In this document, by network we mean local area network although some of the
advice could be applied to a wide area network If you are not sure what these terms
mean, please click on the underlined links for a definition before reading on.
As school networks grow more complex, it is important to find a way of monitoring
their performance in order to:
- help ensure that the network is available to users
- respond more quickly to hardware and software incidents and problems
- determine where the network is performing well or otherwise - for example,
where there might be bottlenecks in bandwidth preventing parts of the network
from operating efficiently, or at all (this is particularly important for school
networks where network usage often follows an unusual pattern such as the
peaks in use of the network as pupils log on and off at the start and finish of
lessons)
- identify trends and determine how to optimise the network by changing network
configurations, replacing network devices and so on - this will help establish
where you are likely to obtain the best return on future investment in network
hardware and software
- improve the visibility of network status - you will be able to see instantly what
parts of the network are working or not at any given time (this will help improve
response times when part of the network does fail).
Some of these tasks can be performed manually but, for larger or more complex
networks, it may become necessary to use dedicated software to monitor and
manage the network.
Unlike individual computers, a network has no central ‘brain’. Network monitoring
software can help by functioning as the eyes and ears of the network, revealing a
sense of the whole network and keeping track of its overall health.
Network monitoring software provides four main areas of functionality: mapping,
polling, notification and reporting.
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Mapping
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The program sends messages out
across the network and uses the
responses of the various components
to build a virtual model of the network.
This model is a useful tool for
documenting the network configuration.
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Polling
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Once the map is built, the software
sends frequent status requests to the
network components. This can give
early warning of potential failures.
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Notification
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The software can also collate error
traps from network devices. These
errors can range from overheating
processors to stuck mail queues.
Information about errors can be
displayed centrally or even sent as an
SMS message to a mobile phone.
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Reporting
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Statistics on the use and efficiency of
the network can be produced for
technicians or management to use.
These statistics can be used to identify
bottlenecks in the system performance
or determine where components may
need replacing.
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