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:
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:
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: