Network Digital Map

What Is Network Digital Map?

The digital map of the network accelerates the process of digital transformation across various sectors. By utilizing data pertaining to network resources, computing capabilities, application services, and end-users, this digital map effectively tackles the intricate operational and maintenance challenges arising from the advancements in IT technologies.

Background of Network Digital Mapping

In our daily lives, transit maps play a crucial role in guiding us through navigation, online ride-hailing, and food delivery services. Similarly, the concept of the network digital map is a specialized application of digital twin technology within the realm of Information Technology. Just as transit maps visualize roads and building infrastructures, the network digital map digitizes various industries based on the digital twin framework.

As network infrastructures expand and demand higher performance, there arises a need for more rigorous network Operations and Maintenance (O&M) practices. Addressing the complexity brought about by advanced IT technologies like virtualization, containerization, service mesh, and multi-active geographical redundancy, the network digital map leverages data from network resources, computing resources, application service resources, and end-users to tackle intricate O&M challenges.

The primary goal of the network digital map is to develop a unified IT digital twin solution that transcends O&M boundaries. By fostering unified O&M practices across cloud environments, networks, and applications, it enables multi-dimensional and multi-layer visualization of interconnected networks while eradicating data silos and establishing an ICT big data repository.

Delivering a map-based experience, the network digital map offers a diverse array of functionalities, including multi-dimensional dynamic topology, search and location services, topology restoration, and path navigation.

Service Scenarios of Network Digital Mapping

The network digital map offers versatile and open data access capabilities, fostering seamless integration with network-wide devices and third-party systems. It aggregates a multitude of data types including device, server, application, LLDP, MAC, ARP, and routing information across the network. Utilizing topology restoration algorithms grounded in LLDP data, MAC address entries, and traffic characteristics, it provides comprehensive views of data center network topology, server topology, virtual network topology, and application topology. Moreover, the network digital map delivers functionalities such as search and location services, visibility into application-network interactions, and link status inquiries including packet loss rates and bandwidth utilization.

Utilizing network simulation algorithms, the network digital map empowers users to restore all network paths between two IP addresses. This encompasses paths between devices and external networks, between two devices, and between terminal IP addresses (e.g., physical machines, VMs, containers, and VTEP IP addresses). Additionally, it furnishes insights into network path statuses (e.g., route interruptions, ACL blocks, or port-down events), streamlining the identification of faults causing network unreachability.

Capabilities of the Network Digital Map

Managing Applications and Application Communication Relationships:

Applications and their communication relationships are presented in organized lists. Users have the flexibility to manually add applications and their communication relationships, or import templates to streamline the process. Additionally, users can view and maintain applications and their communication relationships effectively.

Displaying Application Topologies:

The application topology feature exhibits applications alongside their inter-application links. Users can customize which applications are displayed, access information regarding inter-application links, and explore the server topology and panoramic topology of individual applications.

Network Asset Management:

Various types of network assets are organized and displayed in a list format. Users can access detailed information about assets, manually add new assets, or import templates for bulk addition. Furthermore, existing assets can be efficiently maintained and updated.

Network Topology Restoration:

Multiple restoration algorithms are available to compute the roles and link information of specific devices, including unmanaged or LLDP-disabled devices, enabling the restoration of their network topology.

Data Collection from Third-Party Systems:

The MDC supports data collection from customized third-party systems. Upon successful interconnection with these systems, users can develop data collection capabilities using Python scripts. A wide range of data types can be collected, including application details, ARP tables, port traffic, and more. Additionally, the MDC can collect service data from NSX-T and APIC, offering seamless integration and comprehensive data collection capabilities.

Data Synchronization from Domain Controllers:

When a domain controller is managed by the MDC and configured with the Kafka protocol, network service data stored on the domain controller can be synchronized to the MDC via the northbound Kafka interface.

Device Data Collection:

The MDC utilizes the STelnet protocol to collect various types of data from devices listed in the asset management inventory. This includes VXLAN peer information, STP VLANs, device configurations, and more.

Path Navigation:

With region data modeling, users can query all equal-cost paths between any two nodes within the same data center and assess their path health status.

Multi-Cloud Simulation:

The MDC offers a multi-cloud simulation feature, allowing the collection of live-network configurations and utilizing simulation technology to verify the impact of network configuration changes on the live network environment. This facilitates comprehensive pre-event verification and aids in the localization of problematic network elements during network faults.

Network Digital Map Architecture

The architecture of the network digital map is depicted, comprising three main layers:

Service Application Layer:

This layer offers essential functions of the network digital map, enabling customers to achieve topology visualization, thereby facilitating routine Operations and Maintenance (O&M) activities and service modifications.

Service Platform:

The service platform encompasses crucial technical modules essential for the network digital map's operation. These modules are responsible for implementing functions at the application layer or ensuring necessary dependencies are met. The digital twin engine serves as a foundational element for data governance and digital modeling, constituting one of the core pillars of the network digital map. Additionally, the network simulation module plays a vital role in network simulation modeling, path computation, and breakpoint analysis, serving as a technical cornerstone for network topology navigation.

Data Access Layer:

Centralizing the management of diverse data sources and collection drivers, the data access layer provides data access services for the network digital map system, ensuring efficient data retrieval and utilization.