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Out-of-Band Management: What It Is and Why You Need It

by | Jan 26, 2024 | Data Center Management, Data Center Resilience, Improve Network Security, Minimize Impact of Disruptions, Monitoring & Reporting, Out of Band Management, Power Management, Remote Network Management, Serial Consoles

Thumbnail – What is out-of-band management

This scenario is every IT professional’s worst nightmare: it’s the middle of the night, a remote site on the other side of the country has gone offline, and nobody knows why. A single minute of downtime can cost anywhere from several hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, and the nearest tech is a six-hour plane ride away. Consider 2024’s CrowdStrike outage and the devastation caused for banks, airports, and many other organizations.

A bar chart showing the average hourly cost of downtime by industry.
Data Source: SolarWinds

Out-of-band management offers the solution: a way for teams to access critical remote infrastructure during outages and breaches without “out-of-chair” expenses. Out-of-band management allows organizations to recover remote infrastructure faster, reducing the duration and expense of downtime.

This guide to out-of-band management answers critical questions about what this technology is, why you need it, and how to choose the right solution.

Table of contents
What is Out-of-Band Management?
Why Do You Need Out-of-Band Management?
What is an Out-of-Band Management solution?
How Does Out-of-Band Management Improve Security and Resilience?
Why Choose Nodegrid for Out-of-Band Management?

What is out-of-band management?

Out-of-band management (OOBM) involves controlling network infrastructure and workflows on an out-of-band network. An out-of-band network is an entirely separate network that runs parallel with your production (or in-band) network but doesn’t rely on any of the same infrastructure or services. OOBM allows teams to administer network infrastructure remotely on a dedicated connection, such as secondary Fiber or cellular LTE, that will remain available even if the in-band network goes down from an equipment failure, ISP outage, or ransomware attack.

A diagram showing how out-of-band management works.

The biggest reason to use out-of-band management is to ensure continuous, uninterrupted access to critical remote infrastructure even when the primary network is down. OOBM allows teams to recover from outages and cyberattacks faster and more cost-efficiently because they can access, troubleshoot, and restore systems without rolling trucks or hiring on-site services.

Out-of-band management provides a lifeline for teams to access critical remote infrastructure when the production network is offline. It allows them to immediately begin troubleshooting and repairing the issue to restore services ASAP. With OOBM, companies save money on recovery expenses, and minimize the duration and business impact of downtime.

What is an OOBM serial console?

Front and back views of the Nodegrid out-of-band management serial console.

Some organizations use OOBM jump boxes (or jump servers) that are connected to both the in-band and out-of-band networks, allowing administrators to “jump” from one network to the other for management. Examples of low-cost jump boxes include the Intel NUC and the Raspberry Pi. However, OOBM jump boxes are security risks because they do not effectively isolate the management infrastructure, plus they require an entire duplicate infrastructure of devices and services to create the out-of-band network. The best practice for security, resilience, and efficiency is to deploy an all-in-one, out-of-band management solution.

An out-of-band management solution uses hardware devices known as serial consoles, which connect to infrastructure devices via their management port (usually RS232 Serial, Ethernet, or USB). Serial consoles are known by lots of other names, including terminal servers, console servers, console server switches, serial routers, and serial switches.

The serial console has dedicated network interfaces to provide an Internet connection for remote management access, often fiber or 4G/5G cellular LTE, so they don’t connect to or rely upon the primary production network at all. This gives teams the ability to continuously monitor and administer critical remote infrastructure even during an ISP or WAN outage that would make a jump box inaccessible.

Learn more about security & resilience with out-of-band management
  • Understanding Serial Console Interfaces
  • Serial Console Redirection Guide
  • Serial Console PDU Management Guide

    •  Administrators remotely access an OOBM serial console via this dedicated link and, from there, can view and manage all connected infrastructure from a single, convenient software platform. This software is typically deployed on-premises and runs as a VM (virtual machine)  either on the serial console itself or on a separate machine, but there are some cloud-based OOBM network management software tools.

    Out-of-band management software varies from provider to provider, with most offering second-generation (or Gen 2) solutions that provide some built-in automation capabilities but do not support vendor-neutral integrations with third-party tools. Newer, third-generation (or Gen 3) solutions use an open, x86 Linux-based operating system to allow easy integrations with other vendors’ software for automation, orchestration, security, monitoring, and more.

    The benefits of out-of-band management

    Out-of-band management can help you:

    • Improve network performance: Performing resource-intensive management, automation, and orchestration workflows on the out-of-band network reduces the strain on the production network for better speed and reliability.
    • Accelerate ransomware recovery: The OOBM network can be used to create an isolated recovery environment (IRE) where teams can safely rebuild and recover from ransomware attacks without the risk of reinfection, reducing the duration and expense of ransomware-related outages.
    • Streamline repairs and rebuilds: OOBM provides the ability to deploy the tools and applications needed to isolate, cleanse, rebuild, and restore services that have been affected by failures and ransomware.

    The security and resilience benefits of out-of-band management are discussed further below.

    How does out-of-band management improve security and resilience?

    Network breaches and ransomware attacks occur so frequently that most businesses know it’s no longer a question of “if,” but “when” they’ll be hit. Once cybercriminals compromise a device or account and can move around the network, it’s only a matter of time before they find the management interfaces and take complete control over critical infrastructure.

