NetBrain Technologies Inc.

NetBrain Consultant Edition

Quick Start Guide

Content

1. Setup and Activate NetBrain Workstation ........................................................................................ 3

1.1 Setup NetBrain Workstation Consultant Edition ........................................................................ 3

1.2 Activate a trial license ............................................................................................................... 3

1.3 Activate a permanent license .................................................................................................... 5

2. Discover Network and Populate the Workspace .............................................................................. 6

2.1 Start Workspace Wizard ........................................................................................................... 6

2.2 Define Telnet/SSH/SNMP credentials and Proxies ................................................................... 7

2.3 Discover Live Network .............................................................................................................. 8

2.4 Import Configuration Files ......................................................................................................... 9

2.5 Tune Live Access .................................................................................................................... 10

2.6 Benchmark network and build L3&L2 topology ....................................................................... 12

2.7 Create L3 or L2 topology maps ............................................................................................... 12

3. Create Map for a Network Task .................................................................................................... 14

3.1 Map network design from configuration files ........................................................................... 14

3.2 Map the Area around a Problematic Device ............................................................................ 16

4. Analyze Network via Map ................................................................................................................ 18

4.1 Decode Network Design via Design Reader ........................................................................... 18

4.2 Annotate Network Configuration in the Map ............................................................................ 20

4.3 Route Table Toolkit .................................................................................................................. 23

4.4 Configuration File Toolkit ......................................................................................................... 24

1. Setup and Activate NetBrain Workstation

1.1 Setup NetBrain Workstation Consultant Edition

To install and set up NetBrain Workstation, you must have administrator access to the computer in

which you install the software.

Double click the Consultant Edition setup file. Follow the instructions in the NetBrain Workstation

Consultant Edition 3.1 – Installshield Wizard window.

1.2 Activate a trial license

A trial license of NetBrain Workstation Consultant Edition allows you to use the program for up to 15

days. The first time you use Consultant Edition, you must activate the license.

1. Launch NetBrain Workstation Consultant Edition. The Welcome to NetBrain window opens.

2. Click the Activate Trial License link. The Activate Trial License window opens.

3. Fill in the Email address and Activation Key and click the Next button to start the activation

process. After verification, the trial license will be activated and you will be able to use the

program.

Note: if your PC is not connected to Internet directly, click the Internet Proxy link to set up the

Internet proxy.

Tip: The Email and Activation Key are included in the email sent to you from NetBrain after you submit

the download request from the NetBrain website.

Note: If you do not have the Activation Key,

1. Click the click here link to access the URL:

https://online.netbraintech.com/licsvc/order/DownloadProduct.aspx?nbversion=3&entryway=0

2. Fill and submit the form. NetBrain will send you the Activation Key for the trial license.

1.3 Activate a permanent license

To activate the permanent license,

1. If you are already a trial user, open NetBrain Workstation and click About > Activate Product.

The Activate License window opens. Or if you start NetBrain Workstation for the first time,

click the Activate Permanent License link in the Welcome to NetBrain window.

2. Fill in the License ID, Password, First Name, Last Name and Email fields. Select the Activate online

option and then click the Next button to start the activation process.

Note:

If your PC is connected to Internet via proxy, click the Internet Proxy link to set up your internet proxy.

If your PC is NOT connected to Internet, follow the instruction in this link to activate the license.

2. Discover Network and Populate the Workspace

To start with NetBrain, you need build the workspace. The workspace is a virtual environment to emulate

the network. NetBrain provides a wizard to help you set up the workspace. This Workspace Wizard

includes six steps:

Step 1: Define the live network settings, the credentials to access the live network.

Step 2: Discover live network. Starting from a seed device, the system will discover the live

network.

Step 3: Add more devices by importing configuration files. If some devices cannot be accessed

or are not discovered for some reasons, you can add more devices by importing configuration

files.

Step 4: Tune live access. The system will poll all network devices to validate the required access

credentials of each device (the device settings).

Step 5: Benchmark network and build L3&L2 topology. You should run the server benchmark at

least once. The L3 and L2 topology will be built automatically from the benchmark data.

Step 6: Create L3/L2 Topology maps. This step is not an essential step for the workspace setup.

However by creating the map from the system created device groups or switch groups, you can

visualize the topology.

2.1 Start Workspace Wizard

Click and select New Local Workspace option to open the Workspace Wizard window. Enter the

workspace name and description.

Click the Next button to go to Step 1 of the workspace wizard.

2.2 Define Telnet/SSH/SNMP credentials and Proxies

The step 1 of Workspace Wizard is to enter the network settings. This function allows you to configure

the required credentials to access devices on your network and retrieve configuration files during the

network discovery process. It can also be used in the Tune Live Access function to poll the devices and

automatically match and input the correct device settings.

