SOLUTION BRIEF ZEBRA NSIGHT. Zebra NSight

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1 SOLUTION BRIEF Zebra NSight

2 SOLUTION BRIEF Executive Summary Enterprises are more distributed than ever before and the centralized IT at the corporate headquarters needs to manage branch networks with minimal or no IT staff at the branch. Businesses are relying more and more on their wireless LAN for daily operations. This includes providing increased network connectivity and capacity for associate handhelds and other business critical devices but also connectivity for customer smartphones and tablets. Analysts have projected that an average adult consumer now carries three or more Wi-Fi enabled devices and expects to have ubiquitous public wireless services.1 In order to meet this growing demand for wireless services, businesses find their WLAN s becoming more complex and difficult to manage. This means the enterprise wireless network is mission critical and it is increasingly important to continuously monitor the network in order to understand the usage patterns and to prepare for future network expansion. No surprise, most SMB s don t have any IT resources at a branch and many large businesses don t have sufficient corporate IT resources to manage a growing wireless network which results in real business challenges. This fact can be expressed in increased TCO and/or possible reduced customer sales. A solution is needed that is simple to use without compounding a need for increased IT resources! Zebra Technologies offers Zebra NSight as that solution. Zebra NSight, is an advanced network visibility, service assurance & analytics platform that is exceptionally responsive and easy to use. It is designed for day-to-day network monitoring and troubleshooting with capability of providing essential macro trending analytics for network planning, usage modeling and SLA management. 1. JiWire Mobile Audience Insights Report Q zebra technologies

3 Managing a Distributed WLAN Today, businesses rely heavily on their WLAN infrastructure to service internal operational needs and to offer wireless connectivity to their on premise customers. Most vendors need mobile network access for basic stocking, price checking, inventory management, mobile register service and access to corporate data. Their customers expect connectivity as a given for maintaining their social network links, , and messaging. Addressing these requirements presents a number of challenges in deploying and maintaining a successful WLAN: 1.1. Challenge of variable wireless population because of increased associate and customer demand (BYOD impact) Planning for coverage and client density is complicated in a consumer business environment because many employees require mobile devices to perform their job and the number of customers on premise is not predictable. With a highly mobile network community, it is possible to encounter points of congestion within the network, resulting in a degraded service level in addition to instances of coverage-holes where a critical area frequented by customers may have connectivity issues. Getting ahead of this problem involves constant monitoring and network planning where such planning is greatly assisted with the right tools Increased complexity in managing multiple sites With limited IT resources and geographically distributed sites, many businesses find managing and troubleshooting these remotes complicated in the absence of a single-pane-of-glass management interface. The ability to effectively monitor multiple sites individually is almost impossible without a consolidating interface. Additionally, if they all appear as isolated sites, typically there is no facility for assessing overall aggregate network capacity and throughput in order to identify specific areas requiring network upgrading Increased wireless security In the business world today, data security is an essential consideration. Hacker attacks are frequently in the news and IT managers are more wary than ever about network vulnerability. Conformance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) requirements to keep financial transactions secure from mobile point of sale to corporate datacenter is essential. Additionally, monitoring for wireless intruders becomes a constant effort to block any invasion of the network that might jeopardize valuable corporate data Network trend analysis to address planning for network expansion Jiwire has projected that integration of wireless in our society will continue to increase where individuals will carry 3 to 4 Wi-Fi devices with them when mobile. 2 This fact will impact enterprise WLANs with higher client densities than ever before. Accelerating the client congestion problems will be the impact of Internet of Things (IoT). A virtual explosion of wireless devices communicating machine-to-machine (M2M) over Wi-Fi is expected in the next five to six years. 3 This may take the form of temperature monitors, weight sensors, security cameras, location based services, footfall analytics and myriads of other potential devices that can have a positive impact on business but also create capacity and security vulnerability challenges on a wireless network. It is unknown how quickly this transition will occur, but to be prepared, businesses will need to have access to trending data concerning client density and application data throughput demand. All this information will need to be aggregated to create n appropriate budget for any projection of change in network size. Zebra NSight is a powerful and feature rich management module addition to WiNG 5.8 (or newer) that greatly simplifies network monitoring, troubleshooting, reporting and provides the ability to build customized role-based dashboards for every role in the organization (e.g., help desk user, network admin, CIO). These dashboard views can be tailored for different decision makers of the organization presenting the relevant information to assist them to make the right enterprise network decisions. Zebra NSight provides a unique multi-dimensional monitoring and reporting capability based on time, network analytics and user role which can carry your investment into the future. 2. JiWire Mobile Audience Insights Report Q IDC projects that there will be more than 28 billion IoT connections in the worldwide market by zebra technologies 3

