netTransformer

netTransformer is a cross-platform, network discovery program. The software has been created with the idea of discovering through a set of SNMP queries IP networks state to produce various data models from and then to use the data from the models and other inputs to transform the network from one "state" to another. As per the original PhD the author has used netTransformer to demonstrate a network transformation of an ISP network from IPv4 to an IPv6 state. The transformation is a long lasting process typically driven by a strategy that passes through many states. For example, the initial state is the current state in which the network and the services offered by it are IPv4 only. The long-term goal is a network and service that is IPv6 only. To achieve it the ISP will has to pass through many intermediate states depending on its transformation strategy.

From network mapping perspective netTransformer generates 3 distinct data models.

• hierarchical XML device centric data model of the network device (containing information about the device, its key metadata, its ports, interfaces and protocol neighbors)
• graph based device centric data model in GraphML file format (produced by xslt transformation of the device data xml)
• graph based network centric data model in GraphML (this is a network wide model produced by merging all device centric GraphMLs).

The software is generating topology views and network topology diff views from the network centric data model. Thus a lot of people use it simply for network mapping. One of the important other concepts of it is that each network has to be treated as a separate project. Since there are many kinds of networks through the years appeared various kinds of project types. For example:

• "" - for discovering IP networks;

ISP IP network topology map

• "SNMP BGP Peering Map" - for generating an Internet peering autonomous systems maps from raw SNMP

Internet Map

• "Free graph" - for working with any kind of a graph and using the rest of the diff and visualization capabilities of the software.