Industry:
Telecom
Digital Product Engineering
Software Development Consulting
In many organizations outside safety-critical environments, network management remains largely unautomated. Enterprises with small networks often tolerate manual methods, turning a blind eye to the human errors and wasted hours they introduce.
However, when networks scale, growing with more employees, devices, and higher demands for load balancing and availability, the operational burden becomes impossible to ignore. Once the infrastructure racks up more ports, the illusion of control once provided by a neat Excel tab fades fast.
After outgrowing spreadsheets, organizations switch to automated infrastructure management solutions that consolidate real-time network monitoring and configuration into one coherent system.
The problem is that while many solid enterprise-grade remote network management platforms are available, none are easy to get started with. Network administrators and technicians new to these tools can spend months struggling through the documentation.
Our client, a network hardware manufacturer from Germany, saw an opportunity here and decided to create a new solution with a low entry barrier even small and mid-sized facilities can take advantage of.
They were looking for a reliable engineering partner to develop an on-premises, web-based automated infrastructure management (AIM) system with an intuitive UI. The system was meant to serve as the software component of the client’s hardware, which included their own intelligent patch panel and port plugs. It had to deliver the robust functionality of existing platforms, but with a user-friendly interface that simplified adoption. Additionally, it needed a clear roadmap for evolving into a full-fledged data center infrastructure management (DCIM) platform.
AIM is an integrated hardware and software system that automatically detects the insertion or removal of cords, documents the cabling infrastructure including connected equipment, enabling management of the infrastructure and data exchange with other systems.
DCIM tools monitor, measure, manage and/or control data‑center utilization and energy consumption of all IT‑related equipment, such as servers, storage and network switches, and facility infrastructure components, such as power distribution units and computer‑room air‑conditioners.
The project began with an in-depth discovery phase, where we identified the client’s initial requirements and collaborated with domain experts to bring clarity and order to the specification draft. Once priorities were set, we mapped out the MVP roadmap, release plan, and detailed technical specification to guide development.
Out of that groundwork grew a full-scale team consisting of an Account Manager, Tech Lead, Project Manager, Business Analyst, UI/UX Designer, DevOps Engineer, System Architect, Backend and Frontend Engineers, and QA specialists.
As part of the discovery phase, the team weighed several technology options. From the client’s shortlist, which included C++, C#, .NET, Java, Python, and React, the project moved forward with the following stack:
To ensure the system met the client’s expectations, our system architect suggested several strategic decisions that shaped its core architecture.
As the client wanted to give customers the freedom to select only the functionality they needed, we opted for a microservices architecture. Each microservice operates independently with its own database, ensuring scalability and ease of use.
Apart from aligning with the client’s t business goal, this approach smoothed things out on the development side as well:
For enterprises to effortlessly plug the solution into their IT ecosystems, our project team implemented a RESTful API and provided OpenAPI documentation. As a result, the system can be easily integrated with external tools such as service desk systems, enterprise asset management software, and various monitoring platforms.
Whether transitioning from manual workflows or legacy AIM systems, customers can easily onboard the platform, with support for importing data from CSV, Excel, or other formats.
Beyond real-time network monitoring, the AIM system delivered by the *instinctools team simplifies day-to-day network infrastructure management with built-in work orders that guide IT technicians through step-by-step tasks and automatically verify each completed action.
Compared to many solutions on the market, this AIM system supports a broader range of operational scope, from adding new network racks and connecting patch panels to re-cabling segments, relocating equipment, or replacing failed components.
In addition, system administrators can choose between two modes for work handling:
The system’s UI stands out for being clear and approachable.
Engineers can instantly grasp room layouts, racks, and network connections through intuitive visualizations and contextual hints.
Even team members with little to no IT background can onboard quickly, making it a perfect fit for small companies and startups.
Early testers described it as “more human-friendly and straightforward” than other established network infrastructure tools.
For added comfort, users can tailor the interface by switching between light and dark themes.
Security has been addressed comprehensively to ensure the system’s integrity:
Prevents unauthorized use and protects the software from piracy.
Keeps track of all application services for reliable communication and scalability, implemented with Java and Eureka.
All data exchanged between middleware and firmware is transmitted securely using encryption.
Secure login via username/password or SSO, fully integrated with corporate identity systems using Java and Spring Security.
Captures system logs in compliance with OWASP best practices, ensuring secure and auditable logging across the infrastructure.
Flexible user and group management with granular permissions and safeguards against conflicting edits.
Flexible licensing model
The AIM system is licensed based on the number of managed ports
small setups up to 2000 ports | large enterprise installations 2000-10000 ports |
Following the successful launch, the client is preparing to evolve the AIM system into a full-fledged data center infrastructure management (DCIM) platform. The expanded system will provide real-time insights into power consumption, efficiency metrics, environmental conditions, and the operational status of all data center resources.
Key capabilities under development:
