Cisco Expert Network Consultants

Network management platforms help organizations to implement infrastructure effectively, look up client information quickly, monitor network operation, debug issues, defend against and react to cyber attacks, and maximize responsiveness. Network management tools can help detect inefficient or inappropriate uses of network resources such as streaming media or peer-to-peer file sharing that can waste bandwidth, reduce employee output or leave you vulnerable to data leakage. A well crafted network management solution can also help organizations to make smart capacity planning decisions by showing tendencies in network demand for various periods or types of tasks.

Cisco has developed a rich and expanding portfolio of network management platforms that support unified management for local, cloud-based, or hybrid network models. With Cisco's later generation of security, switching, and wireless infrastructure products, 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 WiFi 6/6E APs to the Meraki dashboard to manage critical components of your network infrastructure from the cloud. Progent's Cisco Catalyst WiFi access point experts, Meraki WiFi AP experts, Catalyst switches consultants, and Meraki switches experts can assist you to plan, implement and tune a modern solution for network management.

Traditional Network Management Platforms from Cisco and Others
A wealth of network management utilities from Cisco and third-party suppliers highlights the value and complexity of maintaining networks. Progent's seasoned network management engineers are experienced at assisting businesses design management solutions utilizing on Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Syslog, and Cisco IOS NetFlow to build effective tools for tracking network bandwidth usage and network latency, monitoring important router and switch performance metrics, and identifying traffic profiles, processes, and devices that use available services.

Progent can help businesses to utilize a broad range of open source and license-based management products to maintain a Cisco network. Utilities familiar to Progent's consultants include MRTG, Nagios, PRTG, Cisco Cisco ASDM, Cisco Network Assistant, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, Concord E-Health, Adventnet Netflow and Firewall Analyzer, Big Brother, and Necordia NetMRI.

Network management tools can allow organizations to understand current system usage and effectively plan for future traffic increases. Management utilities can also be used to detect poor or inappropriate utilization of network services, such as streaming video, peer-to-peer sharing, etc. that can use up expensive or limited network resources. An efficiently crafted network management plan can also aid organizations to arrive at informed choices on WAN and LAN enhancements after they recognize the amount of network bandwidth historically required at specific times.

Putting an effective network management system in place beforehand is vital to avoid major problems that can follow DoS attacks and malicious viruses/Trojans. These assaults can leave the network unstable and in the absence of proper tools it can be time consuming, if not practically impossible, to discover the location of the trouble.

Network Management Solutions from Cisco
Cisco offers an assortment of powerful tools that should form the foundation for any network management strategy. Used in combination with appropriate outside vendor tools, Cisco's network management offerings can improve the business value of network infrastructures for organizations of all sizes by addressing key areas such as system utilization, throughput, availability, protection, repair, and capacity planning. Cisco's most popular network management products include:

Cisco ASDM is a browser-based Java applet that allows you to set up and operate the management utilities built into security devices. Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager is loaded by the Cisco appliance, and enables you to configure, monitor, and control the device.

Cisco Monitor Manager is a management application developed to handle the requirements of small and medium-sized companies. Cisco Monitor Manager actively checks key device processes on voice and data environments serving five to 250 users and equipped with up to 250 Voice over IP phones. Cisco Monitor Manager offers:

• Real-time tracking of important device parameters on Cisco SMB-class network appliances, Unified Communications Manager Express, Unity Express, security devices, wireless access points, and Cisco Unified IP Phones
• Ability to manage the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series appliance for organizations with up to 50 users

• Voice and data network discovery and physical topology
• Device and process views of Cisco Unified Communications implementation
• Networkwide device identification logging and reporting
• Advanced security and dependable communication
• Device performance tracking
• VoIP Telephony monitoring
• Connection status and data traffic monitoring
• Real-time alarms and notices
• Documentation
• Configuration log

Cisco Network Assistant is a desktop-hosted network management tool designed for for wired and wireless LANs (WLANs) for growing companies that have as many as 40 switches and routers. By running Cisco's Smartports mechanism, Network Assistant streamlines configuration, installation, and ongoing administration and support of Cisco-powered environments. It offers a unified network view and permits IT administrators to employ its features across switches, routers, and access points.

