What Will You Automate?

Transcription

1 Network Automation Catalog Automate Documentation Automate Troubleshooting What Will You Automate? Automate Network Change NetBrain Technologies Inc. 15 Network Drive Burlington, MA Toll free: Website:

2 NetBrain s map-driven automation solution represents a paradigm shift in network management. For the first time, network professionals of all levels can benefit from powerful and adaptive automation technology without any programming requirement. NetBrain automation has been used in hundreds of the world s largest enterprise networks for documentation, troubleshooting, and network changes. NetBrain is headquartered near Boston, Massachusetts. Contents Automate Documentation Understand a Complex Network Automate Diagramming Automate Inventory Reports Automate Design Documents Sample Customers Troubleshoot Slow Applications Troubleshoot Unstable Networks Troubleshoot Multicasting Diagnose Interface Issues Defend a Network from Malicious Attacks Diagnose VoIP Call Quality Automate Network Changes Safe Data Center Migrations A Map-Driven Change Management Process Deep Application Flow Analysis Analyze Application Traffic at the Port Level Analyze Traffic Flow across MPLS Technology Policy-Based Routing and Load Balancing Table of Contents What Will You Automate? Network Automation with Qapp Customized Map-Driven Automation Writing a Custom Qapp NetBrain Deployment Architecture

3 Automate Documentation Accurate documentation is critical for network management but creating and maintaining it is manual and labor-intensive. NetBrain can help by creating detail-rich diagrams, inventory reports, and design documents automatically. Understand a Complex Network Automatically organize and quickly search very large networks After a deep network discovery, NetBrain organizes devices into sites and offers a way to quickly index the network with visual search. Network Overview Say Goodbye to Manual Network Documentation How Automated Documentation Works: Following a comprehensive network discovery, NetBrain organizes the network into sites and displays them with a hierarchal view. Discover the Live Network Instantly Starting with a single device, NetBrain s unique neighbor-walking algorithm gathers Automation Documentation topology and design data from the network, hop-by-hop. Create Documentation Dynamically NetBrain can create data-driven diagrams, customized inventory reports, and rich design documents instantly. Visualize Site Relationships To visualize network topology and connectivity through the WAN, NetBrain provides a topology view of the network. Automation Documentation Visual Search Update Documentation Automatically NetBrain performs routine benchmark updates to ensure the network documentation is always accurate and reliable. Visual Search enables users to quickly find any information about their network and map out the results instantly. 1 2

4 Automate Diagramming Instantly create data-rich network diagrams With manually created network diagrams, it s challenging to keep up with the constant changes of enterprise networks. A dynamic network mapping solution will relieve the burden. Automate Inventory Reports Know everything about the network, anytime. Information about enterprise networks is often scattered throughout multiple sources. Making sense of network inventory is no small task. Customized Details NetBrain solves the problem of cluttered diagrams by allowing layers of data to be turned on dynamically. For example, routing protocol can be annotated with one-click. Highlight Routing Protocol Access to a complete network inventory is always a click away. To customize more specific reports, users can create reports based on sites, device types, device groups, and more. Automation Documentation On-Demand Mapping Instead of sorting through hundreds of static diagrams, customized maps can be built on-demand. For example, map an application flow by inputting a source and destination device. One-Click Export to Visio Map Application Path Automatically Add Device Attributes With NetBrain procedures, users can customize device attributes with data collected from the live network to create customized reports. For example, collect the serial number of every network module. Automation Documentation Any NetBrain diagram can be exported to Visio format with a single click. Export Reports Any report can be exported with one-click to either Microsoft Excel or CSV format. Export Diagrams to Visio 3 4

