Designing and Managing Behavior Models - Discovering and Defining Nodes - Discovering Nodes -
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Discovering Nodes

Generally, you add node definitions to the NerveCenter database using a discovery program. The two most common scenarios are listed below:

• You are using NerveCenter with a network management platform such as Hewlett Packard's OpenView Network Node Manager, and you use the platform's discovery mechanism to explore the network and write node definitions to the platform's database. You then define the machine on which the platform is running as NerveCenter's node source. This action causes NerveCenter to copy the node definitions in the platform's database to its own database. The node information in NerveCenter's database is updated whenever the node information in the platform's database changes, for example, if a node is added to or deleted from the platform's database or if a node's attributes are changed.
• You are using NerveCenter in standalone mode, and you use NerveCenter's IPSweep behavior model to explore the network and write node definitions to NerveCenter's database.

There are also other, less common, scenarios. For example, you may be using NerveCenter with a network management platform, but NerveCenter may be set up at a remote site and the platform may be running at a central site. In this case, it may make sense to have NerveCenter discover the remote network and forward the node information it gathers to the platform. NerveCenter can then retrieve node definitions from the platform as in the first case mentioned above.

In any of these situations, you may only want information about nodes on particular subnets. This type of filtering is easy to do with NerveCenter; however, it must be set up from the NerveCenter Administrator. For information on how to perform this task, see the book Integrating NerveCenter with a Network Management Platform.

For more detailed information about discovering nodes, see the following sections:

• Using a Network Management Platform's Discovery Mechanism
• Using NerveCenter's IPSweep Behavior Model