How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik

Transcription

1 How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik

2 Step 1 Define project scope Network assessments are an effective way to transition prospects and clients from the pitch phase to the purchase phase by providing the tangible proof they need to better understand their specific network risks and how quickly you can identify and solve issues before they ever become their problem. When offering a network assessment, you need to be clear on the value it presents. You also need to explain: Exactly what you ll deliver to them (e.g., an in-depth report, a live demo, a simple conversation) How much it costs (if you choose to charge a fee for this service) What you ll do if issues are discovered (e.g., will you quote to solve all discovered issues before fixing them, or is there an agreed-upon threshold where you can go ahead and resolve an issue if it meets a certain level of severity or cost to fix?) How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 2

3 Step 2 Deploy Auvik Deploy Auvik on the client s network. Our deployment guide walks you through the details. Auvik alerts you when credentials are needed. Ask your clients for any credentials you don t have and plug them in so Auvik can learn as much as possible about the network. Once Auvik has discovered the network, leave the collector running for a week to gather data. (If you only look at the data over, say, an hour, all you ll get it is a snapshot that doesn t accurately reflect the flow of a full work week.) During that week, though, there are other parts of the assessment you can work on. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 3

4 Step 3 Learn the device inventory While Auvik is collecting data, take some time to learn the client s network inside and out. The first step is to analyze the device inventory. In this step you ll start to gauge the work that will be required to manage the network. Get a lay of the land: Is it a Windows or Mac environment? Are the devices managed or unmanaged? Are they wired or unwired? Does the client allow personal devices on the network? How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 4

5 Analyze network inventory From the client s home dashboard, click the Export button below the map to produce a data-rich Excel file. Be patient it may take a few minutes for a large network to download. When you open the Excel file, you ll see several tabs in the worksheet. Focus first on the Network Elements and Devices tabs to familiarize yourself with the network devices on your client s site. Analyze networks Now go to the Networks tab in the spreadsheet and assess the VLANs and routed subnets. Are they using VLAN 1? Since this is a default VLAN, it s generally not recommended to be used. You could flag this as a risk and suggest a better course of action. Next, look at the Routed Network list. Are there several /16 subnets? Are there only public non-rfc 1918 networks listed? These may be indications that a major network overhaul is needed to break up a legacy /16 subnet into smaller /24 subnets for a smaller broadcast domain, or to re-ip the network into RFC 1918 compliant networks. Then, filter the spreadsheet to find data such as device names, types, makes and models, and serial numbers. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 5

6 Investigate interface inventory Using the same spreadsheet, open the Interfaces tab. Look for interfaces connected at 10 Mbit/s or 100 Mbit/s that should be connected at higher speeds. Some devices may not be capable of higher speeds, but if you see an interface on a firewall, NAS, hypervisor, server, or other critical device connected at a lower speed, it may be a red flag that configuration updates or hardware upgrades are needed. Check IP address pool Return to the Networks tab in the spreadsheet to check how many IP addresses are available in the environment there s a Network Name column and a # of Devices column. Compare the size of the network (based on its subnet mask in the Network Name column) to the number of devices currently on that subnet. For example, a /24 subnet has 254 available IPs. If Auvik has found 240 devices already on that subnet, it could soon run out of IP addresses. That can seriously drag on network performance so you ll want to flag it. Also look for interfaces that may be administratively up but operationally down. These ports may not be required for normal network operations and present a potential security risk: an open port that anyone with an Ethernet cable could plug into for network access. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 6

7 Step 4 Look for old hardware, software, and firmware In the same spreadsheet, go to the Devices tab. Look for access points, firewalls, routers, and switches the core network elements. You ll see columns for Make & Model, Software Version, and Firmware Version. Scan for versions that are known to be out of date. For example, if you recently deployed a SonicWALL running software version 6.5, but you see SonicWALLs on this client s network that are running version 5.8, you know they re out of date. Or, if you see an old-school Cisco ASA 5505 firewall or other end-of-life devices, you can recommend replacement. By finding old devices and recommending replacements, you improve your client s IT performance, security, and reliability. And it s also great for identifying sales opportunities for you. You can sell the prospect new hardware or service hours to update software and firmware. Tip: If you re not sure what the most recent software version is for a device, you can check the manufacturer s website. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 7

