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Importing Mist APs

  • 1.  Importing Mist APs

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 05-26-2023 05:53
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    I have searched online on how to import Mist APs via a CSV file but found nothing, could someone provide a link to documentation on how this can be  achieved?



  • 2.  RE: Importing Mist APs

    Posted 05-27-2023 13:31
    Edited by Jodi Meier 10-10-2023 16:51

    There is no option for claiming AP's using a CSV file directly in the GUI.  Unless you have a file with a list of claim codes, then just cut copy and paste the codes…

    AP's can be claimed in bulk using an activation code from your sales order, one code will claim all devices (AP's, switch's, Edges, WAN edges) and activate your paid subscriptions with just one entry. Useful for anywhere from one to thousands of devices.

    Claim codes can be used to claim a device individually, multiple claim codes can be used at the same time to claim multiple devices. Useful for anywhere from one to dozens of devices.

    The QR code on an AP can be scanned and will claim the AP using the App. Useful for one at a time, especially during installation and mounting, take pictures, set height and orientation, name the AP and place it on the map. App instructions Mist AI Mobile App - Mist

    Everything can always be done via API calls.

    After the fact, all devices claimed can be exported to a CSV file by going to Organization -> Inventory and clicking on the download button in the upper right-hand corner.

    You probably read the doc, but for reference Claiming APs - Mist

    Hope this helps



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    Fred Glauser
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  • 3.  RE: Importing Mist APs

    Posted 05-28-2023 19:55

    Hi Fred, thank you for your reply. For a while there I thought I was being so clever using a bar code reader on the boxes of Mist APs to create a spread sheet with the same details as the export csv file. (Status,Name,MAC Address,Model,Site,Serial Number,SKU,Type) Now I find that this is a waste of time and even if I added the activation code into the spreadsheet somewhere, there is still no means to import these APs into the Mist website. Surely I am not the first person wanting to do a large import of APs into Mist in this way. As well I not sure what the advantage of claiming a 1000 APs is when I still have to go through and touch each and every one them, coping and pasting their names from a my spreadsheet on to the website. ( I did see how to use the subnet to assign APs to a site). Nonetheless, this doesn't sound like an efficient way to do a bulk in load of large number of APs, it sounds like the existing methodology is design for small business or for home use and not for bigger deployments. So until the option of claiming APs, using a CSV file, is created and it needs to be created, I will remain unimpressed with Mist Cloud website. In regards to API calls that can do everything, where do I find them, again am I the first person wanting to do a single touch bulk import of APs?



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    CHRIS DOOLAN
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  • 4.  RE: Importing Mist APs

    Posted 05-30-2023 19:06

    Chris,

    There is an Activation Code that gets created and sent to partners and customers when APs are purchased.   All APs on the P.O are tied to that Activation Code. The Activation code can be entered in the Mist Interface and will onboard all APs are part of that P.O. 
    This works for 1 to XXXX number of APs.   No need to create a CSV file to do this.   We have multiple ways to onboard APs because partners and customers have multiple use cases/processes for doing so.   Even if you use the Activation Code to onboard the APs you can still use the Mist AI app to deploy them by scanning the QR code. 
    Hope this helps with your use case.

    See this link for more detail: Claiming APs - Mist

    Mist remove preview
    Claiming APs - Mist
    How to claim APs to an organization? APs can be claimed to any organization by using either the activation code, claim code or QR code. Activation Code Whenever you order APs, our Sales Operations team will send you an activation code which can be used for claiming the APs and subscriptions as per the order.
    View this on Mist >


    Best Regards,
    -Mike





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    Mike Rydalch
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  • 5.  RE: Importing Mist APs

    Posted 05-31-2023 06:02

    Hi Mike, no it does not help with my case. My point is that even though there are multiple ways to onboard APs to suit the multiple use cases/processes customers have, there isn't a single touch method where the customer can upload a csv file with the Activation code, Name, MAC Address, Model, Site, Serial Number, SKU and Type. Where a customer can upload XXXX number of APs that have all the necessary information about them, so that when an AP connects, it knows what site it is in, what name it has and can acquires any other information it needs to start operating and without any further input. It just seems overly complicated going through the process of claiming, activating, working out AP naming formulas, matching those formulas with MAC addresses, and setting a site subnet association, when a csv file with all that information could be imported. Again, I am not the first one to have thought of this and probably not the only one wishing it existed when, for the first time, on boarding  APs in Mist.

    Thank you for your response, you have answered my question.



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    CHRIS DOOLAN
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  • 6.  RE: Importing Mist APs

    Posted 05-31-2023 07:05

    When you acquire the APs from Juniper, you get a list about the claim codes associated to serial numbers.  You can make CSV file from the list easily.
    Other method is to hire a staging company that collect all the information for you.



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    BALAZS KISS
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  • 7.  RE: Importing Mist APs

    Posted 05-31-2023 06:03

    Hi Chris,

    To follow up, I thought your original challenge was just claiming the AP's, as mentioned there are a number of easy ways to do this at scale, adding the activation code or claim codes gets the AP's imported to the Mist website.

    Reading between the lines it sounds like you are wanting to automate the naming of the AP's? Often people will simply use the App to name and assign the AP to each site when its being mounted to the ceiling. This has the benefit that the installer can grab any AP set it and name it accordingly without worrying about which MAC gets which name.

    There are a number of ways you can bulk rename the AP's AP Naming - Mist or you can go to the AP itself as you have mentioned and name them one by one.

    You can also name the AP based on the LLDP configuration of the switch port Auto-Provisioning - Mist in my opinion, I would spend more time configuring the switch instead of just renaming the AP.

