Cisco Expert Network Consulting

Network management systems assist companies to deploy infrastructure efficiently, look up user information rapidly, track network health, debug problems, protect against and react to threats, and maximize responsiveness. Network management tools can spot inefficient or improper uses of network services such as streaming media or peer-to-peer file sharing that can waste bandwidth, reduce worker output or leave you vulnerable to data leaks. A prudently planned network management environment can also assist organizations to make informed network enhancement decisions by exposing tendencies in resource demand for different times or jos.

Cisco has developed a diverse and growing portfolio of network management solutions that support unified management for local, cloud-based, or hybrid network architectures. With Cisco's newer security, switching, and wireless networking devices, you can run Meraki, Cisco DNA Center, or CLI management platforms for network management. For instance, you can connect newer Catalyst or Meraki switches and Catalyst or Meraki WiFi 6/6E APs to the Meraki dashboard to manage critical components of your IT infrastructure from the cloud. Progent's Cisco Catalyst WiFi AP consultants, Meraki WiFi AP consultants, Catalyst switches consulting experts, and Cisco Meraki switches consultants can help you to plan, implement and optimize an up-to-date environment for network management.

Legacy Network Management Tools from Cisco and Others
An abundance of network management utilities from Cisco and third-party vendors underscores the value and difficulty of network management. Progent's seasoned network management engineers are expert at assisting businesses design management strategies utilizing on Simple Network Management Protocol, Syslog, and NetFlow protocols to build effective mechanisms for tracking network bandwidth usage and latency, monitoring key router and switch operational metrics, and identifying traffic profiles, applications, and devices utilizing network resources.

Progent can help customers to utilize a broad range of free and proprietary management utilities to manage a Cisco-powered environment. Tools used by Progent's consultants include MRTG, Nagios, PRTG, Cisco Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager, Cisco Network Assistant, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, Concord E-Health, Adventnet Netflow and Firewall Analyzer, Big Brother, and NetMRI.

Network management tools can allow organizations to be aware of existing network utilization and effectively prepare for future capacity expansion. Management tools can also be deployed to detect poor or inappropriate utilization of network resources, such as streaming video, peer-to-peer file sharing, etc. that can use up valuable or limited network bandwidth. A carefully planned network management plan can also help businesses to make intelligent decisions on wide and local area network enhancements after they recognize the amount of system bandwidth actually required at various times.

Putting an efficient network management platform in place in advance is critical to avoid severe problems that can be caused by Denial Of Service (DoS) attacks and malicious viruses/Trojans. These assaults can render the network unstable and without appropriate utilities it can be time consuming, and in some cases virtually impossible, to identify the location of the trouble.

Network Management Products from Cisco
Cisco has created a variety of powerful tools that should be the basis for any network management strategy. Utilized in combination with the top outside vendor applications, Cisco's network management offerings can improve the business value of network infrastructures for companies of any size by helping with key areas such as resource utilization, throughput, availability, protection, troubleshooting, and capacity planning. Cisco's top network management tools include:

Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM) is a browser-based Java applet that lets you set up and operate the software on security appliances. Cisco ASDM is installed by the network appliance, and allows you to configure, track, and control the device.

Monitor Manager is a management application intended to handle the needs of small and medium-sized companies. Cisco Monitor Manager actively tracks important device processes on voice/data networks used by 5 to 250 workers and equipped with as many as 250 VoIP phones. The application offers:

• Up-to-date monitoring of key appliance processes on SMB-class routers, switches, and voice gateways, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, Cisco Unity Express, security appliances, WAPs, and VoIP phones
• Compatibility with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for organizations with as many as 50 users

• Network discovery and physical topology
• Device and process views of Unified Communications deployment
• System wide device identification logging and documentation
• Advanced security and reliable communication
• Appliance performance tracking
• Cisco Unified IP Telephony monitoring
• Connection status and traffic monitoring
• Immediate alerts and event notification
• Reports
• Setup log

Network Assistant is a desktop-hosted network management tool designed for for wired and wireless LANs (WLANs) for growing organizations with as many as 40 switches and routers. By running Smartports technology, the application streamlines configuration, installation, and ongoing administration and support of Cisco-based networks. Cisco Network Assistant provides a unified system view and allows IT managers to deploy its features among Cisco switches, routers, and access points.

