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Topology Custom View in ObserveOps

The Custom tab in ObserveOps lets you build a personalized topology canvas starting from any monitored device you choose. You pick a root monitor, ObserveOps builds the topology from that device outward, and the view is saved in the sidebar so you can return to it anytime. Every node reflects its live health state each time you open the view.

Custom tab showing the sidebar with saved views and a canvas with connected devices

Prerequisites​

  • You must hold the Admin or Operator role to create or edit Custom Views.
  • The device you want to use as a root monitor must already be monitored in ObserveOps.

How Custom View Works​

When you create a Custom View, you select one device as the root monitor. ObserveOps builds the topology map outward from that device, showing all the devices connected to it through discovery protocols. The view is saved in the Custom Views sidebar panel under the name of the root monitor. When you reopen the view, ObserveOps loads the layout and overlays current health data from the monitoring engine on top. The health status updates in real time.

This means a node that was green when you first created the view may be red when you reopen it — because the health reflects what is happening now, not when the view was saved.

The Custom Views Sidebar​

The left panel shows all your saved views. Click any view name to load it on the canvas. Hover over a view name to reveal the Delete icon.

The + button at the top of the sidebar opens the Create Custom View panel.

Creating a Custom View​

Step 1: Open the Create Custom View Panel​

  1. Go to Topology from the main navigation menu.
  2. Select the Custom tab.
  3. Click the + button at the top of the Custom Views sidebar.

Create Custom View panel showing the Root Monitor dropdown

Step 2: Select a Root Monitor​

  1. Click the Root Monitor dropdown and select the device you want to use as the starting point for the topology.
  2. Click Create to confirm.

ObserveOps creates the view and opens the topology canvas built from that root monitor outward.

Step 3: Arrange the Layout​

Click and drag any node to position it where you want on the canvas. Arrange nodes to reflect the relationships or groupings that are meaningful to your team.

Use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out. Click and drag on an empty canvas area to pan the view.

Step 4: Save the Layout​

After arranging the nodes, click Save in the toolbar. ObserveOps saves the current node positions, zoom level, and pan position.

note

If you close the browser or navigate away before clicking Save, your node positions are not saved. Always wait for the save confirmation before leaving the page.

Canvas Toolbar​

The toolbar appears above the canvas when a Custom View is loaded.

ButtonWhat It Does
Full ViewSwitches to a force-directed layout where nodes arrange themselves based on their connections
Tree ViewSwitches to a hierarchical tree layout showing parent-child relationships
Toggle FullscreenExpands the canvas to fill the entire browser window
Export As XMLDownloads the current view as an XML file

Canvas with Nodes​

Canvas showing connected devices with health status colors

Node Health States​

Every node in a Custom View reflects its current health state with a color and icon:

ColorStateWhat It Means
GreenClearAll monitors for this device are healthy
RedCriticalOne or more critical monitors have failed
OrangeWarningAt least one monitor is in a warning state
Gray / UnknownUnknownStatus data is not currently available

Deleting a Custom View​

  1. Open the Custom tab.
  2. Hover over the view name in the sidebar.
  3. Click the Delete icon that appears next to the view name.
  4. Confirm the deletion in the dialog.

Sidebar showing the Delete icon appearing on hover next to a saved view name

note

Deleting a Custom View is permanent. ObserveOps does not retain deleted views.

Troubleshooting​

A node I added is missing from the canvas when I reopen the view

Cause: The monitor for that device may have been deleted or the device was removed from ObserveOps between sessions.

Fix: Go to the relevant monitoring module and confirm the monitor still exists and is active. Return to the Custom View and create a new view if the monitor exists again.

Node positions reset every time I open the Custom View

Cause: The layout did not save correctly, usually because the browser was closed before the save confirmation appeared.

Fix: Open the Custom View, re-arrange the nodes where you want them, and click Save. Wait until the confirmation appears before closing the browser or navigating away.

The Custom tab is not visible on the Topology page

Cause: Your user role may not include permission to access Topology or Custom Views.

Fix: Ask your ObserveOps administrator to review your role permissions. The Admin and Operator roles include full access to Custom View. Read-only roles may not.

A node shows the wrong health status

Cause: The health status in Custom View comes from the same monitoring engine as the rest of ObserveOps. A delayed metric collection cycle can cause a temporary mismatch.

Fix: Refresh the Topology page to force a status update. If the status is still wrong, open the monitor detail page for that device to check the current state directly.