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1. Instantly Create Network Diagrams Dynamic diagrams are created on-demand and embedded with configuration data. This section will get you started
creating your first dynamic diagram and help you interact with it to visualize network configuration and performance.
1.1 Search, Then Map
In this section, you will search for a network device and
instantly build a layer-3 network diagram from the
search results.
Step 1
To get started, type a hostname(e.g. Bos-WAN) into the Search box under the Home tab. Tip:To minimize your search results, check the box next to ‘Exact Match Only’.
Step 2
Under the Search Results tab, hover the cursor
over the device and click the icon for a Layer-3 preview map.
Click View Larger Map to open a new Qmap centered on the search result.
Tip: To open the map full-screen, right click the map tab and click ‘Move to Previous Tab Group’.
Note: Make sure the map displays the L3 Bos-WAN tab at the bottom left of the map.
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Step 3
Any device in the map with a icon has neighbors not currently displayed on the map. To display
the neighbors, click and then double-click a device.
Tip: To select multiple neighbors simultaneously, use the CTRL key followed by ENTER.
Step 4
Repeat Step 3, extending neighbor devices, until you have a network map satisfying your area of interest.
1.2 Instantly Analyze Network
Design
You can interact with the map to access network
configuration and design data. In this section you will
instantly annotate routing protocol on the map. When
you’re done, you canexport the diagram to Microsoft Visio
with one-click.
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Step 1
To visualize interface configuration such as routing protocol, multicasting, ACLs, etc., simply zoom into the map (using the wheel of the mouse).
Step 2
The configuration data driving the map label is accessible directly from the map. Just hover the mouse cursor over a label to see it.
Tip: To save this configlet to the map, click the save
icon .
Step 3
To visualize certain design criteria at-a-glance, you can instantly annotate the map with routing, multicasting, and MPLS VRF.
From the map’s floating menu, select Highlight Routing Protocol…
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Step 4
Devices and interface links will be color-coded, with a legend, so you can get an instant glanceof the routing configuration.
Step 5
To export the annotated diagram to Visio format, click Export Visio Map from the map’s floating menu.
Microsoft Visio will open automatically and a static replica of the diagram will be created in seconds.
Note: Microsoft Visio must be installed for this feature to work.
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1.3 Monitor Network
Performance
Visual network monitoring in NetBrain is different from
traditional network monitoring. In this section, you will
visualize real-time data and alarms on the map, such as
interface up/down status, link error, delay, packet loss,
etc.
Step 1
From the map’s floating menu, click Monitor and select “Overall Health Monitor” to begin SNMP polling. The dynamic diagram will switch to ‘Heatmap view’, displaying live performance metrics.
Step 2
Device and interface statistics are displayed in blue on the map. Performance measurements over threshold are highlighted in red.
Tip: To define alarm thresholds, right-click blank map space, and select MonitorDefine…
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Step 3
To view a chart of monitored data over time, right click the data of interest and select View Chart.
Step 4
The chart opens on the bottom of the screen.
Note: Monitoring statistics are collected on-demand. The chart will only display data collected since monitoring started.
1.4 Collect Batch CLI Output
To quickly query the status of the network, you can
collect show-commands in a batch, rather than one at a
time. In this section, you will kick off a batch, annotate
the results, and save them to the map.
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Step 1
From the map’s floating menu, select Run Execute CLI Commands…
Step 2
Click Add… to specify one or more show-commands. By default, they will be run against every device in the map.
Tip:For enhanced organization, specify a Destination DataFolder (at the top of the screen) where the output will be stored.
Step 3
Click Start to kick off the batch. Once all commands have been successfully executed, click View Outputs to view the results.
Tip:You can take notes and make highlights to callout any discrepancies or observations in the output.
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Step 4
When you’re done, you can create a hyperlink to important results. Click Create Hyperlink from the CLI Command Output Browser.
Tip:Hyperlinks can be saved directly to the map, or within the built-in Notes tab.
Step 5
All map data is accessible from the Map Data tab. This tab is located to the left of the map.
Tip: Configuration files, recorded monitoring data, and attachments are accessible from the Map Data tab as well.
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2. Troubleshoot a Slow Application This section will walk you through a real-world troubleshooting scenario of a slow application, leveraging NetBrain
visualization and automation.
2.1 Map the Application Path
Documentation is critical when troubleshooting a slow
application in real-time. In this section, you will create
layer-3 and layer-2 maps between two endpoints (i.e. a
user and multicast server).
Step 1
To get started, specify a source and destination address under the Home tab and click Path.
If using NetBrain Lab:
Source: 10.30.10.10
Destination: 10.10.12.10
Tip: To map the roundtrip path, ensure the two-
way option is selected ( )
Step 2
NetBrain will begin drawing the roundtrip L3 path between source and destination hop-by-hop.
Tip: To customize the map layout, move map icons with the mouse. Alternatively, right-click the blank map space and select Auto Layout.
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Step 3
In this example, the roundtrip path takes an asymmetric route (following a different return path).
Note: The forward direction path is a different color than the reverse.
