Portal Overview

This article provides a basic introduction to the Kentik v4 portal:

• Portal Sections
• Portal Page Structure
• Portal Help and Support
• Portal Search
• Portal Keyboard Shortcuts

Notes:
- For information on browser support and login procedures for the v4 portal, see Kentik Portals.
- For information about the v3 portal (deprecated) see v3 Portal.

The Kentik v4 portal is primarily comprised of modules — some referred to as “workflows” — that are each designed to help you efficiently access information related to a specific networking use case.

Note: The KB's Use Cases page (accessed from the top of the left sidebar's Contents tab) enables you to match — based on type and/or role — your organization's use cases to corresponding modules in the Kentik portal.

In the Portal Main Menu, a selection of the most common and general modules — described in Featured Overview — are featured at the top of the left column:

• Alerting
• Journeys
• Kentik Map
• Library
• My Kentik Portal
• Observation Deck

The remaining modules are categorized into the following sections, which each contain multiple modules:

• Settings: Administrative controls that enable you to tailor your Kentik setup so that it works effectively for both you and your organization (see Settings Overview):
  - Organization and user settings are available via drop-down menus from the navbar (see Org & User Overview).
  - Settings in categories such as Data Sources, Alerting, Agents, Network Metadata, and Data Enrichment (see Settings Categories) are accessed from the Settings page or the Settings submenu on the Portal Main Menu.
• Core: A comprehensive view of the day-to-day operations of your network in environments such as cloud, data center, WAN, and/or campus (see Core Overview). The Core section includes the following Core Modules:
  - Network Explorer
  - Data Explorer
  - Capacity Planning
  - Insights
  - Raw Flow Explorer
• Synthetics: Kentik's Synthetics workflows enable you to continuously monitor network performance so you can uncover and correct issues before they impact customer experience (see Synthetics Overview). This proactive testing is enabled by Kentik software agents (ksynth), including both public agents (available to all Kentik customers) and private agents (available only to your organization). The ping and traceroute tests performed with these agents generate key metrics (latency, jitter, and loss) that are evaluated for network health and performance. The Synthetics section includes the following Synthetics Modules:
  - Synthetics Dashboard
  - Test Control Center
  - Agent Management
  - BGP Route Viewer
  - State of the Internet
• Network Monitoring System: Kentik NMS provides a base layer of visibility for your network by discovering and monitoring your network infrastructure (see NMS Overview). Our NMS implementation supports traditional use cases like detecting devices that go down, graphing interface statistics, sending alerts, and creating dashboards. The NMS section includes the following modules (see NMS Documentation):
  - NMS Dashboard
  - Metrics Explorer
  - Query Assistant
  - NMS Devices
  - NMS Interfaces
• Edge: Modules that enable Ops/Engineering to understand both network utilization and costs related to traffic coming from or going to external networks (see Edge Overview). The Edge section includes the following Edge Modules:
  - Traffic Engineering
  - Connectivity Costs
  - Discover Peers
• Protect: A section covering multiple security use cases (see Protect Overview), enabling you to defend your network, including detecting anomalies and responding against DDoS and other threats. The Protect section includes the following Protect Workflows:
  - DDos Defense
  - Mitigations
  - Botnet & Threat Analysis
  - RPKI Analysis
  Note: The DDoS Defense and Mitigations modules work in tandem with Alerting, which is accessed via the Featured section of the main menu.
• Service Provider: A section focused on enabling service providers (e.g. ISPs) to understand requirements and performance related to services they provide to customers and subscribers (see Service Provider Overview). The Service Provider section includes the following Service Provider Workflows:
  - CDN Analytics
  - OTT Service Tracking
  - Kentik Market Intelligence
• Cloud: A section that helps you manage public and hybrid cloud networking by enabling you to see the structure of and traffic on cloud resources, to proactively evaluate and troubleshoot performance, and to anticipate and minimize costs (see Cloud Overview). The Cloud section includes the following modules (see Portal Cloud Section):
  - Kentik Cloud
  - Kentik Kube
  - Cloud Traffic Overviews
  - Cloud Performance Monitor
  - Connectivity Checker

Note: Additional modules listed in the main menu that are not grouped into the sections listed above are covered in Portal Main Menu.

