Synopsis: Network monitoring involves watching the problems of your
network 24/7, but there’s more to it.
It is also about how to optimize data flow and ensure access in an
environment that’s undergoing constant changes and is complex by
nature. Just as the environments are numerous and varied, so are the
network monitoring tools and services. Read on to know more about what
network monitoring encompasses.
Network monitoring can be called a part of network management that
monitors a computer network on a constant basis to find out slow or
failing components, and notify the network administrator via pager,
email, or other alarms whenever it locates any outages. For a corporate
network, network monitoring is a vital IT function that can help save
cost related to the performance of network, productivity of the
employees and infrastructure cost overruns.
Using a proper network monitoring system, you can monitor an internal
network and get to know the problems almost instantly, as and when they
happen. Be it the problem of web page downloads at a snail pace,
e-mails that are lost-in-space, crashed servers, questionable user
activity, trouble in file delivery due to overload, dicey network
connections or problems related to some other devices, you can resolve
them using an efficient network monitoring system.
You can use a variety of software or a blend of plug-and-play hardware
as well as software appliance solutions to set up a competent network
monitoring system. Thanks to the advent of technology, you can
virtually monitor any kind of network these days. It is pretty
immaterial whether your network is wired or wireless, a VPN, corporate
LAN, or service provider WAN. You can even monitor devices that are on
a wide range of operating systems and have various functions, which
range from regular cell phones and high-end BlackBerrys to servers,
switches and routers. Network monitoring system can help you recognize
specific performance and activities metrics, thereby producing results
that can help a business to deal with its diverse and sundry needs,
including safeguarding its network against internal security threats,
meeting compliance requirements, and offering more operational
visibility.
Before setting up your network
monitoring system, you need to have a clear idea about what you
want to monitor on your network. You should also ensure that you have a
state-of-the-art corporate network topology map, which should lay out
precisely:
- the different kinds of networks that you need to monitor
- details about which applications are run by which servers and on
which operating system
- the number of desktops that you need to be included in the system
- the type of remote devices that can access each network
Remember - clarity at the outset of things makes the entire process of
selecting the proper monitoring tools somewhat simpler.
Many people think that they don’t need network monitoring system when
their network is up and running without any problem. Some even don’t
want to mess with the set up that has been working quite well. However,
you need to understand that network monitoring can help in maintaining
your network's current health, thereby ensuring availability and
improving its performance. In fact, network monitoring is often
compared to a visit to a cardiologist, where you are combining
experience, technology and judgment to chart the performance of a
system.
So, give a thumbs up to network
monitoring today and start monitoring your network 24 hours a day,
each day.