Open source monitoring tools allow for customization and modification, providing important information about computer networks. They include bandwidth monitoring, network packet monitoring, and system resource usage applications. These tools allow for remote monitoring and can send alerts to administrators. They help track data transfer, locate trouble spots, and monitor vital hardware statistics to prevent critical failures.
Open source monitoring tools provide administrators with important information and feedback about computer networks. Unlike traditional applications, open source tools can be modified freely. This allows IT experts to tailor a tool to meet specific needs. Common types of open source monitoring tools are bandwidth monitoring, network packet monitoring, and system resource usage applications.
Normal software is “closed source”. This means that the end user cannot see or change the programming of an application. Open source software, on the other hand, allows and even encourages users to study and modify the structure of a program. People using open source tools can add features, fix problems, and adapt software without assistance from the original publisher.
Open source software is available for a variety of uses, including network monitoring. A network monitoring tool allows staff to check the status of computer connections without being physically present in the network location. Monitoring tools are useful for tracking the state of a computer network after normal business hours and can alert users if a serious problem occurs. Many open source monitoring tools are even capable of sending alerts to administrators automatically using text messages or email.
An open source bandwidth monitoring tool tracks the amount of data sent over a communication line. Excessive bandwidth usage can slow down a network and create problems for users. Open source bandwidth monitoring tools allow administrators to observe data transfer in a visual format, such as a graph. Large jumps in bandwidth displayed on a graph can indicate that your network is being misused by a hacker or virus.
Network packet monitoring is another common use for open source monitoring tools. This type of software reports information about data moving across a network. Traffic does not flow continuously on a network, but instead is delivered in chunks or “packets” of data. Each packet includes details such as the source and destination Internet Protocol (IP) address. An open source package monitor is useful for locating trouble spots or malicious attacks in a network.
Open source system resource monitoring tools are applications that track vital hardware statistics. Information monitored by these tools includes central processing unit (CPU) usage and file sizes on a server computer. If these important metrics are too high, a network server can become slow or even crash. Monitoring applications allow administrators to fix these problems before a critical failure occurs.
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