Businesses in today’s world use networks for almost all their operations. As businesses grow and expand with time, so do their needs. As a result, their networks can become increasingly complex and sophisticated. This can result in network administrators having a harder time monitoring devices and identifying faults. These bottlenecks can be circumvented with network visualization.
What is network visualization?
Network visualization refers to the process of creating a visual representation of network devices, performance metrics, and data flows. This can be done through features such as:
● Topology maps.
● Layer 2 maps.
● Dependency maps.
● Visualization diagrams.
These features allow you to see the physical and logical relationships between routers, switches, servers, and other devices to identify and rectify performance issues quickly.
Why visualize networks?
Network visualizations provide a multitude of benefits. It allows you to understand and depict a complex network simply and intuitively. Visualizing network software can be vital to troubleshooting and resolving network issues.
The following are a few key benefits of network visualization:
1. Faster troubleshooting
Using features such as Layer 2 maps, business views, or performance graphs, you can quickly identify a problem and pinpoint exactly where it is in the network.
Good network visualization software should also have an alert system that notifies you immediately when an issue has occurred or when a specific device is vulnerable. This allows you to resolve the problem in the shortest amount of time possible.
2. Better visibility
The size of modern networks and the amount of accessible information can make it difficult for large companies to visualize their networks. Topology maps can provide you with enhanced visibility of your entire network. In other words, you’ll be able to see into every corner of the organization in an understandable, interactive view.
3. Efficient network planning
Network visualization solutions help identify dormant or inactive devices in a network, which can help administrators with efficient resource allocation. Understanding your current network dependencies and resource utilization needs can help with planning future network upgrades and refreshes.
4. Intuitive presentation
Providing a visual aid always helps get the point across better. Network visualization can help display large amounts of information about complex networks in a simple, easy-to-understand fashion.
This is especially useful during situations like presenting to an audience for compliance audits because the right visuals can help explain a situation clearly and address specific problems.
These are just a few of the many benefits that come with deploying network visualization software for your business.
Visualize networks with OpManager
OpManager is a network monitoring solution that helps monitor routers, switches, servers, and any device with an IP address that’s connected to a network. It also offers network visualization capabilities, enabling you to easily manage complex, distributed networks. With OpManager’s network visualization tool, you can build a virtual replica of your network’s topography and your data centres using a drag-and-drop diagram builder.
OpManager enables you to visualize your networks using the following features:
Dashboard
You can compare the Dashboard to the home screen of your phone or computer. OpManager’s dashboard is completely customizable with over 90 widgets. You can customize it according to your needs and have it displayed on your home page. Network alarms, maps, Business Views, and real-time graphs are some of the features available on the dashboard via widgets.
Layer 2 Maps
OpManager allows you to discover and visualize all Layer 2 devices connected to the network. This is useful when you don’t know the IP addresses of devices and need to monitor them, i.e., if your company employs a hybrid work model where the devices of the employees working in the office need to be monitored.
Business Views
Business Views show devices and the links between them in a graphical format based on the services they deliver. This ensures the continuous availability of mission-critical programs and hence also facilitates troubleshooting.
This is especially useful in network operation centres (NOCs) or NOC rooms, where network admins need to keep a watchful eye on devices and quickly resolve any issues.
Zoho Maps
OpManager includes a map feature that can be used to visualize your network by arranging devices on maps based on their geographic distribution. The default map source for this feature is Zoho Maps, which is free to use. Google Maps is also available. However, Google charges a fee beyond 28,500 map loads that must be incurred by the user.
3D Floor Views and Rack Views
OpManager also includes 3D network visualization. This tool allows you to build three-dimensional replicas of your data centers. By building 3D Floor Views and Rack Views of your server rooms, you can keep track of the availability and statuses of your servers. These views also help with troubleshooting whenever a server runs into an issue.
To learn more about how OpManager can help with your network visualization needs, register for a personalized demo on our website.
