When managing devices in Auvik, it’s important to understand how different actions affect immediate removal and future discovery. This article explains how Delete and Exclude affect discovery and rediscovery behavior.
Deletion and rediscovery can also help when alerts reference interfaces or monitored objects that no longer exist after a device replacement or major reconfiguration. Because deletion removes historical information, use this process only after confirming that it is appropriate.
Understanding Device Actions
Delete
The Delete action removes a device from your inventory immediately.
Key characteristics:
- The device is removed from Auvik’s inventory and topology.
- Device data associated with the IP address is removed.
- The device is not blocked from future discovery.
- If discovery conditions remain unchanged, the device may be rediscovered automatically.
- Rediscovery creates a new device record; previous alert references and historical associations are not restored.
Exclude
The Exclude action prevents a device from being discovered in the future, but does not remove it immediately if it already exists in inventory.
Key characteristics:
- Applies to specific IP addresses or IP ranges.
- Prevents future discovery.
- Does not delete the device from inventory.
- Must be combined with Delete if immediate removal is required.
Blacklisting clarification
Auvik does not automatically blacklist devices when they are deleted.
This means:
- Deleting a device alone does not prevent it from returning.
- If the device remains within an actively scanned range, it may be rediscovered.
- Manual exclusion is required to prevent future discovery.
When deletion and rediscovery may help with stale alert information
Consider deletion and rediscovery when:
- Alerts reference interfaces that no longer exist.
- Alerts reference monitored objects removed during a device replacement or major reconfiguration.
- The device’s discovered identity, interfaces, or monitored services are no longer accurate after confirming that the device itself is still reachable.
- The device record needs to be rebuilt from current discovery data.
If only the device name, type, or management status is incorrect, edit the existing device first when possible. Deleting the device is more disruptive and may remove historical data, configuration backups, alert references, and other associations.
Before deleting a device
Before deleting:
- Confirm that you have selected the correct device and IP address.
- Save any documentation, configuration backups, tags, notes, or other information that your organization needs to retain.
- Record the device’s IP address, site, credentials, and expected device type.
- Check whether the device is approved for TrafficInsights or another service that may be affected by deletion.
- Confirm that the current device is reachable and that the required SNMP, SSH, CLI, or WMI credentials are available.
- Confirm that the device’s subnet remains actively scanned.
Configuration backups and alert history may not be available after the device is deleted. If you do not have permission to export or preserve this information, contact the Auvik administrator for the site before proceeding.
Preventing a device from returning after deletion
To ensure a device does not reappear:
Step 1: Add an exclusion
- Navigate to Discovery > Manage Networks.
- Locate and select the network containing the device.
- Click Edit.
- Enable Exclude IP Address Range(s).
- Enter the specific IP address as a range, using the same address for the start and end of the range.
- Save the changes.
Excluding an address prevents Auvik from discovering required devices at that address. Confirm the exclusion scope before saving.
Step 2: Delete the device
- Navigate to Discovery > Manage Devices.
- Locate and select the device.
- Check the device.
- Click Delete.
- Confirm the deletion.
The device is removed immediately, and the exclusion prevents it from returning during future discovery cycles.
Rediscovering a device to refresh its information
If the goal is to rebuild the device record, do not exclude the device.
- Confirm that the current device is reachable from the Auvik collector.
- Confirm that the correct subnet is actively scanned.
- Verify that the required monitoring credentials are available and correctly scoped.
- Navigate to Discovery > Manage Devices and delete the obsolete device record.
- Allow the next discovery cycle to complete.
- If the device does not return, verify the subnet scan settings, reachability, and credential status.
Rediscovery creates a new device record. Previous alert references, alert history, and historical associations are not restored automatically.
Post-rediscovery checks
After the device is rediscovered:
- Confirm that the device name and device type are correct.
- Confirm that the expected interfaces and services are present.
- Verify that monitoring access and credentials are successful.
- Confirm that the device is managed if it should be actively monitored.
- Review alert definitions that reference the device, interface, or service.
- Reapply the device to alert scopes, tags, or dashboards if required.
- Confirm that new alerts reference the current device record.
Updating alert scopes or dashboards may require appropriate site or alert-management permissions.
Alternative option: Disable active scanning
If the device should not be rediscovered:
- Navigate to Discovery > Manage Networks.
- Locate and select the network or subnet.
- Click Don’t Scan.
Devices already discovered may continue to be monitored even after active scanning is disabled. Use Exclude and Delete when the device must be removed and prevented from returning.
Summary
| Action | Removes device immediately | Prevents rediscovery |
|---|---|---|
| Delete | Yes | No |
| Exclude | No | Yes, after deletion |
| Delete and Exclude | Yes | Yes |
- Use Delete to remove an obsolete device record.
- Use Exclude to prevent future discovery.
- Use deletion and rediscovery cautiously because the new record will not inherit the old record’s alert history or associations.
- If only the device name, type, or management state is incorrect, edit or unmanage the device instead of deleting it.