Cisco Expert Network Consultants

Network management tools help organizations to implement infrastructure effectively, access client details rapidly, monitor network operation, debug problems, protect against and react to threats, and optimize responsiveness. Network management systems can spot inefficient or improper uses of network resources such as streaming multimedia or peer-to-peer file sharing that can burn up bandwidth, lower worker productivity or enable data leaks. A prudently planned network management environment can also help organizations to make smart network enhancement moves by exposing trends in network usage for various times or types of activities.

Cisco offers a rich and growing portfolio of network management solutions that allow centralized management for local, cloud-based, or hybrid network models. With Cisco's newer generation of security, switching, and Wi-Fi infrastructure products, you can run Meraki, Cisco DNA Center, or CLI management platforms for network monitoring and management. For example, you can connect the latest Catalyst or Meraki switches and Catalyst or Meraki WiFi 6/6E access points to the Meraki dashboard to monitor and manage vital components of your IT infrastructure from the cloud. Progent's Cisco Catalyst WiFi access point consultants, Meraki Wi-Fi AP experts, Catalyst switches consulting experts, and Cisco Meraki switches consulting experts can help you to plan, implement and tune an up-to-date solution for network infrastructure management.

Legacy Network Management Platforms from Cisco and Others
An abundance of network management tools from Cisco and third-party suppliers highlights the importance and difficulty of network management. Progent's seasoned network management engineers are experienced at helping businesses design management strategies based on Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Syslog, and Cisco Netflow protocols to create effective tools for understanding network utilization and latency, viewing important router and switch performance metrics, and identifying traffic patterns, processes, and devices utilizing available services.

Progent can assist businesses to utilize a rich range of free and proprietary management tools to maintain Cisco infrastructure. Utilities familiar to Progent's consultants include MRTG, Cacti, Nagios, Cisco Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager, Cisco Monitor Manager, CiscoWorks, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, AlterPoint DeviceAuthority, Adventnet Netflow and Firewall Analyzer, Solarwinds Orion, and Necordia NetMRI.

Network management platforms can help IT administrators to be aware of current system usage and intelligently plan for future capacity expansion. Management tools can also be deployed to detect poor or improper utilization of network services, for example streaming video, peer-to-peer sharing, etc. that can use up valuable and scarce network bandwidth. A well planned network management strategy can also help organizations to make informed decisions on network upgrades after they recognize the amount of system bandwidth actually required at any one time.

Putting an efficient network management system in operation ahead of time is vital to avoid severe problems that can follow Denial Of Service (DoS) attacks and dangerous viruses. These assaults can leave the network unstable and in the absence of appropriate tools it can be time consuming, if not virtually impossible, to discover the source of the trouble.

Network Management Products from Cisco
Cisco provides a variety of effective utilities that should form the foundation for any network management solution. Used in combination with appropriate outside vendor tools, Cisco's network management offerings can improve the business value of network infrastructures for organizations of any size by improving key areas such as system utilization, performance, availability, security, repair, and capacity planning. Cisco's top network management products include:

Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM) is a web utility that allows you to set up and operate the software built into network appliances. Adaptive Security Device Manager is loaded by the network device, and enables you to set up, track, and manage the device.

Cisco Monitor Manager is a comprehensive management solution designed to handle the requirements of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Cisco Monitor Manager actively scans important appliance parameters on voice and data networks serving five to 250 workers and equipped with up to 250 Voice over IP phones. Monitor Manager offers:

• Up-to-date scanning of important device processes on small and midsize business-class network appliances, Unified Communications Manager Express, Cisco Unity Express, security devices, WAPs, and VoIP phones
• Compatibility with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series communications appliance for businesses with up to 50 workers

• Voice and data network discovery and physical topology
• Device and service level looks at Cisco Unified Communications deployment
• Networkwide device identification collection and documentation
• Advanced security and dependable communication
• Cisco device operations monitoring
• IP Telephony tracking
• Connection status and traffic tracking
• Immediate alerts and notices
• Reports
• Configuration archive

Cisco Network Assistant is a desktop-based network management application designed for for wired and wireless LANs (WLANs) for growing organizations that have up to 40 switches and routers. By using Smartports, Cisco Network Assistant streamlines configuration, deployment, and continuing administration and maintenance of Cisco networks. It provides a centralized system view and allows IT administrators to employ its functions across Cisco switches, routers, and wireless access points.

