The PPSM Automation App
Listen, you don’t have to spend much time with us to realize just how much we despise never-ending manual processes.
Take, for example, some agencies’ current strategy with Ports, Protocols, and Services Management (PPSM) — a process that currently takes up to 40+ days to complete.
For those fortunate enough to not know the drill, here is a typical PPSM workflow:
You, a system administrator, are digging through the bottomless pit that is your corporate hard drive in search of the latest PPSM spreadsheet in hopes of submitting a change request. You eventually strike gold and find one labeled “PPSM_July2019_NEWEST-THIS-ONE.xslx”.
Aha! You think to yourself. But then you’re forced to ponder: I’m only looking to change an IP address — why do I need to submit anything?
Because. That, mi amigo, is the best answer you’re going to get. Take it or leave it.
You cut your inner-monologue short to clear the spreadsheet data, find all the ports, protocols, and services previously registered, fill in the gaps, submit the spreadsheet and wait.
Three long weeks later, you get a response: Your spreadsheet — the one you spent so much time looking for, updating, and celebrating — is actually outdated. You must now download the latest version and carefully Ctrl+C & Ctrl+V your way out of this fiasco. An updated version is submitted, and you play the waiting game once more.
A day later, you get another email: Turns out your copy and paste game is pretty weak — you missed the last octet in the IP address. Not a problem; you correct this mistake and re-submit.
Fast forward to next Tuesday and you finally get the email you’ve been waiting for: “CHANGE REQUEST APPROVED”
The IP Change Request has been submitted to the firewall team for implementation.
But not so fast. That’s not the end of your waiting. Another week passes by and finally you receive an email indicating that the firewall team has made the modification to the firewall. Success!
Except...It’s. The Wrong. One.
Back to Baltic Avenue you go, forced to start this multi-week process all over again.
Now, let us, with the help of our friends over at Innovatus Technology Consulting, introduce you to Siphon— a simple interface for inputting PPS and monitoring the operational reality of the PPS implementation.
With Siphon, there are no spreadsheets to dig for. No extended research for previously registered ports, protocols, and services. No soul-crushing mistakes to be made.
That missing octet in the nightmare above? Siphon will notify you immediately.
That issue with the wrong hostname? Siphon will notify you immediately.
That three-week wait from before? Siphon will notify the ISSO immediately
Allowing leadership to approve and apply changes with just a few clicks.
Just like that, Siphon automatically pushes new rules to the firewall. Forty days cut down to just a few minutes. Maybe even a half-hour if they’re on lunch. If this sounds like your daily grind, check out the link for more demo videos below.