Network Infrastructure, Network Management
Article | July 10, 2023
Emerging virtual and hybrid private 5G solutions are enabling communication service providers (CSPs) to address a large number of new consumer and enterprise edge use cases. Each of these edge use cases will require a specific network deployment model and edge user plane connectivity. That’s why we’ve designed our 5G edge user plane to tackle five distinct key capabilities: support of flexible network deployments, 3GPP dual-mode support, integrated Gi LAN services, integrated probing with edge analytics and edge exposure enablement. Let’s dive into this blog post to learn how the powerful 5G edge user plane is unlocking new 5G edge use cases.
How technological innovation creates value and benefits society has always interested me, influencing my work as a mobile network technologist and sales professional. Since mobile data was introduced in late 90s, both mobile network technology and mobile consumer use cases have evolved enormously. Indeed, a rapid increase in connectivity speed and the introduction of smartphones have pushed the market to adopt mobile web and video and create thousands of new applications. However, sometimes ‘killer use cases’ require both business case and application ecosystem maturity. One example is video conferencing, one of the key services 3G was designed for but was only introduced when the over-the-top (OTT) vendors disrupted the content provider market and popularized social media. Creation of mobile technology has indeed its own innovation cycles and research feeds and therefore can't depend on market pull, but you can draw the conclusion that the time to value greatly benefits when the broad business and technology ecosystem in the value chain collaborate and co-create solutions.
Precisely, what’s really exciting about 5G is that it coincides with the maturity of other two disruptive technology enablers for end applications: artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud edge computing. It also comes at a moment when there’s both an urgent need and huge financial support to digitalize society and industry. In fact, more than ever, we are witnessing a close collaboration between technology and business ecosystems. Over the past few years, there have been a large number of public-private consortiums to feed service requirements into 5G standards, explore and validate the value of 5G technology. For example, just to name few, the 5G alliance for connected Industries and automation (5G-ACIA) or European 5G infrastructure Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects. For years, 3GPP standards have been preparing to define advanced 5G connectivity solutions for edge computing and vertical digitalization use cases. In addition, all sorts of consumer and enterprise edge applications are being developed at the same pace in many areas such advanced video processing, AI analytics, immersive gaming, smart grid applications, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) controls or industry automation.
The edge ecosystem is particularly complex and involves different players. One key pillar is the wireless connectivity service CSPs offer. 5G-ACIA introduced the concept of virtual private and hybrid private 5G solutions, two emerging solutions that CSPs are exploring to complement their private 5G network offerings. Such solutions allow CSPs to leverage their existing public networks and offer new services in an agile and cost-effective manner using new 5G capabilities such as network slicing. In order to address edge use cases, virtual and hybrid private 5G solutions need to bring the user plane connectivity to the edge by deploying 5G edge user plane functions.
The 5G edge user plane supports flexible network deployments
One key learning from industry experimentation with 5G is that each use case brings a unique combination of connectivity requirements, in terms of end-to-end performance (uplink and downlink latency, jitter, packet loss and throughput), data privacy and security, robustness, wide vs local area coverage and mobility.
Latency and security requirements drive the selection of the edge location, which can be the enterprise premise, CSP access or regional data center or even the extended public edge such as content delivery networks (CDN) content provider or a hyper cloud provider’s (HCP) edge data center. For example, a mobile gaming application can be located in the CSP regional data center or HCP edge, whereas video processing and AI for a factory automation application is located on the factory premise. Also edge distribution can be accounted by CSP for those use cases which produce significant amount of data such as fixed wireless access (FWA) to optimize backhaul costs.
Ericsson has a vast experience supporting and driving the ecosystem to realize time critical communication use cases at scale and has conducted detailed latency analysis for different type of deployments. The RAN deployment needs to be carefully planned according to the specific use case performance characteristics. Some use cases can be achieved with existing macro RAN environment -4G or non-standalone 5G-, with macro RAN standalone 5G with or without dedicated quality of service (QoS) profiles or even may require network slicing to partition macro RAN. In contrast, some other use cases will need dedicated RAN deployments. In addition, most use cases will benefit from a dedicated edge user plane function, as it provides a higher level of performance and robustness.
