 |
 |
Network Monitoring
Summary: Nimsoft Monitoring Solutions (NMS) - (formerly known as NimBUS) for networks verify network connectivity to devices and application services, revealing accessibility and network latency. The solution automatically discovers network interfaces, monitors interface traffic, and calculates bandwidth utilization. Interface variables are polled for status data and the solution receives unsolicited SNMP traps. Syslog monitoring is supported for non-SNMP devices. Status data is analyzed and displayed in graphical alarm consoles, performance reports, and SLA reports.
|
360° network visibility is critical given today's network driven business—anything less can have costly bottom-line implications. Nimsoft Monitoring Solutions (NMS), formerly known as NimBUS, for networks provide complete network visibility to assure that the highest levels of business service quality are achieved.
Primary Features:
- Monitors access and response time to all network devices, applications, and service ports
- Monitors interface traffic for bandwidth utilization and error status
- Monitors SNMP-enabled devices with polling and trap reception
- Monitors device Syslogs
- Graphical alarm console, performance, and SLA reporting
Additional Features:
- Broad network device support
- Drag-and-drop solution configuration and deployment
- Network path definition and link failure root cause analysis
- Flexible and reliable off-network alert notification
- "Profile-based" polling and monitoring definition
- Device interface auto-discovery
- SNMP poller, browser, listener, and sniffer
- Real-time network alarm console
- Network performance trend reporting
- Network SLA creation, monitoring, and reporting
NMS—Specialized Probes and Gateways
NMS is comprised of a set of specialized probes and gateways, which provide automated and GUI-driven access to the device status information. All solution probes have their own graphic interface to facilitate administrative and operations activities.
Network and Application Connectivity Monitoring
NMS includes connectivity monitoring for network devices such as routers, switches, servers, applications, printers, and practically any other device. A specialized probe verifies network connectivity between the host where the probe resides and the targeted remote system. The probe will also test connectivity to TCP-based services such as Telnet, HTTP, etc., or any other application with a designated service port.
Through the process of connectivity monitoring, the network connectivity probe will record response times to and from network devices, services, and applications to aid in pinpointing areas of excessive network latency.
Router and Switch Interface Traffic Analysis and Status Monitoring
A specialized probe utilizes SNMP to measure and report on inbound, outbound, and aggregate bandwidth utilization. MIB objects are queried and analyzed both in real time and over time for alert generation and bandwidth utilization trend reporting.
The NMS probe may be configured to monitor the network interfaces on PCs, Windows and UNIX servers, routers, switches, and other SNMP-enabled devices. The probe monitors and reports on the following interface parameters:
- "Dead" lines (no traffic)
- Discarded packets
- Error packets
- Queue length
- Interface status
- Average traffic in/out
- Average errors in/out
SNMP Management
NMS offers robust SNMP management capabilities. The solution comes equipped with specialized probes that provide the following SNMP management functionality: SNMP MIB poller and browser, a trap listener, and SNMP trap sniffer.
NMS’ MIB poller probe can query any standard or proprietary MIB object from any SNMP-compliant device. The trap receiver probe will listen to port 162 for any incoming SNMP traps and will convert the traps into NMS formatted events. Out-of-the-box support is available for COMPAQ Insight Manager and Dell Open Manage traps. The SNMP trap receiver probe also provides a real-time trap 'sniffer' function. The probe watches the network in promiscuous mode to see all SNMP traps on the network wire.
SNMP Event Gateway and Syslog Gateway
NMS provides an SNMP Gateway that will transform NMS alarm messages to SNMP trap messages that are readable by any SNMP-based event manager. Predefined SNMP gateway solutions are available for HP OpenView Network Node Manager, CA Unicenter-TNG, and BMC Patrol Enterprise Manager (PEM).
The Syslog Gateway serves as a gateway from the Syslog "world" into the NMS environment. Network-devices, such as routers, switches, firewalls, and servers report events using SNMP as well as using the well-known Syslog format. The Syslog Gateway will listen to port 514/udp when running in a receive mode and convert messages to NMS event formats.
NMS Real-time Alarm Console
NMS offers a Web-based alarm console. The NMS alarm console can be applied to create and customize user-specific network monitoring "dashboards". Alarm dashboards can show up-to-the-minute status of critical network links, bandwidth utilization, network latency, response times, and other critical network issues.
Click the image below to see an example NMS dashboard. The dashboard view includes a national map with network connectivity and bandwidth usage statistics—and the color-coded status indicators support drill down for additional details:
Click the image below to see more network dashboard examples from our Nimsoft Dashboard Gallery:
NMS Performance Trend Reporting
NMS offers a performance reporting solution that will allow businesses to track and trend network availability and performance parameters such as network interface utilization, error rates, connectivity failures, latency, and any other technical items. All network availability and performance data collected by NMS probes can be utilized for quality of service and performance report generation.
Click the images below to see live network performance reports. The first report shows bandwidth utilization for our T1 line and a critical ethernet interface. The second report shows network connectivity response time for an in-house server—click the filter menu across the top of the live reports to see daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly views:
NMS SLA Creation, Monitoring and Reporting
NMS offers a robust SLA creation, monitoring, and reporting solution. Quality of service and performance data collected by NMS probes can be leveraged to calculate and report on service level compliance and breaches. All SLA and performance reports are viewable in HTML format via Web browser.
NMS requires minimal effort for implementation and training, and will not require extensive ongoing maintenance.
If you would like to request a free trial of Nimsoft, please click here. For free white papers or additional information click here.