The basic structure of most portal pages is covered in the following topics:

• Portal Page Layout
• Portal Navbar
• Portal Subnav
• Portal Main Menu

The main elements of the v4 portal layout are basically similar across most (but not all) pages:

• Navbar: A black horizontal navigation bar at the top of the page includes a set of elements that provide links to important portal functions (see Portal Navbar).
• Subnav: A silver (Light theme) or dark gray (Dark theme) horizontal navigation bar below the navbar includes UI elements that vary depending on the page (see Portal Subnav).
• Main menu: An overlay that opens from the hamburger icon at the left of the navbar, which provides the user with easy access to all of the portal’s modules and its most frequently accessed pages (see Portal Main Menu).
• Main content: The main content area displays page components such as visualizations, tables, controls, and sidebars. These components vary widely depending on the current page.

The portal's main navbar includes the following controls:

• Menu (hamburger icon): A button that opens the main menu, which allows you to navigate to all the main modules/workflows of the portal (see Portal Main Menu).
• Kentik logo: Our logo functions as a link to return to the landing page that you’ve designated as your default on the User-specific Defaults page of your User Profile.
• Search: A field that opens the Search modal, where you can enter text to search for in the portal, or access your favorites and recently viewed pages (see Portal Search).
• Product Updates (megaphone icon): A button that pops up the Product Updates modal, which contains a list of the latest changes to the portal and other aspects of the Kentik product.
• Help and Support (question mark icon): A button that opens the Help and Support popup (see Portal Help and Support).
• Organization Settings (building icon): A button that drops down a menu of organization-wide settings (see Organization Settings).
• User menu (user icon): A button that drops down a menu of user-specific settings and offers the ability to log out of the Kentik portal. See User Menu.

Note: In addition to the controls available on the Organization Settings and User menus, a wide array of settings can be accessed via the Settings page (see Settings Overview) or the Settings submenu on the Portal Main Menu.

The Product Updates modal, which pops up from the Product Updates button in the Portal Navbar, contains the following UI elements:

• Product updates: A button (at the right of the title) that opens Kentik’s Product Updates page in new browser tab.
• Cancel: An X in the top right corner that closes the popup, which you can also do by clicking outside it.
• Subscribe: A button that opens a pop-up where you can subscribe to product updates by email, Slack, or RSS.
• Search: A field at the top of the sidebar that filters the article list to articles matching the entered text.
• Article list: A list of Product Article Cards that each represent a recent article in the product blog on Kentik’s website.

Each article card in the Product updates popup includes the following elements:

• Labels: Tags that indicate different aspects of the release announced in the article (i.e. Improvement, New feature, or area of the portal impacted). You can filter articles by these tags on the Product Updates page of the Kentik website.
• Date posted: Approximately how long ago the article was posted. Hover to see the precise date.
• Title: The title of the article.
• Excerpt: The beginning of the article.
• Feedback emoticons: Three emoticons (happy, neutral, and sad faces) that you can use to provide feedback on the article.
• Feedback: A field in which to enter feedback on the article. Click the envelope button to submit.

Note: A click on any of the above elements other than the feedback controls will open the full article in a new browser tab.

The subnav is a silver (Light theme) or dark gray (Dark theme) horizontal strip below the navbar, which includes the following UI elements:

• Breadcrumbs: Indicates where you are in the portal and includes links that let you navigate up to a higher level.
• Page-specific buttons: A set of buttons found in the subnav of many but not all portal modules. These menus provide access to actions that are specific to a given page, such as refreshing the page's data, sharing the page's content, creating a dashboard panel or saved view from the page, or adjusting query parameters that determine the results shown on the page. For more information about the subnav buttons on a specific page, see the subnav topic in that page's KB article.

Note: Several module landing pages, including Observation Deck and Alerting, have no subnav.

The portal’s main menu opens from the hamburger icon at the left of the navbar.

