Monitor Your Network the Thrifty Way Charlotte NC

Posted by : Michael Patterson

For those with abundant IT resources and an acceptable budget, the big-vendor network-management packages such as HP OpenView (HPOV) or Tivoli may be the right choice. However, many buy these pricey management suites based on their many bells and whistles, much like buying an expensive car because of its sunroof, CD player, speakers, and cup holders. According to a recent survey by Coleman Consulting of New York City, most organizations only use about 30 percent of a product's feature set. Once installed, few tinker with advanced features.

You want to keep costs down when adding network management software, and we want to help. We'll focus on two areas: what to look for during the purchasing process; and a selection of open-source/inexpensive tools you can deploy rapidly on a limited budget.

Purchasing prudence

When you are buying software, especially management software, filter out those parts of the sales presentation that are not specific to your needs. If all you need is mapping, red/green icons, and notification of failures, don't let a salesperson sell you on advanced trap filtering or event correlation features.

Another good way to trim costs is to choose out-of-the-box products whenever possible. But beware of being told during sales presentations that the system can do it via an API. Too much scripting or customization can lead to the deployment of unwieldy tools that respond poorly to changes within the network.

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