An abundance of network management utilities from Cisco and third-party vendors underscores the value and complexity of network management. Progent's Cisco-certified network management consultants are experienced at helping companies develop management solutions based on Simple Network Management Protocol, SYSLOG services, and Cisco Netflow protocols to create powerful tools for tracking network bandwidth usage and latency, viewing important router and switch operational metrics, and identifying traffic patterns, applications, and devices that use network resources.

Progent can assist businesses to deploy a broad range of open source and proprietary management utilities to maintain a Cisco-powered environment. Utilities familiar to Progent's consultants include MRTG, Cacti, Nagios, PRTG, Cisco Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager, Cisco Monitor Manager, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, Wireshark/Ethereal, AlterPoint DeviceAuthority, Adventnet Netflow, Solarwinds Orion, and NetMRI.

Network management platforms can enable organizations to understand current network usage and intelligently prepare for future traffic expansion. Management tools can also be deployed to detect inefficient or inappropriate utilization of network services, for example streaming video, peer-to-peer sharing, etc. that can eat up valuable or scarce network bandwidth. A carefully crafted network management solution can also enable organizations to arrive at informed choices on network improvements once they appreciate how much network bandwidth really needed at various times.

Having an effective network management platform in operation ahead of time is essential to prevent severe problems that can follow DoS attacks and dangerous viruses. These events can leave the network unusable and without proper tools it can be difficult, and in some cases virtually impossible, to discover the location of the problem.

Network Management Products from Cisco
Cisco has created a variety of powerful tools that should form the foundation for any network management strategy. Utilized in combination with appropriate third-party applications, Cisco's network management software can improve the business value of network infrastructures for companies of all sizes by dealing with key areas such as system utilization, throughput, resilience, protection, repair, and scalability. Cisco's most popular network management tools include:

Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager is a browser-based utility that allows you to configure and operate the management utilities on network appliances. Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager is loaded by the adaptive security device, and allows you to set up, monitor, and control the unit.

Cisco Monitor Manager is a comprehensive management solution developed for the requirements of small and midsize organizations. Cisco Monitor Manager actively checks important appliance parameters on voice/data networks serving 5 to 250 workers and equipped with as many as 250 Cisco Unified IP phones. The application offers:

• Real-time tracking of key device processes on SMB-class routers, switches, and voice gateways, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, Cisco Unity Express, security appliances, WAPs, and IP phones
• Support for the Unified Communications 500 Series for businesses with as many as 50 workers

• Voice and data network discovery and physical topology
• Physical and service level views of Unified Communications implementation
• Networkwide device identification collection and documentation
• Advanced security and reliable operation
• Appliance operations monitoring
• IP Telephony tracking
• Connection status and data traffic monitoring
• Immediate alarms and notifications
• Documentation
• Configuration log

Cisco Network Assistant is a desktop-based network management tool designed for for LANs and WLANS for expanding businesses with up to 40 Cisco switches and routers. By utilizing Cisco's Smartports technology, the application streamlines setup, deployment, and continuing administration and support of Cisco-based networks. It provides a unified system view and permits IT administrators to deploy its features among switches, routers, and access points.

Cisco Security Manager is a feature-rich but simple to operate application for managing all facets of appliance set up and policies for PIX and ASA firewalls, virtual private networks, and Intrusion Prevention Systems. The solution efficiently manages even small environments consisting of no more than than ten appliances, but also expands to control large-scale systems with thousands of appliances. Scalability is enabled through smart policy-driven management techniques that can streamline administrative overhead. Key features of Cisco Security Manager include:

• Supports control of Cisco router platforms running a Cisco IOS security software image, Cisco ASA 5500 Series adaptive security appliances, PIX firewalls, IPS 4200 sensors, and Catalyst 6500 Series security services modules
• Respond faster. more rapidly to threats: specify and apply updated policies to thousands of devices in a few simple steps
• Rich GUI provides exceptional ease-of-use
• Multiple looks that offer flexible methods to manage appliances and security policies including the capability to administer the security environment graphically on a topology image
• Comprehensive animated help for the novice user to reduce learning period
• Centrally call out which policies are shared and automatically inherited by additional devices to make sure corporate policies are implemented consistently, at the same time offering optional versatility to modify policies at the local device level
• Capability to create a single firewall rule table for all Cisco platforms with intelligent analysis of firewall policies to detect anomalies within the rule table
• Quickly configure site-to-site, hub-and-spoke, full mesh, or extranet Virtual Private Network interfaces by means of a few mouse clicks
• Integration with Cisco ACS for granular role based connection management to devices and management services
• Integration with Cisco security MARS to compare monitored data with related firewall rules to help with faster management decisions and increased system availability
• Capability to allocate specific jobs to each manager during the implementation of a rule, with structured change management and tracking; allows the security and systems operations team to work together as a single unit with efficient teamwork

Progent can also help you to utilize network management utilities to monitor and classify network data to implement traffic shaping, which permits you to program Cisco routers to impose a variety of throughput constraints on designated types of processes according to the importance you assign. By buffering and queuing data packets above your contracted rates, and by assigning priority to critical processes, traffic shaping can prevent service provider overage penalties from spiraling out of control and/or avoid gaps in worker productivity resulting from brute force policing of your network traffic volume limits during peak demand.

Progent's CISM and CISSP security specialists can assist you to create a comprehensive security plan that encompasses your network management solution, and Progent's remote and in person support specialists and Cisco CCIE and CNA qualified engineers can utilize the latest network monitoring and analysis technology to identify and repair problems rapidly to keep your network productive.

To find out additional information about Progent's consulting help for Cisco technology, pick a topic: