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éléments par Christian Twardawa

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  Are you ready to monitor the Internet of Things?

  Publié: juillet 21, 2015, 3:22pm CEST par Christian Twardawa

  

  The Internet of Things (IoT) is stealing a lot of headlines today, and much of it is due to its truly impressive growth numbers. For example, according to Cisco Systems, in 2008, there were already more "things" connected to the Internet than people, and by 2020, the number of Internet-connected things is projected to reach 50 billion.

  What does this rising growth in IoT-connected devices mean for your network? Because there could be many additional devices that need to be monitored in the future, this could make network monitoring more time consuming and complex. For some, this may seem like an incredible challenge, but by planning and taking action now you can get ready to face this challenge of the future. So what can you do today to get ready for the future rush of IoT devices?

  These seven tips will help you to get "IoT ready" in network monitoring:

  1. Envision what IoT will mean for your business -- The Internet of Things will change some businesses more than others. A professional services firm might focus on integrating a smart thermostat, while a manufacturer will face the challenge of unifying a number of disparate systems, machinery and devices on the factory floor. Can you envision what your business, and your company’s network, will need the most?
  2. Prepare to integrate -- Some connected devices will be designed to fit neatly into networks, but others will be homegrown and rely heavily on customization. With all these different device types, integration becomes a challenge. Be ready to bring all connected devices under one roof so they can be accurately monitored.
  3. Understand the protocols -- There are three main protocols that are used to connect the Internet of Things: Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), REST APIs, and XML. With a stronger understanding of how devices interact, you’ll be able to design better network architectures, which makes monitoring that much easier.
  4. Be ready for old and new devices -- Not every connected device is the latest and greatest hardware from industry-leading companies. Many devices are outdated, especially in industrial settings, or are connected by small computers like Raspberry Pi. You need to understand the many different hardware requirements and identify how to connect each device, even if they’re from the last century.
  5. Recognize that anything with an IP address can be hacked -- Today’s hackers are both fearless and creative, a dangerous combination for IT departments. Anything with an IP address can be hacked, and the Internet of Things widens the threat vector. Before you connect any device to the network, have a security plan in place.
  6. Customize -- One exciting aspect of the IoT is that there is almost no limit to what can be connected. For network monitoring, that creates challenges that can be solved by creating new sensors and custom reports. This is especially true in industrial settings, where data extracted from devices can be used to make business processes smarter and more efficient. Be ready to build custom solutions that can solve these monitoring problems.
  7. Be flexible -- The IoT could be the biggest challenge network administrators have faced since cloud services and BYOD. There will be pressure from leadership to tackle this "next big thing" in IT. You will have to be both patient and flexible to handle the complex challenges of monitoring a network of connected devices and deal with the pressure to “get it done.”

  Overall, network administrators will play a key role in making the IoT a reality by getting their networks in position to support the rapid rise of connected devices. They will be at the forefront of the integration process and play a key role in making connected devices functional and useful.

  Photo credit: Odua Images / Shutterstock

  Christian Twardawa is Chief Operating Officer at Paessler AG, a provider of network monitoring software based in Nuremberg, Germany.

  
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  Young companies 'survive success' in IT with network monitoring

  Publié: janvier 9, 2015, 12:05pm CET par Christian Twardawa

  

  The good news is that your company is growing -- sales are up and you are hiring more employees. However, there are some challenges that go along with that growth. As your company grows, so does the number of employees and customers, which can put more strain on the IT system that supports all those new people. IT systems can get taxed and overloaded. For example, you could have a large increase in visits to your website during a successful product launch, but that could lead to slow performance or even a total outage. Any type of delay or disruption can lead to lost customers, lost revenue and could hurt your company’s overall reputation.

  Managing this type of IT strain is especially challenging for small companies and startups that often have only one person working in IT. Some aren’t even that well-staffed, with 27 percent of small businesses having no IT support, according to a 2014 SMB Group study. So, how does a growing startup business survive its success and keep IT systems running properly? To do that, they first need to understand the potential issues that could arise, and then examine what they can do to fix or prevent them.

