A wealth of network management utilities from Cisco and other suppliers highlights the value and complexity of supporting IT infrastructure. Progent's Cisco-certified network management engineers are experienced at helping businesses develop management strategies based on Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Syslog, and Cisco Netflow protocols to create powerful tools for network bandwidth usage and network latency, viewing key router and switch performance metrics, and identifying traffic patterns, applications, and appliances that use available resources.
Progent can assist businesses to utilize a broad range of open source and license-based monitoring and management utilities to maintain a Cisco network. Tools used by Progent's consultants include MRTG, Nagios, PRTG, Cisco Cisco ASDM, Cisco Monitor Manager, Cisco Network Assistant, CiscoWorks, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, AlterPoint DeviceAuthority, Advent and Firewall Analyzer, Solarwinds Orion, and Necordia NetMRI.
Network management platforms can help IT administrators to be aware of current system utilization and effectively plan for future traffic increases. Management tools can also be deployed to detect poor or improper uses of system resources, such as streaming audio and video, peer-to-peer sharing, etc. that can use up valuable or scarce network resources. An efficiently crafted network management plan can also aid organizations to make intelligent choices on wide and local area network improvements once they appreciate the amount of network bandwidth historically required at any one time.
Putting an efficient network management solution in operation ahead of time is vital to avoid major problems that can follow Denial Of Service (DoS) attacks and dangerous viruses. These events can render the network unstable and without appropriate tools it can be time consuming, if not practically impossible, to identify the location of the problem.
Network Management Tools from Cisco
Cisco has developed an assortment of powerful tools that should be the basis for any network management strategy. Used in conjunction with the top third-party products, Cisco's network management software can enhance the competitive value of network infrastructures for organizations of all sizes by helping with important areas such as resource utilization, throughput, resilience, security, troubleshooting, and scalability. Cisco's top network management tools include:
Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM) is a web utility that permits you set up and monitor the management utilities on network appliances. Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager is loaded by the Cisco device, and enables you to set up, track, and manage the device.
Monitor Manager is a management application designed to handle the requirements of small and medium-sized companies. Cisco Monitor Manager actively scans key appliance parameters on voice and data networks used by five to 250 users and equipped with as many as 250 IP phones. Cisco Monitor Manager provides:
Cisco Network Assistant is a desktop-hosted management application designed for for wired and wireless LANs (WLANs) for growing organizations that have up to 40 switches and routers. By using Smartports technology, Network Assistant simplifies setup, installation, and continuing administration and maintenance of Cisco-based networks. Cisco Network Assistant provides a unified system view and permits network managers to deploy its features among switches, routers, and wireless access points.
Security Manager is a feature-rich but simple to operate application for centrally provisioning all facets of device set up and policies for Cisco firewalls, virtual private networks, and Intrusion Prevention Systems. Cisco Security Manager efficiently manages even small environments consisting of no more than than ten devices, but also expands to control large-scale systems with thousands of routers, switches, and firewalls. Expansion is enabled through smart policy-driven control techniques that can simplify administration. Key features of Security Manager are:
Progent can also assist you to utilize network management utilities to monitor and categorize network data to enable traffic shaping, which allows you to program Cisco routers to enforce a variety of throughput constraints on certain types of activity based on the priorities you specify. By storing and queuing data packets that exceed your contracted volume, and by giving preference to critical processes, traffic shaping can prevent Internet Service Provider excess usage charges from spinning out of control and/or eliminate gaps in worker productivity resulting from indiscriminate enforcement of your network bandwidth restrictions during peak use.
Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security specialists can help you to develop an end-to-end security plan that encompasses your network management solution, and Progent's remote and in person network specialists and Cisco CCIE and CNA qualified consultants can utilize advanced network management tools to identify and repair problems quickly to keep your IT system running smoothly.
For additional details concerning Progent's engineering assistance for Cisco solutions, select a topic: