Case study

Network Access Control Platform

Redesigning how IT teams configure, distribute and validate network-access policies across tens of thousands of endpoints.

Role
Lead UX/UI Designer
Timeframe
2024
Focus
Enterprise UXDesign SystemWeb App

Background

The tool used by managers to control
network access of an organization.

Thousands of employees access the network everyday through their authorized organization account.

Diagram: an employee signs in to the company network through IT/Helpdesk.

IT admins inside an organization, managed service providers use NAC to control who can access the network, using which endpoint device, and in what way.

NAC overview illustration alongside a product screenshot.

Pains & Goals

So many users & devices

Efficient

Complex configurations

Easy to use

High stake

Stable & Secure

The Challenge

The business is growing.
The system needs to expand.

We serve clients of different sizes. Larger enterprises need to manage more endpoints, complex configurations and compliances.

Small enterprises

1 x 50,000 endpoints

1 x NAC

One admin and one NAC appliance (server rack) for 50,000 endpoints.

Mid enterprises

3 x 50,000 endpoints

3 x NAC

Three admins each managing their own NAC.

How to manage multiple CAs more efficiently for large-size enterprises?

→ A unified deployment method with a centralized management node. All operations are performed on a single appliance — NAC-M — which oversees all policies and necessary customizations.

Large enterprises

N x 50,000 endpoints

N x NAC

1 NAC-M

N admins, N NACs, all overseen by one central NAC-M appliance.

All operations will be performed on a single appliance, NAC-M. NAC-M configures all policies and necessary customizations for all.

Management on NAC-M for a large-size enterprise

Create, assign and distribute.

Process diagram — NAC-M distributes to NACs; Step 1 (Create & Assign) active: bundle configs/policies into packages, assign to NACs.
Create & Assign — package management screen; annotations point out where (campus/region), what (settings) and how (status monitor).
Process diagram — NAC-M distributes to NACs; Step 2 (Distribute) active: install packages to NACs in bulk.

before installation

what/where/how

• easy-to-understand instructions

during installation

waiting

• transparency of status

after installation

report and troubleshooting

• clarity with feedback

Install Wizard — select what to distribute: choose Campus Config or Policy Package.
Select campuses — different areas may have varied schedule and management requirements.

Things could go wrong quickly — configurations are complex, a new package impacts the whole platform, and installation is time-consuming. But some errors can be located beforehand.

Validate campuses — pre-installation checks run across the selected campuses.
Validation in progress, with per-campus status.

Help users take actions based on validation results.

Validation passed — all campuses cleared and ready to install.

Drill down for details.

Drill-down view of a single campus's validation details.
Installation — detailed per-campus status of the install process.
Status report on success — Campus Config installed to all campuses.
Inform the outcome.