NEWS & EVENTS

NDG is pleased to announce the following lab library has been added to our supported curriculum content options for NETLAB+ VE. 

Zeek Intrusion Detection – New Labs Now Available

Zeek is an open-source network analysis framework, primarily used in security monitoring and traffic analysis. Zeek will generate log files based on signatures or events found during network traffic analysis and also includes built-in functionality for a variety of analysis and detection tasks. For additional information, please see https://zeek.org/

The Zeek Intrusion Detection labs explain and demonstrate Zeek’s capabilities towards performing network traffic analysis.

The development of this lab series was supported with funding from the National Science Foundation Award 1829698 “CyberTraining CIP: Cyberinfrastructure Expertise on High-throughput Networks for Big Science Data Transfers” at the University of South Carolina (UofSC). 

Thank you for choosing NETLAB+ to support your educational programs.  NDG is pleased to announce the following lab libraries have been added to our supported curriculum content options for NETLAB+ VE. 

Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Essentials v9.0

The Cybersecurity Essentials labs allow students to gain hands-on practice in evaluating cybersecurity principles and demonstrating how to secure a network computing environment through the application of security controls, using Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls. While examining strategies for network defense, students will deploy a variety of security methodologies, as well as technologies and concepts used for implementing secure network environments. Please see the NDG website for details regarding the Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Essentials v9.0 labs.

Palo Alto Networks Firewall Essentials v9.1 (EDU-210) 

These labs will enhance the student’s understanding of how to configure and manage Palo Alto Networks® next-generation firewalls. The student will gain hands-on experience configuring, managing, and monitoring a firewall in a lab environment. This lab-set version differs from v9.0, in that the topology does not use Microsoft Windows® virtual machines. Please see the NDG website for details regarding the Palo Alto Networks Firewall Essentials v9.1 (EDU-210) labs.

NDG is pleased to announce the addition of labs for Cisco IT Essentials v7. These labs introduce the fundamentals of computers, mobile devices, hardware, and software along with advanced concepts such as security and networking. Learners will gain practical knowledge of how computers and mobile devices work.

For details, please see: Cisco IT Essentials v7

This new content is available to all NETLAB+ customers with a current maintenance agreement who are participants in the Cisco Networking Academy.

We want to make you aware of additional topology support added for the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNAv7) labs. The lab series listed below are now also supported by the Multi-Purpose Academy Pod (MAP), and Multi-Purpose Academy Pod w/ASA (MAP w/ASA) in addition to the Multi-Device Pod (MDP):

• CCNA1: Introduction to Networks v7
• CCNA2: Switching, Routing, and Wireless Essentials v7
• CCNA3: Enterprise Networking, Security, and Automation v7.0

You may also refer to the release notes for details on the new lab designs created for this additional topology support.

This content is available to all NETLAB+ customers with a current maintenance agreement who are participants in the Cisco Networking Academy.

NDG is pleased to announce the following lab library has been added to our supported curriculum content options for NETLAB+ VE. 

Introduction to perfSONAR – New Labs Now Available

perfSONAR, performance Service-Oriented Network monitoring ARchitecture, is used by science networks and facilities worldwide to monitor and ensure network performance. As described on the perfSONAR website, “perfSONAR is a software product to monitor networks for performance discrepancies, on an end-to-end basis, ensuring friction-free use for scientific applications.” You can learn more about perfSONAR by visiting: https://www.perfsonar.net/gtk_why.html

The Introduction to perfSONAR labs demonstrate the use of perfSONAR to monitor and measure network performance.

The development of this lab series was supported with funding from the National Science Foundation Award 1829698 “CyberTraining CIP: Cyberinfrastructure Expertise on High-throughput Networks for Big Science Data Transfers” at the University of South Carolina (UofSC). 

We want to make you aware of the current status of VMware virtualization products used with NETLAB+. NETLAB+ integrates with VMware vSphere to provide powerful and cost-effective remote PC support. 

VMware vSphere 7.0:  NOT COMPATIBLE WITH NETLAB+ VE

At this time, we ask that you do not update your virtual infrastructure to VMware vSphere 7.0.  vSphere 7.0 is currently not compatible with NETLAB+ VE since it cannot be used to connect to virtual machines and support the virtual infrastructure. The ESXi built-in VNC server has been removed from vSphere 7.0; therefore, it no longer supports connections to a virtual machine using NETLAB+’s built-in VNC web client.  

Our current recommendation is that you continue to use VMware vSphere ESXi 6.0 (documented) or 6.7 (undocumented, but supported). Please refer to the NETLAB+ VE Designated Operating Environment Guide for more information. Our development team is evaluating alternatives to the VNC client and will be implementing changes to NETLAB+ VE in a future release in order to continue to support compatibility with VMware’s virtualization products. When available, we will provide guidance as to how we recommend updating your virtual infrastructure.

We encourage any customers still running NETLAB AE/PE to update their system to NETLAB+ VE. Request a price quote. 

We were made aware of a potential security issue with vCenter Server v6.7.  Please note, this only affects vCenter Server installations that were upgraded from 6.0 to 6.7, or from 6.5 to 6.7. This does NOT affect ESXi host servers.

Our normal recommendation is that a fresh vCenter Server Appliance be deployed instead of upgrading.  If you upgraded an existing vCenter Server v6.0 or v6.5, to v6.7, you will want to apply the patch (6.7u3f) issued on 4/16/2020.  

For additional details, see the VMware security advisory at the link below:
https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2020-0006.html