2009

Why should a Network Admin be

performing monitoring
Network/Servers?

Chol G. Dit
TAFE
5/21/2009
 Why should a Network Admin be performing monitoring
network/servers

N etwork Administrator is a professional IT consultant who is responsible for the

maintenances of hardware and software, including the setting of the network and
server. Network Administrator can also setup monitoring software (install) on to
the company Network and monitoring their performances. In this document I am going to
talk about this network/server monitoring software program, define it for you and discuss
and give some of the reason why as a Network Administrator, “you are entitled to
monitor network and system performances in the company”? There are a couple of
points about, why? It is a prominent responsibility for Network Administrator and not
anyone else in the company to monitor the network and server performance. Some of the
points may be closed or closer in explanation of the Network/Server monitoring duties.

Knowledge, Skills and Experiences:

Monitoring the Network/Server performance is done by experiences, skills and
knowledge, and that why it is much more important for Network Administrator because
he/she has a skills and knowledge of monitoring Network and Server performance. As
Network Administrator, I have understood what are the risk of not performing these
duties and should be perform by an Ordinary user which is unacceptable. There might a
problem in software monitoring tools that are being used by Network Administrator
depending on with the Software program that you have installed on the Network/Server
machines. As network Administrator; I might be having Degree or Diploma in
Networking, I got a skills of monitoring Network/Server performance and experiences,
while other users have their own responsibilities according to their educational
backgrounds. They have their own experience that they might be working in differences
field of Technology not closer to Networking/Server field.

Virus, malicious, Trojans E.T.C threats is serious:

Many Organization suspects that their internal threats are more pressing than the external
security and this internal threat is always cause by poor users security result. They
Companies are always worry about their services being attack by virus, malicious,
Trojans and much more unwanted software program that can attack our network/server
through users logon account. This is because they are likely to download personal
software programs on company Network, some forget to scan their removal disk storages
for infections files and that were the virus come.
Those unwanted software programs can be monitor by Network Administrator and train
users about what should be done to avoid virus infection from, Internet, USB, and others
devices that can bring in unwanted files to the Company Network Computers . I should
be making sure that this unwanted program that that can harm Company‟s Network
computers is being removed. I, as Network Administrator should performances such a
task in order to make sure that the Network/Server is running securely, faster and
reliably.

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 Why should a Network Admin be performing monitoring
network/servers

Authorized duty (powerful:

Network Administrator is the only one who can ensure the stable operation of the
Network and server, planning configuration and networking equipments and
communication link in case of any failure to the network, no one else can manage to
inherit the Network Admin responsibilities, Network administrator has skills in
troubleshooting the networking and server failure.

Analyze the problem and identify the quick solutions:

Our Network and Servers connections are always facing a Hugh security risk that lead to
the failure of Network/Server. Who should analyze the problem, the Users may find that
their Network isn‟t connected but they are not sure, what to do? With this issues being
raise by users, users should call in Network Administrator in order to analyze the
problem and identify alternative solutions for the problem.

Network Attackers:
The Monitoring of the Network/Server performance, the online problem is always a
threat and worry to the Company, this is because what? Where this threat is coming
from? And it‟s going to be hard in identifying it. Therefore, we better call in a Network
Administrator with his/her experience, skills and knowledge to identify this threat to the
Network. The unwanted entries that can be detect and remove by Network Administrator
includes; virus, spyware, Trojans and there allots more that need Admin attention.
As a Network Administrator, I shouldn‟t wasting any time in taking the right options in
order to prevent, stop and remove any harmful materials that where attempting to, or
interrupt the network/server performance.

Monitoring users Activities:

The Company services that can be monitor by Network Administrator from users
misbehaving are; checking unwanted websites for personal, downloading unwanted
software, doing such thing on Company Network while saving customers is
unacceptable, depending on the Organization policies, Network Administrator should be
monitoring Network/Server from the virus bring in by users activities in online, poor
computer performance. I do believe as Network Administrator the Company get virus
through users logon account, Users‟ USB-Universal Serial Bus and other removals
storage devices carry by users.

