#comprehensive monitoring

The Importance of In Person & Remote Tech Support for Business Success Did you know that, according to FileMaker’s Workplace Innovation Report, a staggering 94% of business owners find it difficult to manage and maintain their existing applications and software? Not only that, but the same percentage also claim that they struggle to benefit from the tech that is developed to aid their…

The analogy that comes up is that without real-time instrumental information on "take-off direction, altitude and speed", it is completely unimaginable that an airplane will fly not only on a domestic two-point route but also on an international distance of several thousand kilometers. Cannot do. It's absurd.

Similarly, it is impossible to realize safe and secure network management without real-time network monitoring and understanding of network environment instrument information (SNMP, Syslog information, and fault information).

If your network monitoring system can only guarantee three nines (99.9%), the application based on it can never support four nines (99.99%).

All network services are therefore ultimately fundamental to ensuring network availability and its improvement.

Advantages and disadvantages of network monitoring:

First of all, as an advantage, it is related to why network monitoring is necessary, but it is the advantage of being able to grasp the current location of our network environment that is complicated and continues to change dynamically every day.

The need for this network monitoring tool is strong and has been recognized and actively operated in the IT network industry for 30 years.

The downside is the long learning curve. It takes a lot of learning time due to the understanding and pain of the SNMP protocol, the technical peculiarities (dark arts) of Manager, Agent, OID, MIB.

Network monitoring System is a network that is required to solve several types of problems under this one name.

It is a general term for operations work that protects the work-lifeline.

This network monitoring activity also measures the behavior and output of systems and components over a period of time.

It is said to be an act of observing and checking and monitoring changes over time (Observability).

Specifically, usage rate monitoring of CPU, Memory, HDD, etc., fault performance  monitoring by SNMP metrics, Syslog monitoring, web monitoring, application monitoring, virtual OS monitoring such as VMware, Hyper-V, AWS cloud monitoring, and security scan monitoring. We will continue to

In general, network monitoring system provides five basic functions.

1. Alert

2. Discover

3. Surveillance

4. MAP

5. Report

The job is also defined as a broad range of responsibilities, skills and teamwork that must be borne by everyone involved in operations rather than a single job of an individual.

On the other hand, we, as a network software vendor, claim that monitoring tools are magic wands for solving network monitoring problems. We feel it is necessary.

In other words, it is necessary to start with the recognition that there is no tool in the world that can solve all problems with a single tool.

Basic issues and problems of network monitoring system:

1) As a common story, we continue to use old applications without the latest network monitoring information and tool updates, and we get stuck in a bad precedent, saying, "There were no problems until now." I've heard a lot of cases where it's a problem.

2) In addition, the operation group, which should be a mission-oriented team, tends to become a tool-obsessed type and tends to be inflexible and unproductive because it concentrates too much on searching for tools diligently. Become.

3) Which is better, the agentless type or the agent type?

First of all, the agentless type is easy to introduce. However, is it possible to expand the network monitoring range in the future and flexibly monitor points that you want to monitor uniquely?

With agentless, it is necessary to consider whether bandwidth can be secured especially when the number of monitoring points increases.

On the other hand, there are many agent-type devices with SNMP agents installed, but users who are particular about specific monitoring still develop private MIBs to perform monitoring work.

If this target device does not have an agent, you will have to install and configure it.

And agents that can be distributed simultaneously are on the market (our company: Agent-D)

4) Finally, there is a discussion about whether a monitoring-free tool is better or a paid tool is better.

Free tools are also gaining some popularity these days. However, it seems that a free tool needs to make a wise decision to deal with hidden resource costs, labor cost management, individualization of development, the risk of leaving the company or moving, and the inflexibility of monitoring.

The first premise is a network that fits perfectly in all sizes, environments and user demographics.

Network Monitoring tools probably don't exist on the market.

Therefore, in order to select a monitoring tool, it is standard practice to narrow it down based on several conditions.

Clarify as much as possible the conditions and attributes that you require from the network monitoring tool.

An example is given below.

[Filtering conditions unique to network monitoring tools]

1.What kind of equipment do you need? (Dedicated server? Shared server? Virtual machine? No need because it's SaaS?)

2. How many devices are monitored? (100 units? 1000 units? 10000 units?)

3. What devices will be monitored? (Router? Switch? Wireless AP? Server?)

4. What kind of monitoring do you want? (Ping only? Traps, performance monitoring, and Syslog?)

5.Is there variation in the types of monitoring and monitored devices that you want to do?

6. What kind of usability do you want? (Intuitive ease of understanding? Ease of construction and configuration?)

7. Who touches the monitoring tools? (IT knowledge expert? Someone who doesn't understand monitoring tools well?)

8.Is it possible to maintain and manage the monitoring tool itself? (Possible with in-house resources? Depends on external system integrators?)

9. What is the product support system like? (Manufacturer maintenance? Dealer maintenance? No maintenance?)

10. Do you want value-added features other than monitoring?

11. What are your future plans? (Minimum number of years to use? Will the number of monitored devices increase? Decrease? Will the types of devices change?)

These conditions and the conditions that everyone examines when purchasing products, not just monitoring tools.

The key to selecting a network monitoring tool that does not fail is to narrow down by price offered, superiority or inferiority to comparison products, etc.).

Recommended tools for network monitoring and introduction of related tools (ThirdEye)

Bringing it there, the network monitoring tool "ThirdEye" is handled by our company.