  Where Could Problems Exist in My IT System?

  First, let’s look at the structure of your IT system. It has several layers, like the layers of an onion. There is the access layer (connection to the Internet provider), the name resolution and load balancing layer, the Web delivery layer (the Web or application server), the processing layer, and the data management layer (databases and/or files). As more users and traffic are added to an IT system, overloading can occur between the various layers. Or, you could have a large number of queries that are too much for your current bandwidth level or network cards to handle. In reality, when the number of users grows rapidly, many different things could go wrong in an IT system, especially as it gets larger and more complex. The key is finding those problems early on so that you can fix them quickly (or prevent them altogether).

  What Can My Company Do to Protect Itself From IT Failures?

  Responding quickly is important, as it gives IT the power to fix the problem before it becomes a major issue that affects your users (employees or customers). The key to responding quickly though is finding the problem right away, and to detect patterns that show where a problem might occur in the future. This way, you can prevent problems before they even happen. How do you do this? Using a network monitoring tool that scans the components of your IT system at all times will give you visibility and insight into patterns and problem areas, and allow you to take action more quickly.

  You need to know exactly where the problem is, that way you can take focused, quick action. Network monitoring tools help you to find the exact source of a problem more easily. This is important, because one issue with not knowing the exact location of a problem is you can end up changing other things in the IT system which could cause additional problems. For example, if your website was running slowly you could add another Web server, but then as a result your database crashes.

  Networking monitoring tools allow you to be proactive. The benefit -- you can find and fix an IT problem before your users even know that there was a problem in the first place. The key is having a network monitoring system in place that constantly looks at different parts of your IT system and alerts you to potential problems in advance.

  What Happens If, After I Find the Problem, I Can’t Find a Fast Solution to Fix It?

  If the problem can’t be fixed right away and you need more time to work on it, you have the option of proactively communicating with your users to let them know about the issue. Customers, employees and other users are less likely to be upset if they know what is going on, so tell them about the problem right away, before they experience it on their own.

  In the communication, it is important to be specific -- don’t be too vague. If you tell the users that there is a problem with the database that you are working on, it shows people that you have identified the problem area and you are already in the process of fixing it. Also, if possible, give an approximate time frame for when you expect to have the issue resolved, as well as any alternative actions that they can take while the problem is being worked on. For example, if there are problems with your email server, but Web-based mail is still working fine, advise employees to use Web-based mail until the issue is resolved.

  What if I Use an External Provider, Such as a Cloud Provider, For Some of My IT systems? How Can I Fix a Problem That Lies Outside of My Company’s Walls?

  Many small companies are turning to cloud providers, because the company’s founders have other things to do and they want to focus on their core business, not IT. According to a 2014 SMB Group study, 92 percent of SMBs are using at least one cloud business solution.

  While external providers can be reliable, they can have issues and system failures too. And when a cloud provider goes down, it can have wide-ranging effects. Things can also get complex if a small business works with more than one external provider for different parts of their IT system. In addition, cloud resources are often shared, so peak load levels can be reached more often. This could cause slowness and affect application performance.

  While you may be at the mercy of the external provider if a problem occurs, there is something that you can do. If you have your own network monitoring, you can send the provider a diagram with monitoring results and ask them what is going on, based on what you are seeing on your side. This diagram could show network traffic patterns or statistics that could help the provider to assess the situation.

  While it’s exciting to see your company grow and prosper, it is important to protect your IT systems so that business and technology-based operations can continue to function properly as they expand. Network monitoring tools can give you the ability to quickly find problems, and find potential issues before they become problems, so you can take action before your business is affected. The key is finding exactly what the problem is, and where it is -- quickly -- and that is what network monitoring is designed to do.

  For small, growing companies with a one-person IT department, network monitoring needs to be an essential part of your "IT toolkit" to help ensure your continued growth and success.

  Photo Credit: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

  Christian Twardawa is Chief Operating Officer at Paessler AG, a provider of network monitoring software based in Nuremberg, Germany.