Movies that Desperately Needed Network Diagrams
By Jason Sherman - August 6, 2018Sometimes, we all want to see the kind of work we do up on the big silver screen. Although the life of a network engineer isn’t as glamorous as say, the life of an international spy….we still have those dramatic moments at work from time to time (hey: I’m sure there were some Hollywood-worthy lines…
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To Reduce Cybersecurity Risks, You Need to Know What’s In The Network
By Jason Sherman - August 2, 2018Exciting developments at foot in the world of cyber security: the National Institute of Standards and Technology has developed the Cybersecurity Framework, which is a voluntary framework with standards, guidelines, and practices for managing (and mitigating) cybersecurity risks. If you haven’t heard about it, here’s the Cliff Notes version: The Cybersecurity Framework began back in…
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How To: Network Diagrams with Visio & Spreadsheets
By Jason Sherman - June 12, 2018If you’re a network engineer trying to manage the network — without automated network diagramming software — let me tip my hat to you: you’re probably better qualified than I am to write the introduction to this blog. Network engineers everywhere know, all too well, the pain of troubleshooting, fixing network outages and issues when…
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The Totally Biased Guide to Documenting Your Network: What Can Be Documented?
By Jason Sherman - June 5, 2018Now that you’ve identified what it is that you actually need to document, let’s dive into the details….aka what does that look like in your brain? Imagine you have a crystal ball and look into the future: what does your documentation look like. By ‘future’ I mean that you should set a realistic timeline —…
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How to Keep Your Network Diagram Project Right-Sized
By Jason Sherman - May 17, 2018When it comes to mapping and diagramming the network, is there such a thing as inviting ‘too many people to the party’? Of course, it’s always more fun to invite others to your (network documentation) party…and, of course, sometimes you have to. Sometimes, however, it is more effective to start small and do just what…
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The Totally Biased Guide to Documenting Your Network: Want & Need
By Jason Sherman - May 11, 2018In the first installment in this series, we discussed whether or not you have pain. If you’re still reading, you probably determined that you do, indeed, have some very real pain points that you want to solve with automated network mapping and documentation. Your next step, then, is to define what you want to do…vs….
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Totally Biased Guide to Documenting Your Network
By Jason Sherman - April 27, 2018Here at Graphical Networks, we see it every day: automatic network documentation and diagramming makes life easier for our customers. With automation, users can fix network outages faster, troubleshoot issues quickly, reduce expenditure on unnecessary IT stuff, and save time and resources managing changes to the network. If you’re considering making the jump from no…
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The Art of Data Center Migrations
By Jason Sherman - April 20, 2018I know what I want to do next week: move some servers….what fun! I might as well move some mountains while I’m at it. So, how the heck do you plan out a data center migration? With a notebook and piece of paper (of course): 1. Draw a picture of the servers switches and routers….
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Tales of Fiber Network Outages
By Jason Sherman - April 18, 2018Ever seen the insurance ad that goes something like, “Insurance: when you need it, you really need it” alongside a photograph of a house with extensive damage? Fiber network documentation goes something like that: when you need it, you really need it. Fiber networks are, by their nature, vulnerable to damage. Wondering what the top…
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Why Airports Need Inside & Outside Network Maps
By Jason Sherman - April 16, 2018Ever really look at a map of the airport? It’s a bustling network of terminals, concourses, shopping centers, food courts, kiosks, security checkpoints, and, of course, airplanes. If you’ve ever been delayed for hours, you know that airports can be a destination unto themselves (for better or worse). Airports are constantly evolving — and their…
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Buying DCIM? Don’t Overlook Customer Service
By Jason Sherman - April 4, 2018In general, the importance of good customer service can’t be overstated: with DCIM, it’s crucial to a successful implementation. Unfortunately, with DCIM — it can prove hard to find. I manage customer support for our documentation suite: DCIM, network mapping, and outside plant. I think one reason we have had success is being able to…
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When You Can’t Google the Network
By Jason Sherman - April 3, 2018Need to find an answer to your network question quickly? How would you find it? These days, we’re used to being able to get the answers to our questions in seconds (thanks, Google). Need to know where the nearest Indian restaurant is when you’re driving through the middle of nowhere (this happened to me recently)….?…
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