Cisco Certified Network Consulting

Network management platforms help companies to implement infrastructure efficiently, look up user information rapidly, monitor network operation, troubleshoot problems, defend against and react to cyber attacks, and optimize responsiveness. Network management systems can spot inefficient or improper uses of network services such as streaming multimedia or peer-to-peer file sharing that can waste bandwidth, lower worker output or enable data leakage. A well crafted network management environment can also assist organizations to make smart network enhancement moves by exposing trends in resource usage for various periods or types of jos.

Cisco has developed a rich and growing portfolio of infrastructure management solutions that support centralized management for local, cloud-based, or hybrid network architectures. With Cisco's later security, switching, and Wi-Fi networking devices, you can run Meraki, DNA Center, or CLI management platforms for network 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 monitor and manage critical components of your network infrastructure from the cloud. Progent's Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi access point experts, Cisco Meraki Wi-Fi AP consulting experts, Catalyst switches consultants, and Meraki switches experts can help your organization to plan, implement and optimize a modern environment for network management.

Legacy Network Management Tools from Cisco and Others
An abundance of network management utilities from Cisco and third-party suppliers underscores the importance and complexity of network management. Progent's seasoned network management consultants are experienced at helping businesses develop management strategies based on Simple Network Management Protocol, SYSLOG services, and Cisco Netflow protocols to create powerful tools for tracking network utilization and network latency, monitoring key router and switch operational characteristics, and recognizing traffic profiles, processes, and devices that use available services.

Progent can assist businesses to deploy a rich selection of open source and proprietary management tools to maintain Cisco infrastructure. Tools used by Progent's engineers include MRTG, Cacti, Nagios, PRTG, Cisco Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager, Cisco Monitor Manager, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, Concord E-Health, AlterPoint DeviceAuthority, Adventnet Netflow, Big Brother, and NetMRI.

Network management tools can allow organizations to be aware of existing network usage and effectively plan for future traffic expansion. Management utilities can also be deployed to highlight inefficient or inappropriate uses of system resources, for example streaming video, peer-to-peer file exchange, etc. that can eat up valuable or limited network bandwidth. A well planned network management solution can also enable businesses to arrive at informed decisions on wide and local area network improvements once they appreciate the amount of system resources historically needed at various times.

Having an efficient network management solution in operation ahead of time is vital to prevent severe problems that can be caused by DoS attacks and dangerous viruses. These events can leave the network unstable and without appropriate utilities it can be difficult, and sometimes practically impossible, to identify the location of the trouble.

Network Management Solutions from Cisco
Cisco has created an array of effective tools that should form the basis for any network management strategy. Utilized in combination with appropriate 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 system utilization, throughput, resilience, security, repair, and scalability. Cisco's top network management products include:

Cisco ASDM is a browser-based utility that lets you set up and operate the management utilities built into security appliances. Adaptive Security Device Manager is installed by the Cisco device, and enables you to set up, monitor, and control the device.

Monitor Manager is a management and monitoring application developed for the requirements of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Cisco Monitor Manager continuously tracks important appliance processes on voice and data networks used by 5 to 250 users and equipped with as many as 250 IP phones. Cisco Monitor Manager offers:

• Up-to-date monitoring of key device processes on small and midsize business-class routers and switches, Unified Communications Manager Express, Unity Express, security appliances, wireless access points, and IP phones
• Ability to manage the Unified Communications 500 Series for organizations with up to 50 users

• Voice and data network discovery and topology
• Physical and service level looks at Cisco Unified Communications deployment
• System wide inventory collection and reporting
• Highly secure and dependable operation
• Cisco device operations monitoring
• Cisco Unified IP Telephony monitoring
• Connection status and traffic tracking
• Immediate alarms and notices
• Documentation
• Setup log

Network Assistant is a desktop-hosted network management application optimized for wired and wireless LANs (WLANs) for growing companies that have up to 40 Cisco switches and routers. By utilizing Smartports technology, the application streamlines setup, installation, and ongoing administration and maintenance of Cisco-based networks. Cisco Network Assistant provides a centralized network view and permits network administrators to deploy its features among switches, routers, and WAPs.

