University of Maryland Baltimore US History before 1865 Case Study
ANSWER
Network Monitoring Software Evaluation
1. Describe the Software and its Capabilities:
- Name of the Software: [Insert Name]
- Briefly describe the software’s core features and capabilities. For instance, does it offer real-time network monitoring, alerting, reporting, and historical data analysis?
- Does the software provide support for both Windows and Linux environments, considering your diverse office locations and data center?
2. Discuss Any TCP/IP Protocols Used by the Software:
- Explain if the software supports the necessary TCP/IP protocols for monitoring your network infrastructure, including SNMP, ICMP, WMI, or others.
- Ensure that it can monitor all critical devices such as switches, routers, servers, and endpoints in your network.
3. Pros and Cons of the Software Based on Company Description:
Pros:
- Scalability: Assess whether the software can handle your growing network needs as your company expands.
- Multi-site Support: Evaluate if the software can efficiently monitor and manage multiple business sites across different locations.
- Real-time Alerts: Check if the software can provide real-time alerts for network issues, which is crucial for quick responses.
- User-Friendly Interface: Consider the user interface’s ease of use for your network management team.
- Support for Blade Servers: Ensure the software can monitor blade servers in your data center.
Cons:
- Cost: Evaluate the total cost of ownership, including licensing, maintenance, and support fees, to determine if it fits your budget.
- Third-party Integrations: Check if the software can integrate with other tools and applications your company uses, such as security solutions or helpdesk software.
- Learning Curve: Assess the complexity of the software and the time it might take for your team to become proficient in using it.
- Resource Utilization: Consider the resource overhead on your network caused by the monitoring software itself.
4. Justify Your Recommendation:
- Consider the cost of the software in relation to your budget. Does it provide value for the investment made?
- Evaluate the quality of support and maintenance offered by the software vendor. Can they provide timely assistance when needed?
- Look for third-party evaluations or reviews to gauge the software’s performance and reliability in real-world scenarios.
- Determine if the software can fulfill all the critical needs of your company. Does it address the specific requirements of your network infrastructure as described in the company’s profile?
- If the software is not a complete solution, assess if it can be used in combination with other tools to cover any remaining network management needs.
Based on the evaluation above, make your recommendation for or against the use of the chosen network monitoring software. Ensure that your recommendation is well-justified, taking into account all relevant factors, and clearly state whether it is a complete solution or part of a broader network management strategy.
QUESTION
Description
Read the following article from PC Magazine: “The Best Network Monitoring Software for 2021.”
For the purpose of this assignment, assume that you are a network manager for a medium sized enterprise with the following general description:
Specialty Insurance company with 4 business sites:
New York City (main office)
200 in-house employees with PCs
30 salespersons with laptops
Server farm and data-center with 100 blade servers
Miami (regional office)
50 in-house employees with PCs
50 salespersons with laptops
- Dallas (regional office)
50 in-house employees with PCs
50 salespersons with laptops
- Los Angeles
75 in-house employees with PCs
- 100 salespersons with laptops
Data-center with 80 blade servers
- You are part of a team detailed with the responsibility to find and evaluate various network monitoring software to manage and protect your company.
ASSIGNMENT: (Working by yourself), chose one of the 10 products listed in the PC article and evaluate it for use in the ficticious company above.Your evaluation should be a minimum of 2 pages, single spaced, 12-point type and should include the following:
- Describe the software and its capabilities
discuss any TCP/IP protocols used by the software
list pros and cons of this software based on the company description above
- finally justify why you recommend for or against this software as a solution for your company.Your recommendation should take into account cost, support, 3rd party evaluations, and whether that software was sufficient to satisfy all of the needs of your company.You may also consider it as a partial solution, but requiring other software to handle some additional requirements.
You may make additional assumptions to justify your choice, but they must be listed