    OOBM and management infrastructure isolation

    Serial consoles create an out-of-band network by directly connecting to the management port of infrastructure devices and moving all control functions off of the production LAN. This isolates the management plane from the data plane, which is part of a cybersecurity best practice known as isolated management infrastructure (IMI). An IMI further segments the management network and routes management ports to terminate on top-of-rack, OOBM serial switches, creating multiple layers of isolated management. The isolated management plane is always remotely accessible to engineers via the OOBM connection, but it remains hidden from any cybercriminals who may breach the production network.

    Multi Layered OOB IMI – ZPE Systems

     

    OOBM and ransomware recovery

    Out-of-band management also improves security and resilience by aiding in ransomware recovery. According to a Sophos survey, 70% of companies hit by ransomware take longer than two weeks to recover, due in no small part to the pervasive nature of the malware used and how frequently rebuilt systems and recovered data get reinfected. Today’s ransomware attacks are now pre-packaged and move at machine speed – meaning instantly – across infrastructure, bringing entire businesses down before they’ve even realized they’re under attack. The longer the business is offline, the more revenue (and customer trust) is lost, causing recovery costs to skyrocket.

    An IMI using out-of-band management gives teams an isolated recovery environment (IRE) where they can recover data and rebuild systems without the risk of reinfection. The IRE allows organizations to get services back online faster to reduce the financial and reputational consequences of ransomware attacks.

    A diagram showing the components of an isolated recovery environment.

    Resilience is defined as the ability to continuously operate and deliver services, if in a degraded fashion, even while undergoing major failures and breaches. Out-of-band management improves resilience by ensuring that teams have continuous access to critical remote infrastructure no matter what’s going wrong with the production environment. OOBM serial consoles also isolate the management infrastructure to protect it from attackers on the primary network and provide a safe environment for teams to recover from ransomware.

    Learn more about security & resilience with out-of-band management
  • Dissecting the MGM Cyberattack: Lions, Tigers, & Bears, Oh My!
  • The Biggest Ransomware Attack You Haven’t Heard of…Yet
  • Breaking Down The 2023 Ragnar Locker Cyberattacks
  • What to do if You’re Ransomware’d: A Healthcare Example

    • Why choose Nodegrid for out-of-band management?

    Many network teams think of out-of-band as being a huge expense and time sink. Setting up  proper infrastructure for OOBM and IMI typically requires 6 or more boxes at each business site for routing, switching, firewall, storage, cellular access, and a jump box. The Nodegrid platform from ZPE Systems reduces the cost and headache of out-of-band management by combining all these functions and more into a single box. Teams can easily drop a Nodegrid box in each site at a fraction of the cost of deploying a traditional OOBM network.

    A diagram showing ZPE’s multi-function capabilities for IMI in branch and edge sites.

    The first Gen 3 OOBM solution

    Nodegrid is the first and only Gen 3 out-of-band management solution. Nodegrid OOBM devices use the x86 Linux-based NodegridOS, which is capable of running VMs and Docker containers to host your choice of third-party applications for automation, orchestration, security, SD-WAN, and more. Nodegrid’s ability to host other vendors’ software ensures that teams have access to all the tools they need to troubleshoot and recover infrastructure from within the IMI environment, making it the perfect network resilience multi-tool.

    Nodegrid OOBM software is available as an on-premises solution or a highly scalable cloud-based app, and both support easy integrations with tools for monitoring, automated configuration management, and more. This enables teams to consolidate and streamline their workflows, maximizing efficiency while reducing the risk of human error.

    Nodegrid’s other key features include:

    • Built-in 5G/4G LTE and Wi-Fi options for OOB and network failover
    • OOB support over IPMI, ILO, DRAC, CIMC, vSerial, and KVM
    • Robust hardware security like BIOS protection, UEFI Secure Boot, and an encrypted solid-state disk
    • SAML 2.0 and two-factor authentication (2FA)
    • Support for legacy and mixed-vendor infrastructure without expensive adapters

    ZPE Systems offers a wide range of out-of-band management devices to fit any deployment size and use case, including the 96-port Nodegrid Serial Console Plus (NSCP) for large and hyperscale data centers, and the Nodegrid Gate SR, which combines branch gateway routing and OOB serial console functionality for remote business sites like retail stores and manufacturing plants.

    Nodegrid OOB serial console comparison


    Guest OS
    Docker Apps
    Wi-Fi
    Cellular (Dual-SIM)
    Serial Ports
    Data Sheet
    Nodegrid Serial Console S Series
    1
    1-2
    No
    1
    16, 32 or 48
    Download
    Nodegrid Serial Console Plus (NSCP)
    1
    1-2
    Yes
    1
    16, 32, 48 or 96
    Download

    Nodegrid OOB network edge router comparison


    Guest OS
    Docker Apps
    Wi-Fi
    Cellular (Dual-SIM)
    Serial Ports
    Data Sheet
    Nodegrid Link SR
    1
    1-2
    Yes
    1
    1
    Download
    Nodegrid Bold SR
    1
    1-2
    Yes
    1-2
    8
    Download
    Nodegrid Hive SR
    1-2
    1-3
    Yes
    1-2
    8
    Download
    Nodegrid Gate SR
    1-3
    1-4
    Yes
    1-2
    8
    Download
    Nodegrid Net SR
    1-6
    1-4
    Yes
    1-4
    16-80
    Download
    Nodegrid Mini SR
    1
    1-2
    Yes
    1
    Via USB
    Download

    Get scalable network resilience with the only Gen 3 out-of-band management solution

    Only Nodegrid OOBM delivers network control, security, automation, and resilience with a completely vendor-neutral platform. To see Nodegrid out-of-band management in action, request a free demo.

