NacTrack User Guide

Introduction

NacTrack is a comprehensive network inventory and configuration management platform designed to help network administrators and engineers manage their network infrastructure effectively. The platform provides:

• Real-time device inventory with automatic discovery and tracking
• Network topology visualization (CDP, LLDP, BGP, ISIS)
• IP address management (IPAM) for IPv4 and IPv6
• Configuration compliance monitoring and auditing
• L2VPN and MPLS service tracking
• Integrated troubleshooting tools (traceroute, IP finder)
• Support ticket management with Mantis integration
• Multi-tenant support for MSPs and large enterprises

This guide will help you navigate and use NacTrack's features effectively.

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Getting Started

Logging In

1. Navigate to your NacTrack instance URL (e.g., https://nactrack.example.com)
2. Enter your username and password
3. Click Login

If you've forgotten your password, click Forgot Password and follow the reset instructions.

First-Time Login

After your first login, you may be prompted to:

• Verify your email address
• Change your default password
• Select a client tenant (if multi-tenancy is enabled)

User Interface Overview

The NacTrack interface consists of:

• Top Navigation Bar: Quick access to main sections (Dashboard, Devices, Neighbors, IP Management, etc.)
• User Menu (top right): Account settings, client switching, logout
• Main Content Area: Displays the current page content
• Sidebar (context-dependent): Filters, actions, and additional information

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Dashboard Overview

The Dashboard provides a high-level overview of your network infrastructure.

Key Metrics

• Total Devices: Number of managed network devices
• Active Ports: Number of operational interfaces
• Inactive Ports: Number of down interfaces
• Recent Snapshots: Latest device configuration collections

Charts & Visualizations

• Device Distribution by Model: Pie chart showing device types
• Device Distribution by OS: Operating system breakdown
• Recent Reboots: Devices that recently restarted
• Port Status Trends: Historical port up/down statistics

Quick Actions

• Collect All Devices: Trigger a full network snapshot collection
• View Compliance Status: Jump to compliance dashboard
• Open Support Tickets: View active support tickets

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Device Inventory

The Devices section provides comprehensive inventory management.

Viewing Devices

Navigate to Devices → Inventory to view all managed devices.

Columns Include:

• Hostname: Device name
• IP Address: Management IP
• Model: Hardware model (e.g., Catalyst 2960X, ASR 9000)
• OS Version: Software version
• Status: Up/Down status
• Uptime: Time since last reboot
• Serial Number: Hardware serial
• Location: Physical location (if configured)

Searching & Filtering

Use the search bar to find devices by:

• Hostname
• IP address
• Model
• Serial number
• Location

Advanced Filters:

• Device Type (Router, Switch, Firewall)
• Status (Up, Down, Unknown)
• Client/Tenant
• OS Type (IOS, IOS-XE, IOS-XR, NX-OS, Huawei VRP)

Device Details

Click on a device hostname to view detailed information:

Overview Tab

• Device specifications (model, serial, OS)
• Management information (IP, credentials status)
• Uptime and last collection timestamp
• Device role (BRAS, Internet Edge, Core, etc.)

Ports/Interfaces Tab

View all physical and logical interfaces:

• Interface Name: Port identifier (e.g., GigabitEthernet0/1)
• Status: up/down/admin-down
• Speed/Duplex: Link characteristics
• VLAN: Assigned VLAN(s)
• Description: Port description
• IP Address: Assigned IPv4/IPv6
• MAC Address: Interface hardware address
• Media Type: SFP/Cable type
• Neighbor: Connected device (from CDP/LLDP)

Port Actions:

• Filter by status (up/down)
• Search by interface name or description
• Export to Excel

Configuration Tab

• Running Configuration: Current active config
• Startup Configuration: Boot configuration
• Configuration Diff: Compare with previous snapshots
• Download: Export configuration as text file

Chassis View Tab (Beta)

Visual representation of the physical device:

• Module and card layout
• Port positions
• Power supply status
• Fan tray status

Device Actions

From the device list or detail page:

• Collect Snapshot: Trigger immediate data collection
• Run Compliance: Evaluate against compliance policies
• View Topology: Show device in network graph
• Edit Details: Update device metadata
• Delete: Remove from inventory (admin only)

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Network Topology

Visualize your network connections and relationships.

Interactive Topology Map

Navigate to Devices → Interactive Topology for a full network view.