Step 4
To see the L2 path (in the reverse direction) right-click the dotted path arrow and select View L2 Path…
Step 5
A new Layer-2 map tab will open displaying in-bound and out-bound switch port connectivity from 10.10.12.10 to 10.30.10.10
You now have detailed layer-3 and layer-2 diagrams of the problem area.
2.2 Monitor Network Performance
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Trying to find congested links or dropped packets with NetBrain is easy. In this section, you will turn on live monitoring to
view link status, bandwidth utilization, packet loss and more.
Step 1
From the L2 map’s floating menu, click Monitor and select “Overall Health Monitor” to begin SNMP polling. The dynamic diagram will switch to ‘Heatmap view’, displaying live performance metrics.
Step 2
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Device and interface statistics are displayed in blue on the map with port up-down status. Any measurements over threshold are highlighted in red.
Tip: To define alarm thresholds, right-click blank map space, and select MonitorDefine…
Step 3
Turn on monitoring on the layer-3 map as well to see if any measurements are over threshold.
Step 4
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To view a chart of monitored data over time, right click the data of interest and select View Chart.
Step 5
The chart opens on the bottom of the screen.
Note: Monitoring statistics are collected on-demand. The chart will only display data collected since monitoring started.
Having potentially found some congestion, you are ready to see what might have changed to cause it.
2.3 View Historical Application Path
You can analyze historical configuration, route tables, and
more in NetBrain. In this section you will visualize the
application path as it looked last week, using historical
benchmark data.
Step 1
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Cleanup the map by turning off monitoring and deleting the dotted asymmetric paths (select and delete).
Step 2
Redraw the application path, this time using benchmark data from last week.
Under the Traffic Path interface, select the icon to change the path discovery method.
Step 3
Instead of ‘Via Live Network’ select ‘Via Cached Route Table in Data Folder’ and select ‘Last-Week’. Then click OK.
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Step 4
Again, click Find Path to draw the application path as it looked last week.
Note: The roundtrip path was symmetric last week.
It is evident that something has changed since last week. To determine what problems might exist on the current reverse
path (not in use last week) you can drill-down with Automation Procedures.
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3. Discover Your Own Network Your NetBrain trial allows you to experience the benefits of dynamic mapping on your own network. This section will help
you create a local workspace and then launch a network discovery.
3.1 Create a Local Workspace A local workspace in NetBrain allows you to customize a dedicated environment for your own network topology and
design.
Step 1
Click the NetBrain button to open the main drop-down menu. Then select Local Workspace New Local Workspace.
Step 2
Define your workspace name, description, and the number of nodes to reserve (maximum of 200).
Then click Next.
Step 3
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In the Network Settings screen, specify any and all Telnet or SSH login credentials (for both Privilege and non-Privilege mode) using the Add… button
Note: Picture is for reference only. Enter login credentials foryour own network.
Step 4
Under the SNMP String tab specify any and all SNMP Community strings.
Note: Picture is for reference only. Enter SNMP credentials of your network.
3.2 Launch Network Discovery
NetBrain builds a rich model of the network (topology and underlying design). To populate its database, NetBrain relies on a
comprehensive network discovery. The discovery is quick and efficient.
Step 1
From the Workspace Wizard (Step 2 of 2), there are three options for discovery:
1. Discover via Seed Router
2. Scan IP Range
3. Import IP List
Step 2
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The simplest and most efficient method is option 1: Specify a single Seed Router.
Simply enter the IP address of a core router or switch and click Discover. NetBrain will login to the device and then traverse the network from there.
Note: Picture is for reference only. Enter an IP address of a router in your network.
Step 3
The Live Network Discovery window will populate with a list of discovered devices.
Note: The status at the bottom of the window indicates the method NetBrain uses to access the device.
Step 4
A dialog box will indicate when the discovery is complete.
Step 5
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The Start page and Workspace pane on the left of the screen both provide a breakdown of the discovered devices.
With the discovery complete, you are now ready to experience the power of network automation and visualization on
your own network.
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4. Automate Change Management NetBrain’s Change Management module allows users to push configuration changes automatically. The impact of the
changes can be instantly analyzed and the entire process documented. This section will introduce you to the entire change
management workflow.
Note: The functionality of this feature is restricted for Instant Trial users operating on NetBrain’s trial lab network. In order
to successfully execute changes, you will need to discover devices on your own network.
4.1 Define Network Changes
In this section, you will define which devices will be
configured. This entails opening a Qmap, launching the
Change Management module from the map, and specifying a
configuration template.
Step 1
To get started, open a Qmap you created from a previous section.
Step 2
From the Qmap’s floating menu, select Run Define Network Change…
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Step 3
The Change Management Task provides a comprehensive workflow where you can define changes, automatically execute them, analyze the impact (compare), and then document the entire process.
Step 4
Specify a configuration template for changes you want to execute in the Define Network Change portion of the workflow.
Note that ‘config t’ is required in the config template.
Tip: To define more complex configuration changes, use ‘$’ to define variables (e.g. for interface names) inside two brackets ‘<> ‘.
Step 5
Click Apply to apply the config changes to every selected device and interface on the left.
