The first step before implementing network monitoring activities is to determine the
needs of the school.
Some factors to consider
- What budget is the school likely to make available for monitoring tools?
There will be an initial outlay for software as well as ongoing licensing and
support costs.
- What time is available from technical support providers to install, learn and
manage from day-to- day any installed software?
- How complex or large is the school network? What is the anticipated growth
in the size or complexity of the network?
- Are there any current known issues with network performance?
- What level of reporting is required on network availability or usage?
- Are there any security issues relating to the network?
When preparing to implement new systems it is advisable to use the FITS Change
Management process to prepare for any ICT changes and consider a fallback plan
in case of failure. You can do this using the request for change form provided and
described in Change Management. You may wish to look at an example request
for change form for installing network monitoring software.
If you wish to implement network monitoring tools before you have implemented
Change Management, here is an outline of the key points to bear in mind:
- Ensure that the network monitoring software you have selected is compatible
with your server operating system and investigate the experiences of other
installers.
- Plan the installation carefully and make sure you have everything you need
before starting.
- Schedule the installation to minimise impact on day-to- day operations and
agree the timing with senior staff.
- Inform users of any downtime, its duration and what the impact of the downtime
may be. (Don't assume that they will know what you mean if you simply say that
'file server x' will be unavailable.)
- Before you start, think through what could go wrong with the installation and be
prepared to return the server to its original state just in case you have to.
