NetWhere provides the ability to search through all network resources gives network managers, helpdesk staff and others with responsibility for administration, support, security and compliance, the comprehensive insight into network connectivity they need, to make informed decisions. Soundly-based on technology already developed in collaboration with major institutional customers, NetWhere is primarily designed to increase and improve the diagnostic and support issue resolution capabilities of first and second level helpdesk staff.

Key Features & Benefits:

• Database of devices and interfaces stores the inventory of network elements
• Powerful search feature provides a fast and efficient way to access the required information
• Interface status shown for each managed device
• Interface shutdown feature allows the operator remotely to shut down or re-start network interfaces
• Switch connectivity feature shows what ports are in use on the network’s switches and what is using them, when and for how long.
• Switch Forensics shows the history of every hostname, IP address, MAC address and Switch Port so that address assignments and connectivity over your network over periods of time can be tracked, highlighting newcomers to the network and unused switch ports. This is useful for capacity planning, auditing and security tracking.
• Cisco IOS config download feature – downloads and stores versions of configuration from Cisco devices. Any previous version of a device’s config will be available on demand.
• Full user authentication and access control allows the administrator to permit or deny access to any devices and/or functionality within the product.
  

Product Summary

NetWhere is primarily designed to increase and improve the diagnostic and support issue resolution capabilities of first and second level helpdesk staff. This is greatly simplified by the IP address-to-MAC address resolution tool built into NetWhere. NetWhere is vendor-independent and works with virtually any suitably-enabled network device, thanks to the open standards on which it is based – SNMP and MIB II.

We have also identified four key areas where the improved understanding of network activity and performance that NetWhere and other Crannog Software applications provide, can have a major impact on organisational effectiveness.

	Security
	Operational Management
	Voice & Data Convergance
	Support Services

Security

Monitoring network activity can play a major part in establishing and maintaining network security. Our monitoring software is based on these fundamentals:

• Coverage - NetWhere is vendor-independent and works with virtually any suitably-enabled network device, thanks to the open standards on which it is based – SNMP and MIB II. NetWhere can zero in on individual client machines by determining which IP address and MAC address is connected to which network device port. This is greatly simplified by the hostname and IP address-to-MAC address resolution functionality in NetWhere.
• Security Policy Compliance - By assisting in the identification and location of rogue hosts, machines or wireless access points and the network devices to which they are or have been connected and when, NetWhere ensures a greatly increased speed-of-response to security alerts. NetWhere logs device movements network-wide, so allowing management to establish whether individual clients are complying with internal security policies and providing a forensic audit trail of where, when and how they have connected to the network.
• Network Host Forensics - Switch connectivity reports give you not only the current state of your switch ports and the hosts connected to them but also the history of what has been connected to each port. A searchable forensics database of switch connectivity stores all host connectivity information read from your network. From this, the administrator can see a history of every host on the network (by MAC Address, IP or Hostname), and every switch port.
• Advantages of switch forensics:
  • Track a suspect device around your network, even "after the fact"
  • Find out what host was assigned a specific hostname or IP address
  • See what hosts have been changing IP address or hostname
  • Discover where mini-hubs or switches have been used to add unauthorised hosts to the LAN

Operational Management

In order to keep infrastructure costs under control, networks must run to fine tolerances. As key links are optimised to match available bandwidth to demands, our monitoring software provides the information needed to make informed decisions.

• Capacity Planning - NetWhere makes it possible to identify capacity issues in the switch infrastructure. Racks full of switches with flood-wired cables connected say very little about how many switch ports are regularly in use, but NetWhere does: it will scan every switch port in the infrastructure and display its operational status and the length of time since it was last used. Knowing how many new users there have been over a period, say in the last month, makes it much easier to match switch port capacity to user demand, so NetWhere provides this information as well.
• Inventory Management - Auditing network hosts and their connectivity patterns and history is a key element in any inventory management strategy. NetWhere’s ability to search for and view the association between multiple diverse technical elements such as hostname, IP address, MAC address, switch interface, server name, etc., coupled with generic device ‘description fields’, greatly simplifies the production and management of an effective inventory. For engineering teams needing to ensure full restoration of services following engineering works, NetWhere’s snapshot of connected devices, both before and after work is carried out, provides invaluable confirmation of this. If an interface cannot be restored, the connected device can be identified accurately and an owner located.

Video, Voice and Data Convergence

As more applications and connected devices depend on IP networks for their functionality, it is vital that network management has a clear picture of what is happening.

• Capacity Planning - NetWhere allows network managers to ensure there are enough spare switch ports present in advance of an IP telephony rollout. NetWhere also keeps a real-time and historic view of network port usage, what is in use, how long it has been used for or when it was last used. Such information is invaluable before launching into an expensive and possibly unnecessary expansion programme.

Support Services

Keeping networks running smoothly is very demanding on managers and administrators. The insight and information we provide can greatly ease that burden.

• Network Search - NetWhere’s powerful search engine-like features make it possible for relevant IT hardware to be located network-wide using multiple data types, including non-technical terms and information. With suitable device and interfaces descriptions in place, should a user report a problem on the ‘London’ network, the network operator only has to type ‘London’ into the Netwhere search field and NetWhere will return a tabbed result set providing details and status on every router, switch and WAN link relating to ‘London’. This dynamic view can often highlight the cause of the problem with just the result of a single search operation.
• Increased Support RoI - NetWhere’s ease-of-use makes it possible for more faults to be resolved by level one or two support staff, thereby freeing senior support operatives to concentrate on more serious problems, or planned project work.
• Interface Shutdown - Unusually for a network monitoring application, most of which are entirely passive, NetWhere can be used to shut down or reset rogue ports remotely when security or support conditions require. Access to such functions is limited by assignable user rights and always requires authorised user input.
• Live Ports - At any time NetWhere can provide a snapshot of all currently active ports on the network.