Smart Network Management deployment

This section provides an overview of some of the considerations health organisations need to address as part of any plans to deploy Smart Network Management based on information from two vendors. 

Smart Network Management covers a wide range of functionality to manage a range of network equipment and services. Each health organisation will need to develop a detailed deployment approach based on its existing infrastructure, licenses, technology mix, and the functionality it is looking to utilise.

Much of the Smart Network Management functionality offered by Cisco sits within the Catalyst Centre (previously called DNA Centre).

Cisco customers will already be entitled to use Catalyst Centre as part of the license subscription associated with their wired and wireless hardware. The level of functionality customers have access to depends on whether they have an Essentials or Advantage license subscription. 

The functionality offered by each license tier for wired switching devices shows that a range of functionality is available to Essential license users, though the features relating to Cisco Spaces, ThousandEyes, and AI Analytics are only available at the higher license tier.   

Similarly, the functionality offered with wireless devices shows that features such as 3D analyzer, AI analytics, and more advanced Spaces functionality require the Advantage license.

Catalyst Centre is compatible with switches using IOS15.x or more recent releases and access points procured in the last approximately 5 years. However, support can vary by switch or AP model and the Catalyst Centre functionality being used, so organisations should check compatibility for their specific needs.

Catalyst Centre can provide visibility of third party switches, though functionality is limited for non-Cisco devices. The third-party devices must support SNMP to be monitored.

HPE Aruba

Much of Aruba’s Smart Network Management functionality sits within the Networking Central solution. As detailed in the previous section, this is offered as an on-premise or cloud-hosted service, although AI capabilities are only available with the cloud variant.

Customers with Aruba Wireless Access Points have access to Networking Central as part of their license subscription. However, the level of functionality depends on whether they have Foundation or Advance licenses.

Wired switches can be procured without a Networking Central license, meaning customers may not have access to this capability unless they have procured a separate license.

Networking Central has limited ability to interface with third-party network devices. Third-party equipment will be shown on network maps if it has an Aruba AP connected to it, with Networking Central discovering the devices using Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP).

The User Experience Insight (UXI) monitor device can be used on any vendor’s network. When the monitor is used on non-Aruba networks, monitoring data can be accessed using a dedicated UXI portal. When the customer is using the Aruba network, the UXI data is also available within the Networking Central solution.

In addition to technology, other considerations may influence if, and how, health organisations deploy Smart Network Management solutions.

Impact of vendor choice

Although Smart Network Management solutions offer support for other vendors’ equipment, in many cases this support can be limited, meaning access to all features is only available if a single vendor approach is taken.

While a single vendor approach can offer some efficiencies in network management and support, it also limits health organisations’ choice and commercial flexibility. NHS organisations need to understand the equipment and services they currently use, and consider the advantages offered by Smart Network Management, and the associated impact this will have on vendor choice and commercial flexibility.

This is likely to be a particular consideration for organisations with legacy infrastructure from several vendors, and for integrated care systems (ICS) that are seeking to manage infrastructure inherited from several organisations.

Operational impact

Smart Network Management simplifies the monitoring of application performance, and the identification and rectification of issues. To take full advantage of this capability health IT organisations need to change their operational processes and ways of working. 

First and second line IT support staff are likely to be able to resolve a larger number of support tasks. Similarly, new client devices are likely to require less (or no) support from IT staff to get connected to the network. Operational processes, and communication plans for end users will need to be updated to reflect these changes.

Access to the Smart Network Management system needs to be extended beyond the IT team. Teams responsible for the management of applications, such as patient management systems, can also be provided with access to allow them to monitor application performance and to help respond to any performance issues without the involvement of IT resource. Again, implementing these changes are likely to require update to existing operational procedures and communication plans.

Business case

While health organisations are likely to have some Smart Network Management features provided from their existing licences, as outlined above, some of the more advanced features are separately licenced and so may come at an additional cost.

Health organisations are likely to need to evaluate the benefits offered by these advanced features against their cost. As Smart Network Management functionality becomes more widely deployed in health, further case studies and detail of the benefits obtained will be available from other organisations to support this evaluation.

Suggested questions health organisations should ask their existing suppliers to support the planning and deployment of Smart Network Management include:

• What Smart Network Management functionality and features do our existing licenses provide access to?
• What licenses, services, or equipment is required to add further Smart Network Management capabilities?
• How can the Smart Network Solution help us better understand the network infrastructure and licences we have, if they are being used, potentially highlighting unused or underutilised elements?
• Which elements of our existing infrastructure are compatible with the Smart Network Management solution? 
• Which of our existing client devices are compatible with the Smart Network Management solution? 
• Do client devices require any software or configuration to be compatible with the Smart Network Management solution?
• Are there any limitations in Smart Network Management functionality due to use of older hardware, firmware, or third party equipment?
• What advantages, functionality and/or commercial, are obtained if network infrastructure is sourced from a single vendor?
• What examples do you have of health organisations obtaining benefits from implementing the Smart Network Management functionality?