Features:

• Drag-and-drop node positioning
• Zoom in/out with mouse wheel
• Pan by clicking and dragging background
• Save custom layouts (positions persist)
• Filter by device type or location

Node Information:

• Hover over a node to see device details
• Click a node to jump to device details
• Color-coded by device type or status

Connection Types:

• Blue Lines: CDP connections
• Green Lines: LLDP connections
• Red Lines: Down or failed connections

Topology Layouts

Choose from multiple automatic layout algorithms:

• Force-Directed: Physics-based spacing
• Hierarchical: Top-down tree structure
• Circular: Devices arranged in a circle
• Grid: Organized grid pattern

After selecting a layout, you can manually adjust positions and save.

Device-Specific Topology

View topology for a single device:

1. Go to Devices → Select a device
2. Click View Topology button
3. See immediate neighbors and their connections

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IP Address Management (IPAM)

Manage IP address allocations across your network.

IPAM Dashboard

Navigate to IP Management → Dashboard

Key Sections:

• IP Statistics: Total IPs, used IPs, available IPs
• Subnet Summary: CIDR blocks and utilization
• Recent Allocations: Latest IP assignments
• Top Consumers: Devices with most IPs

Subnets

View and manage IP subnets:

Subnet List:

• Network: CIDR notation (e.g., 10.0.1.0/24)
• VRF: Virtual routing instance
• Total IPs: Address count in subnet
• Used IPs: Allocated addresses
• Available IPs: Free addresses
• Utilization %: Usage percentage

Actions:

• View Details: See all IPs in subnet
• Add Subnet: Create new subnet tracking
• Export: Download subnet data

IP Address Search

Find IP address information:

1. Navigate to IP Management → IP Search
2. Enter IP address or range
3. View results:

- Device assignment

- Interface assignment

- VLAN association

- VRF membership

- Last seen timestamp

IPv4 Explorer

Browse all IPv4 addresses:

• Filter by subnet: Select specific network ranges
• Filter by status: Assigned, unassigned, reserved
• Filter by VRF: Limit to routing instance
• Search: Find specific IPs or patterns

IPv6 Explorer

Manage IPv6 address space:

• IPv6 Subnets: View all IPv6 networks
• Address Assignments: See assigned addresses
• Gap Analysis: Identify unused address ranges
• Duplicate Detection: Find conflicting assignments

DHCP Pools (BRAS Devices)

For BRAS and access aggregation devices:

• Pool Configuration: View DHCP scope definitions
• Active Bindings: Current IP leases
• Pool Utilization: Free vs. allocated addresses
• Lease History: Track IP assignments over time

Network Overlaps

Detect and resolve subnet conflicts:

• Overlap Detection: Find overlapping CIDR blocks
• Conflict Resolution: Suggested remediation
• VRF Isolation: Separate overlaps by VRF context

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Neighbor Discovery

Understand device connectivity through neighbor protocols.

CDP Neighbors

View Cisco Discovery Protocol connections:

Navigate to Neighbors → CDP

Information Displayed:

• Local Device: Your managed device
• Local Interface: Outgoing interface
• Remote Device: Neighbor hostname
• Remote Interface: Neighbor's interface
• Platform: Neighbor device model
• Capabilities: Router, Switch, etc.

Filtering:

• Search by device name
• Filter by interface
• Group by chassis

LLDP Neighbors

View Link Layer Discovery Protocol connections:

Navigate to Neighbors → LLDP

Similar to CDP but supports multi-vendor environments:

• System Name: Neighbor device name
• System Description: Device type and OS
• Port Description: Neighbor port info
• Management Address: Neighbor's management IP

BGP Neighbors

View Border Gateway Protocol peer relationships:

Navigate to Neighbors → BGP

BGP Summary:

• Neighbor IP: BGP peer address
• AS Number: Autonomous System
• State: Established, Idle, Active, etc.
• Uptime: How long peering has been up
• Prefixes Received: Route count from peer
• Prefixes Sent: Routes advertised to peer

BGP Topology:

• Visual graph of BGP peering relationships
• AS-level topology view
• Color-coded peer states
• Filter by AS number

For Internet Edge Devices:

• Advertised Routes: See routes sent to upstream providers
• Route Policies: View applied route maps
• Next-Hop Analysis: Track routing path changes

ISIS Neighbors

View Intermediate System to Intermediate System routing neighbors:

Navigate to Neighbors → ISIS

ISIS Database:

• System ID: ISIS router identifier
• Hostname: Device name
• Area: ISIS area membership
• State: Up/Down
• Interface: Connection interface
• Metric: Link cost

MPLS LDP Neighbors

View Label Distribution Protocol peers:

Navigate to Neighbors → MPLS LDP

LDP Peer Information:

• Peer ID: LDP router ID
• State: Operational, Down
• Uptime: Session duration
• Local Interface: Outgoing interface
• Remote Interface: Peer interface
• Labels: Label binding count

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Routing Information

Analyze routing tables and protocols.

