Locate

The Locator Locate Screen enables you to locate the switch and slot/port that is directly connected to a user-specified end station. You can enter the end station's IP Address, Host Name, MAC Address, or Authenticated User ID to locate the switch and slot/port to which the end station is connected. Locator can perform a "Historical" search or a "Live" search. A "Historical" search is performed by searching a database of information that was previously established by polling network switches. A "Live" search, as its name implies, is performed by searching network switches in real time.

Locating a Switch

Select the type of search you want to perform from the Search by drop-down menu (IP Address/Host Name, Auth. User, MAC Address/Host Name) and the search criteria as described below. The search results are described below.

Note: To locate a device in a Live Search, the device must be "Live" (active on the network within the last 5 minutes). "Live" is defined by the timeout defined by the switch (5 minutes). Also note that Live Search does not search for wired or wireless clients connected to Stellar APs. Stellar APs are not polled during a Live Search.

Search Results

When the search is complete, the search results are displayed in both the ARP Results Table and the Netforward Results Table. The ARP Results Table displays results matching the search criteria found in the ARP Table. The Netforward Table displays results matching the search criteria found in the Bridge Forwarding Tables.

When searching by IP address, the Netforward Results Table includes results for all client MAC addresses associated with an IP address in the ARP history. This is an effective method for finding duplicate IP addresses. The Timestamp in the Netforward Results table is the time the MAC address was reported in the Device (switch or AP) MAC address table. Since the Netforward Results Table displays MAC addresses associated at any time with the IP address, the current IP address for each MAC address may be different than the search IP address.

Note: You can use the "Freeze the first __ columns" feature to lock columns when you scroll right to view information. Enter the number of columns you want to freeze, and those columns will remain visible as you scroll right.

You can also perform certain actions on specific devices/ports in the Netforward Results Table. Select a row in the table and click on the Action button at the top of the table and select one of the following options:

Note: If the device you are searching for is a switch and not an end station, a notification will appear and you can click on the Locate on Map button to launch the Topology application and display the selected device in Topology map view.

ARP Results Table

In the ARP Results Table, Locator reports information for the end station you are searching on. Note that if you make changes to a switch's VLAN configuration, or if you make hardware changes (such as replacing a board), the results in the Initial Lookup area may not be correct. Before using Locator, re-poll such switches using the Poll Screen. This will ensure that the ARP tables are populated with current information. The ARP Results Table fields are defined below.

When searching by IP address, the ARP Results Table provides information on only the IP address in the search query. When searching by MAC address, the ARP Results Table provides information on all IP addresses associated over time with the MAC address entered in the search query. This is helpful for tracking changes in the client device IP address over time, and in conjunction with the Netforward Results, can assist in the device location over time.

Netforward Results Table

In the Netforward Results Table, Locator reports all switches/slots/ports that meet both of the following criteria: the MAC address entered when searching by MAC address, or all MAC addresses associated with an IP address when searching by IP address was/were seen at the switch/slot/port, and the switch/slot/port is not connected to another switch device.

The Netforward Results Table fields are defined below. The table display will vary depending on the view option you choose - Location (default), Classification, Data Center, or Template, which is used to create custom views. If a ClearPass Server is configured and connected, a BYOD button will appear to enable you to view information on the ClearPass Server.

Location

Classification

Data Center

Template

You can create an additional two (2) custom views by clicking on the Custom Template button, entering a Template Name, selecting the fields you want to display and clicking OK. You can also change the order of the fields when you are creating the template by dragging fields up or down in the list before clicking OK. The name of the new view will then be displayed in a button at the top of the Netforward Results Table, and can be used to view the selected fields. You can configure up to 2 new views. Creating an additional view will replace one of the previous views. Custom templates are associated with the current logged in user, so every user can have different custom templates. The available fields are defined below.

The fields below are only populated by devices authenticated through UPAM. Otherwise, the fields will be blank.

BYOD

Available only if ClearPass Policy Manager (CPPM) is defined in the BYOD application and connectivity can be established.

Locate on Map

If the device you are searching for is a switch and not an end station, a notification will appear and you can click on the Locate on Map button to launch the Topology application and display a regional map in the Physical Network that contains the selected device. The device is automatically selected and centered in the map display.