Portal apps (slt)

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The NOC Customer Portal

description

Harvard's network operations center (NOC) is a set of web applications and tools that offer transparency and push "self service" to customers in a secure, verified, and granular way.

Transcript of Portal apps (slt)

Page 1: Portal apps (slt)

The NOC Customer Portal

Page 2: Portal apps (slt)

What is the NOC Customer Portal?

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What is the NOC Customer Portal?

o It’s a set of web applications and tools…

Page 4: Portal apps (slt)

What is the NOC Customer Portal?

o It’s a set of web applications and tools…

o that offer transparency and push “self service” to customers…

Page 5: Portal apps (slt)

What is the NOC Customer Portal?

o It’s a set of web applications and tools…

o that offer transparency and push “self service” to customers…

o in a secure, verified, and granular way.

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Is it laziness to push network administration to users?

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Is it laziness to push network administration to users?

o A little.

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Is it laziness to push network administration to users?

o A little.

o Another word would be “efficient.”

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Is it laziness to push network administration to users?

o A little.

o Another word would be “efficient.”

o It’s also more convenient for users.

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Is it laziness to push network administration to users?

o A little.

o Another word would be “efficient.”

o It’s also more convenient for users.

o AND it increases security.

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Is it laziness to push network administration to users?

o A little.

o Another word would be “efficient.”

o It’s also more convenient for users.

o AND it increases security.

o AND in most cases, the user also gets immediate results.

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Is it laziness to push network administration to users?

o A little.

o Another word would be “efficient.”

o It’s also more convenient for users.

o AND it increases security.

o AND in most cases, the user also gets immediate results.

o In other cases, it shortens cycles by removing ambiguity.

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Is it laziness to push network administration to users?

o lets the computer do what it’s good at, but people are not

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What are some tools on the NOC Customer Portal?

o Email aliasing

o VPN accounts

o DNS

o MAC tracking for stolen devices

o many others!

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How about stuff where we need babysitting?

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How about stuff where we need babysitting?

o ACLs

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How about stuff where we need babysitting?

o ACLs

o Access Control List

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How about stuff where we need babysitting?

o ACLs

o Access Control List

o rules that allow/deny access on the network

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How about stuff where we need babysitting?

o ACLs

o Access Control List

o rules that allow/deny access on the network

o ACLs are confusing!

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An Example

o staff member who works at GSD

o network admin

o authorized to make ACL requests

o wants to open web access to frankgehry.gsd.harvard.edu (128.103.174.100)

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The old way:

① emails request to NOC

② NOC receives request

③ NOC evaluates request, may pass off to SOC for approval if host is on their network, probably need to seek clarification from customer

④ eventually, NOC carries out request

⑤ NOC notifies user

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Why that stinks:

o slow

o “social engineering”

o guaranteed to spend cycles seeking clarification (ACLs are complicated!)

o multiple staff members needed

o changes go into a black hole

o easy to miscommunicate (ACLs are complicated!)

o no transparency into existing ACLs

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The Portal way

o parse all network device configurations into database

o make available via “ACLadmin” on the Portal

o instantiate all business rules and technical logic in that

o let’s take a look…

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Why that doesn’t stink:o authenticated

o validated

o no NOC staff time needed until time to evaluate/add

o automatically logged

o easier than vendor GUI

o not immediate, but quicker

o have zone control

o pre-vetting for format & redundancy (complexity control)

o transparency

o vendor neutral (new!)

o let the computer do what it’s good at and humans aren’t

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The future

o more of the same

o refresh existing apps for new technology

o APIs for automation (VPN/DHCP now, ACL/DNS to come)