ICX Pre-Provisioning into SmartZone

The ICX Pre-Provisioning into SmartZone functionality allows SmartZone administrators to efficiently assign switches to specified groups without manually moving each switch through the Graphical User Interface (GUI). It ensures accurate configuration, saves time, and reduces the potential for human error.

Feature Overview

Presently, you have two options to register multiple switch devices on the controller and place them into a designated group. The first option is to manually move each switch to the destination group through the GUI, which requires you to click the move button for each switch individually. The second option is to configure registration rules to automatically assign switches to groups based on specific criteria.

In addition to configuring registration rules, SmartZone introduces a new feature that lets you pre-provision multiple switches into a specified group by uploading a CSV file. A CSV file consists of Serial Number, MAC Address, Switch Group ID, and Switch Group Name information for each switch.

Example Showing CSV File Content Format

CSV File Content for Pre-provisioning ICX Switches

Serial Number,Mac Address,Switch Group ID,Switch Group Name

XEK2244R09Q,D1:D6:31:BB:47:32,88d521f4-7619-5c52-bb32-424b73198cbf,team-dev-10

GLX4444S110,E1:E6:31:85:92:5D,d88557g0-2957-5d9b-c209-b16e57856822,team-dev-20

Data Fields and Their Descriptions

Data Field Data Type Description
Serial Number String The serial number of the switch is a unique value and is mandatory when the MAC address is not provided.
MAC Address String The MAC address of the switch is a unique value and is mandatory when the serial number is not provided.
Switch Group ID String

The Group ID is the identifier for the group within a specific Domain and is mandatory when the Switch Group Name is not provided.
Switch Group Name String

The Group Name is the name for the group within a specific Domain and is mandatory when the Switch Group ID is not provided.

After creating a CSV file, it must be imported for pre-provisioning. If you need to make any changes to the CSV file after importing it, ensure the switches are not yet connected to SmartZone. Then, follow the below steps:

  1. Edit and save your CSV file with the necessary updates.
  2. Delete the pre-provisioned switches from SmartZone.
  3. Re-import the updated CSV file to apply the changes.

If pre-provisioning is successful, the switches will be assigned to the group identified by the "Switch Group ID" or "Switch Group Name" on the GUI. When the switch connects to SmartZone, it will start the registration process. Initially, the registration state will be displayed as "Registration_pending."

Note: The import can fail due to the following reasons:
  • Non-existent Switch Serial Number or Switch Group Name in the CSV file.
  • Incorrect Serial Number in the CSV file.
  • If the Switch Group Name specified in the pre-provisioning CSV file exists in multiple domains.

Requirements

SmartZone release 7.1 and later support this feature.

Considerations

When creating the CSV file for pre-provisioning, adhere to the following:

  • CSV file content is restricted to 301 rows.
  • The first row must be the CSV header, consisting of a fixed string and is mandatory.
  • CSV file size must not exceed 40 KB.
  • CSV file content must be comma-separated.
  • If you select a Switch Group initially, you do not need to provide both the Switch Group ID and Switch Group Name in the CSV file.

Best Practices

This feature has no special recommendations for feature enablement or usage.

Prerequisites

This feature has no prerequisites to feature enablement or usage.

In this section:

  1. Pre-Provisioning Switches in the Controller
    While the GUI is useful for configuring an individual switch, pre-provisioning through a CSV file offers you the ability to configure multiple switches at once.
Parent topic: Approving and Registering switches