WhatsConnected is a layer 2 and layer 3 network discovery and visualization application that equips network managers with a comprehensive tool set to accurately discover, inventory, configure and visualize device connectivity, including VLAN overlays, down to the individual port. Layer 2 discovery and mapping accesses the physical infrastructure information embedded in devices to provide significantly more detailed topology information than Layer 3 discovery mechanisms. In addition to widely used IP discovery protocols, such as ICMP, ARP, and SNMP, Layer 2 discovery leverages a number of other mechanisms to discover devices including industry standard Link Layer Discovery Protocol or LLDP, as well as equipment manufacturer proprietary discovery protocols.
With Layer 2 information available about how devices in your network are connected, their interdependencies, and their locations, you can locate problems and resolve them more easily. WhatsConnected helps you understand your network from top to bottom and focus on keeping it running securely and at peak performance.
WhatsConnected provides the key functions network professionals need to be able to discover, map, search, document, and troubleshoot networks.
The WhatsConnected discovery process uses industry-standard protocols, such as ICMP, SNMP, and Windows (WMI), to find devices on your network. Information about discovered devices is available as a simple device list view, a device category view, and a detailed map topology view.
After WhatsConnected knows about the devices on your network, it can generate a map that shows the physical connections between all of the devices. Standard and custom maps provide an easy way to browse the network infrastructure. With the connectivity data readily available, managing the day-to-day complexities of a network is simplified.
Any topology map in WhatsConnected can be exported to WhatsUp Gold, automating custom map views and active monitor creation for the interfaces on the map's devices. WhatsConnected integrates with WhatsUp Gold to identify and create powerful monitoring strategies for your network.
The WhatsConnected detailed device views allow for simple browsing of connectivity for any device on the network. You can use the Layer 2 Trace and IP/MAC Finder tools to easily discover the location of any device on the network.
WhatsConnected makes it easy to share network details. You can export your topology maps to Microsoft Visio and generate reports that contain detailed information about the hardware and software on your network. Using WMI credentials, you can view Windows inventory report information such as installed software, software updates, warranty, OS, and more.
WhatsConnected includes troubleshooting tools that help you drill into network device information and resolve issues. The WhatsConnected Capture Config tool captures the running and startup configurations for network devices, providing a tool to analyze and compare the differences between device configurations. Real-time polling and monitoring network tools let you test, analyze, and troubleshoot network device performance with monitors such as ping status and latency, interface status and utilization, CPU utilization, and memory utilization.