Managing network, we know, is quite a tedious task. Networks grow. Everything shifts and adapts constantly. And all of this, leaves IT teams to struggle.
But there’s an escape to the problem above. Dynamic network inventory. It’s a modern solution for all the modern problems.
But,
What is a network inventory and why does it matter?
A network inventory catalogs all network components. This includes devices and servers. Also configurations and users. All of this actually serves as a blueprint. Of what? Of the digital ecosystem that you work in.
So, there are two types of network inventory – basically two ways of adoption. One is static and the other is dynamic. Static ones lack real time updates, and dynamic network inventory can actually show the changes instantly.
What more? Let’s get into the benefits:
- Network inventory gives a clear view of all the resources. One can monitor and troubleshoot very easily
- Because the monitoring is quick enough, businesses can even identify all the rogue devices and vulnerabilities that’s there
- The data offered is very accurate. Hence, businesses can easily manage all their resources by saving both time and costs.
What are the challenges that come with managing network inventory?
So there are a lot of hurdles that come with both creating and maintaining it. We will pick out the main ones, let’s get into each one by one
- The changing environments. Networks change daily as new devices join. And in fact older systems may retire. Static inventory because of this quickly gets outdated.
- Modern networks often span on-premises. Also cloud and remote systems. Hence it gets challenging to track every component.
- Relying on manual updates is tedious. Also error-prone. As per Slurp’it the data sometimes could either be incomplete or inaccurate.
So, is a dynamic network inventory important?
Yes, quite a lot.
5 Strategies for Building a Dynamic Network Inventory
If you want your inventory to be dynamic – you’ll have to take help of tools and stick to a few best practices, like:
1. Make sure to automate updates
Automation is very important. Because only this can provide you real-time inventory updates. The delays are eliminated. Errors as compared to manual processes is very less.
Some tools for automation you can try are SolarWinds or Nmap. These will help you scan and identify all devices.
Try integrating APIs. The data will automatically be pulled from cloud platforms into a centralized inventory. Schedule regular scans to detect changes.
So let’s say, you’re an e-commerce company. You used automated discovery tools for tracking your expanding cloud infrastructure. And because of this manual updates gets reduced as per Slurp’it.
2. Centralize your inventory
A scattered inventory creates silos. Resource management gets inefficient. Consolidating all data into a single platform gives businesses a unified view of the network.
Platforms to try out here are NetBox and OpenNMS. One can even try out cloud-based inventory systems.
3. Always categorize and standardize
If you are going with the dynamic approach, organising it all is very important. You have to categorise all your assets by type, location, or function. Because of this reporting and management gets easier as per Slurp’it.
Here, make sure to:
- Use consistent naming conventions
- Always group assets for easier tracking
- Tag devices with metadata. For example any name, department, or based on the level of criticality.
4. Try out real-time monitoring
Dynamic inventories need real-time updates. Monitoring tools help keep inventory data accurate and up to date.
The benefits you may achieve with this are:
- You can track active/inactive device
- Monitoring performance and bandwidth usage will get easier
- Unauthorized devices or anomalies can be flagged
For real time monitoring, you can try out tools like Paessler PRTG or Zabbix.
5. Give security the major importance
When your inventory gets robust enough, security improves. And as a business, you can use it to your advantage. Maybe for identifying vulnerabilities and enforcing compliance.
What measures to take?
- Conduct regular audits to identify gaps
- Enforce access control policies using the inventory
- Integrate with SIEM tools to correlate inventory data with security events.
Make sure to schedule regular cleanups!
Even with automation, clutter can accumulate. Regular reviews help remove outdated data.As per Slurp’it you can merge duplicates, and ensure accuracy all around.
Now, let’s talk about the benefits of it
- Faster troubleshooting
- Improved scalability
- Better decision-making, you will actually get help with capacity planning and budget allocation.
What’s in for the future?
A well maintained inventory is what every business wishes to have. Automating process is one way around. But remember trends emerge. In the future, you can expect AI driven insights. With IoT integration, managing end points will get easier. And let’s not forget blockchain. It will best help you with security and compliance. So are you ready to implement all these strategies? For more information contact us at Slurp’it.