5 Automate Design Documents Create complete network design documents in Word format in seconds It takes a long time to create network documentation manually. NetBrain can automate design documents, with detailed network data, instantly. NetBrain offers a new approach to troubleshooting. Inside a visual environment, users can instantly map problem areas, probe performance hotspots, analyze historical network changes, and drill-down the root cause with customized automation. Automate Design Documents NetBrain Qmaps are chock full of network design and configuration data. This data can be exported to a Word document for use in design reviews, network assessments, compliance, and more. Accelerate Troubleshooting in a Visual Environment Use a Map to Analyze Performance Issues Performance bottlenecks, flapping interfaces, and device health statistics are displayed in real-time on the map. Define Documentation Parameters Automation Documentation Automate Network Change Documents Illustrating proposed network changes is challenging. NetBrain s change management process includes an automated documentation feature that lets engineers document proposed changes with one-click. Analyze Performance from the Map One-Click Documentaton Analyze What s Changed To understand what s wrong, NetBrain helps you understand what s changed. Config files, route tables, and CLI output can be compared to a historic baseline. Digitize Troubleshooting Experience NetBrain's Qapp technology replaces in-house scripting with customized mini-apps. Engineers can define troubleshooting diagnoses with a Qapp to save time during troubleshooting. 5 6

6 Troubleshoot Slow Applications Automatically detect dozens of possible causes of slow applications When an application is running slowly, the network is guilty until proven innocent. NetBrain automation can help to diagnose the source of the problem in minutes instead of hours. Troubleshoot Unstable Networks Automatically capture transient problems and flapping routes Finding the source of an unstable network is hit or miss. NetBrain can help capture transient problems in real-time. Visualize Flapping Interfaces NetBrain s HeatMap view will display unstable devices or ports in yellow, alongside performance measurements. Map the Application Path in Seconds HeatMap View of Layer-2 Map Instantly Map the Application Path NetBrain s path mapping engine helps engineers map the problem area instantly. Plot Performance Data over Time For more transient issues, data can be collected over time and graphed to display trends and spikes. This data is stored directly inside a single Qmap file. Visualize Performance Bottlenecks Performance bottlenecks, flapping Memory Over-Utilized Automate Drill-Down Diagnosis NetBrain comes installed with hundreds of Qapps, which can automatically detect issues like speed/duplex mismatches and flapping interfaces. Even more powerful, is that users can write their own diagnosis logic. interfaces, and utilization statistics are displayed directly on the map. Measurements over threshold are highlighted in red. Example: Detected Duplex Mismatch Plot Bandwidth Utilization over Time Analyze Unstable Routing Issues NetBrain automatically collects and analyzes route tables for every device. By sorting the route table by age, flapping routes will appear at the top. Sort Route Tables 7 8

7 Troubleshoot Multicasting Automatically analyze multicasting design and performance Diagnose Interface Issues Automatically detect interface errors and discrepancies With the increasing demand for video conferencing and omnipresent financial data, multicast troubleshooting is a high priority. NetBrain can help visualize multicasting design and performance issues to accelerate troubleshooting. Large networks can have thousands of interfaces, each with dozens of operational parameters. Diagnosing these interface issues can be daunting. NetBrain can automatically detect interface errors and configuration discrepancies. Highlight Multicasting Design Automate RPF Checks Each link in the map can be annotated to reflect the multicasting mode configured on it. Verify multicast operation by visualizing Reverse Path Forwarding on the map. Automatically Detect Hundreds of Possible Interface Errors Instantly Map a Dynamic Distribution Tree NetBrain can instantly map multicasting distribution trees (source trees and shared trees). By leveraging benchmark data, the historic distribution tree can be compared against the present tree. NetBrain puts the power of automation in the user s hands. For the first time, customizable automation doesn t require scripting experience. Writing a Qapp to detect CRC errors or MTU mismatches takes just minutes. Isolate Faulty Hardware Uncovering a bad cable or module can take hours using the command line, one interface at a time. NetBrain s HeatMap can highlight interface errors directly on the map. Map Changes in Multicast Source Tree See Interface Errors on the Map 9 10

