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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 MenusMenu interface with options: Favorites, Dashboard, Network Management, Applications, and Administration, on a teal background.
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 with visualizations of device count by vendor, 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 topology with nodes and links. Key stats: Active Paths 100 percent, Active Links 88 percent, Active PCC 90 percent. Nodes are up with options to modify network elements.

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 node list with selected node 'vmx101' details: hostname, IPv4, management IP, AS, ISIS area, and system ID. Tunnel tab displays details like name, destination nodes, bandwidth, control type, path type, traffic metrics, and operational status. Refresh and navigation options are present.

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 with network topology, path types, traffic data, metric distribution, LSP delay, and a tunnel table.

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 parameters like provisioning method set to NETCONF, name of LSP, starting and ending nodes, IP address, provisioning type set to RSVP, admin status set to Up, path type set to primary, and options for bandwidth, metric, and comments. Includes buttons for Preview Path, Cancel, and Submit.
Figure 7: Provision Diverse LSPConfiguration interface for provisioning MPLS tunnels with fields for Tunnel 1 and Tunnel 2, including mandatory inputs for name, Node A, Node Z, and planned bandwidth. General settings feature NETCONF and RSVP with link-level diversity. Buttons for Preview Paths, Cancel, and Submit are available.
Figure 8: Provision Multiple LSPsConfiguration interface for provisioning multiple LSPs in an MPLS network, featuring tabs like Properties and Advanced, fields for ID Prefix and Planned Bandwidth, Node A and Node Z selection, and Submit/Cancel buttons.
Figure 9: Configure LSP DelegationConfigure LSP Delegation interface with Add and Remove Delegation tabs, table listing LSPs with nodes and IPs, and controls for pagination and actions.
Figure 10: Device ConfigurationDevice Configuration interface with Add, Modify, Delete buttons, empty table for device details, and Provision button at the bottom.
Figure 11: Work OrdersUser interface for managing workorders with a table displaying details like action, ID, type, status, and submitter. Includes workflow buttons, pagination controls, and an LSP Details section with columns such as Request and Name for network provisioning.

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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