Platform Discussions

Scenario: Disabled all classic and all but one custom source in order to speed up and test an NQE with extractJson on an endpoint for a specific device. Observation: Unable to take a snapshot without at least one Classic source enabled.

The ability to include/exclude custom sources in bulk in the same way as classic sources would be useful if capability is possible. Secondary to an ability to bulk include/exclude custom sources would be the ability to bulk edit custom source profiles, basic authentication, SSL validation, and location.  I also noticed when editing custom source that I had to update in phases. I imported csv of devices.  I then attempted to update the profile and auth and location but it stated the source already existed and when I exited it only saved one of the settings. I then edited the src again and updated the location. If I recall it was unable to edit the tags at the same time as other config fields as well. No big deal for the few devices in my workspace and I have finished update but wanted to bring to your attention.

We are thrilled to announce the release of AI Assist for NQE! Whether you're new to the platform or a seasoned NQE expert, AI Assist allows you to skip complex syntax and describe what you need in plain English, making it easier than ever to create NQE queries. Generating an NQE query using AI AssistWhat is AI Assist?AI Assist enables you to write NQE queries using everyday language. Instead of manually writing complex queries, you can simply describe what you're looking for, and AI Assist will generate the appropriate NQE query for you. For example, to create a query that lists all CVEs currently impacting devices within a network, you can type, “List CVEs impacting each device,” and NQE AI Assist will instantly translate that

Is there a way to export all CVEs that the platform is scanning for.  We know how to get the ones that are affecting devices, but we want a list of them all, regardless of impact.

Hi Forward Networks team, I am looking at the API, specifically the call to get a device's data files.I can get the files for a single device at a time by just putting in the hostname in the parameters, however I was wondering if there is a parameter which will allow me to pull from multiple devices at once.For example lets say I want to pull from devices ABC, DEF, GHIorI want to pull from every device that starts with ABC*Is this something that can be done?Or would another possibility be to create a separate group of devices which includes all the devices I want to pull from and then just run the GET call on that device group. Kind regards,Sebastian

Hello,I have a question when using the Search Path API.Could we get an elaboration on the meaning of that “DELIVERED_TO_INCORRECT_LOCATION” forward outcome status, such as why it appears and if there’s anything we can do to address the “INCORRECT_LOCATION” part, if it’s necessary?I presume the status means that somewhere along the routing, it somehow ended up at a destination Forward Networks didn’t expect. But I just wanted to know if there was any more to it.Thanks!

How can i collect below information from Forward Network via API for Network devices. ?• IP address,• MAC address• Interface details• Device Name• Subnet details1.Which API should be used to get the above information? In the documentation, I see an API to get           networks/ Network collection/ devices  ;2.Is there a single API call that can pull the above information, or are there multiple API calls?3.If it's one API call, what's the Max pagination limit?4.Can you please provide a Sample API  or a Postman export to make an API call.

Before we head off into the weekend I was hoping to ask the community what their stance is on schema based network configuration interfaces like NetConf and OpenConfig GNMI. Question 1: Do you currently or plan to use NetConf and/or GNMI to manage policy across your network? Do you leverage this in your automation pipeline? If so, do you find sufficient vendor support?Question 2: If you do leverage NetConf/GNMI for configuration data, do you still want to inspect the policies via CLI?Thanks for your insights.

On May 21st we have shown the integration between Forward and NetBox in a joint webinar. UPDATE: The webinar recording is now available on YouTube:https://youtu.be/TSX14uke1NE.The description includes a link to the webinar slides and the GitHub repository. The integration is part of the NetBox’s Network Automation Architecture framework where Forward provides the Observability and Assurance piece, as shown in the picture below:NetBox Network Automation Architecture The first use case is

Happy Thursday All!  I hope you’re having a great week. I know it’s been a busy one so I’ve highlighted this week’s most popular articles and discussions in the community. Did I miss one of your favorites? Add it in the comments below! Here’s the list... @AricaFN ‘s article on extracting data from custom commands is a great discussion for anyone that has to go beyond the data model to tailor the Forward platform to their organization’s specific needs. @Christopher is on fire (hehe) with this new NQE query that uses the Forward Enterprise aclEntry object to provide consistent output from any Firewall vendor.

Some customers have asked, “How do I run a custom command on just a few devices, to test if it gives me what I need for an NQE query?” You can do this with a workspace network!First, click the Network drop down and choose Add Workspace network  Add a name for your Workspace and click Next.  Add the device or devices you want to test the custom command(s) on and click Add X devices. Then Next.  Check the custom command

We have started to do some testing with FN. In our AWS network, we are using Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) devices managed by Firepower Management Console (FMC). FN is able to connect to an FTD and retrieve device details but does not support retrieval from FMC.In our network, for complicated routing reasons, we can’t easily enable FN to connect to our FTD instances. I can, however, provide a URL that will retrieve all the information from FMC. I would like to configure an “HTTP(S) external source” to provide that info. What I cannot figure out, however, is the required format for the data to that is returned by the URL GET. The document just states that FN will “infer” the schema. In my case, there’s no inference needed. I am writing the code that will return the info. I can format the data however FN needs it.For those who care about the details, the implementation is an AWS Lambda function that connects to the FMC REST API and returns the info. An AWS API gat

Hi all, We are getting “No processed Snapshot found. Please take a Snapshot and try again.” when trying to hook Forward Network with SNOW CMDB, anyone has any idea why this happen ? ( We do have snapshots already taken and processed) Thank you 

