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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. EPE Planner, 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 teal background: Favorites, Dashboard, expandable Network Management, Applications, and Administration.
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 visualizing device counts by vendor, top LSP sources and destinations, LSP status, 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 Screenshot of a network management interface showing network topology. Left panel: 100 percent active paths, 88 percent active links, 90 percent active PCC. Center: topology visualization with color-coded interface utilization. Bottom table: node details including name, hostname, IP address, device type, protocol statuses, AS number, ISIS area, network layer, management IP, and last update. Right panel: toolbar for interacting with the topology.

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 PageNetwork management interface showing selected node vmx101 with details: IPv4 10.0.0.101, Management IP 172.16.18.101, AS 11, ISIS Area 490011, and System ID 0110.0000.0101. Tunnels tab shows Silver-101-1-102, Silver-101-1-103, and Silver-101-1-104 with active status.

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

Figure 5: Analytics PageNetwork analytics dashboard showing Label Switched Paths with graphs for path types, traffic, and delay, plus a table of LSP details.

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 LSPConfiguration interface for provisioning an LSP in a network management system with fields for method, name, nodes, IP, provisioning type, admin status, path type, path name, bandwidth, setup and hold priorities, metric, and comment. Tabs for additional options and buttons for preview, cancel, and submit.
Figure 7: Provision Diverse LSPUser interface for configuring diverse Label Switched Paths in a network management system with fields for tunnel names, nodes, IPs, bandwidth, metrics, and RSVP settings. Includes options for NETCONF provisioning, RSVP protocol, link diversity, and buttons for preview, cancel, and submit actions.
Figure 8: Provision Multiple LSPsConfiguration interface for provisioning multiple Label Switched Paths in a network management tool with options for ID prefix, LSP count, and provisioning method.
Figure 9: Configure LSP DelegationConfigure LSP Delegation interface for managing MPLS paths, featuring options to add or remove delegations, a table listing LSP details, and controls for navigation and actions.
Figure 10: Device ConfigurationDevice Configuration interface with Add, Modify, Delete buttons, an empty table for configurations, and a Provision button for activation.
Figure 11: Work OrdersScreenshot of Workorders interface showing work order details with action add, type lsp, status Activated, submitted by admin, and approved by admin. LSP Details section 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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