As networks continue to evolve into complex systems, network monitoring becomes all the more critical as a way to prepare businesses to detect and address or prevent network failures, server downtime and related threats altogether.
Today’s IT market abounds with networkmonitoring solutions. This presents businesses with a unique challenge: just how do you pick the best from the crowd? This writeup provides five features that should help you identify a really good network monitoring solution.
- Convenient deployment model
A network monitoring solution could be deployed as a single software package or require separate installations and servers for each component. The latter would mean that the polling engine, the database, front-end console and the analytics engine are installed differently. While this multiple-component-multiple-server deployment may give room for maximum scalability and flexibility for the business, the approach introduces a new degree of complexity that may not be much favorable for your business. The single software package option is likely to be the more convenient alternative.
- Compatibility with existing IT infrastructure
Whether you’re dealing with LAN or WAN, VoIP or WiFi; networks are inherently multicomponent. Like many organizations, your business is likely operating in an environment with mixed-vendor network infrastructure. As such, it’s imperative that you consider the platforms and vendors that the network monitoring solution supports before settling for it as a final choice.
- Nonstopmonitoring
A good network monitoring solution is ideally one that runsthroughout;gathering every piece of data that relates to network performance and relayingevery information about potential problems in a timely manner. Look for an offeringthat can conduct this 24/7 monitoring activity without much of an impact on overall network performance, such as the cloud-based solution at http://ipswitch.com/network-monitoring.
- Ease of use
Networks monitoring should help make it easier to manage network operations, so it’s important to pay attention to the layout and flow of the system’s management console. The idea is to ensure you’re getting a solution that displays the charts and graphs in a way that makes logical sense to the average networking staff. This will ensure that network administrators adopt the solution with ease without having to undergo some lengthy training that are costly to the organization.
- Scalability of the system
How easily can the network management solution integrate with the company’s wider IT management toolset?When considering network management systems in the market, the procurement team should go for one that can support the maximum size and level of distribution. More importantly, a solution that provides convenient scalability options should be a preferred choice.
Last words
Networks are fast becoming more and more complex that it is becoming practically impossible for network administrators to monitor the various components of a high-performance network manually and still be able to address issues in a timely manner. In this complex IT landscape, a suitable network management solution is a basic ‘must have’ for any company with a functioning IT infrastructure. That said, these guidelines should help point you to the right direction as far as identifying a good network monitoring software is concerned.