In summary, we think it can be said that "flexibility and adaptability to the narrowing conditions described in the previous section are high. Specific information is provided below.

[Degree of application to each narrowing condition]

1.What kind of equipment do you need? (Dedicated server? Shared server? Virtual machine? No need because it's SaaS?)

Since it does not matter if it is a dual-purpose physical server, you will be asked to prepare a virtual machine.

2. How many devices are monitored? (100 units? 1000 units? 10000 units?)

We can cover a wide range of networks, from small-scale networks with less than 100 units to large-scale networks with over 10,000 units. It also supports integrated monitoring multi-tenants.

3. What devices will be monitored? (Router? Switch? Wireless AP? Server?)

In addition to various networks such as routers, switches, and firewalls, servers, UPS, web cameras, etc.

Devices that can be given IP addresses, such as industrial machines, can basically be monitored.

4. What kind of monitoring do you want? (Ping only? Traps, performance monitoring, and Syslog?)

5.Is there variation in the types of monitoring and monitored devices that you want to do?

Ping monitoring and trap monitoring, which must-have items for NW are monitoring, are of course SNMP polling.

Performance monitoring, threshold monitoring, Syslog monitoring, etc. are all standard functions.

In addition, the type of monitoring and the number of executions do not affect the price offered, so it is a very simple fee structure.

6. What kind of usability do you want? (Intuitive ease of understanding? Ease of construction and configuration?)

The drawing function of the topology map that can immediately grasp the location of the failure is particularly substantial.

7. Who touches the monitoring tools? (IT knowledge expert? Someone who doesn't understand monitoring tools well?)

Since there is an easy-to-understand map screen, it is easy to see even for those who are not familiar with IT.

In addition, since user authority can be turned on/off in detail for each function, system administrators and operators

You can clearly differentiate the functions that can be used in such as.

8.Is it possible to maintain and manage the monitoring tool itself? (Possible with in-house resources? Depends on external system integrators?)

9. What is the product support system like? (Manufacturer maintenance? Dealer maintenance? No maintenance?)

ThirdEye is based on domestic development and domestic support, and the speed of product support in a good way.

● LogicVein’s product development policy

・Is it comfort through ease of use?

・Is it quality?

・Is it flexible?

・Is it extensible?

・Is it versatile?

・Is it a cost?

None of the above solutions can be solved with just one choice, and it is naturally required to create a product that covers everything. At the same time, on the sales side, there is a method of spending a large amount of money on advertising to raise awareness of the product in the world at once. Although it may be unglamorous, our company adopts the method of “the product speaks for itself!”, in which the goodness of the product spreads naturally through word of mouth among friends, colleagues, and other companies.

It will take time, but wait until real demand emerges from the market. And improve. We will wait again. We will improve further. We have adopted a policy of endlessly repeating improvements until the product itself can convey its goodness to our customers.

Just like the comfort of a car, the comfort of a product is not reflected in the specs at all. However, it is also an important point that humans can feel the comfort and comfort of the ride.

We sincerely hope that you will refer to the above items and see what is truly useful for your business, without being overwhelmed by product specifications.

Basic performance, basic usability.

This is not only the customer's most important consideration, but also an essential point to embody our vendor's conscience into the product.

・Basic components: SNMP promotes remote operation monitoring of in-house network devices using UDP protocol and Polling port 161 and Trap port 162.

・Mechanism: Server SNMP Manager and agent (installed on each device) are installed, and the server collects and diagnoses the device information emitted from the agent. "This is surveillance."

・Network monitoring scalability: It is possible to remotely monitor devices from 100 units for small networks to 10,000+ units for large networks. "Everything will be monitored remotely."

What network monitoring can do?

1) Trap and threshold monitoring - These are IT industry terms, but when translated into general terms, they mean almost the same as alarms. Device failure information (medical condition) is sent to Manager when the network device threshold (alarm value) is exceeded.

2) Performance monitoring -In addition to remotely monitoring the CPU usage, memory usage, and HDD usage of network devices, you can also set thresholds in advance and perform trap monitoring.

3) Ping monitoring – Also called life-and-death monitoring. It will be a constant remote monitoring to see if the counterpart device is working fine. You can set the ping interval and set it variable from frequent alive monitoring to slow interval monitoring.

4) Traffic monitoring – You can monitor interface inbound and outbound checks and traffic utilization.

5) SysLog monitoring – You can monitor the behavior caused by the error script by receiving the syslog output by the network device at the Manager.

LogicVein, a privately held and constantly profitable Network Management Configuration Software company, has been a respected provider of innovative network management solutions for over a decade. We are delighted to present Net Line Dancer.

Configuring and managing network devices is still a time-consuming, error-prone process. Unless cutting-edge technology is applied to the problem, the "Dark Ages" of network configuration management will last another decade.

Net Line Dancer is here to bring enlightenment to network engineers and to lift them out of the Dark Ages of monotonous and error-prone tasks.

Net Line Dancer was named after Broadway line dancers kicking in synchronicity, much like traffic flying around the world's networks in a coordinated "dance."

 We chose an unique and fun image rather than an unimaginative name to reflect the fact that Net Line Dancer is unlike any other product on the market.

Net Line Dancer was established in the United States in 2006 and was refined by American developers in the Land of the Rising Sun — Japan.