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Network management platforms assist companies to deploy infrastructure effectively, look up client information rapidly, monitor system health, troubleshoot problems, protect against and react to threats, and optimize performance. Network management systems can spot inefficient or inappropriate uses of network services like streaming media or peer-to-peer file sharing that can waste bandwidth, reduce employee productivity or leave you vulnerable to data leaks. A prudently planned network management environment can also assist companies to make informed capacity planning moves by exposing trends in network demand for different periods or activities.

Cisco offers a diverse and growing catalog of infrastructure management platforms that support centralized management for on-premises, cloud-based, or hybrid network architectures. With Cisco's newer security, switching, and wireless networking devices, you can run Meraki, DNA Center, or CLI management platforms for network monitoring and management. For instance, you can interface the latest Catalyst or Meraki switches and Catalyst or Meraki Wi-Fi access points to the Meraki dashboard to manage critical layers of your network infrastructure from the cloud. Progent's Catalyst WiFi AP experts, Meraki Wi-Fi AP experts, Catalyst switches integration experts, and Meraki switches consultants can help your organization to design, implement and tune a modern solution for network infrastructure monitoring and management.

Traditional Network Management Platforms from Cisco and Others
A wealth of network management utilities from Cisco and other vendors highlights the importance and difficulty of network management. Progent's Cisco qualified network management consultants are experienced at helping companies design network management strategies based on Simple Network Management Protocol, Syslog, and NetFlow protocols to build powerful mechanisms for network utilization and latency, viewing key router and switch operational characteristics, and recognizing traffic patterns, applications, and appliances utilizing network services.

Progent can assist businesses to deploy a rich range of free and license-based monitoring and management tools to maintain a Cisco network. Utilities used by Progent's consultants include MRTG, Cacti, Nagios, PRTG, Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM), Cisco Monitor Manager, CiscoWorks, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, Concord E-Health, Adventnet Netflow and Firewall Analyzer, Big Brother, and NetMRI.

Network management platforms can allow organizations to be aware of existing network usage and intelligently prepare for downstream traffic expansion. Network management tools can also be deployed to detect poor or inappropriate utilization of network services, for example streaming multimedia, peer-to-peer sharing, etc. that can eat up expensive and limited network bandwidth. A carefully crafted network management strategy can also help companies to arrive at informed decisions on wide and local area network enhancements once they appreciate the amount of system bandwidth really required at specific times.

Putting an efficient network management solution in operation ahead of time is critical to prevent major disruptions that can be caused by DoS attacks and dangerous viruses/Trojans. Such assaults can render the network unusable and without appropriate utilities it can be difficult, and sometimes practically impossible, to identify the source of the problem.

Network Management Tools from Cisco
Cisco offers an array of effective utilities that should form the foundation for any network management solution. Used in combination with appropriate third-party tools, Cisco's network management software can enhance the business value of networks for companies of any size by improving important areas such as resource utilization, performance, resilience, security, repair, and scalability. Cisco's most popular network management tools include:

Cisco ASDM is a browser-based Java applet that permits you set up and operate the software built into network appliances. Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager is loaded by the network device, and allows you to configure, track, and control the device.

Monitor Manager is a management solution developed to address the requirements of small and midsize organizations. Monitor Manager actively tracks key device processes on voice and data environments serving five to 250 workers and with as many as 250 Cisco Unified IP phones. The application offers:

• Real-time scanning of key appliance processes on SMB-class network appliances, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, Cisco Unity Express, security devices, WAPs, and VoIP phones
• Compatibility with the Unified Communications 500 for organizations with as many as 50 users

• Voice and data network discovery and topology
• Physical and process views of Unified Communications implementation
• System wide device identification logging and reporting
• Advanced security and reliable communication
• Device performance tracking
• IP Telephony tracking
• Interface status and traffic tracking
• Immediate alerts and event notification
• Documentation
• Setup archive

Network Assistant is a desktop-based management application designed for for LANs and WLANS for growing organizations with up to 40 switches and routers. By running Cisco's Smartports mechanism, Network Assistant streamlines setup, installation, and continuing administration and maintenance of Cisco networks. Cisco Network Assistant provides a unified network view and allows IT managers to deploy its functions among Cisco switches, routers, and access points.