4 1.5. Ensuring reliability from component failure As dependency on the corporate network reliability increases, the importance of ensuring that reliability becomes critically important. Key to mounting a rapid response to network failures or maxed out resources is a proactive service that can monitor and even predict when a network component needs to be repaired or replaced. Zebra NSight Solution With the addition of Zebra NSight to your WiNG network, you gain simplicity in monitoring and troubleshooting that is distributed across your entire network and viewable from a single-pane-of-glass. Integral to the Zebra NSight design is the capability of creating custom dashboard views of the analytics based on user organization roles such as helpdesk, network administrator, and CIO. A site helpdesk team will need to monitor operational analytics in order to troubleshoot and remediate urgent problems; whereas, a CIO may be interested in simply monitoring the 3 month network throughput trends for budgetary planning purposes. Both cases address different requirements, but are equally important to the overall operation of an enterprise network and are derived from the same network history. Zebra NSight has been designed as a platform with leveraged extendibility to carry your network investment into the future. Zebra NSight Network Performance and Service Assurance Monitoring Analytics & Trending Reporting Troubleshooting Major Zebra NSight Features: Visualizing network statistics and events simplified and unified network views based on user s role Custom live updating dashboards for every role Wellness of WLAN services based on identified SLA baseline levels Automation of proactive & reactive network problem remediation Live troubleshooting tools packet capture, wireless debug logs, TCP/IP ping & traceroute Interactive floor maps with timeline view visualize and identify issues and problems areas Real-time and historic trend analysis to simplify network growth planning Exceptionally responsive interface any information the admin needs is just a few clicks away Powered by cloud technologies built-to-scale Major Zebra NSight Benefits: Faster resolution for service desk responses Minimize escalations to network engineers Responsive, easy to use interface practically no training required Improves efficiency for network engineers remote diagnostic tools like packet capture & wireless debug log from the centralized interface, reduces site visits Rogue monitoring & PCI reporting to stay on top of the security of the network Historical trends and reports helps the IT manager assess capacity & performance for future 1.6. Zebra NSight Map View In a multi-site environment, one top level view that is offered is a Google Map view with all the provisioned sites identified. Figure 1 is an example of a map view of a business site in the Denver Colorado area. The high level view provides a quick snapshot of access points status and client count at each site with quick links to get to the monitor screens or drill down to the interactive floor map (Figure 2). 4 zebra technologies

5 SOLUTION BRIEF Figure 1 - Zebra NSight Map VIew At its lowest level, a site view will display the associated facility floor map(s). The floor map is an interactive tool that allows you to embed any network or RF specific attributes of the AP and clients. For example as an administrator one would want to get a quick overview of SmartRF channel planning to see if channels are evenly distributed and identify potential trouble spots. On this layout, specific network information can be optionally displayed that includes RF channel assignments, SNR, Retries, Power, throughput, client count, and other data items. Choosing to display RFQI of the radios allows one to quickly identify access points with poor RF quality, the labels themselves are color coded to indicate overall RF quality of the AP based on the signal strength of the clients connect to them and the retry rates. Using the associated sliders, one can easily filter down the list of APs with poor RF quality and then show additional RF parameters on the AP like Retry Rates, Throughput, number of clients connected to aid with troubleshooting. Figure 2 - Zebra NSight Facility Floor Map View zebra technologies 5

6 WI-FI ANALYTICS Zebra NSight is unique in providing a depth of detail for wireless analytics. This is an important benefit that provides a basis for monitoring an analyzing the most complex wireless network scenarios as well identify patterns of usage and performance. In order to accomplish this, Zebra s Wi-Fi solution has been designed from the ground up to track and record at very granular time intervals, key network analytics like device health, bandwidth usage, application usage and performance. Between the monitor interface with real time & historic trends and the live updating custom dashboards, it is easy to compare current usage patterns to historical trends as well plan for future growth Zebra NSight Dashboard Dashboards are used to abstract and simplify presentation of critical data to facilitate rapid responses to network problems that may occur. Several default dashboards are provided along with the tools to create new dashboards to exactly fit your organization s needs. Building an Zebra NSight dashboard is just 3 easy steps: 1. Select a theme to define the number of display segments on the dashboard 2. Drag and Drop the widgets (from widget library) 3. Name the dashboard and save Dashboards can also be handy while troubleshooting problems. You can create a dashboard in minutes and display aggregate level data or data tied to a specific network element. Once created and shared, all users working on a specific issue will have the same view. Figure 3 is an example of a network administrator s dashboard that monitors the performance of the wireless network. Figure 3 - Zebra NSight Dashboard Throughput Example 6 zebra technologies

