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Pioneering Network Automation and Infrastructure Integrity: A Technical Overview of BackBox
I had a great experience meeting with the BackBox team learning about their roadmap and approach to ensuring infrastructure integrity. BackBox represents the next generation in network automation, establishing itself as a network infrastructure integrity platform. Its robust IntelliChecks capabilities and event-driven architecture set it apart in my opinion, offering a comprehensive solution for automated network management that ranges from backup and recovery to vulnerability management and compliance checks.
Source: BackBox demo (September 2024)
Market Success and Reach
BackBox has carved out a significant presence in the market, particularly among large enterprises, telecommunications, and MSPs. "We've solved really large-scale problems for them, and we are very much loved by them," remarked the BackBox team, highlighting the platform's success and customer satisfaction as evidenced by glowing reviews on several software review platforms.
Core Platform Capabilities
BackBox automates backups, patching, and configuration updates with enterprise-ready reliability. It supports over 180 types of device, allowing for extensive customization of automation scripts. I was impressed with IntelliChecks; it is certainly a differentiating feature, facilitating automation by orchestrating remediation or executing predefined actions, enhancing network operations efficiency.
Source: BackBox demo (September
2024)
BackBox’s Vulnerability Management engine appeared robust, tying into systems like ServiceNow for ticketing, ensuring that vulnerabilities are not only identified but can also be addressed with one-click or customized automations. Security and compliance objectives are supported by detailed auditing, configuration drift measurement, and compliance reporting. Full file diff for device history ensures every change is tracked.
Source: BackBox demo (September 2024)
With an API-driven approach, BackBox integrates seamlessly with privileged account management (PAM) solutions, ITSM solutions like ServiceNow, and security information and event management (SIEM) platforms, providing an intuitive and fine-grained role-based access control (RBAC)-enabled user interface that fully supports multitenancy (can be comanaged). The demo also illustrated its deployment flexibility, supporting various models from on-premises to cloud, suitable for multitenancy environments with detailed device dashboards and history.
Source: BackBox demo (September
2024)
Source: BackBox demo (September 2024)
Differentiating Features
To my surprise BackBox supports session recording. With protocol support for SSH, telnet, RDP, VNC, and web protocols (HTTP/S) for comprehensive network device management.
Source: BackBox demo (September 2024)
Source: BackBox demo (September 2024)
Validation and compliance checks are supported by using checkpoints to ensure readiness for restore if needed, adhering to compliance by determining gold standards for backups. BackBox employs a sophisticated checkpoint system for backup validation rather than traditional restore points.
Here's how it works:
- Creation of Checkpoints: When a backup is created, BackBox establishes checkpoints at various stages of the backup process. These checkpoints are snapshots or markers within the backup lifecycle that allow for validation without needing a full restore.
- Validation Process:
- Integrity Checks: At each checkpoint, BackBox performs integrity checks to ensure that the backup data has not been corrupted or altered. This could involve checksum verification or other data integrity algorithms.
- Configuration Validation: It verifies that configurations are complete and consistent with the expected state of the network device. This includes checking against known good configurations or “gold standards.”
- Automated Testing: BackBox can run automated tests at these checkpoints to simulate certain conditions or configurations to ensure that the backup can indeed be used for a successful restore. These might include:
- Syntax checking for configuration scripts.
- Simulated startup sequences to confirm that the backup would boot correctly.
- Restore Readiness: If all checkpoints pass their respective validations, the backup is tagged as “ready for restore,” providing confidence that it can be used in an emergency.
Source: BackBox demo (September 2024)
Source: BackBox demo (September 2024)
Compliance by Determining Baseline Configurations
A “Baseline configuration” in BackBox refers to an optimal, validated, and compliance-checked configuration or state for network devices. These standards are defined based on industry best practices, regulatory requirements, or internal organizational policies. BackBox compares current device configurations against these baselines automatically. This comparison helps in identifying deviations from the desired state, which could indicate configuration drift or unauthorized changes, and ensuring that all backups reflect a compliant state before they are stored.
BackBox generates detailed reports on compliance status, which can be used for audits. These reports highlight any discrepancies found during the checkpoint validation, the compliance rate of network devices with the established gold standards and recommendations or automated actions taken to bring devices back into compliance.
With real-time monitoring and scheduled checks, BackBox ensures that the network remains in a compliant state. If non-compliance is detected, alerts are sent, and, where possible, automated remediation steps are initiated. Users can write custom scripts within BackBox to check for specific compliance requirements, allowing for flexibility in how adherence to standards such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR are verified.
Source: BackBox demo (September 2024)
Other Insights
BackBox's architecture is designed for flexibility, allowing for easy integration and customization according to customer needs. Its ability to adapt to new devices quickly and its integration capabilities make it highly redundant and reliable. As network environments become increasingly complex, BackBox's roadmap includes enhancing its platform with even more integration capabilities, such as labeling, security assertion markup language (SAML), identity federation support, and continuing to support global compliance standards. I should also note that today BackBox supports LDAP, TCACS, and OIDC.
Source: BackBox demo (September 2024)
Our Take
BackBox isn't just another network management tool; it's a comprehensive integrity platform that pushes the boundaries of what network automation can achieve. In summary, BackBox's approach to validation and compliance through checkpoints and baselines not only ensures that backups are recoverable but also guarantees they meet stringent regulatory and operational standards, thereby maintaining network integrity and reducing the risk associated with network management. This system provides a proactive approach to network configuration management, significantly aiding in compliance tracking and reducing the manual overhead usually associated with these tasks. Its specialized focus on network devices, combined with its scalable and customizable nature, positions it uniquely in the market. For organizations looking to transcend traditional network management into a realm where automation meets security and compliance, BackBox presents itself as a true contender.
Want to Know More?
- Develop a Business Continuity Plan | Info-Tech Research Group (infotech.com)
- Discover and Classify Your Data | Info-Tech Research Group (infotech.com)
- Secure Your Perimeterless Network | Info-Tech Research Group (infotech.com)
- Network Automation Solutions – BackBox Software