Network Visibility - what is it?
Network Visibility (Intelligent Network Monitoring) is an approach to network management that prioritizes maximum transparency. Visibility of each transmitted packet is provided by a group of tools such as NPB switches and TAPs. Network Visibility solutions are increasingly being chosen for the implementation of network analysis and security systems.
How does Network Visibility work?
To ensure maximum visibility of network traffic, Network Visibility solutions create a copy of network traffic, then enable its processing (e.g., aggregation, filtering, deduplication) so that only relevant network traffic reaches the analysis devices in the right form. Some Network Visibility appliances help ensure that inline tools operate optimally, balancing the load and protecting the rest of the network from failure.
Network Visibility solutions vs. network monitoring systems
Network monitoring includes various aspects and technologies that can be supported by Network Visibility solutions. Most commonly, by network monitoring systems we mean various types of network traffic analyzers, network and application performance analyzers. In addition, monitoring also includes systems that examine network traffic for threats of hacking attacks (such as NDR probes).
When deciding on the solutions listed below, it is worthwhile to ensure their maximum efficiency, effectiveness and optimization of implementationcosts . This is where Network Visibility solution vendors come to the rescue, offering, among others, the following. Network Packet Brokers, or TAPs.
Why do we need network visibility (Network Visibility)?
Creating a network according to the idea of Network Visibility brings many benefits. First, having access to multiple sources of traffic copies, we will find the source of a potential fault much faster. Second, by applying processing to the collected traffic, we will provide only relevant data to network monitoring tools. This will help increase their efficiency and minimize expenses, because the more raw traffic reaches network analyzers, the more computing power they need - and this in turn entails additional costs for hardware deployment or corresponding extended licenses.
What benefits does full monitoring of a company's network guarantee?
In order to take advantage of all the possibilities of these technological solutions, first of all, they must be properly matched to the existing infrastructure. A modern network analyzer can continuously and very accurately analyze all traffic in the links, if we support it with Network Visibility class solutions. The primary purpose of network monitoring is, of course, to protect against external threats, including hacker attacks. This directly translates into much more effective protection of sensitive data.
By using modern network analyzers, there are many other key benefits. A good network analyzer used in an enterprise is, among other things:
- Full control over Internet traffic,
- Finding network performance problems faster and eliminating them,
- Easier management of the entire IT infrastructure,
- Much faster and cheaper implementation of new technological solutions.
Modern IT infrastructure, especially in large enterprises, is really complex and highly sophisticated. This makes a network analyzer an absolutely mandatory device in such places.
This group of products is based on the companies' solutions:
Allegro Packets | Cubro | Paessler | Profitap | Sangfor