Network monitoring is the use of a methodical approach to overseeing the functioning of a computer network by trained professionals using management software tools. They identify and address hardware and software issues that affect the performance of the computers and network components and ensure they maintain peak performance. Monitoring the network 24 hours a day can prevent switch failures, server outages, and other hardware issues and software maladies.
Benefits of Network Monitoring Systems
Network monitoring systems ensure continued availability and protection of the entire network and makes sure it remains online and operating properly. Network administrators and systems are usually required to monitor large scale university or corporate IT networks to keep them safely processing vital data. Network monitoring systems can detect and report device or connection failures. They also measure the host’s CPU utilization, network bandwidth, utilization of the links, and many other operational aspects. If issues are detected, the system sends alerts to system administrators.
Monitoring Improves Network Security
Network monitoring systems help protect critical business data by regularly providing important background information on all network traffic. This makes dubious network traffic and questionable file activity sent over the port easier to identify. There are network monitoring systems designed to monitor web server availability and instantly detect problems anywhere in a global pool of web servers.
Monitoring Systems Help Identify Trends
Network forensics and network monitoring used together can help to identify trends and threats not otherwise recognized. Problems taking place only at peak times or intermittently are often difficult to identify when they are taking place. Ongoing network monitoring enables administrators to use logs as a roadmap to identify key network health and performance trends. In organizations where an Information Technology Infrastructure Library framework has been adopted for best practices, it’s possible to compare a performance baseline with ongoing network logs to detect potentially larger issues and help administrators keep the IT infrastructure running properly.
Benefits Network Configuration
Configuration errors cause most network problems. Seemingly minor configuration issues often lead to significant network downtime. To prevent this, network monitoring can detect duplicate IPs and problems with device routing. It can then completely track the resolution so the network administrator can verify all necessary future changes and prevent unnecessary ones.
Network Monitoring Assists Future Planning
Network monitoring can also be instrumental in forward thinking network plans. It can help the administrators of the IT infrastructure quickly adapt to significant business growth or the rapid addition of more employees, by making them aware of in-use resources and the need for upgrades to prevent bandwidth bottlenecks and other issues that can strain a network.
Disaster Recovery with Network Monitoring
Network monitoring can help IT departments develop effective disaster recovery and business continuity plans and quickly get the network back up and running by providing impact analysis and strategies. Network monitoring systems can help identify gaps between current setups and needed ones and ensure scheduled backups to a network server from desktop computers, laptop computers and wireless devices are saved in the cloud or an off-site location. This will allow for all systems to be quickly back up and running after a disaster.
For more information about network monitoring, or to consult an IT professional, contact tekRESCUE, located in San Marcos, TX.
