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Discovering One Network Device

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • How a switch is discovered
  • What a switch CI contains
  • How switch ports link to servers

🔁 Quick look back: Last time: Discovering One Windows Server. You learned how snwr-app-01 was discovered over Windows protocols.

1 The Problem: Network Devices Don’t Log In Like Servers

Switches and firewalls don’t use SSH or WMI for Discovery. They answer SNMP. So:

  • The SNMP credential and classifier must work.
  • The results look different from a server.

🎯 The problem: Network devices don’t log in like servers.

👉 The fix: Discover one known switch over SNMPv3 and check what comes back.

Table of switch discovery results.
Figure 1. What Discovery found on snwr-core-sw-01.

2 What comes back

  • Model, serial and OS version.
  • Interfaces and their status.
  • Which server adapters connect to which ports.
  • IP addresses and routes.

Knowing which switch port a server uses helps network teams find the cable, and shows impact when a switch fails.

4 Project Clear View: How We Implemented It

📍 Situation: Servers worked. Network devices were next.

🧭 Decision: Run Quick Discovery on snwr-core-sw-01 and check the CI with Ravi.

🛠️ Steps we took:

  1. Ran Quick Discovery on its management IP.
  2. Watched the SNMP classifier pick IP Switch.
  3. Checked interfaces and port links with Ravi.
  4. Repeated for snwr-vpn-gw-01 in the DMZ.

✅ What we verified:

  • Both devices classified correctly.
  • Ravi confirmed the port links match his records.

📁 Evidence: The network first-device check, saved for gate 4.

5 Quick recap

  • Network devices answer SNMP, not SSH or WMI.
  • Check class, model, interfaces and port links.
  • Port links help find cables and show impact.
  • Test one switch and one firewall first.

6 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 Which protocol did snwr-core-sw-01 answer? Show answer

SNMPv3.

2 Why do switch port links matter? Show answer

They show which port a server uses, for cabling and impact.

3 Which other device did SNWR test? Show answer

snwr-vpn-gw-01.

Nice work! Network discovery works at SNWR. 🎉
Next up: Discovering an Application Running on a Server

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