IP Address Management
Designing tools for IT engineers is like becoming an apprentice in the field. Well, except having to deal with people whose laptop got broken.
The Project
In this case, the project was to take care of a full release cycle of the product and prepare for the next one. A product manager wanted to simplify data import and show integration with another tool in our suite. Users pushed for displaying data we were tracking but burying them. And a senior designer responsible for this part of the product line knew we can do way better and wanted to illustrate it with a prototype.
Simplified and Automated Tasks
Auto-Import of Network Data
We wanted to minimize time that people evaluating the product have to spend configuring the software. In the same time, we needed to keep flexibility of the data import for other users. To do so, we introduced a subnet discovery process that became the new default option and replaced current error-prone manual process where users had to import spreadsheets and re-type IP addresses.
Handy New Data
DNS Record Mismatches
When devices stop communicating within a network, it’s a tedious problem to find what’s going on and how fix it. Where we wanted to do a better job was helping with the problem identification. One example of our approach is adding a list of DNS record mismatches. The data originally buried in the application logs are now presented on the main dashboard and device details. It means IT engineers investigating a device now can see if there is this kind of DNS problem.
Discover Problems in a Minute
New Dashboards
Even with new data available to IT engineers, we knew that the process of troubleshooting network issues could be simplified. Engineers still had to understand devices in their network and read manuals. But why they should remember where to search for a problem cause and how to get to configuration of that particular device? Displaying potential issues in a logic way and being a single console to manage devices, that’s something where we wanted to get with the product.
My Role
Research on functionality, conceptual work, final mockups, validation of designs with users, getting buy-in from stakeholders, and supporting developers working independently on less critical features.
Results and Lessons Learned
We managed to cover needs of both business and users and illustrated future of the product with an interactive prototype. For the next release we did an initial research, revealed complexity hidden in adding IPv6 support and prepared early stage mockups for redesign of the management part of the product. These helped the management to decide on the next release plan and it's scope.
For me a new experience was being able to contribute to a long-term vision of a product and collaborate with teams responsible for products we were integrating with to get more meaningful data for our tool.
Missing mock-ups and prototypes? Unfortunately, they are confidential.
