	n e t d i s c o
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DESCRIPTION

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Netdisco is an Open Source web-based network management tool.

Netdisco is a network management application targeted at large corporate and university networks. Data is collected into a Postgres database using SNMP and presented with a clean web interface using Mason.

Designed for moderate to large networks, configuration information and connection data for network devices are retrieved by SNMP. With Netdisco you can locate the switch port of an end-user system by IP or MAC address. Data is stored using a SQL database for scalability and speed. Layer-2 topology protocols such as CDP (Cisco Discovery Protocol) optionally provides automatic discovery of the network topology.

The network is inventoried by both device model and operating system (like IOS). Netdisco uses router ARP tables and L2 switch MAC forwarding tables to locate nodes on physical ports and track them by their IP addresses. For each node, a time stamped history of the ports it has visited and the IP addresses it has used is maintained.

Netdisco gets all its data, including topology information, with SNMP polls and DNS queries. It does not use CLI access and has no need for privilege passwords. Security features include a wire-side Wireless Access Point (AP) locator.

The project is supported by a community of open-source developers, headed by Eric Miller, Bill Fenner, and Max Baker.

DOWNLOAD


		Netdisco 0.95	November 28, 2006 This version is a major release with many enhancements, including Apache2 support, per-port VLAN control on some devices, wireless network SSID inventory, significantly expanded device support with the support of SNMP::Info, and many bug fixes.
		Netdisco-mibs 0.4	November 10, 2006
		SNMP::Info 1.04	July 8, 2006

DEMO SITE

A working demo of version 0.93 is available at [http://netdisco.org/demo]

FEATURES

From the web interface devices connected to switch and router ports are listed by MAC and IP address. A history of which switch ports a MAC address has been seen at is kept.

With a click you can disable or enable a switch port if you have access. The reason, user and date are logged and used in year-end reporting features.

Switch Ports

Central location to disable/enable switch ports.
Network administrators can disable and enable ports without having to know enable or privilege passwords. Reasons for switching on/off ports are logged for end-of-the-year auditing and reporting. Non-IOS savvy managers can control port access from a familiar browser interface. This feature was designed with a University Residential Networks (ResNet) in mind.
Only users you specify in Netdisco will have access to switch off a port. Netdisco will also not allow people to switch off uplink ports by accident.
MAC Address to switch port resolution.
IP Address to switch port resolution.
Find Switch Ports with multiple nodes attached
Find nodes using multiple IP addresses
Find nodes by vendor (using MAC address OUI)
View and Change VLAN assigned to port
SSID And Channel Information on wireless ports

Easy Administration

Navigation through a Web Interface. Maintenance through a Command Line Interface (CLI).
Database store for scalability and speed (Postgresql).
Easily extendible to new network device types and vendors.
Built-in user system to restrict access to sensitive data and features.

Network Administration and Security

Administratively enable/disable switch ports from web interface with logging.
Automatic inventory and search of network hardware.
Duplex Mismatch Finder for uplink ports.
Find rogue Wireless Access Points (APs) from the wired-side of network.

Reporting

Netdisco creates a clickable graph/map of your network topology.
Get statistics of the number of actual nodes connected to network and their address-space usage.
Optional integration with a Pinnacle Database.
Inventory of Network Devices:
- by Operating System (IOS,CatOS,HP...)
- by Model, Vendor, OSI Layer, DNS Name
Find devices using IP Addresses without DNS entries.

SUPPORTED DEVICES

Most any device that speaks SNMP well is supported to some extent. To the full extent Cisco and HP are supported best, followed by a lot of vendors.

See the [Device Matrix] for more details.

DOCUMENTATION

	[README] [INSTALL] [UPGRADE] [REGISTER]	General Documentation
	[Netdisco Mailing Lists]	[Mailing List Search]
	[Netdisco Project Page]
	[SNMP::Info Project Page]
	[FreshMeat Entry]	(Rate Netdisco here!)

PRESS

Resnet Symposium 2004 Conference Presentation (PDF) (PPT)
"The State of The Penguin - IT" (Local PDF) - Article by Sam Williams in Linux Magazine about Netdisco.

Fiat Slug Netdisco was originally developed by Max Baker as a project of UC Santa Cruz's NTS department.