As networks become more critical to modern business operations, network management software becomes essential to manage growing complexity. Companies seek solutions to simplify network management, particularly as they face the challenge of managing more devices with fewer IT resources. This trend drives the demand for platforms that can provide a one-stop solution for routing, switching, security and other network functions.
“We started about a decade ago, first focused on building better hardware, and we believe with that hardware we can build better software,” said Anil Varanasi (pictured), founder and chief executive officer of Meter Inc. “This is how we do packet processing, packet manipulation and packet movement, then applications on top, application programming interfaces and other things to provide really better software for network design, network configuration and network management.”
Varanasi spoke with Bob Laliberte, principal analyst at theCUBE Research, during an AnalystANGLE segment on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how Meter optimizes network operations through its network-as-a-service platform.
Advanced network management software simplifies operations
As networks grow more complex, IT teams are often tasked with managing more devices without a corresponding resource increase, according to Varanasi. This imbalance creates operational challenges, making it harder for teams to maintain network performance while addressing security and infrastructure needs. To help resolve these issues, Meter emphasizes the importance of a vertically integrated approach, allowing IT teams to handle these challenges with greater ease and efficiency.
“We’re entirely vertically integrated, so it’s much easier for IT teams,” Varanasi explained. “We believe — and we are seeing — that there are now more devices on a network … but IT teams, commensurately, are not. “So, another big focus for us … is making it really easy for IT teams and networking teams to get great infrastructure no matter what type of space they’re in.”
One of Meter’s latest innovations is Meter Command, a natural language network management software tool that simplifies network complexity, according to Varanasi. Traditional network management tools often required technical expertise, forcing IT teams to navigate complex command-line interfaces or slow, inflexible dashboards. Meter Command bridges this gap by allowing users to interact with their network using natural language, combining [command line interface’s] speed with a dashboard’s simplicity.
“First, Command makes it very easy to get information about anything across all your network infrastructure [and] second … makes it easy to take action,” said Varanasi. “Command is incredibly intuitive in the way of just saying … ‘Hey, create me this firewall rule with this port or this protocol, and then create this virtual local area network and then I want to block this way.’ You just say that, and it can take action for you.” This feature allows IT teams to quickly access critical data, dramatically reducing the time spent sifting through logs or navigating cumbersome interfaces, he added.
Beyond simplifying individual tasks, Meter Command also enables better collaboration across IT teams, according to Varanasi. The robust network management software tool is designed with flexibility and collaboration in mind so IT teams can take quick actions and work together in real-time, enhancing efficiency and reducing errors.
“We built that same environment into Command, where it’s entirely multiplayer,” Varanasi said. “So as you are in there doing [things], you’ll see all your colleagues’ cursors moving around and be able to work with you.” This functionality allows IT teams to work together more seamlessly, improving both speed and accuracy when managing large-scale networks, he added.
Here’s theCUBE’s complete AnalystANGLE video with Varanasi and Laliberte: