Need Layer 2 Network Diagrams?
By Fred Koh - September 1, 2021I just wrote an article that gives you a checklist to run down before you purchase automated network mapping software (you can read it here). One of the items mentioned in this checklist is the need for Layer 2(L2) discovery. By Layer 2 discovery, I mean: how are network devices connected to each other? A…
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DCIM Software Racks: Changes and Capacity Planning
By Jan Durnhofer - August 31, 2021In the previous two blogs in this five-part series, we covered rack basics such as rack mounting, as well as visual overrides for racks. In this, the third blog in this series (and corresponding video, which begins at 9:55 and ends at 12:55), we’ll look at capacity management for racks in netTerrain DCIM software. When…
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DCIM Software Racks: Capacity Visual Overrides
By Jan Durnhofer - August 30, 2021In the first blog in this series, we discussed the basics of racks in netTerrain DCIM — and you also learned how to mount equipment to racks. What’s next in this, the second part of this five-part series? In this blog (and video, which begins at 6:57 and ends at 9:54), we’ll explore some of…
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The Automated Network Mapping Software Checklist
By Fred Koh - August 27, 2021Before you buy automated network mapping software (software that helps network operations to understand all the devices on a network and how they are interconnected through network discovery), you typically go through the process of making sure you really need it, make the case to the bosses upstairs that they really need to fund it,…
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DCIM Software Racks: Basics
By Jan Durnhofer - August 26, 2021In this blog series all about racks, we’ll dive into using racks in netTerrain and explore some of the capabilities in terms of: ease of rack mounting, modeling, the different kinds of racks or cabinets that you can create, and some of the capacity planning features. In this blog, the first in a five part…
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Convince Your Boss You Need Network Diagrams with 5 Statistics
By Fred Koh - August 12, 2021Do you manage the network? Is relying on Visio and spreadsheets driving you crazy? Know you need network diagrams but you’ve got to make a strong case to the bosses upstairs? If just promising them that you’ll get more done, reduce downtime, meet Service Level Agreement (SLAs), lessen the burden of overtime, and keep crucial…
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Why Don’t You Publish Your Software Pricing?
By Fred Koh - July 26, 2021When exploring purchasing software, whether it’s looking for a network diagram tool, a Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) software, or Outside Plant (OSP) software, one of the first things that crosses people’s mind is…how much does your software cost? We don’t publish our prices online because the cost is based on two things: what do…
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Got Fiber Plant Diagrams?
By Fred Koh - July 20, 2021During the intervening years since we first launched netTerrain Outside Plant (OSP) — it’s an add on module to netTerrain Logical or netTerrain DCIM — we’ve fielded many questions about the type of GIS-enabled maps that netTerrain supports as well as netTerrain’s ability to import existing maps/diagrams. What’s netTerrain OSP (Outside Plant Software)? First, what’s…
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Beavers vs. Your Outside Plant
By Fred Koh - July 16, 2021When we first saw this news story back in April of this year, we said, “we have to write a blog about this.” What’s it about? Well, you probably “wood”n’t believe it, but: beavers caused some massive headaches in a Canadian town. Yes: beavers. If you’re new to working on the outside plant, that may…
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Need to Replace Your DCIM Software?
By Fred Koh - July 14, 2021Using a Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) solution? Whether it’s something free (like OpenDCIM) or something you paid for, there may come a time when you decide you need something that your current DCIM solution doesn’t offer, or if your DCIM vendor has moved on to focus on other products and is not supporting its…
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Outdated Hardware/Software Headaches? Network Diagrams/DCIM Can Help
By Fred Koh - July 9, 2021In 2016, Dimension Data released their then-annual Network Barometer Report which showed that 42% of network devices were either outdated or aging. While this statistic is a few years old, I doubt the numbers have radically changed since then. It’s all too easy for software and hardware to become outdated…but the price you pay for…
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1000 DCIM Canned Reports is Not Enough: Design Your Own Dashboards
By Jan Durnhofer - July 7, 2021Having all of the data center and network documentation in place in a system is not always the end game: we also gain insight from the data, gain a better understanding of how the data’s aggregated and, perhaps, take action. Usually these insights come in the form of reports (which may look like, as shown…
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