Monitoring Network Behavior Is A Major Responsibility Of The Network Manager
Monitoring network performance and possible problems are important responsibilities of the network manager who is tasked with the management and planning of the various segments of a computer network. Despite the potentially huge number of parts, be it software or hardware, network management is made easier by programs that automate various tasks used to monitor network performance. This is fortunate because the more complex a computer network becomes, the more prone it becomes to equipment failure. Such a failure could trigger certain events that eventually could lead to serious consequences, such as long downtime for the network and possibly losing customers or clients.
The program or software typically used for monitoring network activities is often called a “network monitor” and usually has the capability to automatically observe any problems with network devices including switches, network printers, workstations, and servers. This particular software was not just designed to monitor network abnormalities but also to warn the network manager when he’s away, through text messaging or through email.
The network monitor software may be executed in the network administrator’s workstation or on a particular server. It’s set up so that it can easily send a message to the manager in case of an emergency. This aids in reducig network downtime in the most possible way since disrupting business operations can mean considerable amount of money for the company, in addition to the probable client loss.
The regular monitoring of the computer network may also hinder the wrong use of company property by particuler employees. This software tool can make log files that indicates whoch applications or programs have been executed and the one who executed them.
For instance, the software used for monitoring can be utilized to identify if particular workers are running computer games or media players during those hours when they are supposed to be working. It can also be utilized to determine if there is any malware, such as a Trojan or computer virus that has somehow evaded the security programs and is trying to perform its unwanted activities that are detrimental to the safety of the computer. It can constantly watch over the TCP ports, especially those that are often used by malware as points of entry to send a message to the administrator when a port is opened.
The software tool for monitoring the network, used by the network manager, may also be applied for automatically checking the sizes of certain files and folders with the end purpose of ensuring that they don’t exceed a particular size. These are commonly the application log files and non-permanent folders since they seem to grow larger over time. On the other hand, the monitoring program may simply be applied for checking the amount of free space –when it attains a certain volume, the administrator receives an immediate warning notice. The tool is also beneficial for monitoring such network issues as network bottlenecks, control hosts, and sluggish parts.
