Finding the right SNMP monitoring tool is a big task for any IT professional assigned the important duty of protecting their company’s network. From tracking bandwidth to monitoring the plethora of devices surely using your network, it’s important you do the proper research and make the right decision when making your decision on a tool. In today’s article we’ll take a look at some of the features to consider when making this important purchase.
If your network is one that is constantly under the barrage of devices flooding it, it’s a good idea to consider a tool that allows for extensive tracking of bandwidth to ensure no downtime for your users and other applications. By setting up parameters to alert you of a high level of bandwidth, you can allow yourself to tackle potential issues before they bring your network to a screeching halt. By using a SNMP monitoring tool to keep an eye on your bandwidth, you can ensure your servers are running efficiently and focus your attention elsewhere to more important issues such as network security.
Arguably one of the most important features on any SNMP monitoring tool will be the main user interface and the ability of the user to become competent at using it quickly. Given your primary dashboard will be the face of the software and an aspect of its use daily to monitor the overall health of your network, you will want to ensure it is easy to use and somewhat intuitive at first glance. The quicker you can learn the new tool in full, the quicker you can ensure your network’s safety and address potential security threats promptly. By being able to see what’s happening in real-time and analyze and immobilize the threat immediately, you can use the tool to its full potential right away.
As with any software in today’s tech landscape that you plan to use, having the ability to access it on the go and remotely is a huge advantage and could mean the difference between identifying a threat early and neutralizing it, or letting it build to a catastrophic state and coming into the office facing a crisis. There are two features specifically that many SNMP monitoring tools offer you will want to be on the lookout for if you work a lot out of the office. The first and the more unique of the two is the offering of a mobile or tablet application. Obtaining a SNMP monitoring software that offers an iOS application allows you to not only monitor the overall health of your company’s network, but often offers the ability to set up custom alerts and notifications that you can set up to notify of you of incoming threats or unusual activity on your servers or network.
The other feature and often one of the most sought after when looking for a solution to IT professionals SNMP monitoring dilemma, is a tool offering a cloud based platform to not only allow for accessing from computers outside your office, but as well provide a backup to your server’s data and security configurations. With a cloud based backup blanketing your network and primary servers, you can have the peace of mind of total system corruptions or a natural disaster wiping out your workplace servers. Different software will offer different storage sizes per month, so ensure the plan you select is enough to cover your company’s needs.
The aforementioned features are just a few things you will want to consider when making the important decision on purchasing SNMP monitoring software. As with any software, it’s never a bad idea to see if there is a demo or a free fully-featured trial version available to run and check the compatibility with your current applications.