network monitoring

A well-functioning network is essential to any organisation. It facilitates communication, data exchange, and most importantly, the seamless operation of your business. If your network should fail, you can expect downtimes, outages, and disruption to strike your customers. 

Avoidable? Yes. 

With the right monitoring and alerting mechanisms, it’s possible to identify and rectify problems before they cause any damage. In this article, we will explore the world of monitoring and alerts. The significance of a proactive approach in ensuring the stability, security, and performance of your entire network ecosystem will become apparent. 

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Understanding Network and Infrastructure Monitoring

What do we mean when we talk about network and infrastructure monitoring? 

Network and infrastructure monitoring is a comprehensive and proactive approach to overseeing the health, performance, and security of your organisation’s interconnected systems. 

It involves the continuous tracking of key metrics, data points, and events within a network, including elements such as servers, devices, storage infrastructure, and network control components like load balancers and firewalls. By collecting and analysing data in real time, an effective monitoring method enables your IT provider to detect and mitigate any issues or potential security threats early, before they have the opportunity to do any damage. As a result, resources are optimised and your entire network ecosystem can perform at its best in a safe environment. 

Do I need a monitoring and alerts system? 

Simply put, yes! 

A monitoring and alerts system is essential to maintain the health, performance, and security of your IT infrastructure by acting as the proverbial ‘early warning system’. Without one, you risk being unaware of issues until they manifest as critical problems that cause service disruptions, downtime, and potential financial losses. 

In comparison, businesses who proactively opt for monitoring and alerting systems can detect anomalies, bottlenecks, and performance degradation in real-time, allowing them to take immediate corrective actions.

In a world where data security and compliance are paramount, the benefit of this is enormous. Timely alerts enable IT and security teams to investigate and mitigate threats, protecting sensitive data and maintaining regulatory compliance. In essence, such a system is a crucial component of an organisation’s risk management strategy, ensuring that potential security incidents are addressed before they escalate into major breaches. By detecting and responding to security breaches and suspicious activities swiftly, you not only minimise the impact but also improve your operational efficiency and can even realise cost savings. 

In fact, the risks of not having an effective monitoring and alerts system can include: 

What do I need to monitor? 

An effective monitoring and alerts system should monitor a wide range of parameters and components within your organisation’s IT infrastructure to ensure the health, performance, and security of the systems. Key elements to monitor include:

Network Infrastructure

Security and network control devices 

Servers

Applications and workstations

Security and Threat Detection

Storage Infrastructure:

monitoring and alerts

An effective monitoring and alerts system should offer the flexibility to configure alerts based on your unique thresholds and conditions. The right partner should also be able to offer you custom metrics specific to your individual needs and services, alongside custom scripts or plugins for monitoring specialised applications or devices. At Proxar, we pride ourselves on our tailored approach, offering our partners only what they want and need, rather than including hefty bolt-ons. 

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Best practices for effective monitoring and alerts 

Let’s dive into what you need to look out for in an effective monitoring and alerts system. 

Monitoring thresholds

The last thing you want your monitoring system to do is to overload you with data. You want to avoid overly aggressive settings that generate excessive alerts and lead to alert fatigue while ensuring that thresholds are set at levels that capture anomalies and performance degradation. 

That’s why it’s essential to establish thresholds that strike a balance between sensitivity, reliability, and relevance. To achieve this balance, thresholds should be based on historical data and performance benchmarks, considering both normal and peak usage patterns. As the environment evolves, these should be regularly reviewed and adjusted. 

At this stage, collaboration between IT teams and stakeholders is essential to determine the thresholds that align with business priorities and end-user expectations, ultimately optimising the effectiveness of the monitoring system. Here, an outsourced team can be particularly valuable to navigate the business necessities, stakeholders, and technical requirements.

Reducing false alerts

Reducing false alerts is vital to maintaining the effectiveness of a monitoring system and preventing alert fatigue among IT staff. To achieve this, you can implement: 

If this sounds outside the realm of your inhouse expertise, Proxar can help answer any questions you might have. 

Automated responses to alerts

Automated responses to alerts are essential for rapid issue resolution, day or night. A systematic approach involving the following steps is best practice for your internal team or outsourced IT partner to follow: 

Conclusion

Effective monitoring and automated alert systems are indispensable for ensuring the reliability, performance, and security of your organisation’s IT infrastructure. By setting accurate monitoring thresholds, reducing false alerts, and automating responses, businesses can streamline operations, minimise downtime, and swiftly resolve issues. Integrating alerts into incident management ensures a structured approach to problem resolution, enhancing service dependability and reducing disruptions.

Outsourced IT providers can provide significant expertise in designing, configuring, implementing, and maintaining these systems. At Proxar, we pride ourselves on our tailored approach to monitoring and alerts, delivering customised solutions specific to your organisational needs – no more, no less. Our clients benefit from our proactive approach, cutting-edge technology, industry best practice, and our reliable support services to keep their business safe with effective monitoring and alerts. 

To learn more about how our monitoring and alerts solution could benefit your business, get in contact with us today.