How to Distinguish Core, Distribution, Access Switch in CMDB

[FriendlyDude]

Hi All,

In cmdb_ci_ip_switch, we don't have a clear way to distinguish IP Switches aside from the naming convention, but the naming convention won't be enough as it could easily be misread or overlooked. 

Is there any way to easily distinguish these IP Switches especially for generating Reports or Queries?

Regards!

[M Iftikhar]

Hi @FriendlyDude ,

You’re correct that relying solely on naming conventions can be risky. The most reliable way to distinguish Core, Distribution, and Access switches in cmdb_ci_ip_switch is to add a dedicated field  with choices:
Core, Distribution, Access. This makes reporting and queries much simpler and avoids confusion.

If adding a field is not possible, you can still infer the type using CI relationships:
         Core switch: Usually at the top of the hierarchy, has many  Used by child devices, and few or no parents.
         Distribution switch: Has both a parent (Core) and children (Access).
         Access switch: Typically has only a parent (Distribution) and no children.

In ServiceNow, you can check this by opening a switch record and looking under Related Items / CI Relationships:
         Depends on → shows parent switches
         Used by  or  Contains → shows child devices

Adding a Switch Type choice field is the simplest and most reliable solution, while relationships can be used for inference if needed.

Thanks & Regards,
Muhammad Iftikhar

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