Cisco Security Manager is a feature-rich but easy-to-use application for centrally provisioning all facets of appliance configuration and security policies for Cisco firewalls, virtual private networks, and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS). Cisco Security Manager effectively manages even small environments with fewer than ten appliances, but also scales to control enterprise systems composed of thousands of Cisco routers, security appliances, and switch services modules. Scalability is achieved through intelligent policy-based management techniques that can streamline administrative overhead. Key features of Security Manager include:

• Supports provisioning for Cisco routers configured with an IOS security software image, Cisco ASA 5500 Series adaptive security appliances, PIX firewalls, IPS 4200 Series inline security appliances, and Catalyst 6500 family security services modules
• Reacts more quickly to attacks: specify and assign updated policies to many hundreds of appliances in a few easy steps
• Rich GUI offers exceptional ease-of-use
• A variety of views that provide flexible methods to manage appliances and security policies including the ability to manage the security environment visually on a topology map
• Comprehensive video help for the novice operator to reduce learning time
• Centrally specify which policies are shared and inherited by additional devices to ensure company-wide policies are implemented consistently, while offering optional versatility to modify policies at the local appliance level
• Capability to build a single firewall rule database for Cisco firewalls with intelligent evaluation of firewall policies to detect conflicts within the rule base
• Easily configure location-to-location, hub-spoke, full mesh, or extranet Virtual Private Network interfaces with a few mouse clicks
• Compatibility with Cisco ACS for granular role based access management to devices and administration functions
• Integration with security MARS to associate events with corresponding firewall rules to support quicker decision making and enhanced system up time
• Capability to allocate specific tasks to each manager during the deployment of a policy, with formal change management and tracking; permits the security and systems operations staff to work in sync as a cohesive group with effective coordination

Progent can also help you to use network management utilities to analyze and classify system data to enable traffic shaping, which permits you to configure routers to enforce a variety of throughput restrictions on designated classes of processes based on the importance you specify. By storing and queuing excess packets that exceed your contracted volume, and by giving preference to business-critical applications, traffic shaping can prevent service provider overage charges from spiraling out of reach and/or eliminate lost productivity caused by indiscriminate enforcement of your network traffic volume limits during peak demand.

Progent's CISM and CISSP security professionals can show you how to create an end-to-end security strategy that incorporates your network management solution, and Progent's remote and in person network specialists and Cisco CCIE-certified engineers can use the latest network management technology to identify and remediate trouble quickly to keep your IT system in business.

To learn more information about Progent's professional help for Cisco solutions, select a topic:

• Overview of Cisco Support
• Fast and Affordable Remote Assistance from a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Network Engineer
• Cisco Firepower Series Firewalls: Configuration and Troubleshooting Services
• ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Cisco Firepower: Consulting and Management Expertise
• ASA 5500 Firewalls Engineering Assistance
• Cisco PIX Firewall Troubleshooting Help
• Cisco Routers Configuration and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco Wireless Engineering Expertise
• Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Points Consulting Expertise
• Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi Access Points System Design Support
• Catalyst 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6/6E Access Points Planning, Deployment and Debugging Support
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Integration Consulting
• Meraki Wireless Access Points Engineering Services
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Integration and Troubleshooting
• Cisco Voice over IP (VoIP) Phones and IP Video Phones Consulting and Cisco Wireless IP Phone Configuration
• Cisco Jabber and Management Services
• Catalyst Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Nexus Switches Support and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Meraki Switches Support and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Cisco VPN and Security Integration Help
• SIP and CUBE Integration Solutions: SIP Trunks and Cisco CUBE Integration Consulting
• Cisco Duo MFA Two-factor Authentication (2FA) Services for an At-Home Workforce
• Design Expertise for Cisco-powered Datacenters and Colocation Centers
• Data Center Optimization Services for ISPs