The main menu includes the following sections:

• Featured (top of left column): A series of links that direct you to "featured" areas of the portal (the most popular and general; see Featured Overview). The following modules are currently featured (see Featured Modules):
  - Alerting
  - Journeys
  - Kentik Map
  - Library
  - My Kentik Portal
  - Observation Deck
• Portal sections (center three columns): Links, displayed by default in the center portion of the main menu, that correspond to the modules of each of the portal's main sections, such as Core, Synthetics, etc. For a list of the modules in each section, see Portal Sections.
  Note: The portal sections list is covered with a popup submenu when you hover on either Top Talkers or Settings.
• Top Talkers (bottom of left column): A link that has two functions:
  - On hover, it displays the Top Talkers submenu in the center portion of the main menu, providing direct access to the portal's Core Aggregate Pages. To close the submenu, move off it or click the X at the upper right.
  - When clicked, it takes you directly to the portal's Network Explorer page.
  
• Settings (bottom of left column): A link that has two functions:
  - On hover, it displays the Settings submenu in the center portion of the main menu, providing direct access to individual modules where you can tailor your Kentik setup to the specific needs of your organization. To close the submenu, move off it or click the X at the upper right.
  - When clicked, it takes you directly to the portal's Settings page (see Settings Overview), from which you can access the same modules.
  
• Discover (top of right column): A set of links to locations of interest in and out of the portal (see Discover Menu).
• Recently Viewed (bottom of right column): Links to portal pages that you’ve visited recently.

Links in the Discover menu on the far right of the main menu direct to additional pages of interest (some of which are external to the portal), and include:

• Knowledge Base: A link to this KB (opens in a new tab).
• Product Blog: A link to the Product Updates page of the Kentik website, which announces the latest Kentik features and improvements (opens in a new tab).
• Integrations: Links to pages that enable you to set up Kentik to work with external systems (see Integrations). Integrations are available across a wide variety of categories, including DDoS Mitigation Platforms, SSO Platforms, Notification Channels, Operations, and Network Platforms.
• Demo Environment: A standalone Kentik environment where users can work through short, hands-on tutorials to experience the core features of our product.
• API Tester: A link to an environment in which you can see a list of Kentik's v6 APIs (see About the V6 APIs) and test them by calling methods using data from your own Kentik account (opens in a new tab).

The Help and Support popup opens from the question mark icon in the Portal Navbar. The popup includes two main panes that direct you to information and support:

• Check our Knowledge Base: A link to the KB topic or article that we think is most likely to help you use or understand the settings and/or features at your current location (URL) in the portal.
• Submit a Support Request: A form that you can fill out to pass along bug reports, feature requests, and general suggestions or observations; and a link that you can click to track your support requests in our support portal at https://support.kentik.com (which opens in a new tab).

To submit a request from the popup:

1. In the Summary field, briefly state the reason for your support request (i.e. what you are asking for help with or about).
2. With the Type drop-down, choose the type of support request (ask a question, report a bug, or ask for training).
3. In the Additional Details field, give a more detailed description of what you are asking about and, if it's a bug, what we would do to reproduce it.
4. Click the Submit button.

The portal's search features are covered in the following topics:

• Portal Search UI
• Favorites Tab
• Recents Tab
• Search Results Tab

The portal’s search functionality is implemented as a modal that opens from the Search field in the main navbar or by using Search Keyboard Shortcuts. The Search modal, which you can access from any portal page, includes the following elements:

• Search: A field, at the top of the modal, where you enter the text on which to search. The search is incremental, so you need not press return after entering the term.
• Try searching for (question mark icon): A list that pops up when you hover on the icon. The list shows various things that you can search for and the properties you can enter to search for them. The list includes both network entities (e.g. ASNs, IP addresses, interfaces, etc.) and Kentik-specific constructs (e.g. cost groups, dashboards, etc.).
  Note: The same list is displayed in the Search Results Tab when no text is entered in the Search field.
• Tabs: The main display area of the modal, below the Search field, includes three tabs (see Portal Search Tabs).

