Controlling autodiscovery with filters

You control autodiscovery with discovery filters. Configure the filters to add devices automatically to the topology, or select the “Ask before adding new systems” option to add devices manually to the topology. When this option is selected for a discovery filter, any new device that matches the filter will be placed on the IP Manager’s Pending Devices list, so that you can review the device and add it manually to the topology.

You might configure filters to add routers and switches automatically on subnets in a new phase of network expansion, but to add all other devices manually. This use of discovery filtering works best in networks that have consistent, well-defined naming conventions.

Because discovery filters are inclusive filters, you must configure exclude filters to prevent certain devices from being discovered. Use the ipExcludeList in the discovery.conf file to create these filters. Note that seed systems in a seed file, or seed systems that are specified by using the Add Agent command, are not subject to the filters. Only the devices that are found by the autodiscovery’s probing of the seed systems are subject to the filters.