Discover why AKIPS is the enterprise network traffic monitoring solution of choice
As a network engineer, you don’t need us to tell you just how dynamic and ever-evolving the landscape of network infrastructure is, nor do we need to underscore your responsibility of ensuring seamless connectivity, optimal performance, and timely issue resolution. And we know that one of the most common challenges you encounter is the lack of visibility into your network, which can impact on your ability to promptly identify and address potential issues. If this sounds familiar, you’ve come to the right place.
We recently conducted a survey of hundreds of network engineers. One of the questions we asked was:
“Would you recommend AKIPS to other network engineers?” Here was their response:
In this blog, we’ll outline the five key reasons for this overwhelming response. From adaptive polling to scalability, flexible reporting options to extensive customisation capabilities, and seamless ease of use, AKIPS provides the essential tools you need to gain deep insights into your network performance, expedite troubleshooting, and enhance overall network efficiency. Based on enterprise network monitoring best practice, these five key features are what sets AKIPS apart.
1: Network monitoring tool with the ability to poll extremely large volumes of data and monitor quality of service
At the heart of the AKIPS solution is our robust and highly capable polling engine, which serves as the foundation for comprehensive data monitoring and quality of service (QoS) analysis. Network engineers who have experienced the frustration of inadequate visibility and delayed issue detection will find AKIPS’ polling engine to be a game-changer. Here’s why:
- It’s designed to handle substantial data loads with efficiency and accuracy, even when running on a virtual machine with a typical specification. Its remarkable power allows it to collect vast amounts of network data from various devices, including routers, switches, firewalls, and servers. You’ll gain unprecedented insights into network performance metrics, enabling you to make informed decisions and proactively address potential issues.
- The solution’s adaptive polling capabilities also set it apart. AKIPS monitors every counter/gauge to assess if values are changing and then dynamically increases the polling interval for unchanging MIB objects (to a maximum 180 seconds). When the values change, the polling interval reverts to 60-second polling. If polling detects the interface is down, then it suspends polling of MIB objects until it detects the interface is back up. This ensures AKIPS never overwhelms the network with unnecessary SNMP traffic.
- The powerful polling engine means you can closely monitor key metrics such as bandwidth utilisation, packet loss, latency, and error rates. This granular visibility will help you identify bottlenecks, pinpoint the root cause of performance degradation, and swiftly respond to network incidents.
- The polling engine supports Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring, enabling you to analyse and evaluate the performance of QoS policies implemented in your networks. By monitoring QoS parameters such as packet prioritisation, bandwidth allocation, and latency guarantees, you can ensure that critical applications receive the necessary resources and maintain optimal performance levels.
- Extensive reporting capabilities allow you to visualise and analyse the collected data effectively. You can generate customisable reports, gain insights through intuitive dashboards, and even set up automated email notifications for specific events or thresholds.
2: Speed of reporting and flexible reporting types
Time is of the essence. We know you need quick access to comprehensive reports to evaluate network performance, identify trends, and make informed decisions.
The AKIPS solution boasts a powerful and efficient database. The architecture is designed to optimise data storage and retrieval, enabling lightning-fast report generation for various timeframes. Whether you need a daily summary, weekly overview, monthly analysis, or even a yearly retrospective, AKIPS’ database accelerates the process, providing you with timely insights into network performance.
AKIPS goes beyond rapid report generation by offering a wide range of flexible reporting options. According to the survey, the Dashboard Device (80%) and Switch Port Mapper (70%) top the list. You can tailor the reports to suit your specific needs and preferences, ensuring that the information presented is relevant and actionable. The reporting capabilities allow for customisation of report templates, selection of desired metrics, and the ability to include or exclude specific devices or segments of the network.
Not only that, but you’ll also have the flexibility to schedule automated report generation. Whether it’s a daily performance summary delivered to your inbox or a monthly network health analysis sent to the management team, AKIPS’ reporting features can be set up to meet your organisation’s reporting requirements effortlessly.
3: Scalability on instance
We understand the evolving nature of network environments and the need for scalability. Our solution means you can scale your monitoring capabilities as your network expands. Whether it’s adding new devices, incorporating additional network segments, or accommodating increased network traffic, AKIPS adapts to meet the growing demands:
- The solution can handle the increasing volume of data and devices without compromising performance or stability. This scalability means you can maintain optimal monitoring coverage, even in complex and rapidly expanding network environments.
- The solution eliminates the need for significant infrastructure overhauls or disruptions to accommodate network growth.
Whether it’s a small-scale network or a large enterprise infrastructure, AKIPS provides the flexibility and capacity needed to monitor networks of any size.
4: Levels of customisation and integrations
Customisation plays a vital role in tailoring the monitoring experience. We understand this requirement, so our solution provides a wealth of customisation options, allowing you to configure the monitoring system according to your preferences. This includes the ability to customise alerts, thresholds, and notifications, ensuring that engineers receive timely and relevant notifications for critical events or performance deviations. You can define alert conditions, specify escalation procedures, and customise notification channels, ensuring that they stay informed about network issues that matter most to you.
Not only that, but we also embrace integration as a means to enhance network monitoring workflows. Through its API, the solution enables seamless integration with other systems and tools. This integration capability means you can consolidate your monitoring efforts, leverage existing solutions, and create a unified monitoring ecosystem. By integrating AKIPS with other tools, you can streamline data exchange, automate workflows, and gain comprehensive insights into the overall network health.
5: Ease of use
When it comes to network monitoring, simplicity and ease of use are paramount. Network engineers need a monitoring solution that can be set up quickly, provide intuitive data review capabilities, and offer hassle-free system updates.
Setting up AKIPS is a breeze. The solution is designed to simplify the initial setup process, meaning you can get up and running swiftly. With clear and concise installation instructions, AKIPS minimises the time and effort required for deployment, enabling you to start monitoring your network in no time.
Once the solution is up and running, its user-friendly interface and intuitive data review features make it a pleasure to work with. You can easily navigate through the monitoring dashboard, visualise network performance metrics, and gain valuable insights at a glance, so that you can quickly identify areas of concern, analyse trends, and make informed decisions regarding your network infrastructure.
It also simplifies system updates and patch management. The process of updating AKIPS to the latest version is designed to be seamless and straightforward. You’ll always have access to the latest features, bug fixes, and performance enhancements without any hassle or disruption to your monitoring operations.
With its powerful adaptive polling engine, accelerated report generation, scalability on instance, extensive customisation and integrations, and seamless ease of use, you can now see how AKIPS is the preferred choice for network engineers. Whether it’s the ability to efficiently monitor network data, tailor alerts and reports, seamlessly scale alongside network growth, integrate with existing systems, or enjoy a user-friendly monitoring experience, the AKIPS solution consistently delivers on its promise to meet the diverse needs of network engineers.
If you’re getting ready to shortlist network monitoring solutions, here’s a checklist to ensure you make the right choice, first time.
