Network performance monitoring (NPM) according to Techopedia is an activity or process to analyze, track, report, and evaluate the performance of a computer network that is carried out routinely. So that network administrators can track the quality and performance of the overall network service and the underlying network. Still in the article published by Techopedia, this process is usually carried out using software or network performance monitoring tools that provide metrics to the network. What is meant by this metric? The metric in question has several measurements, namely network delay, network availability and response time, and network download and upload speed. Then, the network administrator will receive a notification when these metrics have reached their threshold. So that it can be resolved immediately and the problems that occur will not get bigger and spread.
Did you know that network performance monitoring can utilize several telemetries? Some of these telemetries include: data packets, device metrics such as SNMP, network flow data such as NetFlow, JFlow and so on. What is the difference between network performance monitoring (NPM) and network monitoring especially NetMonk? The answer is none because both are the same. Further explanation is that NMP with NetMonk is only one way because it only monitors. The goal is to find out the health of a network. Why is this needed? Because so that the network infrastructure can continue to be used.
How Does Network Performance Monitoring Work?
Data sourced from SNMP, data packets, and data flows are collected by the network performance monitoring tool which will provide different information and perspectives on the problems that occur. This is very useful for data management. Not only can it be used on-premise or in place, but this network performance monitoring tool can also be used on-cloud or a combination of both.
There are various protocols that are used or utilized in network performance monitoring (NPM) as explained in the previous paragraph. Here is a little explanation.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
Simple network management protocol is the most frequently or most commonly used protocol. No exception with NetMonk, a network monitoring application and network monitoring services. Usually used to manage and monitor network devices such as switches, routers, and so on. Using SNMP means that network management tools can identify devices, track network changes, monitor networks, and determine the status of network devices in real time.
NetFlow
What is NetFlow? NetFlow is a protocol developed by Cisco Systems that is used to collect metadata on IP networks in switches and routers. NetFlow is a protocol that has now begun to be developed for network monitoring products. What are the advantages of using NetFlow? The advantage is that you can use it to monitor and analyze flow data that is useful for obtaining valuable information about network users, network patterns, and usage times.
Of course, this is very different from SNMP (Simple Network Monitoring Protocol). NetFlow can understand traffic patterns and provide a comprehensive view to monitor bandwidth and traffic usage. Not only that, it supports QoS validation and is used for troubleshooting that often occurs on the network.
Features
What features must be present in network performance monitoring? Of all the existing NPMs, the features provided are certainly different. Even so, there are several features that must be provided in each NPM, whatever its main purpose. The features mentioned here are the basics of good network monitoring, and NPM must operate with them. According to Hein, there are 5 most important NPM capabilities. Here is his explanation of why they are important for any network monitoring software.
Real-Time Notifications and Alerts
Network problems can happen at any time and a good NPM will notify you of the problem so you can fix it right away. Even more advanced, NPM has the ability to filter alerts based on their potential impact on the network. This means NPM sorts the most severe problems first so they can be addressed first.
SNMP Compatibility
SNMP stands for simple network management protocol. SNMP provides a common framework for devices and network monitoring managers to communicate with each other. Network devices that are compatible with SNMP include switches, IoT devices, and computers. According to Hein, SNMP allows monitoring tools to communicate with devices in a common language to streamline device monitoring.
Visual Map
A network map can help you create a visual representation of your network. Some NPMs have network mapping and topography capabilities so you can depict every connected device. The best NPMs, on the other hand, can update the network map in real-time, either automatically or on a schedule. This means you don’t have to manually update the network map every time a new device is added to the network.
Scalability
It’s a good bet that your network is constantly growing to accommodate more hardware and connections. It’s also a safe bet that your NPM is constantly updating to reflect the current state of your network because it will handle scalability well. So, if your company runs multiple networks, you should choose an NPM that can detect and fully monitor each network simultaneously.
Bandwidth Usage Reporting
One of the most important network statistics that your company needs to monitor is bandwidth usage. Because if a network is too close to the maximum data transfer speed because of a resource-intensive device, then you should be aware of it immediately. NPM must provide reports on bandwidth usage across the network on a regular basis.
That’s a brief explanation of network performance monitoring (NPM). Basically, NPM with network monitoring is the same, especially NetMonk. a network monitoring application that has superior features that can make it easier for network engineers to complete their work. To see how our product works, you can request a demo directly through the website. For those of you who want to ask for more information and information about PoC or free trials, please contact our marketing team here! We are ready to assist you with pleasure.
References:
