10.1.9 JA Publication

SDN Network Visual Manager

NetworkBrain auto-discovers your end-to-end hybrid networks, including SDN (Software-Defined Network) and public cloud network, and visualizes these hybrid networks with Dynamic Map to show application dependencies across clouds, SDN, and on-premises infrastructure. NetworkBrain Dynamic Map technology provides a single consolidated view of end-to-end operational data that is integrated with the cloud providers’ own native cloud monitoring, logging, and billing tools. NetworkBrain automation empowers your team to collaborate and resolve issues faster via runbook automation.

The NetworkBrain system decodes the entire hybrid infrastructure to automatically map the network end-to-end, allowing you to manage it from a single platform.

After the NetworkBrain system discovers SDN data, end users can visualize the SDN data on dynamic maps. Currently, the system supports the following SDN vendors:

  • Cisco ACI
  • VMware vCenter
  • VMware NSX-V

Cisco ACI

Demand for robust data center networks continues to increase as organizations struggle to achieve business agility for application deployments, leading to the growing adoption of Software Defined Network (SDN) solutions as part of a data center architecture evolution. Cisco’s Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is the industry’s most popular solution to address these demands.


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Network teams must now understand this new architecture and manage it effectively, along with the rest of the traditional network it connects to. Without effective tooling support, managing such an evolving heterogeneous network has proven to be very challenging. NetworkBrain’s Dynamic Mapping and automation technologies help network teams demystify the complexity of a virtualized infrastructure, allowing them to realize the full benefits of SDN without the operational challenges. NetworkBrain treats these logical network connections, although virtualized and software-defined, as just another part of the topology.

For more details, see Visualize Cisco ACI Networks.

VMware vCenter

The NetworkBrain system provides end-to-end visibility for VMware vCenter network resources and their physical and virtual relationships. With NetworkBrain, you can quickly understand a vCenter environment in the following aspects:

  • The network objects in your vCenter networks, such as ESXi hosts, VM hosts, and vSwitches.
  • The detailed property information about any vCenter network node.
  • The network design between vCenter network nodes, such as Layer 3 connection of VM hosts and their gateway devices, and the (parent/child) relationship between an ESXi host and vSwitch/VMs under the host.


For more details, see Visualize VMware vCenter Networks.

VMware NSX

The NetworkBrain system treats NSX as any other network and creates a data model serving as the foundation for automation, analytics, and workflow enhancement for operational IT Tasks, helping you to understand and support the deployed NSX infrastructure in the following aspects:

  • Map the logical NSX connectivity alongside the traditional physical network – obtain accurate and up-to-date visibility into the NSX environment and the external network it is built upon.
  • Visualize data from multiple sources on a map.
  • Turn on and off layers of physical and logical information with Data View, including data from 3rd party IT management solutions.
  • Understand the mapping between virtual and physical components.
  • NetworkBrain can help you abstract and maintain clear visibility of the virtual object to physical server mapping.

For more details, see Visualize VMware NSX-V Networks.