Hierarchy Visualizer

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Source Code

You can find the full source code and documentation for this workflow on GitHub: Hierarchy Visualizer

This workflow reports the Hierarchy in Central, which defines a vertical, parent-child structure used for configuration and scope-based operations. The hierarchy follows the same scope model in Central.

Using APIs, the workflow retrieves hierarchy relationships and required configuration attributes (such as scope_id and persona) and renders them in both tabular and visual formats.

Outputs

• A terminal table for quick inspection
• A CSV file for offline analysis and reporting
• Hierarchy diagrams (static PNG + interactive HTML) for visual inspection of the network structure

An example hierarchy diagram generated by the script is shown below:

The generated diagram represents the following scopes within the Central Hierarchy:

• Global
• Site Collections
• Sites
• Devices (associated with Sites)

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Note

The diagrams do not include Device Groups and does not include devices in Central but are not associated with a site.

The diagram is intended as a quick validation tool, useful after deployments or configuration changes, to visually confirm that hierarchy is structured as expected.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher
• API credentials for HPE Aruba Networking Central (JSON or YAML format)
• There should be atleast 1 site created in the account to get new Central configuration attributes

Installation

Set up a Python virtual environment, activate it, and install dependencies from requirements.txt.

1. Clone the repository and navigate to this workflow folder

git clone -b "v2(pre-release)" https://github.com/aruba/central-python-workflows.git
cd central-python-workflows/hierarchy-visualizer

2. Create and activate a virtual environment, then install dependencies

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows use: venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

This workflow is tested on the pycentral SDK (version: 2.0a13). Please check compatibility before executing on older/newer versions as there may be changes

3. Install GraphViz (for diagram generation):

The script generates diagrams which requires GraphViz:

• macOS (using Homebrew):

brew install graphviz

• Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt-get install graphviz

• Windows: Download and install from graphviz.org

Configuration

For API operations in new Central:

new_central:
    cluster_name: <cluster-name>  # or base_url: <central-api-base-url>
    client_id: <new-central-client-id>
    client_secret: <new-central-client-secret>

Sample Input: See account_credentials.yaml in this repository for an example credential file.

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Important Links

• Central API Gateway Base URLs
• How to get API Credentials for Central

Execution

Describe how to run the workflow. Include command-line examples or API usage.

python hierarchy_visualizer.py -c account_credentials.yaml

Command Line Options

Output

The script generates configuration hierarchy information and saves all outputs to a timestamped directory in the format results_YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS/. This ensures that each run has its own isolated output folder, preventing file overwrites.

Output Files

For each run, the following files are generated in the timestamped directory:

1. CSV Report (hierarchy_report.csv): Complete hierarchical data in CSV format. Each row in the output represents a scope component in your Central configuration hierarchy. The table contains the following columns:

   • Type: The hierarchical level - Global (top-level), Site Collection, Site, Device, or Device Group
   • Name: The display name of the scope element as it appears in Central
   • Scope-ID: The ID of the scope element. This is the unique identifier needed to identify the scope element for any new Central APIs.
   • Serial: Device serial number (only for Devices)
   • Device Function (Persona): Role of the device along with it's configuration persona in parentheses, which is needed for new Central APIs (only for Devices)

2. Static Diagram (hierarchy_diagram.png): GraphViz visualization of the hierarchy

3. Interactive Diagram (hierarchy_interactive.html): Pyvis web-based visualization with drag/pan/zoom capabilities

Workflow Execution Overview

Example Directory Structure

hierarchy-visualizer/
├── results_2026-02-02_10-30-45/
│   ├── hierarchy_report.csv
│   ├── hierarchy_diagram.png
│   └── hierarchy_interactive.html
├── results_2026-02-02_11-15-22/
│   ├── hierarchy_report.csv
│   ├── hierarchy_diagram.png
│   └── hierarchy_interactive.html
└── ...

Troubleshooting

• Ensure your credentials file is valid and in JSON or YAML format.
• Make sure all required dependencies are installed (pip install -r requirements.txt).
• If you encounter diagram generation errors, verify GraphViz is properly installed by reviewing the steps in Installation
• If you encounter other issues, please reach out to Aruba Automation

Support

• Automation Team: [email protected]
• Workflow Issues: GitHub Issues
• PyCentral Library: PyCentral Issues