Automated SASE Monitoring and Troubleshooting

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Inspiration

Inspiration for this project could be a company that provides managed network services to small and medium-sized businesses. These businesses often have limited IT resources and may not have the expertise to manage complex network deployments on their own. By automating the monitoring and troubleshooting of SASE deployments using Cisco Secure APIs, the company can provide its customers with a simple and easy-to-use solution for ensuring the security and performance of their networks, without the need for extensive IT resources. This could be a great way for the company to differentiate itself from competitors and offer a unique value proposition to its customers.

What it does

This project uses Cisco Secure APIs to automate the monitoring and troubleshooting of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) deployments. It retrieves real-time network performance and security data, and uses this data to provide customers with visibility into their network, create custom dashboards and alerts and troubleshoot issues. It also enables to take actions to resolve issues, such as adjusting firewall rules or VPN configurations, to ensure optimal network performance and security. The goal of this project is to simplify and automate the management of SASE deployments, making it easier for customers to ensure the security and performance of their network, without the need for extensive IT resources.

How we built it

Create an API key and configure the necessary access controls to allow the application to communicate with the Cisco Secure API endpoint.
Use the API to retrieve real-time network performance data, such as throughput and latency, as well as security data, such as firewall rule hits and VPN connections.
Create custom dashboards or alerts using this data to provide customers with visibility into network performance and security.
Use the API to troubleshoot issues by retrieving log data and identifying any errors or anomalies that may be affecting network performance or security.
Use the API to take action to resolve issues by adjusting firewall rules or VPN configurations, based on the data retrieved and analyzed.
Test and validate the developed solution.

Challenges we ran into

There can be several challenges when building a project like this, some of them are:

Integrating with the Cisco Secure API endpoint: Ensuring that the application can communicate with the Cisco Secure API endpoint and that the necessary access controls are in place can be a challenge.
Handling large amounts of data: Retrieving real-time network performance and security data at scale and processing it efficiently can be a challenge.
Security: Securing the application and the data it handles is crucial, and it's important to ensure that the application and the Cisco Secure API endpoint are configured with the appropriate security measures.
Scalability: As the number of customers increases, the solution needs to be able to scale to handle the increased load.
Testing and validation: Testing and validating the solution to ensure it works as expected and meets the customer requirements is crucial.
Keeping up with the latest updates and features of the Cisco Secure API endpoint: As the endpoint evolves and new features are added, the solution needs to be updated accordingly.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Simplifying and automating SASE deployments: By using Cisco Secure APIs to monitor and troubleshoot SASE deployments, you can make it easier for customers to ensure the security and performance of their network.
Improving network visibility: By providing customers with real-time visibility into network performance and security, you can help them detect and resolve issues more quickly and efficiently.
Enhancing network security: By using the Cisco Secure APIs to adjust firewall rules and VPN configurations, you can help customers ensure that their networks are secure and that their data is protected.
Building a robust and scalable solution: By designing a solution that can handle large amounts of data and scale as the number of customers increases, you can ensure that the solution can meet the needs of the customers.
Delivering a unique value proposition: By offering an automated SASE monitoring and troubleshooting solution, you can differentiate your company from competitors and provide a unique value proposition to your customers.
Proving to be a valuable integration partner: By successfully integrating with Cisco Secure APIs, you can prove to be a valuable integration partner for customers who are looking for a streamlined way to manage their SASE deployments.

What we learned

How to use Cisco Secure APIs to automate the monitoring and troubleshooting of SASE deployments.
How to retrieve and process real-time network performance and security data.
How to create custom dashboards and alerts to provide customers with visibility into network performance and security.
How to troubleshoot issues and take action to resolve them using Cisco Secure APIs.
How to design a robust and scalable solution that can handle large amounts of data and scale as the number of customers increases.
How to secure the application and the data it handles to ensure the protection of customer's data and information.
How to work with Cisco Secure API endpoints and integrate with them.
How to test and validate the developed solution to ensure it meets the customer requirements
How to stay updated with the latest updates and features of the Cisco Secure API endpoint and adapt accordingly.

What's next for Automated SASE Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Continuously monitor and improve: Continuously monitor the performance and security of the SASE deployments and make adjustments as needed.
Adding more features: Adding more features such as reporting, monitoring and alerting to the solution to enhance its capabilities.
Expanding the customer base: Expanding the customer base by promoting the solution to new customers and industries.
Integration with other systems: Integration with other systems, such as CRM, ticketing, and incident management to further automate the customer's workflow.
Adding more security features: Adding more security features such as zero trust network access, or multi-factor authentication
Improving scalability: Improving scalability by designing a more efficient data processing pipeline, that can handle more data in real-time
Keeping up with the latest updates and features of the Cisco Secure API endpoint, and ensuring that the solution is compatible with the latest version of the endpoint.
Investing in training and development: Investing in training and development to ensure that the team members are up-to-date with the latest best practices and technologies in the field.