Network Documentation Software
Easily document your network infrastructure with FNT’s network documentation software. All active and passive components, physical and logical connections, and dependencies are accurately recorded in a central and consistent data model. This digital representation of your network is always up to date and requires minimal maintenance thanks to extensive interface options.
Numerous management functionalities such as planning, workflows, analytics, and GIS integration make the data actionable. A manufacturer-independent component library with more than 70,000 CIs simplifies network infrastructure planning and management.
You’ll gain a better overview of your network, which enables you to react more quickly in the event of faults and operate your network more efficiently.
Network Documentation
Efficient network infrastructure operation requires a foundation of complete and up-to-date network documentation. A modern software solution enables optimal network management in today’s complex digital world. Such a solution records all relevant information about the network infrastructure, including all active and passive components as well as the logical and physical connections and dependencies. It stores this comprehensive information in a centralized database that all relevant teams can access. All connections can easily be identified due to the consistent data model - from the physical network to the services running over it. This network inventory is the key to consistently reliable IT operations.
Not all software can handle the demands of today’s networks. What’s needed is a modern software that records the network completely, conveniently, and interactively. One that will always have the latest data and require minimal maintenance. Documenting the network with anything less is simply not good enough anymore.
What is network documentation?
Network documentation is a term that describes the complete recording of your network infrastructure, which includes its complex structure, or network design. That means all active network components (such as routers and switches) and all passive network components (such as cables and patch panels) are documented. Network documentation can refer to both local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN), which are data and telecommunications networks.
Network Documentation Software - Why is network documentation important?
Companies document their networks because it’s the only way to deal with the increasingly complex nature of network infrastructures in the digital world. They need to keep track of the infrastructure and know exactly what the complex relationships and dependencies are to resolve faults faster, make better decisions and operate the network more efficiently overall. Accurate as is documentation of the network is essential.
If you’re using anything less than a professional documentation software, you are at a disadvantage. Excel spreadsheets, homegrown applications and other software not suited for the digitally transforming infrastructures contain outdated information, are not user friendly, and lack important functionalities such as graphical visualization and planning features that improve transparency into the network. Professional network documentation software, on the other hand, reliably records all relevant components and uses interfaces with other systems to ensure that the data remains current after the initial recording. You gain more efficiency, security, plannability, and reliable documentation quality.
In addition to presenting and making information usable, network documentation, like IT documentation, forms an important basis for implementing other processes. These include IT asset management, configuration management, IT infrastructure management, cable management, service catalog management and IT automation in your own company.
Documentation of the network: Security even in the case of technical breakdowns and network failures
In complex networks, failures and disruptions can occur - despite all preventive measures. Research shows that such downtimes usually occur more than 50 times a year, and that 10% are based on inadequate documentation.
Complete network documentation with a comprehensive documentation system can significantly reduce these downtimes as well as the associated troubleshooting. With proper documentation software, you can easily and clearly document all network cabling. This information enables you to find and fix network problems faster. All network components can be automatically recorded via connected auto-discovery systems. The representation of all connections and devices forms the basis for cost-saving planning, faster troubleshooting, and smooth operation.
Efficient management through network documentation tools
Comprehensive network documentation with the right tool or software provides the solid information base needed to make important decisions, especially about increasing efficiency. By having an overview of your entire network with all network data, you can manage all activities and processes of your devices and connections much more efficiently and with improved planning capability.
Network documentation: Advantages
Introducing comprehensive network documentation with a modern software solution into your company is a low-effort way to significantly increase efficiency. Changes to the network infrastructure can be planned efficiently and errors can be rectified more quickly in the event of a fault.
Comprehensive network documentation also creates a complete and continually updating overview of the entire network infrastructure and makes this information available to all relevant teams in a central tool.
The advantages at a glance:
- Comprehensive view of the network infrastructure, from physical assets to logical dependencies and services
- Better foundation for informed decisions
- More efficient operation of the network infrastructure
- Accelerated identification and resolution of faults
- Faster planning and implementation of infrastructure changes
- Visualization of the infrastructure
Who needs network documentation?
Every company that has a larger network infrastructure should have complete network documentation. How best to document specific components depends on the unique scenario. We recommend a consultation with our software experts to scope your needs. Feel free to contact us!
Why choose FNT's network documentation software?
FNT's software solution provides a central platform for network documentation. Use it to gain complete transparency into your network infrastructure - from active and passive components, physical and logical connections and dependencies to services. With our powerful software for network documentation, you have a secure foundation for further projects around the network infrastructure and ensure the optimal overview of your network environment.
Our powerful software solutions and products are used by more than 500 companies globally. With our many years of experience working closely with our customers, we can offer solutions tailored specifically to your needs. You’ll be able to manage your services, configurations, and infrastructure holistically, keep network disruptions to a minimum, and costs down.
Are you ready to make the move to professional network documentation? Our documentation experts are happy to show you what our software can do for you. Contact us and request a free demo.
Advantages of FNT’s Network Documentation Solution
Highlights of FNT’s Network Documentation Solution
FNT’s data model is the core of our solution. It encompasses more than the data, it also documents relationships and dependencies across all technologies and layers. It spans the building level through physical, logical, and virtual assets and resources to applications and services.
FNT’s holistic approach to resource management gives enterprises a consistent view of the network, which is the key to better operations and service assurance, design, planning and capacity management, as well as fulfillment and orchestration of network infrastructure resources and services.
Efficient management and planning of the network infrastructure through an integrated component library with over 70,000 active and passive IT components in photorealistic representation and including all relevant technical data.
Automate data exchange with third-party systems and easily import data from other systems, together with an ETL Staging Area for data cleansing prior to import.
Continuous signal tracing across the entire cable infrastructure in both actual and planning views, based on the relevant geo-referenced nodes and routes in the GIS representation.
Other functionalities in the software bring the documentation to life so users are better able to efficiently manage the network. These include:
- Immediate impact analysis
- Planning and analysis of redundant circuits
- Management of routine maintenance or fault and repair tasks
- Auto-routing new connections
FNT GeoMaps is an optional feature that provides geo-referenced visualization of the network infrastructure to enhance analysis of the as-is state and planning changes. It’s a dedicated, task-specific graphical and schematic application that makes it possible to efficiently execute activities and tasks relating to ducts, duct bundles, splice enclosures, cassettes and splice plans, distributor assignment, and cable and fiber details, as well as simplify managing assets, equipment, and components.
Document connections between headquarters, data center locations and branch offices, including provider and contract information.
Ensure the validity of the combination of cable and connector types and the technology-dependent maximum cable lengths to ensure high planning and documentation quality.
Would you like to see how our solution for network documentation works? Request a demo!
Would you like to know more about Network Documentation? Then you might be interested in the following:
White Paper
Actions data center and network operators can take today for a more environmental-friendly tomorrow
Businesses concerned about sustainability are taking stock of their current situation, identifying areas to target for improvement, and formulating plans for how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are many strategies that can be used, and not all of them are obvious. This paper is an enlightening look at a number of different actions businesses can take to minimize the impact they are having on the environment.
Worst Practices from the real world of IT Infrastructure Management
IT managers were surprised just how much power the air conditioning system was using – shortly afterwards, the data center was on fire; a server rack ran for years without a network connection and the IT documentation consisted of needles and thread. Those aren’t horror stories from a movie script, they actually happened. We’ve put together some unbelievable, amusing, and instructional case studies that we’ve been “fortunate” enough to encounter ourselves.
Advanced Methods for Success in the Digital Economy
The world is becoming more digital: network infrastructures are constantly growing and their complexity is increasing. The IoT and Industry 4.0 brings billions of new connected devices. At the same time, security and availability requirements are increasing. One thing is clear: managing network operation and expansion efficiently in the future will require an inside view of the infrastructure. Learn more in our white paper!
The Holistic Network Management Solution
Companies are faced with increasing data volumes rapidly growing networking. As a result, the digital infrastructure is becoming increasingly complex. Not only is the complexity of the network infrastructure is growing, but so are the demands placed on it. Ensuring fault-free functioning is more important than ever. Failures of individual devices or services can quickly cause serious problems and high costs. For this reason, keeping track of the complex IT, network and device infrastructure is key. In this white paper, you will learn from two real-life examples how companies can achieve holistic network management through the combined use of the FNT Command Platform and Stable-Net.
A major international airport places particularly high demands on network infrastructure and solutions for its management. Not only are IT operations safety critical, but pressure of time and pressure to succeed are enormous. Therefore, Fraport AG, operator of Frankfurt/Main airport, relies on FNT Command for the management of cables, cable trays and similar. “FNT Command is the central memory of our communications infrastructure”, says Klaus Schultz-Fademrecht, Senior Manager Networks at Fraport AG.
Telecommunications Network and Cable Infrastructure in a Single System
Swiss rail company Schweizerische Bundesbahnen AG (SBB) is proof that tradition and state-of-the-art technology can go hand in hand, as evidenced by their cutting-edge railway infrastructure that includes a telecommunications network. When their existing cable management system reached its end of life, SBB searched for a new solution. An important requirement was that this solution could be integrated into the existing OSS environment and linked to surrounding systems via interfaces. FNT delivered on all these requirements, and then some.
