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Network monitoring is essential for detecting problems in a network, such as overloaded systems, crashed servers, and power outages. It involves sending pings to each computer and taking virtual snapshots of the network’s workflow. Notifications of issues can be sent via email, pager alerts, or phone calls. The monitoring system should have backup power and be given top priority. Basic monitoring can also track website activity for analysis.
Network monitoring is spying for a good cause. Actually, it’s something you want at least one of your systems to do. While other systems perform their vital functions, at least one computer or set of computers should be set aside to monitor network activity. Think of this as surveillance of your network traffic.
This network monitoring must be done from an always-on system. Your system should have dedicated power lines or, at the very least, backup generators hooked up to it. This is the most critical part of your network, as it is the one that sounds the alarm if something is wrong.
Monitoring takes note of slow or failed systems and informs the network administrator of such events. These notifications can take the form of email messages, pager alerts, or simple phone calls. No matter what form they take, messages about network problems should be given top priority.
Network monitoring can alert a network administrator to problems caused by overloaded systems, crashed servers, lost network connections, virus or malware infections, and power outages, among other things. The latter instance is why the system must have backup power: you cannot be notified of a power outage if the system that should be notifying also loses its power.
To monitor a network, a “ping” or test is commonly sent to each computer or system on the network. If the system becomes unresponsive or takes too long to respond, the system does its job by notifying the network administrator of the problem. Pings must be answered instantaneously; anything else suggests a bigger problem than just the absence of a ping.
Other network monitoring software makes a practice of taking virtual snapshots of your network’s workflow on a regular basis. Any irregularities in this workflow are logged and, if serious enough, reported to the network administrator. Some well-known software vendors make monitoring applications that are standalone products; other manufacturers embed the software into larger software applications or suites.
Network monitoring can also be as basic as tracking the flow of visitors to and from a website, as well as tracking statistics such as time of visit, number of site pages visited, and entry and exit URLs . This type of monitoring isn’t necessarily the kind that reports problems, unless your network administrator schedules it; rather, the website software tracks and reports web activity for analysis.
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