Systems and Methods for A Simulated Network Environment and Operation Thereof
Methods and Systems for simulating a network environment includes simulating network components and network architecture of a user network, simulating real-world network traffic on the simulated user network, simulating network events within the simulated real-world traffic on the simulated user network, monitoring the simulated network, the simulated traffic including the simulated network events, and receiving input from a user, such inputs manually controlling/managing the simulated network components of the simulated user network responsive to the monitoring.
1 . A system for simulating a network environment comprising:
a computer network platform having hardware and software configured as a standalone configuration and including a combination of actual network components and simulated network components that are configured to simulate an operating network for a defined set of users;
a network traffic module communicatively connected to the computer network platform and configured for generating application traffic within the simulated operating network of the computer network platform, the generated application traffic including network traffic simulating specific network traffic of the defined set of users;
a network event module communicatively connected to the computer network platform and configured for generating network events within the simulated network traffic generated by the network traffic module; and
a user interface communicatively connected to the computer network platform and configured as an operating network administrator for monitoring the simulated operating network and the simulated network traffic including the event and for controlling one or more actual or simulated network components.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a training module configured for operating the system as an off-line training platform and monitors inputs received from the user interface and provide feedback and reports indicative of the received inputs associated with the various events generated by the network event module.
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the events generated by the network event module include an event selected from the group consisting of email threats, network attacks, and network failures, by way examples.
4 . The system of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of user interfaces, one that is configured as a system operator interface for controlling the computer network platform, the network traffic module, the network event module; and the other user interfaces.
5 . The system of claim 4 wherein one or more of the other user interfaces are configured for training of network administrators.
6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising configuring one or more of the components of the computer network platform with an new or different network application, a different version of an existing network application, adding or deleting one or more of the components, and wherein user interface is configured for monitoring, testing and evaluating the computer network platform as compared to a previously arrangement of the computer network platform.
7 . The system of claim 6 wherein a planned modification is an upgrade from IPv4 to IPv6.
8 . The system of claim 6 wherein the system is configured for non-intrusively testing a proposed change in the network configuration.
9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the computer network platform includes simulated network interfaces to external networks and wherein the network traffic module is configured for simulating network traffic originating from such external networks.
10 . The system of claim 9 wherein the network event module is configured for simulating events originating from the simulated external networks.
11 . The system of claim 1 wherein the simulated network components are selected from the group consisting of web servers, email servers, root DNS, firewalls, web proxies, file servers, exchange servers, users, and user workstations.
12 . A system for simulating a network environment comprising:
means for simulating network components and architecture of a user network;
means for simulating real-world traffic on the simulated user network;
means for simulating network events within the simulated real-world traffic on the simulated user network;
means for monitoring the simulated network, the simulated traffic including the simulated network events, and
means for manually managing the simulated network components of the simulated user network responsive to the monitoring.
13 . A method for simulating a network environment comprising:
simulating network components and network architecture of a user network;
simulating real-world network traffic on the simulated user network;
simulating network events within the simulated real-world traffic on the simulated user network;
monitoring the simulated network, the simulated traffic including the simulated network events, and
receiving input from a user, such inputs manually controlling/managing the simulated network components of the simulated user network responsive to the monitoring.
14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the simulating network components and network architecture includes simulating all network components within the network architecture.
15 . The method of claim 13 wherein simulating network components includes simulating user and/or network applications operating on the user network.
16 . The method of claim 13 wherein simulating network components includes network components selected from the group consisting of web servers, email servers, root DNS, firewalls, web proxies, file servers, exchange servers, users, and user workstations.
17 . The method of claim 13 wherein the simulated events are selected from the group consisting of email threats, network attacks, and network failures, by way examples.
18 . The method of claim 13 wherein simulating network events is responsive to a training program, further comprising evaluating the user's input against a set of predetermined criteria.
19 . The method of claim 13 wherein simulating network components of the user network includes simulating one or more planned modifications to the user network, further comprising evaluating the operation of the simulated network against a set of baseline criteria.
20 . The method of claim 19 wherein the planned modification is an upgrade from IPv4 to IPv6.
21 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising testing and evaluating the simulated network components against a set of testing and evaluating criteria.
22 . The method of claim 13 wherein simulating network components includes simulating network interfaces to external networks and wherein the simulating network traffic is configured for simulating network traffic originating from such external networks.
23 . The method of claim 22 wherein simulating network events includes simulating events originating from the simulated external networks.
24 . A system for replicating a network environment in its entirety and/or in scale comprising:
means for replicating each network device within an actual user's network environment using at least one of a physical, a virtual, and an emulated component within a separate standalone network environment; and
means for replicating operations via simulation for each network device and their interoperability as the actual user's network environment;
means for generating user traffic on the replicated network devices and within the replicated operations of the network devices.
25 . The system of claim 24 , further comprising:
means for generating attacks on the replicated network environment; and
means for training personnel using the replicated network environment.
26 . The system of claim 24 , further comprising:
means for testing of hardware and/or software in the replicated network environment to evaluate impacts on operations within the replicated network environment.