Cisco Security Manager is a feature-rich but simple to operate solution for centrally provisioning all facets of device set up and security policies for Cisco firewalls, virtual private networks, and IPS. The solution efficiently handles even small environments with no more than than ten devices, but also scales to manage enterprise systems with thousands of routers, switches, and firewalls. Expansion is enabled through intelligent policy-driven control techniques that can simplify administration. Highlights of Security Manager include:

• Supports provisioning for Cisco routers running an IOS security software image, Cisco ASA 5500 adaptive security appliances, Cisco PIX security appliances, IPS 4200 family sensors, and Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series security modules
• Respond faster. more rapidly to attacks: define and apply new security policies to thousands of appliances in just a few steps
• Rich GUI offers superior ease-of-use
• Multiple looks that provide flexible methods to control devices and policies such as the capability to administer the security environment graphically on a system topology map
• Comprehensive video help for the novice operator to speed up training time
• Centrally specify which policies are shared and inherited by new appliances to ensure corporate policies are implemented regularly, while providing sufficient flexibility to modify policies at the individual appliance level
• Capability to build a single firewall rule table for all Cisco firewalls with intelligent analysis of firewall policies to determine conflicts within the rule base
• Easily set up site-to-site, hub-and-spoke, full mesh, or extranet VPN interfaces with a few mouse clicks
• Compatibility with Cisco Access Control Server (ACS) for granular role based connection control to devices and management services
• Integration with Cisco security MARS to associate events with related firewall rules to help with faster management decisions and increased network availability
• Capability to assign particular jobs to each administrator in the course of the deployment of a policy, with formal change management and logging; permits the security and network operations team to work cooperatively as a single group with efficient teamwork

Progent can also assist you to use network management applications to analyze and categorize network data to implement traffic shaping, which allows you to program Cisco routers to impose different throughput constraints on designated types of processes based on the importance you specify. By storing and sorting data packets above your contracted volume, and by assigning preference to critical applications, traffic shaping can keep ISP overage penalties from spiraling out of control and/or avoid gaps in worker productivity resulting from brute force enforcement of your network traffic volume limits during peak use.

Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security consultants can help you to create a comprehensive security strategy that encompasses your network management processes, and Progent's remote and in person support specialists and Cisco CCIE and CNA qualified engineers can utilize the latest network management tools to isolate and remediate trouble quickly to keep your network productive.

To learn more details concerning Progent's engineering help for Cisco technology, pick a subject:

• Overview of Cisco Support
• Fast Online Assistance from a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Consultant
• Cisco Firepower Firewalls: Configuration and Management Services
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Firepower: Consulting and Troubleshooting Expertise
• ASA 5500 Series Firewall Integration Support
• PIX Series Firewall Maintenance Assistance
• Cisco Routers Consulting Services
• Cisco Wireless Network Design Expertise
• Cisco Aironet Access Points Engineering Support
• Cisco Small Business Wireless APs System Design Help
• Catalyst 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6/6E APs Planning, Configuration and Debugging Expertise
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Experts
• Cisco Meraki Access Points Consulting Expertise
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and CallManager Configuration and Troubleshooting
• Cisco Voice over IP (VoIP) Phones and IP Video Desktop Phones Expertise and Cisco Wireless IP Phone Integration
• Cisco Jabber Migration and Support Expertise
• Catalyst Switches Engineering Expertise
• Nexus Switches Consulting and Support Services
• Meraki MS Switches Deployment Services
• Cisco VPN and Network Security Setup and Troubleshooting Assistance
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP Trunks and Cisco CUBE Integration Expertise
• Cisco Duo MFA Two-factor Authentication Services for Teleworkers
• Design Expertise for Cisco-powered Datacenters and Colocation Centers
• Infrastructure Design Services for ISPs