Cisco Certified Network Consulting

A wealth of network management products from Cisco and other vendors underscores the value and complexity of supporting IT infrastructure. Progent's seasoned network management engineers are expert at assisting businesses develop network management solutions based on Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Syslog, and Cisco Netflow protocols to create powerful tools for tracking network bandwidth usage and network latency, viewing key router and switch performance characteristics, and identifying traffic patterns, applications, and devices utilizing network resources.

Progent can help customers to utilize a rich selection of open source and proprietary management products to manage Cisco infrastructure. Utilities used by Progent's consultants include MRTG, Cacti, Nagios, Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM), Cisco Monitor Manager, Cisco Network Assistant, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, Wireshark/Ethereal, AlterPoint DeviceAuthority, Adventnet Netflow and Firewall Analyzer, Big Brother, Solarwinds Orion, and Necordia NetMRI.

Network management platforms can enable organizations to understand current network usage and effectively prepare for future traffic expansion. Management utilities can also be deployed to identify inefficient or improper uses of network resources, for example streaming multimedia, peer-to-peer file exchange, etc. that can waste expensive and limited network resources. A well planned network management solution can also assist companies to arrive at intelligent decisions on WAN and LAN enhancements once they understand how much system resources historically required at any one time.

Having an effective network management system in operation beforehand is critical to prevent major problems that can follow Denial Of Service (DoS) attacks and malicious viruses/Trojans. Such events can render the network unstable and without appropriate tools it can be difficult, if not virtually impossible, to discover the source of the trouble.

Network Management Solutions from Cisco
Cisco has developed a variety of powerful tools that should form the basis for any management solution. Used in conjunction with the top outside vendor tools, Cisco's network management software can enhance the competitive value of network infrastructures for companies of any size by improving important areas such as resource utilization, performance, resilience, security, repair, and scalability. Cisco's most familiar network management products include:

Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM) is a browser-based utility that lets you configure and monitor the management utilities on network appliances. ASDM is installed by the Cisco appliance, and enables you to set up, monitor, and manage the unit.

Cisco Monitor Manager is a comprehensive management application intended to meet the needs of small and midsize businesses (SMBs). Cisco Monitor Manager continuously monitors key appliance processes on voice and data networks used by 5 to 250 users and with up to 250 IP phones. Cisco Monitor Manager offers:

• Up-to-date monitoring of important appliance processes on SMB-class routers and switches, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, Unity Express, security appliances, wireless access points, and Cisco Unified IP Phones
• Ability to manage the Cisco Unified Communications 500 appliance for companies with as many as 50 users

• Voice and data network discovery and topology
• Physical and service level views of Cisco Unified Communications implementation
• System wide device identification collection and reporting
• Highly secure and reliable operation
• Device performance monitoring
• VoIP Telephony tracking
• Connection status and traffic tracking
• Immediate alerts and notifications
• Documentation
• Configuration archive

Network Assistant is a PC-based management tool optimized for LANs and WLANS for expanding organizations that have as many as 40 Cisco switches and routers. By utilizing Cisco's Smartports mechanism, Cisco Network Assistant simplifies configuration, installation, and continuing management and support of Cisco-based networks. Network Assistant offers a centralized system view and allows network administrators to deploy its features across Cisco switches, routers, and access points.

Security Manager is a powerful but easy-to-use application for centrally provisioning all facets of appliance configuration and security policies for Cisco PIX and ASA security appliances, VPNs, and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS). The solution effectively manages even small networks consisting of fewer than ten appliances, but also expands to control large-scale systems with thousands of devices. Scalability is achieved through smart policy-based control techniques that can streamline administrative overhead. Highlights of Security Manager include:

• Allows provisioning for Cisco routers running a Cisco IOS security image, ASA 5500 family adaptive security appliances, PIX security appliances, Cisco IPS 4200 family inline security appliances, and Cisco Catalyst 6500 family security services modules
• Respond more quickly to attacks: define and apply new security policies to many hundreds of devices in just a few steps
• Intuitive GUI provides superior ease-of-use
• Multiple looks that provide versatile methods to control appliances and policies including the capability to administer the security network visually on a topology image
• Comprehensive video help for the first-time operator to speed up training time
• Centrally specify which policies are common and inherited by additional appliances to ensure corporate policies are implemented regularly, at the same time providing optional versatility to customize policies at the local appliance level
• Capability to build a single firewall rule table for Cisco platforms with intelligent evaluation of firewall policies to detect conflicts in the rule base
• Easily configure site-to-site, hub-and-spoke, full-mesh IPsec, or extranet VPN links by means of a VPN wizard
• Integration with Cisco Access Control Server (ACS) for granular role based connection management to appliances and management functions
• Operation with security MARS to compare events with corresponding firewall rules to help with quicker management decisions and increased system availability
• Capability to allocate particular jobs to each manager in the course of the deployment of a rule, with structured change control and tracking; permits the security and network operations staff to act cooperatively as a single unit with effective teamwork

Progent can also assist you to utilize network management utilities to analyze and categorize network data to implement traffic shaping, which allows you to configure Cisco routers to impose a variety of throughput restrictions on designated types of activity based on the priorities you assign. By storing and sorting excess packets above your contracted volume, and by assigning priority to the most important applications, traffic shaping can prevent Internet Service Provider excess usage charges from spiraling out of control and/or avoid gaps in worker productivity caused by brute force policing of your network traffic volume limits during peak use.

Progent's CISA and ISSAP security consultants can show you how to develop an end-to-end security strategy that incorporates your network management processes, and Progent's remote and in person network specialists and Cisco CCIE-certified consultants can utilize the latest network monitoring and analysis technology to isolate and repair problems rapidly to keep your network in business.

To see additional information concerning Progent's professional assistance for Cisco solutions, pick a topic:

• Overview of Progent's Cisco Consulting Services
• Timely Remote Support from a Cisco CCIE Network Engineer
• Cisco Firepower Firewalls: Configuration and Management Services
• ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Firepower Services: Setup and Management Expertise
• ASA 5500 Firewall Engineering Support
• Cisco PIX 500 Firewall Consulting Assistance
• Cisco Routers Engineering Expertise
• Cisco Wireless Consulting Help
• Cisco Aironet Wireless APs Design Help
• Cisco Small Business Wireless Access Points Deployment Help
• Catalyst Wi-Fi 6/6E Wireless Access Points Solution Design, Configuration and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Integration Consulting
• Cisco Meraki Wireless Access Points Engineering Expertise
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and CallManager Integration and Troubleshooting
• Cisco VoIP Phones and IP Video Desktop Phones Consulting Services and Cisco Wireless VoIP Phone Integration
• Cisco Jabber Configuration and Troubleshooting Services
• Catalyst Switches Consulting and Support Services
• Nexus Switches Consulting and Support Services
• Meraki MS Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Cisco VPN and Security Integration Services
• SIP and CUBE Infrastructure Solutions: SIP PSTN Trunks and Cisco CUBE Integration Expertise
• Cisco Duo MFA two-factor authentication (2FA) services for at-home workers
• Infrastructure Design for Cisco-powered Datacenters and Colocation Centers
• Network Optimization Expertise for Internet Service Providers