[nv-l] More location.conf questions...

["Duppong, Jason" <jason.duppong@thomson.com>]

Hello List,

I don't want to wear out my welcome to this list and I really hope I'm not the only Netview newbie that gets tripped up on the location.conf file, but I'm afraid I still need a bit more clarification.  I really want to understand exactly how Netview uses this file for placement of objects.  To this end I've read and re-read release notes and most of the Unix documentation for Netview, searched through archives on this mailing list, and played with the file in general just trying to figure things out.  When I make a couple changes and expect one thing and those changes are not reflected on the MAP the way I understand I get really confused.  I have a rather complex location.conf file, about 600+ lines, breaking our companies various subnets into containers and sub containers based on how our network is logically setup (I've worked with countless network personnel in coming up with the rules for this file).  Where I'm confused right now is how to make an "INTERNET" container (doing this is better then hiding 300+ nodes and segments from the IPMAP).  According to the examples for location.conf, point D indicates:

 

#           d) If a network matches more than one entry, the most specific
#              match will be used.  So, if we were matching the network
#              146.84.5.5, the address patterns that it would match (in order
#              of most specific to least specific) are the following:
#                146.84.5.5
#                146.84.5
#                146.84.1-6
#                146.84

They way that I understand this example is that I should be able to do an "INTERNET" container with a line similar to the following:

 

INTERNET    1-254    U.S.A

 

When I restart map generation the initial symbols on my MAP look real promising.  Even during the regen the number of symbols on the map remain relatively constant except for a number of lines linking to INTERNET that shouldn't.  Then when the map finishes drawing and I double click on the INTERNET container, I find, to my surprise, all the nodes that should be in a different container (in this particular case it is all the internal corporate IP's to my company, which explains all the lines from the other containers).  I have placed the INTERNET container at the top and bottom of location.conf, nothing makes a difference.  Presuming my companies internal subnets were 10.1.x.x and 192.168.x.x, wouldn't a location.conf looking like this work?

 

NET1    10.1        Site2

NET2    192.168   Site3

 

INTERNET    1-254    U.S.A

 

Based on the example, Netview would break out all nodes in the 10.1.x.x subnet and the 192.168.x.x subnet and place them in the NET1 and NET2 containers while placing all other segments and connections between NET1 and NET2 to INTERNET if those links/connections exist?  I understand that there will be some stragglers left over that will appear on the IP Map, but is what I'm trying to do a valid use of the rules for location.conf?  I understand that I probably have a few typos in my location.conf file, it is 600+ lines long, but this is what the location.conf file is for right, describing your network?  My network falls into the Medium category for size, so hopefully someone else has a huge location.conf and already has this working.  I guess what I'm really after is a confirmation that this should work, that way at least I know I'm not in some wild goose chase.

 

I don't think I can thank you Netview Gurus enough for the comments posted since I've joined this list.  I hope you understand how valuable your experience and comments are to us Netview Newbie's :)

 

Thanks in advance for any responses....

 

Jason