The lozenge-like buttons at the top of the Search modal's main display area enable you to switch between three tabs:

• Favorites: A list of portal views you’ve favorited (see Favorites Tab). The number of favorites appears in parentheses in the tab head.
• Recents: A list of your recently viewed dashboards and saved views (see Recents Tab). The number of recents appears in parentheses in the tab head.
• Search Results: A list of search results for the term entered in the Search field (see Search Results Tab).

The Search Results tab displays as soon as you begin entering text in the Search field. If you haven't yet entered any text, the tab displayed when you first open the Search modal depends on whether you've favorited or recently visited any portal locations:

• If you've designated any favorites in the portal, the Favorites tab will display.
• If you don't have any favorites, your Recents tab will display.
• If you haven't visited any pages recently, the Search Results tab will be visible.

The Favorites tab on the Search modal provides you with a convenient place to bookmark portal locations that you visit often.

The Favorites tab contains a list of every portal location that you have designated as a favorite. The list is divided into three categories: Dashboards, Saved Views, and Screens & Workflows. Click any listed bookmark to navigate directly to that location.

A portal location (e.g. page) is indicated as a favorite by the star icon, which will be solid in locations that are already favorites, and otherwise outlined. Click the icon to toggle the designation on/off.

The icon appears to the left of the page name in the following portal locations:

• In the title bar of the page itself;
• On the Library List (dashboards and saved views only);
• In the Saved Views drawer on the Data Explorer page (saved views only);
• In the Search modal, on the Favorites tab and Recents Tab.
  Note: Any changes to favorites made in the Search modal are not reflected in the modal until the next time it's opened.

The Recents tab includes two tables listing recently visited views, one for dashboards and the other for saved views. Both lists are in reverse chronological order. Click a listed view to go directly to that page.

Each table row includes the following elements:

• Favorite: A star icon that indicates whether the view is designated as a favorite (solid) or not (outlined). Click the icon to toggle the designation.
• Name: The name of the view.
• Description: The description text (if any) provided when the view was created or edited, which appears below the name.
• Last accessed: How recently the view was accessed (measured in minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months).

Whenever the Search field is empty, the Search Results tab displays the Try searching for list (see Portal Search UI).

As you enter text in the Search field, the search engine starts looking for matches and the Try searching for list is replaced with the following elements:

• Results list: A table at the left listing results that are grouped into sections by category (see Results List).
• Type list: A list at the right of all the categories into which the returned results are grouped (see Type List), and showing the number of results in each category.
• See KB results: A link that opens this KB in a new browser tab, where a Search page will be populated with KB results from the portal search term. The page will default to results from the v4 Portal KB, but you can use the tabs to switch to results from the Platform KB or the (deprecated) v3 Portal KB.

The first row of the Results list is a link to Journeys, where a new journey will be started using the entered search term. The remaining results are grouped by the type of portal view to which each result links (e.g. Interfaces, Synthetic Tests, Dashboards, etc.).

If more than five results return for a given type, the + more button will appear at the bottom right of the group, showing how many more results returned for that type. Click the button to expand the group to show the remaining results.

Note: The display of any group in the Results list may be toggled on/off by clicking the corresponding element in the Type List.

When you begin entering text in the Search field, the Type list at the right of the Search Results tab is populated with a row for each type that is present in the returned results. Clicking on a given row will show/hide the corresponding group of results in the Results list.

The row for each type includes the following elements:

• Type: The name of the type (Dashboards, Interfaces, etc.).
• Count: A lozenge indicating the number of results in the corresponding group of the Results list.
  Note: If the group corresponding to a given type is hidden in the Results list then the lozenge will be gray; otherwise it will be blue.

Two additional controls, found below the Type list, also affect what's visible in the Results list:

• All: A button that shows all groups in the Results list.
• None: A button that hides all groups in the Results list.

The Search modal includes keyboard shortcuts for the commands in the table below.

Note: For shortcuts that are applicable across the portal, see Portal Keyboard Shortcuts.

The Kentik v4 portal includes keyboard shortcuts (global hotkeys) for the commands in the table below.