    Request a Demo

    Network Resilience Doesn’t Mean What it Did 20 Years Ago

    by | Jan 25, 2024 | Application Hosting, Data Center Management, DevOps, Edge Computing, Improve Network Security, Micro-segmentation, Minimize Impact of Disruptions, NetDevOps, Network Automation, Remote Network Management, Virtualization, Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP), Zero Trust Security

    Network resilience requirements have changed

    Enterprise networks are like air. When they’re running smoothly, it’s easy to take them for granted, as business users and customers are able to go about their normal activities. But when customer service reps are suddenly cut off from their ticketing system, or family movie night turns into a game of “Is it my router, or the network?”, everyone notices. This is why network resilience is critical.

    But, what exactly does resilience mean today? Let’s find out by looking at some recent real-world examples, the history of network architectures, and why network resilience doesn’t mean what it did 20 years ago.

    Why does network resilience matter?

    There’s no shortage of real-world examples showing why network resilience matters. The takeaway is that network resilience is directly tied to business, which means that it impacts revenue, costs, and risks. Here is a brief list of resilience-related incidents that occurred in 2023 alone:

    • FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) – An overworked contractor unintentionally deleted files, which delayed flights nationwide for an entire day.
    • Southwest Airlines – A firewall configuration change caused 16,000 flight cancellations and cost the company about $1 billion.
    • MOVEit FTP exploit – Thousands of global organizations fell victim to a MOVEit vulnerability, which allowed attackers to steal personal data for millions.
    • MGM Resorts – A human exploit and lack of recovery systems let an attack persist for weeks, causing millions in losses per day.
    • Ragnar Locker attacks – Several large organizations were locked out of IT systems for days, which slowed or halted customer operations worldwide.

    What does network resilience mean?

    Based on the examples above, it might seem that network resilience could mean different things. It might mean having backups of golden configs that you could easily restore in case of a mistake. It might mean beefing up your security and/or replacing outdated systems. It might mean having recovery processes in place.

    So, which is it?

    The answer is, it’s all of these and more.

    Donald Firesmith (Carnegie Mellon) defines resilience this way: “A system is resilient if it continues to carry out its mission in the face of adversity (i.e., if it provides required capabilities despite excessive stresses that can cause disruptions).”

    Network resilience means having a network that continues to serve its essential functions despite adversity. Adversity can stem from human error, system outages, cyberattacks, and even natural disasters that threaten to degrade or completely halt normal network operations. Achieving network resilience requires the ability to quickly address issues ranging from device failures and misconfigurations, to full-blown ISP outages and ransomware attacks.

    The problem is, this is now much more difficult than it used to be.

    How did network resilience become so complicated?

    Twenty years ago, IT teams managed a centralized architecture. The data center was able to serve end-users and customers with the minimal services they needed. Being “constantly connected” wasn’t a concern for most people. For the business, achieving resilience was as simple as going on-site or remoting-in via serial console to fix issues at the data center.

    Network architecture showing simplicity of data center connected via MPLS to branch office

    Then in the mid-2000s, the advent of the cloud changed everything. Infrastructure, data, and computing became decentralized into a distributed mix of on-prem and cloud solutions. Users could connect from anywhere, and on-demand services allowed people to be plugged in around-the-clock. Services for work, school, and entertainment could be delivered anytime, no matter where users were.

    Network architecture showing complexity of data center, CDN, remote user, branch office, all connected via many paths

    Behind the scenes, this explosion of architecture created three problems for achieving network resilience, which a simple serial could no longer fix:

    Too Much Work

    Infrastructure, data, and computing are widely distributed. Systems inevitably break and require work, but teams don’t have the staff to keep up.

    Too Much Complexity

    Pairing cloud and box-based stacks creates complex networks. Teams leave systems outdated, because they don’t want to break this delicate architecture.

    Too Much Risk

    Unpatched, outdated systems are prime targets for packaged attacks that move at machine speed. Defense requires recovery tools that teams don’t have.

    Enabling businesses to be resilient in the modern age requires an approach that’s different than simply deploying a serial console for remote troubleshooting. Gen 1 and 2 serial consoles, which have dominated the market for 20 years, were designed to solve basic issues by offering limited remote access and some automation. The problem is, these still leave teams lacking the confidence to answer questions like:

    • “How can we guarantee access to fix stuff that breaks, without rolling trucks?”
    • “Can we automate change management, without fear of breaking the network?”
    • “Attacks are inevitable — How do we stop hackers from cutting off our access?”

    Hyperscalers, Internet Service Providers, Big Tech, and even the military have a resilience model that they’ve proven over the last decade. Their approach involves fully isolating command and control from data and user environments. This allows them to not only gain low-level remote access to maintain and fix systems, but also to “defend the hill” and maintain control if systems are compromised or destroyed.

    This approach uses something called Isolated Management Infrastructure (IMI).

