Network management platforms assist companies to deploy network infrastructure efficiently, access user details rapidly, track system operation, debug problems, protect against and react to cyber attacks, and optimize performance. Network management systems can spot inefficient or improper uses of network resources such as streaming multimedia or peer-to-peer file sharing that can waste bandwidth, reduce employee output or enable data leaks. A prudently crafted network management solution can also help companies to make smart network enhancement decisions by exposing trends in resource demand for different periods or types of tasks.

Meraki Dashboard Consultants

The Meraki Dashboard allows unified cloud management for Cisco network hardware

Cisco offers a diverse and expanding catalog of infrastructure management platforms that support centralized management for on-premises, cloud-based, or hybrid network models. With Cisco's later generation of security, switching, and Wi-Fi networking devices, you can run Meraki, Cisco DNA Center, or CLI management platforms for network management. For instance, you can interface newer Catalyst or Meraki switches and Catalyst or Meraki Wi-Fi APs to the Meraki dashboard to monitor and manage critical components of your network infrastructure from the cloud. Progent's Cisco Catalyst WiFi access point consulting experts, Cisco Meraki WiFi access point experts, Catalyst switches integration experts, and Cisco Meraki switches experts can assist your organization to design, deploy and tune a modern solution for network infrastructure monitoring and management.

Legacy Network Management Platforms from Cisco and Others
Network Management Solutions ExpertiseAn abundance of network management tools from Cisco and third-party vendors highlights the importance and complexity of network management. Progent's seasoned network management consultants are expert at assisting companies design network management solutions utilizing on Simple Network Management Protocol, Syslog, and Cisco NetFlow to create effective tools for network utilization and network latency, viewing key router and switch operational metrics, and identifying traffic profiles, applications, and devices utilizing network resources. Progent can help customers to deploy a broad selection of free and proprietary management utilities to manage Cisco infrastructure. Tools used by Progent's consultants include Cacti, Nagios, Paessler Router Traffic Grapher, Cisco Cisco ASDM, Cisco Monitor Manager, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, Wireshark/Ethereal, Concord E-Health, Adventnet Netflow, Big Brother, and Necordia NetMRI. Network management platforms can enable organizations to be aware of existing network utilization and effectively plan for future traffic increases. Network management utilities can also be used to highlight inefficient or improper utilization of network resources, for example streaming audio and video, peer-to-peer file exchange, etc. that can use up valuable or scarce network resources. A well crafted network management plan can also enable companies to make intelligent decisions on network upgrades once they appreciate how much system resources really needed at various times. Putting an effective network management solution in operation ahead of time is critical to prevent severe disruptions that can follow Denial Of Service (DoS) attacks and malicious viruses/Trojans. Such events can leave the network unusable and without proper tools it can be time consuming, and in some cases practically impossible, to identify the source of the trouble. Network Management Tools from Cisco
Cisco provides a variety of effective utilities that should be the basis for any network management solution. Utilized in combination with appropriate third-party tools, Cisco's network management software can improve the business value of networks for organizations of any size by improving key areas such as system utilization, throughput, resilience, security, troubleshooting, and scalability. Cisco's top network management products include: Cisco ASDM is a web Java applet that allows you to configure and operate the software on network appliances. Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager is installed by the adaptive security appliance, and enables you to set up, monitor, and manage the device. Cisco Monitor Manager is a management and monitoring application designed to handle the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. Cisco Monitor Manager continuously monitors key device parameters on voice and data environments serving 5 to 250 users and equipped with as many as 250 VoIP phones. Monitor Manager provides:

