Cisco Expert Network Consulting

A wealth of network management utilities from Cisco and other vendors highlights the value and complexity of maintaining networks. Progent's seasoned network management engineers are expert at helping companies design network management solutions based on Simple Network Management Protocol, Syslog, and NetFlow protocols to create powerful tools for network bandwidth usage and network latency, monitoring important router and switch performance metrics, and recognizing traffic patterns, processes, and appliances utilizing available resources.

Progent can help customers to utilize a broad selection of open source and proprietary monitoring and management products to manage Cisco infrastructure. Tools used by Progent's engineers include Cacti, Nagios, Paessler Router Traffic Grapher, Cisco Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager, Cisco Network Assistant, CiscoWorks, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, Concord E-Health, AlterPoint DeviceAuthority, Adventnet Netflow, Big Brother, Solarwinds Orion, and NetMRI.

Network management platforms can help IT administrators to understand existing network utilization and intelligently plan for downstream traffic expansion. Management utilities can also be used to detect poor or inappropriate uses of system resources, such as streaming video, peer-to-peer file sharing, etc. that can use up valuable or limited network resources. An efficiently designed network management solution can also help companies to make informed decisions on wide and local area network upgrades once they understand the amount of system bandwidth really needed at various times.

Having an effective network management platform in operation in advance is essential to avoid major problems that can be caused by DoS attacks and malicious viruses/Trojans. Such assaults can render the network unstable and without proper utilities it can be time consuming, and in some cases virtually impossible, to find the source of the trouble.

Network Management Solutions from Cisco
Cisco has created a selection of powerful utilities that should be the basis for any network management strategy. Utilized in combination with appropriate outside vendor applications, Cisco's network management software can enhance the competitive value of networks for organizations of any size by improving important areas such as resource utilization, throughput, availability, security, repair, and scalability. Cisco's top network management tools include:

Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM) is a web Java applet that lets you set up and monitor the management utilities on network devices. Cisco ASDM is loaded by the Cisco appliance, and allows you to configure, monitor, and manage the device.

Monitor Manager is a comprehensive management solution developed for the requirements of small and medium-sized businesses. Monitor Manager actively monitors important device processes on voice/data environments serving 5 to 250 users and equipped with as many as 250 Voice over IP phones. Cisco Monitor Manager offers:

• Real-time scanning of important device processes on Cisco SMB-class routers and switches, Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, Unity Express, security appliances, access points, and VoIP phones
• Compatibility with the Unified Communications 500 Series for organizations with up to 50 workers

• Voice and data network discovery and topology
• Physical and service level views of Unified Communications deployment
• System wide inventory collection and reporting
• Advanced security and reliable operation
• Cisco device operations monitoring
• VoIP Telephony monitoring
• Interface status and data traffic monitoring
• Real-time alerts and notices
• Documentation
• Configuration log

Cisco Network Assistant is a desktop-hosted network management tool designed for for LANs and WLANS for growing companies that have as many as 40 switches and routers. By running Cisco's Smartports technology, the application simplifies setup, installation, and continuing management and support of Cisco-powered environments. It provides a unified network view and permits IT administrators to employ its functions across Cisco switches, routers, and WAPs.

Cisco Security Manager is a powerful but easy-to-use solution for centrally provisioning all aspects of appliance configuration and security policies for Cisco PIX and ASA security appliances, VPNs, and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS). Cisco Security Manager effectively handles even small networks consisting of fewer than ten appliances, but also scales to manage enterprise systems with thousands of Cisco routers, security appliances, and switch services modules. Scalability is enabled through intelligent policy-driven management procedures that can streamline administrative overhead. Key features of Security Manager are:

• Supports control of Cisco routers running an IOS security image, ASA 5500 family security appliances, PIX security appliances, IPS 4200 family sensors, and Cisco Catalyst 6500 security services modules
• Respond faster. more rapidly to attacks: define and assign updated policies to thousands of devices in just a few steps
• Intuitive GUI offers exceptional ease-of-use
• A variety of views that provide flexible ways to manage appliances and security policies including the capability to manage the security environment graphically on a topology image
• Comprehensive video training for the new user to accelerate training period
• Centrally call out which policies are common and inherited by additional devices to make sure corporate policies are implemented consistently, at the same time providing optional flexibility to customize policies at the local device level
• Ability to build a common rule database for all Cisco firewalls with smart evaluation of firewall policies to determine anomalies in the rule table
• Quickly configure location-to-location, hub-and-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 appliances and administration functions
• Operation with Cisco security MARS to associate events against related security appliance rules to help with faster decision making and increased system up time
• Ability to allocate particular jobs to each administrator in the course of the deployment of a policy, with structured change management and logging; permits the security and systems operations team to work cooperatively as a cohesive group with effective teamwork

Progent can also show you how to use network management applications to monitor and classify network data to implement traffic shaping, which permits you to program Cisco routers to enforce different throughput constraints on designated classes of processes based on the priorities you assign. By storing and sorting excess packets above your committed rates, and by assigning priority to business-critical processes, traffic shaping can prevent ISP excess usage penalties from spinning out of reach and/or eliminate gaps in worker productivity caused by brute force policing of your network bandwidth limits during periods of heavy demand.

Progent's CISA and ISSAP security specialists can help you to develop a comprehensive security strategy that incorporates your network management solution, and Progent's remote and on-premises network specialists and Cisco CCIE-certified consultants can use advanced network management tools to isolate and repair problems rapidly to keep your IT system in business.

For additional information concerning Progent's engineering assistance for Cisco networking products, select a subject:

• Introduction to Cisco Expertise
• Fast and Affordable Online Help from a CCIE Engineer
• Cisco Firepower Series Firewalls: Integration and Troubleshooting Services
• ASA 5500-X Firewall with Firepower Services: Configuration and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco ASA 5500 Firewalls Management Services
• Cisco PIX Series Firewall Management Services
• Cisco Routers Configuration and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Cisco Wireless Consulting Expertise
• Aironet APs Consulting Support
• Cisco Small Business WiFi APs Deployment Services
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Integration Consulting
• Meraki APs Engineering Services
• 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 Wireless VoIP Phone Solutions
• Cisco Jabber Consulting and Support Services
• Cisco Catalyst Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Nexus Switches Support and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Meraki MS Switches Deployment Expertise
• Cisco Security and VPN Consulting Assistance
• SIP and CUBE Infrastructure Solutions: SIP PSTN Trunks and Cisco CUBE Integration Consulting
• Design Solutions for Cisco-powered Data Centers
• Infrastructure Optimization Consulting for ISPs