Networking and security isn’t just about encryption and access controls. Once a setup for secure access is completed, administrators should have visibility into their networks. Visibility is a cornerstone of effective security and operations, and without it, insecure changes might be implemented, or improper access might take place. It is necessary to understand where traffic is going throughout the network, changes made to the overall system that might affect security, and any connection issues going on across the network.

Such visibility requires a system for monitoring and observability. Administrators and analysts often act as the "eyes and ears" of the network infrastructure, and require a system that gives them actionable insights into the state of their networks. They need continuous tracking of predefined metrics for network health, traffic flow, and security changes. This allows for quick action when networks deviate from expected norms.

Network Monitoring and Visibility with Netmaker

Netmaker addresses these needs through a multi-layered observability framework that provides administrators with real-time insights into infrastructure health and granular audits of all network activity. By integrating device metrics, audit logs, and traffic logs, organizations can maintain high performance while adhering to strict Zero Trust security standards.

1. Device Metrics: Ensuring Network Health

The Netmaker Metrics dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of the physical and virtual health of your network:

• Connectivity Matrix: A visual grid showing which devices can successfully communicate with one another, identifying potential routing or firewall issues and outages.
• Performance Tracking: Real-time data on round-trip time (latency) between devices.
• Data Transfer Volume: A measure of the total data volume sent and received per device, enabling administrators to identify potential anomalies.
• Uptime Monitoring: Percentage-based reliability scores for connections between specific devices.

2. Audit Logs: Platform Transparency

Audit logs serve as the primary system of record for administrative and user actions within the Netmaker platform. These logs are essential for compliance frameworks, and provide a verifiable trail of how the network configuration has evolved.

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• Configuration Changes: Tracks modifications to network policies, device settings.
• User Activity: Records user login events and administrative actions taken within the dashboard.
• Peer Events: Logs whenever a new device connects or is removed from the overlay network.

3. Network Traffic Logs: Deep Security Visibility

Network Traffic Logs provide the most granular level of visibility into your networks by monitoring actual data flows across, and out of, the overlay. This feature moves beyond "who is connected" to "what is happening" in real-time.

Request Origination

Identifies the specific user or device initiating the network request.

Exact Destinations

Lists the specific devices, services, IPs, or websites being accessed.

Protocol & Port

Monitors the specific protocols (e.g., TCP/UDP) and ports (e.g., 443, 51821) in use.

Connection Timing

Tracks the precise start, end, and total duration of every connection event.

Security Stack Integration

To empower security operations centers (SOCs), Netmaker facilitates the export of both Audit and Traffic logs to leading SIEM and observability platforms. Native support is provided for Splunk, Datadog, Elastic, and Microsoft Sentinel, allowing teams to correlate Netmaker events with broader infrastructure shifts and threat intelligence feeds.

Metrics can also be exported to Prometheus, enabling consumption by a wide range of platforms and easily integrating with Grafana for custom dashboards.

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