    Isolated Management Infrastructure is the best practice for network resilience

    Isolated Management Infrastructure is the practice of creating a management network that is completely separate from the production network. Most IT teams are familiar with out-of-band management as this network; IMI, however, provides many capabilities that can’t be hosted on a traditional serial console or OOB network. And with increasing vulnerabilities, CISA issued a binding directive specifically calling for organizations to implement IMI.

    Isolated Management Infrastructure using Gen 3 serial consoles, like ZPE Systems’ Nodegrid devices, provides more than simple remote access and automation. Similar to a proper out-of-band network, IMI is completely isolated from production assets. This means there are no dependencies on production devices or connections, and management interfaces are not exposed to the internet or production gear. In the event of an outage or attack, teams retain management access, and this is just the beginning of the benefits of having IMI.

    A network architecture diagram showing Isolated Management Infrastructure next to production infrastructure

    IMI includes more than nine functions that are required for teams to fully service their production assets. These include:

    • Low-level access to all management interfaces, including serial, Ethernet, USB, IPMI, and others, to guarantee remote access to the entire environment
    • Open, edge-native automation to ensure services can continue operating in the event of outages or change errors
    • Computing, storage, and jumpbox capabilities that can natively host the apps and tools to deploy an IRE, to ensure fast, effective recovery from attacks

    Get the guide to build IMI

    ZPE Systems has worked alongside Big Tech to fulfill their requirements for IMI. In doing so, we created the Network Automation blueprint as a technical guide to help any organization build their own Isolated Management Infrastructure. Download the blueprint now to get started.

    Download blueprint

    Edge Computing Requirements

    by | Jan 18, 2024 | Consolidation, Edge Computing, Increase Productivity, Network Automation, Network Edge Orchestration, Remote Network Management, Security Service Edge (SSE), Simplify Branch Infrastructure, Vendor Neutral Platform, Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP)

    Edge computing requirements displayed in a digital interface wheel.

    The Internet of Things (IoT) and remote work capabilities have allowed many organizations to conduct critical business operations at the enterprise network’s edges. Wearable medical sensors, automated industrial machinery, self-service kiosks, and other edge devices must transmit data to and from software applications, machine learning training systems, and data warehouses in centralized data centers or the cloud. Those transmissions eat up valuable MPLS bandwidth and are attractive targets for cybercriminals.

    Edge computing involves moving data processing systems and applications closer to the devices that generate the data at the network’s edges. Edge computing can reduce WAN traffic to save on bandwidth costs and improve latency. It can also reduce the attack surface by keeping edge data on the local network or, in some cases, on the same device.

    Running powerful data analytics and artificial intelligence applications outside the data center creates specific challenges. For example, space is usually limited at the edge, and devices might be outdoors where power and climate control are more complex. This guide discusses the edge computing requirements for hardware, networking, availability, security, and visibility to address these concerns.

    Edge computing requirements

    The primary requirements for edge computing are:

    7 Edge Computing Requirements
      1. Compute (processing, memory, and storage)
      2. Small, ruggedized chassis
      3. Power
      4. Wired & wireless connectivity
      5. Out-of-band (OOB) management
      6. Security
      7. Visibility

    1. Compute

    As the name implies, edge computing requires enough computing power to run the applications that process edge data. The three primary concerns are:

    • Processing power: CPUs (central processing units), GPUs (graphics processing units), or SoCs (systems on chips)
    • Memory: RAM (random access memory)
    • Storage: SSDs (solid state drives), SCM (storage class memory), or Flash memory
    • Coprocessors: Supplemental processing power needed for specific tasks, such as DPUs (data processing units) for AI

    The specific edge computing requirements for each will vary, as it’s essential to match the available compute resources with the needs of the edge applications.

    2. Small, ruggedized chassis

    Space is often quite limited in edge sites, and devices may not be treated as delicately as they would be in a data center. Edge computing devices must be small enough to squeeze into tight spaces and rugged enough to handle the conditions they’ll be deployed in. For example, smart cities connect public infrastructure and services using IoT and networking devices installed in roadside cabinets, on top of streetlights, and in other challenging deployment sites. Edge computing devices in other applications might be subject to constant vibrations from industrial machinery, the humidity of an offshore oil rig, or even the vacuum of outer space.

    3. Power

    In some cases, edge deployments can use the same PDUs (power distribution units) and UPSes (uninterruptible power supplies) as a data center deployment. Non-traditional implementations, which might be outdoors, underground, or underwater, may require energy-efficient edge computing devices using alternative power sources like batteries or solar.

    4. Wired & wireless connectivity

    Edge computing systems must have both wired and wireless network connectivity options because organizations might deploy them somewhere without access to an Ethernet wall jack. Cellular connectivity via 4G/5G adds more flexibility and ideally provides network failover/out-of-band capabilities.

    5. Out-of-band (OOB) management

    Many edge deployment sites don’t have any IT staff on hand, so teams manage the devices and infrastructure remotely. If something happens to take down the network, such as an equipment failure or ransomware attack, IT is completely cut off and must dispatch a costly and time-consuming truck roll to recover. Out-of-band (OOB) management creates an alternative path to remote systems that doesn’t rely on any production infrastructure, ensuring teams have continuous access to edge computing sites even during outages.

    6. Security

    Edge computing reduces some security risks but can create new ones. Security teams carefully monitor and control data center solutions, but systems at the edge are often left out. Edge-centric security platforms such as SSE (Security Service Edge) help by applying enterprise Zero Trust policies and controls to edge applications, devices, and users. Edge security solutions often need hardware to host agent-based software, which should be factored into edge computing requirements and budgets. Additionally, edge devices should have secure Roots of Trust (RoTs) that provide cryptographic functions, key management, and other features that harden device security.

