Link Analyst
Link Analyst provides graphical mapping of network devices,
uptime monitoring for device response times, and a trigger based active notification
system to warn of network problems as they happen. If network conditions degrade, Link
Analyst can monitor the severity of that degradation and warn of trends that may indicate
an impending failure. Graphical device mapping is combined with real-time response-time
monitoring.
Additionally, Link Analyst's complete facility to monitor Wide Area Network
(WAN) links provides up-to-the-minute route analysis, point-to-point route response times,
and the display of each hop in a specific route, as well as response time statistics for
each hop. Route response times and specific link path information are logged and can be
easily accessed for comparison to current conditions.
With Link Analyst you can see:
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 | A graphical map of your network devices and assets
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| System and/or port-based uptime data, including response times
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| A warning when any system or device goes down, or responds above
configurable parameters |
| An independent QoS log for WAN vendor uptime and response time SLA
verification |
| WAN routes, intermediate hops and response time for each, to pinpoint
problems |
| Multiple LAN segments and WANs with "Map Reference" items to
aggregate multiple sites onto master maps (icons allow drill down to individual maps
when necessary) |
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With Link Analyst
you can:
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| Reduce Troubleshooting Time |
| Detect Network Abnormalities, and Device and Route Failures |
| Configure Alarms for Instant Notification Alerts via Program, Pager, or
Email |
| Quickly Create Maps of Even the Largest Networks—Locally or Remotely |
| Log Response Times with Historical Logging Function |
| View Historical Data and Current Map Status From Any Web Browser |
| Graphically Arrange Display for Easy and Quick Viewing |
| Complement Other Diagnostic/Troubleshooting Solutions |
| Easy to Install and Use |
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Monitor the
Status of Important Devices on Your Network and Any Route In Between with Link
Analyst™
Link Analyst provides graphical mapping of network devices, uptime monitoring of
device response times, a trigger-based active notification system to warn of
network problems as they happen, and web reporting. Link Analyst provides both
local and remote monitoring on any connected network, allowing system
administrators schedule flexibility along with the confidence of instant
notification in the event of a problem.
Not "What's Up?" But See "What's Down"
While some may ask the question "What's up?" Link Analyst answers
the question "What's down?" and "What device may be going
down?". Trigger-based warnings provide early notice of the state of any
monitored device. While a station or device that is down may represent a
critical problem and an action that needs to be taken, knowing historical
response time statistics (including, possibly, degradation) may solve little
problems before they become big ones.
Link Analyst will show you graphically which systems are up,
which systems are down, and which systems are performing within unacceptable or
marginal parameters.
Link Analyst is a cost-effective, software-based Windows 95/98/NT/2000/ME
solution that is easy to install and use. You'll quickly realize the time and
cost savings of being able to identifying trouble spots before they turn into a
crisis. Link Analyst is the perfect tool for monitoring and maintaining a
network's QoS (Quality of Service), or a service provider's adherence to the
terms of a SLA (Service Level Agreement).
With Link Analyst, you can monitor the severity of degradation and spot trends
that may indicate an impending failure.
Additionally, Link Analyst's complete facility to monitor WAN links provides
up-to-the-minute route analysis, point-to-point route response times, and the
display of each hop in a specific route, as well as response time statistics for
each hop. Graphical device mapping is combined with real-time response-time
monitoring. Route response times and specific link path information are logged
and can be easily accessed for comparison to current conditions.
Map Your Network
Quickly and Easily
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Link
Analyst automatically creates a map of any segment or group of systems on
your LAN. LAN and device mapping provides both a heads-up view of the LAN,
and shows current network assets with a visual grade of the current
response times. "Drill-down" is available for individual station
statistics, and tabs for map-specific details show device addresses and
various names (IP, DNS, IPX, NetBIOS), response time histories, and
configuration status. |
Route Mapping—Provides both a graphical and table-based display
of a route between the Link Analyst PC and any device reachable via IP,
permitting the network administrator to monitor the performance of the
connection between the two devices. Create an independent QoS log for WAN vendor
uptime, as well as response time SLA verification.
Network Mapping—Provides both a graphical and table-based
display of a network, network segment, or even an entire WAN, permitting the
network administrator to monitor the response time and performance of devices
anywhere on the network, including remote servers, within a matter of minutes.
Map reference items are "goto" links that represent a downstream LAN,
WAN or device on any given map. Critical devices on a downstream map can be
identified so that each reference item will change color, warning you of a
problem that may need investigation. A quick double-click on a reference item
displays the subordinate map with the potential problem(s). With map reference
items, complete WAN problem identification layouts can be built. A
WAN/router-based view of network can be shown, with all downstream LANs
referenced and monitored.