In summary, the concrete edge use cases to be offered and CSP’s own solution preferences drive the type of network solution and deployment, which can be a private 5G network, a virtual or a hybrid 5G private network using existing macro or dedicated RAN, with or without network slicing.
The edge 5G user plane function should allow for such deployment flexibility and enable the different edge use cases characteristics. Ericsson Local Packet Gateway (LPG) addresses this by:
Supporting any access technology, radio deployment model and RAN vendor
Seamlessly integrating with Ericsson’s existing dual-mode 5G Core. which is prepared for slicing, efficient routing to edge (also called edge breakout) and advanced QOS and many other 5G edge features described in more detail in next section.
Supporting a fast time to service, deployment simplicity and a very low footprint enabling deployment at scale in any type of edge location, up to on enterprise premises. See our previous LPG 5G edge user plane: key requirements for success for details.
Providing a high level of robustness and failure resilience by means of a cloud native user plane application designed for high availability and fault resilience, support of geo-redundancy and support of 3GPP control plane and user plane split (CUPS) interface which can be deployed in full mesh with multiple control planes. User plane can also be deployed as a dedicated function within a slice to secure further characteristics and isolation or as a shared function for various slices.
5G edge user plane should enable transition from 4G to more sophisticated 5G connectivity
Most of CSPs are embracing edge opportunities. They are viewing the opportunities as an evolution of their existing offerings rather than a revolution, meaning existing 4G enterprise use cases will still need to be supported for some time as the ecosystem matures to support time-critical communications type of use cases. This means 5G edge user plane should be dual-mode and support such a wide breadth of technology.
5G edge user plane should support both 3GPP compliant serving/packet gateway user function (S/PGW-U) and user plane function (UPF) and evolve with advanced UPF features for time-critical communications, such as more stringent end to end QoS and transmission robustness for ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) or Ethernet connectivity for advanced edge industrial use cases. It should also support 5G peak rates and do not degrade use cases performance characteristics. It should also support dynamic edge routing solutions which are efficient, deployable by multipurpose terminals and mobility proof such as dynamic network slice selection which is preferrable to UPF as uplink classifier as starting solution until standardization evolves.
5G edge user plane should work in conjunction with the CSP’s dual-mode core system, which supports dynamic slicing orchestration, dynamic slice selection, ultra-reliable low latency communications and advanced 5G edge connectivity features such as different service continuity and user plane re-anchoring modes depending on mobility and application resilience needs. Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core with Local Packet Gateway provides such advanced 5G connectivity in a pre-verified manner. In fact, the Ericsson Local Packet Gateway Cloud Native Function (CNF) is based on the same software as the Ericsson Packet Core Gateway (PCG), the market leading cloud-native user plane, which is deployed in 5G live networks today.
Such deployment flexibility in edge user plane allows CSP to offer distinct use cases. For example, CSPs can offer mobile gaming service by deploying a cloud virtual reality (VR) gaming center application in their regional data centers. Connectivity with guaranteed low latency QoS can be provided by a dedicated 5G network slice with the dedicated Ericsson Local Packet Gateway, deployed close to the gaming application and connected to the CSP’s existing central core network. The mobile gaming application can use a portable device such as VR glasses or use a multi-purpose smartphone or tablet that supports dynamic slice selection. CSP can reuse their existing public network and macro 5G RAN. As another example, CSP can offer 5G edge connectivity to factories or logistic centers for augmented reality (AR) quality inspection. The AR application is deployed on the factory premise and needs an ultra-reliable and low-latency QoS connection to process in real time all the factory images. This is provided by a dedicated Ericsson Local Packet Gateway with ultra-reliable low latency QoS and redundant configuration being deployed on premises.