7 NETWORK VISIBILITY The primary function of Zebra NSight is to provide the administrators with network visualization that present all the information one requires within a couple of clicks. Zebra NSight, with its exceptionally responsive user interface, provides the ability to visualize the network at every level, be it aggregate information at a site level to see number of users connected at the site, usage, throughput and application usage or drill deeper down to an access point or client device to view throughput of an AP or client to view device details, RF parameters and statistics like channel utilization, error rates, retry rates real time to diagnose issues. Figure 4 is an example of a IS Manager or CIO trending dashboard that might be used to monitor application use distribution for the purpose of network planning. By navigating the tree on the left-nav, one can get aggregate information across all sites or drill down to see application usage and device distribution at a specific location. Figure 4 - Zebra NSight Example of a CIO Dashboard zebra technologies 7

8 APPLICATION VISIBILITY Zebra NSight provides real-time visibility and in-depth insight into every dimension of the network including layer-7 application visibility, client devices, device & OS types and users. At a glance, the administrator can discern the top applications by usage or by count at every level of the network from site level to access points and clients. This is achieved by Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) of every flow of every user at the access point. The embedded DPI engine in the WiNG OS can detect and identify thousands of applications real time and report to Zebra NSight. In addition to detection, firewall and QOS policies can leverage the application context to enforce policies. With this intelligence, the overall performance of the WLAN network is improved by prioritizing business critical applications and blocking others based on the IT policy. Zebra NSight visualization capabilities helps the IT manager stay on top of the device & application usage trends and continuously refine the network design as well prepare for the future Zebra NSight Monitor View In order to really understand what is going on at a network level, the monitoring tool allows the finest granular view of the analytics. Figure 5 is an example of monitoring what is currently happening at the New York site for all devices over the previous 30 minutes. As indicated in the graphs, something occurred about 14:10.5 where the network went down indicated by a plummet in throughput and number of associated clients. The monitor also shows that the system rebounded very quickly and was back at acceptable service levels within 30 seconds. A further examination of the logs at this time mark will provide more detailed information on the problem. Figure 5 - Zebra NSight Monitor Example 8 zebra technologies

9 ADVANCED TROUBLESHOOTING With the Zebra NSight Monitor interface, an admin can monitor critical parameters of the entire network in real-time, visualize trouble spots and drill down to examine additional RF statistics to zero down on the issue and proactively react to resolve the problem before it has major impact on network operation. Zebra NSight provides extensive tools like packet capture & wireless debug right from the browser interface which can be used to further analyze and remediate the problems. Custom dashboard interface allows the network administrators to create dashboards on the fly to monitor real time and share all critical parameters of an access point or client under suspicion Zebra NSight Tools One of the powers of Zebra NSight is the built-in set of troubleshooting tools and event log browser. When working on troubleshooting connectivity or other issues on an AP or client, the administrator has access to basic network debugging tools through the same interface to further clarify the problems. Included in this set are: Packet capture Wireless Debug log access TCP/IP Ping & Traceroute For example, while reviewing the access point details or client details page, the administrator can get a summary of all events related to the device by launching the event log browser with appropriate filters applied for the device and if desired can launch the packet capture tool and save the capture information on a local file to share it with the peers who are also looking into the issue or send it the escalation support team Zebra NSight Packet Capture Many troubleshooting scenarios require a packet capture to diagnose the reported errors. Zebra NSight provides flexibility at this level in selecting what to capture and where to display the results. Added to this embedded tool is the ability to specify capturing the wired-side or wireless-side traffic of an access point which can further aid in pinpointing the source of a problem. Appropriate filter limits will also aid in focusing on just the traffic associated with a reported error. Figure 6 - Zebra NSight Packet Capture zebra technologies 9

