What's wrong with the command line interface?

You wouldn’t depend on a command line interface (CLI) to browse the Internet, create an animated slide presentation, or prepare your IT equipment budget. So why should managing a complex network and configuring routers be any different?

Despite tremendous advancements in graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for everything from cell phones to computers and web browsers, the CLI stubbornly persists as the primary means of interacting with a Cisco router. The disadvantages of this are very clear.

Entering CLI commands is tedious, prone to errors, and requires endless training and memorization to keep up with the growing complexity of these devices. The CLI also provides no visualization of your network's configuration or behavior, let alone the effects that any commands you enter will have on your network.

Introducing an expert graphical interface

LiveAction's graphical user interface (GUI) eliminates the complexity of Cisco router management and enables users to perform complex tasks quickly, easily, confidently, and safely—even on live networks.

LiveAction is not a simple graphical overlay for entering CLI commands or device parameters using a mouse or touchpad. It is an expert software system designed from the ground up to provide comprehensive and intelligent control of Cisco routers and their powerful built-in features.

When entering a CLI command, it is very difficult to know or understand the effect it will have on your router's existing settings and policies. But when you enter router settings using LiveAction, the software automatically checks them in context with any existing settings to block errors and to warn against changes that may affect network performance or reliability.

As a true knowledge-based system, LiveAction is fully aware of the specific features, capabilities, and even idiosyncrasies of your routers and how different components and settings interact with each other.

Unparalleled visualizations

LiveAction provides exceptional visibility into your networks and configuration with highly intuitive visualizations and information displays. The topology views are not only intuitive but are interactive as well allowing you to reposition devices and interfaces on the screen to your preferences, and to zoom in and out effortlessly for more detail or for wider system views.

The interface also provides a hierarchical view of your devices and interfaces. Clicking on any component in this view will instantly provide detailed information. Historical views allow you to assess component and network activity over extended periods of time and to locate and zoom in quickly on specific events or trends.

LiveAction Screens and demonstrations

For a more detailed look at our graphical interface, check out our LiveAction screen gallery.