Broadcom Software Academy Blog

Broadcom Unveils DX NetOps Global Topology

Written by Sandeep Tiwary | Sep 23, 2024 4:26:14 PM
Key Takeaways
  • Network topologies are growing increasingly complex.
  • DX NetOps Global Topology is a next-gen all-in-one topology analytics solution.
  • Get unparalleled clarity, context and control, transforming the oversight of your global enterprise network.

In today’s rapidly evolving networking landscape, enterprise networks are more complex than ever before. Network organizations must manage traditional Layer 2 networks while adopting cutting-edge software-defined technologies such as SD-WAN, SDDC, and SD-LAN.

Managing these globally distributed, multi-dimensional networks is no small feat. With so many interconnected components, Network Operations Center (NOC) teams require more than just basic tools; they need solutions that are comprehensive and user-friendly enough to make their job easier.

DX NetOps Global Topology

DX NetOps Global Topology is a next-generation, all-in-one topology analytics solution designed to empower operations teams. It visualizes and manages large-scale, distributed enterprise networks for both traditional and software-defined environments. The solution provides valuable insights and contextual monitoring information, such as performance and fault management, seamlessly integrated into standard operational workflows.

DX NetOps Global Topology provides NOC teams with complete visibility into their entire enterprise network, enabling them to assess the health and performance of every connection. This comprehensive observability allows teams to confidently monitor and manage their environment, regardless of its complexity, ensuring they can both understand and demonstrate its reliability.

Let's explore some of the key features of the solution.

Distributed network visualization at a glance

DX NetOps Global Topology offers single-pane-of-glass and top-down views of your enterprise network regardless of whether it's a traditional Layer 2 infrastructure or a modern software-defined architecture. The topology map displays all nodes, links, devices, and paths across distributed locations such as data centers, branch offices, and cloud environments. This bird’s-eye view is invaluable in helping NOC teams quickly understand network relationships, spot anomalies, and drill down into specific domains of interest.


DX NetOps Global Topology top-down view of enterprise network

SD-WAN visualization

SD-WAN is all about dynamically optimizing network paths across geographically distributed locations. DX NetOps Global Topology real-time path visualization helps pinpoint issues, such as link congestion or failure. With selected SD-WAN technologies such as Silverpeak, Viptela you can:

  • Visualize end-to-end SD-WAN deployments to investigate control plane to data plane connectivity.
  • Display SD-WAN overlays showing how traffic is routed over private links and the internet.
  • Monitor SD-WAN edge performance, overlay tunnel paths performance, and path quality.
  • Check SD-WAN policies to ensure compliance and flow optimization.


DX NetOps Global Topology end-to-end visualization of SilverPeak SD-WAN deployment


DX NetOps Global Topology overlay to underlay path correlation

SDDC visualization

In SDDC environments, traditional hardware resources are virtualized, enabling dynamic, software-managed workloads. DX NetOps Global Topology offers in-depth visibility into both the virtual and physical components of the data center network. This empowers NOC teams to proactively identify and resolve performance bottlenecks, ensuring that networks remain efficient and reliable. With technologies such as Cisco ACI, you can:

  • Visualize your multi-pod data center fabric, including spine and leaf nodes.
  • Track endpoint performance within the data center.


DX NetOps Global Topology displays multi-pod ACI fabric topology

SD-LAN visualization

As organizations increasingly adopt SD-LAN for a more agile and centralized approach to managing campus and branch networks, DX NetOps Global Topology enables unified management across both wired and wireless infrastructures. Its advanced visualization capabilities cover everything from physical access points to virtual switches, ensuring optimal traffic flow and performance within these modern LAN environments. On top of solutions such as Cisco Catalyst Center, you can:

  • Visualize the campus network LAN topology and benefit from wireless controllers to access point correlations.
  • Gain contextual insights into network segments and devices.


DX NetOps Global Topology displays LAN fabric and controller to access point correlations

Layer 2 visualization

DX NetOps Topology provides Layer 2 visualizations integrating contextual access to key performance metrics and device faults. Within your standard network management workflows, you gain access to:

  • Bandwidth utilization and capacity for every link.
  • Errors and discards to troubleshoot transmission issues.
  • CPU and memory to check device utilization.
  • Availability status to track devices and links.


DX NetOps Global Topology delivers contextual monitoring information at Layer 2

Advance multi-hop triage views

The advanced multi-hop triage view enriches device information with neighboring topology context, allowing operators to navigate through multiple hops along the problematic path. This feature helps assess the downstream or upstream impact and facilitates root cause identification or symptom isolation.

With a configurable hop count, operators can customize the extent of the network impact, adding precision and flexibility to problem-solving efforts. Throughout the triage process, contextually correlated monitoring information is seamlessly integrated within the same topology view, enabling faster and more efficient troubleshooting without the need to switch between multiple screens.


DX NetOps Global Topology showing multi-hop neighbor topology triage view

Contextual fault and performance monitoring

While most network monitoring tools keep performance and event views separate from the network topology, DX NetOps Global Topology seamlessly integrates these elements within the broader context of the entire network architecture. When an issue arises, it’s not just about detecting that something went wrong; it’s about understanding exactly where and why it happened. Such an approach helps you:

  • Identify issues faster, reducing the time to restore broken services.
  • Better understand how local faults or performance glitches impact your global network.
  • Make informed decisions about network performance optimization.


DX NetOps Global Topology displays contextual fault and performance monitoring information.

Topology Clustering

DX NetOps Global Topology advanced clustering feature enables the efficient management of large-scale networks. Clustering intelligently organizes extensive networks into logical groups or sub-networks based on criteria such as connections, device types, and IP address ranges. This results in a well-structured and visually coherent topology, offering a clearer and more intuitive view than traditional, cluttered layouts. By segmenting the network into manageable clusters, NOC operators gain enhanced visibility and streamlined navigation, making complex network management more accessible and practical.

Conclusion

As network organizations grapple with the complexities of managing hybrid networks, DX NetOps Global Topology provides intelligent options for unifying the management of both traditional Layer 2 and software-defined networks. Its advanced capabilities for visualizing and managing globally distributed networks—coupled with contextual fault and performance monitoring—make it an invaluable asset for the NOC. For organizations seeking to elevate their network management capabilities, DX NetOps Global Topology offers unparalleled clarity, context, and control, transforming the oversight of your global enterprise network.

Existing DX NetOps customers will experience enhanced topology visualization at no additional cost by simply installing the latest version. Take advantage of our complimentary Designated Weekend Upgrade Program, which helps you upgrade DX NetOps with confidence and convenience.