Edge use cases will require user plane services beyond 3GPP
There is a set of non-standardized user plane functions deployed in today’s networks (also called GI/N6 LAN functions) for mobile broadband service that would be also relevant for edge use cases. These functions can be categorized as:
Traffic acceleration and optimization of access resources e.g., transport layer optimizers or advanced video traffic shapers
Network services e.g., carrier grade NAT devices or external load balancers
Service aware traffic monitoring and enforcements needed to realize customized CSP charging data plans or comply with some country regulatory such as content filters
Network security functions protecting CSP infrastructure and UEs of security attacks such as subscriber firewalls or distributed denial (DDoS) mitigation systems, and
Service chain policers and forwarders to chain and offload these GI/N6 LAN functions. Those can be integrated with operator policy framework to compose and program a unique data pipeline which addresses the specific connectivity needs of a given subscriber and application in the context of a certain use case
The current GI/N6 LAN market is very fragmented and addressed by many different vendor specific user plane functions. These functions are deployed as separate appliances or virtualized functions, each with their management system, policy integration and cloud orchestration system which significantly increases CSP’s total cost of ownership (TCO) when deploying and managing them. As CSPs start their edge journey they will need to bring some of these GI/N6 functions to the edge. A very simple and cost-efficient strategy to consolidate these functions in one single edge user plane function. This approach is being adopted by Ericsson Local Packet Gateway: it integrates these functions, including advanced integrated Packet Core Firewall, together with the UPF/S/PGW-U functions. This dramatically reduces the TCO and provides a single hop to the end application, which reduces further the latency. Ericsson Local Packet Gateway also allows to compose and tune the set user plane functions applied to a given traffic in one configuration click, which allows to customize the connectivity for each edge use case.
Another consideration is that these GI/N6 functions were designed for legacy mobile broadband. This means they will need to evolve to support 5G peak user throughput rates and new 5G segment requirements, e.g., traffic optimizations should focus on optimizing the throughput of uplink transmissions and reducing the overall jitter and latency. Service aware charging models will evolve as 5G gets monetized, security for edge enterprise connectivity will keep evolving as well. Technological innovation in this space is a must for any edge user plane vendor and should be holistic considering the entire ecosystem and end-to-end solution behavior. As one example, edge user plane can leverage 3GPP exposure interfaces for application detection, use collaborative solutions with content providers or RAN to optimize traffic delivery or even adapt traffic optimizations to new end to end rate adaptation mechanisms such as low latency low loss scalable throughput (L4S). Ericsson, as an end-to-end network provider and key contributor to 5G standardization, is working actively in this space.
Edge connectivity needs to be monitored and assured
CSPs need to monitor, troubleshoot, and assure the edge user plane connectivity. In many cases the CSP organizations dealing with enterprises services have their own analytic and management systems. Those systems need to evolve to provide visibility of the 5G encrypted communication, up to on enterprise premise and without compromising 5G security and provide advanced insights to meet the stringent service level agreements of edge use cases. Example of user plane data feeds are traffic packet and patterns statistics, key performance indicators at transport level or service quality of experience estimates per application, area of interest, slice and subscriber type. CSP analytic use cases will also evolve, meaning network assurance and service experience management use cases will increasingly adopt AI/ML models with distinct and very demanding UP data sets running in parallel.
External probing solutions were not designed for these requirements. The cost of evolving and deploying such solutions to thousands of edges is unaffordable. Ericsson Local Packet Gateway addresses this challenge by supporting integrated dual-mode probing capabilities which includes rich, granular data with pre-processed data and advanced data collection profiles avoiding the need of deploying external taps, packet broker and probes at edge. Software probes are a unique Ericsson dual mode 5G Core feature – a feature that’s very popular with our customers for public network and enterprise solutions.
CSP will also introduce network data analytics function (NWDAF) function to enable 5G analytics for further 5G automation, new exposure APIs for verticals and data efficiency. An NWDAF can collect edge user plane and public network data to provide real time analytics which can be consumed by the network functions or by the end edge application to improve further the edge connectivity. Example of those analytics are user mobility, network congestion, quality of service, service experience or abnormal user behavior. Ideally, the NWDAF should be distributed at the edge and deployed co-located to the edge user plane for data efficiency, security and lower actuation latency.
Ericsson NWDAF supports such distributed and co-located deployment and analytics and can collect pre-standard data from the Local Packet Gateway data until 3GPP rel-18 specifies UPF event exposure.
