Alex F

A unique, visual approach to the creation of complex rules.  This proved to be far more flexible than the current complex rule system, yet an order of magnitude more simple, and very easy to understand.  This approach tested extremely well.

A unique, visual approach to the creation of complex rules.  This proved to be far more flexible than the current complex rule system, yet an order of magnitude more simple, and very easy to understand.  This approach tested extremely well.

An earlier approach to rules management

An earlier and different approach to rules management

Also an earlier and different approach to rules/policy management

Conclusions from yet another round and iteration of policy prototypes and testing.

Notes from policy user tests.  We will use these to guide our improvements in the next iteration.

Notes from policy user tests.  We will use these to guide our improvements in the next iteration.

A structured, tree-based approach to managing host groups.  The interface is familiar and easy to understand, but ultimately still presents the problem of policy conflicts and is a less flexible and more complex system than other approaches.

A first iteration on a tag-based system, similar to something like what you might see in Evernote.  This system is easier to manage and search through.  Any policy conflicts are very easy to see and manage.  With tagging there is no tree structure, and therefore no policy inheritance problem to deal with at all.  Tree views can be created according to the users criteria, and multiple tree views can be had at once.  Ultimately it is a simpler, more powerful and flexible approach, but it had an initial learning curve that was disconcerting to some.

A first iteration on a tag-based system, similar to something like what you might see in Evernote.  This system is easier to manage and search through.  Any policy conflicts are very easy to see and manage.  With tagging there is no tree structure, and therefore no policy inheritance problem to deal with at all.  Tree views can be created according to the users criteria, and multiple tree views can be had at once.  Ultimately it is a simpler, more powerful and flexible approach, but it had an initial learning curve that was disconcerting to some.

A first iteration on a tag-based system, similar to something like what you might see in Evernote.  This system is easier to manage and search through.  Any policy conflicts are very easy to see and manage.  With tagging there is no tree structure, and therefore no policy inheritance problem to deal with at all.  Tree views can be created according to the users criteria, and multiple tree views can be had at once.  Ultimately it is a simpler, more powerful and flexible approach, but it had an initial learning curve that was disconcerting to some.

A first iteration on a tag-based system, similar to something like what you might see in Evernote.  This system is easier to manage and search through.  Any policy conflicts are very easy to see and manage.  With tagging there is no tree structure, and therefore no policy inheritance problem to deal with at all.  Tree views can be created according to the users criteria, and multiple tree views can be had at once.  Ultimately it is a simpler, more powerful and flexible approach, but it had an initial learning curve that was disconcerting to some.

A first iteration on a tag-based system, similar to something like what you might see in Evernote.  This system is easier to manage and search through.  Any policy conflicts are very easy to see and manage.  With tagging there is no tree structure, and therefore no policy inheritance problem to deal with at all.  Tree views can be created according to the users criteria, and multiple tree views can be had at once.  Ultimately it is a simpler, more powerful and flexible approach, but it had an initial learning curve that was disconcerting to some.

A wireframe of a tag visualization in which a traditional tree-like structure is created to show that a tagging system can be controlled and used like a traditional tree structure with a little bit of effort.

A more node-like structure is created using tags in this wireframe, which shows off the flexibility of a tagging scheme allowing you to visualize your host groups by any criteria that you can think of and create tags for.  Once users understood this, they reacted very well to this idea, but some didn't quite understand how it would benefit them more than the simple tree structure created in a non-tagging system.

An appliance configuration prototype workflow, which is greatly simplified compared to the current workflows shown in the Learning phase of this process.  This guided me towards organizing the multitudes of disparate configuration items into a more logical unified UI.

An appliance configuration prototype workflow, which is greatly simplified compared to the current workflows shown in the Learning phase of this process.  This guided me towards organizing the multitudes of disparate configuration items into a more logical unified UI.

A few screens capturing the current configuration model in which each appliance had it's own interface.  Some were basic HTML based interfaces and some were Java-based and relied extensively on menus and submenus and pop-up dialogs.

A single unified location for configuring many disparate appliance types and configuration points.  The ultimate goal was to be alb eto apply universal settings across all appliances in one fell swoop, and to be able to group appliances to create configuration groups, where other remaining custom settings were the only ones that had to be tweaked on an individual basis.  For an organization that could have 100 appliances, this was huge.

Bringing all of these configuration items together in one central hub requires that the central hub can connect to and manage all of the other appliances in order to push out and pull in configuration information and changes.  This was one of many iterations on such as main appliance management screen.

Before bringing all of the appliances under a single configuration point, we started with just 1 appliance type.  This is an early configuration and management prototype for the single appliance type (but multiple instances of the single type) management screen.

In an effort to completely redesign the way a single persona ("Adam the Analyst") works with the Stealthwatch product, the main dashboard along with all of the workflows data searches and database queries were re-designed almost from scratch.  The undertaking was quite large and required many rounds and iterations of user testing a prototype refinement.  This is the summary of the user interview feedback from 1 iteration, presented to stakeholders (up to internal C-level stakeholders) and reviewed by UX and Product Management for direction on the next iteration and testing round.

In an effort to completely redesign the way a single persona ("Adam the Analyst") works with the Stealthwatch product, the main dashboard along with all of the workflows data searches and database queries were re-designed almost from scratch.  The undertaking was quite large and required many rounds and iterations of user testing a prototype refinement.  This is the summary of the user interview feedback from 1 iteration, presented to stakeholders (up to internal C-level stakeholders) and reviewed by UX and Product Management for direction on the next iteration and testing round.

Handwritten notes from user interviews from a round of testing.