Modernizing Your NCCM

‍00:05 Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us. I'm Jesse Jamieson with Empowered Networks, and we're here to discuss the NetMRI end-of-life announcement that’s recently been sent out to many of you. We wanted to discuss what this actually means in terms of impacts on your business, address potential questions, and explore the options that might be available to you going forward.

00:22 Today, I’m joined by Michael Ell. Please introduce yourself.

00:24 Hi, I’m Michael Ell with Empowered Networks. I’m the SVP of Technical Services and happy to be here.

00:30 Thank you, Michael. And also with us is Adam Fox.

00:32 Hi, I’m Adam Fox, a Senior Solutions Architect here with Empowered Networks. I’m happy to be here as well.

00:39 Thank you, Adam. As I mentioned, the goal of this webinar is to discuss the NetMRI end-of-life announcement, answer any questions you may have, and ensure you have a thorough understanding of what this means and the details surrounding the end-of-life itself.

00:56 To start, when we talk about an end-of-life announcement, people often want to know first what products are actually affected and how it impacts them. Michael, could you take that one?

01:02 Sure, Jesse. The product we’re talking about is NetMRI, an NCCM solution that Infoblox has had in the market for many years, but it’s now reaching end-of-life.

01:20 The announcement was made on October 10, 2024, so just recently. The last order date—the final date you can order the product from Infoblox—will be April 30, 2025. The actual end-of-life, which coincides with the end of support for the product, will be April 30, 2027.

01:42 Thank you, Michael. So, what does this mean for existing support and maintenance for customers?

01:45 This means that existing support will continue as before, and maintenance will be upheld. One important message here is that Infoblox will continue to support customers up until these dates, ensuring a successful transition out of NetMRI.

02:02 Awesome. For our existing customers who use NetMRI daily, what does this transition look like? Adam?

02:12 For most, it’s going to be business as usual. With the time provided through these announcements, customers can strategically plan for a transition to an NCCM solution that meets their specific needs and requirements.

02:33 Great, thank you. We’ve discussed NetMRI, but let’s clarify what it does within your network environment. What are the core features or functionalities of an NCCM?

02:54 Sure, I’ll jump in. NCCM stands for Network Configuration and Change Management. It’s a suite of capabilities for handling configuration and change management for network devices. Understanding the components of NCCM is essential, as different functionalities of NetMRI may be more or less relevant depending on how you’re using the tool in your environment.

03:32 I think a question many customers have is about their licenses and how they may not know exactly what they’re using NetMRI for. Can we help them with that?

03:45 Definitely. Empowered Networks has developed a specific tool to help customers understand the use cases for which they rely on NetMRI. This lightweight process typically takes 10 to 30 minutes. It involves downloading software that interrogates your NetMRI logs and setup to generate a report, showing exactly what functions you’re using.

04:22 That’s important since NetMRI has been in use for years in many organizations, often with different use cases.

04:38 Absolutely, Adam. I’d add that while this tool does analyze data, none of it is taken off-site. You retain control over what’s collected, and we provide capabilities to obfuscate any sensitive data.

04:59 Let’s briefly go over some key functions within the NCCM solution. One of the main features is Discovery—identifying and pulling back detailed information about network devices.

05:32 Adam, could you talk about configuration backups and management?

05:35 Of course. Discovery is crucial for compliance and maintaining network integrity. Beyond that, there’s Compliance Enforcement—creating and adhering to gold standards, whether for internal standards like DNS and NTP or for industry standards like NIST, CMMC, and CIS.

05:57 Once configuration policies are in place, automation around remediation is also possible, whether scripted or based on templates. These automations are triggered by failed compliance checks.

06:31 That’s another key piece, Jesse. NCCM’s ROI often comes from the ability to make bulk changes, from simple DNS or NTP updates to more complex processes like full OS upgrades.

06:59 And with all that data, it’s easy to sync with other systems, like Infoblox’s DDI grid. There are also options to sync with various other platforms.

07:32 Great point, Michael. Removing a specific tool impacts not only the direct functions but also integrations with other systems that rely on it.

