If there’s a working system, it needs monitoring. Networking systems for enterprises are rather complicated and such a set up almost always requires continuous vigilance and monitoring. Whether you choose to set up a server, tag along about five computers and monitor your small business network manually or choose to go enterprise and use a FCAPS (Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security) – the usual ISO telecommunications Management Network Model – this monitoring is what alerts you to signs that something is wrong within your network.
Whether you stay proactive or reactive, is of course up to you. Here's what, in a nutshell, Networking monitoring does for you:
Get the full picture. Visually.
One of the simplest utilities a network monitoring software or system provides you with is a simple schematics or visual representation of your network. In fact, it’s one of the first things that a Network Management Software or Network Monitoring Software does. The diagram isn’t as simple as a simple block diagram – it provides you with all necessary details about every element of your network such as server types and models; client types; vendor details; models; and device types.
Monitor Network Health
Multiple servers, multiple user clients, and plenty of parts within a network can go wrong. Since businesses cannot afford downtime of any sort, monitoring networks lets you know when a server isn’t functioning, when there’s a bug in network monitoring software, and can give you warnings in advance about network activity slowdowns, overburdening, and other forms of potential trouble.
Stay on top of trends
One of the other overlooked benefits of network monitoring software is that the software tends to map out performance reports over specific time spans. While it does give you real-time monitoring, it also has trending reports for you to glean information from. What would your network look like – in terms of capacity, bandwidth, etc., three years from now? How is your network performing today vis-à-vis last year or for the past three years before? This helps you keep on top of trends specific to your networks, plan on replacements, alternatives, and device performance.
Fault response and SLA checks
Network monitoring eventually does more than it’s intended to. It also allows you to keep a check on WAN, Internet providers, web-based tools or cloud-based tools that run on the web, and check for uptimes, performance breaks, and many other elements that vendors would have constructed the mutual SLA on. Further, it allows you to set performance thresholds so that you can preset alarms on performance drops so that you can plan your responses better.
How do you handle network monitoring for your business? We provide expert consulting on all matters regarding Network Monitoring. Please feel to let us know if you have any questions whatsoever. You may also reach out to us on our Facebook fan Page.
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