8 Step 5 Export the network topology map One final assessment step you can take while data is being collected is to export the network topology map so you can analyze connections. Auvik exports the map exactly as you see it on your screen so you ll likely want to export a few different views. From the client s map, click the funnel icon in the toolbar on the left. Choose one of our prebuilt filters like Network Elements Only, or build one of your own. For example, if you want to focus on one particular subnet, you can filter and view only that portion of the network. Once you re happy with your view, export the map by clicking the arrow icon below the funnel. Typically, it s best to select Export Map as SVG, because the pixel quality is better. With the exported map, you ll be able to point to anything out of the ordinary for instance, daisy chained switches that are five layers deep, or a network loop. You can tell something s wrong if it s coming up as red on the map or if you know a connection is different than the client believes. Look for unmanaged switches Take a close look at the network topology map, searching for any unmanaged switches. These represent a blind spot in the network for both you and your client. They can increase your incident response time and be a real pain to troubleshoot. On the map, look for devices connected with blue wires into a cloud named switch attached to X devices. This is evidence of an unmanaged switch hooked into that port. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 8

9 Step 6 After a week, look at the data Auvik collected After having gathered data for a week, you can now look at what the Auvik collector has pulled. Two of the most important metrics that can highlight issues are internet utilization and network device utilization. Internet utilization and quality of service From the side navigation, select Documentation > Reports > Network Device Utilization. Make sure the time frame on the right side under the map is set to the past week. Now select Inventory > All Services > Internet Connection Check to review each of the client s external IPs. Make sure the time frame is still set to the past week and then check the Packet Loss and Round Trip Time graphs. Lots of packet loss? Lots of jitter in the Round Trip Time? These may be indications of a poor-quality internet link. While here, also confirm how many ISPs the client is using. Do they have redundant ISPs? If not, this can be a critical recommendation to improve their business continuity measures. Under All Internet Connections, look at the average utilization for each connection. If bandwidth spikes are getting close to the committed bandwidth maximum from the ISP, the client is likely experiencing a slow internet connection. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 9

10 Network device utilization Back on the network device utilization report, scroll down to the network device utilization subheader and assess the uptime percentage for all network devices. Are they close to 100% or are they experiencing a lot of downtime? Look at the CPU, Memory, and Storage columns to see if spikes are nearing 100%. Is the CPU spiking above 50% on a regular basis? Is the memory approaching its limit? Heavily utilized network devices may not perform at maximum efficiency, and if storage runs out, they may stop working altogether. Pay special attention to the client s firewall and make sure it s emphasized in your report. The firewall is their gateway to the world! Performance issues on a critical link like the firewall can degrade the user experience on every service. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 10

11 Step 7 Check for network misconfigurations Auvik has preconfigured alerts that indicate network misconfigurations. You can look for these alerts in one of two ways. 1/ Alerts grid On the side navigation bar, click All Alerts. Make sure the time frame selected on the right side under the map starts when you deployed Auvik and ends now. Filter by Severity = Informational by typing informational into the search bar. 2/ Open alerts Select Home Dashboard from the side navigation. The second tile from the left is Open Alerts. Click on Informational. After you ve completed one of these two steps, scroll through the table looking for alerts like different VLAN numbers, interface duplex mismatch, or VLAN with no interfaces. These are all indications there s some cleanup to do. For a full description of what these alerts mean and suggestions on how to resolve them, visit the Auvik Knowledge Base. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 11

12 Step 8 Review alerts from the past week Return to the All Alerts grid by clicking All Alerts from the side navigation. Make sure the time frame is set to the past week. Analyze the alerts that were triggered to see if they indicate configuration or performance issues. Examples: If the CPU utilization is constantly spiking on a switch, there might be a network bottleneck. If a high interface utilization alert is triggering Friday nights at 9 p.m., you ve identified when backup jobs are running. Packet error alerts could indicate a damaged cable or an interface port starting to fail. High broadcast traffic means a broadcast storm could be imminent. If there s a network element causing alerts, you know where to look for issues and opportunities to improve the network. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 12

