Cisco Expert Network Consulting

Network management tools assist companies to implement network infrastructure effectively, look up client information rapidly, monitor system health, troubleshoot problems, protect against and respond to cyber attacks, and maximize responsiveness. Network management tools can spot inefficient or improper uses of network resources like streaming multimedia or peer-to-peer file sharing that can burn up bandwidth, reduce worker output or leave you vulnerable to data leaks. A prudently planned network management solution can also assist companies to make informed capacity planning moves by showing trends in network demand for various periods or types of tasks.

Cisco has developed a diverse and growing portfolio of network management solutions that support unified management for local, cloud-based, or hybrid network models. With Cisco's newer security, switching, and Wi-Fi infrastructure products, you can choose among Meraki, DNA Center, or CLI management platforms for network management. For instance, you can interface newer Catalyst or Meraki switches and Catalyst or Meraki Wi-Fi APs to the Meraki dashboard to monitor and manage vital layers of your network infrastructure from the cloud. Progent's Cisco Catalyst Wi-Fi AP experts, Meraki WiFi AP consultants, Catalyst switches consultants, and Cisco Meraki switches consultants can help you to design, deploy and tune a modern environment for network infrastructure monitoring and management.

Legacy Network Management Platforms from Cisco and Others
An abundance of network management products from Cisco and other suppliers highlights the value and complexity of supporting IT infrastructure. Progent's Cisco qualified network management consultants are experienced at helping companies design network management strategies utilizing on SNMP, Syslog, and Cisco NetFlow to create effective tools for understanding network bandwidth usage and latency, viewing key router and switch operational metrics, and identifying traffic patterns, processes, and appliances utilizing available resources.

Progent can help businesses to utilize a rich range of free and proprietary monitoring and management solutions to maintain a Cisco network. Utilities familiar to Progent's consultants include MRTG, Nagios, PRTG, Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM), Cisco Monitor Manager, Cisco Security Manager, OpenView, Concord E-Health, Adventnet Netflow, Solarwinds Orion, and Necordia NetMRI.

Network management platforms can enable organizations to understand existing system utilization and intelligently plan for downstream traffic increases. Management tools can also be deployed to identify poor or inappropriate uses of system resources, such as streaming multimedia, peer-to-peer file exchange, etc. that can eat up valuable or limited network resources. A well crafted network management solution can also aid businesses to arrive at informed decisions on system upgrades once they understand the amount of network bandwidth really required at any one time.

Having an effective network management solution in operation in advance is vital to avoid severe problems that can be caused by DoS attacks and dangerous viruses/Trojans. These assaults can render the network unstable and without appropriate utilities it can be difficult, and in some cases virtually impossible, to identify the source of the trouble.

Network Management Products from Cisco
Cisco has created a variety of effective tools that should form the basis for any management strategy. Used in combination with the top outside vendor tools, Cisco's network management software can improve the business value of networks for organizations of any size by addressing key areas such as system utilization, throughput, resilience, security, repair, and scalability. Cisco's top network management products include:

Cisco ASDM is a browser-based utility that allows you to configure and operate the software built into network appliances. Cisco ASDM is loaded by the Cisco appliance, and enables you to configure, track, and manage the device.

Monitor Manager is a management application intended for the requirements of small and midsize organizations. Monitor Manager actively monitors key device processes on voice/data networks used by 5 to 250 users and with as many as 250 IP phones. Cisco Monitor Manager provides:

• Real-time scanning of important appliance processes on Cisco SMB-class network appliances, Cisco Communications Manager Express, Unity Express, security devices, access points, and VoIP phones
• Compatibility with the Unified Communications 500 appliance for businesses with as many as 50 users

• Network discovery and physical topology
• Device and process looks at Cisco Unified Communications implementation
• System wide device identification logging and documentation
• Advanced security and reliable operation
• Device performance tracking
• IP Telephony tracking
• Connection status and data traffic tracking
• Real-time alerts and notices
• Reports
• Configuration log

Network Assistant is a PC-based network management application designed for for LANs and WLANS for expanding organizations with up to 40 switches and routers. By using Smartports, Network Assistant simplifies setup, installation, and continuing administration and maintenance of Cisco-based networks. The application provides a centralized system view and allows network administrators to deploy its functions among Cisco switches, routers, and access points.

