Ways To Overcome Challenges in Network Device Discovery for Large Enterprises

Jan 16, 2025

Smaller networks are easy to manage. Overlooking each gets faster.

But Managing large enterprise networks is like checking out the map of a big city. Devices frequently connect and disconnect. Configuration and reconfiguration happens a lot.

And because of this the environment gets more dynamic. And network device discovery then comes to the escape.

 

But let’s first understand,

 

How important is network device discovery?

Quite a lot actually. Network device discovery does the core job. It identifies and catalogs all devices connected to a network. So whether it’s just a router, server, IoT device, or even user endpoint – everything is taken care of.

Now, why do large enterprises care for network device discovery? There are several reasons, major ones being:

  1. IT teams get the full visibility to the complete network. There are no blind spots left. And resource allocation can be done well.
  2. When any device goes untracked, security concerns may arrive. With discovery, this doesn’t become an issue. Businesses can work on the risks before they escalate with the clear view they are getting.
  3. The more the device data is accurate, optimising network performance gets easier as per Slurp’it. Businesses can plan strategically.

 

Now let’s talk about

 

What are the challenges large enterprises face in network device discovery?

For small businesses, network discovery is very straight forward. But it’s just the opposite for larger ones. Enterprises do face significant hurdles, major ones being:

  1. Large enterprises manage tens of thousands of devices. They do it across multiple locations. This includes both on-premises systems, cloud environments, and remote setups.
  2. Enterprise networks constantly evolve. Devices connect and disconnect regularly. Thus, maintaining quite an up to date inventory becomes quite challenging as per Slurp’it.
  3. Multiple device types. So there are traditional endpoints enterprises use. And then there are IoT sensors and mobile devices used. Therefore it’s clearly visible these businesses have to manage a wide array of hardware.
  4. As per Slurp’it, even with the best of tools available at the side, IT teams can face issues with respect to manpower. And also time. Thus large scale discovery becomes a tiring job.

 

Strategies for effective network device discovery you must look into!

Now that you are aware of the challenges, let’s get into the strategies too. The ones that can make your efforts not go in vain.

  1. Automate the process. Manual discovery is infeasible. Use automation tools. These ones can easily scan, identify, and update device inventories in real-time. For this you can try
  • SolarWinds network performance monitor
  • ManageEngine OpManager
  • OpenNMS, an open-source solution for network monitoring.

 

  1. Know that, no single protocol fits all devices. For effective discovery take support for multiple protocols, like:
    ● SNMP. This one will best help you with routers and switches.
    ● WMI. This is the best option for Windows-based systems.
    ● ICMP. You can try this out for basic pinging.
    ● SSH. Great for linux systems.

     

    1. Try integrating discovery tools with broader network management systems. And with this, the benefits you will get are:
    • Unified dashboards for monitoring.
    • Quick inventory updates.
    • Faster reporting for audits.

     

    1. Never miss out on periodic scans. If you do, you might leave gaps in the inventory. Discover continually so that you get real time updates as per Slurp’it. And the blind spots are also minimised. For this, you can:
    • Deploy agents to monitor key devices.
    • Try using passive monitoring tools to detect new connections, it’s a big need of the hour
    • Schedule incremental scans. This will actually reduce disruptions.

     

    1. Remember that – security must not be compromised during the complete discovery process. Thus, businesses can safeguard their operations by:
    • Using encrypted protocols like HTTPS or SSH.
    • Implementing role-based access controls (RBAC).
    • Logging all discovery activities for audit purposes.

     

    1. Normalize data. Now what does this mean? Raw discovery data must be cleaned and standardized. This actually avoids duplication and inconsistency. Go for normalization techniques. You can either normalise your device names based on location and function, or any other pattern that’s best understandable.

     

    What’s in for the future in network device discovery?

    Just like all other infrastructure changes that has happened so far, even network discovery might experience the change. The key ones to expect in the near future are:

    • AI-driven discovery.
    • IoT Integration
    • Cloud-native solutions
    • Zero trust networking

    Network device discovery in large enterprises comes with multiple challenges. But there’s a way out – you can automate, go with multi-protocol support, and even try integration. Make the most out of the strategies listed above, and stay ahead even though the world out there gets complicated much! For more information on network device discovery contact us at Slurp’it!

    Slurp’it release updates

    The following features & updates have been released over the last months. See our change log for more details:

    • Nautobot plugin support

    • Async implementation for the device finder and data collector for extra speed

    • Corrected multiple Device Type names (thanks to the community)

    • The SNMP tester is now using defined & enabled Transform Rules

    • API pagination is aligned for all Get calls

    • Ruijie & Nokia templates are added

    • Multiple small bugs and improvements

    • Automated disable/delete of unused discovered devices in Netbox

    • Slurp’it SDK.

    Weekly Online Workshops

    Curious about Slurp’it and how it integrates with your tools? Join us for our weekly online workshops, where we’ll walk you through everything Slurp’it has to offer. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to dive deeper, you can see Slurp’it in action and ask us anything.

    Workshops are held every Tuesday at 10 AM CET and Thursday at 4 PM CET.

    Autocon2 & Workshop with NetBox Labs & Netpicker

    Heading to Autocon2 in Denver in November? Be sure to swing by our booth to say hello! We’re also hosting a special workshop with Mark Coleman from NetBox Labs and Otto Coster from Netpicker on Tuesday morning. It’s a great chance to get hands-on experience with Slurp’it and learn from the experts.

    More info: https://networkautomation.forum/autocon2

     

    Take care and as usual… Happy discovery!

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