Monitoring the System error:

Our system does always crashes and need a help of Network Administrator or
Technicians in order to work again. The failure of our system performance causes a
major impact to our Company resources and that stop out duties. In present of Network
Administrator who shouldn‟t be worry of it and should be identifying the problem and fix
it immediately.

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 Why should a Network Admin be performing monitoring
network/servers

Monitoring users‟ connection to the Internet:

The present of Network Administrator is important and in order to monitor the network
and server connections, and to make sure users are surfing the net, he/she must be
performing monitoring the Network and Server as long as working hours are going on till
the end of the today duties. As a Network Administrator it‟s one of his/her responsibility
to make sure the Connection to the Internet is secure, faster to meet the Company
requirements. Making sure the Network is reaching every user to perform his/her job
effectively.

Monitoring tools difficulty:

Network Administrator has some monitoring tools that cannot be understand by other
staffs without Networking skills and knowledge. Some of the software that is being run
by Network Administrator are hard to be understand by ordinary users.
I have fully understood that the software program that I can run for monitoring Network
and Server performance. Examples; OpManager, Scrutinizer netflow and sflow and there
are much more monitoring tools that used for monitoring Network/Server performance.
these monitoring software can only be manage, demonstrate by Network Administrator‟s
knowledge, skills and experiences and that is why it‟s important for every organization to
have a Network Administrator who should be look after or keep their company
Network/Server running faster, securely and effectively.

Permission required for operation:

No permission, Network Administrator should perform Network and Server monitoring
duties because he/she owned access to the Network, as everybody working don‟t have the
same skills and knowledge, they learned something differences from Network Admin and
they have been granted their logon details according to your position which includes; the
details they include: logon account, user name and password, accessible folders as well as
email addresses. Nobody knows the Network Admin logon details and is not allow even
to know them because you are not and if you were then you could have your own account
as Network Administrator.

Documentation:
It is important for Network Administrator that he should monitoring the network and
server performances in order to document the error that are usually occur, I am much
concerned about the same problem repeating itself every day, every week and every
month, in order to avoid what has happened to happen again? Network Administrator
must be perform Network/Server perform and document every procedures that are being
taken, the problem that has occurred to the Network should also be document,
descriptions, and how it was fixed, how long does it take to be fixed? This document can
be keep for future references, I do think the network Administrator know more about the
important of documenting any computer, Network/Server problems than untrained,
inexperienced User.

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 Why should a Network Admin be performing monitoring
network/servers

What should be monitored?

I have talking to you about „why Network Administrator should monitor Network/Server
performance and why? What is the reason for monitoring his Network/Server? And
finally what should monitor as part of Network/Server performance?
I am going to tell you more about what should be monitor though I have mentioned some
of them before. It‟s important for Network Administrator to monitor Network and server
performance, and doing so; he/she must monitor network systems, components, files, and
databases, standard transmission Control Protocol (TCP) ports such as HTTP-Hypertext
Transfer Protocol, FTP-File Transfer Protocol, POP3-Post Office protocol version 3, and
SMTP-Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.

Conclusions
In an IT Organization there are top three Information Technology support Staff that is
Network Administrator, Technician and Helpdesk. As Network Administrator your
position should either be the top or the second to the top job in the Company depending
on the Company policies. And that meant you have power of Control, Support, protect
the Network/Server performance.
As a Network Administrators the challenges that are facing you are real and serious and
your full understanding of the monitoring tools that should be used for monitoring
Network/Server performance
You as Network Administrator should be responsible for the management of Company
Data; running protection software that can protect company from the Internet site full of
spyware, Trojan and viruses, there is much more that are not needed in the company
Network that are being monitored by Network Administrator unlike the Ordinary User.
Network Administrator should be technically equip in order to identify and
troubleshooting the Network/Server problem.

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