Traffic monitoring is a much more
sophisticated method of network monitoring. It looks at the actual
packet traffic on the network and generates reports based upon the
network traffic. Programs such as Microsoft Windows NT network monitor and Fluke's Network Analyzer are examples of this type of software.
These programs not only detect failing equipment but also determine if a component is overloaded or poorly configured. The
drawback to this type of program is that it normally works on a single
segment at a time and if data needs to be gathered from other segments
the monitoring software must be moved to that segment. This can be overcome by the use of agents on the remote network
segments (as shown in the graphic).
Equipment like switches and routers have the ability to generate and
transmit traffic statistics as part of their operating system. So, how
is the data gathered and organized in one central location to be
useful to the network administrator? The answer is: Simple Network
Management Protocol.
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