What do we do with your network?

ManageCloud architecture is explained here.

The concept of ManageCloud is that you, the end user, do not have to worry about setting up, configuring and managing a solution. Just plug in and turn on a ManageCloud Server (MCS) and we do the rest.

However, it's your network - so what are we doing with it?...

The MCS uses several powerful network management standards to communicate with and measure your network devices:

Ping: You may well use this yourself on a regular basis to confirm availability of a network device. The MCS uses the ICMP Echo request capability within the IP stack to discover if a device is 'alive'. This is done at set intervals and the results, along with response times, are recorded.

As part of the initial discovery of network devices, the MCS also discovers the available services. As part of the availability ping, the MCS will confirm that these services/ports are still open and responsive. Again the response and the timings are all stored.

SNMP: Simple Network Management Protocol, to give it its full title, is the second method used by the MCS. SNMP allows the MCS to communicate with an enabled device (Router, Switch, Server or even PC if desired) and interrogate the MIB (Management Information Base) - an internal log of management information. Any of the desired parameters can be pulled back and stored.

Useful SNMP stats are such things as - Device Name, Hardware Configuration, Operating System + patch level, IOS version, Memory Status, CPU Utilisation, Process Count, Interface Loads and a whole host more. The full extent of the SNMP MIB is dependent upon the Device Vendor.

Using SNMP, the MCS can also store and compare device configurations, often a restricted process of dedicated software packages.

WMI: Windows Management Interface, similar in many ways to SNMP except that rather than interrogating a Device MIB, it allows for investigation of an MS Windows Specific information store. Useful WMI stats include - OS Version information, Processes, Status information, Printer Specific - Out of Paper, Paper Jam, and Ink Warning etc etc.

Script: You may be familiar with the use of scripts yourself and understand the power in their use. There are a number of tools on the market to automate scripting as engineers have found great value in using them on a regular basis.

Scripting allows for either a very menial task, that needs to be repeated over and over again, to be automated or for a more complicated level three engineer task to be completed by a Level one engineer. The MCS can run scripts on a defined schedule to complete tasks such as looking for specific wording on a web page, download a web page and record the size and time taken to complete.

If you already have your own scripts, these can be incorporated into the MCS

All measurement types are recorded for real-time and long-term reporting AND should any of the measurements fall outside the configured SLA an alarm is sent to you with the Root Cause of the problem highlighted.

Please call the ManageCloud team (0870 7512552) or email for more details.