Route Tables

Navigate to Routing → Routes

View Options:

• All Routes: Complete routing table
• ISIS Routes: Learned via ISIS
• BGP Routes: Learned via BGP
• Static Routes: Manually configured
• Connected Routes: Directly attached networks

Route Details:

• Destination: Network prefix
• Next Hop: Next router IP
• Interface: Outgoing interface
• Metric: Route preference
• Protocol: Source protocol
• Administrative Distance: Route priority

Filtering:

• Search by prefix
• Filter by protocol
• Filter by VRF
• Filter by next-hop

BGP Routes

Detailed BGP routing information:

• AS Path: Autonomous system path
• Local Preference: BGP preference value
• MED: Multi-exit discriminator
• Communities: BGP community tags
• Origin: IGP, EGP, Incomplete

Route Analytics

Analyze routing behavior:

• Route Stability: Track route flapping
• Prefix Counts: Per-protocol statistics
• Next-Hop Distribution: Load balancing analysis
• Route Changes: Compare snapshots to see routing changes

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L2VPN & Transport Services

Manage Layer 2 VPN circuits and MPLS services.

L2VPN Overview

Navigate to Transport → L2VPN

View all Layer 2 VPN services:

• Service ID: Circuit identifier
• Type: XConnect, VPLS, Bridge Domain
• Local Endpoint: Your device interface
• Remote Endpoint: Peer device/interface
• VC ID: Virtual circuit ID
• Status: Up/Down
• Encapsulation: MPLS, VLAN, etc.

XConnect Circuits

Point-to-point L2VPN connections:

• Local Attachment Circuit: Customer-facing interface
• Peer IP: Remote PE router
• VC ID: Circuit identifier
• MTU: Maximum transmission unit
• Control Word: Enabled/disabled
• Status: Operational state

XConnect Topology:

• Visual graph of all XConnect circuits
• Filter by status or endpoint
• Identify service paths

VPLS Services

Virtual Private LAN Service instances:

• VFI Name: VPLS forwarding instance
• Bridge Domain: Layer 2 domain
• Member Interfaces: Access circuits
• Pseudowires: MPLS tunnels to peers
• MAC Table Size: Learned MAC addresses

MPLS LDP Interfaces

View LDP-enabled interfaces:

• Interface Name: Physical or logical port
• LDP Status: Enabled/disabled
• LDP Neighbors: Count of LDP peers
• Label Space: Label allocation range

Transport Topology

Visualize MPLS transport network:

• P2P Topology: Point-to-point services
• Full Mesh View: All VPLS peering
• LDP Topology: Label distribution graph

Graph Features:

• Click circuit to see details
• Filter by service type
• Highlight path for specific VC ID

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Troubleshooting Tools

Built-in network diagnostic utilities.

IP Finder

Quickly locate where an IP address is used:

1. Navigate to Troubleshooting → IP Finder
2. Enter IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
3. View results:

- Device: Which device uses this IP

- Interface: Specific interface assignment

- VLAN: Associated VLAN

- VRF: Routing instance

- MAC Address: Hardware address (if available)

- ARP/CAM: Switch port location (if device is host)

Use Cases:

• Troubleshoot IP conflicts
• Find where a server is connected
• Verify DHCP assignments
• Locate network endpoints

Traceroute

Perform network path tracing:

1. Navigate to Troubleshooting → Traceroute
2. Select Source Device (starting point)
3. Enter Destination IP
4. Click Start Traceroute
5. View real-time progress:

- Hop-by-hop path display

- Latency for each hop

- Device names (if in inventory)

- Interface information

Traceroute Features:

• Live Updates: See hops as they're discovered
• Path Visualization: Graphical route display
• Export Results: Download trace for documentation
• Compare Traces: Side-by-side path comparison

Troubleshooting with Traceroute:

• Identify routing loops
• Find asymmetric paths
• Locate packet loss points
• Verify traffic engineering

Device Search

Find devices by various criteria:

• Hostname: Partial or full name
• IP Address: Management or interface IP
• Serial Number: Hardware serial
• MAC Address: Find by MAC
• Model: Specific hardware type
• Location: Physical site

Interface Search

Locate interfaces across all devices:

• Interface Name: e.g., GigabitEthernet0/1
• Description: Search port descriptions
• IP Address: Interface IP
• VLAN: Assigned VLAN
• Status: Up/down state

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Compliance & Auditing

Ensure network configurations meet organizational standards.

