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NorthStar Controller Web UI Overview

You have two options for the NorthStar Controller Web UI:

  • Classic—this option, also known as the Ext UI, is available for all releases. Ext refers to the Extended Javascript (ExtJS) framework upon which this UI is based.

  • New—this option is available starting in release 6.2.0.

To switch between the two UI options, see Switching Between the Classic and New UI. This document shows screenshots from a mix of the two UIs.

The NorthStar Controller web UI has the following menus and sub-menus:

  • Favorites

  • Dashboard

  • Network Management: Includes sub-menus for Topology, Nodes, Analytics, and Provisioning.

  • Applications: Includes sub-menus for Bandwidth Calendar. Network, Events, Path Optimization, Reports, and Maintenance.

  • Administration: Includes sub-menus for Analytics, Authentication, Device Profile, License, Subscribers, System Health, System Settings, Task Scheduler, Transport Controller, Topology Filter, and Users.

Figure 1 shows the navigation bar (or left-nav bar) that appears on the left side of each page. From this bar, you can select the different menu items and sub-menus. You can access the sub-menus by clicking the down arrows.

Figure 1: Web UI Main MenusSidebar menu with options: Favorites, Dashboard, Network Management, Applications, Administration; icons indicate functions and dropdowns.
Note:

The availability of some functions and features is dependent on user group permissions.

If you have certain pages that you use frequently, you can save them to Favorites in the left-nav bar for quick access.

The Dashboard (landing page) shows the network status and statistics information in the form of widgets. This page is displayed when you first log in to the web UI. Figure 2 shows a sample of the available widgets.

Figure 2: Dashboard Network monitoring dashboard showing visualizations of devices by vendor, top LSP sources and destinations, LSP status summary, and top traffic devices and interfaces.

The Network Management > Topology page is the main work area for the live network you load into the system.

Figure 3 shows an example of the Topology page.

Figure 3: Topology Page Network management interface showing a network topology with nodes and connections. Status summary indicates active paths and links. Table lists node details like names, IPs, types, and status indicators. Interface utilization is color-coded from blue to red.

The Network Management > Nodes page, shown in Figure 4, displays detailed information about the nodes in the network. With this view, you can see node details, tunnel and interface summaries, groupings, and geographic placement (if enabled), all in one place.

Figure 4: Nodes PageScreenshot of a network management interface showing nodes and configurations. Node vmx101 is selected, displaying details such as IPv4 address 10.0.0.101, management IP 172.16.18.101, AS 11, and ISIS area 490011. The bottom section lists tunnels and interfaces for vmx101, including tunnel names, destination nodes, bandwidth, and operational status. Options to refresh the node list and navigate pages are available.

The Network Management > Analytics page , shown in Figure 5, provides a collection of quick-reference widgets related to analytics.

Figure 5: Analytics PageNetwork management analytics dashboard showing LSPs, path types, traffic, metric distribution, delay, and tunnel details for MPLS monitoring.

The Network Management > Provisioning sub-menu has options for provisioning LSPs, configuring devices, and managing work orders (Figure 6 through Figure 11).

Figure 6: Provision LSPAdministration panel interface with navigation menu on the left and 32 labeled fields for configuring values on the right. Save button at bottom right.
Figure 7: Provision Diverse LSPConfiguration interface for provisioning Label Switched Paths in a network, showing Tunnel 1 and Tunnel 2 settings with fields for Name, Node A, Node Z, IP Z, Planned Bandwidth, Setup, Hold, Planned Metric, and Comment. General settings include Provisioning Method as NETCONF, Provisioning Type as RSVP, Diversity Level as link, and a Diversity Group field. Buttons for Preview Paths, Cancel, and Submit are present.
Figure 8: Provision Multiple LSPsConfiguration interface for provisioning multiple Label Switched Paths in a network management system with fields for ID prefix, count, provisioning method, type, and bandwidth. Submit and Cancel buttons for actions.
Figure 9: Configure LSP DelegationConfigure LSP Delegation interface for MPLS paths with options to add or remove delegations. Table includes LSP names, starting and ending nodes with IPs, and bandwidth. Controls for selection, pagination, and configuration submission.
Figure 10: Device ConfigurationDevice Configuration interface with Add Modify Delete buttons, empty table for configurations, and Provision button at the bottom.
Figure 11: Work OrdersWorkorders interface showing a table with two entries for work orders. Both entries have action add, type lsp, and status Activated. Submitter and approver are admin with approver comment Auto Approve. Submitted and approved in December 2020. LSP Details section below is empty.

The Administration menu contains the following items:

Note:

The “Admin only” functions can only be accessed by the Admin.

  • Admin Group

  • Authentication (Admin only)

  • Device Profile

  • License (Admin only)

  • Logs

  • Subscribers (Admin only)

  • System Health

  • System Settings (Admin only)

  • Task Scheduler

  • Transport Controller

  • Topology Filter

  • Users (Admin only)

Additionally, you can access user and help functions in the top right corner of the window.

  • User Options (user icon)

    • Account Settings

    • Log Out

  • Help Options (help icon)

    • Documentation (link to NorthStar customer documentation)

    • About (version and license information)

Switching Between the Classic and New UI

When you log in to the Northstar Controller for the first time after installing or upgrading, you are placed in the Classic UI.

When you subsequently log in to the Northstar Controller, you are placed in the UI that you last used. Your last selection is saved per user per browser.

To switch from the Classic UI to the New UI, click the hamburger icon in the top right corner and select New UI.

To switch from the New UI to the Classic UI, click the four-square icon in the top right corner and select Ext UI.

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