[AusNOG] Diagramming Networks in 2022 - Should it be this hard?

[Shaun Deans]

Jason.

Prefix: I'm making a total assumption on why your diagramming your infra. If I've missed the point then please accept my apology and I hope this may help someone else.

If the reason for diagramming is to document configuration have you thought about implementing an online configuration tool like Netbox ( https://github.com/netbox-community/netbox ) ?

> 
> ​ NetBox is the leading solution for modeling and documenting modern
> networks. By combining the traditional disciplines of IP address
> management (IPAM) and datacenter infrastructure management (DCIM) with
> powerful APIs and extensions, NetBox provides the ideal "source of truth"
> to power network automation. Available as open source software under the
> Apache 2.0 license, NetBox is employed by thousands of organizations
> around the world.
> 
> 

This tool has heaps of plugins including one for topology rendering ( https://github.com/mattieserver/netbox-topology-views ) (example below).

The benefit I see for a tool like Netbox is that it's 'always live' and also contains audit logs for configuration changes which helps as well.

The fact that its got so many plugins allows for automatic deployment and detection of config drift if documentation isn't up to scratch.

I understand that moving to an online tool may introduce the ' can't access the online tool due to network being down ' issue however I'm sure these documents could be exported via cron on a schedule to a s3 bucket or something similar.

Again if I've missed the need for the diagrams vs a config tool I'd love to understand the use of the diagrams to have another shot!

Cheers

Shaun

On Sun, Oct 09, 2022 at 11:29:54, Jason Leschnik < jason at leschnik.me > wrote:

> 
> Hi everyone,
> 
> 
> 
> Frustration has gotten the better of me, hence the post. Sorry if this
> isn't 100% relevant, I thought about posting on Reddit but find sometimes
> the replies are a bit of a dumpster fire.
> 
> 
> 
> We're using Visio and some very basic templating practices (common
> symbols, guidelines for link color/type & styles). But every time I jump
> into our diagrams, I'm always frustrated with how tedious it is to use
> Visio (possible lack of skill?) and how rigid the tool is. Moving a
> device/adding a new site, effectively means getting out the scissors and
> glue and spending an afternoon like an artisan redrawing and reflowing
> links. I understand there are other tools out there, draw. io/ lucid (
> http://draw.io/lucid ) which are better but still all take time and some
> artistic flare.
> 
> 
> 
> Possibly this is due to a mix of how we're using connectors (some in our
> team are just reverting to using simple lines now to avoid the connector
> reflow madness). But things like labels on links, having to chase them
> around the page manually, and diagrams that are difficult to read because
> of lack of room. Surely we're doing it the hard way?
> 
> 
> 
> Does anyone have examples of their "real world" diagrams (redacted of
> course!) to show how they do this better? All the Google-Fu I do on the
> subject just brings me to those "edgy" isometric Network diagrams that are
> used in marketing slideware.
> 
> 
> 
> *tl;dr* looking for practical Network diagram styles so I can use some of
> the themes in our diagrams.
> 
> 
> 
> Attached sample, moving anything around in this small area requires a few
> hours to rework everything. It shouldn't be this hard right?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Jason.
> 
> 
> 
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