Network management system

Many businesses today, especially those operating in the IT landscape, deploy large-scale networks to meet their growing business requirements. This is why efficient network management is vital for a business to ensure continuous service delivery, maintain operational continuity, and facilitate internal and external communication.

However, technological advancements have enabled networks to evolve in unimaginable ways. Modern networks house a deluge of physical and virtual components comprised of parts from multiple vendors and are distributed over geographies, making network management a tall order for administrators.

To work around these obstacles, businesses need a robust network management system capable of managing physical (wired and wireless), virtual, and hybrid networks. Such comprehensive network monitoring tools, network management solutions /network management systems empower network administrators and help them gain complete visibility and control over their network infrastructure. 

Challenges in the absence of a network management system (NMS)

Below are some of the most prominent roadblocks that a business faces without a network management system:

• Network components are susceptible to performance degradation. Without a network management system, it’s difficult to diagnose network faults, which impedes troubleshooting.
• Businesses can expect frequent outages and prolonged downtime without a network management system. This can adversely impact operational continuity and productivity levels. On top of this, not all businesses possess enough resources to bear the exorbitant costs of network downtime.
• Without a network management system to keep networks in check, businesses may experience disruptions in service delivery, which will make it hard to meet SLAs.
• Erroneous network configuration changes and poor network security can expose networks to security vulnerabilities, leading to data appropriation.

OpManager: The network management system your business needs

ManageEngine’s reliable network monitoring solution – OpManager, is a comprehensive network performance monitoring system with which organizations can gain complete visibility and control over their entire IT infrastructure. Out of the box, OpManager monitors all physical and virtual network components for performance, health, and availability. It also supports more than 53,000 vendor templates and possesses distributed monitoring capabilities.

OpManager’s functions include but are not limited to:

Hassle-free device discovery

OpManager, the network managemet system , saves you the hassle of identifying every network device manually. OpManager offers both manual and automated discovery options. Manual addition requires you to enter the device’s IP or credentials into OpManager. Automated discovery options include specifying the IP range of devices, CIDR discovery, or uploading a CSV file with device credentials for bulk discovery. OpManger also lets you schedule the discovery process at specified intervals.

Real-time network performance management

Network devices are susceptible to performance degradation over time. OpManager’s network management system software helps you proactively monitor all physical and virtual network components by associating performance monitors. OpManager performs system performance monitoring by relying on SNMP/WMI protocols to fetch performance data from network devices. You can either manually add appropriate performance monitors for each device or make use of OpManager’s device templates, which associates a predefined set of monitors to devices on discovery 

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Network fault management

OpManager’s network management system includes a robust built-in fault management system. This network management software lets you configure multi-level thresholds in performance monitors and generates alarms when these thresholds are violated.

OpManager’s fault management capabilities let you:

• Monitor all the alarms from a single console
• Classify alarms based on severity with color coding
• Prevent checking an alarm twice by acknowledging alarms that have been tended to
• Suppress alarms for defined periods
• Broadcast alarms over varied media such as email, SMS, Slack, etc.
• Escalate alarms to appropriate emails/IDs

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Put mundane tasks on autopilot with workflows

OpManager’s workflows enable you to automate routine troubleshooting and maintenance tasks, reducing manual intervention. Workflows can be initiated when network faults are encountered, as on-going maintenance tasks, or even on an ad hoc basis. Workflows can also be exported as XML files and can be imported back into OpManager.

Network configuration and change management

OpManager’s Network configuration management module lets you manage all your configuration changes. With OpManager, back up all your configurations, automate backups, and upload backups to reduce downtime during outages. OpManager lets you keep track of changes; track who made the change, what kind of change was made, and when. OpManagers also broadcasts change notifications through email, SNMP traps, and syslog messages.

IP and switch port management

OpManager’s IP address management and Switch port management modules help simplify your IP and switch port management. With OpManager, manage all your IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, and scan your subnets to determine IP address availability. You can also discover the devices plugged in to each port of specific switches, gaining visibility into the IP, MAC, status, and availability of those ports. OpManager also lets you track the operational status and speed of each port.

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Visualization capabilities of OpManager’s network management system

Vivid visualization of network components and their topology can help you better manage your networks. OpManager’s network management system doubles as a network diagram software which offers multiple visualization methods to graphically represent your networks. Business views, maps, rack views, floor views, CCTV views, and NOC views help paint a clear picture of your networks.

Holistic reports for forensic analysis

OpManager’s network management system software offers comprehensive reports containing historical data on the performance and health of your networks. With OpManager, generate custom reports or use predefined reports to derive actionable insights for better decision making. OpManager also lets you schedule and export reports in multiple formats such as in PDF, CSV, and XLS formats.

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Get a bird’s-eye view of your network with OpManager’s customizable dashboards

OpManager comes with customizable dashboards, using which you can get an overview of your networks performance. Dashboards enable you to view all vital metrics and the performance data of critical network components from a single console, saving you from the hassle of surfing through multiple screens. Dashboards can be made as intuitive as possible with dials, charts, and graphs that help paint a vivid picture of your network’s performance.

To learn more about how OpManager can help better manage your networks, download a free, 30-day trial, or register for a personalized demo.