10 Zebra NSight Wireless Debug Log More detailed wireless information can be obtained through access of the debug logs retained by each access point. This class of information can disclose protocol level errors that may be occurring yet not reported at other levels in a debug log. Figure 7 - Zebra NSight Wireless Debug Log Zebra NSight Reports Zebra NSight is constructed to provide detailed reports for distribution from its analytic database. There is a base set of reports that come with the initial product. Additionally, new custom reports may be define and cataloged for custom use at each site. Generic reports list all selected data types by system, state, city, or specific site: 1. RF Health 2. PCI Report 3. Device Type/Firmware Summary 4. Device Summary 5. Client Inventory 6. Network Usage Two of the most valuable reports are RF Health and PCI reports: RF Health Report The RF Health report contains information listing the high watermark problem resources across the selected network domain and include data on the 10 worst APs by specific metrics (see Figure 8): by RFQ (RF quality) by SNR (Signal to Noise Ration) by error rate by channel reassignment by power changes More detailed information may be attained through creation of custom reports that include the specific analytics of interest. 10 zebra technologies

11 Enable accounts used by vendors for remote access only during the time period needed. Monitor vendor remote access accounts Fail SOLUTION BRIEF Figure 8 - Zebra NSight RF Health Report PCI Report The PCI report creates a complete audit report of the system under test s conformance to the PCI requirements (see Figure 9 for an abbreviated report). This report is essential for any business to maintain a secure operation in today s market. Zebra Technologies PCI Compliance Report Figure 9 - Example of a Zebra NSight PCI Report pci_day_report_1303 (PCI Compliance Report) :00 to :00 UTC System Name: nx9510-6c87db Scope: /System Generated: Mar :34 UTC Generated By: admin CDE Network Name: PCI Access Points: 0 Result: Fail PCI Report Summary # PCI Compliance Section Description Compliance Install perimeter firewalls between any wireless networks and the cardholder data environment, and configure these firewalls to deny or control (if such traffic is necessary for business purposes) any traffic from the wireless environment into the cardholder data environment For wireless environments connected to the cardholder data environment or transmitting cardholder data, change wireless vendor defaults, including but not limited to default wireless encryption keys, passwords, and SNMP community strings Ensure wireless networks transmitting cardholder data or connected to the cardholder data environment, use industry best practices (for example, IEEE i)) to implement strong encryption for authentication and transmission Ensure that all system components and software are protected from known vulnerabilities by having the latest vendor-supplied security patches installed. Install critical security patches within one month of release Establish an access control system for systems components with multiple users that restricts access based on a user's need to know, and is set to unless specifically allowed. Pass Fail Pass Fail Pass Assign all users a unique ID before allowing them to access system components or cardholder data. Fail In addition to assigning a unique ID, employ at least one of the following methods to authenticate all users: passwords, token devices, biometrics Incorporate two-factor authentication for remote access (network-level access originating from outside the network) to the network by employees, administrators, and third parties. (For example, remote authentication and dial-in service (RADIUS) with Fail tokens; terminal access controller access control system TACACS) with tokens; or other technologies that facilitate two-factor authentication.) Pass Fail Render all passwords unreadable during transmission and storage on all system components using strong cryptography. Pass Control edit of users credentials and allow only authorized administrator to do so. Pass Verify user identity before performing password resets. Pass Immediately revoke access for any terminated users Fail zebra technologies Remove/disable inactive user accounts at least every 90 days. Fail

12 Summary For enterprises and SMBs alike, to succeed in today s competitive world, they need to rely on their wireless LAN as that data highway over which the majority of their business information travels. Customer orders, cashier transactions, vendor orders, stocking tasks, inventory and on-premise customer traffic has become the lifeblood of the business. Anything that threatens the reliability of the network is a direct threat to the business. Therefore, it is critical that a system so valuable should be protected and monitored to ensure its reliability. To accomplish this task and to enable projecting future network requirements, Zebra Technologies offers Zebra NSight, an advanced network visibility, service assurance & analytics platform that is fast & easy to use. It s designed for day-to-day network monitoring and troubleshooting as well as providing assistance in projecting any extensions necessary to accommodate network client or throughput increase demands. Minimum System Requirements: WiNG5 platform: 5.8 upgrade + separate Zebra NSight licensing Controllers supported: NX95xx, NX96xx and VX platforms FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT NA and Corporate Headquarters inquiry4@zebra.com 2015 ZIH Corp and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Zebra and the stylized Zebra head are trademarks of ZIH Corp, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 09/2015