Monitoring modernization
We are making changes to monitoring and will start using the Influx time series database. This will make it easier to extract data from the system and enable us to use sophisticated graphing tools. We will also switch our internal graphing tool from rrdtool to Apex charts.
We have worked to eliminate most of the monitoring synchronization to improve reliability and ease of use. There have also been several performance improvements in nearly all parts of monitoring, including synchronization, scheduling, execution, collection, aggregation, and visualization.
The management of SNMP MIBs and Traps has been improved with a new MIB parser and scalable trap handler.
We will use RabbitMQ as a message bus for monitoring, which will enable integration with third-party tools.
The deployment, installation, and configuration of monitoring have been made substantially simpler, and we aim for a no-touch deployment if possible.
We are also working on a new monitoring dashboard which will replace the dashboard. More details will come later.
File storage
Until now, file storage has been done in the database. Typical files might include photos, agreements, message attachments, ticket attachments, invoices, and more. To prepare for future use of cloud-native storage, increase performance, and keep the database size down, we will store the files in a shared file storage system.
This will also reduce the overall size of the database, improving performance and cache usage, as well as improving backup processes.
Authentication
Netadmin has had its own OAuth implementation based on OWIN, but this will be replaced with a third-party component, which, among several improvements, will also enable Netadmin to act as an OpenID Connect Identity Provider (IdP) for third-party integration.
Application Performance Monitoring (APM)
Since Netadmin often plays a crucial role in operational and business processes, monitoring it to avoid outages is very important. It's also important to be proactive, ensuring the system performs optimally for smooth operations.
In version 9.2, with all the changes, it will be possible to monitor Netadmin in many new ways. We will use Influx and Prometheus as time series databases to store metrics data from both Netadmin and third-party collection agents. Additionally, Grafana, Grafana Loki, and Grafana Tempo will be used to complete an Application Performance Monitoring-stack for system logging, tracing, operational insight, debugging, and troubleshooting and to consolidate all information about the system from an outside-in perspective.
User Interface Refresh
User Experience is crucial for the efficiency and overall experience of using Netadmin, so we have made some improvements in version 9.2.
In our user-centric approach, we've enlarged some fonts, made the buttons slightly larger, and highlighted the current tab using a different color. These changes aim to improve your experience and make the interface more intuitive. We've also introduced new date and file pickers to enhance usability further.
Import/Export
We are overhauling the Import/Export function. One goal is to replace the "Legacy Import/Export" functionality and consolidate Import/Export into one framework.
A second goal is to enable batch updates, e.g., postal code replacements, in place where the data is managed in the UI.
A third goal is to enable the Import/Export of complex data structures (hierarchical data) and to simplify data migration between different environments, e.g., from production to test environments.
Development and Framework Updates
We have updated our tech stack and introduced .Net 8 and ASP.Net Core as the main development framework.
The User Interface is now precompiled by default, so you can expect an increase in performance and responsiveness, especially after startup/restart.
Discovery
The discovery of network devices is a popular feature in Netadmin. We want it to be even more popular, standardized, and easy to configure. Therefore, we will work on some improvements.
We will rework the User Interface to make it easier to navigate and configure the discovery.
Events like "New Device," "Device Relocation," and "Device Replacement" will have standard functionality.
We have improved the speed of the whole sequence from when a discovery event happens until Netadmin reacts and acts on it, essentially reducing lead times and latency. As part of the performance improvements, we have replaced the old event process with a new plugin system for processing discovery events.
Cloud technology
With containerization comes more freedom. You can run Netadmin on any OCI-compliant Linux distribution, use a private or public cloud, and no longer need Microsoft Server licenses.
Deployment and Configuration
Deployment and configuration of a Netadmin environment have been made easier. Each complete Netadmin environment will first be specified using a new deployment tool, and then the deployment will be carried out easily.
Add-ons do not need to be installed separately; they are bundled with the system according to each license.
We will introduce something called data packs. Data packs will be a set of standardized or optional data that can be loaded into the system, such as address attributes, dashboard views, device definitions, ticket attributes, and more.
Service Catalogue Improvements
Netadmin continues to work on aligning with TM Forum standards. A TM Forum term, characteristics, will be introduced in technical services in Netadmin. We have characteristics on products today but want to have them on services as well for consistency and TM Forum alignment.
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Depending on the use case, several disparate implementations of how to perform product and service availability on an address in Netadmin have existed. We will consolidate all these different implementations into one to improve consistency and capabilities.
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Streamline the availability process by refactoring all current versions into one for maintainability, standardization, and increased unit testing.
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While we consolidate our product and service availability, we are also taking the chance to enrich and improve its behavior for enhanced user experience across all channels. For example:
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Standardization of result codes, messages and availability details, allowing for better user interaction during the order process, for example showing accurate availability, making better suggestions, guidance and recommendations based on offered and selected products and services.
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Key words: improved order journey, user experience, shopping cart suggestions
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Examples scenarios that can be improved:
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Migration (upgrade/downgrade)
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Up-selling through add-ons and recommended offerings
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Standardize and extend availability result messages with status codes and relevant details, enabling enhanced programmatic parsing and processing of availability responses.
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Enable showing accurate availability of products and services based on previous selections and dependencies, e.g. Fixed IP is available after Internet has been selected.
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Enable implementation of custom availability check on entire transitions (i.e., “shopping cart” with multiple contents; additions, removal, and replacements of products, services, and characteristics), enabling more accurate availability responses depending on multiple changes within a single transition.
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Enable multiple instances of the same service in a single order for service availability, configuration, and order processing.
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Simplified dependency management aligned with the new service catalog structure, making it easier to setup and overview dependencies between different types of services, add-ons, etc., while at the same time providing more granular control of policies, for example for relationships between different service providers, consumer and address services.
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Simplified service catalog configuration by breaking the n:1 relationship between service and service provider into an n:n relationship where each technical service can be used in relation to multiple different service providers.
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Simplified batch editing of important data
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Introducing context specific data imports in various places within the service catalog, which simplifies and speeds up maintenance and configuration of services and related data.
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Examples:
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Service characteristics and corresponding value lists configured on service specification and service specification templates.
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Since you've scrolled all the way down here, we'd like to mention
Configuring the Swedish language and date format on the Microsoft Server will no longer be necessary. Date and 12- or 24-hour time formats, are configurable through language and region settings based on the Unicode ICU/CLDR standards.
We will also add the possibility to store unicode UTF-8 data in the database. However, collation/sorting will work as is.
We will continue to work on the new custom fields (configuration instead of code and better visualization) and improvements in the event system. The event system will get a new overview page, improved error handling, and all events will be routed through RabbitMQ. This will make it easier to integrate with external tools using RabbitMQ. It may also open up other solutions for events, such as webhooks.
As we phase out the old event system, our policy is to enhance the new event system by addressing any missing features. If you need an event type not yet available and are upgrading to version 9.2, we will either add the missing event types or provide an alternative solution to meet your needs.
For custom objects, we do a case-by-case analysis according to our processes prior to migration. This will be followed by recommendations on when to use custom fields as new home for your data, and when to take a different approach.
Johan Hjalmarsson
+46 76 843 43 60
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the upcoming release of Netadmin 9.2, I encourage you to contact me, Johan Hjalmarsson. I'm available to assist you.
I will be able to provide you with more information about Netadmin 9.2 and how it can benefit you and your organization.
Fill out the form, and I’ll contact you shortly.