Visualize Your Environment with Network Maps
Use Network Visualization Tools to Stay on Top of Changes
SolarWinds® network visualization tools provide a unified view of network connections, applications, dependency relationships, topology, and ADM information. With these network map visualizations, users can see the physical and logical relationships between routers, switches, servers, interfaces, volumes, and groups to quickly isolate and identify critical health and performance issues. These intelligent maps leverage data from Network Performance Monitor’s (NPM) topology, Server & Application Monitor’s (SAM) application dependencies, and other relationship information available in the Orion® Platform.
SolarWinds network visibility solutions are updated automatically without user intervention. Want more customization? You can build maps from scratch or import auto-generated maps, customize layouts, and add them to any view or dashboard using the Orion Maps widget.
Custom Network Atlas Maps
With the Network Atlas feature in NPM, users only need to drag and drop available network devices onto the given area to start populating the map. Leveraging the ConnectNow technology, Network Atlas will instantly create L2/L3 network connections between all selected devices.
You can also customize your background to overlay your network on top of your building blueprint or campus map, layer maps to easily drill down into your infrastructure, and more.
Gain a geographic view with network visualization software
With SolarWinds NPM network visualization tool, users can access the worldwide map resource to view nodes and groups of nodes on a realistic geographical map. Once nodes are displayed, users can zoom in and out, view concise information pop-ups for node groups, and access node detail pages simply by double-clicking an object.
IT teams can add nodes automatically to the worldwide map in NPM using information within each node's custom properties, such as GPS coordinates or street address information. Users can also manually add objects if they don’t have access to this information.
Map network pathing with hop-by-hop analysis
SolarWinds NPM also includes NetPath™, a visualization tool built to let you see into all your critical network paths to provide deeper insights and support faster time to resolution.
With NetPath, you can more easily see all devices, applications, networks, and vendors in a single-page path analysis view, with the ability to track every hop as well as view historical and real-time network latency.
Get More on Network Visualization
What is network visualization?
Network visualization—sometimes referred to as graph visualization or link analysis—is the practice of creating visual depictions of connected data. Network visualization is used to identify relationships between disparate data points on a network, which can improve root cause analysis, performance visibility, and make IT teams more efficient. In many cases, network visualization refers to mapping network topology to understand the physical layout and current status of the network. Network visualization can be performed at many scales, whether for in-office devices or for data centers across a continent.
Network visualization can sometimes be used as a broad term and, besides referring to network mapping, in some cases may refer to the many methods of data correlation. In computer networking, visualization can refer to the process of aggregating data into visual charts and graphs to locate patterns, trends, and correlations between network data. These sorts of connections might otherwise go undetected in text-based formats.
Why is network visualization important?
Network visualization is important because it provides critical visibility into network infrastructure. Leveraging network visualizations can improve efficiency, help with troubleshooting, and offer IT teams flexibility in how they can manipulate what can sometimes be complex data points.
Compared to spreadsheets, inventory lists, and text-based reports, network visualization—from graphs and charts to topology maps—is generally easier for both admins and those outside the IT team to use and understand. In addition, network visualization is important because it allows IT teams to obtain a more robust knowledge of their networks with real-time, at-a-glance insights into the infrastructure and current performance. If a node is down, the information is available visually, whether on a map or highlighted on a chart. Additionally, IT teams can make better sense of critical information by viewing node-link structures in a visual setting, as this can streamline network analysis and lead to better capacity planning.
What does a network visualization tool do?
A network visualization tool makes meaningful connections between all devices and data in large networks. A network visualization tool for mapping connects a generated map with real-time status updates from the managed devices, allowing an admin to look at the map and see current performance issues, if they exist. This relies on using a network management program to oversee specific nodes across the network infrastructure, as the tool must be able to access measurements to display the correct information.
In practice, companies might use network visualization tools to generate interactive ways of identifying bottlenecks and vulnerabilities. Companies can use network visualization tools to create visualizations of packet paths to monitor data flow from devices to services or track the uptime and functioning of network devices more generally. Network visualization tools can also map factors like Wi-Fi signals or turn device data into organized charts and graphs.
How do network visualization tools work?
For a network topology visualization tool to work, it needs to have access to a database, cloud storage platform, or managed nodes to provide updated network data. Once it connects to these data sources, the software will aggregate data from there and apply it to a graph or chart in a meaningful way.
Professional grade network visualizers grant users a lot of flexibility in how they want the data to be presented. Sometimes users want to see it laid out geographically—for example, a CTO of a college campus who wants to see how a network looks across a large campus—while others might want the graphs to reflect the logical connections between data points. Some visualization software can even automate the network graphing process by offering preconfigured correlations useful to any organization.
How does network visualization work in Network Performance Monitor?
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor includes many network topology visualization tool capabilities. For one, the Orion Maps tool in NPM is built to create visual relationships of routers, switches, interfaces, volumes, and groups. These maps are designed to update automatically without user intervention. In addition, Network Performance Monitor offers a Network Atlas application IT teams can use to create custom maps and network diagrams. Network Atlas maps are most commonly used for mapping network infrastructure, although some use this feature to map static business services and composite applications.
Any map you create in NPM can be exported, printed, or easily viewed in the Orion Web Console. SolarWinds NPM network visualization software also offers the option to create Wi-Fi heatmaps, another form of network visualization useful for assessing how your network infrastructure is performing for end users.
- What is network visualization?
- Why is network visualization important?
- What does a network visualization tool do?
- How do network visualization tools work?
- How does network visualization work in Network Performance Monitor?
What is network visualization?
Network visualization—sometimes referred to as graph visualization or link analysis—is the practice of creating visual depictions of connected data. Network visualization is used to identify relationships between disparate data points on a network, which can improve root cause analysis, performance visibility, and make IT teams more efficient. In many cases, network visualization refers to mapping network topology to understand the physical layout and current status of the network. Network visualization can be performed at many scales, whether for in-office devices or for data centers across a continent.
Network visualization can sometimes be used as a broad term and, besides referring to network mapping, in some cases may refer to the many methods of data correlation. In computer networking, visualization can refer to the process of aggregating data into visual charts and graphs to locate patterns, trends, and correlations between network data. These sorts of connections might otherwise go undetected in text-based formats.
"SolarWinds NPM is simply the best monitoring solution I’ve ever used. Easy to setup, deploy, and capture data."
Ryan McCracken
IT/Systems Administrator
Delta Health Technologies
Automatically generate useful maps with network visualization software
Network Performance Monitor
- Use Intelligent Mapping to build more meaningful connections between disparate network devices.
- Create visual depictions of complex networks with customizable graphs, charts, and maps.
- Use geolocation to view network nodes on real-world maps.
Starts at
NPM, an Orion module, is built on the SolarWinds Platform