Security Manager is a highly functional but easy-to-use solution for centrally provisioning all facets of device configuration and policies for firewalls, virtual private networks, and Intrusion Prevention Systems. The solution effectively handles even small environments consisting of fewer than ten devices, but also expands to manage large-scale networks composed of thousands of devices. Scalability is enabled through intelligent policy-based control techniques that can streamline administrative overhead. Key features of Security Manager are:

• Allows provisioning for Cisco routers running an IOS security software image, Cisco ASA 5500 firewalls, PIX security appliances, IPS 4200 Series sensors, and Catalyst 6500 security services modules
• Reacts faster. more rapidly to attacks: specify and apply new security policies to thousands of appliances in just a few steps
• Intuitive graphical user interface offers exceptional ease-of-use
• A variety of views that offer versatile methods to control devices and security policies such as the capability to administer the security network graphically on a system topology image
• Extensive video training for the novice operator to accelerate learning time
• Centrally call out which policies are common and inherited by new devices to make sure corporate policies are configured consistently, while providing sufficient versatility to modify policies at the local device level
• Capability to build a common rule table for all Cisco firewalls with smart analysis of firewall policies to determine anomalies in the rule base
• Easily configure location-to-location, hub-and-spoke, full-mesh IPsec, or extranet VPN interfaces with a few mouse clicks
• Integration with Cisco ACS for granular role based access control to appliances and management functions
• Integration with security MARS system to associate events against corresponding firewall rules to promote quicker management decisions and increased network up time
• Ability to assign particular tasks to each administrator in the course of the deployment of a policy, with formal change management and logging; allows the security and systems operations team to act together as a single group with effective teamwork

Progent can also assist you to utilize network management tools to analyze and classify network data to implement traffic shaping, which permits you to set up routers to enforce different throughput restrictions on designated classes of activity according to the priorities you assign. By storing and sorting excess packets that exceed your contracted rates, and by giving priority to business-critical processes, traffic shaping can prevent Internet Service Provider excess usage penalties from spiraling out of control and/or avoid gaps in productivity caused by indiscriminate policing of your network bandwidth restrictions during periods of heavy demand.

Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security specialists can help you to develop a comprehensive security strategy that incorporates your network management processes, and Progent's remote and in person network experts and Cisco CCIE-certified engineers can utilize the latest network monitoring and analysis technology to identify and remediate problems quickly to keep your IT system in business.

To find out more information concerning Progent's professional support for Cisco products, 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
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Firepower Services: Integration and Troubleshooting Expertise
• ASA 5500 Series Firewall Upgrade. Migration Services
• Cisco PIX 500 Series Firewall Management Support
• Cisco Routers Configuration and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Cisco Wireless Network Design Expertise
• Cisco Aironet Wireless APs Engineering Support
• Cisco Small Business Wireless Access Points Deployment Services
• Catalyst 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6/6E Wireless Access Points Planning, Configuration and Debugging Expertise
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Support Services
• Cisco Meraki APs Design Support
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Consulting and Technical Support
• Cisco Voice over IP (VoIP) Phones and IP Video Phones Consulting and Cisco Wireless VoIP Phone Configuration
• Cisco Jabber Deployment Services
• Cisco Catalyst Switches Consulting and Support Expertise
• Cisco Nexus Switches Consulting and Support Services
• Cisco Meraki MS Switches Configuration and Maintenance Services
• Cisco VPN and Security Setup and Troubleshooting Assistance
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP Trunks and CUBE Integration Expertise
• Cisco Duo MFA Two-factor Authentication Services for Teleworkers
• Infrastructure Design for Cisco-powered Datacenters
• Network Design Expertise for Internet Service Providers