07:49 A commonly used feature is Switch Port Management. While some may use it sparingly, others may execute it up to a hundred times a day. Understanding your use case helps ensure that when NetMRI is retired, you’re not replacing it with manual labor.

08:15 Any other functions or features we think NetMRI might be leveraged for today?

08:17 I’d mention ITSM, outside of IPAM and daily activities, the capability to generate tickets, and the authoritative Discovery populating a CMDB.

08:30 Exactly. Even if NetMRI isn’t critical for some, it may feed data to systems that are.

08:48 So now we know what an NCCM is and that NetMRI’s end-of-life is coming up. What are the next steps?

08:52 The first step, as Adam mentioned, is our tool for understanding which specific functions are being used. After that, there are different paths, depending on the needs of the analysis.

09:31 For example, if you’re focused on Discovery and Asset Information, consider Network Insight or Network Asset Insights from Infoblox. These are designed for Discovery and asset management—either on-premise or cloud-based.

10:02 Right. Network Asset Insights, a relatively new product, is part of Infoblox’s Universal DDI offering, providing cloud-based Discovery. Meanwhile, Network Insight offers traditional on-premise Discovery.

10:41 For customers using configuration backups, what options do we have?

10:45 This is where things get more interesting, as some NCCM functions won’t be available in Infoblox’s future tools. For these, we recommend Encompass, our NCCM solution, which covers backup, compliance, and job automation.

11:30 Adam, could you explain more about Encompass?

11:32 Encompass provides the NCCM basics—IP address management, device backup, compliance, and job automation. We designed it to be scalable with minimal resources and offer it as a cloud solution, managing it for you.

12:01 We’re also adding advanced reporting features, enabling customers to track metrics and show leadership the work involved in vulnerability management.

12:55 And for customers who rely on NetMRI’s integration with Infoblox’s DDI grid, Encompass is expected to offer similar integration, allowing rich Discovery data to populate IPAM systems.

13:31 Empowered Networks’ consultants and engineering team will support customers through their transition, helping them identify and move over to the right solutions.

15:56 Question: If I decide to migrate to one of the options you mentioned, how do I go about doing that?

16:13 Answer (Jesse): At Empowered Networks, we offer professional services to assist with migration from NetMRI to the solution that best fits your needs—whether that’s Encompass or one of Infoblox’s Discovery tools. We’ll discuss your specific use case to determine the best approach.

17:03 Question: How is Network Asset Insights different from Network Insight, and why might I choose one over the other?

17:10 Answer (Michael): Network Insight is the traditional on-premise Discovery tool, connecting directly to the DDI grid and accessing devices via SNMP and SSH. Network Asset Insights extends those capabilities, enabling Discovery across cloud environments and centralizing data within Infoblox’s SaaS portal.

18:31 Question: I’ve used NetMRI for policies and rules for years. How challenging is it to migrate to Encompass?

18:18 Answer (Adam): We’ve created tools to simplify this process. While the language differs slightly, tools assist with 99% of the migration. Common policies like DISA and NSA are included with Encompass, and custom standards can be brought over with ease.

19:32 Question: How will Encompass be licensed?

19:39 Answer: Encompass is a SaaS service licensed by device count, similar to NetMRI.

20:22 Question: Will Encompass capture hardware inventory details, like modules and power supplies?

20:28 Answer: Yes, Encompass will capture all components within multi-stack switches, including serial numbers for each part.

20:49 Question: Can Encompass share Discovery data with ServiceNow’s CMDB? I know Empowered could do this with NetMRI, and I’d like to add this functionality soon.

20:59 Answer (Jesse): Yes, CMDB integrations are a core component of Encompass, along with support for other tools like Tenable for security scans. If there’s a specific integration you need, please reach out, and we can discuss further customization.

22:00 Question: If Discovery is my primary use case, is Encompass still the best solution?

22:00 Answer (Michael): If Discovery is the sole use case, then the best migration path would likely be to Infoblox’s Network Insight or Network Asset Insights. For advanced NCCM capabilities, Encompass is the recommended tool.

24:13 Thank you all for joining and for your questions. For further assistance, please reach out to your account executive or visit EmpoweredNetworks.com, and we’ll respond within 24 hours.

27:25 Thank you to our panelists, and have a great weekend!

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