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Cisco Meraki

Configuration Guide
Integration to Specific Applications

Cisco Meraki

xAssets includes a built-in integration with the Cisco Meraki cloud-managed networking platform. It imports Meraki-managed devices, Systems Manager clients, and the software running on them into xAssets as asset records, giving you visibility of Meraki-managed infrastructure alongside your other IT assets.

What the Integration Provides

The Meraki integration pulls data from the Meraki Dashboard API in two passes: first a preparation step that discovers the organisations and networks your API key can see, and then an integration step that imports devices from one or more of those networks.

Data Type Examples
Organisations and networks Populated by the preparation step — lets you choose which networks to import
Network devices Access points, switches, security appliances, cameras, from each selected network
Device details Serial number, MAC and Wi-Fi MAC, model, firmware, LAN IP, public IP, last user
Systems Manager clients Managed computers, phones and tablets on Meraki Systems Manager networks
SM user records and software For Systems Manager networks only — user attribution and installed-software inventory

The integration covers one organisation per credential pack, with automatic pagination for large networks.

Limitations

  • Device inventory beyond networking hardware — only devices visible in the Meraki Dashboard are imported. Pure on-premise devices not managed by Meraki need to come in via Network Discovery or one of the other integrations.
  • Software inventory is only retrieved for networks that have Systems Manager enabled. For pure networking-only organisations there is no software to import.
  • BIOS, memory slot detail, and Windows-level inventory is not available from the Meraki API. Combine with xAssets Network Discovery or the Discovery Agent if you need this detail.

Prerequisites

  • A Cisco Meraki Dashboard account with Dashboard API access enabled
  • A Meraki API key generated from a Dashboard Administrator account
  • Access to xAssets with permission to create credential packs
  • The xAssets Batch Service must be running (the integration runs as a batch job)
  • Outbound HTTPS access from the xAssets server to api.meraki.com

Setup

Step 1: Enable the Meraki Dashboard API

  1. Sign in to the Meraki Dashboard at dashboard.meraki.com
  2. Navigate to Organization > Settings > Dashboard API access and enable the API
  3. Click your profile name in the top-right corner and open My Profile
  4. Under API access, click Generate new API key
  5. Copy the API key immediately — it is only shown once

Warning: Treat the Meraki API key as a credential. It inherits the same permissions as the Dashboard Administrator account that generated it, so anyone holding it can read (or in some cases modify) your Meraki data. Store it securely and do not share it over unencrypted channels.

Step 2: Create a Credential Pack in xAssets

  1. Navigate to Discover > Prepare > Credentials
  2. Click New
  3. Configure the credential pack:
Field Value
Credential Type Named Credentials
Collection Server Application Server
Pack Name Meraki
Domain Name Leave blank (or enter .) — xAssets will use the default https://api.meraki.com/api/v1 endpoint. Only set a specific network URL here if you are running the integration against a single hard-coded network.
Username Any non-empty value (e.g. Meraki) — the form requires a value but the integration does not use this field.
Password Your Meraki API key
  1. Click OK to save the credential pack

Note: The integration reads only the API key (Password) and, in single-network mode, the Domain Name. The Username field exists because the credential pack form requires it, but the Meraki integration does not consume its contents.

Step 3: Prepare the Integration

The preparation step enumerates the organisations and networks visible to your API key, so the main integration can offer them as selectable options.

  1. Navigate to Admin > Transformations
  2. Find and queue the transformation called Meraki - Prepare Integration
  3. When prompted, enter the name of the credential pack you created (Meraki)
  4. Wait for the job to complete. It populates the MerakiOrganizations and MerakiNetworks staging tables — expect this to take a few seconds to a few minutes depending on the size of your Meraki estate.

You only need to re-run Preparation if your Meraki estate changes — new networks, new organisations, or a new API key.

Step 4: Run the Integration

  1. Navigate to Discover > Integrations
  2. Select Meraki Integration by clicking its row
  3. Click Queue at the top of the screen (or click the Start icon in the row to run immediately)
  4. You will be prompted to pick one or more networks from the list populated in Step 3. Select the networks you want to import, then confirm.
  5. The integration runs as a batch job. Status messages will show:
    • "Getting data from Meraki" — fetching assets, users and software from each selected network
    • "Transferring Meraki data" — staging into the Discovery Load tables
    • "Loading Meraki holding area" — creating and updating asset records
    • "Meraki Synchronise Completed. X asset records loaded." — finished

Tip: The integration's Setup dialog (pencil icon on the row) lets you enable or disable the integration, set a schedule, or edit the credential pack it uses without leaving the Integrations list.

Step 5: Verify the Results

After the integration completes:

  1. Open the Asset List and filter by Source = Meraki to see imported assets
  2. Open an individual asset to verify:
    • Computer Name, Serial Number, Model, Firmware
    • Network addresses — both LAN IP and public IP, plus the Wi-Fi MAC where applicable
    • For Systems Manager managed devices, the Custodian and the Software tab

Scheduling

To keep Meraki data current, schedule the Meraki Integration transform to run automatically. A daily sync is typical for most organisations; if you have fast-changing networks, run it more frequently. Preparation (Step 3) does not need to be scheduled — re-run it manually whenever your Meraki orgs or networks change.

See Schedules for details on configuring batch job schedules.

Tips

Tip: If you manage multiple Meraki organisations (e.g. for different subsidiaries or clients), create a separate credential pack per organisation with its own API key, then clone the Meraki Integration transform so each clone reads its own pack.

Tip: Combine Meraki with xAssets SNMP discovery for richer data. The Meraki integration imports what the Cloud Dashboard knows about each device, while SNMP discovery can collect interface statistics and detailed configuration from the devices directly.

Tip: After the initial import, review the imported records and consider a data mapping rule that assigns Meraki devices to the appropriate asset category (e.g. "Network - Access Point", "Network - Switch").