Cisco Security Manager is a highly functional but easy-to-use solution for centrally provisioning all facets of appliance configuration and security policies for Cisco PIX and ASA security appliances, virtual private networks, and IPS. Cisco Security Manager efficiently handles even small networks consisting of no more than than ten devices, but also expands to control enterprise networks composed of thousands of devices. Scalability is enabled through smart policy-based control procedures that can streamline administration. Key features of Security Manager are:

• Allows provisioning for Cisco routers running a Cisco IOS security software image, Cisco ASA 5500 Series security appliances, PIX security appliances, IPS 4200 Series inline security appliances, and Cisco Catalyst 6500 family security services modules
• Respond faster. more rapidly to attacks: define and apply updated policies to thousands of appliances in just a few steps
• Rich GUI offers superior ease-of-use
• A variety of views that provide versatile ways to manage devices and security policies including the ability to administer the security environment graphically on a system topology image
• Extensive video help for the first-time user to speed up training period
• Centrally specify which policies are common and automatically inherited by new devices to make sure company-wide policies are configured consistently, while providing optional flexibility to customize policies at the local device level
• Ability to build a common firewall rule database for Cisco platforms with intelligent analysis of firewall policies to determine anomalies within the rule base
• Quickly configure location-to-location, hub-and-spoke, full-mesh IPsec, or extranet VPN connections by means of a few mouse clicks
• Integration with Cisco Access Control Server (ACS) for low-level role based access control to devices and administration services
• Integration with Cisco security MARS to associate monitored data with corresponding firewall rules to promote quicker management decisions and increased system availability
• Capability to assign specific jobs to each manager in the course of the implementation of a policy, with structured change control and tracking; permits the security and network operations team to work together as a cohesive unit with effective teamwork

Progent can also show you how to use network management utilities to analyze and classify system data to implement traffic shaping, which allows you to set up routers to impose a variety of throughput constraints on designated types of processes according to the priorities you assign. By buffering and sorting data packets above your committed volume, and by assigning priority to the most important processes, traffic shaping can prevent ISP excess usage penalties from spinning out of control and/or avoid gaps in productivity caused by brute force enforcement of your network traffic volume limits during periods of heavy use.

Progent's CISA and ISSAP security specialists can show you how to develop a comprehensive security strategy that incorporates your network management processes, and Progent's remote and on-site network experts and Cisco CCIE-certified consultants can use the latest network management tools to identify and fix trouble quickly to keep your IT system in business.

For more details about Progent's engineering expertise for Cisco networking products, pick a topic:

• Overview of Cisco Engineering Services
• Fast Online Assistance from a Cisco CCIE Network Engineer
• Cisco Firepower Series Firewalls: Integration and Troubleshooting Support
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Cisco Firepower Services: Consulting and Troubleshooting Services
• ASA 5500 Firewall Troubleshooting Assistance
• Cisco PIX 500 Firewall Management Expertise
• Cisco Routers Consulting Expertise
• Cisco Wireless Network Design Services
• Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Points Design Services
• Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Wireless Access Points System Design Help
• Catalyst Wi-Fi 6/6E APs Planning, Configuration and Troubleshooting Services
• Cisco WiFi Controllers Experts
• Cisco Meraki Wireless APs Engineering Services
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Consulting and Technical Support
• Cisco Voice over IP Phones and IP Video Desktop Phones Consulting Services and Wireless IP Phone Integration
• Cisco Jabber Consulting and Support Services
• Catalyst Switches Deployment Expertise
• Cisco Nexus Switches Support and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Meraki Switches Support and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Cisco VPN Engineering Services
• SIP and CUBE Infrastructure Solutions: SIP Trunks and CUBE Integration Consulting
• Cisco Duo MFA Two-factor Authentication Services for At-Home Workers
• Design Expertise for Cisco-based Datacenters
• Network Optimization Expertise for Internet Service Providers