Edge exposure for advanced edge connectivity
Exposure through APIs on the edge is becoming increasingly important for CSPs to enable new services, increase their relevance in the 5G ecosystem and become more attractive partners for hyperscale cloud providers, application ecosystems and other players.
Edge applications will be able to consume network capabilities and data to provide advanced services and innovate. Data extracted from edge user plane function will be of high value. For example, to determine the exact UE sessions being anchored by a given edge user plane, the actual monitored QoS, etc. Such exposure capabilities in edge user plane allows application to adapt the content delivery or reconfigure dynamically the connectivity, e.g., change dynamically the negotiated QoS or influence edge routing. As mentioned previously, NWDAF user plane analytics can be also exposed for advanced edge use cases.
Ericsson is already working with our customers to create new edge use cases using Ericsson Local Packet Gateway and Edge Exposure Server. Stay tuned!
Summary:
In this blog post we’ve explained the different considerations that need to be taken into account when selecting the 5G edge user plane, and how it enables flexible virtual private and hybrid 4G private solution deployments and address the user experience idiosyncrasy of myriads of edge use cases. The 5G edge user plane has to be small, cost efficient, easy to deploy but still extremely powerful and advanced in terms of dual connectivity and added value features.
Ericsson Local Packet Gateway is designed with all these capabilities in mind and integrates seamlessly with existing CSP dual-mode 5G Core, delivering edge use cases was never that easy.
Read More
Enterprise Mobility
Article | June 15, 2023
Discover key network performance metrics to enhance user experience. Explore in-depth latency, throughput, jitter, packet loss, VOIP quality, and MOS score to optimize network performance analysis.
Contents
1. Importance of Network Performance Metrics for Performance Analysis
2. Critical Key Network Performance Metrics to Monitor
2.1 Latency
2.2 Throughput
2.3 Jitter
2.4 Packet Loss
2.5 VOIP Qualiy
2.6 MOS Score
3. Steps to Monitor and Measure Network Performance
4. Significance of Monitoring Metrics in Network Troubleshooting
4.1 Provides Network Visibility
4.2 Prevents Network Downtime
4.3 Observe Bandwidth Usage
5. Overcome Monitoring Challenges in Network Performance Metrics
6. Key Takeaway
1. Importance of Network Performance Metrics for Performance Analysis
Network performance involves analyzing and evaluating network statistics to determine the quality of services provided by the underlying computer network. Considering various key network metrics, it is primarily measured from the end-users’ perspective. Measuring these metrics, analyzing performance data over time, and understanding the impact on the end-user experience is essential to assess network performance.
Measuring network performance requires considering factors such as the location and timing of measurements. For instance, network performance may differ when comparing paths between cities or during periods of varying user demands throughout the day. Therefore, a comprehensive approach to monitoring network performance involves identifying these variables and identifying areas for improvement.
Network performance metrics offer valuable insights into any network infrastructure and services. These metrics provide real-time information on potential issues, outages, and errors, allowing one to allocate IT resources efficiently. Understanding end-user demands can create an adaptive network to meet future business needs. However, comprehensive monitoring requires an advanced network monitoring tool to gather, analyze, and interpret data effectively, optimizing network performance. Leveraging relevant metrics can improve network performance, help make informed decisions, enhance network reliability, and deliver a superior user experience.
2. Critical Key Network Performance Metrics to Monitor
2.1 Latency
Latency, or network delay, is a crucial performance metric in network monitoring and management. It quantifies the time required to transmit data between destinations. Factors like packet queuing and fiber optic cabling affect network latency. Consistent delays or sudden spikes in latency indicate significant network performance issues. Monitoring and minimizing latency are essential for ensuring optimal network performance. By actively tracking latency, organizations identify and address issues that may cause delays in data transmission, thereby improving overall network responsiveness and minimizing disruptions for end-users.
2.2 Throughput
Throughput metrics for network monitoring enable measurement of the data transmission rate across various network segments. Unlike bandwidth, which represents the theoretical data transfer limit, throughput reflects the successful delivery of data packets to their destination. Variations in throughput can occur across different network areas. A low throughput indicates the presence of dropped packets requiring retransmission, and highlights potential performance issues that need attention. Monitoring throughput is crucial for effective network management. By monitoring this performance metric, organizations can gain insights into the actual data transmission rate, ensuring that it aligns with expected levels.
