This feature provides the user with the ability to enter a mode where they may add comments to topology assets (firewalls, routers, switches, endpoints, and gateways).
To get started, enable the Topology Annotation feature. This is a pencil icon in the bottom right corner of the Topology Map. Selecting it enables Annotation Mode. Annotations can only be added when this is enabled.
Once in Annotation Mode, right click on a topology node that requires annotation, and select “Add New Annotation” from the menu.
An icon selector and text input will be presented. The selector allows the choice of a category for the Annotation. Each annotation requires a choice of category, and some text.
Once a category icon is chosen and an annotation is typed, hit the ‘check’ to save. This will mark the node, add the annotation to the info panel for that node, and add it to the Asset Inventory. Observe the map and see the node is now marked with a Tile representing the category of the most recent annotation made on the node.
Repeat the process to add a second, new annotation to the same node. Note: The icon updates to again represent the most current annotation
Select the node that contains the annotations. Observe the info panel and find the new section called “Annotations”. Users can expand the section to see all annotations. All annotations for a node can be viewed, edited, pinned, and deleted from here.
On the right of each annotation is a kebab menu to edit or delete, and a pin icon to pin a specific annotation(s) on the map.
Pinning one or more annotations on an info panel will display them in a persistent fashion on the topology (only when in Annotation Mode)
Users can unpin an annotation from the info panel or the topology.
Pinned Annotations with longer text will be truncated by an ellipse. Mousing over the text will display the entire annotation.
To reduce visual clutter users have the ability to show/hide Annotation Icons and to show/hide Pinned Annotations
From the Topology Settings Menu, a user can show/hide pinned annotations while Annotation Mode is on.
If Pinned Annotations are hidden, Annotation Category Icons will still be visible, while in Annotation Mode
To hide both the Annotation Category Icons and Pinned Annotations, Annotation Mode can be turned off.
When creating a new view or entering a different view, the annotations will be available on the info panel and in asset inventory.
On the Asset Inventory page, four columns have been added to show all annotations in the current view, regardless of if Annotation Mode is engaged or not.
By default, the most recent annotation is displayed. To view all Annotations for an Asset, not just the most recent, locate the left most column. If the clock icon is blue it means there are multiple Annotations for this Asset and that the row can be expanded to reveal them.
Clicking a blue clock expands the row to display the complete annotation history for that Asset for that view.
To Export the Annotations with the Asset Inventory locate the hamburger menu in the upper right of the table. When clicked, options for Export are made available to export the table with the current annotation displayed, or with all annotations expanded.