    The API is as powerful as you can make it, using Python scripts and programing logic you can create a unique and custom name for everything. The API docs can be found by going to the upper right hand corner and clicking the question mark and then selecting the API Docs. Home | API | Mist direct link, but requires you to be logged in.

    There are some advanced examples at Mist Systems's Public Workspace | Postman API Network these are Runner Collections in postman, one that you might be interested in is update device(group) -> Device Naming where you can reference a csv file formatted as: device_name,mac_address perhaps something like this would allow you to use your spreadsheet with MAC/name combos if you decide to go that route.  I am bit out of my depth to help much further here though.

    Hope that clarifies a few things.



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    Fred Glauser
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  • 8.  RE: Importing Mist APs

    Posted 05-31-2023 19:09

    Guys, I am not trying to be argumentative, but you are missing my point. What I am trying to get across is that it is relatively easy for a less experience person to create a CSV file of XXXX amount of Mist APs. Then within that same spreadsheet to give each of those APs a site and a name. What is not simple, or simply does not exist, on the Mist website, is the ability to upload or import such a CSV file. Yes, I agree and recognise that the Mist website has many tools that can do many things, such as AP naming, Auto-Provisioning and API. Nonetheless, what the Mist website cannot do is import a CSV file with the Activation code, Name, MAC Address, Model, Site, Serial Number, SKU and Type for XXXX amount of APs. I believe creating such a CSV file is far easier than learning how to use APIs (Mist account required) or rapping one's head around the methodology for AP naming or Auto-Provisioning. The process I am advocating, is that a person receives XXXX amount of APs, creates a CSV file, adds the Activation codes, logs on to the Mist Website, imports the CSV file, labels and deploys the XXXX amount of APs, logs back into Mist site and confirms that all the APs are connected. With this process there is no need to become an expert in API and Postman, or understand how to create AP names using LLDP configuration of a switch-port, or investing time and effort working out how to use Mist's AP naming or Auto-Provisioning. My point is the process provided by the Mist website is inefficient, time consuming and unnecessarily complicated, when it is compared to being able to import a CSV file.  Once again, I cannot believe that I am the first person to point this out or requested this feature from Mist.  Thank you all for your responses.



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    CHRIS DOOLAN
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  • 9.  RE: Importing Mist APs

    Posted 10-10-2023 05:39

    Hi Fred,

    I also looking ways to import many APs to Mist portal.

    As you mention with Activate code that not help me to make it easy.

    I have more than 1000 AP in same organize, but I need to separate import ans assign to difference site. If I just use activate code to import one shot for all AP. After that it very complicate to find AP one by one to assign.

    If Juniper can provide other option to import multiple AP to Mist portal that can make customer easy and comfortable to work.

    Example use case that I hope Juniper will improve.

    I purchase 1000 AP in same order and have only one activate code, but I need to sepparate assign AP after import to Mist portal.

    I would like to grouping AP just in case by MAC address or S/N: and assign to site that have uniqe AP number
    Site A : AP S/N: 1 - 100

    Site B : AP S/N: 101 - 250

    Site C: AP S/N: 251 - 300

    Site D: AP S/N: 301 - 500

    Site E: AP S/N: 501 - 750

    Site F: AP S/N: 751 - 900

    Site G: AP S/N: 901 - 1000

    This is use case that I would like to know How to easy mange? And hope Juniper will have the option to do import with flexible condition with customer requirements.



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    VATCHARA MOKTHAISONG
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  • 10.  RE: Importing Mist APs

    Posted 10-10-2023 16:55

    Hi Vatchara,

    I am traveling, so I have limited ability to reply.  You can absolutely do what you are asking for using the API.  To make that even easier, one of our engineers has built a python library full of very useful scripts, that you can freely download and use.  There is a script inventory_assign.py that will allow you to assign claimed ap's using a CSV file to specific sites based on their MAC address, Serial Number or Claimcode, in the script there are examples of how to do exactly what you have described above.  A different script inventory_claim.py can streamline the initial onboarding as well.

    Mist-Lab Demo Apps - an example of other work he has done and under Python Library is a link to GitHub - tmunzer/mist_library: Python scripts demoing Mist APIs possibilities. Where you can find the python scripts as I have described.

    The power of Mist and the native API architecture is that you don't need to wait for the Mist team to add a feature to the GUI, they have impowered us to build anything in any way we want, granted a little python knowledge in this case is required. 

    You could also do exactly as described using the API call by hand:

    PUT /api/v1/orgs/:org_id/inventory   - substituting org_id for the actual value of your org.

    { "op": "assign", "site_id": " - place your site id here", "macs": [ "5c5b350exxxx"
    "mac add 2",
    "mac etc.."

    Or using serial numbers
    "serials": [ "FXLH20xxx", "serial 2, etc"
    ], "no_reassign": false, }

    The reassin option is if the device has already been assigned to a site versus just claimed. Similar functionality can be done with switches and sdwan devices.

    Hope that helps!



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    Fred Glauser
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  • 11.  RE: Importing Mist APs

    Posted 10-11-2023 10:05

    Thank you for the information reply to me, Fred.

    I not yet familiar with API and python. I will try and learn to do for this option.

    Do you have example use to guideline me to how to start to use?



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    VATCHARA MOKTHAISONG
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  • 12.  RE: Importing Mist APs

    Posted 10-11-2023 11:19

    Hi Fred,

    as you information that can do only in assign devices with S/N: or Mac address from list to the site after all devices already claim to the organize inventory.

    But I am looking for the option or method to add devices into the organization and site from multiple devices.

    Look like for the current, we still need to add devices by AP claim codes or Activate code.

    Then use script or API to assign again, right?

    If yes, this does not solve my question.

    Do you have other solution to suggest for "add the multiple devices to organize inventory"? or we still scan QR Code to claim devices.



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    VATCHARA MOKTHAISONG
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