SolarWinds Worldwide Map: How to Create a Network Global Site Map
To create a network global site map on SolarWinds worldwide map, you use the Network Atlas feature to build a map of your entire network infrastructure, then place it on the SolarWinds world map background. You add your sites as icons, connect them with links, and the map updates live with status and performance data from your monitored nodes.
What Is SolarWinds Network Atlas?
SolarWinds Network Atlas is a mapping tool that comes with the SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) and other Orion Platform products. It lets you create visual representations of your network, from a single rack to a global view. The worldwide map is one of the built-in map backgrounds, showing a world map with continents and oceans. You place your network sites on this background, and the map becomes a live dashboard showing the health and connectivity of your locations.
Why Use a Worldwide Map?
A worldwide map gives you an at-a-glance view of your entire network’s geography. Instead of scrolling through lists of devices, you see a visual representation of where your sites are and how they are performing. This is especially useful for:
- Identifying regional outages quickly
- Understanding WAN link status between sites
- Presenting network health to management or clients
- Planning capacity and expansion based on geographic patterns
The map is not just a static picture—it refreshes with real-time data from your SolarWinds polling engine, so a red icon means a device is down right now.
How to Create a Global Site Map: Step-by-Step
- Open Network Atlas: From the SolarWinds Orion web console, go to My Dashboards > Network Atlas, or click the Network Atlas icon in the toolbar.
- Create a new map: Click New Map and choose Blank Map or Map from Template. For a worldwide map, start with a blank map so you can select the world background.
- Set the background: In the map properties, go to Background and select World Map from the list of provided images. You can also upload your own image if you have a more detailed map.
- Add site icons: Drag and drop Container or Node objects from the palette onto the map. For each site, you can either place a container that represents the site (and later add devices inside it) or place individual nodes.
- Position icons geographically: Drag each icon to its approximate location on the world map. You can use the coordinates field to set precise latitude and longitude if you want accuracy.
- Add links: Use the Link tool to draw connections between sites. You can link containers or nodes, and the link will show the status of the underlying interface or WAN connection.
- Configure data binding: Right-click an icon and select Edit to bind it to a specific node, interface, or container from your SolarWinds database. This is what makes the map live.
- Save and share: Save the map, then add it to a dashboard or share the URL with your team. The map will refresh automatically.
Tips for a Clean and Useful Map
- Use containers for sites, then place individual devices inside the container. This keeps the global view uncluttered.
- Color-code your links (e.g., green for healthy, red for down) by setting the link status thresholds in the map properties.
- Group related sites by region using sub-maps. You can create a worldwide map that links to regional maps for more detail.
- Use the Auto-Layout feature to arrange icons neatly if you have many sites.
- Set the map to refresh every 60 seconds or as needed; you can adjust this in the map settings.
Common Problems and How to Fix Them
Map shows no data: This usually means the icons are not bound to any nodes. Right-click each icon and ensure it is linked to a valid SolarWinds object. Also check that your polling engine is running and has permissions to read the node data.
Icons are in the wrong place: If you are using coordinates, make sure you are entering latitude and longitude correctly (latitude first, then longitude). If you are dragging, the map background may not be to scale; you can adjust the background image alignment in the properties.
Links show as unknown: The link status depends on the interface you bind to the link. If you did not bind a specific interface, the link will not know the status. Edit the link and choose the appropriate interface from the dropdown.
Map is too slow to load: Large maps with hundreds of icons can slow down the web console. Try breaking the map into regional sub-maps and linking them together.
How to Choose Between a Worldwide Map and Other Views
A worldwide map is best when you have multiple sites across the globe and you need to see the big picture. If you have a single data center, a rack view or a floor plan might be more useful. If you have a few sites in one city, a city map or a simple logical diagram could suffice. The key is to match the map to your audience: executives like the world map, engineers prefer detailed logical views. You can have both—use the world map as a landing page and drill down into regional maps for troubleshooting.
Costs and Licensing Considerations
Network Atlas is included with SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor and most Orion Platform products, so there is no additional license fee for the basic mapping features. However, the number of nodes you can monitor is limited by your NPM license. If you have a large network, you may need to purchase additional node licenses. The worldwide map itself does not incur extra cost; it is a standard feature. Always check your specific SolarWinds edition, as some features may be reserved for higher tiers.
Alternatives to SolarWinds Worldwide Map
If you are not using SolarWinds, or if you want a simpler solution, there are alternatives:
- PRTG Network Monitor: Includes a map designer with a world map background, similar to Network Atlas.
- Nagios with NagVis: An open-source option that allows custom maps, including geographical ones, but requires more manual configuration.
- LibreNMS: Offers a world map view for devices with GPS coordinates, but it is less customizable than SolarWinds.
- Grafana with a world map panel: If you already use Grafana for dashboards, you can plot your network nodes on a world map using the Worldmap Panel plugin, pulling data from any source.
Each has its own strengths; SolarWinds is known for its ease of use and deep integration with its monitoring suite, while the alternatives may be cheaper or more flexible for custom integrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I import a custom map image instead of the built-in world map?
Yes, you can. In the map properties, under Background, choose “Custom Image� and upload your own image file (PNG, JPEG, etc.). This is useful if you need a specific region map or a stylized diagram.
How do I make the map update automatically?
By default, Network Atlas maps refresh every 60 seconds. You can change this in the map properties under “Refresh Interval.� Set it to a lower value for real-time monitoring, but be aware that very frequent refreshes can increase load on your server.
Can I show WAN link status on the worldwide map?
Yes. When you create a link between two sites, you can bind it to an interface (such as a WAN interface) and set thresholds for up/down status. The link will then display green, yellow, or red based on the interface status.
What if I have more than 100 sites? Will the map get cluttered?
It can. Best practice is to use containers for each region (e.g., “North America,� “Europe�) and place site containers inside them. You can also use sub-maps: create a worldwide map with regional containers, and each container can have a link to a more detailed map of that region.
Does the worldwide map work with SolarWinds SAM or other modules?
Yes, Network Atlas is part of the Orion Platform, so it can display objects from any module that integrates with Orion, such as Server & Application Monitor (SAM), Network Configuration Manager, and others. You can bind icons to servers, applications, and more, not just network nodes.
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