Tip: To make changes for only a specified device, select it from the list on the left.
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4.2 Benchmark the Network
before Execution
In this section, you will benchmark the state of the
network. By running a benchmark before executing
changes, you will create a snapshot of the network
which you can reference for comparison later.
Step 1
Select the Benchmark Before button from the workflow along the top of the screen.
Step 2
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By default, the benchmark will retrieve configuration files and route tables from every device.
You can also add customized CLI commands to the benchmark by selecting Add… under ‘Define CLI Commands’.
Step 3
Specify one or more show-commands, select OK, and then select Run CLI Commands.
NetBrain will quickly log into each device, issue the appropriate show-commands, and save the results to the benchmark data.
Step 4
The benchmark icon along the top of the timeline marks the benchmark data point which includes the route tables, config files, and CLI commands.
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4.3 Execute Network Changes
In this section, you will automatically push the
configuration changes defined in Section 1.
Note: Instant Trial users operating on the NetBrain lab
will be unable to execute changes.
Step 1
Select the Execute button from the workflow along the top of the screen.
Step 2
Click Execute from the center of the window to kick off the configuration for all devices. You can watch the configuration roll out in real time.
Tip: You can pause or stop the configuration and even interact with the CLI at any point during the execution.
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Step 3
The CLI icon along the top of the timeline marks the execution point with a time stamp.
Note: You can click each device to see the execution log at the bottom of the window.
4.4 Benchmark and Compare
After automatically executing the changes, you are ready
to capture another benchmark data point and then
compare it to the one captured before the execution.
Step 1
Select the Benchmark After button from the workflow along the top of the screen.
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Step 2
Click Run CLI Commands once again to recapture config files, route tables, as well as the CLI commands identified in Section 2.
Note: When complete, another benchmark icon will appear along the timeline at the top of the window.
Step 3
To compare the two sets of benchmark data, first select the Compare button from the workflow along the top of the screen.
Step 4
In this window, specify the two benchmark data folders to compare.
Tip: You can right-click the benchmark icons along the timeline to set them as first and second data folders for comparison
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Step 5
Click the Compare button on the right side of the screen to compare the two benchmark data points.
Step 6
The results are populated to the corresponding tabs for ‘Configuration Files’, ‘Route Tables’ and ‘CLI Commands’. The right-most column indicates whether the result has changed.
Step 7
Double-click one of the config file entries to view a diff-style comparison between the configuration files for the selected devices.
You can similarly analyze changes in routing tables and CLI commands using the other two tabs.
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4.5 One-Click Documentation
The change management module allows you to document
the entire change process. You can save the change
management task as a qchange file and share it within your
group. You can also document the process with a Word
document with one-click.
Step 1
Click the Document button from the workflow along the top of the screen.
The click Yes when asked to save the task before continuing.
Step 2
Next, specify the information you want to export, using the template provided. By default, the following information is included:
Change history
Summary
Network map
Config change and results
Then click OK.
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Step 3
A detailed Word document will be created automatically with the information you selected in Step 2.
This document can be shared as part of your change management process.
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5. Customize Your Own Automation NetBrain offers customizable network automation which can accelerate virtually any task completed using the CLI.
Without any scripting experience, you can create powerful sample-driven scripts known as Automation Qapp.
This section will walk you through the process of writing an Automation Qapp to monitor device data.
Click the New Qapp under Qapp Tab. The New Qapp window opens.
Besides the General Qapp template, there are five built-in Qapp templates: Monitor, Inventory Report, Path
Analysis, Highlight Map and Neighbor Check. Double click the Monitor template. A new Qapp with the default
name monitor is created showing Execution Flow with three nodes: Input, Loop and Canvas.
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5.1 Qapp input and loop
Double click the Start node to define the input for a Qapp. Under the Device Input tag you can define the devices
this Qapp is executed against. A monitor Qapp must be executed within a Qmap and we can keep the default
Single Device type and Auto option, meaning that the Qapp takes all devices visible in the map and run
independently on each device.
Double click the Loop node to define the frequency this Qapp is executed, for example, every 30 seconds.
5.2 Define Canvas to retrieve and parse data
Double-click Canvas node in Execution Flow to bring up the Canvas window. A canvas defines how to retrieve,
parse and analyze the data and usually includes five components: Device Queue, Device Selector, Command,
Table and Output.
Device Queue defines the devices this canvas is run on. For the canvas of a monitor Qapp the device queue is
usually created from the Qapp device input (the default option). By default the device queue includes only one
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device column (this). The device queue can also include a pair of devices, the device (this) and its neighbors (nbr),
which will be covered in later section.
Double click the Command node to define how to retrieve and parse the data.
1) Enter the CLI command show process cpu in field 1. 2) Click the Retrieve Sample button (field 2) and select a Cisco IOS device. The sample output is shown in field 3:
Bos-Core1-Tr#show process cpu
CPU utilization for five seconds: 4%/0%; one minute: 5%; five minutes: 5%
PID Runtime(ms) Invoked uSecs 5Sec 1Min 5Min TTY Process