Create a logical connection record using the Design and Assign function

Use the Design and Assign function to create a logical connection in the Telecommunications Network Inventory application. By creating a logical connection, you can fulfill the design request for a network service.

Before you begin

Define the inventory records, models, model relationships, templates, and template relationships for your design criteria.

Role required: sn_ni_core.inventory_agent, sn_ni_core.network_planning_manager

About this task

The Design and Assign home page lists the change requests that are in the Design in progress state. You can either select a change request from the list or create a change request to design a logical connection depending on your requirement. Completion of each activity in the playbook for the Design and Assign function creates a change task for the next activity.

After you complete each activity, the network diagram updates and displays the data. You can review the network diagram for any incompleteness and update the activities accordingly.

Procedure

1. Navigate to Workspaces > Network Inventory Workspace.
   1. Select the design and assign icon ().
      The Design and Assign home page is displayed.
   2. Select New > Create Logical Connection
      A change request is created in Design in progress state. The Design and Assign window is displayed.
   3. On the form, fill in the fields.

      Table 1. Setup request details form

      Field	Description
      Number	The change request number that is automatically generated to instantiate a logical connection with the Design in progress state.
      Category	Category of this change request. Select Other if your category isn’t in the list.
      Priority	Priority of this change request.
      Short description	Summary of the design.
      Description	Description of the design in detail.

   4. Select Mark complete.
2. Set up the logical connection card.
   1. On the Setup logical connection card, fill in the fields.

      Table 2. Setup logical connection form

      Field	Description
      Logical connection model	Logical connection model where this logical connection is configured.
      Bandwidth	Bandwidth for this logical connection. Only bandwidths compatible with the logical connection model are listed here. Note: This field lists all bandwidths if no compatible bandwidth is available.
      Network domain	Domain of ownership and responsibility for this network asset or connection. Select one of the following options: Mobility Network asset that is associated with the mobility equipment domain. Telco Network asset that is associated with the telco equipment domain. Core Network asset that is associated with the core equipment domain.
      Logical connection template	List of all templates based on the selected logical connection model.

   2. Select Mark complete.
3. Define the end points.
   1. On the Define end points card, fill in the fields.

      Table 3. Define end points form

      Field	Description
      Start site	Originating network site for this connection.
      Start equipment	Originating equipment for this connection.
      Start interface	Originating network interface for this connection.
      End site	Destination network site for this connection.
      End equipment	Destination equipment for this connection.
      End interface	Destination network interface for this connection.

   2. Select Mark complete.
4. Optional: Assign the connection element.
   Note:

   To skip this activity, select Skip.
   1. On the Assign connection element card, select Add.
   2. On the Assign connection element form, fill in the fields.
      To learn more about fields, see Assign connection element form.
   3. Select Mark complete
5. Optional: Assign a protection element.
   Note:

   To skip this step, select Skip.
   1. On the Assign protection element card, select Add.
   2. On the form, fill in the fields.

      Table 4. Assign protection element form

      Field	Description
      Start Site	Originating network site for this protection path.
      Start equipment	Originating equipment for this protection path.
      Model	Model where this protection logical connection is configured. Only compatible models based on the model relationship are displayed.
      End Site	Destination network site for this protection path.
      End equipment	Destination equipment for this protection path.
      Protecting logical connection	Logical connection that acts as redundancy path.

   3. Select Mark complete.
6. Optional: Define the number element.
   Note:

   To skip this step, select Skip.
   1. On the Define number element card, select Add.
   2. On the form, fill in the fields.

      Table 5. Define number element form

      Field	Description
      Owned by configuration item	Configuration item (CI) that is related to the Inventory number record.
      Parent number type	Type of inventory number parent record belongs to. Select one from the following. LAG LAG Range VLAN VLAN range
      Parent number range	Range of parent number.
      Number Type	Type of inventory number this network inventory belongs to. Select one from the following. LAG LAG Range VLAN VLAN range
      Number	Unassigned numbers are displayed here, and you can select multiple ones.

   3. Select Mark complete.
7. Optional: Define the IP address.
   Note:

   To skip this step, select Skip.
   1. On the Define IP address card, select Add.
   2. On the form, fill in the fields.

      Table 6. Define IP address card

      Field	Description
      IP pool	Parent pool of this IP address allocation.
      IP sub network	IP network subnet of this IP address allocation.
      Allocated IP address	Select the allocated IP addresses.

   3. Select Mark complete.
8. Optional: Set the attributes.
   Note:

   If you want to skip this step, select Skip.
   1. On the Set attributes card, select Add.
   2. On the attribute form, fill in the fields.
      To learn more about fields, see Attribute form
9. On the Review and submit card, fill in the fields.

   Table 7. Review and submit form

   Field	Description
   Notes	Any additional notes.

10. Select Submit.

Result

The change tasks are created and executed for each activity. The logical connection record is created. The created logical connection automatically associates the interface with its corresponding card or equipment.

Note:

The system now automatically associates each logical interface with its corresponding card or equipment. With the logical and physical interface alignment enhancement, logical interfaces (such as VLANs) and physical interfaces (such as Gigabyte Ethernet ports) are mapped to their parent equipment or card. The system establishes a parent relationship for each logical interface using the parent’s unique serial number for accurate identification. This enhancement ensures consistency across systems and prevents duplicate CI creation by aligning identification and relationship logic between logical and physical interfaces.

Related concepts

• Logical connections