Overview
The Topology page draws a live network map of a site — how devices connect to each other — built from what the collector learns via LLDP (link-layer neighbor discovery) and switch MAC tables. It's the fastest way to answer "what's plugged into which switch port" and "what sits behind this uplink."
Steps
- Open Pulse → Topology.
- Select the site whose network you want to map (topology is site-scoped).
- The Network Map renders nodes (devices) and edges (links). Connectivity is derived from LLDP neighbor data and MAC-address tables learned by the collector.
- Click a node to open its Device Detail — vendor, IP, interfaces, and the monitors attached to it.
How To: Use Topology During an Incident
When a site reports an outage, open Topology, find the affected segment, and trace upstream to the first device that's down. The map shows whether the problem is one access switch, an uplink, or the gateway — much faster than checking devices one by one.
What Feeds the Map
- LLDP — devices that advertise neighbors give you accurate point-to-point links.
- MAC tables — for devices that don't speak LLDP, the collector infers attachment from which switch port learned the MAC.
Gear that does neither (or blocks SNMP) appears as a discovered device but may not have drawn links.
Troubleshooting
The map is sparse / devices float unconnected. Those devices either don't support LLDP or aren't reachable via SNMP for MAC-table reads. Attach an SNMP credential to the managed switches so the collector can read their tables.
No map for a site. Confirm the site has an Active collector and discovered devices first.