Switches are used to connect multiple devices within a building, and get them onto the internet. Connected devices include routers at your wireless access points, your desk phones, and so on. The switch enables connected devices to share information and, via their switch port roles, to know how to talk to one another.
The Switches page provides two views of the switch port data:
A graphical representation of switch data, showing the switch ports in their slots.
A list view of the switch ports at the site that can be filtered according to the switch port role, status, and allocation details.
As the operator, you can manage some switch port details from either of these views. You can also manage the same details for patched ports in the Floor Ports view when you are managing spaces.
Important: Switch information in the essensys Platform is set up by essensys in the first instance, but must be maintained to always reflect the reality of your network. For example, a connection between a switch port and a floor port in essensys Platform must describe an actual Ethernet connection that exists at your site.
Managing Switches
From the Switches page you can:
View details of switches and switch ports at a site, either in a graphical representation (slots view) or as a list of ports (list view).
Manage switch port details, including assigning roles to switch ports and allocating them to a particular occupier or the operator.
Note: Changes can be made right away or scheduled to occur at a time in the future.
Power cycle switch ports.
Before you begin
The switches must be created and enabled at your site or sites by essensys.
Before ports can be assigned a switch port role, the occupier or operator must have services that entitle them to use that role.
Example: An occupier must have at least one voice service to be able to assign the Voice switch port role to a port.
Note: When scheduling changes, be aware that changes to services must be made before related changes to switch port roles.
Accessing the Switches view
In the main navigation, select Spaces.
In the Site list, click the Site Name for the site where your switch is located.
Note: You may need to scroll to view the site you are interested in.Click the Switches tab.
The Switches page opens.Optionally, use the drop-down filters at the top-right to choose a rack (if required), and then choose the switch whose details you wish to view.
Note: If there is only one rack or only one switch at the site, it is selected by default.
Use the buttons at the top of the page to view your switch ports in one of the available views:
To view the ports in the default graphical view, click Slots (default).
To view the ports as a list that can be filtered by switch port role, status, and allocation, click List.
Important: The switch data in this view is retrieved from the network hardware three times a day.
Tip: You can jump directly to the details of a particular switch port using the Search by MAC address field to the right of the filters.
Assigning a Switch Port
To manage the switch port details:
Select the switch port in the diagram or list, and click Edit switch port.
In the Site view, this is in the details panel beneath the slot:
Tip: You can manage multiple switch ports in one action by selecting all of the switch ports that you want to update in the diagram. The details panel then reflects all selected ports.
In the List view, this is to the right of the listed port:
The Edit switch port dialog box opens. For details of the fields, see Edit switch port.
If you want to make changes that should apply immediately, update the current configuration details:
Allocate the switch port to an organization:
Enable the Allocate port to field.
To allocate the port to an occupier, select Occupier and select the intended occupier from the drop-down list.
To allocate the port to the operator, select Operator.
Enable the Assign port role field and select a role from the Switch port role drop-down list.
For details of the switch port roles, see Reference - Switch port roles.
Optionally, add a note.
The note provides a label for the port that may be viewed by yourself or essensys.
Important: If selected ports are already configured, you will be allowed to reconfigure them but will receive a warning before your change is applied.
Schduling a Switch Port assignment
If you want to schedule your configuration changes for a time in the future:
Toggle the Schedule changes option.
The Scheduled configuration fields open in the dialog.Select the Date of effect for your changes.
This is the date on which any scheduled changes will be applied.Select the changes that you want to schedule. Where the current configuration is valid, scheduled changes are optional:
Change which organization the switch port is allocated to:
To allocate the port to a different occupier, select the Occupier option and select the intended occupier from the drop-down list.
To allocate the port to the operator, select the Operator option.
Change the role from the Switch port role drop-down list.
For details of the switch port roles, see Reference - Switch port roles.
Warning: If you schedule an update to your switch port role, you must ensure that the occupier or operator has the appropriate services to enable that switch port role before the date of effect is reached.Optionally, add a note.
Once you are happy that your changes are correct, click Save.
Any changes to the current configuration apply as soon as possible.
Any scheduled changes apply once the date of effect is reached.
Important: If you are changing the switch port role in the current configuration, a validation will be performed to check that you have sufficient services on save. If you are scheduling the change, the check will be made on the date of effect.
Deallocating a switch port
If a port has been allocated to the operator or to an occupier and you want to deallocate it completely (not reallocate it to another occupier, say), you need to remove the allocation and unassign the switch port role from the port in the current configuration. This leaves the port in an available state, ready to be assigned and allocated again.
From the Edit switch ports page:
In Current configuration:
Untoggle the Allocate port to option.
Untoggle the Assign port role option.
Click Save.
The update causes two changes:
The switch port role is unassigned.
The occupier or operator allocation is cleared.
Switch port roles indicate the type of service that a connected device can receive. For example, a switch port will have the role Voice where the connected device provides Voice services. You would typically assign switch port roles when connecting and activating devices on the network.
You can assign a switch port role:
When you are setting up the devices in a space. For details describing how to access the floor port details, see Manage Floor ports.
When you are managing the switch details at your site. For details describing how to access the switch port details, see Manage switches.
Switch port roles
Switch port role | Description |
LAN only | For Local Area Network devices, such as printers, TVs, or the LAN port of Routers, Firewalls, or the Internet. |
Public IP | For the WAN (Wide Area Network) port of a Router or Firewall that uses Public IP. |
Voice | For a port with only a handset connected. |
Voice, LAN | For ports where a printer or similar may need to be connected to the back of a handset. |
Voice, LAN, Internet | For ports with a handset connected, and then a PC or Laptop connected to the handset. This is the most common port role. |
Voice, Public IP | For ports where the WAN port of a firewall router uses Public IP, and may need to be connected to the back of a handset. |
Reserved switch port roles
These roles are applied in response to an appropriate request to essensys.
