Hi Jim,
welcome to the community. Regarding your question: No, there isn’t. As you noted, we’re dealing with different layers, and unfortunately this isn’t a simple topic. There are several pitfalls and no real automation. Layer 2 connections must be maintained manually. Circular dependencies—commonly found in network topologies (e.g., Switch A connected to B, B to C, and C back to A)—are not supported. For a basic overview, I recommend watching this video:
(*) Starting with Checkmk 2.3, there is a “Network Visualization” feature:
This feature uses CDP/LLDP (Layer 2 discovery protocols that must be supported by your network devices) to create a graphical map of your network topology. However, afaik it does not affect your parent configuration in Checkmk—it is intended purely for visualization, as the name implies.
With the Layer 2 information from the discovery protocols, traceroute data, and potentially by extracting MAC/ARP tables, there would likely be enough data to roughly map out the network topology. However, this information currently needs to be processed manually (or via custom scripts) and then assigned to your host objects through the REST API. In complex, modern networks, though, this still won’t be enough—suddenly you’re also dealing with SDN, VRFs, containers, and VMs that can move around the globe in an instant.
My suggestion: Don’t worry too much and keep it simple. Apply the parent configuration only to network gateways/routers and, for now, skip the high granularity (e.g., camera to switch).