Incident Management: A Proactive Approach to Minimize Disruption Experiencing an incident can be chaotic, with alarms sounding off and urgent communications flooding in, often at the least opportune moments. The key to effective incident management is not just to respond with urgency but to anticipate and mitigate issues before they escalate. The TL;DRTo effectively manage incidents, you must first establish visibility across and baselines of your network. Know what’s normal and what’s not. Ensure robust logs are being collected in a centralized manner, and contain all relevant details to facilitate troubleshooting. Develop your response team. Know their strengths and weaknesses, and ensure everyone on the team has skin in the game. publish playbooks, runbooks, and other procedural documents so everyone knows what is expected of them during an incident. Foster relationships with your peers and other teams long before an incident eve

Launch Podcast Join Craig Johnson (@captainpacket) and William Collins as they discuss the power of community, and then dig into the growth and adoption of Digital Twins and where they fit in today’s tech stack. Topics covered include:The Concept of Digital Twins in Networking: Drawing parallels to other industries like manufacturing. Craig explains that a digital twin is a digital representation of a real-world network, allowing for easier troubleshooting, visualization, and understanding of network components and configurations.  Evolution of Digital Twin with Cloud and Automation: Craig discusses the e

For those interested in security certifications, I wanted to pass along this hidden gem of certification training.Ben Malisow is an excellent technical editor and trainer, and is the guy behind the wannabea.. certification training programs. I would highly recommend his trainings for CISM, CISSP, CCSP, and SSCP for anyone interested in these certifications. - https://www.wannabeacism.com/

Sometimes a path search may not present the results you expect. When engaging with support regarding a path search issue, you may be asked to provide a snapshot with the relevant path search data. To capture a snapshot of a path search, first perform the path search in question. In this example, we are performing a simple path search from atl-ce01 to atl-core-pe01: Now, press and hold the Alt or Cmd key, and the icon on the far right of the query bar will change from ‘Copy Query’ to ‘Export Query’. Click on the ‘Export Query’ icon: The Export Snapshot wizard will now display all devices relevant to that path, and allow you to add any additional devices you wish

Hey Folks!I’m looking to find out if anyone has modeled their corporate VPN access - maybe using Synthetic Devices - in such a way that allows you to search for user workflows to determine if they are allowed, and have them properly modeled as coming in through the VPN Firewall instead of at the switch VLAN. We are looking to create intent checks for access through our VPN. Happy NQEing!

I am working on automated resolution of failed connections.   Two questions: (1) On this page in the documentation: /docs/nqe/data-model/type_devicecollectionerror/  there is a list of errors but no descriptions.  Can someone provide? (2) I am studying a failure report and the Connect Test Status notes each of these in PHASEs which seems to imply that each is determined in a sequence.  Is there a list of PHASE order for these? AUTHENTICATION_FAILED-AUTHENTICATION PHASEAUTHORIZATION_FAILED-AUTHORIZATION PHASECONNECTION_FAILED-CONNECTION PHASEDEVICE_IS_CHILD_CONTEXT-SETUP PHASEDEVICE_TYPE_MISMATCH-TYPE_DISCOVERY PHASEDEVICE_TYPE_UNDETECTED-TYPE_DISCOVERY PHASEGUEST_MISSING_HOST_RESULTS-SETUP PHASEJUMP_SERVER_AUTHENTICATION_FAILED-CONNECTION PHASEJUMP_SERVER_CONNECTION_FAILED-CONNECTION PHASEOTHER-AUTHORIZATION PHASEPING_FAILED-CONNECTION PHASEPORT_REACHABILITY_FAILED-CONNECTION PHASEPRIV_PASSWORD_ERROR-SETU

Background on the Jump Server for FWD Enterprise Forward Enterprise obtains data for path analysis primarily using industry-standard command-line interface (CLI) access. This is typically done with secure shell (SSH) read-only credentials provided to the platform so that configuration and state can be retrieved. In certain customer instances, it is required to limit SSH access to a specific host or hosts, which will more effectively audit and maintain the security of network devices. This is commonly known as the bastion or jump server. A jump server, jump host, or jump box is a computer on a network used to access and manage devices in a separate security zone. The most common example is managing a host in a DMZ from trusted networks or computers. A jump server is a hardened and monitored device that spans two dissimilar security zones and provides a controlled means of access between them. User access should

This is both incredibly amazing and absolutely frightening. The cat is extremely out of the bag now.Boston Dynamics put a generative AI into the robot dog Spot. And there are different personalities.  

If you are in/near the Atlanta area on Nov 14, please join me at this Optm event where I will presenting with other executives from Optm, Infoblox, BigPanda, and LogicMonitor.  I’d love to connect in person, and happy to have additional conversations. Event Registration

We had a fun costume contest for Forward employees and their fur babies. Here are the winners!Our co-founder, Peyman, won Best Costume!Our infra engineer, Manuel, won Most Original Costume!Our apps engineering manager, Gayathri, won Scariest Costume!Gayathri’s dog, Nash, won Best Pet Costume!What do you t

You can now attach EC2 interfaces to multiple different VPCs in AWS: https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2023/10/multi-vpc-eni-attachments/ The implications of this are pretty huge - previously to control access (with a firewall, etc) between VPCs you needed to use a Transit Gateway, generally associated with a centralized applicance via a Gateway load balancer.  This solution is great and scales very well, but its probably overkill for smaller environments. What if you only have 2-4 VPCs?  This solution would work great - simple attach your NVA interfaces to different VPCs and modify your route tables accordingly.  This eliminates the cost and complexity of TGWs, keeping all the performance benefits. What use cases can you see for this new functionality?  Off the top of my he

Is it possible to use a SSH jump server to log into a Telnet server, and then from there log into each of the devices?