Page Comparison

There are only two three Required fields on the Ports/Pins/Lens form, the 'Port/Pin/Len' field, the 'Status' field and the 'StatusSide' field.

Valid statuses that can be set are: 'Left In', 'Spare', 'Assigned', 'Reserved', 'PDPC', 'Pending Disconnect', 'Pending Connect', 'Bad', and 'Unknown'. More information about what the intended usage of the various statuses can be found on the PPL and Pair Status page.

...

This overriding behavior will carry through to the View Path Report and display the Port Alias there as well. In this example, the  button has been clicked and the resulting report is displaying the Port Alias of "Generic Alias" in the report.

Image Modified

Other Fields

...

1. Open the Equipment record that should have a Back Connection set up. In this example, a Switch with an Equipment ID of "Back Connection Test Switch One" is used. 
   Image RemovedImage Added
2. In the Destination Equipment picker the Patch Panel "Back Connection TwoTest Patch Panel One" is selected.
3. This makes the Destination Port/Pin/Len picker Required.
   Image RemovedImage Added
4. Click on the Destination Port/Pin/Len Picker and select a PPL.
   Image RemovedImage Added
   • A User could instead select the Destination Port/Pin/Len record and have the Destination Equipment picker automatically fill in.
     Image RemovedImage Added
5. Save the PPL record.
   Image RemovedImage Added
6. The Switch Back Connection "Test Switch One" will now reflect the Back Connection in the Ports/Pins/Lens tab of the saved PPL record. 
7. The Port/Pin/Len (PPL) records for both pieces of Equipment reflect the 'Back Connection'.
   • On the PPL tab of the Patch Panel Back Connection Two "Test Patch One" in the grid.
     Image RemovedImage Added
   • Also on the opened PPL record.
     Image RemovedImage Added

The two pieces of Equipment are now linked with a Back Connection.

...

Back Connects prevent deleting a PPL because both pieces of Equipment need that Back Connect reference. In order to Delete a PPL, clear the Back Connect Equipment from the PPL form for one of the two pieces of Equipment. This will remove the Back Connection, allow the User to delete the PPL, create a new one, and then apply the Back Connection to it instead. When you remove a back connect from one PPL it will remove the Back Connect from both PPLs.

Image RemovedImage Added

If there is a range of Back Connects to remove from a single piece of Equipment, it can be done using theImage Modifiedbutton on the PPL grid, found on the Manage Equipment Form. From the PPL Range Form, there is aImage Modifiedbutton.

Image RemovedImage Added

Path Leg Usage

Linking Equipment with a Back Connection will only store on the relevant Equipment records and serves as a method to track the two link pieces of Equipment together. However, Path Legs can be easily generated to include these two pieces of Equipment in a Path. This can be done from the Service Desk or the Cable Paths form. If a User attempts to select a piece of Equipment with this Back Connect set up, the other piece of Equipment will automatically pull into the relevant fields of the Ports/Pins/Lens form.

...

1. Begin a new Path.
   • Either by clicking the  button on the Service Desk > Cable tab.
   • Or by clicking the Image Modified button on the Cable Paths form.
2. Both methods will open the 'Add New Path Legs' form.
   Image Modified
3. In the 'Origination Equipment' Picker select the Switch "Test Switch Back Connection One":
   Image RemovedImage Added
   
   • Note that since an Origination PPL is not yet selected only the fields relevant to the Origination Equipment are filled in.
4. Now in the Origination Port/Pin/Len picker select the Port 'A-011' which was set as a Back Connected piece of Equipment previously.
5.  Image RemovedImage Added
   • Note that the entire set of fields for the Destination autofill with the data for Patch Panel Back Connection Two "Test Patch Panel One" because of the Back Connection.
   • At this point if a User wants to edit data in the Destination, that data could be edited to create a different Path Leg. There is no enforced link between the Back Connected Equipment and what exists on the Path Leg. The autofill is for convenience only.
6. Click the Image Modified button to save this Path Leg.
   Image RemovedImage Added
7. For this example, a Jack is also selected for Path Leg 200.
   Image RemovedImage Added
8. Close the Add New Path Legs form.
   • From the Service Desk > Cable tab click the  button to see the View Path report.
   • From the Cable Paths form click the  button to see the View Path report.

The View Path should look something like this:
Image RemovedImage Added

Back Connect Path Leg Deletion

...

1. Select Path Leg #100 and click the Delete Selected button.
   Image RemovedImage Added
2. Click the  button to see the Path Leg 200.
   Image RemovedImage Added
3. In the View Path report the Patch Panel Back Connection Two "Test Patch Panel One" is still the first part of the Cable Path.
   Image RemovedImage Added
   
   • Note that even though the Patch Panel is Back Connected to the Switch Back Connection "Test Switch One" that connection does NOT show in the Path Leg, unless it is specifically selected as in the previous example.
4. With the Path Leg still deleted the User can confirm the Equipment records still have their respective Back Connect pickers having set values.
   Image RemovedImage Added

Back Connect Ranges

...