Compliance Dashboard

Navigate to Compliance → Dashboard

Overview Metrics:

• Overall Compliance Score: Percentage across all devices
• Compliant Devices: Count of passing devices
• Non-Compliant Devices: Devices failing policies
• Critical Violations: High-severity issues

Running Compliance Audits

Execute compliance evaluations:

1. Navigate to Compliance → Run Audit
2. Select Devices (all or specific subset)
3. Select Policy Set (if multiple available)
4. Click Run Evaluation
5. Wait for results (progress shown)

Viewing Compliance Results

After audit completion:

• Device List: Compliance score per device
• Violation Summary: Grouped by policy
• Severity Breakdown: Critical, High, Medium, Low
• Trend Analysis: Compliance over time

Device Compliance Details

Click on a device to see:

• Passed Checks: Which policies device meets
• Failed Checks: Violations with details
• Remediation Guidance: How to fix issues
• Configuration Context: Relevant config lines

Compliance Policies

Understand what's being checked:

• Access Control Lists: ACL standards
• Service Hardening: Disabled unnecessary services
• Authentication: Strong authentication enforcement
• Logging: Proper logging configuration
• SNMP Security: SNMPv3 usage
• Management Plane: Secure management access
• Interface Standards: Port configuration requirements

Remediation Workflow

For non-compliant devices:

1. Review violation details
2. Generate remediation config
3. Schedule maintenance window
4. Apply configuration changes
5. Re-run compliance audit
6. Verify compliance restored

Compliance Reporting

Generate compliance reports:

• Executive Summary: High-level compliance posture
• Detailed Audit Report: All findings with evidence
• Trend Report: Compliance changes over time
• Exception Report: Documented policy exceptions

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Support Tickets

Manage support requests integrated with Mantis ticketing system.

Viewing Support Tickets

Navigate to Support → Dashboard

Ticket List Columns:

• Ticket ID: Unique identifier
• Summary: Brief description
• Status: New, Assigned, Resolved, Closed
• Priority: Low, Normal, High, Urgent, Immediate
• Category: Network, Hardware, Software, etc.
• Assigned To: Technician or team
• Created: Submission date
• Updated: Last activity

Creating Support Tickets

Submit a new support request:

1. Navigate to Support → Create Ticket
2. Fill out ticket form:

- Summary: Brief title

- Description: Detailed problem description

- Category: Select appropriate category

- Priority: Set urgency level

- Device: Optionally link to device

- Attachments: Upload screenshots, logs, configs

1. Click Submit

Tips for Effective Tickets:

• Provide clear, concise summary
• Include error messages verbatim
• Attach relevant screenshots
• Link related device if applicable
• Specify impact and urgency accurately

Managing Your Tickets

Ticket Actions:

• View Details: See full ticket information
• Add Comment: Provide updates or questions
• Attach Files: Add additional documentation
• Update Status: Change ticket state
• Escalate: Raise priority if needed

Ticket Notifications

Stay informed about ticket updates:

• Email notifications on status changes
• Comment notifications
• Assignment notifications
• Resolution notifications

Ticket Filters

Find specific tickets:

• My Tickets: Tickets you created
• Assigned to Me: Tickets you're handling
• Open Tickets: All unresolved tickets
• Recently Updated: Latest activity
• By Category: Filter by issue type
• By Priority: Filter by urgency
• By Device: Tickets for specific device

Ticket Resolution

When a ticket is resolved:

1. Review resolution details
2. Test the fix
3. Close Ticket if satisfied
4. Reopen Ticket if issue persists

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Reports & Exports

Generate operational reports and export data.

