WHITEPAPER: Streamline Enterprise IT Management Network Map Automation. A Visual Path to Automated Network Documentation

Transcription

1 WHITEPAPER: Streamline Enterprise IT Management Network Map Automation A Visual Path to Automated Network Documentation.

2 The History of Network Documentation Automation Scientists have discovered long ago that the human brain can only handle up to 7 items at one time without visual aids. For the 2 million network engineers in the world, those visual aids are network diagrams and documentation. During critical events, such as troubleshooting outages or making network changes, proper network documentation can be the difference between day and night. The human brain can handle up to 7 items at a time without visual aids. 80% of network diagrams, the visual aids for network engineers, have errors. Two generations of network documentation tools have failed due to scalability and usability problems. Ever since networks have existed, there have been complaints of inaccurate and incomplete network documentation in enterprises. An industry survey revealed that up to 80% of existing enterprise network documentation contains errors. Those errors have led to prolonged troubleshooting time, disastrous network changes, and loss of money. However, engineers already spend 15-30% of their valuable time in documentation-related tasks. It is impossible to put in more time and gain better results with the existing manual methodology. In the last two decades, there have been many attempts to automate network documentation. Unfortunately, the results have fallen short. In the early 1990s, Microsoft Visio, the 1st generation network documentation tool, became the de facto standard for network diagramming. Visio attempted to add a SNMP-based discovery function so that users could automate the creation of network diagrams, but the sophistication of the tool couldn t match up with the complexity of most networks. Today, Visio remains a manual tool for network documentation. Several 2 nd generation tools emerged in the 2000s. The main technology behind these tools didn t change they still used SNMP to scan a network and output every detail to computer-generated diagrams. The main advantage of these tools is that information is collected directly from the live network. Representative tools include Solarwinds (LAN Surveyor), Whatsup (WhatsConnected), and Opnet (NetMapper). The biggest challenge for these 2 nd generation tools is scalability. For a small network with a handful of devices, SNMP scan may create a usable diagram. But, for enterprises with hundreds or thousands of network devices, the results become quickly unmanageable even after colossal efforts to manually adjust the output. The second challenge, which has plagued the industry for years, is that SNMP scan is quite inaccurate when it comes to the discovery of complex networks. We all agree that documentation is too important to ignore. Past attempts to develop a solution have not been satisfactory. A new age is emerging with dynamic and visual 3 rd generation tools. Dynamic Diagram technology promises to solve the chronic challenges of automating network WHITEPAPER: A VISUAL PATH TO AUTOMATED NETWORK DOCUMENTATION 0 2

3 documentation. The rest of this whitepaper will cover the key difference of 3 rd generation tools, and explains: Why data-driven, not icon-driven is important for automated network mapping How on-demand automation may solve the scalability challenge that failed 2 nd generation tools The true-benefit of data-driven maps Automating hundreds of tasks like never before Data-Driven or Icon-Driven Mapping The key to 3 rd generation technology is Dynamic Diagram - a form of datadriven network diagram. At first glance, data-driven and icon-driven diagrams look the same [See Figure 1]. But upon further analysis, the similarity stops there. Figure 1 Diagram Type Icon-Driven Diagram (Using Microsoft Visio as an example ) A computer has no knowledge of what Icon-driven diagrams mean. Users have to build this type of diagram icon by icon Data-Driven Diagram (Using NetBrain as an example) A computer understands the meaning of Data-driven diagrams. Data discovered from the network enables creation of Dynamic Diagrams WHITEPAPER: A VISUAL PATH TO AUTOMATED NETWORK DOCUMENTATION 0 3

4 A data-driven diagram uses network information to define a network diagram. With this type of diagram the system can not only render a picture, but the meaning of the icons within the diagram: two routers named R1 and R2 are connected through the interface e0/0 and e0. By comparison, an Icon-driven system treats the diagram as a few graphic icons arranged in a certain order. It doesn t matter if the icons represent routers or anything else. A data-driven diagram automatically embeds in-depth network intelligence. For example, key attributes of the link connecting two devices, including IP address, Routing Protocol, Multicasting mode, VRF name, and interface description are part of the diagram. To make this information visible, a user simply zooms into the data-driven map. Data-driven diagrams represent a paradigm shift in network documentation. Since network diagrams are generated directly from data without user intervention, the accuracy can be easily assured. Additionally, diagrams can be updated automatically when the live network has changed. Further, digital rendering technology allows a data-driven map to dynamically add or remove details based on the amount of space available, similar to commonly used on-line street maps. This feature enables network diagrams to remain detailed without becoming cluttered [See Figure 2]. Figure 2 Digital Zoom shows data that is embedded inside a Dynamic Diagram progressively. Digital Zoom 1 2 Diagram with basic topology (Zoom 1) Diagram showing more data (Zoom 2) 3 4 Diagram showing the switch inbetween (Zoom 3) Diagram showing performance data WHITEPAPER: A VISUAL PATH TO AUTOMATED NETWORK DOCUMENTATION 0 4