    7. Visibility

    Because of a lack of IT presence at the edge, it’s often difficult to catch problems like high humidity, overheating fans, or physical tampering until they affect the performance or availability of edge computing systems. This leads to a break/fix approach to edge management, where teams spend all their time fixing issues after they occur rather than focusing on improvements and innovations. Teams need visibility into environmental conditions, device health, and security at the edge to fix issues before they cause outages or breaches.

    Edge Computing Learning Center

    Streamlining edge computing requirements

    An edge computing deployment designed around these seven requirements will be more cost-effective while avoiding some of the biggest edge hurdles. Another way to streamline edge deployments is with consolidated, vendor-neutral devices that combine core networking and computing capabilities with the ability to integrate and unify third-party edge solutions. For example, the Nodegrid platform from ZPE Systems delivers computing power, wired & wireless connectivity, OOB management, environmental monitoring, and more in a single, small device. ZPE’s integrated edge routers use the open, Linux-based Nodegrid OS capable of running Guest OSes and Docker containers for your choice of third-party AI/ML, data analytics, SSE, and more. Nodegrid also allows you to extend automated control to the edge with Gen 3 out-of-band management for greater efficiency and resilience.

    Want to learn more about how Nodegrid makes edge computing easier and more cost-effective?

    To learn more about consolidating your edge computing requirements with the vendor-neutral Nodegrid platform, schedule a free demo!

    Request a Demo

    IT Infrastructure Management Best Practices

    by | Jan 16, 2024 | Consolidation, Data Center Management, Data Center Resilience, Failover Connectivity, Increase Productivity, Minimize Impact of Disruptions, NetDevOps, NetDevOps Transformation, Network Automation, Out of Band Management, Remote Network Management, Security Service Edge (SSE), Vendor Neutral Platform, Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP), Zero Trust Security

    A small team uses IT infrastructure management best practices to manage an enterprise network

    A single hour of downtime costs organizations more than $300,000 in lost business, making network and service reliability critical to revenue. The biggest challenge facing IT infrastructure teams is ensuring network resilience, which is the ability to continue operating and delivering services during equipment failures, ransomware attacks, and other emergencies. This guide discusses IT infrastructure management best practices for creating and maintaining more resilient enterprise networks.
    .

    What is IT infrastructure management? It’s a collection of all the workflows involved in deploying and maintaining an organization’s network infrastructure. 

    IT infrastructure management best practices

    The following IT infrastructure management best practices help improve network resilience while streamlining operations. Click the links on the left for a more detailed look at the technologies and processes involved with each.

    Isolated Management Infrastructure (IMI)

    • Protects management interfaces in case attackers hack the production network

    • Ensures continuous access using OOB (out-of-band) management

    • Provides a safe environment to fight through and recover from ransomware

    Network and Infrastructure Automation

    • Reduces the risk of human error in network configurations and workflows

    • Enables faster deployments so new business sites generate revenue sooner

    • Accelerates recovery by automating device provisioning and deployment

    • Allows small IT infrastructure teams to effectively manage enterprise networks

    Vendor-Neutral Platforms

    • Reduces technical debt by allowing the use of familiar tools

    • Extends OOB, automation, AIOps, etc. to legacy/mixed-vendor infrastructure

    • Consolidates network infrastructure to reduce complexity and human error

    • Eliminates device sprawl and the need to sacrifice features

    AIOps

    • Improves security detection to defend against novel attacks

    • Provides insights and recommendations to improve network health for a better end-user experience

    • Accelerates incident resolution with automatic triaging and root-cause analysis (RCA)

    Isolated management infrastructure (IMI)

    Management interfaces provide the crucial path to monitoring and controlling critical infrastructure, like servers and switches, as well as crown-jewel digital assets like intellectual property (IP). If management interfaces are exposed to the internet or rely on the production network, attackers can easily hijack your critical infrastructure, access valuable resources, and take down the entire network. This is why CISA released a binding directive that instructs organizations to move management interfaces to a separate network, a practice known as isolated management infrastructure (IMI).

    The best practice for building an IMI is to use Gen 3 out-of-band (OOB) serial consoles, which unify the management of all connected devices and ensure continuous remote access via alternative network interfaces (such as 4G/5G cellular). OOB management gives IT teams a lifeline to troubleshoot and recover remote infrastructure during equipment failures and outages on the production network. The key is to ensure that OOB serial consoles are fully isolated from production and can run the applications, tools, and services needed to fight through a ransomware attack or outage without taking critical infrastructure offline for extended periods. This essentially allows you to instantly create a virtual War Room for coordinated recovery efforts to get you back online in a matter of hours instead of days or weeks. A diagram showing a multi-layered isolated management infrastructure. An IMI using out-of-band serial consoles also provides a safe environment to recover from ransomware attacks. The pervasive nature of ransomware and its tendency to re-infect cleaned systems mean it can take companies between 1 and 6 months to fully recover from an attack, with costs and revenue losses mounting with every day of downtime. The best practice is to use OOB serial consoles to create an isolated recovery environment (IRE) where teams can restore and rebuild without risking reinfection.
    .

