3.3. Excel database Preparation Guidelines

• Requirement is to have an Excel database in appropriate format.

• Two tabs as per given below names are mandatory.

  1. Devices It defines all images/icons related to be placed on the visio page.

  2. Cablings It defines all cabling/connectivity related on placed images/icons.

There is a Sample Excel given at end of this page. Download and modify it as your requirement.

Read Below to understand it.

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3.3.1. Mandatory columns

3.3.1.1. Devices Tab

1. hostname Define hostname / identity of device. ( No Exception and column name modification not allowed )

2. x-axis Define horizontal position of device. ( column name can be changed by defining var argument `x` in input)

3. y-axis Define vertical position of device. ( column name can be changed by defining var argument `y` in input)

3.3.1.2. Cablings Tab

1. a_device Define identity of a-end device for connectivity. (column name can be changed by defining var argument `dev_a` in input)

2. b_device Define identity of b-end device for connectivity. (column name can be changed by defining var argument `dev_b` in input)

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3.3.2. Optional columns

3.3.2.1. Devices Tab

1. stencil Define stencil file of individual device ( column name modification not allowed )

2. item Define stencil name/number from stencil ( column name modification not allowed )

3. iconHeight Define resizing of icon vertically ( column name modification not allowed )

4. iconWidth Define resizing of icon horizontaly ( column name modification not allowed )

5. There can be n-number of columns for additional device details, with any column-names

   • Example: (device_model, serial_number, ip_address, rack_details, … and many more ).

   • As many of these columns information can be added to device information, by defining them to var argument list cols_to_merge.

   • Arrange these in list as desired sequence in output.

3.3.2.2. Cablings Tab

1. aport Define port number for a-end device. Will appear on middle. ( column name modification not allowed )

2. connector_type Define connector type. (default: straight, other options: angled, curved). ( column name modification not allowed )

3. color Define connector color. (default: blue). ( column name modification not allowed )

4. weight Define connector weigth/thickness. (default: 3). ( column name modification not allowed )

5. pattern Define connector line pattern. (default: 1). ( column name modification not allowed )

6. include Define to display only selected cable connectivities.

   • Non blank values will be selected and appeared in output.

   • This will get override by other sheet filters if defined.

   • Use this quick feature, if want to to have just one filter applied on data

   • A single Page drawing will appear

   • use filter_on_include_col input var argument for providing this additional information

     filter_on_include_col=True
     

7. There can be many other filter columns with any arbitrary names as per choice.

   • column name with each matching row values will be considered as a filter, so multiple filters can be defined in a single column. ( see column: draw_type in given example data )

   • each filtered data will create its own page in visio drawing.

   • Multipls columns with multiple matching row values can be combined to generate more granular drawings.

   • Output will be multipage output.

   • use sheet_filters input var argument in a form of dictionary for providing this additional information

     sheet_filters = {
       ## key = column header:
       ## value(s) = can be either single string or tuple of multiple strings.
       'draw_type': ('core', 'access',),
       # Add more as desired ....
     }
     

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• By default, any device with no connectivity on Cablings tab, will be excluded.

• Change this behaviour by setting False to input var argument filter_on_cable.

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3.3.3. sample excel database

Sample. Sample Excel file with Devices and Cablings tabs prefilled.