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Visio is an essential drawing tool that enables network engineers to create physical and logical drawings. Visio includes templates, standard shapes, and stencils for devices such as routers, switches, servers, firewalls, and host endpoints. In addition there are connectors to represent network topology. Visio is key to creating and managing your network documentation.

Advantages of Visio

There is an old adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” This means that you can convey much more information faster and easier with an image than text. Visio is really an essential tool for communicating ideas effectively to multiple audiences. In fact, written communication is among the most in-demand soft skills that employers require today.

• Troubleshooting: Visio allows network engineers to create detailed network diagrams that document both physical and logical layout of the network. This includes device hardware, topologies, addressing, and protocols. Visio drawings provide a summary reference with key information when diagnosing network issues, root cause analysis, and data flows.
• Implementation: Maintaining up-to-date Visio diagrams is crucial since you are often integrating new equipment into an existing infrastructure. This helps identify rack space, available ports, protocol configuration, IP address blocks, and naming conventions.
• Knowledge Transfer: Visio drawings are essential to training and communication between multiple groups within an enterprise. For example, new employees and contractors rely on network drawings to “learn” the design and configuration of a network. It also enables transition to existing engineers when an employee suddenly quits or goes on vacation.
• Presentations: Visio enables network engineers to convey ideas and concepts to different types of audiences. For example help desk support, implementation engineers, and third party vendors. There are also powerpoint icons for presentation to management-level audience. You would have versions of each drawing adapted to your audience and based on proper security compliance.

Network Documentation Tips and Tricks

The following is a list of network documentation tips and tricks for network engineers. Most of the recommendations are added to Cisco configuration scripts with examples in quotes for reference.

Layer 2 Network Drawing

The purpose of a network drawing is to document network design and configuration of your current network. This is primarily for troubleshooting, support, implementation, knowledge transfer, and presentation purposes.

There are both physical and logical network drawings created to fully document your current network. Physical drawings represent Layer 1 connectivity for devices implemented to data center and wiring closets. By contrast, logical drawings represent Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking features. They also convey how data traffic flows and communication between network devices.

Layer 2 logical drawings are comprised of only switches and do not include routers. There is no L3 addressing except for the device management IP address. The connections between network devices represent the logical topology that could span multiple racks or even locations. There is also L2 addressing that include VLANs and MAC addressing where relevant.

• Switches, access points, and wireless controllers
• Topology connections (interface labels)
• Device hostname
• Management IP address
• VLANs and MAC addressing
• Trunking and Etherchannel links
• Spanning tree information
• Network servers (DNS, DHCP, TFTP etc)
• Title block with location, date, contact

Trunking and EtherChannel links should be included on your drawing. Data center drawings should document spanning tree root/secondary bridges. Wireless access points and controllers are also added unless you have a sizable wireless network. In that case you would create a separate drawing for wireless connectivity. Typically you would create a single drawing for branch offices unless you have multi-floor building for example.

Layer 3 Network Drawing

Layer 3 network drawings are comprised of routers, L3 switches, and firewalls devices. There is also subnet addressing, loopbacks, and management IP address. You could also include VLANs associated with subnets particularly for L3 switch links. Routing protocol design is represented along with redundant routing paths, VRFs, and FHRP (default gateway). Add your ISP connection with telco circuit ID, link speed, and WAN protocol.

• Routers, L3 switches, and firewalls
• Topology connections (interface labels)
• Device hostname
• Management IP address
• VLANs and SVIs
• Network subnets and loopbacks
• Port channels (L3)
• Routing protocol design (areas etc.)
• FHRP redundancy
• WAN link speed, ISP, and circuit id
• Data flow lines
• Network servers (DNS, DHCP, TFTP)
• Title block with location, date, contact

The following network drawing represents a data center topology with full redundancy. As mentioned there is often a single integrated drawing for branch offices and a hyperlink to the upstream data center switch connection. Consider a hierarchical approach to network drawings with links from data center master drawing to branch offices and cloud.

Layer 1 Physical Drawing

Visio physical drawings represent Layer 1 connectivity with the option of rack or standard topology drawings. The figure shown is based on Cisco device stencils with switch chassis, supervisor engine, line cards, and power supplies. There is also wireless access points, fixed module switches, and associated cabling media. This drawing type is useful for implementation and troubleshooting.

You have to “build” each network device that has a modular architecture. Create design templates within Visio for faster drawings and minimize duplication. For example, you could create templates for branch office, cloud, and internet DMZ. This applies to both physical and logical drawings.

Proper network documentation is essential to managing network infrastructure. It is also key to effective communication with other audiences and groups within the enterprise. Hyperlinks from devices to Infoblox, scripts, or associated drawings for example enable quick access to network addressing and configuration.

Microsoft Visio For Network Engineers Course