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4.3     Smart Bridge (Optional)

netLD Smart Bridge (SB) feature allows you to manage the multiple  separate remote networks from a single netLD server. Assume you are managing the 

devices in the corporation networks of your customers and those local networks do not share the local IP namespace. Without  SB you had to set up a new 

netLD  server in each networks, but now you can manage those network via a single terminal!

Figure  4.3.1: Smart Bridge concept

In Sec.  2.5, we described  the concepts of Networks  as a special terms for a device grouping method in netLD. (do not confuse with network groups described in Sec. 3.1). 

The default network is named as Default while you can name the other networks as you like. You can also assign privileges to users on those networks.

Each SB-managed remote network is added to the list of networks, and devices in the remote networks are treated as a member of corresponding networks.  

You can manage those devices by simply switching to that network (through the drop- down menu in the global menu in the top-left corner.)

When you switch to a certain network, the graphical interface is identical to what it used to be - which  means any operations described until now is also 

available in those remote networks, including  credentials,  access controls  (Sec.2.4) and so on.

Operating Smart Bridge reduces both the CPU workload on the server and the network bandwidth usage. Rather than making one netLD server monitors all 

devices in one network, you can subdivide  a large network into a set of smaller networks and delegate server’s task to each Smart Bridge. The server only has 

to manage the result data sent from each SB and the workload on the server decreases. Also, on a system with Smart Bridges, the total amount of 

data communicated through the global network is significantly  reduced because the data sent by each SB consist only of changes from the previous state.

In the following sections, we describe how to set up Smart Bridge feature into fully working state.

4.3.1   Installation

Smart Bridge program is a standalone program that works on the server.  You need to install them in each network segment.

Save the netLD Smart Bridge install program (i.e. netld-Bridge-version-32bit or 64bit.exe) to the target server and double-click on the program to start.

Select a language to use from the drop-down menu and click on the OK button to start the Setup wizard.

Click on the Next to go to License Agreement dialog.

License Agreement dialog. Press page down key to read the rest of the agreement and 

click on the I Agree to continue.

Specify the install directory by clicking on Browse. . . button. Click on the Next button to continue.

Installation continues.

Click on the Next button if Installation Complete dialog is displayed.

Click on the Finish button to close the setup wizard.

4.3.2   Registering Smart Bridges to the Core Server

You have to register the installed Smart Bridges to the core netLD Server. Go to the settings window → Smart Bridges. Click on the .

Enter the required information in Bridge Host dialog. Then click on the OK button to finish.

Menu Items   Description

Name             Enter a name for the Smart Bridge.

Host or IP       Specify a server by hostname or IP address that the Smart Bridge is installed.

Port                Specify a port that the Smart Bridge uses by the up and down arrow keys.

Once the Smart Bridge is added to the network list on the core server, you will be soon able to check the connection status to the Smart Bridge in 

this dialog. The icons in the first column indicates the status of the Smart Bridge. Now, the status is   because the connection is not established.

Sooner or later, if the configuration is correct, the icon should turn into . If it never do so, review the configuration again. If the problem still exists, please contact out support.                                                 

The name of Smart Bridge can not be modified after it has been registered in the core server. If you do have to change the name, you have to delete the original one and re run the entire registration.

Adding  a network is exactly the same as what you do in order to add a local network, except that you should specify the registered Smart Bridge while 

adding it. First, Open Settings window → Networks section.

Click on the    to create a new network.

Enter the required information in the dialog. In the Bridge Host field, select a SB that you have just added in the previous section. Finally, click on the OK button to save the network.

Menu Items    Description

Name             Enter a name for the new network.

Bridge Host     Select a Smart Bridge to use for the network from the drop down list.

Once a network is added, it appears in the Network drop down list in the global menu. Selecting its entry switches the network.

4.3.4   Adding devices to a SB

Finally, add devices to the SB network. Again, the manipulation required to add devices, credentials and so on, in the remote network, is nearly exactly the 

same as those required in the local network.

The only difference is that you have to switch the current network to the target remote network which was added in the previous section. Once you have switched 

to the appropriate network, you can discover, add and change the devices as usual. Credentials  can also be handled just the same way as you did. When you 

add a device, it is polled, checked, backed up by the Smart Bridge, instead of the core netLD server.

For information on adding devices and credentials, see Sec. 3.3.1 and Sec. 3.1.

4.3.5　SmartBridge Network settings

The smart bridge deployment follows the same steps as the netLD server deployment.

After the deployment is completed, power on and configure the network settings. By default, the IP address etc. are obtained from DHCP. In an environment without a DHCP server, the initial settings are blank as in the illustrated below.

To set the IP address manually, follow the procedure below. All settings are made using the keyboard only.

Press "1" on the keyboard and select the interface you want to edit. This is generally eth0

Enter the following items and press "y" to save the settings.

The network settings are now complete.

4.3.6　SmartBridge: Set or Change Connection Direction

When deploying a SmartBridge, the default connection direction is set to Bridge->Server. Perform the following steps to set or change the direction of the connection. All settings are made using the keyboard from the VM console in the same way as the network settings.

Press "4" on the keyboard.

 Enter the following items and press, “Enter” to save and exit.

Press Enter after entering the token to save setting. After the setting is completed, it will transition to the first screen.

3.4.7　Register SmartBridge with Core Server

The SmartBridge must be registered with the core netLD server. Open “Server Settings” → “Smart Bridges”.

Click the “” button and enter the Smart Bridge information.

When you add a Smart Bridge to the core server, the connection status is immediately reflected in the currently open dialog. The leftmost icon indicates the connection status. In the figure below, the status is indicated by “”. This is because no connection has been established yet.

If the settings on both the server and bridge are correct, the icon will change to “” within a few minutes, depending on your environment. If this does not happen, recheck your settings. If the problem persists, please contact customer support.

3.4.8　Creating a SmartBridge Network

Create a corresponding network for each smart bridge. Creating a network for a smart bridge is almost the same as creating a local network, except that you select a registered smart bridge when creating a network. First, open “Server Settings” → “Networks”.

Click the “” button and enter the required information in the dialog. Provide a network name, select the bridge host from the dropdown menu, and press the OK button.