Network Diagramming Channel Feature
Network Diagramming Solutions Provider OPNET Adds US Central Command Air Forces to its Client list
May 17, 2012
By Carrie Schmelkin
TMCnet Web Editor
As far as bragging rights go, you certainly earn a few when your customer is the US Central Command Air Forces and for OPNET Technologies (News - Alert) – a provider of network diagramming solutions – that’s exactly who is on its client roster.
OPNET recently shed light on the fact that it constructed a Network Common Operating Picture (OPNET nCompass) system for US Central Command Air Forces (USCENTAF), based on OPNET's SP Guru technology and data stored in OPNET VNE Server.
“The USCENTAF OPNET nCompass requirements for data fusion, modeling, and situational awareness are a perfect fit for us,” Marc Cohen, OPNET's chairman and CEO, said in a customer case study. “OPNET's VNE Server and SP Guru products provide a great foundation for our professional services team to build on, and adapt to the unique environment at the Network Operations Security Center.”
“We are using their existing network management infrastructure, which includes products from our alliance partners, and adds a crucial layer of intelligent analysis capabilities,” he added. “We plan to leverage this pioneering work for USCENTAF with SPAWAR, Charleston, to customize OPNET nCompass systems for other government and commercial entities with similar needs."
The relationship calls for multiple phases of development for an OPNET nCompass system, relying upon an existing contract vehicle in place between SPAWAR, Charleston and OPNET, official said. As the relationship progresses, OPNET may add additional advanced features to the USCENTAF OPNET nCompass system.
The USCENTAF OPNET nCompass fuses, analyzes and updates event-triggered and scheduled updates from dissimilar data sources including HP OpenView, CiscoWorks, Concord, MRTG, NetScout, NetReality, WebTrends, cflowd, Cisco (News - Alert) NetFlow, and Government Off The Shelf (GOTS) systems. The system also leverages advanced features of OPNET SP Guru, including NetDoctor configuration auditing, dynamic traffic and routing visualization, and simulation. The OPNET SP Guru Network Planner automates analysis and design of large-scale multi-vendor IP/MPLS networks, supporting cost-effective and risk-mitigated decision making, officials said.
“From CENTAF's active, on-going role in Joint operations, we have observed a need to integrate our many disparate network data sources and advanced modeling capabilities, all behind a simple dashboard display,” Bill Strickland, chief of the network engineering support team at USCENTAF, stated. “We are thankful to our colleagues at AFCA," the Air Force Communications Agency, "who have understood this need for years, and who acted as a catalyst for us as we refined our requirements."
Edited by Rich Steeves
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