2.3 Jitter
Jitter, a key performance metric in network monitoring, refers to the variation in delay between packets, measured as the difference between expected and actual arrival times. It results due to network congestion, routing issues, or other factors, leading to packet loss and degraded application performance. Jitter disrupts the standard sequencing of data packets and can arise due to network congestion or route changes. Monitoring jitter is crucial for identifying and addressing network stability issues and ensuring reliable data transmission. By actively monitoring this performance metric, organizations can address variations in packet delay, mitigating issues that leads to packet loss and enabling proactive troubleshooting.
2.4 Packet Loss
Packet loss, a performance management network monitoring metric, represents the number of data packets lost during transmission. It directly affects end-user services, leading to unfulfilled data requests and potential disruptions. Packet loss can arise from various factors, including software problems, network congestion, or router performance issues. Monitoring the entire process precisely to detect and address packet loss, ensures reliable data transmission and optimal network performance. Monitoring packet loss with the right network monitoring software enables timely troubleshooting and optimization of network infrastructure, ultimately enhancing overall network reliability and performance.
2.5 VOIP Quality
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) quality is a crucial network performance metric. It refers to the overall performance of a VoIP system in delivering clear and reliable voice communications over the Internet, replacing traditional phone lines. Factors influencing VoIP quality include network bandwidth, latency, packet loss, jitter, and the quality of end-user devices. Monitoring VoIP quality ensures optimal system functionality and high-quality voice communications. Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as mean opinion score (MOS), jitter, latency, packet loss, and call completion rates are utilized to assess and optimize VoIP quality.
2.6 MOS Score
Mean opinion score (MOS) is a vital performance metric in network monitoring, rating the perceived quality of a voice call on a scale of 1 to 5. It is a standardized measurement developed by the ITU, an international agency focused on enhancing communication networks. Initially designed for traditional voice calls, the MOS has been adapted to evaluate Voice over IP (VoIP) calls. The MOS score considers various factors, including the specific codec employed for the VoIP call, providing a comprehensive assessment of voice calls quality in network monitoring.
3. Steps to Monitor and Measure Network Performance
Step 1: Deploy a Software for Network Monitoring
To effectively measure network performance, deploying dedicated network monitoring software is crucial. While temporary tools like traceroutes and pings can provide insights into ongoing problems, they are insufficient for troubleshooting intermittent network issues. Relying on periodic tools for intermittent issues is reliant on chance, as it may only detect problems when they occur during tool usage. By implementing comprehensive network monitoring software, one can proactively monitor and analyze network metrics, historical data, and performance, allowing for timely detection and resolution of both ongoing and intermittent network issues.
Step 2: Distribute Monitoring Agents
For comprehensive network performance measurement, businesses must distribute monitoring agents strategically across key network locations. These specialized software agents continuously monitor network performance using synthetic traffic, simulating and assessing the end-user perspective.
By distributing Monitoring Agents, organizations can:
• Measure key network metrics, including jitter, packet loss, and throughput.
• Identify and troubleshoot intermittent network issues that are challenging to pinpoint.
• Receive alerts regarding any performance degradation, ensuring a timely response.
• Collect valuable data for in-depth troubleshooting and analysis, facilitating proactive network management and optimization.
Step 3: Measure Network Metrics
After deploying the monitoring agents, they continuously exchange synthetic User Datagram Protocol (UDP) traffic, forming a network monitoring session. During this session, the agents measure network performance by evaluating key metrics and conducting network traffic analysis. The metrics used in the analysis include specific parameters, and the results of these measurements are presented in a network response time graph, providing a visual representation of the network's performance characteristics. Monitoring and analyzing these metrics enable organizations to gain valuable insights into network performance, facilitating informed decision-making and convenient network performance troubleshooting.
