Get a Health Check for your Network

Managing a network is like conducting a hundred piece symphony orchestra. The

audience is not interested in the problems faced by the violinist or the pianist - it just
wants to hear the sound of uninterrupted, melodious music - but producing that
music requires humungous effort both at individual and at a group level.
Networks over the world have gained a certain level of maturity - they have become
mission critical to your organiation. !ut just deploying the technology doesn"t solve
the problem - it"s the intelligent e#ecution that matters. $hile most of the corporates
and %M&s have adopted the basic networking infrastructure - deploying the right
application software, fitting the correct hardware and deploying other critical
components like security and storage, there still e#ists a need to evaluate, assess
and manage the network for seamless synchroniation. 'f the resources lie
independently scattered all across the network, it will not deliver the e#pected
results. 'f your network performs, your organiation performs - and to ensure this
regular assessment of your network is imperative.
Network audit - a full proof integrated quality assessment of network devices,
design and topology, has become a popular element in ensuring that the networks
perform as desired. 't"s akin to a yearly(monthly performance report card that charts
the growth path and development of your network and pinpoints the areas of
concern. The ever- increasing applications and traffic augment the comple#ity of the
network making it all the more necessary your organiation to go in for an audit

What does Network audit entail?
)ust like any other audit, a network audit primarily answers three critical questions -

What do I have? - Existing infrastructure analysis
The first phase of network audit involves initial information collection, validation and
a complete analysis of your e#isting networking infrastructure so that you can spot
and fi# problems before they impact your business. &#perts develop a detailed
project plan by collecting critical inputs and materials, validating the collected
information, and reviewing and confirming audit information for each site. They also
check the base level network diagram for correctness to ensure that the data flow is
seamless throughout the network.

How is it working? - Perforance !easureent
*nce you gather information about your critical networking assets, a performance
analysis of each of these becomes imperative. This is done so that you can create the
baseline that establishes typical operations and alerts you to impending problems.
+rofessionals establish the current state of your client(server infrastructure by
performing a physical audit of your network infrastructure, followed by a logical audit
of your network traffic ,including utiliation, performance, errors and traffic patterns-.
.inally, the auditor conducts an operations audit to capture information on relevant
processes, procedures and supporting documentation.
Through a structured analysis methodology, all of the audit information gathered is
analyed to identify opportunities to improve your network. &#perts consider internal
factors - corporate strategies, organiational issues, technical biases, etc. - as well as
e#ternal factors like competitive pressures, new technologies and pertinent standards
to evolve a networking policy that can guide you to optimum network performance.

How can I ake it work "etter? - #ecoendations and Network #e$orts
/elivered in a formal report format the statement summaries objectives, reviews all
findings, and clearly identifies recommendations to improve your network"s
performance, so that you can optimie your 'T investment and take proactive steps
before trouble occurs.
012 1omnet"s Network 3udit 4 3nalysis %ervice helps you thoroughly answer these
three critical questions. *ur professionals generate the information and
recommendations you need to optimie your e#isting network components,
proactively identify and resolve your traffic and design issues, increase your
network"s performance and availability, and better optimie all of your 'T resources.

Benefits of a Network Audit
Infrastructure Assessment
Network Device Configuration Audit
1. Pinpoints potential network problems
2. Identifies incorrect device configurations
3. Identifies network implementation
inconsistencies
4. nsures compliance wit! applicable network
standards
". #implifies management of network adds$
moves$ % c!anges
&. Network device inventor' management
Performance Assessment
Audit of Fault Isolation Survivability Analysis Application Analysis
(et 'our network back
up and running
)uickl'
*esolves
c!ronic problems t!at mig!t
be
plaguing 'our network
Identifies
network+s vulnerabilities
*educes t!e likeli!ood of
network outages
*educes t!e impact of
network failures
Prevents loss of mission
critical or revenue generating
Increases user
productivit'
identifies real source of
slow s'stem response
times
*esolves application
performance problems
operations during network
failures
*eali,e cost savingsb'
preventing failures
from idling 'our users
Optimiation
Application !aseline Performance !aseline Performance Optimiation
*educes unnecessar'
network traffic
Proactivel' plans for
network e-pansion
Prioritises applications
according to t!eir
bandwidt! re)uirements
.racks c!anges in network
performance
Proactivel' plans for network
e-pansion
Anal'ses t!e effect of
c!anges to t!e network
upon traffic levels
*educes network
operating costs
/rees up 0AN bandwidt!
for valid network
traffic
Postpones t!e addition or
upgrade of e-pensive
0AN links
't becomes important to draw up a performance yardstick for your network over a
period of time to improve its efficacy. 3 network audit not only helps you measure
performance of your network over a period of time but also provides you intelligent
networking information thus helping you chart future growth path for your network.