Digitalization in the industrial sector has led to a growing number of devices that don’t fall under the traditional definition of IT, but must be monitored. If you want to do network monitoring in a large IT infrastructure, you must be prepared to face several challenges. 

The complexities that arise in the management of a vast digital ecosystem may seem overwhelming but are actually manageable. In fact, once administrators can handle the data they need, they can take control and proactively use the data to make the right decisions. 

Challenges in Monitoring IT Infrastructure

Below are 5 major challenges in monitoring large infrastructure IT and more importantly, the solutions. With the right tools, monitoring even gigantic system environments can be a breeze. The main principle of monitoring remains the same, regardless of the scale of the network. But the bigger the network, the greater the challenges as complexity increases. 

Here are 5 challenges in monitoring large-scale and complex IT infrastructure:

1. Using Various Monitoring Tools

Large environments tend to have devices from many different vendors. Each device also has many systems. Many of these devices and systems have their own monitoring tools, so it is not uncommon for large companies to have around 10-15 monitoring tools for various purposes. 

For example, there are monitoring devices that function to monitor network performance. While other monitoring devices function to monitor databases, applications, storage, devices, and so on. 

2. Distributed Network

In large enterprises, devices and infrastructure are often spread across multiple geographic locations. Depending on how these networks are managed, they may be isolated, semi-independent networks, or they may be linked together in a large connected network. 

Whatever the network architecture, the challenge is whether the company will monitor each sub network separately, and how to get an overview of the health of the entire infrastructure. 

 3. Monitoring Outside of IT

IT environments have their own requirements. For example, healthcare, automotive companies, factories, and others each have their own protocols, device types, systems, and challenges. In the past, these parts may have been completely separate from the traditional IT infrastructure. 

For example, operational technology in the industrial sector or medical devices in the healthcare sector. Today’s digitization has led to more overlap between the two fields. This means that more and more devices that do not fall under the traditional IT definition must also be monitored. 

4. Teams and Specialists

In addition to the central management picture, companies need individual views for certain areas. For example, if a company has a separate team to take care of the database, while another team takes care of network traffic. 

Then the above setup requires role and rights management functions, individual dashboards and maps, and alert management to ensure that the right people receive alerts in a timely manner and have access to the information they need to solve problems. 

5. Getting an Overview

With diverse devices, protocols, monitoring tools, and infrastructure spread across multiple locations, it can be very difficult to get an overall picture of IT in the company. When adding specialized IT, such as healthcare IT or industrial IT, the company may have dashboards and reports in many different places. 

In addition, monitoring many devices, applications, and systems generates large amounts of data. It’s easy to get lost in this information, so a way to consolidate this data into an overview is needed. 

Why is Network Monitoring Important?

Networks need to be monitored to avoid various intrusions such as viruses, spyware, malicious browser extensions, and more. Therefore, network monitoring should be done because it will provide several advantages. Among them are:

1. Detects Intrusions in Real-time

Network monitoring helps detect intrusions in real-time. When a threat occurs, we can react immediately by taking steps to stop the malicious activity. Monitoring allows us to identify the source of the attack to determine what steps need to be taken to protect against future incidents. 

2. Reduce Downtime by Detecting Problems Before They Happen

Downtime is very likely to occur due to computer failure. If it happens, the downtime will be costly and time-consuming. The use of network monitoring technology can reduce the risk of downtime caused by computer failure. 

If a problem arises, the IT team can quickly identify the problem and what caused it. That way, the problem can be quickly fixed and the network can be up and running again soon. 

3. Increase Efficiency and Productivity

Network monitoring can improve efficiency and productivity by providing visibility into business operations. IT teams can easily see where resources are being used most efficiently using detailed reports. In addition, the IT team can also monitor the network 24 hours a day without manually checking each device, making it much more practical. 

4. Protect the Company from Cyber Attacks

Cybersecurity breaches are becoming more frequent and ubiquitous. Hackers target to hack different companies every day. They will look for weak points to penetrate. Even the number of these hackers is not just one. 

By using network monitoring tools, companies can identify any weaknesses in the network. That way, it will be more difficult for hackers to gain unauthorized access. 

5. Prevent Data Loss Due to Cyber Attacks

One of the important benefits of network monitoring is to protect company data and consumer data. If hackers manage to get into the network through any loopholes, then they can easily access various data. Data can also be stolen and lost from the company database. Lost data is worse than plagiarized data. 

To prevent data theft and data plagiarism, companies must have quality network monitoring devices. Every company has valuable data, especially large-scale companies with complex IT infrastructure. Hackers will go to great lengths to obtain this valuable information. Network monitoring allows the network to remain secure and not be stolen by irresponsible parties. Network monitoring ultimately empowers companies with information with alerts when problems are identified, and peace of mind when all systems are running smoothly. Solutions like Netmonk are able to take on the task of monitoring networks in large companies with large amounts of data. Don’t forget to try the 14-day demo for free on our website and see how easy monitoring can be.