Change Management Crucial in DCIM & Network Mapping Success

Change Management Crucial in DCIM & Network Mapping Success

By - August 29, 2018

Have you been using spreadsheets and Visio diagrams to document your data center and networks? Are you considering upgrading to DCIM or an automated network diagramming solution? I’ve consulted on numerous project approvals and over the years, I’ve found that two key questions pop up time and time again: How, exactly, will you maintain the…

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Network Visibility for IoT Devices

Network Visibility for IoT Devices

By - August 27, 2018

By now, we’ve all heard about the Internet of Things (IoT) via various news articles, social media posts, and maybe even stock analysts. How you define IoT depends upon what you’re doing: for some, it’s self-driving vehicles, sensor networks for monitoring, ‘smart cities’, or walking into an Amazon grocery store and picking up lunch without…

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Network Diagram Software 101

Network Diagram Software 101

By - August 23, 2018

If you manage a complicated network, or if you’re establishing one, network diagrams are a necessity. A good network diagram defines the network’s structure and layout using a variety of symbols that represent the devices and connections between them. A ‘completed’ network diagram for a complex network will, most likely, have hundreds of symbols —…

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What is the OSI Model?

What is the OSI Model?

By - August 21, 2018

Before you dive into what you may want to document and include in a network diagram, you’ll probably want to have a basic understand of what, exactly, the OSI model is. The Open Systems Interconnection Model (OSI) is, in a nutshell, a theoretical or reference model which defines how the different applications in a network…

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Can You Diagram the Network with Visio?

Can You Diagram the Network with Visio?

By - August 17, 2018

If you manage a network, you know (all too well) that IT documentation is one of those things you need to do but never seem to have the time to get done. It can be an especially daunting (and joyless) task if you plan to diagram and document with Visio network diagrams. That being said,…

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How Network Diagrams Help You with Compliance & Regulations

How Network Diagrams Help You with Compliance & Regulations

By - August 15, 2018

Recently, I wrote a blog entitled ‘Network Documentation: Is It Really a Priority?’: in this blog, I discussed the importance of network diagrams and documentation in capacity planning, reducing mean-time-to-repair, lowering expenditures, cutting down on IT clutter, and more. One significant issue I didn’t discuss in that blog is this: regulatory compliance. Graphical Networks, my…

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Where Has All The Good Data Gone?

Where Has All The Good Data Gone?

By - August 13, 2018

So…you’re sick of troubleshooting that takes forever, fed up with buying IT stuff just to realize 6 months later you didn’t really need it or already had it, and you’re completely exasperated by those expenditures that keep going up, up, and away? You’ve finally decided that you want – no, scratch that – need to…

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Network Documentation: Is It Really a Priority?

Network Documentation: Is It Really a Priority?

By - August 10, 2018

Let’s face it: we all say “network documentation is important”… but for some reason it is never truly considered urgent or a higher priority. I hear it all the time. Yet, when the ‘you know what’ hits the fan, we all go desperately scrambling for those uninspired network documents…only to find them outdated and basically…

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Cloud vs. On-Premise Software for Managing the Network

Cloud vs. On-Premise Software for Managing the Network

By - August 8, 2018

2018 is the year of the Cloud (okay, maybe someone said that about 2017, and maybe they’ll say that about 2019, too). Right now, there is a lot of discussion around what’s better in software today: a Cloud or on-premise solution? There’s no doubt that the Cloud is trending upward. A 2017 tech forecast survey…

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Movies that Desperately Needed Network Diagrams

Movies that Desperately Needed Network Diagrams

By - August 6, 2018

Sometimes, 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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How To: Network Diagrams with Visio & Spreadsheets

How To: Network Diagrams with Visio & Spreadsheets

By - June 12, 2018

If 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?

The Totally Biased Guide to Documenting Your Network: What Can Be Documented?

By - June 5, 2018

Now 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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