View your entire network through a single pane of glass, while sharing views and access to deployed operators at any echelon, to create a collaborative, hierarchical, network operations and management structure. IQ-Core ROAM integrates with IQ-Core Network Communications Manager (NCM) and IQ-Core Crypto Manager (CM) to offer a comprehensive suite of capabilities across distributed networks. Learn more about its features and benefits to the warfighter in this video.
Transcript
I'm Charlie Kawasaki, chief technical officer of PacStar.
My goal is to share with you the power and benefits of IQ-Core Software Remote Operations And Management (ROAM), designed to overcome challenges in managing distributed networks in mobile and contested environments.
The military is aggressively modernizing its communications networks and concept of operations to achieve and maintain overmatch, maximize mobility and operational flexibility. At the same time, defense organizations acknowledge emerging threats and vulnerabilities related to the contested spectrum and intermittent and limited connectivity. To meet these goals, tactical networking programs look to implement network management using distributed management models, adapting the capabilities of software-defined networking to meet the unique requirements faced by the warfighter.
IQ-Core ROAM enables distributed and remote network management in disconnected intermittent and limited environments. IQ-Core ROAM runs on both remote and central network systems enabling remote operators and central network operations center or NOC administrators to see the same views and collaborate. This hybrid management model allows expert administrators at the NOC to perform advanced management tasks supporting remote, lightly trained operators. It also enables remote operators to perform local management even when disconnected. Some of today's largest tactical networks are organized in hierarchies or tiers with large command posts or facilities at the top and remote teams at the bottom.
IQ-Core ROAM can be configured in numerous topologies enabling administrators and operators to navigate the network from the top central NOC to the bottom remote nodes mirroring the network structure and hierarchies. Let's take a quick tour of some of IQ-Core ROAM's main features that make it so powerful for network operations and management. This screen shows a customizable dashboard view from a demo NOC at an upper echelon. The upper left shows the status of the equipment at the NOC and in each node, or remote site, further down the network hierarchy. You can create multiple dashboard views, and each layer of the hierarchy of a network can have different dashboard views depending on the requirements for remote operators at each node. Dashboard views can include aggregated views of link performance showing latency, bandwidth, and NetFlow information from multiple nodes in the network. IQ-Core ROAM displays network structure in auto-generated network diagrams making it easy to traverse the network. This information is pushed up from the nodes, not pulled, thus preserving WAN bandwidth.
Here, you can navigate from the NOC to node one and see the status of the devices. Customizable layout styles highlight the information you need. You can drill down to a device for additional information about device status. It caches the last known status, so it's available when a device is offline or temporarily disconnected. Not only does IQ-Core ROAM provide network visibility, but it contains configuration management capabilities enabling central and remote operators to collaborate and solve network issues. One such use case for IQ-Core ROAM is in assisting remote operators in troubleshooting and repair. In this example, a remote operator in the field: Afghanistan, Djibouti, Guam, wherever - has a problem with a router.
Typically, the remote operator might contact the NOC by phone or email to resolve an issue. With secure messaging, remote operators can communicate and obtain assistance. In this case, the NOC administrator concludes that they should send a new router configuration. The NOC administrator can do this by using the ability to send content to any or all nodes in the network including files, device configurations, updates, patches or certificates. The NOC administrator can distribute the router config, selecting one or more nodes and devices to send it to. IQ-Core ROAM tracks when the content has been received and is available at the remote node, ensuring consistent management across the network. Remote operators use IQ-Core software to manage their remote nodes, as shown here. When they receive content from the NOC, remote operators receive an alert. If the remote operator chooses to apply the config, it provides a preview of the config and allows the operator to apply it to the device. So it's that easy to get a config from the NOC down to the node and to the device.
IQ-Core ROAM is ideal for any organization with complex edge or remote access requirements, including command posts and enterprises, small and remote teams, vehicle-mounted communications including ground, air, surface, or undersea, including unmanned and robotic systems. IQ-Core ROAM works in conjunction with IQ-Core Network Communications Manager and IQ-Core Crypto Manager automating many security, configuration management, and continuous monitoring tasks not shown in this brief demonstration.
To learn more about how IQ-Core ROAM can benefit your organization, you can find information on PacStar's website, including datasheets and whitepapers. You can also request a discussion with one of our experts or ask for a free evaluation copy, right from our website. We think you'll quickly discover why we say IQ-Core Software enables warfighters to fight the battle and not the network.