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NetSage: Project Timeline

Timeline Focus

Per Management's request, our primary focus will be on getting the new monitoring system up and running as soon as possible, with the full feature front-end being built after the system is in production. This is partially so that if there are any unexpected problems with MON we'll discover them sooner, but primarily so we can dump the existing monitoring infrastructure as soon as possible.

The 'weeks' listed in this timetime (theoretically) refer to one week at 2 FTE's of effort. Depending on how much effort is actually committed to the project, adjust accordingly.

Phase One: Deploy NOW, NOW, NOW.
- Week One: Research SQL and XML interactions, and gain understanding of relevant design principles.
  - Complete Approx. 5/3/02
- Week Two: Design SQL Schema, with support for multiple monitoring hosts, multiple user access levels, dependency information, and hierchichal views. Research XML tools to determine which XSLT processor to use, based on features we require.
  - Complete Approx. 5/10/02
- Week Three: Begin designing final XML document format, and writing tools to translate SQL data to XML document, and XML document to Mon config files. Begin writing tools for loading data from NetReg/NetMon into NetSage.
  - Complete Approx. 5/21/02
- Week Four: Finalize XML document format and SQL->XML tools. Begin writing database API stubs.
  - Complete Approx. 5/30/02
- Week Five: Continue writing database APIs, and tools. Finalize XML->MON tools.
  - Complete Approx. 6/10/02
- Week Six: Finish database APIs and tools for loading data. Deploy initial monitoring hosts and start monitoring some things with the new system.
  - Complete Approx. 7/26/02
- Weeks Seven-Nine: Write/modify/test monitor scripts for various services and deploy them to the system. Expected services to be monitorable at end of Phase One include: dns, imap, ldap, pop3, http, https, radius, smtp, afs, ssh, disk usage, snmp interfaces on primary routers, and ping.
  - Complete Approx. 8/15/02
- Week Ten: Transition existing monitoring to use the new system. Demo the new system to the appropriate coverage staff. Configure (by hand) thresholds and paging periods as requested by various staff.
  - Complete Approx. 11/11/02. Lot of additional, and unexpected, work got completed during this "week". Including two-way pager interface work, combined web interface work, web interface speed ups, and lots of bug fixes.
- Week Eleven: I need a vacation.
Phase Two: Improving the Hacks, And Adding the Front-End
- Weeks One-Two: Write tools for translating NetMon topology into dependency information for NetSage. Write simple view-problems-only MON client for Help Center use.
- Week Three: Add authentication support to all MON clients that can update the data in MON (i.e. ack events, disable hosts). Add authentication support to MON's server-to-server traps.
- Week Four: Add better view support to existing MON clients. Modify temporary-disable support in MON to provide time-base/expiring disables. (i.e. Disable for X minutes)
- Week Five: Finish API for database, replacing any stubs with full featured API, and implementing protections where needed. Do some experimentation with XML Application Servers, or other similar technologies, to determine whether or not to use them.
- Week Six: Make final decision about using XML Application Server. (Whether or not to use one, and which one to use.) If using XML Application Server, start designing web site interface using style sheets and phony XML documents.
- Weeks Seven-Ten: Design user interface, write CGI scripts for back-end logic and input processing, and XML style sheets for front-end data presentation and formatting.
- Week Eleven: Present user interface to staff, and show them how to start controlling the system themselves. Today the monitoring system, tomorrow the world!

David Nolan

Last modified: Mon Nov 25 09:24:04 EST 2002