use case

Enhancing Network Visibility with Merged Snapshots

Agency IT departments are charged with maintaining missionready networks to support services, remote work, and warfighter operations. These networks are highly segmented to tightly control access and contain risk in the event of a security incident.

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What is covered in this content? Why is this content important?

Within agency networks, various segments often fall under distinct administrative controls, making it nearly impossible to visualize connectivity, ensure security zone segmentation, or perform a complete path search. While necessary for security, this segmentation can hinder troubleshooting and optimization efforts, especially when network issues span multiple domains. Forward Enterprise addresses this challenge with its innovative “merged snapshots” feature.

A Merged Snapshot in Action

An organization has three network domains: Domain Red, Domain Gray, and Domain Black, each managed by separate administrative teams. Traffic from Domain Red needs to traverse Domain Gray and Domain Black to reach its destination within the same red domain.

Problem

A site in Domain Red was unable to reach a data center also in Domain Red. Initial connectivity tests within Domain Red showed traffic was traversing a tunnel.

However, viewing the underlay revealed no connectivity, making it difficult to diagnose the issue without visibility into Domains Gray and Black.

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Solution

Forward Enterprise’s merged snapshots feature provides the capability to integrate network snapshots from different administrative domains, creating a unified view of the entire network.

How to create a merged snapshot

1. COLLECT INDIVIDUAL SNAPSHOTS:

Gather network snapshots from Domain Red, Domain Gray, and Domain Black. These snapshots capture the state and configuration of each domain.

2. MERGE SNAPSHOTS:

Import the collected snapshots into Forward Enterprise.
Use the merge function to combine these snapshots, creating a comprehensive view that spans all domains.

3. CONNECTIVITY TESTING:

Perform the connectivity test again within the merged snapshot environment.
Initiate the test from the red site aiming to reach the red data center.
Observe the original path of the traffic.
Click “view underlay” to visualize the underlying path and identify potential issues, noting each hop across Domains Gray and Black.

With the merged snapshots, network operators gain full visibility across all administrative boundaries. This holistic view allows for accurate diagnostics and efficient troubleshooting of connectivity issues, as operators can now see the entire path that traffic takes, from the source in Domain Red, through Domain Gray and Domain Black, and back to Domain Red.

MERGED SNAPSHOTS DELIVER

Unprecedented Visibility:
Operators can see the entire network, regardless of administrative boundaries.

Improved Troubleshooting:
Quickly identify and resolve connectivity issues that span multiple domains.

Enhanced Efficiency:
Streamline network operations and reduce downtime by having a single, comprehensive view of the network infrastructure.

Forward Enterprise’s merged snapshots feature empowers organizations to overcome the limitations of segmented network views, providing a powerful tool for network management and optimization. By merging snapshots from various administrative domains, operators can achieve full visibility and ensure seamless connectivity across the entire network.

4.7 - from 33 Gartner Ratings

"The overall experience has been phenomenal, from onboarding the application in the environment to the timely and concise response from the Forward team about any questions we raise. The Forward team has been super helpful throughout this whole experience."

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For more details on how Forward Networks can enhance your network visibility and performance, visit forwardnetworks.com or request a personalized technical session.