1. Click the Telnet/SSH login tag.

2. Click the Add button.

3. Enter the corresponding values.

4. Repeat step 3 and 4 to add all possible Telnet/SSH

login credentials.

5. Click the other tabs in Live Network Setting window

to add Privilege Password, SNMP community,

Network Server and Jumpbox.

6. Click the Next button to go to the next step of Wizard.

Note:

If Workstation can access your network directly,

then you do NOT need set a Jumpbox.

Otherwise you do need set a Jumpbox so that

the Workstation can access the live network.

Live Network Setting Examples

Telnet/SSH login Username nb

Password nb

Privilege Password nb

SNMP community nb

Network Server IP address 72.85.225.144

Port 9099

Jumpbox IP address 72.85.225.144

Username NetBrain

Password NetBrain

Login Prompt login:

Command Prompt: :/>

2.3 Discover Live Network

The step 2 of Workspace Wizard is to discover the live network. Live Network Discovery provides the

ability to discover network devices and retrieve their configuration files. These devices are then

automatically added to the workspace.

1. Click the Options button and select correct access order.

For example, if most of your devices are accessed via

SSH, you can select Try SSH then Telnet.

2. Enter an IP address of the seed router. Or click Select

Device to select a seed router.

3. Click the Start Discovery button.

4. Select an entry to view the log.

5. Click the Next button to go to the next step of Wizard.

Note: The discovery statistics are updated and displayed at

.

Note: If you fail to discover some devices in your network, first make sure that you enter all possible live network

settings at step Step1: Define Telnet/SSH/SNMP credentials and Proxies and then you can try different seed

routers.

2.4 Import Configuration Files

The step 3 is to import configuration files. If you have discovered all network devices you are interested

in step 2, you can click the Next button to skip this step. Otherwise if you do not have access to all or

some of the network devices, you can add these devices by importing their configuration files. Before

this step, you need to retrieve the configuration files of your network devices and save them as text files

in your PC.

1. Collect configuration files into a file folder.

Note: If you use configuration management tools

such as HP Automation and Cisco Works, you can

export configurations into a directory from these

tools and import them into NetBrain.

2. Click From Folder button and select the file

folder you saved configuration files.

3. Click the OK button.

4. The imported devices are displayed in the

Workspace pane.

5. Click the Next button to go to the next step of

Wizard.

Note: NetBrain supports configuration files of Cisco IOS router, IOS switch, CatOS switch, Pix/ASA firewall, Junos

router, 3COM router/switch. A complete list of vendors and hardware models supported can be found here.

Configuration files need to be of original text format.

2.5 Tune Live Access

The step 4 is tune live access. The tune live access function allows you to poll live devices automatically

using the live network settings defined in step 1. The live access function then automatically matches

and fills in the correct values to their respective devices.

1. Click Start Tuning.

2. Click an entry to view its log.

3. After the process is finished, right click an entry and view

its device setting or telnet/SSH to it.

4. Click the Next button to go to the next step of Wizard.

Tip: if you get failure for some devices, you can click Start

Tuning button again without closing window. The system will

only try the devices which failed in last testing.

All credentials to access a device are saved as Device Settings. You

can manually edit the device setting of a device.

1. Right click a device from Workspace pane and select Device

Settings menu.

2. Enter the credential directly. Or you can click the button

and select one from the live network setting you just defined.

3. You can apply these setting to all devices or a device group.

To do so, select the settings and device groups and click the

Apply button.

If the system fails to reach a device via a method, first click the entry of this device in Tune Live Access

window and view the log for any clue. If the system can ping the device successfully but cannot

Telnet/SSH to the device or reach the device via SNMP, then quite possibly some live network settings

are missing. Refer to Step1: Define Telnet/SSH/SNMP credentials and Proxies to add live network

settings. Click here for other possible cases of failure and solutions.

2.6 Benchmark network and build L3&L2 topology

The step 5 is to benchmark the network. Benchmark data is a snapshot of the network state at a

particular point in time. The benchmark data includes configuration files, interface information, routing,

MAC, ARP, and CDP tables and are used to build L3 and L2 topology and also in the troubleshooting

process to recall a healthy network state. By default, L2 and L3 topology are automatically built from the

latest benchmark data.

1. Click the Start Benchmark Now button to have the

system start benchmarking your network immediately.

2. Click the Next button to go to the next step of Wizard.

Note: If you have a large network, it may take a while to finish

a benchmark.

2.7 Create L3 or L2 topology maps

The final step of Workspace Wizard is to create L3 and L2 map. This step is not essential for workspace

setup. It just shows you one of many methods to create a map on demand.

