parameters for search network, such as IP address range for ICMP, and the 'Host' file name.
5. Select services that you want to monitor.
6. Click the Scan button to start network search. After the search finished, you can select all or some discovered devices for adding to the map.

Editing Network Maps

Before starting to monitor a network map, you need to set device properties, use drawing tools to visually organize your network map, and changes display and background colors.

1. Device Properties: IPSpotter needs basic information about a device in order to monitor it. When you create a map using Map Wizard or Trace Route(see the chapter of network tools), IPSpotter automatically determines the device’s host name, type, and IP address. However, you need to set notifications for the device and services running on the devices. You also need to determine what SNMP objects you want to monitor and set notifications on SNMP Objects. To set properties of a device, double click on the device to pop up the property dialog or right click the icon, then select Propertis... from the context menu. There are three pages in the device-property dialog:
  • Device: Enter host name, type, IP address, etc. information for the device. You also need to set notifications for the device.
  • Service: Check service(s) you want to monitor, then hightlight each checked item and set notifications for it.
  • SNMP: Set SNMP object(s) to monitor (see the chapter of "Monitoring SNMP Agent" for details).
  • 2. Drawing Objects: Select Modify Map from the Edit menu, this will activate the drawing tools. IPSpotter includes line, arrow, rectangle, circle and text drawing objects. You can change their position and size by drag & drop. To set color, style, etc. properties of a drawing object, double click on the object to pop up the property dialog or right click on the object, then select Propertis... from the context menu. If an object is overlaid by another, you can send one to back or bring one forward using Send to Back or Bring Forward from the context menu. Device object is always on top of other objects.
    The drawing objects can be accessed from the Edit menu or the drawing tool bar as shown followings:
  • Add Host Add Host menu item: Add a new host into the map.
  • Line Line menu item under Insert submenu: Insert line into the map.
  • Arrow Arrow menu item under Insert submenu: Insert arrow into the map.
  • Rectangle Rectangle menu item under Insert submenu: Insert rectangle into the map.
  • Circle Circle menu item under Insert submenu: Insert arrow into the map.
  • Text Text menu item under Insert submenu: Type in text into the map.
  • 3. Organize Devices: Select Modify Map from the Edit menu, this will allow you to copy/paste, move, delete and add devices. IPSpotter provides tools so that you can easily create various network topologies such as bus network, ring network, star network and full connected network. To do this, you first select devices using SelectSelect or Select AllSelect All, then click on one of the followings:
  • Bus Arrange selected devices into bus network.
  • Ring Arrange selected devices into ring network.
  • Full Connect Connect all selected devices to each other.
  • Star Define a central device and connect other devices to it.

  • You can adjust the size and position of grouped items by drag & drop. If you want to change colors and size for connected lines, you need to ungroup them first.
    4. Colors: You can change the background color by select background color from Edit->Background Color menu.

    Note: The following colors have been used by the device icon:
  • Red: No respond from the device
  • Purple: No service respond
  • Yellow: Some services are down
  • Green: Device and all services are up
  • Saving Network Map

    To save a network map, select Save or Save as from the File menu. The saved document will have a extension of .nmr (e.g. airport.nmr). IPSpotter will also create a MS Access file for the document (e.g. airport.mdb). IPSpotter will save all logged data in the file.