network monitoring solution

What is meant by network monitoring?

Our Network Monitoring solution is a tool which helps to ensure that your IT infrastructure is running smoothly. Network monitoring is essential in increasing the efficiency of your infrastructure by providing visibility on resources. Plus, it provides notifications in the event of unwanted changes in the state of a device or devices!

A comprehensive database is built from the data over time, allowing the network manager to have visibility of each sensor over different time frames. This not only uncovers trends, it also facilitates troubleshooting when something in the network is not performing as it should. 

Dashboards can be built from various sensors, allowing the user to view a dashboard and obtain an immediate overview of network health. The data is displayed in an intuitive dashboard, and multiple sensors can be mapped out on the same chart. This yields powerful insights into trends and potential problems.

Sensors can also be configured with threshold triggers. For example, if bandwidth utilization exceeds a particular threshold on a router port, an email can be sent to a network manager or network group. 

The solution can also be integrated into an SMS gateway to initiate an SMS when a threshold is triggered. You can even automate an action once a threshold is breached! 

The Network Monitoring solution can also send push notifications to your iOS and Android devices through the use of an intuitive app. This means that the network manager can be alerted and gain full visibility of their network from any device, any time, and anywhere. Now that’s innovation! 

How does PRTG work? 

PRTG is a unified monitoring tool with which you can monitor almost any object with an IP address. 

PRTG consists of the PRTG core server that is responsible for configuration and data management. It also acts as a web server for one or more probes that perform data collection and monitor processes on devices via sensors.

PRTG Architecture

Sensors are quite literally the building blocks of PRTG, and can tell you about one or more aspects of a device. For example:

• Uptime
• Load
• Interface throughput
• Bandwidth usage
• Loading times
• Speed
• Hardware status
• Temperature
• Quality
• Resource consumption
• User counts
• Record counts
• Log events
• Database requests 

One solution to monitor everything

Network Monitoring

Using our cutting-edge network monitoring technology, we have the ability to monitor  the following: 

Applications:

PRTG monitors SQL, Exchange & Server Software. This includes monitoring your cloud, virtualized applications and nearly every standard application on the market.

Cloud Infrastructure:

PRTG offers a quick overview of all cloud services. You are able to use PRTG as your cloud management tool, and management is possible across all cloud strategies including IAAS / SAAS / PAAS and more. 

Databases:

Enjoy all-in-one database monitoring at a glance to avoid downtime and optimize performance. This includes Oracle SQL, Microsoft SQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL & others.  

Hardware Monitoring:

Keep an eye on all your hardware devices in your network, like your CPU, RAM, hard drives, printers, routers, switches, and more. PRTG alerts you before your hardware errors occur! 

Key Performance Metrics (KPM’s):

KPM’s include latency, bandwidth, jitter, MOS, temperature and hundreds of other metrics depending on your specific needs.

Why implement network monitoring?

The top five reasons why companies implement network monitoring is to:

1. Minimize Downtime

PRTG increases uptime of all important IT systems by providing proactive alerts for unusual system activity and impending potential hardware or bandwidth failures. Building dashboards allows network managers to have an overview of their network anytime, anywhere. When something breaks, PRTG charts help network engineers quickly pinpoint the cause of the problem to resolve it faster.  

2. Save Money

PRTG provides the empirical data required to make informed decisions on future hardware and software purchases, ensuring you only have to buy exactly what you need.

3. Have an All-in-One Solution

Unlike the competition, we do not charge for any add-ons or modules and we support all types of monitoring (SNMP, WMI, Flow etc). Our integrated proprietary database also means you don’t need any additional database licenses, making it a truly 360 degree offering! 

4. Realise ROI (Return on Investment) Faster

Our solution helps you see ROI from your entire IT infrastructure by relaying the health and usage of your hardware and optimizing as you go.

5. Gain Better Visibility

You and your team will gain better visibility into IT projects, especially as newer applications are rolled out by the business. More insights mean better decision making! 

Application Scenarios

Some key scenarios where africaonline’s Network Monitoring Solution would prove invaluable are: 

1. Monitoring large and small office LAN networks and other IT infrastructure
2. Monitoring WAN networks
3. Monitoring industrial processes
4. Monitoring Internet of Things (IoT) sensors

Monitoring Options

Stand-Alone Monitoring as Service

The software is installed on a stand-alone server or device running in your network, and will then auto detect various devices and applicable sensors within your network. You can select which of these sensors you would like monitored. 

There is a trial period of 30 days once the software is installed, after which you will be able to make an informed decision of what you want monitored. Once a final decision has been made, you will be charged per bundle of sensors needed. 

Sensors are the most basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your infrastructure, for example, the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space of a disk drive. On average, you would need about five to ten sensors per server or one sensor per switch port.

Cloud Monitoring as a Service 

The software will be installed on a remote probe server or device running on your network. In the event that devices can be accessed remotely, no remote probe server would be required. The core PRTG server will be hosted by africaonline on our ultra secure network.

It will then auto-detect various sensors within your network. You can then select which of these sensors you would like monitored. There is a trial period of 30 days once the software is installed, after which you need to make the final decision of what you would like monitored. 

Once a final decision has been made, you will be charged per bundle of sensors needed. Sensors are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your infrastructure, for example, the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, or the free space of a disk drive. On average, you need between five and ten sensors per server or one sensor per switch port.

PRTG Software and Renewal Without Management Services

In this instance, the software and licensing is supplied and you would be responsible for installation and management of the software. Any support requirements will be quoted on an ad hoc and case by case basis.