Connectors → Cisco Meraki

About Cisco Meraki

Cisco Meraki is a cloud IT management software that provides users with a scalable and secure solution that can help them create and control their networks. Cisco Meraki’s products include wireless, switching, security, enterprise mobility management and security cameras, all centrally managed from the web.

Cisco Meraki Connector

The Incorta Cisco Meraki connector uses the Cisco Meraki REST API to extract data for the following Meraki entities:

• Organizations
• Devices
• Device Clients
• Device Switch Ports
• Networks
• Network Appliance Ports
• Network Content Filtering
• Network Device Ports (Network Device LLDP and CDP Ports)
• Network Device Uplinks
• Network Security Events
• Network Traffic

The Cisco Meraki connector supports the following Incorta specific functionality:

*Incremental loading is supported for the following Cisco Meraki entities only: Device Clients, Network Device Ports, Network Security Events, and Network Traffic.

Deployment Steps

The Cisco Meraki connector is an external connector, which means you deploy it as a plugin to the Incorta platform and upgrade it separately from upgrading the Incorta platform itself.

Here are the steps to deploy incorta.connector.meraki.jar to the extensions directory:

• Download the Cisco Meraki JAR file from the latest version of your Incorta customer release distribution (incorta.connector.meraki.jar)
• Create the meraki directory in {path to IncortaNode}/extensions/connectors: $ mkdir {path to IncortaNode}/extensions/connectors/meraki
• Copy the Cisco Meraki connector JAR file to {path to IncortaNode}/extensions/connectors/meraki
• Create the meraki directory in {path to cmc}/extensions/connectors: $ mkdir {path to cmc}/extensions/connectors/meraki
• Copy the Cisco Meraki connector JAR file to {path to cmc}/extensions/connectors/meraki
• Restart the entire Incorta cluster (CMC, analytics, and loader services)

Steps to connect Cisco Meraki and Incorta

To connect Cisco Meraki and Incorta, here are the high level steps, tools, and procedures:

• Create an external data source
• Create a schema with the Schema Wizard
• or, Create a schema with the Schema Designer
• Load the schema
• Explore the schema

Create an external data source

Here are the steps to create a external data source with the Cisco Meraki connector:

• Sign in to the Incorta Direct Data Platform.
• In the Navigation bar, select Data.
• In the Action bar, select + New → Add Data Source.
• In the Choose a Data Source dialog, in Application, select Cisco Meraki.
• In the New Data Source dialog, specify the applicable connector properties.
• To test, select Test Connection.
• Select Ok to save your changes.

Cisco Meraki connector properties

Here are the properties for the Cisco Meraki connector:

Create a schema with the Schema Wizard

Here are the steps to create a Cisco Meraki schema with the Schema Wizard:

• Sign in to the Incorta Direct Data Platform.
• In the Navigation bar, select Schema.
• In the Action bar, select + New → Schema Wizard
• In (1) Choose a Source, specify the following:
  • For Enter a name, enter the schema name.
  • For Select a Datasource, select the Cisco Meraki external data source.
  • Optionally create a description.
• In the Schema Wizard footer, select Next.
• In (2) Manage Tables, in the Data Panel, first select the name of the Data Source, and then check the Select All checkbox.
• In the Schema Wizard footer, select Next.
• In (3) Finalize, in the Schema Wizard footer, select Create Schema.

Create a schema with the Schema Designer

Here are the steps to create a Cisco Meraki schema using the Schema Designer:

• Sign in to the Incorta Direct Data Platform.
• In the Navigation bar, select Schema.
• In the Action bar, select + New → Create Schema.
• In Name, specify the schema name, and select Save.
• In Start adding tables to your schema, select Cisco Meraki.
• In the Data Source dialog, specify the Cisco Meraki table data source properties.
• Select Add.
• In the Table Editor, in the Table Summary section, enter the table name.
• To save your changes, select Done in the Action bar.

Cisco Meraki table data source properties

For a schema table in Incorta, you can define the following Cisco Meraki specific data source properties as follows:

Incremental Loading Starting Time options

• Bounded by timespan: This option will fetch all events within the lookback period specified in Timespan in Seconds.
• Last load time: This option will fetch all events generated since the last load, and is bounded by the lookback period.

View the schema diagram with the Schema Diagram Viewer

Here are the steps to view the schema diagram using the Schema Diagram Viewer:

• Sign in to the Incorta Direct Data Platform.
• In the Navigation bar, select Schema.
• In the list of schemas, select the Cisco Meraki schema.
• In the Schema Designer, in the Action bar, select Diagram.

Cisco Meraki schema diagram

The following is an example schema for an external data source that utilizes the Cisco Meraki connector:

Load the schema

Here are the steps to perform a Full Load of the Cisco Meraki schema using the Schema Designer:

• Sign in to the Incorta Direct Data Platform.
• In the Navigation bar, select Schema.
• In the list of schemas, select the Cisco Meraki schema.
• In the Schema Designer, in the Action bar, select Load → Load Now → Full.
• To review the load status, in Last Load Status, select the date.

Explore the schema

With the full load of the Cisco Meraki schema complete, you can use the Analyzer to explore the schema, create your first insight, and save the insight to a new dashboard.

To open the Analyzer from the schema, follow these steps:

• In the Navigation bar, select Schema.
• In the Schema Manager, in the List view, select the Cisco Meraki schema.
• In the Schema Designer, in the Action bar, select Explore Data.