Device Types/Subtypes

Device Types

Description

Within Netreo, a "device type" identifies the general type of a device (such as a Cisco router or a Windows server) and serves as a blueprint for how a given managed device should be handled. It tells Netreo how to communicate with that device and what data should be collected from it. A device's assigned device type also determines what data is displayed in its Device Dashboard and how.

A device type may optionally have a device template associated with it. All managed devices using that device type have the selected device template applied to them at every discovery poll, performing a degree of automatic configuration.

If Netreo does not include a device type you want to use, you can create your own. Alternatively, additional device types can be downloaded from the Netreo cloud libraries.

Details

When Netreo wants to poll a managed device for data, it needs to know what method to use for communication as well as what statistics can be retrieved from the device and how they should be handled. These parameters are specified in the device type assigned to the device.

Generally, device types are assigned automatically to a device by Netreo during the discovery process. However, they may be directly assigned by the user when a device is onboarded to Netreo using the Manual Add (but not Quick Add) or Import Devices options.

When a new device is being onboarded through the discovery process, Netreo checks that device's "SysDescr" OID. If Netreo is able match strings in the OID with strings in a configured device type, that device type is automatically assigned to the new device. Netreo then has the basic information it needs to begin polling the device for data and performing status checks.

A managed device may have only one device type assigned to it at any given time. However, the device type assigned to a device may be changed at any time (at the risk of losing all previously recorded data for the device).

A managed device using a standard device type consumes 1 full device license in your Netreo device license allotment.

Device Type Configuration

See Device Type Configuration Settings for information about device type configuration settings.

Lite Device Types

To help with licensing of wireless access points (WAP), Netreo introduced the concept of the “lite" device. These are device types that collect only a very limited subset of data from a managed device. They helped make licensing WAPs more affordable, as lite devices only consume 0.1 of a full device license (because in a large environment you may have thousands of WAPs, but you only need to monitor a very basic set of metrics on those WAPs).

For device types designated as a "lite" device type, Netreo collects and records statistical data for the following five specific metrics from no more than one interface (the first detected interface in the ifTable):

• Bandwidth In
• Bandwidth Out
• Errors In
• Errors Out
• Latency

The collection of these statistics is hardcoded into the lite device and not managed in the configuration settings for the device type.

Netreo cannot process SNMP traps, syslog or NetFlow data from any managed device using a lite device type. However, a managed device using a lite device type consumes only 0.1 of a device license in your Netreo device license allotment.

Although originally intended only for WAPs, Netreo now ships with several pre-built lite device types:

• Amazon API Gateway
• Amazon ELB
• Amazon Lambda Function
• Amazon S3 Bucket
• Aruba Instant Access Point
• Cisco Aironet Access Point
• Netreo Remote DEM Agent
• Ping Only - frequently used for IP cameras and other IOT devices (up/down and single network interface only)
• Remote Agent - used for Netreo remote agents

Device Types Available in Netreo

See Device Type List.

Lite Device Types Available in Netreo

See Lite Device Type List.

Device Subtypes

Description

A "device subtype" is a more specialized blueprint that is used to identify a more specific type of a device (such as an Exchange or SQL Windows server). Device subtypes tell Netreo what additional statistics a managed device should be polled for. Each device subtype can also have a device template specified for it that will be applied to any devices using that subtype at the "device subtype" level—performing a further degree of automatic configuration. Devices may have multiple subtypes assigned to them—and, by extension, multiple device templates—if their parent device types allow it.

Device subtypes can also be manually assigned to a device when it is added to Netreo. It is also possible to change the device subtype of any currently managed device. If a device subtype you want to use is not available, you can easily create your own. Alternatively, additional device subtypes can be downloaded from the Netreo cloud libraries.

While device types are generally assigned automatically, subtypes are not. However, subtypes can be automatically assigned through the use of the autoconfiguration rules.

Details

Device subtypes work in exactly the same way as device types (above).

Device Subtype Configuration

See Device Subtype Configuration Settings for information about device subtype configuration settings.

Device Subtypes Available in Netreo

See Device Subtype List.