8 Defend a Network from Malicious Attacks Discover an offending machine and deploy defensive measures Denial-of-service attacks and viruses often make the network unstable. It s difficult to isolate the impacted network segments and apply defensive measures quickly. NetBrain automation can help. Diagnose VoIP Call Quality Automatically measure VoIP performance and instantly analyze VoIP design Troubleshooting VoIP requires years of on-the-job training because complex QoS needs to be enabled across the LAN or WAN. NetBrain can help diagnose and analyze VoIP to accelerate troubleshooting. Map the Attack Path With NetFlow, NetBrain can identify top-talkers which may be generating malicious traffic. Then the attack path can be mapped to identify affected hosts. 1. Map VoIP Traffic Path The IP SLA Toolkit can be used to emulate VoIP traffic across a live network. Emulated IP SLA Traffic Visualize the Performance Impact With performance monitoring, over-utilized devices will appear in red to help analyze the impact of the malicious traffic. Automatically Deploy Defensive Config NetBrain can help deploy defensive configuration, like access-lists, across many devices at once, with a single click. 2. Measure Advanced Performance Parameters Real-time packet drop, delay, and jitter can be collected for VoIP readiness analysis or voice quality troubleshooting. Measure Delay, Jitter and Packet Loss 3. Customize a Qapp for Advanced VoIP Issues With customizable automation, a Qapp can be written to calculate the MOS score to effectively measure the voice quality

9 Automate Network Changes Network changes are prone to human-error. An automated approach can streamline the change process and ensure safe network changes. Safe Data Center Migrations Automate network changes and post-change testing NetBrain s Change Management module makes network changes more efficient and less risky with one-click config deployment and automated verification. Reduce Human Error in Network Changes Deploy Changes with One-Click Users can quickly define a configuration template and then automatically deploy changes to many devices at once. Identify impacted devices Define configuration template Deploy changes with one-click Discover & Document a Data Center NetBrain s discovery engine can instantly map out a data center to help quickly identify impacted devices. Automate Network Changes Analyze Change Impact Instantly To validate network changes, advanced comparative analysis can analyze config files, route tables, and more. Document the Results Automatically The change process is wrapped up inside a single Qchange file. It can be exported to a Word document with one click. Benchmark network before change Benchmark network after change Execute comparative analysis Share Qchange file Export Change document One-Click Config Deployment With a single click, configuration changes can be rolled out to every impacted device. Automate Verification & Testing Automate Network Changes NetBrain can automate the testing of reachability, routing, configuration and more

10 A Map-Driven Change Management Process Enable efficient collaboration between IT divisions Successful network changes require multiple groups to work together. A map-driven approach can facilitate communications and enhance collaboration. Deep Application Flow Analysis NetBrain provides the industry's deepest application flow analysis. Given the source and destination addresses of an application, NetBrain can map out both live and historical paths with all dependencies illustrated on the map. Technologies supported include routing, switching, NAT, ACL, MPLS, PBR, etc. Qmap as a Collaboration Media Automate Network Changes 1. Design During the design phase, proposed changes can be documented inside a Qmap to describe impacted devices, and the scope of changes. 3. Implementation Once approved, the implementation team can leverage a Qmap to automatically deploy the network changes, directly from the map. 2. Review Using the free Qmap Reader, a design reviewer can open a single Qmap file with the proposed changes outlined inside. 4. Operations After changes are implemented, the impact of changes can be instantly analyzed using advanced historical analysis. Map between Two Endpoints NetBrain provides deep visualization into the traffic flow by analyzing traffic forwarding decisions at each hop, covering technologies from Layer-1 through layer-7. Deep Application Flow Analysis Result: Accurate data for each phase of the change process Extend Path Analysis Logic Engineers can modify and enhance NetBrain's built-in path analysis - via a visual programming environment - to cover new network technologies

