Network Diagram Software
Automate the network diagramming process
SolarWinds® Network Topology Mapper (NTM) is built to make the process of creating and maintaining LAN/WAN network diagrams easy and intuitive. Its network diagram tool allows for automatic network mapping and device discovery to generate diagrams of devices and their interconnections. You can also scan IP address ranges or define a seed device (typically a core network switch) to discover your network using industry-standard methods such as ICMP, SNMP v1-v3, WMI, CDP, VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, and more.
After you’ve discovered and mapped your network, the network diagram can be edited to modify node details and connections.
NTM can also help support your other monitoring, planning, and troubleshooting initiatives with exportable diagrams like Microsoft Visio, PNG, PDF, and other visual display formats.
Increase efficiency with automatic network diagram software
In a dynamic IT environment, keeping track of network devices like hardware, servers, desktops, and workstations becomes mandatory, yet is challenging if you don’t have the right tools.
NTM not only helps you keep track of network inventory but is also built to maintain a visual diagram you can refer to and update at any time—allowing you to better eliminate unnecessary resource drain. The automatic network diagramming tool in NTM is also designed to make it easy to automatically detect changes made to routers, desktops, switches, servers, VoIP phones, wireless access points, and more to ensure your topology maps stay up to date.
Create multiple maps from a single scan
A single discovery scan using NTM can allow you to create multiple maps to show detailed system information for discovered devices, including load statistics with rollover graphics drilling down into the interface level.
For a more comprehensive network map, NTM is also built to perform multi-layer network discovery with the ability to integrate port level (Layer 2), logical connectivity (Layer 3), and EtherChannel relationships into one or separate network map views to help you better understand the relationships between devices on your network.
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What is a network diagram?
A network diagram is a feature used by network mapping devices to visualize all the connected nodes in a network. These nodes can include network device hardware, network servers, printers, routers, and workstations.
A network diagram connects nodes with a line-mapping display to visualize information like internet connectivity and device relationships across OSI layers, which can be used by organizations to depict both local-area and wide-area network map topologies.
A network diagram can be constructed using software designed to scan the devices in your network and provide a visual display, using various icons to signify different types of nodes.
Why are network diagrams important?
Creating a network diagram is an important step to help organizations understand device relationships, demonstrate industry network compliance standards, and keep track of what’s happening on a network.
Network security is also a major function of network mapping, as these diagrams can help organizations more easily detect new and unknown devices in the network and monitor how they interact with other devices. Using a network diagram, security threats and unusual activity can also be more readily detected.
For many industries, network management standards are set by a centralized enforcement committee establishing compliance protocol. For companies operating within these guidelines, it can be crucial to have a network diagram solution to document the network topology with accuracy and speed. PCI and similar regulations also require companies to maintain an up-to-date network diagram to demonstrate compliance.
What does network diagram software do?
While admins can create network diagrams manually, mapping WANs and LANs can be time-consuming, inefficient, require continual updates, and prone to human errors. An automated network mapping software can quickly create network diagrams by automatically discovering network devices, which enables admins to more easily create, adjust, and use visual displays of interconnected network components and their status.
A network mapping software works by scanning a network to discover the devices. Once the nodes are detected during scanning, the mapping device collects polling data to survey the function of each of the network nodes. This process can use various discovery methods like CDP, SNMP, ICMP, and others. The network diagram itself is compiled once the network has been fully detected and mapped. In some cases, the network diagram can be automatically updated to reflect changing node status.
How does the network diagramming software work in SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper?
Network Topology Mapper is a network mapping software designed to feature a sophisticated network diagram solution to analyze and document any updates to network device activity. NTM offers a wide range of automated capabilities for each step of the network mapping process. To support your network security efforts, SolarWinds NTM is built to be compliant with a range of industry regulation standards including PCI compliance and FIP 140-2.
The network diagram software in NTM is also designed to create multiple maps from a single scan, supporting multiple discovery methods including SNMP v1-v3, ICMP, LLDP, WMI, CDP, VMware, Hyper-V, and more. Once devices are discovered and a diagram is created, another useful NTM network diagram feature is it allows for highly customizable, manual adjustment of its network maps with various custom icons to signify different node functions—because SolarWinds knows the visual interface should ultimately be in the hands of the IT pro.
How to create a network diagram with SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper
SolarWinds NTM offers a quick, easy, and accurate way to generate the automatic network maps you need for optimal visibility.
NTM is built to make it easier to create highly detailed network diagrams of your Layer-2/Layer-3 network. The tool’s auto-discovery feature can detect any device on your network, including routers, switches, VoIP phones, desktops, printers, servers, and wireless access points. NTM’s Network Discovery Scan Wizard lets you scan IP address ranges or define a seed device (typically a core network switch) and discover your network using industry-standard methods such as ICMP, SNMP v1-v3, WMI, CDP, VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, and more.
The Network Discovery Scan Wizard also helps you to set the parameters of your map. You can limit your diagram to specific regions, like VMware, or you can map the entire network. Once your Discovery Wizard has completed its scan, you can save all your related maps in scan files.
When using NTM to create network diagrams, you can leverage the following capabilities for more control over the map-making process:
- Specify discovery credentials. NTM is FIPS-compliant to ensure a secure approach to mapping.
- Define IP addresses for discovery. Specify subnets, an IP address range, or use Freeform device info. It’s also possible to exclude devices from a scan.
- Name the scan and adjust the scope. It’s simple to adjust the number of hops, ignore certain nodes, or eliminate bridge tables.
- Schedule a discovery. You can set NTM to schedule a topology scan once or repeatedly.
- Rescan a network. You can easily rediscover a network as needed.
The result is a scalable map of selected network nodes designed to visualize their current statuses and display connections between interrelated components. You can also customize icons and other visual elements as needed. NTM is designed to make it simple to share and print maps in multiple formats and even encrypt maps with a password.
- What is a network diagram?
- Why are network diagrams important?
- What does network diagram software do?
- How does the network diagramming software work in SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper?
- How to create a network diagram with SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper
What is a network diagram?
A network diagram is a feature used by network mapping devices to visualize all the connected nodes in a network. These nodes can include network device hardware, network servers, printers, routers, and workstations.
A network diagram connects nodes with a line-mapping display to visualize information like internet connectivity and device relationships across OSI layers, which can be used by organizations to depict both local-area and wide-area network map topologies.
A network diagram can be constructed using software designed to scan the devices in your network and provide a visual display, using various icons to signify different types of nodes.
Network diagram software
Network Topology Mapper
- Automatically discover network topology using ICMP, SNMP, WMI, CDP, VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, and more.
- Build many maps without having to re-scan beforehand.
- Leverage multiple network discovery methods, including ICMP, SNMP, WMI, CDP, VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V and more.
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