Building on recent updates to the look and feel of the Mako Central Management System (CMS), the release on June 21, 2021, will introduce a new way to search for, view and manage Mako devices grouped by physical location (site).
This Site View enhancement adds a more intuitive path to your Mako devices that is neither as broad as a company view nor as narrow as a device view without eliminating either of those familiar paths. You will still be able to use the old search methods, if you prefer to view your Mako device lists as they appear now.
The new features should be especially useful for customers with multiple types of Mako devices at their sites (e.g., a security gateway and a managed switch).
Please read the FAQ below to familiarize yourself with these upcoming changes.
What is a Site?
A Site belongs to a specific Company and represents a single physical location where at least one Mako device is in service or will be deployed. This provides an easier way to view and manage multiple Mako devices at a single location.
What changes will I see in the Mako CMS on launch day?
New Verbiage
You will see new verbiage throughout the Mako CMS. In addition to introducing Sites as a way to group Mako devices for a company, we are updating and standardizing the language we use to describe Mako devices for consistency and clarity. Most notably, we now prefer to call our standard Mako device a “security gateway” as opposed to the more limited “router” or more general “network appliance.”
Header Features
The Mako CMS header now incorporates Site Names in addition to Company Names and Mako Names. The History panel includes recently selected Sites, and there is a new icon button that opens a Site Links panel that lists all Mako devices at the selected Site.
Structure and Navigation
The left navigation menu has been revised to reflect the updated structure of the Mako CMS.
- A new Search section provides links to several search features throughout the Mako CMS.
- A new Sites section is where you can view and manage your Sites.
- The Selection section has been replaced by a new Mako Devices section for selecting or adding Mako devices.
- The menu options for a selected Mako device are now visually separated from other menu options.
- The Companies and Users sections have been promoted to the top level of the menu, eliminating the Management section that used to contain them.
Quick Links
The Home page now includes links to view and manage Sites, as does the Company Home page.
Data Conversion and Restrictions
All of your existing Mako device profiles have been migrated to automatically generated Sites. Any new Mako devices you add must belong to a new or existing Site.
How were my initial Sites generated?
To automatically generate Sites for existing Mako Devices, we first identified groups of 2-4 Mako Devices within a Company that share either the same address data or the same numerical ID value (any number with 5+ digits) in the Mako Device Name or related Metadata, with preference given to matching IDs over addresses. Then we added a new Site for each group and assigned the group’s Mako Devices to the Site.
Next, we added a new Site for each individual Mako Device in the Company that was not assigned to a Site in the previous step and assigned each of these Mako Devices to its new Site.
For all automatically generated Sites, we used the shortest (or only) related Mako Device Name as the Site Name.
In the event that your automatically generated Sites are not correct, all of your Mako devices will continue to operate normally without interruption. You can edit these Sites yourself or contact Mako Support for help.
Do all of my Mako devices need to belong to Sites?
Yes. All of your existing Mako device profiles have been migrated to automatically generated Sites. Any new Mako devices you add must belong to a new or existing Site. A new Site can be created while adding a new Mako device.
How do I view and manage my Sites?
There is a new Sites section in the Mako CMS for viewing and managing Sites. Use new links in the header, left navigation, and home page to access the Sites section. There you can add new Sites and edit or delete existing Sites. A new Site can also be created while adding a new Mako device.
Who has access to my Sites and how do I control user access to my Sites?
Sites that were created automatically for existing Mako devices will be visible to all Users who have access to any Mako device at that Site. As new Sites are added, the related Company and Mako device access rules will determine which Users can see each Site.
How do I add a Mako device to a Site?
When adding a new Mako device, you can assign it to either a new or existing Site. There is an Add New Mako Device page in the Mako Devices section, or you have the option of adding a new Mako device when adding a Company. To add an existing Mako device to the Site, move the Mako device profile from one Site to another Site.
How do I move a Mako device from one Site to another Site?
After selecting the Mako device to move, navigate to Configure >> Deployment >> Move Mako Device. There you can specify the appropriate destination Company and Site values and initiate the move operation.
How do I delete a Mako device from a Site?
A Mako device must always be associated with a Site, so either move the Mako device profile from one Site to another Site or delete the Mako device profile from the Mako CMS.
How do I move a Site from one Company to another Company?
After selecting the Site to move, navigate to Sites >> Manage Site >> Move Site. This functions similarly to the old process of moving a Mako device from one Company to another Company. The Site and its Mako devices will not automatically inherit the new Company’s properties. You will need to update those properties as you currently do when moving Mako devices from one Company to another Company.