    Network and infrastructure automation

    As enterprise network architectures grow more complex to support technologies like microservices applications, edge computing, and artificial intelligence, teams find it increasingly difficult to manually monitor and manage all the moving parts. Complexity increases the risk of configuration mistakes, which cause up to 35% of cybersecurity incidents. Network and infrastructure automation handles many tedious, repetitive tasks prone to human error, improving resilience and giving admins more time to focus on revenue-generating projects.

    Additionally, automated device provisioning tools like zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) and configuration management tools like RedHat Ansible make it easier for teams to recover critical infrastructure after a failure or attack. Network and infrastructure automation help organizations reduce the duration of outages and allow small IT infrastructure teams to manage large enterprise networks effectively, improving resilience and reducing costs.

    For an in-depth look at network and infrastructure automation, read the Best Network Automation Tools and What to Use Them For

    Vendor-neutral platforms

    Most enterprise networks bring together devices and solutions from many providers, and they often don’t interoperate easily. This box-based approach creates vendor lock-in and technical debt by preventing admins from using the tools or scripting languages they’re familiar with, and it makes a fragmented, complex architecture of management solutions that are difficult to operate efficiently. Organizations also end up compromising on features, ending up with a lot of stuff they don’t need and too little of what they do need.

    A vendor-neutral IT infrastructure management platform allows teams to unify all their workflows and solutions. It integrates your administrators’ favorite tools to reduce technical debt and provides a centralized place to deploy, orchestrate, and monitor the entire network. It also extends technologies like OOB, automation, and AIOps to otherwise unsupported legacy and mixed-vendor solutions. Such a platform is revolutionary in the same way smartphones were – instead of needing a separate calculator, watch, pager, phone, etc., everything was combined in a single device. A vendor-neutral management platform allows you to run all the apps, services, and tools you need without buying a bunch of extra hardware. It’s a crucial IT infrastructure management best practice for resilience because it consolidates and unifies network architectures to reduce complexity and prevent human error.

    Learn more about the benefits of a vendor-neutral IT infrastructure management platform by reading How To Ensure Network Scalability, Reliability, and Security With a Single Platform

    AIOps

    AIOps applies artificial intelligence technologies to IT operations to maximize resilience and efficiency. Some AIOps use cases include:

    • Security detection: AIOps security monitoring solutions are better at catching novel attacks (those using methods never encountered or documented before) than traditional, signature-based detection methods that rely on a database of known attack vectors.
    • Data analysis: AIOps can analyze all the gigabytes of logs generated by network infrastructure and provide health visualizations and recommendations for preventing potential issues or optimizing performance.
    • Root-cause analysis (RCA): Ingesting infrastructure logs allows AIOps to identify problems on the network, perform root-cause analysis to determine the source of the issues, and create & prioritize service incidents to accelerate remediation.

    AIOps is often thought of as “intelligent automation” because, while most automation follows a predetermined script or playbook of actions, AIOps can make decisions on-the-fly in response to analyzed data. AIOps and automation work together to reduce management complexity and improve network resilience.

    Want to find out more about using AIOps and automation to create a more resilient network? Read Using AIOps and Machine Learning To Manage Automated Network Infrastructure

    IT infrastructure management best practices for maximum resilience

    Network resilience is one of the top IT infrastructure management challenges facing modern enterprises. These IT infrastructure management best practices ensure resilience by isolating management infrastructure from attackers, reducing the risk of human error during configurations and other tedious workflows, breaking vendor lock-in to decrease network complexity, and applying artificial intelligence to the defense and maintenance of critical infrastructure.

    Need help getting started with these practices and technologies? ZPE Systems can help simplify IT infrastructure management with the vendor-neutral Nodegrid platform. Nodegrid’s OOB serial consoles and integrated branch routers allow you to build an isolated management infrastructure that supports your choice of third-party solutions for automation, AIOps, and more.

    Want to learn how to make IT infrastructure management easier with Nodegrid?

    To learn more about implementing IT infrastructure management best practices for resilience with Nodegrid, download our Network Automation Blueprint. 

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    Collaboration in DevOps: Strategies and Best Practices

    by | Jan 9, 2024 | Consolidation, Data Center Management, Data Center Resilience, DevOps, Failover Connectivity, Improve Network Security, Increase Productivity, Minimize Impact of Disruptions, NetDevOps, NetDevOps Transformation, Network Automation, Out of Band Management, Remote Network Management, Vendor Neutral Platform, Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP), Zero Trust Security

    Collaboration in DevOps is illustrated by two team members working together in front of the DevOps infinity logo.
    The DevOps methodology combines the software development and IT operations teams into a highly collaborative unit. In a DevOps environment, team members work simultaneously on the same code base, using automation and source control to accelerate releases. The transformation from a traditional, siloed organizational structure to a streamlined, fast-paced DevOps company is rewarding yet challenging. That’s why it’s important to have the right strategy, and in this guide to collaboration in DevOps, you’ll discover tips and best practices for a smooth transition.

    Collaboration in DevOps: Strategies and best practices

    A successful DevOps implementation results in a tightly interwoven team of software and infrastructure specialists working together to release high-quality applications as quickly as possible. This transition tends to be easier for developers, who are already used to working with software code, source control tools, and automation. Infrastructure teams, on the other hand, sometimes struggle to work at the velocity needed to support DevOps software projects and lack experience with automation technologies, causing a lot of frustration and delaying DevOps initiatives. The following strategies and best practices will help bring Dev and Ops together while minimizing friction.

