This documentation supports the 21.3 version of BMC Helix CMDB.To view an earlier version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Network interface and address models


Network interfaces are captured by instances of the BMC_NetworkPort class. Although model extensions may define subclasses, such as FiberChannel port, the class that you must use for network interfaces is the BMC_NetworkPort class. Like other hardware components, each instance of a network port is associated with the parent instance of the BMC_ComputerSystem class by the BMC_HostedSystemComponents relationship.

Network addresses are captured by BMC Discovery products as access points (inherited from BMC_AccessPoint ). Hence, they must always be associated with their parent instance of the computer through the BMC_HostedAccessPoint relationship. Also, a network address must have a relationship to the network interface for which it is configured. This relationship is modeled by using a BMC_Dependency relationship in which the network interface is the antecedent (source) and the network address is the dependent (destination).
For more information on modeling network addresses, including an illustration of the relationships used in the model, see Network-topology-models.


Logical identity of the BMC_NetworkPort class

Like any child instance of BMC_ComputerSystem, a network port is identified by the Name attribute in conjunction with the SystemName attribute that represents the name of the parent instance of the computer. Therefore, the Name attribute represents the local name of the CI in the context of the computer that is hosting it, as described in the following table:

Attribute

Usage

Name

Identifies the network address that is suffixed by an index. The index uniquely identifies a MAC address for situations where multiple identical MAC addresses are configured within the same system. The index is generally the index of the MAC address entry in the SNMP MIB.

NameFormat

Specifies the heuristic method used to generate the Name value. For instance, in many cases, network interfaces are best discovered and identified by using SNMP information.

PhysicalIndex

Specifies the index, which must be a valid SNMP index related to the SNMP IF Table of the computer.

SystemName

Identifies the name of the system, which must be the same as the parent instance of the BMC_ComputerSystem Name attribute. This attribute is automatically populated from the related CI when a weak relationship is created between the computer system and the operating system.

Additional attributes of the BMC_NetworkPort class

The following table describes additional attributes of the BMC_NetworkPort class:

Attribute

Description

AutoSense

The Boolean value that indicates whether the port can automatically determine the speed or other communications characteristics of the connected network media.

Description

The description for the component.

FullDuplex

The Boolean value that indicates whether the port is operating in full duplex mode (carrying signals in both directions).

LinkTechnology

The enumeration of the types of link technologies, with values such as Unknown, Other, Ethernet, IB, FC, FDDI, ATM, Token ring, Frame relay, Infrared, Bluetooth, or Wireless LAN.

ManufacturerName

The company that manufactured the component.

MaxSpeed

The maximum bandwidth of the port in bits/second.

NetworkAddresses

The list of strings specifying the network addresses for the port.

PermanentAddress

The network address hard-coded into the port. This address can be changed by a firmware upgrade or software reconfiguration. If it is changed, update this field. If no hard-coded address exists for the network port, leave this attribute blank.

PhysicalDescription

The physical description or location for the port, such as slot3/port4.

PortType

The enumeration of the types of ports, with values such as Ethernet, FDDI, Token Ring, WAN, or Unknown.

ShortDescription

A caption for the component.

SerialNumber

The serial number of the component.

SpeedConfigured

The maximum bandwidth of the port in bits/second.

 

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