For most maps, a map is centered around a selected node (for example, a device, IP network, VLAN, or service) and shows connections to the selected entity (one hop away). You can change the scope of the elements displayed in the map to see additional connected elements by incrementing the number of hops.
You can expand an entire map, one or more individual devices, or a service one increment at a time. A hop is the distance between two nodes that are either physically or logically connected.
For an entire map, the scope of a map is defined by the number of hops from the focal object (boxed icon). Each time you select the Increment Hops option, a map expands by adding all nodes (and their edges) that are one hop away from any existing, expandable node.
Common map attributes
- Nodes — A node represents a device, IP network, VLAN instance, service subscriber, service offering, an application, or a user-defined group. The icon used to depict a node depends on the class of the instance. A severity icon bar underneath a node is colored to indicate that its state is normal, affected by one or more abnormal conditions, or unknown. A plus sign (+) next to a node indicates that it is connected to additional nodes not currently shown in the map. A box outlining a node indicates that the node is a map focal node. One or more nodes compose a map. You can incrementally expand the scope of the map to show the additional nodes connected to devices.
- Edges — An edge represents a relationship or connection between nodes (for example, a physical connection such as a cable on a Physical Connectivity map), or participation in a logical group (for example, routers participating in a VLAN for a VLAN Connectivity map). The representation depends on the type of map. An edge that represents a topological instance is colored to indicate its status (for example, green for Normal). If an edge represents a relationship, it is colored black.