    Turn infrastructure and network configurations into software code

    Infrastructure and network teams can’t keep up with the velocity of DevOps software development if they’re manually configuring, deploying, and troubleshooting resources using the GUI (graphical user interface) or CLI (command line interface). The best practice in a DevOps environment is to use software abstraction to turn all configurations and networking logic into code.

    Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

    Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools allow teams to write configurations as software code that provisions new resources automatically with the click of a button. IaC configurations can be executed as often as needed to deploy DevOps infrastructure very rapidly and at a large scale.

    Software-Defined Networking (SDN) 

    Software-defined networking (SDN) and Software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) use software abstraction layers to manage networking logic and workflows. SDN allows networking teams to control, monitor, and troubleshoot very large and complex network architectures from a centralized platform while using automation to optimize performance and prevent downtime.
    Software abstraction helps accelerate resource provisioning, reducing delays and friction between Dev and Ops. It can also be used to bring networking teams into the DevOps fold with automated, software-defined networks, creating what’s known as a NetDevOps environment.

    Use common, centralized tools for software source control

    Collaboration in DevOps means a whole team of developers or sysadmins may work on the same code base simultaneously. This is highly efficient — but risky. Development teams have used software source control tools like GitHub for years to track and manage code changes and prevent overwriting each other’s work. In a DevOps organization using IaC and SDN, the best practice is to incorporate infrastructure and network code into the same source control system used for software code.

    Managing infrastructure configurations using a tool like GitHub ensures that sysadmins can’t make unauthorized changes to critical resources. For example, administrators initiate many ransomware attacks and other major outages by directly changing infrastructure configurations without testing or approval. This happened in a high-profile MGM cyberattack when an IT staff member fell victim to social engineering and granted elevated Okta privileges to an attacker without having to get approval from a second pair of eyes.

    Using DevOps source control, all infrastructure changes must be reviewed and approved by a second party in the IT department to ensure they don’t introduce vulnerabilities or malicious code into production. Sysadmins can work quickly and creatively, knowing there’s a safety net to catch mistakes, reducing Ops delays, and fostering a more collaborative environment.

    Consolidate and integrate DevOps tools with a vendor-neutral platform

    An enterprise DevOps deployment usually involves dozens – if not hundreds – of different tools to automate and streamline the many workflows involved in a software development project. Having so many individual DevOps tools deployed around the enterprise increases the management complexity, which can have the following consequences.

    • Human error – The harder it is to stay on top of patch releases, security bulletins, and monitoring logs, the more likely it is that an issue will slip between the cracks until it causes an outage or breach.
    • Security complexity – Every additional DevOps tool added to the architecture makes integrating and implementing a consistent security model more complex and challenging, increasing the risk of coverage gaps.
    • Spiraling costs – With many different solutions handling individual workflows around the enterprise, the likelihood of buying redundant services or paying for unneeded features increases, which can impact ROI.
    • Reduced efficiency – DevOps aims to increase operational efficiency, but having to work across so many disparate tools can slow teams down, especially when those tools don’t interoperate.

    The best practice is consolidating your DevOps tools with a centralized, vendor-neutral platform. For example, the Nodegrid Services Delivery Platform from ZPE Systems can host and integrate 3rd-party DevOps tools, unifying them under a single management umbrella. Nodegrid gives IT teams single-pane-of-glass control over the entire DevOps architecture, including the underlying network infrastructure, which reduces management complexity, increases efficiency, and improves ROI.

    Maximize DevOps success

    DevOps collaboration can improve operational efficiency and allow companies to release software at the velocity required to stay competitive in the market. Using software abstraction, centralized source code control, and vendor-neutral management platforms reduces friction on your DevOps journey. The best practice is to unify your DevOps environment with a vendor-neutral platform like Nodegrid to maximize control, cost-effectiveness, and productivity.

    Want to Simplify collaboration in DevOps with the Nodegrid platform?

    Reach out to ZPE Systems today to learn more about how the Nodegrid Services Delivery Platform can help you simplify collaboration in DevOps.

     

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    Terminal Servers: Uses, Benefits, and Examples

    by | Jan 5, 2024 | Consolidation, Data Center Management, Data Center Resilience, Failover Connectivity, Increase Productivity, Minimize Impact of Disruptions, NetDevOps, NetDevOps Transformation, Network Automation, Out of Band Management, Remote Network Management, Security Service Edge (SSE), Vendor Neutral Platform, Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP), Zero Trust Security

    NSCStack
    Terminal servers are network management devices providing remote access to and control over remote infrastructure. They typically connect to infrastructure devices via serial ports (hence their alternate names, serial consoles, console servers, serial console routers, or serial switches). IT teams use terminal servers to consolidate remote device management and create an out-of-band (OOB) control plane for remote network infrastructure. Terminal servers offer several benefits over other remote management solutions, such as better performance, resilience, and security. This guide answers all your questions about terminal servers, discussing their uses and benefits before describing what to look for in the best terminal server solution.

    Table of Contents
      1. What is a terminal server?
      2. What are the uses for terminal servers?
      3. What are the benefits of terminal servers?
      4. Examples of terminal servers
      5. What to look for in the best terminal server
      6. Why choose Nodegrid terminal servers?

    What is a terminal server?