4. Significance of Monitoring Metrics in Network Troubleshooting
4.1 Provide Network Visibility
Monitoring metrics plays a vital role in network troubleshooting by offering network visibility. They enable the identification of performance bottlenecks, configuration problems, and security vulnerabilities that detrimentally affects network performance. These issues can be addressed through targeted troubleshooting efforts, resulting in improved network performance and enhanced end-user experience. Organizations identify and resolve network issues by monitoring metrics, ensuring optimal network functionality and overall business productivity.
4.2 Prevent Network Downtime
Effective monitoring metrics are instrumental in preventing network downtime, a costly concern for businesses. Swift identification and resolution of network issues through proactive network performance troubleshooting help minimize downtime, ensuring uninterrupted business operations. By promptly addressing potential problems, network troubleshooting safeguards against lost productivity, revenue, and customer dissatisfaction. Maintaining a proactive approach to monitoring and resolving network issues to enhance network reliability and business continuity.
4.3 Observe Bandwidth Usage
Monitoring metrics are essential in network troubleshooting as they enable the observation of bandwidth usage. This allows organizations to detect abnormal or excessive utilization, pinpoint key performance issues and ensure optimal resource allocation. It allows for identifying critical bandwidth-hogging applications or network intrusions, helping experts take immediate action to mitigate risks, safeguard data, and protect the overall network integrity. Additionally, experts can optimize network performance and ensure a seamless user experience for organizations relying on efficient network infrastructure.
5. Overcome Monitoring Challenges in Network Performance Metrics
Enterprises seeking to ensure optimal network performance and improve overall business operations must overcome network monitoring obstacles. Effectively monitoring, tracking, and improving network performance requires a strategic combination of skilled personnel, advanced technologies, and well-defined strategies. Failing to address these requirements results in various challenges that hinder the ability to enhance network performance effectively.
The challenges that businesses often encounter include managing scalability, handling massive data volumes, achieving real-time monitoring, dealing with multi-vendor environments, addressing network security and privacy concerns, and adapting to evolving network demands. Each obstacle presents unique complexities that require tailored approaches and expert insights.
To overcome these challenges, enterprises must invest in comprehensive monitoring tools capable of handling the scalability demands of growing networks. These tools should provide real-time network visibility, robust analytics capabilities, and intelligent data filtering mechanisms to extract meaningful insights from vast network data. Establishing clear monitoring objectives aligned with business goals and defining key performance indicators (KPIs) are essential in effectively addressing network performance challenges.
6. Key Takeaway
Monitoring network performance metrics is crucial for assessing the quality of services a computer network provides from an end-user perspective. It involves continuously tracking and analyzing key metrics such as latency, throughput, jitter, packet loss, VOIP quality, and MOS score. Organizations can actively monitor and assess performance, proactively identify intermittent issues, and collect valuable data for in-depth analysis by implementing dedicated network monitoring software and strategically deploying monitoring agents across the network. In addition, it is imperative to emphasize the significance of monitoring metrics in mitigating the potential financial impact of network downtime, enhancing the utilization of available bandwidth resources, and efficiently tackling the complexities inherent in scaling operations, real-time monitoring, diverse vendor ecosystems, security concerns, and the ever-evolving requirements of modern networks.
Read More
Data Center Networking
Article | July 5, 2023
The Verizon 5G Business Internet rollout that started in parts of Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles continues this month in 21 new markets with more on the way, the company announced Thursday. Verizon Business is marketing fixed-wireless connectivity as an alternative to cable for enterprise and small to midsize customers. In a press release, Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business, said, "As 5G Business Internet scales into new cities, businesses of all sizes can gain access to the superfast speeds, low latency and next-gen applications enabled by 5G Ultra Wideband, with no throttling or data limits."
Read More
Unified Communications, Network Security
Article | July 10, 2023
Discover the effective tools for analyzing network traffic to improve monitoring efficiency. Enhance the network's performance and raise the network's potential by choosing the appropriate tool.
Automation adoption has become critical for companies in the dynamic fields of manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain management. By minimizing costs, enhancing efficiency, and reducing downtime, automation delivers optimal value for manufacturers. However, selecting the right partner can be challenging with numerous warehouse automation companies available. This article provides the features and benefits of top ten warehouse automation tools, offering expertise in improving business operations. These data warehouse tools provide comprehensive solutions to meet diverse needs, whether through software solutions or tools.
