What can you expect from our network health check?

• Identification of critical network performance issues

• An understanding of current and future network capacity issues

• Reports on current network protocol activity

In the first phase of the service, we will work with you to understand your business needs and the issues surrounding your future network requirements, summarising your network objectives.

Following agreement on goals, we will begin the discovery and data collection process on site; capturing network traffic flows, queuing and error rates.

We will then drill down into specific points of interest to identify bottlenecks and other anomalies causing you network to operate in less then an efficient manner.

The next phase is a thorough analysis of the data. Any critical issues identified during the analysis will be communicated to the appropriate contact in a timely manner. Depending on the goals of the study the report may include:

• Traffic usage patterns

• Queuing and error rates

• User counts, top talkers and listeners, frame size and other operational characteristics

• Congestion points, mis-directed packets, and corrective actions

• List of critical and not-so-critical issues

• Routing protocol & stability findings

• Analysis of multiple packet traces, protocol anomalies, and findings

• Response time & availability analysis

• Application data flow analysis

• Client-Server and/or SQL call analysis

The final phase is the preparation and presentation of the final report with recommendations.

The tools used for the network health check are the Castle Rock SNMPc network management software and the Network Associates Sniffer protocol analyser.

Actions required in advance of health check on-site visit.

• Confirm topologies to be monitored, Ethernet / Token Ring / Wireless / E1 / T1 / ISDN / X.21 / Fibre / HSSI. 
• Confirm who in company will be available to assist with any setting up and access issues. Note: it is not the responsibility of HCL to authorise configuration changes on companies equipment,
• If a Non Disclosure Agreement has to be signed – get copy before visit.
• If possible get list of all applications in use. Especially, client/sever applications, database apps, helpdesk software, VoIP, streaming media.
• Please note: our network health check will focus on the performance and capacity of the network, it is not an equipment audit or installed software audit.

For SNMPc:

1. Required, SNMP enabled on switches, routers and servers to be monitored.
2. Required, SNMP GET (read only) community string/s
3. Required, PC to install SNMPc on for the duration of the health check
4. Required, temporary SNMPc’s PC’s IP address to trusted host lists
5. If going through firewalls need ports 161 and 162 opened for SNMP over UDP.

For Sniffer Pro:

1. Required, network diagram in advance of visit
2. Decide best points to monitor network from and establish how to attach to those points. 

(If necessary mini / 4 port hubs and/or 'Y' cables will have to be fitted in advance of visit. )