The MAAS UX Update is back!
Hi Maasters,
We are bringing back the UX updates to the community and this time it will aim to be monthly.
This cycle, we have been working on redesigning how Networking works in MAAS. This includes redefining the concepts that are confusing, rethink our user journey for networking configuration, and enhancing troubleshooting mechanisms.
During the first stage of our process, we created an empathy style research protocol to interview users of MAAS and understand their thought process while setting up their network. Below are some of our findings.
Common themes across multiple interviews
Fabric management issues
Several users mentioned problems with auto-discovered and “dead” fabrics. It seemed like most of them didn’t find the auto-discovered fabrics to be useful. These fabrics seem to be hard to manage (e.g. delete or rename) too, with one interviewee describing it as “abrasive” and another user regularly resorting to direct database manipulation to fix it.
This issue also shows up when using Terraform as the auto-creation of fabrics conflicts with Terraform’s preferred approach to resource management.
UI/UX challenges
Several users mentioned that bulk management and filtering capabilities in MAAS UI are lacking. They would like to be able to apply the same configuration to multiple (identical) machines. Particularly networking configuration.
Multiple users highlighted that they have trouble navigating a deeper information hierarchy in the UI. If they drilled down into a deeper level they currently have no easy way of going up one level again and would like to have a better understanding of where in the hierarchy they currently are. They would like to see something like breadcrumbs being used in the UI.
Currently a lot of users resort to clicking the main page link in the navigation which for example resets filter states.
Better visibility of networking configurations in the UI such as:
- Displaying LLDP information alongside machines
- Showing virtual interfaces on the main networking screen
- While renamed NICs are visible in summary views, bridge configurations are not immediately apparent without drilling down into specific machine details.
- Device discover page seems underdeveloped
Network management
Several users would like to see better IPAM functions in MAAS. They would like extended functions like DNS management, users cannot change the ownership of records or easily customize zone templates. They are also confused by our current terminology, e.g. in relation to the management of IP ranges, with terms such as “managed” and “unmanaged” or in IP address assignment with the terms “dynamic range” and “static”.
Multiple users mentioned that better integration with switch management would be great. Allowing for greater network configuration automation and network visibility.
Better support of DPUs specifically in the UI was something several users mentioned.
Understanding of Fabrics and Spaces
Fabrics Understanding
There was notable variation in how different interviewees understood and valued fabrics:
- Limited Utility: Several interviewees reported using only one fabric and not seeing much value in the concept
- Initial Confusion: Multiple participants mentioned initial confusion about whether fabrics represented physical or logical constructs
- Technical Understanding: Some viewed fabrics as L2 constructs, while others saw them as more abstract groupings
- Implementation Challenges: Most agreed that the automatic creation and management of fabrics was problematic
Spaces Understanding
There was more consistency in how spaces were viewed and valued:
- Positive Reception: Most interviewees who used spaces found them valuable
- Juju Integration: Several mentioned spaces being particularly useful for Juju integration
- Practical Usage: Many reported using one space per subnet for simplicity
- Technical Understanding: Most described them as a group of subnets. But one user described it as a L3 concept. Showing that the concept doesn’t seem to be entirely clear to everyone either.
- Visibility Issues: Some noted that spaces were less visible in the UI compared to fabrics
Long term network improvement areas MAAS could look into
Networking automation
If MAAS has control over the switch it would allow for network automation capabilities in MAAS which a couple of users mentioned they would like to see.
Network discovery, visualization and troubleshooting
All users mentioned that network troubleshooting is a significant part of their job. They seem to be using different tools and strategies to go about troubleshooting. But there are tools several of them mentioned using like Magpie, TCP dump, ping, traceroute etc.
If MAAS had a better (real time) understanding of the network it could allow for easier troubleshooting for engineers setting up and running the datacenter by visualizing the current state of the network and providing more troubleshooting tooling in MAAS itself.
Users apparently oftentimes currently track their networking inventory quite manually with spreadsheets. If MAAS had a good understanding of the network and its inventory maybe that could also be another feature we provide similarly to the automatic inventory of machines.
That sums up our monthly UX updates. Do you feel related to any of these issues? Your feedback is a gift! Please share some of your thoughts, struggles, or insights about your experience with MAAS networking!
Big shout out to @maximilian-blazek for this summary!