Network engineers use Batfish to build networks that are agile and resilient. Its unique network modeling capabilities helps them ensure that network configuration changes have the intended impact and don’t cause collateral damage, thus rooting out change-induced outage and gaining the confidence to evolve the network at speed of their business.

Engineering teams who are fluent in Python can use Batfish OSS to analyze their network and develop test suites (aka policies) for it. Production deployments of Batfish, however, must also address these concerns:

• How to ensure that the test suites are rigorous enough to minimize the chances of configuration errors making it to production?
• How to make test suites easy to develop and easy to maintain by multiple engineers, not just the DIYer in the organization?
• How to enable quick identification of root causes of test failures?
• How to support all users in the organization, especially those that are not Python-savvy?
• How to ensure that all vendors and features in the network are fully supported, even as the network evolves?
• How to integrate Batfish into end-to-end workflows with other tools such as ITSM, Slack, and Git?

Depending on the network complexity and skills in your organization, you may be able to address these concerns using Batfish OSS. But if you operate a complex, multi-vendor network and have a team with diverse skills, you should consider Batfish Enterprise.

Batfish Enterprise advantages

 Minimize risk via comprehensive network assessments, right out of the box

• Network Insights put your network through a ringer at the click of a button or an API call, flagging errors even when you don’t have error-specific tests.
• Comprehensive report on the impact of a change, including what traffic allowed or dropped, characterizes the risk of a change.
• Full security and connectivity posture analysis ensures that the security and availability of the network is never compromised.

Get started quickly, keep moving fast

• Declarative test specification using YAML or JSON makes tests easy to develop and maintain, whether you validate changes automatically or interactively
• Optimized test execution engine that is 10-100x faster than the open source query engine for similar tasks.
• Rapid test failure debugging via specific hints about the root cause and GUI-based exploratory analysis.

Build flexible, hybrid workflows

• Built-in change validation and review workflows. Input (interactively or via APIs) the change and pre- and post-checks—think of it as a testable version of your change MOP (method of procedure)—to learn if the change passes those checks and is compliant with network policies and also get a full report on the impact of the change.
• Web-based GUI makes the full power of Batfish available to everyone in the organization. You can create network tests, view current and historical results, define network changes in a sandbox, and review the impact of changes.
• Multi-language APIs, Python SDK, and integrations to popular IT tools such as ServiceNow, Slack, and GitHub enable custom workflows for any organization.

Ready for your enterprise

• Full support for vendors and features in your network. We benchmark the models against your production network.
• Enterprise-grade deployments with SSO and SAML make it easy for you to securely host and manage the service.
• Support and training for people in your organization.

 

	Batfish Enterprise	Batfish Open Source	Benefits
Multi-vendor modeling
Multi-vendor parsers	✓	✓	Analyze changes and validate behavior for your multi-vendor network.
Vendor-agnostic models	✓	✓
Query engine	✓	✓
Built-in network analyses
Change impact reports	✓		Reduce risk and comprehensively test network changes with minimal effort
Security posture analysis (NMAP)	✓
Network insights	✓
Simpler, faster testing and debugging
Declarative test specification	✓		Easily write and maintain tests, run them faster, and quickly debug test failures
Faster debugging	✓
Optimized test execution	✓
End-to-end workflows
Change validation and reviews	✓		Leverage the built-in workflows for change validation and develop flexible workflows for your environment
Multi-language APIs	✓
3rd party integrations (e.g, ServiceNow, Slack, RANCID)	✓
Graphical user interface
Web-based UI	✓		Interactively validate your network, view historical results, and empower everyone in your organization
Enterprise ready
Fully supported models	✓		Ensure that analysis is high fidelity and the service is easy to deploy, secure, and use by all team members
SSO and SAML	✓
Support and training	✓