Network Assessment Checklist
Network Assessment Checklist
Pre-Assessment
o Account Manager Meeting Discuss Scope,
Customer business objectives, and any known issues
o Scope and Scheduling
Account Manager and Customer scope to be assessed
o Customer NDA – Legal for Assessment
Signed Master Services Agreement
Design and Architecture Review
o Network Overview Architecture
Review for Modularity, scalability, and capabilities
o Traffic Flow
Application Traffic Flow, Datacenter, Internet Edges, Client Access, WAN,
Cloud
o Services and OLA’s
High Availability, OLA/SLA if defined
o MPLS/VPN Service
Remote Office and Client Access Capabilities
o QOS Standards,
Deployment methods, OLA’s
o Layer 3 Routing
Dynamic,optimized, secure
o Layer 2 Optimization
Spanning-tree security/optimization, distributed Layer 2
Physical Inventory
o Hardware Inventory Spreadsheet
Physical Hardware Inventory – Serial Numbers if Possible
o Layer 1-2 Diagrams/Documentation
Physical interconnectivity
o Layer 3 Diagrams/Documentation
Routing Connectivity, Gateway Management, Summarization, Route
Entrances/Exits
o Rack Elevation Diagrams/Documentation
Physical Rack Diagrams
o Environmental Capabilities
Power, cooling, and cable management
Network Infrastructure Security
o Misconfiguration or Design flaws
Firewall Design Review
o Weak authentication or encryption protocols
VPN, Wireless, any 802.1x authentication methods
o Centralized Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting
AAA Review
o Attack Awareness (IPS/IDS)
IPS/IDS design and Log review
o Control Plane Policing/Security
Infrastructure Device Access, CoPP
o Rogue DHCP/Client Detection
Rogue detection both wired and wireless
o Infrastructure Physical Security
Cameras, locks, restricted physical access
Infrastructure Monitoring and Management
o Central Monitoring/Alerting Capabilities
Management Platform utilization/capabilities
o Syslog Capabilities
Controls, retention, management
o Host End Monitoring/Management
Host detection/monitoring
o Software Management
Deployment processes for upgrades/patches
o Configuration validation capabilities
Lab Environment
o EoL/EoS hardware and licensing
Process for Lifecycle and licensing compliance
Configuration Management
o Centralized Configuration Backup
Configuration backups
o Centralized Configuration Automation
Configuration change capabilities
o Configuration Change Management Workflow
Change Control Management
Performance Monitoring and Analysis
o Netflow Capabilities
Bandwidth Planning Capabilities
o Client Experience Capabilities
L4-L7 Visibility – Baseline Capabilities
o Packet Capture Capabilities
Packet Capture Capabilities
Documentation
o Executive Summary Documentation
Overall Summary Review
o Principle Architect Review with Customer
Architecture-Engineering Review
o Detailed Documentation Book
Everything gathered in a single place