- play_arrow Workflows
- play_arrow Base Platform
- play_arrow Paragon Pathfinder
- play_arrow Paragon Planner
- play_arrow Paragon Insights
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- play_arrow Manage Devices and Network
- play_arrow Devices
- play_arrow Device Groups
- play_arrow Device Images
- play_arrow Network
- play_arrow Network Groups
- play_arrow Topology Filter
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- play_arrow Manage Device Templates and Configuration Templates
- play_arrow Configuration Templates
- Configuration Templates Overview
- Configuration Templates Workflow
- About the Configuration Templates Page
- Add Configuration Templates
- Preview and Render a Configuration Template
- Assign Configuration Templates to a Device Template
- Deploy a Configuration Template to a Device
- Edit, Clone, and Delete a Configuration Template
- play_arrow Device Templates
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- play_arrow Manage Playbook, Rules, Resources, and Graphs
- play_arrow Playbooks
- play_arrow Rules
- Understand Paragon Insights Topics
- Rules Overview
- About the Rules Page
- Add a Predefined Rule
- Edit, Clone, Delete, and Download Rules
- Configure a Custom Rule in Paragon Automation GUI
- Configure Paragon Insights Notification for LSP Gray Failures
- Configure Multiple Sensors per Device
- Understand Sensor Precedence
- Configure Sensor Precedence
- play_arrow Resources
- Understand Root Cause Analysis
- About the Resources Page
- Add Resources for Root Cause Analysis
- Configure Dependency Between Resources
- Example Configuration: OSPF Resource Dependency
- Edit Resources and Dependencies
- Upload Resources
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- Clone Resources
- Delete User-Generated Resources and Dependencies
- Filter Resources
- play_arrow Graphs
- play_arrow Grafana
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- play_arrow Manage Sensor Settings, Insights Settings, and Data Summarization Profiles
- play_arrow Sensor Settings
- Sensors Overview
- About the Ingest Settings Page
- Configure NetFlow Settings
- Configure a Rule Using Flow Sensor
- About the Frequency Profiles
- Manage Frequency Profiles
- Apply a Frequency Profile
- Configure Offset Time
- Configure a Rule Using Server Monitoring Sensor
- Configure Native GPB Ingest
- Configure sFlow Settings
- Configure SNMP Ingest
- Configure a Rule Using SNMP Scalar
- Configure SNMP Trap and Inform Notifications
- Configure Outbound SSH Port for iAgent
- Configure System Log Ingest
- System Log Optional Configurations
- Configure a Rule Using Syslog
- Understand Inband Flow Analyzer 2.0
- Configure Device Details for Inband Flow Analyzer Devices
- Delete an Inband Flow Analyzer Device
- Understand Bring Your Own Ingest
- Load BYOI Default Plug-ins
- Configure Bring Your Own Ingest Default Plug-in Instances
- Build and Load BYOI Custom Plug-in Images
- Configure Bring Your Own Ingest Custom Plug-in Instances
- Use Sample Rule and Playbook Configurations for BYOI Custom Plug-in Instances
- Configure Ingest Mapping for Default BYOI Plug-in Instances
- Delete a BYOI Plug-in
- About the Diagnostics Page
- Use the Self Test Tool
- Use the Reachability Test
- Use the Ingest Test Tool
- Use the No-Data Tool
- Paragon Insights Tagging Overview
- Types of Tagging
- Add a Tagging Profile
- Apply a Tagging Profile
- Delete a Tagging Profile
- Understand User-Defined Actions and Functions
- Modify User-Defined Action, Function, and Workflow Engines
- Enable UDA Scheduler in Trigger Action
- Understand kube-state-metrics Service
- play_arrow Insights Settings
- About the Insights Settings Page
- Add Alert Blackouts
- About Alert Notifications
- Use Exim4 for E-mails
- Configure the Exim4 Agent to Send E-mail
- Configure a Notification Profile
- Enable Alert Notifications for Device Groups and Network Groups
- Configure Report Settings
- Configure Scheduler Settings
- Configure a Retention Policy
- Configure Destination Settings
- Time Series Database (TSDB) Overview
- Manage Time Series Database Settings
- Backup and Restore the TSDB
- Time Series Database Replication Scenarios
- play_arrow Data Summarization Profiles
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- play_arrow Configure Your Network
- play_arrow Topology
- play_arrow Network Information Table
- Network Information Table Overview
- About the Node Tab
- Add a Node
- Edit Node Parameters
- Delete a Node
- About the Link Tab
- Add a Link
- Edit Link Parameters
- Delete a Link
- About the Tunnel Tab
- Understand How Pathfinder Handles LSPs
- Reroute LSPs Overview
- Segment Routing Overview
- Add a Single Tunnel
- Add Diverse Tunnels
- Add Multiple Tunnels
- Edit and Delete Tunnels
- About the Demand Tab
- About the Interface Tab
- Container LSP Overview
- About the Container LSP Tab
- Add a Container LSP
- Edit Container LSP Parameters
- Maintenance Event Overview
- About the Maintenance Tab
- Add a Maintenance Event
- Edit a Maintenance Event
- Simulate a Maintenance Event
- Delete a Maintenance Event
- About the P2MP Groups Tab
- Add a P2MP Group
- Edit P2MP Group Parameters
- About the SRLG/Facility Tab
- Add an SRLG/Facility
- Edit SRLG/Facility Parameters
- About the Topology Group Tab
- Add Anycast Group Tunnels
- play_arrow Tunnels
- play_arrow Change Control Management
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- play_arrow Monitoring
- play_arrow Monitor Network Health
- play_arrow Manage Alarms and Alerts
- play_arrow Monitor Jobs
- play_arrow Analytics
- play_arrow Monitor Workflows
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- play_arrow Reports
- play_arrow Health Reports
- play_arrow Network Reports
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- play_arrow Inventory Reports
- play_arrow Demand Reports
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- play_arrow Administration
- play_arrow Manage E-mail Templates
- play_arrow Manage Audit Logs
- play_arrow Configure External EMS
- play_arrow Manage Task Scheduler
- play_arrow Manage Security Settings
- play_arrow License Management
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Paragon Pathfinder Overview
As more content and applications are migrated to the cloud and as new services are delivered over the network, network operators are expanding their networks to meet the increase in bandwidth demand. This expansion and the growing number of features in the network are increasing the complexity of traffic management. Therefore, network operators need to find a way to manage this complexity and to deliver increased speed and agility in their networks.
