Harvard's network operations center (NOC) is a set of web applications and tools that offer transparency and push "self service" to customers in a secure, verified, and granular way.

1. The NOC Customer Portal

2. What is the NOC Customer Portal?

3. What is the NOC Customer Portal?
o It’s a set of web applications and tools…

4. What is the NOC Customer Portal?
o It’s a set of web applications and tools…
o that offer transparency and push “self service” to customers…

5. What is the NOC Customer Portal?
o It’s a set of web applications and tools…
o that offer transparency and push “self service” to customers…
o in a secure, verified, and granular way.

6. Is it laziness to push network
administration to users?

7. Is it laziness to push network
administration to users?
o A little.

8. Is it laziness to push network
administration to users?
o A little.
o Another word would be “efficient.”

9. Is it laziness to push network
administration to users?
o A little.
o Another word would be “efficient.”
o It’s also more convenient for users.

10. Is it laziness to push network
administration to users?
o A little.
o Another word would be “efficient.”
o It’s also more convenient for users.
o AND it increases security.

11. Is it laziness to push network
administration to users?
o A little.
o Another word would be “efficient.”
o It’s also more convenient for users.
o AND it increases security.
o AND in most cases, the user also gets immediate results.

12. Is it laziness to push network
administration to users?
o A little.
o Another word would be “efficient.”
o It’s also more convenient for users.
o AND it increases security.
o AND in most cases, the user also gets immediate results.
o In other cases, it shortens cycles by removing ambiguity.

13. Is it laziness to push network
administration to users?
o lets the computer do what it’s good at, but people are not

14. What are some tools on the NOC
Customer Portal?
o Email aliasing
o VPN accounts
o DNS
o MAC tracking for stolen devices
o many others!

15. How about stuff where we need
babysitting?

16. How about stuff where we need
babysitting?
o ACLs

17. How about stuff where we need
babysitting?
o ACLs
o Access Control List

18. How about stuff where we need
babysitting?
o ACLs
o Access Control List
o rules that allow/deny access on the network

19. How about stuff where we need
babysitting?
o ACLs
o Access Control List
o rules that allow/deny access on the network
o ACLs are confusing!

20. An Example
o staff member who works at GSD
o network admin
o authorized to make ACL requests
o wants to open web access to frankgehry.gsd.harvard.edu
(128.103.174.100)

21. The old way:
① emails request to NOC
② NOC receives request
③ NOC evaluates request, may pass off to SOC for approval if
host is on their network, probably need to seek clarification
from customer
④ eventually, NOC carries out request
⑤ NOC notifies user

22. Why that stinks:
o slow
o “social engineering”
o guaranteed to spend cycles seeking clarification (ACLs are
complicated!)
o multiple staff members needed
o changes go into a black hole
o easy to miscommunicate (ACLs are complicated!)
o no transparency into existing ACLs

23. The Portal way
o parse all network device configurations into database
o make available via “ACLadmin” on the Portal
o instantiate all business rules and technical logic in that
o let’s take a look…

24. Why that doesn’t stink:
o authenticated
o validated
o no NOC staff time needed until time to evaluate/add
o automatically logged
o easier than vendor GUI
o not immediate, but quicker
o have zone control
o pre-vetting for format & redundancy (complexity control)
o transparency
o vendor neutral (new!)
o let the computer do what it’s good at and humans aren’t

25. The future
o more of the same
o refresh existing apps for new technology
o APIs for automation (VPN/DHCP now, ACL/DNS to come)