13 Step 9 Perform a security analysis There are two main credentials that could leave a network exposed to threats: SNMP credentials and passwords Login credentials and passwords From the side navigation, select Discovery > Manage Credentials > SNMP Credentials. Now click Login Credentials from the menu on the left and look for credentials that are the same on many devices. If someone cracks one device login, they ve cracked multiple. If you find vulnerabilities like default credentials, switches using the same username and password, user / user logins, and so on, you can recommend updates. Here, you re looking for devices using default credentials. Default credentials are widely known so they pose a security risk. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 13

14 Step 10 Take immediate steps to solve issues if agreed upon Some high-risk issues need immediate resolution. If remediation was an agreed-upon part of the network assessment, consider fixing them as you go. For example, finding a default admin / admin credential on a firewall is a big problem since it s the public-facing network device. Or, if you re seeing a ton of broadcast traffic and can narrow it down to a single interface, fixing that could immediately improve network performance. In other words, look for easy fixes that generate big results right away. These are quick wins for both you and the client. If immediate remediation wasn t part of the deal and you re trying to win the business, consider asking the prospect to make changes as you find serious issues so you can prove your expertise. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 14

15 Step 11 Make strategic recommendations to improve the network How you present your recommendations may vary from one prospect or client to the next, depending on what you ve identified as their preferred method of communication or what you agreed on when you defined the project scope. You might: Give them a detailed report of your findings, specific recommendations, and a remediation process ahead of or during your meeting Present the issues and recommendations during a live demo Combine these approaches Tip: Use our Network Assessment Report Template to create (and brand) detailed, customized reports for your prospects and clients. However you decide to relay your recommendations to improve their network performance, security, and reliability, you ll want to explain the severity and impact in a way that s easy to understand. We recommend prioritizing issues with a standard red, orange, and yellow warning system the prospect or client can relate to: Red might be we ve found these SNMP creds that are using the public community string, or this hardware is end of life and end of support. Orange might be every switch is using the same login creds or a switch is reaching capacity on these ports so a hardware upgrade is recommended. Yellow might be you re one major release behind on firmware. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 15

16 Step 12 Determine pricing for the changes you re quoting After you ve prepared your recommendations, consider breaking your proposal into three parts: 1. Project work to correct any immediate issues 2. A monthly fee for ongoing managed service 3. An onboarding fee (e.g., 1-1.5x your quoted monthly managed services fee or an estimate based on an hourly / daily fee) to cover the cost of getting things up and running For project-based work, consider the difference between the estimated and actual number of hours it takes to complete a project, making sure you re clear with the client upfront about who s responsible for paying or eating any additional hours if the project ends up taking longer than expected or if the scope of the project changes. When there are issues that demand more time and resources to monitor and resolve, there s a great opportunity to sell managed network services and there are a number of ways you can price it. The easiest and most straightforward way is to add an additional monthly fee to your existing managed services contract, either bundled in the overall offering or listed separately as a managed network services line item. Breaking it out will ensure your prospects understand the difference between your managed service offering and that of another MSP. In other words, you can use managed network services as a differentiator. Most of our partners base their monthly managed network services fee on the number of network devices (switches, routers, firewalls, wireless access points and controllers) that will be proactively monitored and managed. You can easily get their total count in the Auvik network assessment. Finally, make sure your proposal has an expiry date. The quoted pricing should only apply for a specific range of growth and for a specific time period because you ll want to renegotiate at some point. Swoosh! That sound of you slam dunking your network assessment is music to our ears. What s next? Read our How to Prospect, Pitch & Sell Managed Network Services with Auvik guide to better identify when and how to use network assessments as part of your overall approach to selling managed network services. How to Slam Dunk a Network Assessment Using Auvik 16