What are the essential features and functions of a good network documentation tool?

1 Automated discovery and mapping

A good network documentation tool should be able to automatically discover and map your network devices, connections, and topology using various methods, such as SNMP, ICMP, SSH, Telnet, or API. This can save you hours of manual work and ensure that your network documentation is always accurate and up-to-date. Moreover, a good network documentation tool should be able to display your network map in a clear and interactive way, allowing you to zoom, filter, search, and customize the views and details of your network elements.

3 Performance monitoring and alerting

A good network documentation tool should also be able to monitor and alert you on the performance and availability of your network devices and connections, such as bandwidth, latency, packet loss, uptime, CPU, memory, and disk usage. Performance monitoring and alerting can help you identify and troubleshoot network issues, optimize network resources, and plan for future network growth and changes. Additionally, a good network documentation tool should be able to provide you with historical and real-time data, graphs, reports, and dashboards on your network performance and trends.

4 Security analysis and auditing

A good network documentation tool should also be able to analyze and audit your network security posture and compliance, such as firewall rules, access control lists, encryption protocols, authentication methods, and vulnerabilities. Security analysis and auditing can help you detect and prevent network threats, breaches, and attacks, as well as comply with regulatory and industry standards and best practices. Moreover, a good network documentation tool should be able to generate and export security reports and logs for your network documentation and evidence.

5 Inventory management and asset tracking

A good network documentation tool should also be able to manage and track your network inventory and assets, such as device models, serial numbers, firmware versions, licenses, warranties, locations, and owners. Inventory management and asset tracking can help you keep track of your network assets and their lifecycle, as well as optimize your network budget and procurement. Furthermore, a good network documentation tool should be able to integrate with your other IT systems and tools, such as CMDB, ticketing, or ERP systems.

6 Collaboration and sharing

A good network documentation tool should also be able to facilitate collaboration and sharing among your network team and other stakeholders, such as managers, engineers, technicians, or auditors. Collaboration and sharing can help you improve your network communication, coordination, and accountability, as well as streamline your network workflows and processes. Additionally, a good network documentation tool should be able to support multiple users, roles, permissions, and access levels, as well as export and import your network documentation in various formats.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?