Discovering Nexus Dashboard switches

[BK14]

Hello everyone,

Does anyone have any insight or documentation to discover different types of Nexus Dashboard switches?

It appears that they don't support SNMP (per our network support person).

Nexus Dashboard (ND) has 3 features. Insights (NDi) Orchestrator (NDO) and Nexus Dashboard Fabric Contoller (NDFC). We use the first 2 and everything we can find is saying SNMP is NOT supported.

I was also told that they have Cisco proprietary OS on them.

Any insight is highly appreciated.

bk

[danmjunqueira]

You're correct that Cisco Nexus Dashboard (ND) platforms, especially the modern ones using NDi (Insights) and NDO (Orchestrator), do not support traditional SNMP-based discovery, which complicates integration with tools like ServiceNow Discovery or other CMDB solutions.

Here’s a summary of how to approach it:

1. SNMP is not supported
Nexus Dashboard nodes and services (like NDi and NDO) do not expose standard SNMP interfaces.

They use Cisco's own APIs and telemetry frameworks, designed for Cisco tools rather than third-party platforms.

2. Discovery via APIs (Recommended Approach)
To discover ND-managed switches or components, you'll likely need to use Cisco Nexus Dashboard REST APIs. This means using custom or scripted Discovery in ServiceNow or an external integration.

Examples:
NDO APIs: Can provide information about policies, sites, and devices managed via Nexus Orchestrator.

NDi APIs: Focus on telemetry and analytics, but can expose device inventory if configured.

You can find their API documentation on:

Cisco DevNet

Cisco Nexus Dashboard product docs (must be logged in)

3. Integrating with ServiceNow (if applicable)
If you use ServiceNow Discovery, you'll need to:

Build a Custom Pattern using the MID Server

Use the REST API probe and Custom Scripted Patterns

Map the discovered data into appropriate CMDB CI classes (like network gear or custom models)

This approach requires coordination with your network team to obtain:

API base URLs

Authentication credentials (OAuth or token-based)

Permissions to call inventory or device list endpoints

4. Alternative Data Sources
If direct API integration is not feasible:

Check if the switches themselves (not the ND controller) expose SNMP or Netconf/RESTconf

If ND manages external switches, you might be able to discover those directly using standard SNMP or SSH-based discovery via ServiceNow

Summary
SNMP is not supported on Nexus Dashboard (confirmed).

Use REST APIs provided by NDO or NDi for discovery and integration.

Custom integration is required if you're importing data into ServiceNow CMDB.

Involve your Cisco network admin to get API access and endpoint info.

[BK14]

Great and detailed information. Thank you