Although virtually every business has its own needs for network performance management, many do not actively practice it or know about it. The technical aspects of network performance management are best left to your IT department, but understanding the benefits will help you convince business managers to take the plunge. After all, good performance management solutions can be expensive. However, if you have a business with many IT users, you’d likely benefit from having network performance management.

Overview

While network performance monitoring is an essential part of monitoring systems, it is often overlooked. In order to improve network performance, it is vital to understand what is consuming the most resources. Using network performance monitoring determines how much is used and where network administrators can prioritize resources.

For example, monitoring resources can detect network security threats as these can take up large amounts of resources. Network performance monitoring can save time, money, and resources by preventing costly investigations and wasted time. It can also improve services and reduce costs.

Network performance management is a series of techniques that govern, promote, and guarantee the optimum operation of a computer system. Regular performance assessment and reliable service quality for each connected device and equipment are widely utilized for network performance management.

Components

The most effective network performance management tools will have easy-to-use interfaces and provide comprehensive, real-time visibility of IT devices across an entire enterprise. They should also be able to detect applications, delivery infrastructure, and system failures and then automatically filter the data accordingly. A network performance management solution is essential for improving the end-user experience regardless of network complexity. But how does one select the right solution?

Network performance monitoring and management are interdependent processes. Monitoring focuses on aggregating network data, while management focuses on analyzing the data and making informed decisions based on it. Both are vital, but different techniques are involved in each. Monitoring focuses on measuring network performance, while management focuses on determining its root cause and preventing future events. Ideally, network performance monitoring and management are complementary processes. You can choose the one that best suits your network infrastructure.

 Costs

While virtually every business should invest in network performance management (NPM), few are actively doing so. Fortunately, you can educate business managers about the benefits of implementing such a solution. Although the technical details are best left to the IT department, it’s possible to persuade them to adopt NPM without breaking the bank. The costs associated with good performance management solutions can be considerable. Keep in mind, however, that a good solution isn’t cheap.

The costs associated with network performance management are far more than just the hardware. Network management vendors spend considerable resources developing NMS solutions, and they have to make a profit. While hardware vendors focus their attention on selling multiple boxes to companies, NPMS solutions must meet several requirements at the same time. Consequently, some vendors are built around satisfying just one function, while others aim to serve a broad range of needs.

Implementation

Increasing the effectiveness of your business requires proactive network performance management. Network performance monitoring and network performance management are complementary concepts used to ensure network assets’ proper functioning. The two concepts use different techniques to ensure optimal network performance. Learn more about these two concepts and how they can benefit your business.

Observable network performance issues become actionable once they are logged and documented. By identifying acceptable performance levels, network administrators and engineers can quickly identify and address problems before they affect their users’ experience. Furthermore, they can troubleshoot and identify network problems in real-time, improving their performance.

But why is it important to have network performance monitoring? As network applications become more complex, the importance of application monitoring and diagnosis increases. Some common characteristics of applications include their window sizes, keep-alive capabilities, and network congestion.