Cisco Meraki Connector

This connector imports hosts from Cisco Meraki into Alvao as objects, and creates a related ticket in Alvao whenever an event is detected in Meraki.

The connector periodically (every hour) reads the information in Meraki and updates the corresponding objects representing the devices in Alvao.

When the import is running for the first time, Alvao objects are paired with Meraki devices by the BIOS serial number or Mac address object property.

If no Alvao object is found for a given Mac address, or serial number respectively, a new Alvao object is created in the Imported objects folder in the object tree. Alvao automatically chooses the best-fitting object type for the new object. Check the content of the folder regularly. If necessary, change the type of newly created objects, and move the objects to appropriate places in the object tree.

For all objects paired with a device in Meraki, the connector sets the Cisco Meraki device ID object property.

The Cisco Meraki Last check-in property indicates the exact date and time when the device was most recently seen online.

The connector can update the following object properties:

• Hostname
• Operating system
• Model
• Serial number
• Mac adresses
• Manufacturer
• Cisco Meraki Device ID
• Cisco Meraki Last check-in

The properties are automatically added to the mentioned object types on the initial run of the connector. If you plan to use some other object types with this connector, add these properties to them manually.

Requirements

• ALVAO Asset Management or ALVAO Service Desk and ALVAO Monitoring Connectors module
• Cisco Meraki

Importing assets from Cisco Meraki to Alvao

To use this feature, you need the ALVAO Asset Management Monitoring Connector.

Getting the Cisco Meraki token

1. In the Cisco Meraki dashboard click on the Organization menu and go to the API & Webhooks page.
2. Go to the Tab API keys and access tab.
3. Click on Generate API Key and copy the key to clipboard.

Setting up Alvao

1. Go to Administration – Applications and select the Cisco Meraki Connector application.

   Manual download: CiscoMerakiConnector.xml

2. Configure the following application settings:

   • CiscoMeraki.Token – enter the key token created in previous steps.

3. Enable the application using the Enable command.

4. In one hour, new objects representing Meraki hosts will be created in the Imported objects folder on the Objects page.

Setting up Alvao

1. Go to Administration – Settings – Advanced settings and create New setting – select name CiscoMeraki.WebhookSharedSecret and as the value enter the Shared secret from the Webhook.

2. Create a new Service for the ticket creation (fill the Name and Description fields).

3. Create an application account, set its password and assign it the main solver and requester role of the previously created service and permission to read objects in Asset Management.

Setting up Cisco Meraki

1. In the Cisco Meraki dashboard click on the Organization menu and go to the API & Webhooks page.
2. Go to tab Webhooks and within it go to the Templates tab.
3. Click the Create template and fill the form it as follows:

   • Template name - Alvao

   • Liquid body:

     {
     "version": "0.1",
     "sharedSecret": "{{sharedSecret}}",
     "sentAt": "{{sentAt}}",
     "organizationId": "{{organizationId}}",
     "organizationName": "{{organizationName}}",
     "organizationUrl": "{{organizationUrl}}",
     "networkId": "{{networkId}}",
     "networkName": "{{networkName}}",
     "networkUrl": "{{networkUrl}}",
     "networkTags": {{ networkTags | jsonify }},
     "deviceSerial": "{{deviceSerial}}",
     "deviceMac": "{{deviceMac}}",
     "deviceName": "{{deviceName}}",
     "deviceUrl": "{{deviceUrl}}",
     "deviceTags": {{ deviceTags | jsonify }},
     "deviceModel": "{{deviceModel}}",
     "alertId": "{{alertId}}",
     "alertType": "{{alertType}}",
     "alertTypeId": "{{alertTypeId}}",
     "alertLevel": "{{alertLevel}}",
     "occurredAt": "{{occurredAt}}",
     "alertData": {{ alertData | jsonify }},
     "alvaoServiceId": 123,
     "alvaoRequesterId": 123
     }

     • alvaoServiceId = ID of Alvao service, where ticket will be created. You can view it in the url of the Administration - Service Desk - Services - Service page of the particular service.
     • alvaoRequesterId = ID of ticket requester. You can view it in the url of the Administration - Users – User page of the particular user.

   • Click Save.

   • In the Webhooks tab go to tab Recievers.

   • Click Add receiver and fill it as follows:

     • Name - for example, Create ticket in Alvao
     • URL - enter the URL of the Alvao REST API, followed by the path /connectors/CiscoMerakiCallback, e.g.: https://contoso.onalvao.com/AlvaoRestApi/connectors/CiscoMerakiCallback.
     • Shared secret - create a secret code
     • Payload template - Alvao

   • Click Save.

   • Set created webhook as a receiver for desired alerts.