Cisco Security Manager is a highly functional but simple to operate application for managing all aspects of appliance configuration and policies for PIX and ASA firewalls, virtual private networks, and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS). Cisco Security Manager efficiently manages even small networks consisting of fewer than ten devices, but also expands to manage enterprise networks composed of thousands of Cisco routers, security appliances, and switch services modules. Scalability is enabled through intelligent policy-based management procedures that can streamline administration. Highlights of Security Manager include:

• Supports provisioning for Cisco router platforms configured with a Cisco IOS security software image, Cisco ASA 5500 Series firewalls, PIX firewalls, Cisco IPS 4200 inline security appliances, and Catalyst 6500 security modules
• Respond more quickly to attacks: specify and assign updated policies to many hundreds of appliances in a few simple steps
• Intuitive graphical user interface offers superior ease-of-use
• A variety of looks that provide flexible methods to manage appliances and security policies such as the ability to administer the security network graphically on a system topology image
• Extensive animated training for the first-time user to speed up learning time
• Centrally specify which policies are shared and automatically inherited by additional appliances to make sure company-wide policies are configured regularly, while offering sufficient versatility to modify policies at the local device level
• Capability to create a common rule table for all Cisco firewalls with intelligent analysis of firewall policies to determine conflicts in the rule table
• Quickly set up location-to-location, hub-and-spoke, full mesh, or extranet Virtual Private Network links with a few mouse clicks
• Compatibility with Cisco ACS for low-level role based connection control to appliances and management functions
• Operation with Cisco security MARS to associate monitored data with related firewall rules to support faster decision making and enhanced network availability
• Capability to allocate specific tasks to each manager during the implementation of a rule, with formal change management and tracking; permits the security and systems operations team to work together as a cohesive unit with effective coordination

Progent can also assist you to utilize network management tools to analyze and classify system data to enable traffic shaping, which allows you to configure Cisco routers to enforce a variety of bandwidth restrictions on designated types of processes based on the priorities you assign. By storing and queuing data packets above your contracted volume, and by assigning preference to critical processes, traffic shaping can keep ISP excess usage penalties from spinning out of control and/or avoid gaps in productivity resulting from brute force policing of your network traffic volume limits during periods of heavy demand.

Progent's CISM, CISSP, and ISSAP security professionals can assist 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 utilize advanced network monitoring and analysis tools to identify and remediate trouble quickly to keep your network in business.

For more information about Progent's professional assistance for Cisco networking products, choose a topic:

• Introduction to Progent's Cisco Network Support
• Fast and Affordable Online Assistance from a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Engineer
• Cisco Firepower Series Firewalls: Integration and Management Expertise
• Cisco ASA 5500-X Firewall with Cisco Firepower: Consulting and Management Expertise
• Cisco ASA 5500 Series Firewall Integration Assistance
• PIX Series Firewall Troubleshooting Help
• Cisco Routers Consulting Expertise
• Cisco Wireless Network Design Expertise
• Cisco Aironet Wireless APs Deployment Support
• Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Wireless APs Engineering Expertise
• Cisco Catalyst 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6/6E Access Points Planning, Configuration and Troubleshooting Consulting
• Cisco WiFi Controllers Support Services
• Cisco Meraki Wireless APs Engineering Help
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and CallManager Consulting and Technical Support
• Cisco VoIP Phones and IP Video Phones Consulting and Wireless VoIP Phone Solutions
• Cisco Jabber and Management Services
• Cisco Catalyst Switches Engineering Services
• Cisco Nexus Switches Consulting and Support Services
• Meraki MS Switches Consulting and Support Services
• Cisco VPN Engineering Services
• SIP and CUBE Infrastructure Solutions: SIP PSTN Trunks and Cisco CUBE Integration Expertise
• Cisco Duo MFA Two-factor Authentication Services for At-Home Workers
• Infrastructure Design for Cisco-based Datacenters and Colocation Centers
• Infrastructure Design Expertise for ISPs