Bulk Site Creation with Nebula Control Center

Zyxel_Claudia

In large-scale projects, creating numerous sites and assigning devices to these sites within an organization can be a significant challenge. To address this, Zyxel Networks has introduced a new feature in Nebula 18.10 that simplifies the process: Bulk Site Creation.

The Bulk Site Creation feature in NCC streamlines this task by allowing administrators to create multiple sites and assign devices efficiently using an Excel template.

Accessing Bulk Site Creation

1. Navigate to Site Management:
   • In your NCC dashboard, go to the "Site" dropdown menu.
   • Click on "Create Site" and select the "Multiple Sites" tab.
     
2. Download the Template:
   • In the "Multiple Sites" tab, you'll find a download link for an Excel template named "Sample Bulk Site Creator."
   • Download and open this template to begin configuring your new sites.

Configuring the Excel Template

The Excel template includes several columns that you need to fill out:

• Site Name (Mandatory): Each unique name in this column will create a new site with that name in NCC.
• MAC Address (Optional): Input the MAC address of devices to be added to the site.
• Serial Number (Optional): Input the serial number of devices.
• Device Name (Optional): Specify a name for each device, which will appear in the License & Inventory page.
  

Uploading and Executing the Template

Once you have completed the template:

1. Upload the Template:
   • Go back to the "Multiple Sites" tab in NCC.
   • Upload your filled-out Excel template.
2. Configure Settings:
   • Choose whether to use the default configuration, clone from an existing site, or bind to a template for the new sites.
   • Set the local time zone for the new sites.
3. Execute Creation:
   • Click on the "Execute" button to initiate the site creation process.
   • Review the summary to ensure all sites and devices are correctly listed.

Error Handling

To ensure smooth operation, the Bulk Site Creation feature includes robust error handling in two stages:

1. Initial Content Check:
   • The system checks the Excel document for formatting issues, such as duplicate MAC addresses, unsupported characters, or invalid formats (e.g., non-hexadecimal characters in MAC addresses).
   • Any errors will be displayed on the NCC screen for correction.
2. Execution Check:
   • After clicking "Execute," the system verifies if the devices can be added to the specified sites.
   • For example, if a device is already registered in another organization, an error message will appear, prompting further action.

Benefits

The Bulk Site Creation feature offers several advantages:

• Efficiency: Quickly create multiple sites and assign devices, saving significant time and effort.
• Accuracy: Reduce the risk of manual errors with automated checks and error handling.
• Flexibility: Customize configurations and apply templates to new sites seamlessly.

By leveraging the Bulk Site Creation feature in Nebula 18.10, organizations can effectively manage large-scale projects with ease, ensuring that all sites and devices are set up correctly and efficiently from the start.