Maps can be viewed as a bus, ring, group, or in free-form layout. Link Analyst
shows all network devices as icons on a user-configurable display with graphical
layout tools that allow complete display and map customization.
By creating a master map, the administrator can embed either kind of map—route
or network— as submaps, which may contain devices, or links to other maps, or
both. This limits screen clutter and allows administrators to tell at a glance
if there is a problem on the network and zero in on the source of the problem
with just a few mouse clicks.
Station and
Service Response Time Measurements
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Each
station's or device's overall response time is tracked and recorded. But
overall station response time may only tell part of the story or overlook
a critical function failure. User configurable service tracking is
available for any device. Triggers can identify a server where a
particular service is malfunctioning or responding in an unacceptable
timeframe. For example, your SMTP server may respond to a ping, but email
might be down – Link Analyst knows the difference and lets you know
graphically or with a user-defined alarm. Is your Web server down, but the
system still responding? Link Analyst can pinpoint the problem, and let
you focus on the solution. |
Route Mapping
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Any route from the Link Analyst system to another system or device can
be graphically mapped and logged. Each route and hop along the route is
shown, and any change in routes is logged and tracked. Individual hop and
full route response time are shown and logged.
Example uses of Route Mapping include keeping track of any WAN,
point-to-point connection, or critical site connection. Routes can be on
private or public networks, via the Internet or within a single LAN. |
Link Analyst Pinpoints the Problem—You Focus on the Solution
While a station or device that is down may represent a critical problem and
an action that needs to be taken, knowing historical response statistics
(including degradation) may solve little problems before they become big ones.
Total response times are kept in a database and any changes in routes that may
give reason for change in response time are noted and identified. Historical
routes and response times can be viewed graphically for any recorded event or
timeframe.
User-configurable service tracking is available for any device. Triggers can
identify a server where a particular service is malfunctioning or responding in
an unacceptable timeframe. For example, your SMTP server may respond to a ping,
but email may be down—Link Analyst knows the difference and lets you know
visually or via a user-defined alarm such as email or a pager—instantly.
Control What, When and Where
Device- and service-specific response time events that are below
user-defined acceptable levels are flagged as critical for event notification
and system-down warnings. Devices not flagged as critical that are down are
simply grayed out on the map. Icons can be customized for varying levels of
response time degradation. Triggers can be set to cause any recorded event to
generate an alarm. You'll know "What's down" before the crisis phone
call and be well on your way to solving the problem before the complaints begin
pouring in.
Link Analyst's sophisticated alarm actions allow you to set the event
notification that best fits your situation. Multiple alarm actions can be
triggered by the same alarm. Example actions include:
Printing—Generates a trouble ticket which is printed to the Windows
printer of your specification
Sound—Responds to alarm by playing a user-chosen sound
Program—Executes a user-selected program
Email —Sends an email message to a designated address
Pager—Sends a numeric or alphanumeric message to configured pager
Advanced pager settings permit the use of one pager service for all pager
messages or to configure pager messages for multiple administrators, at
different times, different days or from different maps.
Network Asset Management
Link Analyst's maps and associated device/system lists let you keep track of
all network assets, and report on their participation on your LAN/WAN.
View Historical Data From Any Standard Web Browser
Link Analyst™ enables network administrators to keep a record of mapped
devices' performance that can be examined at a later date and used to generate a
report. All statistics are logged for historical interpretation and baselining.
Easy to read charting is available for reporting and management documentation.
Link Analyst makes it simple to identify lapses in any third party SLA (Service
Level Agreement), and can document any QoS (Quality of Service) problems at
issue with management, suppliers, or end users.
Reporting works identically through Link Analyst or a Web browser such as
Microsoft Internet Explorer. With the Web Reporting feature, data can be made
available to anyone, on any platform, who has a web browser, even from remote
locations. Historical data can protected from unauthorized access via an
optional password and can be set by user, by group of users, and by map. From
your browser you can see:
Maps Window —shows the current and correct map for which
trending data has been collected
Report Type Window—permits user to choose between the type of
report that will be displayed
Summary Report —shows information for one or more selected time
periods
Comparison Report—compares report information for one or more
selected time periods.
Keep your network services and devices up and running 24-hours a day with Link
Analyst!
Licensing: The Link Analyst license is for one PC on one site on
one LAN. The Link Analyst license can monitor an unlimited number of devices and
LANs or WANs. An unlimited number of browser connections can be made to view
maps, charts and historical data.
Take a look at the Observer suite
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