1. Network Performance Monitoring
Datadog Network Performance Monitoring is an exceptional software tool that enhances network monitoring capabilities, providing comprehensive visibility into all components of on-prem, cloud, and hybrid environments. With minimal overhead, the tool monitors the performance of connections among hosts, services, virtual private clouds (VPCs), and other elements, enabling quick identification of network-related issues. It tracks essential network metrics such as TCP retransmits, latency, and connection churn. It also allows monitoring of traffic health between any endpoints at the app, IP address, port, or process ID (PID) layers. Datadog aids in isolating network issues within Envoy-powered service meshes and troubleshooting inefficient load balancing. The software also helps manage cloud networking costs by identifying the responsible services and teams for significant traffic spikes. Deep DNS visibility allows system-wide analysis of DNS performance without SSHing into individual machines. For granular insights, users can explore S3 buckets or RDS databases.
2. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor
Paessler PRTG Network Monitor is a powerful and user-friendly real time network monitoring tool that helps enhance network traffic analysis for industry experts. It offers central monitoring for a comprehensive view of the entire IT infrastructure in one place. With on-premises installation, users have full control over data and configuration. The software supports various technologies and protocols, with automatic network discovery simplifying setup. Feature like custom maps, real-time alerts, and customizable reports provide an overview of the network and facilitate proactive monitoring. Paessler PRTG Network Monitor allows distributed monitoring across remote locations and offers a user-friendly interface for easy installation and use. With full administrative control and perpetual licenses, users have flexibility and cost-effective access to all monitoring features. It is a reliable solution trusted by businesses worldwide for efficient network monitoring, providing industry experts with enhanced visibility, control, and peace of mind.
3. OpManager Plus
OpManager Plus is a robust enterprise network monitoring software that optimizes network performance and ensures an error-free network. It offers real-time health, availability, and performance monitoring, enabling proactive and reactive monitoring techniques. OpManager Plus provides critical metrics for traffic analysis, such as packet loss, response time, resource utilization, errors, and network traffic via SNMP. It includes in-depth server monitoring features, enabling efficient monitoring of servers, routers, switches, and firewalls. The software leverages Cisco IPSLA for WAN and VoIP monitoring, visualizing paths, resolving outages, and diagnosing poor performance. OpManager Plus also offers built-in network troubleshooting tools like ICMP Ping, Traceroute, Switch Port Mapper, SNMP MIB Browser, and Telnet/SSH, empowering industry experts with the necessary tools for first and second-level troubleshooting. It is one of the best network monitoring tools for industry professionals that enhance performance, ensure network availability, and enable efficient troubleshooting.
4. Domotz
A powerful network performance monitoring tool, Domotz revolutionizes network monitoring and management. With its streamlined IT operations, it enhances efficiency and strengthens security measures. As one in many top network monitoring tools, it offers unmatched visibility into digital assets and data flows, empowering users with critical insights from their networks. Its feature-rich software including network autodiscovery, automated mapping, IT asset inventory, and SNMP-based device monitoring caters to MSPs, System Integrators, IT and Security Professionals. These features facilitate effective traffic analysis and resource monitoring. Domotz also offers integrated capabilities like configuration management, versioning, backup, and seamless integrations with PSA systems. By leveraging Domotz, industry experts gain a powerful tool to monitor network traffic, optimize performance, and strengthen overall security.
5. checkmk
checkmk is a powerful network performance monitoring tool that enhances network monitoring and management. Its latest version, checkmk 2.2, provides a comprehensive solution for monitoring hybrid IT infrastructures, including native cloud applications and OpenShift support. The software offers real-time monitoring of dynamic cloud workloads, allowing users to map their cloud infrastructure, monitor cloud-native services, and track resource consumption and costs. checkmk seamlessly integrates with major cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, offering cloud-specific dashboards and easy cloud deployment. The monitoring agents of checkmk support push mode for autonomous data transmission and auto-registration for real-time host addition and service discovery. Industry experts benefit from the robust features of checkmk for effective traffic analysis, improved cloud monitoring, and simplified implementation in dynamic cloud environments. checkmk is a reliable choice among network management tools for optimizing network performance and ensuring efficient cloud monitoring.
