Key Features in Network MonitoringA network monitoring system is
capable of detecting and reporting failures of devices or
connections. It normally measures the processor (CPU)
utilization of hosts, the network bandwidth utilization of
links, and other aspects of operation. It will often send
messages (sometimes called watchdog messages) over the network
to each host to verify it is responsive to requests. When
failures, unacceptably slow response, or other unexpected
behavior is detected, these systems send additional messages
called alerts to designated locations (such as a management
server, an email address, or a phone number) to notify system
administrators. Network Monitoring Software ToolsThe ping
program is one example of a basic network monitoring program.
Ping is a software tool available on most computers that sends
Internet Protocol (IP) test messages between two hosts. Anyone
on the network can run these basic ping tests to verify the
connection between two computers is working and also measure t