There’s been a rise in news stories lately about companies experiencing network disruptions, like the infamous Southwest Airlines outage that was caused by a vendor-supplied network firewall. Headline-making incidents like this underline the need to take measures that prevent network disruptions…before you become a news story!
According to the Uptime Institute, third-party outages – such as the one that affected Southwest Airlines – are a leading cause of network disruption. Just imagine the financial implications of a one-hour complete stop for a company like Southwest….yikes.
So, what can your organization do about it? Document the network with software like netTerrain! netTerrain’s IT visualization and documentation capabilities help mitigate risks and safeguard businesses from the reputational damage and staggering cost of outages.
Why Document the Network? Make Troubleshooting Easier
Effective network documentation allows you to find required information and pinpoint devices within seconds, even showing what devices are connected to each other.
Software like netTerrain, that makes it easy to document the network, is an invaluable tool for diagnosing problems on the fly. Real-time network monitoring is crucial, using protocols like SNMP and SSH so you’re alerted asap if a network device is non-responsive.
Get real-time diagrams of device connections in clicks
Why Document the Network? Control Cloud Costs & Architecture
Have a large investment in AWS, Azure, or GCP? Struggling to understand the costs and interconnections of your cloud services?
Documentation includes cloud and virtual equipment, like VMWare, ensuring you get a complete picture of your network. When you can understand your cloud infrastructure, you can prevent cost creep and ensure your infrastructure is compliant.
Get cloud cost insights at your fingertips
Why Document the Network? Budget/Forecast Intelligently
Detailed network documentation offers a comprehensive view of your network assets. Coupled with ITAM data, like maintenance contract details, warranty status, and costs, it can help you understand your network better.
You can track available ports, budget hardware expenses, and plan future projects more effectively. With netTerrain, for example, you can get at-a-glance management-style reports and dashboards that make undering your infrastructure simple.
Software like netTerrain makes it easy to understand how assets are allocated
Why Document the Network? Visualize Server Rack Layouts
Network documentation should also visually represent your server rack layouts in your data center or telecom room. This helps in planning for future growth or migration projects. Network documentation tools should also offer this feature, alongside traditional network topology maps, like those provided by Solarwinds Network Atlas.
Visualize rack layouts in clicks with software like netTerrain
Making network documentation a priority can transform how you troubleshoot, manage assets, and control costs of network hardware and cloud/virtual equipment. In today’s digital environment, it’s not just a nice-to-have…it’s a must-have. Software like netTerrain makes it easy.
Ready for a better way to document and manage your network? Give netTerrain a test drive: click here to get a free demo and trial.