    A terminal server is a networking device used to manage other equipment. It directly connects to servers, switches, routers, and other equipment using management ports, which are typically (but not always) serial ports. Network administrators remotely access the terminal server and use it to manage all connected devices in the data center rack or branch where it’s installed.

    What are the uses for terminal servers?

    Network teams use terminal servers for two primary functions: remote infrastructure management consolidation and out-of-band management.

    1. Terminal servers unify management for all connected devices, so administrators don’t need to log in to each separate solution individually. Terminal servers save significant time and effort, which reduces the risk of fatigue and human error that could take down the network.
    2. Terminal servers provide remote out-of-band (OOB) management, creating a separate, isolated network dedicated to infrastructure management and troubleshooting. OOB allows administrators to troubleshoot and recover remote infrastructure during equipment failures, network outages, and ransomware attacks.

    Learn more about using OOB terminal servers to recover from ransomware attacks by reading How to Build an Isolated Recovery Environment (IRE).

    What are the benefits of terminal servers?

    There are other ways to gain remote OOB management access to remote infrastructure, such as using Intel NUC jump boxes. Despite this, terminal servers are the better option for OOB management because they offer benefits including:

    The benefits of terminal servers

    Centralized management

    Remote recovery

    Even with a jump box, administrators typically must access the CLI of each infrastructure solution individually. Each jump box is also separately managed and accessed. A terminal server provides a single management platform to access and control all connected devices. That management platform works across all terminal servers from the same vendor, allowing teams to monitor and manage infrastructure across all remote sites from a single portal. 

    When a jump box crashes or loses network access, there’s usually no way to recover it remotely, necessitating costly and time-consuming truck rolls before diagnostics can even begin. Terminal servers use OOB connection options like 5G/4G LTE to ensure continuous access to remote infrastructure even during major network outages. Out-of-band management gives remote teams a lifeline to troubleshoot, rebuild, and recover infrastructure fast.

    Improved performance

    Stronger security

    Network and infrastructure management workflows can use a lot of bandwidth, especially when organizations use automation tools and orchestration platforms, potentially impacting end-user performance. Terminal servers create a dedicated OOB control plane where teams can execute as many resource-intensive automation workflows as needed without taking bandwidth away from production applications and users. 

    Jump boxes often lack the security features and oversight of other enterprise network resources, which makes them vulnerable to exploitation by malicious actors. Terminal servers are secured by onboard hardware Roots of Trust (e.g., TPM), receive patches from the vendor like other enterprise-grade solutions, and can be onboarded with cybersecurity monitoring tools and Zero Trust security policies to defend the management network. 

    Examples of terminal servers

    Examples of popular terminal server solutions include the Opengear CM8100, the Avocent ACS8000, and the Nodegrid Serial Console Plus. The Opengear and Avocent solutions are second-generation, or Gen 2, terminal servers, which means they provide some automation support but suffer from vendor lock-in. The Nodegrid solution is the only Gen 3 terminal server, offering unlimited integration support for 3rd-party automation, security, SD-WAN, and more.

    What to look for in the best terminal server

    Terminal servers have evolved, so there is a wide range of options with varying capabilities and features. Some key characteristics of the best terminal server include:

    • 5G/4G LTE and Wi-Fi options for out-of-band access and network failover
    • Support for legacy devices without costly adapters or complicated configuration tweaks
    • Advanced authentication support, including two-factor authentication (2FA) and SAML 2.0
    • Robust onboard hardware security features like a self-encrypted SSD and UEFI Secure Boot
    • An open, Linux-based OS that supports Guest OS and Docker containers for third-party software
    • Support for zero-touch provisioning (ZTP), custom scripts, and third-party automation tools
    • A vendor-neutral, centralized management and orchestration platform for all connected solutions

    These characteristics give organizations greater resilience, enabling them to continue operating and providing services in a degraded fashion while recovering from outages and ransomware. In addition, vendor-neutral support for legacy devices and third-party automation enables companies to scale their operations efficiently without costly upgrades.

    Why choose Nodegrid terminal servers?

    Only one terminal server provides all the features listed above on a completely vendor-neutral platform – the Nodegrid solution from ZPE Systems.

    The Nodegrid S Series terminal server uses auto-sensing ports to discover legacy and mixed-vendor infrastructure solutions and bring them under one unified management umbrella.

    The Nodegrid Serial Console Plus (NSCP) is the first terminal server to offer 96 management ports on a 1U rack-mounted device (Patent No. 9,905,980).

    ZPE also offers integrated branch/edge services routers with terminal server functionality, so you can consolidate your infrastructure while extending your capabilities.

    All Nodegrid devices offer a variety of OOB and failover options to ensure maximum speed and reliability. They’re protected by comprehensive onboard security features like TPM 2.0, self-encrypted disk (SED), BIOS protection, Signed OS, and geofencing to keep malicious actors off the management network. They also run the open, Linux-based Nodegrid OS, supporting Guest OS and Docker containers so you can host third-party applications for automation, security, AIOps, and more. Nodegrid extends automation, security, and control to all the legacy and mixed-vendor devices on your network and unifies them with a centralized, vendor-neutral management platform for ultimate scalability, resilience, and efficiency.

    Want to learn more about Nodegrid terminal servers?

    ZPE Systems offers terminal server solutions for data center, branch, and edge deployments. Schedule a free demo to see Nodegrid terminal servers in action.

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