Network Performance Monitoring

Network monitoring tools allow organizations to have baseline and visibility of the network performance on hardware and software infrastructure. With a baseline of nominal operations, IT is positioned to recognize and respond to conditions that can negatively impact network performance and threaten the user and quality of experience.

"The elusive goal of network monitoring tools is not only to alert administrators when there is trouble on the network but to develop trends in the health of the network and ease the burden of [service-level agreement] reporting," Michael Brandenburg (TechTarget technical editor).

The ideal network performance monitoring tools are scalable and robust enough to accommodate an end-to-end perspective across the enterprise. Network performance monitoring tools also must possess depth, with the capability to span all seven layers of the network stack. Without both dimensions, IT is severely restricted in its efforts to identify the location of the problem, and to pinpoint if the root cause of the problem lies in an application, a system/server, or in a core network element such as a router or switch.

• Optimizing network availability and performance
  Network management software can proactively and automatically gather data about the network in real time through functionalities that look at packet drops and throughput, giving administrators information about problems before someone else reports the issue via phone or email.
• Lowering expenses by improving asset utilization
  A network monitoring software solution provides a full inventory of network equipment. Users may also tap into planning management features for analyzing long term trends and applying the findings to justify an upgrade
• Effective change management
  Often it is useful to have records of past network configurations in case something needs to be reverted. Network management software enables efficient change management so that users can establish solid baselines for performance.
• Achieving service level agreements and documenting performance with reports
  This benefit is more of a byproduct of the others. With optimal asset utilization, compliance and availability, organizations are in excellent position to meet SLA requirements.
• Fault Management
  Provides Impact Management for networks, systems and services, giving a modern consolidated view on the operational state of all circuits and services by top-down or bottom-up approach. Thus, Root Cause Analysis allows engineers to focus and prioritize alarms.