netTerrain Settings: Fiber and Outside Plant Diagram Tuning
By Jan Durnhofer - March 17, 2020In our first blog in this series on settings for our outside plant software, we explained the need for settings in the context of fine tuning you Data Center, Network Documentation or Outside Plant project and we looked into a specific repository of parameters called Settings.xml. In our second blog in this series we looked…
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4 Ways Network Documentation Helps You Secure the Network
By Fred Koh - March 11, 2020In a recent article, I wrote about network documentation and diagrams — and why automation is the key to getting network diagrams up-to-date (and have them stay current). In that article, I didn’t address how proper and up-to-date network documentation is important for security aspects. Security? Now, I don’t mean documenting cameras, alarm boxes, fire…
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netTerrain Settings: Fine-tune netTerrain Notifications & Visualization Features
By Jan Durnhofer - March 5, 2020In the first blog in this series, we explained the need for settings in the context of fine tuning you Data Center, Network Documentation or Outside Plant project and we looked into a specific repository of parameters called Settings.xml. In this second blog, we will continue looking into specific settings that can help you fine…
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Where’s the Deployment Guide?
By Jan Durnhofer - March 3, 2020This week we opened a very interesting email from a potential customer who wanted to check out netTerrain’s deployment guide (they’re seriously considering deploying netTerrain DCIM for their Data Center Infrastructure Management needs). After providing this prospect with the installation guide, he came back requesting more documentation that would specifically address firewall rules. I thought…
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IT Visualization Software: “what can it do?”
By Fred Koh - February 27, 2020In one of my previous articles — about what netTerrain is — I discussed some of the items you can visualize in netTerrain. When doing demos for prospects, most people don’t know the full capabilities of our IT visualization software, netTerrain. It’s more than just a network documentation, DCIM, and fiber plant solution…it’s a web-based…
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Successful DCIM Implementations: Our Top Tips
By Fred Koh - February 24, 2020As the sales director for a DCIM/Outside Plant/Network Diagram software (netTerrain), I answer many questions each day. One of the most common questions I’m asked is, “well, how do we get started?” as well as, “If we decide to go ahead and use netTerrain, how can people get netTerrain up and running and get trained?”…
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Need to Migrate Away from netViz?
By Fred Koh - February 21, 2020Back in the early 1990’s, a company based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, offered a desktop-based, IT documentation system called netViz. netViz did what it did great. It gave users the ability to document networks, data centers, and enterprise architecture diagrams. Users were using netViz to document its data center racks and cables, well before the term…
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netTerrain Settings: Secrets for Fine-tuning Your DCIM, OSP, and Network Diagrams
By Jan Durnhofer - February 20, 2020One of our mantras as a software company is to try to deliver a product that you can “manage by exception”. This means that, ideally, the software should already be configured in such a way that it accommodates your most likely needs. Only in case of an exception, in which some setting needs to be…
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netTerrain Complaint of the Week: the previewer isn’t smooth enough!
By Jan Durnhofer - February 19, 2020Welcome back to our complaint-of-the-week series. After a rather long hiatus, we’re back again with this series dedicated to unearthing some of the weaknesses you may come across while using netTerrain. Exposing weaknesses…from a software vendor? Yep: as good software is an iterative process of improvement, we have no problem exposing some of the things…
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Zoom & Pan: a Gazillion Ways to Do It, but Stick to the Shortcuts!
By Jan Durnhofer - February 15, 2020As you may know, we usually poke fun at ourselves by writing about complaints customers have in our complaint of the week series that focuses on what our users don’t love about our software for network mapping, data center management, and outside plant. Today, however, I’m turning the tables a bit: I’m putting you, our…
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What is netTerrain?
By Fred Koh - February 10, 2020How did you reach our website? Hear about us from a coworker? Maybe Google or other search engine? Perhaps one of your staff recommended us. However you landed here, you may be wondering: “what exactly is netTerrain?” If you’ve checked out a page or two on our website, read a blog, or maybe watched a…
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Not All Network Documentation is the Same
By Fred Koh - February 7, 2020When I’m talking to network engineers about documenting the network, I always ask the following question, “what does network documentation mean to you?” The responses I get range from: “I just want to document my routers and switches and be able to show this to management” ”I need to document everything — from office workstations,…
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