Cisco Security Manager is a feature-rich but easy-to-use application for centrally provisioning all aspects of device set up and security policies for firewalls, virtual private networks, and Intrusion Prevention Systems. The solution effectively handles even small environments consisting of fewer than ten appliances, but also expands to manage large-scale systems with thousands of devices. Expansion is enabled through intelligent policy-driven control techniques that can simplify administrative overhead. Highlights of Cisco Security Manager include:

• Supports control of Cisco routers configured with a Cisco IOS security image, ASA 5500 family firewalls, Cisco PIX firewalls, Cisco IPS 4200 family sensors, and Cisco Catalyst 6500 security services modules
• Respond faster. more rapidly to attacks: specify and apply updated policies to many hundreds of devices in a few simple steps
• Intuitive GUI provides superior ease-of-use
• A variety of views that provide flexible ways to control appliances and security policies including the option to administer the security network graphically on a topology image
• Comprehensive animated help for the novice operator to reduce training period
• Centrally call out which policies are common and inherited by new devices to ensure corporate policies are implemented regularly, at the same time providing optional flexibility to customize policies at the individual appliance level
• Ability to create a single firewall rule database for all Cisco firewalls with intelligent analysis of firewall policies to determine anomalies within the rule table
• Easily set up site-to-site, hub-and-spoke, full mesh, or extranet Virtual Private Network links with a few mouse clicks
• Integration with Cisco ACS for low-level role based connection management to appliances and management services
• Operation with Cisco security MARS to correlate events against related security appliance rules to enable faster management decisions and increased network up time
• Capability to assign specific tasks to each manager in the course of the deployment of a policy, with formal change management and tracking; allows the security and network operations staff to work together as a cohesive group with efficient coordination

Progent can also help you to use network management tools to monitor and classify network data to implement traffic shaping, which allows you to configure Cisco routers to impose a variety of bandwidth restrictions on certain types of activity based on the priorities you specify. By storing and queuing data packets above your committed volume, and by giving preference to the most important applications, traffic shaping can prevent ISP overage charges from spiraling out of control and/or avoid lost worker productivity caused by brute force policing of your network bandwidth restrictions during periods of heavy demand.

Progent's CISA and ISSAP security professionals can show you how to create an end-to-end security plan that encompasses your network management processes, and Progent's remote and in person network specialists and Cisco CCIE and CNA qualified engineers can utilize the latest network monitoring and analysis tools to isolate and fix problems rapidly to keep your network productive.

To learn more details about Progent's engineering support for Cisco technology, choose a topic:

• Overview of Cisco Expertise
• Fast and Affordable Remote Access to a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Engineer
• Cisco Firepower NGFW Firewalls: Integration and Management Expertise
• ASA 5500-X Series Firewall with Cisco Firepower: Setup and Troubleshooting Support
• Cisco ASA 5500 Series Firewall Troubleshooting Support
• PIX Firewall Maintenance Services
• Cisco Routers Configuration and Troubleshooting Expertise
• Cisco Wireless Deployment Expertise
• Aironet Wireless Access Points Engineering Expertise
• Cisco Small Business WiFi APs System Design Services
• Catalyst Wi-Fi 6/6E Wireless APs Solution Design, Deployment and Debugging Services
• Cisco Wireless Controllers Consultants
• Cisco Meraki Wireless Access Points Deployment Services
• Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM or Unified CM) and Cisco CallManager Consulting and Technical Support
• Cisco Voice over IP Phones and IP Video Phones Expertise and Cisco Wireless IP Phone Solutions
• Cisco Jabber Migration and Support Expertise
• Catalyst Switches Configuration and Maintenance Services
• Cisco Nexus Switches Configuration and Maintenance Expertise
• Meraki MS Switches Deployment Services
• Cisco VPN Integration Assistance
• SIP and CUBE Infrastructure Solutions: SIP Trunks and Cisco CUBE Integration Expertise
• Cisco Duo MFA Two-factor Authentication Services for Teleworkers
• Infrastructure Design for Cisco-based Datacenters
• Data Center Design Consulting for ISPs