  • Real-time monitoring of key device processes on Cisco SMB-class routers and switches, Unified Communications Manager Express, Cisco Unity Express, security appliances, WAPs, and Cisco Unified IP Phones
  • Compatibility with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 appliance for companies with as many as 50 users
Monitor Manager tracks the system on a round-the-clock basis and frequently polls and gathers identification and operations-tracking information from the managed appliances in the network. Monitor Manager is a Microsoft Windows-based application and is entirely invisible to IT processes and does not deploy any agent on managed devices. The application provides a rich set of valuable features and benefits such as:
  • Network discovery and physical topology
  • Device and process views of Unified Communications deployment
  • Networkwide inventory collection and documentation
  • Advanced security and reliable communication
  • Device operations tracking
  • IP Telephony monitoring
  • Interface status and traffic monitoring
  • Immediate alarms and event notification
  • Documentation
  • Setup log
Network Assistant is a desktop-based network management application optimized for wired and wireless LANs (WLANs) for growing companies with up to 40 Cisco switches and routers. By running Smartports, Network Assistant simplifies configuration, deployment, and continuing administration and maintenance of Cisco networks. It offers a centralized network view and allows IT administrators to deploy its functions among switches, routers, and access points. Security Manager is a powerful but easy-to-use application for centrally provisioning all facets of device set up and policies for PIX and ASA firewalls, VPNs, and Intrusion Prevention Systems. Security Manager effectively handles even small networks with no more than than ten appliances, but also scales to manage large-scale networks with thousands of routers, switches, and firewalls. Scalability is enabled via smart policy-based control procedures that can simplify administration. Key features of Cisco Security Manager include:
  • Supports control of Cisco router platforms running an IOS security software image, ASA 5500 adaptive security appliances, PIX firewalls, Cisco IPS 4200 family inline security appliances, and Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series security services modules
  • Respond more quickly to attacks: define and assign updated policies to many hundreds of appliances in just a few steps
  • Rich graphical user interface provides exceptional ease-of-use
  • A variety of views that offer versatile ways to manage devices and security policies such as the ability to manage the security environment graphically on a system topology map
  • Comprehensive video help for the new user to reduce learning time
  • Centrally specify which policies are shared and automatically inherited by additional devices to ensure company-wide policies are configured consistently, at the same time providing optional flexibility to modify policies at the individual device level
  • Capability to build a single firewall rule table for Cisco platforms with smart evaluation of firewall policies to determine anomalies within the rule base
  • Quickly set up location-to-location, hub-and-spoke, full-mesh IPsec, or extranet VPN connections by means of a VPN wizard
  • Compatibility with Cisco ACS for granular role based access management to appliances and administration services
  • Operation with security MARS system to associate monitored data with related firewall rules to enable faster management decisions and enhanced system up time
  • Capability to assign particular tasks to each manager during the implementation of a rule, with formal change control and tracking; permits the security and systems operations team to act together as a cohesive unit with effective coordination
How Progent Can Assist Your Business with Network Management Solutions
Progent's Cisco-Certified network management consultants can assist you to utilize Cisco's network management utilities in combination with a variety of effective third-party applications to develop a comprehensive network management toolkit to keep your network running smoothly, conserve valuable resources, protect your information, recover rapidly from hardware failure or deliberates attacks, and allow you to scale or repurpose system hardware intelligently and economically as your company evolves. Progent can also assist you to utilize network management tools to monitor and classify network data to implement traffic shaping, which allows you to set up Cisco routers to impose different bandwidth constraints on designated classes of processes according to the importance you specify. By buffering and queuing excess packets above your contracted volume, and by giving preference to business-critical applications, traffic shaping can prevent service provider overage penalties from spiraling out of control and/or eliminate gaps in worker productivity resulting from brute force policing of your network traffic volume limits during periods of heavy demand. Progent's CISM and CISSP security consultants can assist you to create an end-to-end security strategy that incorporates your network management solution, and Progent's remote and in person support experts and Cisco CCIE and CNA qualified engineers can use the latest network management tools to isolate and remediate trouble quickly to keep your network running smoothly. To learn additional details concerning Progent's consulting assistance for Cisco solutions, pick a subject:

If you wish to ask Progent about professional expertise for Cisco networking, phone 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.

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