The need for independent network monitoring

Over the past few years, network administrators have deployed networks, obtained the facilities to run them, and instituted network security that covered the internal operations. One of the most complex and specialized jobs now is to keep the business’s networks up and running and performing at the optimum, while constantly having to add new devices and swap others around. The apparent simplification of an IT infrastructure through, for instance, virtualization actually adds extra underlying complexity while hiding it from view.

It is easy to recognize the benefits of network monitoring from an IT standpoint. Finding the justification for network monitoring tools and capabilities required in the corporate budgeting process is the more complicated part.

The cost of directly purchasing network monitoring tools incl. employee training and the ongoing maintenance is a barrier to entry for many organizations. The IT or network manager must be able to justify a return on investment, and this is hard to do when the initial investment for a large enterprise can be as high as half a million dollars.

A lot of different solutions are available to corporations from simple to highly complex. With more and more wide area networks now being installed and managed by Service Providers. These usually also have more or less basic monitoring functions available with the network, all of them proprietary within the providers portals.

Corporations face a dilemma with multiple aspects :

• They need to have a monitoring solution across a variety of networks, whether own managed devices or delivered from one or several network providers
• The functionality should be flexible – from simple availability monitoring for DSL-connected small offices all the way to Application Flow Reporting on core routes
• The deployment and ongoing administration should be easy
• The applied monitoring system should be open – so it can be used without being dependent on one solution provider
• If Service Levels, especially those delivered by Service Providers, are also being monitored and reported, an independent solution is almost mandatory
• Inventory needs to be monitored also from an auditable view : asset status, version management, security releases – to name a few.
• Due to budget constraints the solutions need to be cost effective

The net.extend approach to Monitoring/Reporting

net.extend GmbH has developed solutions over the years that meet all the criteria as described above. By using market standards and open software solutions, net.extend services are functionally scalable, open, independent and still very cost competitive.

net.extend uses a specific building set to accomplish the needed functionality :

With a broad selection of expertise areas available net.extend is bridging the different worlds of Communications and IT.

An example of a customised monitoring for a specific customer need : Access Server Monitoring

netxtend defines the specific customer needs based upon a due diligence process. An example of the due diligence topics can be found here : Due diligence topics

Since net.extend uses state-of-the-art components it can make the best solution available for the specific customer needs – at affordable and competitive pricing levels.

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