Report Types

Navigate to Reports → Generate

Available Reports:

• Device Inventory Report: Complete device list with specs
• Port Utilization Report: Interface usage statistics
• IP Address Report: IPAM allocation summary
• Compliance Report: Policy adherence details
• Topology Report: Network connectivity matrix
• Change Report: Configuration changes over time
• Availability Report: Device uptime statistics

Generating Reports

1. Select Report Type
2. Set Parameters:

- Date range

- Device filter (all or subset)

- Client/tenant (if multi-tenant)

- Output format (PDF, Excel, CSV)

1. Click Generate Report
2. Download when ready

Scheduled Reports

Set up automated report delivery:

1. Navigate to Reports → Scheduled
2. Click Create Schedule
3. Configure:

- Report type

- Frequency (daily, weekly, monthly)

- Recipients (email addresses)

- Delivery time

- Parameters

1. Save schedule

Reports will be emailed automatically.

Data Exports

Export data for external analysis:

Export Formats:

• Excel (.xlsx): Rich formatting, multiple sheets
• CSV (.csv): Plain text, easy import
• JSON (.json): Structured data for APIs
• PDF (.pdf): Formatted documents

Exportable Data:

• Device inventory
• Interface/port lists
• IP address assignments
• Neighbor relationships
• Routing tables
• L2VPN circuits
• Compliance results
• Support tickets

Export Process:

1. Navigate to desired data view
2. Click Export button
3. Select format
4. Download file

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Multi-Tenant Access

For multi-tenant deployments (MSPs, large enterprises).

Understanding Tenants

Tenants (also called "Clients") provide data isolation:

• Each tenant has separate device inventory
• Users can be assigned to multiple tenants
• Data is automatically filtered by current tenant
• Switch between tenants without re-login

Switching Tenants

If you have access to multiple tenants:

1. Click User Menu (top right)
2. Select Switch Client
3. Choose desired tenant
4. Click Switch

The entire interface will update to show only that tenant's data.

Current Tenant Indicator

Your active tenant is displayed:

• In the top navigation bar
• In the user menu
• On reports and exports

Always verify you're in the correct tenant before making changes.

Tenant-Specific Permissions

Your permissions may vary by tenant:

• Full admin in one tenant
• Read-only in another tenant
• Specific module access per tenant

Check with your administrator if you need different access.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How often is device data collected?

Default collection interval is configurable (typically every 4-24 hours). Administrators can trigger manual collections anytime.

Can I download device configurations?

Yes, from the device detail page, go to the Configuration tab and click Download.

What browsers are supported?

NacTrack works best with modern browsers:

• Chrome/Edge (recommended)
• Firefox
• Safari

How do I report a bug?

Navigate to Support → Create Ticket and select the "Software Bug" category.

Can I customize dashboards?

Custom dashboards are available in the Admin settings (requires admin permission).

What if a device won't collect?

Check:

1. Device is reachable from NacTrack server
2. SSH credentials are correct
3. Device has available resources
4. Firewall rules allow SSH access

Contact support if issues persist.

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Getting Help

In-App Help

Look for the ? icon throughout the interface for context-sensitive help.

Documentation

Full documentation available at: /docs/ directory or admin-configured help URL

Support Tickets

Create a support ticket for:

• Technical issues
• Feature requests
• Usage questions
• Bug reports

Administrator Contact

Reach out to your NacTrack administrator for:

• Access requests
• Permission changes
• New device additions
• Configuration assistance

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Glossary

AS (Autonomous System): A collection of IP networks under a single administrative domain BGP (Border Gateway Protocol): Routing protocol for internet/WAN connectivity BRAS (Broadband Remote Access Server): Device managing subscriber access CDP (Cisco Discovery Protocol): Cisco proprietary neighbor discovery CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing): IP address notation (e.g., 10.0.0.0/24) ISIS (Intermediate System to Intermediate System): Link-state routing protocol IPAM (IP Address Management): System for tracking IP allocations L2VPN (Layer 2 VPN): Virtual private network operating at data link layer LDP (Label Distribution Protocol): MPLS label exchange protocol LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol): Vendor-neutral neighbor discovery MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching): High-performance packet forwarding STP (Spanning Tree Protocol): Loop prevention for switched networks VC (Virtual Circuit): L2VPN connection identifier VRF (Virtual Routing and Forwarding): Network virtualization technique VPLS (Virtual Private LAN Service): Multipoint L2VPN service XConnect: Point-to-point L2VPN service

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*End of User Guide*

For administrative tasks, see the NacTrack Administrator Guide.