Modern network visualization software should be capable of detecting and accurately mapping an organization’s IT infrastructure. These tools also support granular traffic data views and generate actionable insights.
They also help IT teams prepare faster and more accurate network documentation for compliance audits.
Visualizations
Choosing the right network visualizer software is essential based on your unique requirements and the kind of network you wish to visualize. Visualizing a network is a handy tool that permits users to investigate links and correlations in related data sets that are not feasible with two-dimensional, spreadsheet-style data. It allows analysts and investigators to spot patterns, identify outliers, and uncover insights that might be missed.
Visualizations include graphs, maps, diagrams, and several other styles. Ideally, visualizations are embedded in end users’ interfaces and tools, so they don’t require a separate learning curve. This way, they can be incorporated into the workflow and become critical to users’ day-to-day work.
The graphical depictions of device dependencies, network layouts, and data flows provided by network map visualizations enable faster troubleshooting. They also help you plan network upgrades more precisely by identifying faulty devices that can be replaced quickly. Many modern network visualization tools offer instant notifications for critical issues to streamline incident response. These features can drastically reduce downtime and loss of revenue. It makes them an essential Network Operation Center (NOC) component.
Multi-layer mapping
Users can create data layers using multi-layer maps by selecting and configuring the desired datasets. Each layer has its map drawing properties, such as symbology, labeling, and drawing rules that determine how features are displayed on the map. Adding multiple layers is easy, as users can drag another geographical field into the map view to overlay an independent layer onto the existing base layer.
A visual topology map provides an accurate graphical picture of device interdependencies and data flows, helping to identify performance issues and make fixes quickly. Network visualization tools help lay out a blueprint for future network upgrades by providing critical information about device dependencies and resource utilization rates.
Network operations teams are more productive when they clearly understand your network architecture. Visualizations help them identify specific problem areas faster and communicate those issues with other team members, reducing time spent on troubleshooting. They can also more quickly prepare for regulatory compliance audits with precise, logical, and physical network structure documentation.
Customizable layouts
Customizing layouts of your network diagram allows you to quickly document the broader strokes of your network and dive down into details at a device level. Most modern network visualization tools offer a range of layout options to fit your specific needs, allowing you to use a template or create your custom layout and apply it to multiple open diagrams.
The flexibility of layouts in your network visualization tool enables you to fine-tune diagram feature geometries and adjust the spacing between them. For example, you can move a diagram junction to reshape it from and to diagram edges and stretch all connected diagram features. You can also add or remove layout features from the edge of a diagram to adjust the size and shape of its content.
Data visualization
Whether you’re a teacher explaining student test results or a computer scientist exploring advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), visualizing data is an integral part of your work. It’s essential to understand the connections between information and to communicate those relationships with others so they can act on them.
Using network visualization software enables you to identify the connections between devices and understand how they interact. It can help you quickly resolve problems, avoid downtime, and prepare for regulatory compliance audits without disruption.
Network visibility also helps you manage the performance of IT systems and services so that you can scale them to meet business demands. It can be beneficial for organizations that are undergoing digital transformation projects.
When choosing a network visualization tool, be sure that it can display your data in a way that’s relevant to your audience. For example, a radial axis visualization highlights relationships between articles with similar citations or co-authors. At the same time, a density view can show how many connections are present at a given location.
Reporting
The network visualization tools you use should provide reports that help you understand a wealth of data at a glance. These can include maps and charts of network devices’ physical and logical layouts, performance graphs over time, and more.
These reporting capabilities can help you quickly identify issues, prioritize them, and initiate remediation. They can also aid network planning, capacity management, and strategic decision-making.
For example, a powerful network visualizer with topology mapping, visual network discovery, inventory reporting, and more. It’s also effective at assisting network troubleshooting, as it can automatically detect device faults and begin remediation. Additionally, it allows you to detect dependencies between parent and dependent devices. Lastly, it can also help you organize your network geographically. It supports diverse network components and can be used on any OS. It’s free for up to three devices and custom-priced after that. A demo is available.
