How to Add and Remove Device Groups

You can organize your network devices into device groups and subgroups under the My Network folder in the Network Elements tab. Organizing your devices into groups lets you perform certain operations (like an archive save or restore) on an entire group at once, instead of performing the operation on individual devices. A set of system-created device groups are automatically provided. When a device is created, discovered, or imported, it automatically becomes a member of the appropriate system-created group:

  • All Devices - contains all the devices in the NetSight database.
  • Grouped By - contains five subgroups:
    • Chassis -- contains subgroups for specific chassis in your network.
    • Contact -- contains subgroups based on the system contact.
    • Device Types -- contains subgroups for the specific product families and device types in your network.
    • IP -- contains subgroups based on the IP subnets in your network.
    • Location -- contains subgroups based on the system location.

Additionally, you can add your own device groups and subgroups under the My Network folder, however you cannot add groups under the system-created groups. A device group cannot have the same name as another device group at the same level. You cannot rename or delete a system-created group. A device can be a member of more than one group.

  TIP: System-created groups are displayed with blue folders in the left-panel tree. Any group you add will display a yellow folder.

Instructions on:

Adding a Device Group

  1. Click the left-panel Network Elements tab.
  2. Right-click on the My Network folder or any user-created group, and select Add Device Group from the menu. This opens the Add Device Group window.
  3. Enter the device group name and click OK. (Device groups cannot have the same name as another device group at the same level.) You can now add devices to the device group.

Adding Devices to a Device Group

You can add a device to a group by using the Add Device window, the Device Group Selection window, or by using drag and drop.

Using the Add Device Window

Use the Add Device window to add a single device to the NetSight database and to the group selected in the tree.

  1. Right-click the group to which you want to add a device and select Add Device from the menu. The Add Device window opens.
  2. Enter an IP Address.
  3. Use the Profile drop-down list to select one of the SNMP profiles that have been defined for device access. The Edit button lets you create a profile if one does not already exist.
  4. Select the checkbox and enter an SNMP context, if desired.
  5. Select whether to use the default nickname or click Specify to assign a unique nickname to this device.
  6. Click OK. The new device appears in the group and is automatically added to the All Devices group.

Using the Device Group Selection Window

Use the Device Group Selection window to add one or more devices from a right-panel Details View to the My Network group or a user-created group in the left-panel tree.

  1. In a right-panel Details View tab, right-click the device(s) that you want to add to a group and select Add Device(s) to Group from the menu. The Device Group Selection window opens.
  2. Select the My Network group or the desired user-created group.
  3. Click OK. The selected device(s) appear in the group.
  TIP: You can also add one or more devices from a right-panel Details View to the My Network group or a user-created group by using the copy and paste toolbar buttons or right-click menu options. 

Dragging and Dropping Devices

In the left-panel tree, you can add a device to a group by dragging a device from one group and dropping into another. You can also drag and drop an entire device group to create a sub-group in the target group. You can only drag devices to the My Network group or a user-created group.

 

TIP:

 You can also use the copy and paste toolbar buttons or right-click menu options to add a device to a group in the left-panel tree. 

To add a device using drag and drop:

  1. In the left panel, expand the hierarchy to show the target group and the device that you want to add.
  2. Select  the device to be dragged and dropped.
  3. Click and hold on the selected device and drag it into the target group.

To add a group using drag and drop:

  1. In the left panel, expand the hierarchy to show the target group and the group that you want to add.
  2. Click and hold on the group and drag it into the target group. The group is added as a sub-group, containing all of the devices that were members of the original group.

Removing Devices from a Device Group

This function simply removes a device or devices from a device group. It should not be confused with deleting a device (right-clicking the device and selecting Delete from the menu), which removes the device from the device group, the All Devices folder, and from the NetSight database.

  1. In the left-panel Network Elements tab, expand the device group from which you wish to remove a device.
  2. Right-click a single device and select Remove from Device Group from the menu.

Renaming a Device Group

This function allows you to rename a device group. You cannot rename the system-created device groups.

  1. In the left-panel Network Elements tab, right-click the device group you wish to rename, and select Rename Device Group.
  2. Type the device group name in the highlighted box and press Enter. (A device group cannot have the same name as another device group at the same level.)

Deleting a Device Group

This function removes a device group and its devices. Only the group is deleted; the devices remain in the All Devices folder and the NetSight database. You cannot delete the system-created device groups.

  1. In the left-panel Network Elements tab, select the device group you wish to delete, and select Edit > Delete. You can also right-click the device group and select Delete from the menu.
  2. A confirmation message appears. Click Yes.

Related Information

For information on related tasks:

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