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The NETSYS Enterprise/Solver family of simulation-based network planning and problem-solving products consists of a set of tools called the Connectivity Tools. The Connectivity Tools assist network planners in their designing and planning efforts related to network connectivity, route, and flow problems. Using the Connectivity Tools to create a simulation environment, network planners can study the impact of such factors as failed devices and links, and preview the effects of various configuration changes before implementing them in their networks.
While other tools require a theoretical model of the network to be built that approximates a network's configuration, the Connectivity Tools are able to "learn" from the routing configuration files that define your actual network, assimilating information from Cisco® routers. This information is imported into the Connectivity Tools and represents the initial baseline or "snapshot". The baseline is then used as the starting point for all subsequent off-line analysis.
See Chapter 2, "Connectivity Baseliner," in the Enterprise/Solver Connectivity Tools Reference Guide for detailed information about its features and components. Tutorials are provided in this document showing how to use its features to accomplish various tasks.
User specified Cisco router configuration files are copied into a specified directory under Source Code Control System (SCCS) and then parsed by this process to create a baseline model of the network. The baseline model includes explicit defaults for metrics such as bandwidth and delay.
This process performs global semantic and syntactical checking on the router configuration files. As a result of the checks, a diagnostic report describing high priority and warning-level problems is generated. See Appendix B, "Baseline Integrity Checks," and Appendix C, "Baseline Syntax and Policy Checking," in the Enterprise/Solver Connectivity Tools Reference Guide for detailed descriptions about the integrity and syntax checks performed on the router configuration files.
This process also generates a diagnostic report providing information on high priority and warning-level types of network problems uncovered while performing the syntax and semantic checks. From within this process, router configuration files can be modified to fix the problems described in the diagnostic report. The modified router configuration files can then be used to create a new baseline model. The following list includes, but is not limited to, the types of network problems identified by this process:
See Chapter 5, "Diagnostic Report," in the Enterprise/Solver Connectivity Tools Reference Guide for detailed information about this process. "Creating a Diagnostic Report" in this document provides a tutorial showing how to create a diagnostic report and use it in conjunction with other features to accomplish various tasks.
This process constructs a topology map of the network depicting the actual connectivity of the live network learned from the router configuration files. The topology allows all aspects of network connectivity to be visualized, including device names and addresses. The topology can be customized through editing capabilities. The topology also provides the ability to view router and end system parameter settings in the current network. See Chapter 4, "Creating the Topology," in the Enterprise/Solver Connectivity Tools Reference Guide for information about creating the topology. "Creating a Topology"in this document provides a tutorial showing how to create a topology and use it in conjunction with other features to accomplish various tasks.
The Connectivity Solver adds to the functionality provided by the Connectivity Baseliner by providing the ability to simulate and analyze "what-if" scenarios on the baseline network. The Solver can be used to assess how configuration changes will affect network routes, security, and "reachability". Implied and user defined network connectivity requirements can be analyzed to determine how configuration changes will impact their round trip paths and protocol dependent routing tables. Assessment of the potential impact of such problems as failed links or devices, protocol mismatches, or encapsulation errors, can be made. After making various configuration changes and reaching a desired configuration, the Solver facilitates implementation of these changes in the actual network by generating a delta IOS command file.
See Chapter 6, "Connectivity Solver," in the Enterprise/Solver Connectivity Tools Reference Guide for detailed information about its features and components. Tutorials are provided in this document showing how to use its features to accomplish various tasks.
This feature provides the ability to analyze network requirements by:
This feature provides the ability to perform "what-if" simulations by:
After evaluating various configuration changes through "what-if" scenarios and reaching a desired configuration, the Solver facilitates implementation of these configuration changes by providing the ability to generate a delta IOS command file for each router affected. Each file contains IOS commands which represent the configuration changes you have made using the Solver. These delta files can then be appended to the current router configuration files in the actual network to update them as appropriate.
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