Client Profile
A leading network and infrastructure intelligence provider serving enterprise customers with complex, heterogeneous network environments. The organization needed to improve their platform by enabling real-time device visibility, accelerating the onboarding of new device types, and proactively managing device lifecycles through end-of-life (EOL) and end-of-support (EOS) tracking.
The Challenge
Network operators needed clear, up-to-date information on every device in their network, with early warnings before devices become obsolete or unsupported:
- Limited Multi-Vendor Support: Manual configuration required for each new device type, creating bottlenecks in onboarding new hardware vendors
- Delayed Device Visibility: Lack of real-time discovery meant inventory data was often outdated, making troubleshooting and planning difficult
- No Lifecycle Intelligence: Network teams had no automated way to track when devices were approaching end-of-life or end-of-support
- Manual Tracking Overhead: Teams relied on spreadsheets and manual checks to monitor device lifecycle dates, prone to oversight and errors
- Security & Compliance Risks: Unsupported devices remaining in production created vulnerabilities and compliance issues
- Reactive Management: Without proactive alerts, teams only discovered obsolete devices when problems occurred
Our Solution
Go Brilliant delivered two high-impact feature enhancements that transformed device visibility and lifecycle management:
1. Scalable Multi-Vendor Discovery Pipeline
A comprehensive backend pipeline that automatically discovers and tracks devices from any vendor. The system polls various vendor APIs and uses common protocols (SNMP, REST APIs) to inventory devices across diverse hardware, eliminating manual configuration for each device type.
2. EOL/EOS Lifecycle Intelligence Module
A complete module that gathers up-to-date end-of-life and end-of-support data for each device and presents it in the user interface. It integrates with industry databases to flag devices nearing EOL/EOS, providing actionable alerts and preventing risks associated with unsupported hardware.
Implementation Architecture
- Backend Integration: Extended discovery services to connect with multiple hardware and vendor-specific APIs with automated probes for each network device type
- Database & Data Modeling: Updated database schema to store detailed lifecycle dates (EOL, EOS) and device metadata with zero-downtime update capability
- Discovery Pipeline: Built scalable architecture to handle large device fleets with minimal manual input, supporting heterogeneous environments
- UI Integration: Ensured discovered data and lifecycle alerts flow smoothly into the platform UI with clear visual cues
- Data Ingestion: Automated updates from vendor lifecycle databases without requiring platform downtime
Key Features Implemented
- Automated Device Discovery: Probes network segments automatically to identify and inventory all connected devices
- Multi-Vendor API Integration: Connects to diverse vendor APIs (Cisco, Juniper, HP, etc.) through standardized interfaces
- Real-Time Inventory Updates: Continuously refreshes device data to maintain accurate, current information
- Lifecycle Date Tracking: Stores and monitors EOL, EOS, and other critical lifecycle milestones for every device
- Proactive Alert System: Generates alerts when devices approach end-of-life or end-of-support dates
- Visual Dashboard Integration: Displays lifecycle status with color-coded indicators for at-a-glance understanding
- Comprehensive Documentation: Detailed API documentation and schemas for maintainability
- UI Branding Consistency: Updated all user-facing labels and CTAs across the platform for consistent branding
Implementation Approach
- Designed extensible discovery framework supporting addition of new vendor types without code changes
- Built robust data pipelines for ingesting lifecycle information from multiple industry sources
- Implemented scalable polling mechanisms to handle networks with thousands of devices
- Created automated test suites for discovery accuracy and lifecycle alert reliability
- Collaborated closely with front-end team to ensure seamless UI integration
- Conducted iterative validation with engineering and operations teams
- Established version-controlled deployment process with rigorous QA
- Updated all platform branding elements for consistency across existing and new pages
Technology Stack
- .NET Backend Services: Core logic for discovery, data processing, and API integration
- Multi-Vendor APIs: SNMP, REST APIs, and vendor-specific interfaces for device data
- Discovery & Tracking Pipelines: Custom pipelines for network crawling and inventory updates
- EOL/EOS Data Models: Comprehensive data structures for lifecycle tracking and alerting
- SQL Server: Database schema evolution for lifecycle fields without downtime
- Automated Testing: Comprehensive test suites ensuring reliability and accuracy
- API Documentation: Detailed developer documentation for maintainability
Operational Improvements
Reduced Manual Effort
Automating the discovery of new device types cut down manual effort and configuration errors. Teams no longer needed to write custom code for each new hardware model.
Eliminated Tracking Overhead
By automating EOL/EOS tracking, manual spreadsheets and date checks were eliminated. This saved many labor hours and prevented oversight that could lead to using unsupported equipment.
Lowered Risk Profile
Having up-to-date lifecycle data and multi-vendor support significantly lowers the chance of unexpected failures or security incidents. Experts note that neglecting to track EOL/EOS can lead to costly network downtime and vulnerabilities.
Accelerated Issue Resolution
Direct visibility into current device inventory lets teams address issues faster and with confidence in the data accuracy.
