VMware Aria Operations for Networks 6.9 has arrived with many new features that provide network & cloud administrators with greater visibility, performance, and management capabilities. This blog post will give a technical overview of these new features so that you can get the most out of your network operations. If you missed the announcement blog for this new release, check it out!
New Dashboards
One of the most requested new features of VMware Aria Operations for Networks 6.9 is the introduction of new dashboards, which replace the previous pinboards. The new dashboards provide administrators with a comprehensive and real-time view of their applications and network performance, health, and utilization. Administrators can quickly identify and resolve application and network issues with easy-to-read graphics and customizable widgets.
When creating a new dashboard in Aria Operations for Networks 6.9, you will receive a list of suggested widgets to quickly build a dashboard with the required data and metrics.
It is also essential to call out that all of your existing Pinboards in Aria Operations for Networks 6.8 or prior will automatically be migrated to custom Dashboards during the upgrade process to Aria Operations for Networks 6.9.
VMware HCX VM to VM Topology Support
VMware HCX is now fully integrated with Aria Operations for Networks 6.9. This integration allows administrators to view the complete topology of their virtual machine (VM) to VM network connections over various HCX Network Extensions. This topology view provides a better understanding of network connections and helps administrators troubleshoot network issues faster when using VMware HCX for migrations.
In VMware Aria Operations for Networks 6.9, we have also added Public API support for the following VMware HCX Entities:
- HCX Manager
- HCX Site
- HCX Service Mesh
- HCX Service
- HCX Appliance
- HCX Tunnel
- HCX L2 Extension
- HCX Compute Profile
- HCX Network Profile
Improvements to Application Naming using Flow-Based Application Discovery
Aria Operations for Networks 6.9 introduces improved application naming using flow-based application discovery. The improved application naming makes it easier for administrators to identify discovered applications using Flow-Based Application Discovery.
First, let’s look at the two different scenarios and the default preferences when discovering applications using Flow-Based Application Discovery in Aria Operations for Networks.
Below is an example of a new deployment of VMware Aria Operations for Networks. As you will notice in Figure 6 below, the default scope for naming preference is to use Load Balancer Configuration, Security Groups, Security Tags, and VM Names when viewing discovered applications using Flow-Based Application Discovery.
You also have the option to choose which naming preferences to be used during discovery and in which order each selection will be prioritized during discovery.
Using F5 Load Balancer Configuration to Improve Flow-Based Application Discovery Application Boundaries
Aria Operations for Networks 6.9 now supports using F5 Load Balancer configuration to improve flow-based application discovery application boundaries. This integration allows Flow-Based Application Discovery to use the F5 Load Balancer configuration data, such as which VMs belong to the same pool. Aria Operations for Networks will also use the pool data to help identify similar services hosted on a VM based on network port information.
Figure 8. Utilizing VIP and Pool Membership configuration data.
To take advantage of this feature, you must ensure you have added your F5 Load Balancers as Data Sources in Aria Operations for Networks and have Load Balancer preference enabled for Flow-Based Application Discovery.
Support for Incomplete TCP Sessions
New in this release, you can now view and manage incomplete TCP sessions. This new feature gives administrators greater visibility and control over their network, allowing them to quickly identify and resolve network issues. One critical security benefit is viewing and managing incomplete TCP sessions. By providing administrators visibility into these sessions, they can identify and respond more quickly and effectively to potential security threats, such as attempted cyberattacks. Incomplete TCP sessions can be an indicator of malicious activity, so being able to manage these sessions proactively can help ensure network security.
You can also look at the number of incomplete TCP Sessions on the VM Dashboard under Metrics.
Additional New Features
Some other key new features that I want to call out included in 6.9 are as follows:
- Improvements made to Network Assurance & Verification Intents
- Support for large screens.
- Support for Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series switches.
- Network Map Improvements
- Support for Azure NSG Flow Logs
- Support for VMC-Outposts
In conclusion, the new features in VMware Aria Operations for Networks 6.9 provide administrators with greater visibility, performance, and management capabilities. These new features make it easier for administrators to manage and monitor their applications and networks. Either Application on-premises or in the cloud, improving performance and reliability.
If you’re interested in experiencing the power of VMware Aria Operations for Networks 6.9, you can start by visiting VMware Aria Operations for Networks. If you want to try the product before making a purchase, sign up for a free 30-day trial at VMware Aria Operations for Networks Free Trial.
Don’t wait – take advantage of these new features and improve your application and network observability today!
