Network Topology, Maps, and Site Hierarchy
Domain 4 checks that you can model the network the way the interface expects: site hierarchy, floor plans, discovered links, and the placement work that makes maps, heat maps and location reports usable.
Hierarchy
- XIQ-SE organises the world as World > Site > Building > Floor. Sites group devices for maps, alarms, reports and admin scoping; buildings and floors carry floor-plan images.
- Assign devices to a site during discovery or later. Unassigned devices are still monitored but appear in no map or site report.
- Import a floor-plan image, then set scale by drawing a line of known length - every coverage and location calculation depends on that calibration.
Topology
- Links are discovered from LLDP, CDP, EDP, FDP and, in fabric, IS-IS; static links cover unmanaged segments. The topology view renders port-to-port connections and flags inferred or one-sided links.
- Topology filters by site or device group. The map view shows device and AP icons on the floor plan; the topology view shows the connectivity graph.
- APs must be placed on the floor plan to be located. Wireless heat maps additionally need the AP model's radio/antenna data and a correctly scaled plan.
Worked example
An engineer places 30 APs on a floor but the heat map is empty. The APs are managed and the plan is imported, so the fault is scale: the image was never calibrated, making every AP-to-client distance meaningless. Redraw the scale line against a known corridor length, re-place the APs and regenerate the map. If only some APs are missing, check whether they sit in unassigned state on the controller rather than assuming a map fault.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing site assignment with device-group membership: maps and site reports follow the site, permissions and policy often follow the group.
- One-sided LLDP rendering a live link as missing or down.
- Editing the site tree after discovery and orphaning devices.
- Treating heat maps as exact - wall and attenuation settings change results.
- Replacing a floor-plan image without re-checking scale.
- Omitting unmanaged switches so paths appear broken.