5 On-demand Mapping Computer systems can easily output a 100-page report or one giant wall-size diagram, but it would be more useful to have an on-demand system allowing users to have exactly what they need, at the moment they need it. On-demand document automation requires computer systems that have a high level of intelligence. If a slow application traverses the network in three data centers, what users really need is a diagram with only the relevant devices from the 3 data centers, not 3 separate diagrams with all devices in the data centers. In other words, the diagram should adapt to the task at hand, not the other way around. The new capability of on-demand diagrams will fundamentally change how diagrams are created and maintained in large organizations users no longer need to create diagrams ahead of time. Instead, the focus will be to ensure the system has updated network data (through a state-of-the-art discovery and benchmark engine). Then, diagrams can be automatically created the moment they are needed. In special cases, when diagrams do need to be defined ahead of time, they will be updated automatically every time they are opened. Lacking the on-demand capability, 2 nd generation automation tools did not have much success in large enterprises. When network devices are in the thousands, and key applications are in the hundreds, outputting one massive and complex diagram is no longer a manageable option. [See Figure 3 for some on-demand mapping examples]. WHITEPAPER: A VISUAL PATH TO AUTOMATED NETWORK DOCUMENTATION 0 5

6 Figure 3 On-Demand Mapping System in Action 1. Map a slow application flow between two servers on-demand 2. Map a LAN environment around a server ondemand 3. Map out the neighbors of a problem router ondemand 4. Map a multi-tier data center on-demand WHITEPAPER: A VISUAL PATH TO AUTOMATED NETWORK DOCUMENTATION 0 6

7 True Benefits of Data-Driven Mapping Automating meaningful network tasks is truly difficult. Network engineers pour hours into developing scripts that may not work as desired. Organizations invest countless dollars into the previous generations of automation software that never reach the desired return on investments. The true benefit of data-driven mapping is that it enables automation of every network task to become attainable for engineers at every level. As a visual interface to interact with a live network, data-driven maps (Dynamic Diagrams) remove the need to labor through scripts or convoluted user interfaces. Engineers can use dynamic maps to define areas of interest quickly and automate troubleshooting and design tasks that include: Automating the creation of Visio diagrams Automating the creation of assessment documents Discovering any changes in configuration or routing tables Pinpointing performance hot spots, such as over-utilized links or routers with high CPU Collecting show-commands across many devices Verifying the impact of a change Collecting the top-talkers Map-driven automation expands across the disciplines of network documentation, troubleshooting, design, and network assessment. Refer to the following table for real world tasks that can benefit from map-driven automation. Real-World Tasks That Can Benefit From Map-Driven Automation 1. Troubleshoot Slow Applications Map out a slow application instantly and diagnose performance issues from the map 2. Migrate Data Centers Discover and document a data center before/after migration through automation 3. Document LAN/WAN & Server Farms Create diagrams and Excel spreadsheets automatically for every network segment after periodic discovery 4. Troubleshoot An Unstable Network Use a Heat Map to visualize network instability and routing issues 5. Assess A Network For VoIP Readiness Map out potential VoIP paths and measure advanced performance metrics along the paths 6. Merge Two Networks Model two networks in a virtual environment and use a map to plan out the merge 7. Meet Compliance Mandates Automatically create and update network documentation to satisfy various regulatory compliance needs WHITEPAPER: A VISUAL PATH TO AUTOMATED NETWORK DOCUMENTATION 0 7

8 Summary After two generations of efforts to automate network documentation, a promising technology centering on Dynamic Diagram has finally emerged. With this datadriven approach, network diagrams and documentation can be created instantly and updated automatically. By implementing a 3 rd generation automation system, enterprises can ensure network documents are accurate, up to date and only one click away. About NetBrain Technologies, Inc. NetBrain is the industry s first map-driven automation solution provider. Its software has enabled many of the world s largest enterprises to eliminate manual network diagrams and troubleshoot problems visually. For a free trial of NetBrain s Enterprise Suite or Consultant Suite, visit NetBrain Technologies Inc. 65 Network Drive 1 st Floor Burlington, MA info@netbraintech.com WHITEPAPER: A VISUAL PATH TO AUTOMATED NETWORK DOCUMENTATION 0 8