Connection Map¶
The Connection Map provides an interactive visualization of your infrastructure network topology. Assets appear as nodes and connections as edges, showing how data flows at the infrastructure level. Use it to explore dependencies, trace connection paths, and export diagrams for architecture documentation.
Where to find it¶
Navigate to IT Landscape > Connection Map to open the visualization.
Permissions: You need at least applications:reader to view the map.
Understanding the visualization¶
The map uses a force-directed graph layout where: - Nodes represent servers, clusters, or logical entities - Edges represent connections between infrastructure components - Colors indicate hosting type (on-premises, cloud) or node kind - Role-based placement (enabled by default) guides nodes into top-to-bottom bands based on role tiers
Node types¶
| Type | Shape | Border color | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Servers | Rounded rectangle | Green (on-prem) or blue (cloud) | Individual infrastructure instances (VMs, containers, etc.) |
| Clusters | Rounded rectangle, dashed border | Cyan | Groups of servers acting as a single logical unit |
| Entities | Pill / stadium shape | Orange | Logical endpoints (external systems, SaaS services) |
Cluster members appear as separate nodes with dashed lines connecting them to their parent cluster node.
Filters¶
Lifecycle¶
Multi-select filter for connection lifecycle status. Choose which statuses to include in the visualization (e.g., Active, Planned, Deprecated). Defaults to Active only.
Applications¶
Find servers by the applications that run on them: 1. Select one or more applications from the Applications dropdown 2. Select environments in the App Env dropdown (shows only environments where selected apps have assigned servers) 3. The matching servers are automatically added to the Servers filter
This is useful when you want to see the infrastructure connections for a specific application without knowing which servers it runs on.
Servers¶
Directly select servers, clusters, or entities to focus on: 1. Click the Servers dropdown 2. Select items (grouped by type: Entities, Clusters, Servers) 3. Use the Depth filter to control how many hops to show
When you select items here, a "+N more" chip appears if many are selected. Click it to see and manage the full list.
Depth¶
Limit how many "hops" from selected servers to display: - All: Show all connections (no depth filtering) - 0: Show only selected servers, their parent clusters, and directly adjacent entities - 1--5: Show servers within N hops of selected servers
Depth is automatically set to 0 when you select servers via the Applications or Servers filters.
Display options¶
Show multi-server connections¶
Toggle visibility of multi-server connections (connections involving more than two servers in a mesh topology). Enabled by default.
Show connection layers¶
When enabled (default), displays individual connection legs as separate edges. This shows how a multi-leg connection routes through intermediate points. When disabled, connections are shown as simple source-to-destination edges.
Role-based placement¶
When enabled (default), the map keeps its force layout but adds vertical tier guidance:
- Top / Upper / Center / Lower / Bottom bands
- Servers use the role assignments configured in IT Landscape settings
- Entities use their configured Graph Tier (default is Top)
- Unassigned servers fall back to Center
- Clusters inherit the highest-priority tier from their members
Use this toggle when you want a topology view that reads like architecture tiers (edge-facing components at top, data stores lower).
This toggle is session-only and resets when you reload the page.
Graph controls¶
The control panel on the left side of the map provides these tools:
| Control | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pause / Play | Freeze / Unfreeze | Pause the force simulation to manually position nodes |
| Crosshair | Auto-center | Toggle automatic centering when selecting nodes (blue = enabled) |
| Zoom + | Zoom in | Increase zoom level |
| Zoom - | Zoom out | Decrease zoom level |
| Grid | Snap to grid | Align all nodes to a grid for cleaner layouts |
| SVG | Export SVG | Download the current view as a vector image |
| PNG | Export PNG | Download the current view as a raster image |
You can also zoom with the mouse wheel and pan by clicking and dragging the background.
Interacting with the map¶
Selecting nodes¶
Click a server or cluster node to: - Highlight its connections - Open a detail panel with: - Server type: Kind of server (Web, Database, Application, etc.) - Server location: Physical or cloud location code - Operating system: OS details - Network segment: Network zone - IP address: Network address - Assigned applications: Apps running on this server, grouped by environment (clickable) - Edit server or View cluster button to open the workspace
Click an entity node to see its type and environment.
Selecting edges¶
Click a connection edge to: - See connection details: - Purpose: What the connection is used for - Protocols: Network protocols used - Typical ports: Expected port numbers - Criticality: Business importance - Topology: Server-to-server or multi-server - Edit connection button to open the connection workspace - Linked interfaces section showing which application interfaces use this connection - Click Open interface to view the interface - Click View in Interface Map to see the interface in context
Dragging nodes¶
Drag any node to reposition it. While the simulation is running, the layout will adjust around the moved node. When the simulation is frozen, dragging moves the node freely without affecting others.
Deep linking¶
The map supports URL parameters for sharing specific views:
| Parameter | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
lifecycles |
Pre-select lifecycle filters (comma-separated) | active,planned |
focusConnectionId |
Highlight a specific connection | UUID |
rootIds |
Pre-select servers to focus on (comma-separated) | UUIDs |
depth |
Set the depth limit | 0, 1, all |
Example: /it/connection-map?lifecycles=active&rootIds=abc123&depth=1
Cluster visualization¶
Clusters are shown as distinct nodes with a dashed cyan border: - Cluster members appear as separate nodes, connected to their parent cluster by dashed indicator lines - When filtering by depth=0, both the selected member servers and their parent clusters are shown - Member servers inherit the cluster's connections while maintaining their individual server-to-server connections
Configure graph tiers¶
You can control where nodes tend to appear vertically by editing tiers in IT Landscape > Settings:
- Server Roles list: set Graph Tier for each role (e.g., Web = Top, DB = Bottom)
- Entities list: set Graph Tier for each entity type (entities default to Top)
Tier changes take effect the next time the map data is loaded.
Tips¶
- Start from applications: Use the Applications filter to find servers for a specific application, then explore their connections with depth=1.
- Use depth=0 for focused views: When you only want to see connections between specific servers, select them and set depth to 0.
- Export for architecture docs: Use the SVG export to create network diagrams for documentation or security reviews. PNG export produces a high-DPI raster image.
- Enable layers for troubleshooting: Turn on "Show connection layers" to see exactly how multi-leg connections route through your infrastructure.
- Use role tiers for architecture views: Keep "Role-based placement" on when presenting layered architecture diagrams.
- Cross-reference with Interface Map: Use the "View in Interface Map" button in the connection panel to see which business interfaces depend on each infrastructure connection.
- Snap for clarity: After positioning nodes, use Snap to Grid for cleaner, more aligned layouts.
- Freeze before exporting: Freeze the layout and position nodes manually before exporting for the cleanest output.