Switch port role | Description |
Wifi | For ports that connect to a Wireless Access Point. |
Uplink | For ports that are used to connect one switch to another switch in the comms room. |
Switch details
Header details
Common to Slots and List view.
Field | Description |
Port key | The colors and icons used to indicate the status of each port in the Slots and List views. For more information, see Switch port key. |
View selection:
| Indicates how the ports should be presented in this view. Slots - The default graphical view. For details of controls that appear only in this view, see Slots view header (filters). List - A list of ports that can be filtered by switch port role, status, and allocation. For details of the list view filters, see List view header (filters). |
Rack drop-down | Where there are multiple racks, select the rack containing the switch that you want to view. |
Switch drop-down | Where there are multiple switches, select the switch whose details you want to view. |
Search by MAC address | Search field. Enter a MAC address in full to open details of the switch port in a details dialog box. |
Slots view header (filters)
Field | Description |
Switch name (Comment) | To the right of the switch name is a comment icon. Click to add notes about the switch. |
Filter:
| Highlight those ports that are allocated to a particular occupier or the operator. Options:
Highlighting: The ports that conform to the filter are highlighted in yellow or blue:
|
Port Details | In the Slots view, the blue port details drop-down panel opens when you select one or more ports in the diagram. For details, see Port details. |
List view header (filters)
Field | Description |
Switch name (Comment) | To the right of the switch name is a comment icon. Click to add notes about the switch. |
Filter by role | Filter the list of ports to show only those that have been assigned a particular switch port role. See Reference - Switch port roles. Note: Grey options that cannot be selected represent roles that have not been assigned to any ports in the current list. |
Status:
| Filter the list of ports to show only those that are in a particular state. See Switch port key. |
Filter:
| List only those ports that are allocated to a particular occupier or the operator. Options:
|
Port Details | In the List view, the port details open when you hover your cursor over a port in the list. For details, see Port details. |
Port details
The controls relating to each switch port:
In the Slots view, the blue port details drop-down panel opens when you select one or more ports in the diagram.
In the List view, the port details open when you hover your cursor over a port in the list.
Note: Selecting multiple switch ports in the Slot view causes the shared details to be shown in the details field.
Field | Description |
Switch port name:
| Name of the switch port. In the Slots view, the name usually describes the position of the port on the switch. For example, a switch port on slot 2 at position 28 typically has the position 2:28. |
<Note> | Slots view only. Any note associated with the port is displayed. The note provides a label for the port that may be viewed by an engineer. It is limited to 16 characters with no spaces. |
Allocated to | The occupier or operator that the port is currently allocated to. Possible values:
|
Status | Slots view only. The link state between the switch port and the network device. For more information, see Switch port key. |
Switch port role | Role for the switch port. For details of the switch port roles, see Reference - Switch port roles. |
Connected status (text):
| Where the switch port is not connected to a floor port, shows Not connected. Where the switch port is connected to a floor port, describes the location of the patched floor port. |
Show details | Opens details dialog box. Note: The details in this dialog box reflect the current state of the port, including details that are retrieved from the network directly. |
Connected status (icon):
| Which option is available for selection depends on the connection status of the port in essensys Platform. Important: A connection between a switch port and a floor port that you add to essensys Platform must describe an actual Ethernet connection that exists at your site. |
Power Cycle | Click to power cycle the selected switch port or switch ports. |
Edit switch port | Click to open the Edit switch port dialog box. You can use this dialog box to view and manage switch port details. For details, see Edit switch port dialog box. |
Scheduled Configuration:
| Where there are forthcoming scheduled changes, the read-only details of the change are shown under Scheduled configuration. |
Update in progress | You cannot edit a port with an update in progress. Click Refresh to check whether the change is complete. |
The switch could not be updated | Where a requested change has failed to be completed on the switch, this warning displays. You can click the Create a support case icon to open a case with essensys. |
Edit switch port dialog box
The details in this dialog box reflect the current state of the port.
Tip: Use the Edit switch port dialog box to make changes to the configuration either immediately or at a scheduled time in future.
Field | Description |
Read-only details:
| Read-only details of the switch, switch port, and patched floor port. |
Current configuration:
| The Current configuration panel displays the current state of the port configuration. Updates to these fields will be applied immediately. Important: The allocation and role must either both be enabled, or both disabled.
|
[Toggle] Scheduled configuration:
| The Scheduled configuration panel is used to update the port configuration in future. Updates defined using these fields are applied when the scheduled date is met.
Warning: You must ensure that the occupier or operator has the appropriate services to assign the role before the date of effect is reached. |
Switch port key
The switch port key lets you interpret the appearance of the individual ports in either of the views.
The port icon itself indicates the current allocation of the switch port:
A Dotted Grey port is currently allocated to an occupier or the operator.
A Solid White port is not currently allocated to an occupier or the operator.
The colors (a line beneath each port) indicate the link state between the switch port and the network device:
Blue means that the link state is Active (Device Connected)
Grey means that the link state is Inactive (No Device Connected)
Red means the port is disabled this would mean it hasn't been assigned to an Occupier or Operator. Once assigned, the switch port may still appear as Disabled until a device is connected.
Tip: Change the switch port role to see if the state changes to active. If it does, the link state is not malfunctioning.
Note: None of these statuses prevent the switch port from being changed, patched, or unpatched.
Where a small padlock icon is included, the switch port is Locked. This means that it cannot be changed, and can only be patched or unpatched by essensys.
Where a clock is included, changes to the switch port details have been requested that are Scheduled for a future date.