An abundance of network management tools from Cisco and other suppliers underscores the importance and difficulty of maintaining networks. Progent's seasoned network management consultants are experienced at helping businesses design network management strategies based on Simple Network Management Protocol, Syslog, and NetFlow protocols to create effective tools for network utilization and network latency, viewing important router and switch operational characteristics, and recognizing traffic profiles, processes, and appliances utilizing network resources.
Progent can assist customers to deploy a broad selection of free and license-based management products to maintain a Cisco-powered environment. Utilities used by Progent's consultants include MRTG, Nagios, PRTG, Cisco Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager, Cisco Monitor Manager, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, Wireshark/Ethereal, AlterPoint DeviceAuthority, Advent and Firewall Analyzer, Big Brother, and NetMRI.
Network management tools can allow organizations to be aware of existing system usage and intelligently prepare for future capacity expansion. Network management tools can also be deployed to highlight poor or improper utilization of network services, for example streaming multimedia, peer-to-peer file exchange, etc. that can waste valuable or scarce network resources. A well crafted network management strategy can also enable businesses to arrive at informed choices on system enhancements after they recognize how much network bandwidth actually required at any one time.
Having an efficient network management platform in place in advance is vital to prevent severe disruptions that can be caused by Denial Of Service attacks and malicious viruses/Trojans. Such events can render the network unusable and in the absence of proper utilities it can be time consuming, and sometimes practically impossible, to find the source of the trouble.
Network Management Products from Cisco
Cisco has created an assortment of powerful utilities that should form the foundation for any management solution. Used in combination with the top third-party tools, Cisco's network management offerings can enhance the business value of networks for companies of all sizes by addressing key areas such as resource utilization, performance, resilience, security, repair, and capacity planning. Cisco's top network management products include:
Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager is a browser-based utility that permits you configure and operate the management utilities built into network appliances. Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager is installed by the network device, and allows you to configure, track, and manage the unit.
Monitor Manager is a management and monitoring application developed to address the needs of small and midsize businesses (SMBs). Monitor Manager actively scans important appliance parameters on voice/data environments used by five to 250 users and equipped with as many as 250 IP phones. Monitor Manager offers:
Network Assistant is a PC-based management tool designed for for wired and wireless LANs (WLANs) for expanding companies that have up to 40 Cisco switches and routers. By utilizing Smartports technology, Network Assistant streamlines configuration, deployment, and continuing management and maintenance of Cisco networks. Cisco Network Assistant offers a centralized network view and allows network managers to employ 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 device set up and policies for PIX and ASA firewalls, VPNs, and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS). Security Manager effectively handles even small environments consisting of no more than than ten appliances, but also expands to manage enterprise networks with thousands of routers, switches, and firewalls. Expansion is enabled via smart policy-driven control procedures that can simplify administrative overhead. Key features of Cisco Security Manager are:
Progent can also show you how to use network management utilities to analyze and classify network data to enable traffic shaping, which allows you to configure Cisco routers to impose a variety of bandwidth constraints on designated classes of processes based on the priorities you specify. By buffering and queuing excess packets above your contracted rates, and by assigning preference to the most important processes, traffic shaping can prevent Internet Service Provider excess usage penalties from spinning out of reach and/or avoid gaps in worker productivity caused by indiscriminate enforcement of your network traffic volume restrictions during periods of heavy demand.
Progent's CISA and ISSAP security consultants can help you to develop an end-to-end security plan that encompasses your network management processes, and Progent's remote and in person support specialists and Cisco CCIE-certified engineers can use advanced network monitoring and analysis tools to identify and fix problems rapidly to keep your IT system in business.
To learn additional details concerning Progent's consulting assistance for Cisco solutions, choose a topic: