Case Study: Enterprise Network Observability Platform for a 1,500+ Device Infrastructure

Client Overview

A large multi-site organization operating a distributed network with over 1,500 active devices, including wireless access points, core/distribution/edge switches, firewalls, routers, servers, and specialized appliances. The client required real-time visibility, accurate alerting, and centralized observability across all environments.

The Challenge

Before engaging Subterra Technologies, the client faced significant monitoring gaps:

• No single dashboard showing the entire network

• Unreliable or missing alerts for outages and degraded performance

• No historical data for capacity planning or device health analysis

• Blind spots across APs, switches, uplinks, and core infrastructure

• Manual troubleshooting slowing down incident response

They needed a platform capable of handling thousands of metrics per minute while remaining clear, fast, and actionable.

Subterra’s Custom Observability Platform

Subterra delivered a custom-developed enterprise monitoring platform engineered specifically for high-scale network environments.
The platform integrates real-time data collection, automated discovery, smart alerting, and dynamic dashboards into one cohesive system.

It replaced vendor-specific dashboards, outdated tools, and isolated monitoring with a single intelligent observability layer.

What the Platform Monitors

Wireless Access Points

• Online/offline status

• Uptime

• Connected client load

• Radio/channel performance

• SSID broadcasting

• CPU and health metrics

• Rogue AP/interference indicators

Network Switches (Core, Distribution, Edge)

• Port status and link quality

• Port utilization and bandwidth

• Port errors and flapping detection

• PoE draw per port

• Temperature, CPU, memory

• VLAN mappings

• Uplink redundancy and performance

Firewalls & Routers

• Interface utilization

• Throughput

• Tunnel/route stability

• System health

Servers & Appliances

• CPU/RAM/disk usage

• Network throughput

• Critical service availability

Core Platform Capabilities

Automated Discovery (LLD)

The system identifies and maps devices automatically, detecting:

• New APs

• New switch ports

• New VLANs

• New SSIDs

• New hardware sensors

No manual configuration is required — the platform stays in sync with the live network.

Intelligent Alerting System

Alerts were engineered to be precise and actionable, including:

• Device down

• AP offline

• Overheating or hardware degradation

• High CPU or memory

• Port flapping

• High error rates

• Uplink degradation

• PoE failures

• WAN instability

Alerts now drive immediate action without “noise fatigue.”

Real-Time Dashboards

Customized dashboards were built for multiple audiences:

Executive-Level Views

• Total devices online

• Site health indicators

• High-level trends

Network Operations Dashboards

• Access point grids

• Switch port utilization

• Interface throughput graphs

• Live events stream

Helpdesk Dashboards

• Simple green/yellow/red device status

• Fast identification of outages

High-Performance Architecture

The custom platform was engineered to support the client’s scale through:

• Optimized data polling intervals

• Tuned background workers for high SNMP ingestion

• Preprocessing pipelines for raw network data

• API-driven host onboarding

• Efficient storage/retention policies

The architecture supports 2,000+ devices without redesign.

Results & Impact

Complete Network Visibility

Every AP, switch, router, and appliance is accessible in one unified system.

Outage Detection in Seconds

What once required hours of manual searching is now identified instantly.

Faster Troubleshooting

Root causes are found using real-time data instead of guesswork.

Reduced Operational Overhead

Teams respond faster with fewer steps and clearer insights.

Future-Ready Scalability

The platform is prepared for continued network growth and expansion.

Why This Matters

This project transformed the client's network operations from reactive to intelligent, proactive, and data-driven.
The new observability platform provides:

• Real-time awareness

• Predictive insights

• Actionable trend analysis

• Streamlined operations

It also sets the stage for future enhancements such as AI-driven anomaly detection and automated incident summaries.