1. Select a device group and click Create Map button.

Note: You can also create L2 topology maps. Click the Map

L2 Topology Map tag to display all switch groups. Select a

switch group to map.

2. Click the Finish button to exit the wizard.

3. Create Map for a Network Task

With NetBrain, every function works off a map. NetBrain provides many ways for you to create a L2/L3

map on-the-fly for a task in hand.

3.1 Map network design from configuration files

Create a map from configuration files

1. Collect configuration files into a file folder.

Note: If you do not have configuration files ready, you can download a set of files from here.

2. Drag and drop the folder into the Workstation.

3. A map is automatically created for all devices in the folder.

Apply Digital Zoom to a Q-Map

1. Scroll the mouse wheel forward to zoom in the map and view the detail data along the link.

Mouse over any Text in a Q-Map

1. Mouse over a text along a link to display the relevant configuration-let in the Tip Window.

Tip: Click the button on the Map ribbon menu to turn on/off Tip Window.

One-Click Visio Diagram

1. Click the Export to Visio button in context menu.

2. The system creates the Visio diagram.

3.2 Map the Area around a Problematic Device

When customers report a PC couldn’t connect to network, or monitoring system generates an alarm of

unreachable devices, you need a map about the problem area. Use NetBrain’s search and mapping

capability for this type of task.

Map the area around an IP address

1. Enter any IP address in the Home > Search text box.

2. Click the Search button.

3. Click icon to create a new map.

4. Drag and drop a device from search results pane to the map.

5. Click button to open neighbor window.

6. Double click all neighbors or one neighbor to draw the neighbor(s) in the map.

Tip: You can use hostname and any text inside a configuration as the search key. For exact match, add

"" around the search string.

4. Analyze Network via Map

Once a data-driven Q-Map is created, many network analyses can be automated from the map. The

frequently used analysis can be launched from the context menu (also called the floating menu) bar. The

context menus change when different types of network objects are selected in the Q-map.

Context Menu Network Analysis

Q-Map Floating Menu

Click the blank space in a Q-map to

bring up the context menu for a map.

Highlight routing protocol

Compare Configurations and

routings

Retrieve live data

Add map note

Show attachment

Export to Visio

Router Floating Menu

Click a router to bring up the context

menu for a device.

View configurations and config-let

via design reader

View route table

View NAT table

View MAC table (only applicable to

switch)

Extend neighbor

4.1 Decode Network Design via Design Reader

NetBrain design reader extrapolates detail design out of the configurations. The detail design can be

viewed in tip window conveniently and in design reader comprehensively.

1. Scroll the mouse wheel forward to zoom in the map and view the detail data along the link.

2. Move the mouse over the labels and the tip window opens (click the Map > Show Tip button

in the ribbon if it does not open).

3. Click the design reader button in tip window. The design reader pane opens.

4. Select a design filter in the left pane.

5. Click a device in the map to apply the design filter.

6. Click the button to view the sample.

Tip: You can use Design Reader to learn best practice by click view sample button. A map along with

common configure-let opens.

4.2 Annotate Network Configuration in the Map

Annotate Configuration in a Q-map

1. Move the mouse over the labels and the tip window opens (click the Map > Show Tip button

in the ribbon if it does not open).

2. Click the button to save the tip window in the map.

Tip: You many need to apply zoom in order to see multicasting label such as PIM-DM or PIM-SM

shown up in the map.

Highlight routing protocols in L3 map

1. Click highlight in context menu and select highlight routing protocol.

2. To clear the highlight, click highlight in the context menu and select Clear All.

Highlight VLAN in L2 map

1. Click highlight in context menu and select highlight LAN segment.

2. To clear the highlight, click highlight in the context menu and select Clear Highlight.

4.3 Route Table Toolkit

View the route tables benchmarked at different times and map the route item onto a Q-map.

Use route table toolkit

1. Click a device and click Route table > route table in context menu.

2. From the route table pane, sort the route entries by one of the parameters.

Tip: Sort the route table by Age in the ascending order to find the flapping routes.

3. Enter an IP subnet or an IP address and then press Enter key. The system will filter the

corresponding routes.

4. Drag and drop a route entry to a Q-map. The device and its next-hop device of the route are

mapped in the map.

Tip: From the source pull-down menu, select a cached Datafolder to view historical routing table, and

compare against current data.

4.4 Configuration File Toolkit

View the current and historical configuration files. Compare and find what are changed between two

configuration files.

1. Select a device in the map.

2. Click Config > Config in context menu.

3. Select a source.

4. Click the Compare button.

5. Select two DataFolders to compare.

6. The differences between two configuration files are highlighted. Click the Next or Prev button to

view the next or previous difference.