11 Analyze Application Traffic at the Port Level For modern networks, it's not enough to analyze application traffic at the IP level, because technologies like ACL, QoS, or NAT impact the flow. For example, a server may be accessible via a web browser (port 80/443) but telnet traffic (port 23) to the server might be denied. Analyze Traffic Flow across MPLS Technology Modern service provider networks often include MPLS at their core. Using NetBrain, traffic flow across both single and multiple MPLS domains can be analyzed side-by-side with traditional routing and switching technologies. Engineers no longer need to dive into IP, MAC, and MPLS tables manually. Analyze Access-lists NetBrain can analyze access-lists along the path and provide port-level traffic analysis of access-list traffic filtering. Traffic Path across VRF Lite NetBrain calculates the path across MPLS Lite based on LFIB (Label Forwarding Information Base) and maps between CE and PE devices Deep Application Flow Analysis Traffic Path across MPLS Cloud Enterprise networks often use MPLS clouds (MPLS forwarding provided by the service provider). NetBrain supports end-to-end traffic path discovery across the cloud. Deep Application Flow Analysis Decode NAT Translations NetBrain can decode NAT translations along the path and properly group traffic paths in the forward and return direction

12 Policy-Based Routing and Load Balancing In addition to dynamic routing, some networks may leverage PBR (policy-based routing) to route application traffic based on additional metrics. NetBrain understands PBR logic and can map the path across PBR-enable network hops. Network Automation with Qapp Automation Beyond Scripting Designed to replace in-house scripts, NetBrain's Qapp technology makes it possible to customize the automation of any network analysis task. A Qapp is much easier to write than a script - and far more powerful. No Scripting Required Only select few engineers know how to run a custom script, let alone write one. Writing a Qapp is much easier. Policy-Based Routing (PBR) Deep Application Flow Analysis NetBrain will automatically display traffic forwarding which is impacted by PBR if any configured route-maps are detected. Load Balancing & Address Translation In server load balancing setup, a Virtual IP is provided as the target for inbound traffic. A load balancer will dynamically route traffic to one of the real servers based on pre-defined criteria. NetBrain can decode this logic visually. Visual Programming NetBrain's visual programming environment leverages an intuitive syntax. Anyone comfortable with the command-line interface can write a Qapp in as little as 5 minutes. Run a Qapp Sample Qapp Logic Network Automation with Qapp A Qapp doesn't output data to a batch prompt like most scripts - it outputs data to the map so its easy to interpret and visually accessible. All data is saved to the Qmap automatically. Sample Qapp - Output to the Map 19 20

13 Customized Map-Driven Automation Designed to combine the flexibility of scripting with the power and usability of an enterprise-grade software solution, a NetBrain Qapp is as easy to run as an app on a smartphone. Writing a Custom Qapp There's no complex syntax or steep learning curve for writing a Qapp. After just 15 minutes, of training engineers are usually ready to write their first Qapp. There are three main steps: Run Qapp from NetBrain UI After writing a custom Qapp, you can quickly add it to the NetBrain user interface - ready for any engineer to run. NetBrain already includes dozens of Qapps 'out of the box'. Select Qapp Step 1: Define Variables of Interest A sample of CLI command data is used to identify variables which indicate fields of interest. For example, an interface diagnosis Qapp may use 'show interface'. Define Qapp Variables Data Collection Over Time Step 2: Define Analysis Threshold Network Automation with Qapp Its easy to program a Qapp to run at any frequency. NetBrain will automatically collect and chart any type of data you're looking for. Automated Data Analysis Example Qapp Output To raise an alarm, users can indicate a threshold condition and associated warning message which is raised if a variable exceeds the threshold. Step 3: Define Data Positions on Map Define Alert Thresholds Network Automation with Qapp If any data point exceeds a pre-defined threshold, NetBrain can automatically generate an alert and send an . A Qapp uses the map to display the desiered device and interface data. The positions of the data on the map are easily defined during Qapp definition. Example Qapp Data Define Data Positions 21 22

14 NetBrain Deployment Architecture Scalable for the world s largest networks NetBrain s architecture supports horizontal scalability. For large networks, an array of servers can work together to provide the computational power required. Try NetBrain Today! NetBrain Workstation Main NetBrain user interface Notes: Network Server Collects and stores data from the live network License Server Manages workspaces and licenses Workspace Server Manages all data for shared workspaces NetBrain Deployment Deployment Diagram 23 24