The high bandwidth demand and the increase in the number of latency-sensitive applications also means that network operators must meet stringent service-level agreements (SLAs). Further, to ensure that they reduce costs (CapEx and OpEx) and maximize revenue, network operators must run their networks hotter and more efficiently to make greater use of network bandwidth, potentially eliminating the need for redundant paths. Network operators must also design, implement, and operate their networks to make them operationally efficient. To achieve these outcomes, network operators are using automation.
Software-defined networking (SDN) controllers help network operators to visualize, monitor, and automate their network by using closed-loop automation. In addition, segment routing (SR) simplifies traffic management of IP-MPLS networks while integrating application awareness into the network control plane, thus providing the best possible application quality of experience (AppQoE) without increasing network complexity.
Juniper's Paragon Pathfinder (formerly NorthStar Controller) is a standards-based, stateful SDN and segment routing controller, which enables granular visibility and control of IP-MPLS and SR traffic flows in large service provider, cloud provider, and enterprise networks. Paragon Pathfinder collects topology and performance statistics, and provides network operators with a view of the network through real-time topology view and events, traffic and latency graphs, and traffic reports.
Table 1 displays the key functions of Paragon Pathfinder.
Category | Description |
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Analyze | Discovers the network topology by gathering data using routing protocols such as BGP and OSPF. |
Optimize | Computes the path for services by using topology and user-defined constraints and by analyzing data to take intelligent decisions, thereby ensuring that applications follow the most efficient path across the network and meet SLA requirements. |
Deploy | Installs the path by using protocols such as Path Computation Element Protocol (PCEP), BGP Segment Routing-Traffic Engineering (SR-TE), NETCONF, or YANG. |
Key Features
Provides real-time topology view and view of events in the network by using BGP Link State (BGP-LS), PCEP, gRPC, and NETCONF.
Enables centralized discovery and provisioning, monitoring, and management of label-switched paths (LSPs).
Enables complex, inter-domain path computation by using sophisticated algorithms.
Facilitates the archival of network data, which can then be used for network planning (by using Paragon Planner).
Integrates with Paragon Insights to monitor and manage device and network health.
Provides open southbound (for example, PCEP, BGP-LS, NETCONF) and northbound interfaces (for example, REST, YANG)
Key Use Cases
Visualization: Visualize and monitor MPLS networks running RSVP-Traffic Engineering (RSVP-TE), LDP, or SR-TE.
Path diversity: Use traffic engineering to achieve a diverse path through the network. For example, if you have a critical service and want to guarantee SLAs on that service, you can specify a diverse path through the network, so that if one path fails, the traffic can move to a different path as quickly as possible.
Rerouting LSPs based on different criteria:
End-to-end utilization threshold violation: Paragon Pathfinder tracks the threshold for each interface. If the thresholds are violated (compared to user-defined global threshold values), the LSPs are rerouted based on priority, bandwidth, and so on.
Delay threshold violation: Paragon Pathfinder collects the measured delay and reroutes LSPs that are transiting on links that violate a configured maximum delay.
Packet loss threshold violation: Paragon Pathfinder collects packet loss data and compares it with the user-defined global threshold values. Any link that violates the packet loss threshold is placed in maintenance mode for an hour, and LSPs that transit the link are rerouted based on priority, bandwidth, and so on.
Node maintenance: If a user puts a node in maintenance (thereby triggering a maintenance event), Paragon Pathfinder excludes all nodes placed under maintenance from path computations, and automatically reroutes the affected LSPs.
Bandwidth calendaring: Schedule future bandwidth needs.
Benefits of Paragon Pathfinder
Provides better service experience by enabling network operators to monitor their networks for real-time topology and bandwidth changes, and optimizes network services to deliver high-quality customer experience.
Simplifies the operational experience because network operators can see an overview of their entire MPLS or segment routed networks and then drill down to view the detailed state of a path, link, or node.
Enables the network to operate more autonomously by enabling MPLS and segment-routed networks to self-learn changes in topology, bandwidth usage, and traffic patterns and then to take appropriate action to maintain SLAs.