6. NinjaOne RMM
NinjaOne RM, recognized as the top-rated network performance monitoring tool. It offers powerful and user-friendly RMM software that efficiently manages client endpoints. With NinjaOne, industry experts can monitor, support, and control a wide range of devices, servers, virtual machines, and networking devices from a single interface. The real-time network monitoring software features include alert notifications, automated patching for enhanced security, one-click device actions for streamlined management, secure remote access for fast support, endpoint task automation to optimize workflows, and a self-service portal for client end-users. Its scalability, intuitive UI, and comprehensive support make it one of the best network monitoring tools. Industry experts benefit from improved technician efficiency, reduced complexities, and enhanced service delivery, leading to greater profitability and customer satisfaction.
7. Fortra’s Intermapper
Fortra's Intermapper is an intuitive network mapping tool to monitor network traffic autodiscovery features. The network map is constantly refreshed, ensuring an up-to-date representation of any network. This software offers SNMP-based network monitoring, performance alerts, and a capacity planning tool. By implementing Intermapper, industry experts can efficiently analyze network traffic and detect performance issues in real-time. The tool allows users to set performance threshold levels and receive alerts via email or text, ensuring proactive monitoring and reducing the need for constant screen monitoring.
8. Site24x7 Network Monitoring
Site24x7 is one of the leading tools to monitor network traffic that enhances network monitoring capabilities with its comprehensive features. With granular visibility at the device and interface levels, Site24x7 enables thorough network performance monitoring. The tool offers intelligent features for deep observability, proactive insights, and root cause analysis, all within a single window. This cloud-based solution help users have complete control over their network. It monitors network traffic, allowing users to analyze traffic, packets, errors, and discards, providing actionable insights for optimizing network performance. Additionally, Site24x7 offers automatic network discovery, real-time application and device monitoring, and powerful reporting, analytics, and alerts.
9. Nagios Core
Nagios Core is one of the top network security monitoring tools that serves as an event scheduler, processor, and alert manager. It offers a robust architecture and extensive scope for monitoring various elements. With its APIs, Nagios Core allows easy extension and customization to meet specific monitoring requirements. Implemented as a highly efficient C-based daemon, it delivers optimal performance on Linux and Unix systems. Nagios Core provides a solid foundation for network security monitoring, enabling industry experts to analyze network traffic, detect issues, and receive timely alerts. Its scalability and flexibility features make it a valuable tool for enhancing network traffic analysis and ensuring the security and stability of IT infrastructures.
10. Catchpoint Network Experience
Catchpoint Network Experience, part of the Catchpoint platform, is a comprehensive network performance monitoring tool that ensures the successful delivery of web applications. It offers key features such as internet connectivity checks, BGP assessments, and the ability to assess ISPs and other services. By monitoring network performance, Catchpoint helps identify the root cause of performance issues and ensures optimal delivery of web systems. It analyzes virtual networks, identifies performance issues with remote access and site-to-site VPNs, and traces connections from LAN to web servers. Industry experts can benefit from its website delivery performance tracking, root cause analysis, and virtual network performance monitoring capabilities, making it an invaluable tool for enhancing network monitoring and optimizing web application performance.
Final Thoughts
Maintaining a robust and efficient IT infrastructure relies heavily on effective network monitoring. Integrating server, application, storage, and network management functions enables companies to deliver services seamlessly to end users. A comprehensive suite of network monitoring tools is essential for addressing various aspects of networking technology, including physical components, security measures, and environmental conditions. The ultimate goal is to proactively identify and mitigate potential network issues, reducing their impact on user productivity. In the event of failure, prompt detection and resolution become crucial, and a responsive help desk plays a valuable role in quickly receiving user alerts and uncovering previously undetected problems. By leveraging top network traffic analysis tools, businesses can elevate their network monitoring capabilities and establish a solid foundation for optimal performance and unwavering reliability.
Read More