Use case: Creating drill-through custom reports containing dynamic fields

This topic provides instructions on creating custom Inventory summary and detailed Inventory reports. The sample detailed Inventory report (child) used in this topic displays the Inventory details for devices by a particular location. You can access the detailed report by clicking a hyperlink in the Inventory summary report (parent). The reports use a dynamic field and the Drill Through functionality to navigate from the parent report to the child report.

Do the following to generate the required custom reports:

1. Add a dynamic field in TrueSight Network Automation.
2. Run ETL to load the dynamic field data into the data warehouse.
3. Add the dynamic field to the TrueSight Smart Reporting - Platform views.
4. Create and publish the detailed Inventory report.
5. Create and publish the Inventory summary report.
6. Build the parent child relationship and use the Drill Through functionality.

Step 1 - Add a dynamic field

By default, location of a device is not available as an attribute in Network Automation. Therefore, to display the location in a report, you need to add a device dynamic field in Network Automation. For instructions on adding a device dynamic field, see Adding dynamic fields in the Network Automation documentation.

When adding the dynamic field, enter the following values:

• Component: Device 
• Assignment Mechanism: User Assigned
• Value Type: Text
• Name: Location
• Export to Warehouse: Select this option so that this field is available for use in TrueSight Network Automation - Data Warehouse.

Step 2 - Run ETL

Run ETL from either from the command line or using the Task Scheduler to load the dynamic field data into the data warehouse.

Step 3 - Add the dynamic field to the TrueSight Smart Reporting views

Add the dynamic field (created in Step 1), Location, to the TrueSight Smart Reporting - Platform report views so that this field is available for reporting. For instructions, see Adding dynamic fields to TrueSight Smart Reporting - Platform views.

In this example, after Location is added to the views, it is available under Device Dynamic Field for reporting in Smart Reporting - Platform.

Step 4 - Create the detailed Inventory report

In Smart Reporting - Platform, create the detailed Inventory report, using the Inventory view. This report includes Location as a column as well as a filter, and acts as a parent report to the Inventory summary report (created in Step 5). For detailed instructions on creating a report, see Creating custom reports.

Do the following:

1. Log on to the TrueSight Network Automation - Data Warehouse console as a reporting user. You are directed to the Smart Reporting - Platform home page.
2. Click  and click Report.
3. Select Inventory from the list of views.

4. Drag and drop the following filters to the Filters area.

   • Point of Time
   • Site Name
   • Device Status
   • Realm
   • Device Category
   • Vendor
   • Dynamic Field
   • Location
   • # of Devices
5. Drag and drop the following columns to the Columns area:
   
   • Location
   • Device Name
   • # of Devices
   • Device Address
   • Realm
   • Site Name
   • Vendor
   • Device Type
   • Device Category
   • Model Name
   • OS Image Name
   
   
6. Click Publish.
7. Enter the name of the report as Detailed Inventory by Location in the required folder and select the folder in which you want to save the report.
8. Click Save.
   
   

Step 5 - Create the device Inventory summary report

Create the device Inventory summary report that includes Location as a column as well as a filter. For detailed instructions on creating a report, see Creating custom reports.

Do the following:

1. Log on to the TrueSight Network Automation - Data Warehouse console as a reporting user. You are directed to the Smart Reporting - Platform home page.
2. Click  and click Report.
3. Select Inventory from the list of views.

4. In the view pane, drag and drop the following fields to the Columns area:

   • # of Devices
   • Location

5. Drag and drop the same set of filters to the Filters area as used in the detailed Inventory report (created in Step 4).

   • Point of Time
   • Site Name
   • Device Status
   • Realm
   • Device Category
   • Vendor
   • Dynamic Field
   • Location
   • # of Devices
6. Click the  icon for the Location field in the Filters area.
7. Hover over Value, and select User Prompt.
   
8. Click Publish.
9. Enter the name of the report as Inventory Summary by Location in the required folder and select the folder in which you want to save the report.
10. Click Save.
    

Step 6 - Build the parent child relationship

Build the parent child relationship between the Inventory summary report and the detailed Inventory report by using the Location field.

Do the following:

1. Log on to the TrueSight Network Automation - Data Warehouse console as a reporting user. You are directed to the Smart Reporting - Platform home page.
2. Locate the Inventory Summary by Location report (created in Step 5). Right-click it, and select Edit.
3. Click the Data tab.
4. In the Analysis style area, click Drill Through.
   The Related Content tab appears.
5. Click the Related Content tab.
6. In the left pane, search for the Detailed Inventory by Location report.
7. Drag and drop the Detailed Inventory by Location report in the Drill Through area.
   
   
8. In the right pane, in the Join Type area, select Drill Through.
9. In the Joins area, in Master Field, select the filters corresponding to the child filters.
10. In Hyperlink field, select Location as the field in the parent report that acts as a hyperlink to open the child report.
11. If you want to open the child report in a new window, select the Popup New Window option.
    
12. Click Update.
13. Click Publish.
    
    
    
14. In Filters, enter the location, for example, USA, for which you want to see the detailed Inventory report.
15. Specify the Point of Time and Site Name filter values.
16. Click Go.
17. Click USA in the Location column. The Detailed Inventory by Location report appears for the devices located in USA.