Cisco Certified Network Consulting

A wealth of network management tools from Cisco and third-party vendors underscores the importance and complexity of maintaining networks. Progent's Cisco qualified network management consultants are experienced at assisting companies develop management solutions utilizing on Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Syslog, and Cisco Netflow protocols to create effective mechanisms for understanding network utilization and network latency, monitoring key router and switch performance metrics, and recognizing traffic patterns, processes, and devices that use network services.

Progent can help customers to deploy a rich range of open source and proprietary monitoring and management tools to maintain a Cisco-powered environment. Tools used by Progent's engineers include MRTG, Cacti, Nagios, PRTG, Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM), Cisco Monitor Manager, CiscoWorks, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, Concord E-Health, Adventnet Netflow, Solarwinds Orion, and Necordia NetMRI.

Network management platforms can allow organizations to understand current network usage and intelligently plan for downstream traffic expansion. Network management utilities can also be deployed to detect inefficient or inappropriate uses of network resources, for example streaming audio and video, peer-to-peer file sharing, etc. that can waste valuable and scarce network resources. A carefully planned network management strategy can also assist companies to make intelligent choices on wide and local area network upgrades once they recognize the amount of network resources actually needed at various times.

Having an effective network management solution in operation in advance is essential to avoid major disruptions that can be due to Denial Of Service attacks and malicious viruses. These assaults can render the network unusable and without appropriate utilities it can be difficult, and sometimes virtually impossible, to find the source of the problem.

Network Management Products from Cisco
Cisco offers an array of effective tools that should form the basis for any network management strategy. Utilized in combination with appropriate outside vendor applications, Cisco's network management offerings can improve the business value of network infrastructures for organizations of all sizes by addressing key areas such as resource utilization, throughput, resilience, protection, repair, and capacity planning. Cisco's top network management tools include:

Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager is a browser-based Java applet that permits you configure and monitor the software built into network appliances. Adaptive Security Device Manager is loaded by the Cisco appliance, and allows you to configure, track, and manage the unit.

Monitor Manager is a management and monitoring application designed for the requirements of small and midsize companies. Cisco Monitor Manager actively scans important device parameters on voice and data networks serving five to 250 users and with as many as 250 Voice over IP phones. Monitor Manager offers:

• Real-time monitoring of key appliance processes on Cisco SMB-class routers and switches, Communications Manager Express, Unity Express, security devices, WAPs, and VoIP phones
• Support for the Unified Communications 500 Series for companies with up to 50 users

• Network discovery and topology
• Device and process looks at Unified Communications implementation
• Networkwide device identification collection and documentation
• Advanced security and dependable communication
• Device performance monitoring
• IP Telephony monitoring
• Interface status and traffic monitoring
• Immediate alerts and notices
• Documentation
• Setup log

Network Assistant is a desktop-based network management application designed for for wired and wireless LANs (WLANs) for expanding organizations that have as many as 40 Cisco switches and routers. By running Smartports technology, Cisco Network Assistant simplifies setup, installation, and ongoing administration and maintenance of Cisco networks. It provides a centralized network view and permits IT administrators to deploy its functions among Cisco switches, routers, and wireless access points.

Security Manager is a highly functional but easy-to-use solution for centrally provisioning all facets of device configuration and policies for firewalls, VPNs, and IPS. The solution efficiently handles even small networks consisting of no more than than ten appliances, but also scales to control large-scale networks composed of thousands of appliances. Scalability is achieved via intelligent policy-based control procedures that can simplify administration. Key features of Cisco Security Manager include:

• Supports control of Cisco router platforms running a Cisco IOS security software image, Cisco ASA 5500 adaptive security appliances, PIX security appliances, Cisco IPS 4200 inline security appliances, and Catalyst 6500 Series security modules
• Reacts faster. more rapidly to attacks: specify and apply new security policies to many hundreds of devices in a few easy steps
• Intuitive GUI offers exceptional ease-of-use
• Multiple views that provide flexible ways to manage devices and policies such as the capability to manage the security network visually on a topology image
• Extensive animated help for the new operator to speed up learning period
• Globally call out which policies are shared and inherited by new appliances to make sure corporate policies are configured consistently, at the same time offering optional versatility to customize policies at the individual device level
• Capability to create a common firewall rule database for Cisco firewalls with intelligent evaluation of firewall policies to detect anomalies within the rule table
• Easily configure site-to-site, hub-and-spoke, full-mesh IPsec, or extranet Virtual Private Network links by means of a VPN wizard
• Integration with Cisco ACS for granular role based access control to devices and administration services
• Operation with security MARS system to correlate monitored data with related firewall rules to support faster management decisions and increased system availability
• Capability to allocate particular jobs to every administrator in the course of the deployment of a rule, with structured change management and logging; permits the security and systems operations staff to act together as a single group with effective coordination

Progent can also assist you to use network management applications to monitor and categorize system data to enable traffic shaping, which permits you to configure Cisco routers to enforce different bandwidth restrictions on certain classes of processes according to the priorities you specify. By buffering and queuing excess packets that exceed your committed rates, and by giving priority to critical applications, traffic shaping can prevent ISP overage charges from spinning out of control and/or eliminate lost worker productivity caused by brute force enforcement of your network bandwidth limits during peak use.

Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security consultants can help you to develop a comprehensive security plan that encompasses your network management solution, and Progent's remote and in person support experts and Cisco CCIE and CNA qualified engineers can use advanced network management tools to isolate and repair trouble rapidly to keep your network running smoothly.

For additional details about Progent's engineering assistance for Cisco technology, select a topic:

• Introduction to Progent's Cisco Engineering Services
• Fast Remote Assistance from a CCIE Engineer
• Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewalls: Integration and Management Support
• ASA 5500-X Firewalls with Cisco Firepower Services: Setup and Troubleshooting Services
• ASA 5500 Firewalls Management Services
• Cisco PIX 500 Series Firewall Maintenance Services
• Cisco Routers Consulting Expertise
• Cisco Wireless Network Design Support
• Cisco Aironet APs Consulting Expertise
• Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 WiFi APs System Design Expertise
• Catalyst 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 APs Planning, Configuration and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Consulting
• Cisco Meraki Access Points Design Expertise
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Consulting and Technical Support
• Cisco Voice over IP Phones and IP Video Phones Consulting Services and Wireless IP Phone Solutions
• Cisco Jabber Integration Services
• Cisco Catalyst Switches Deployment Expertise
• Nexus Switches Support and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Cisco Meraki MS Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Cisco Security and VPN Engineering Help
• SIP and CUBE Infrastructure Solutions: SIP Trunks and CUBE Integration Expertise
• Design Expertise for Cisco-powered Data Centers
• Network Optimization Consulting for Internet Service Providers