Too often we get some software, install it on our system, do some basic configuration and say we are done.  It becomes a checkbox we click off and move on.  Perhaps we watch the analytics and print out a report or two a week, but are we really using the software to its potential?

In the case of Network Management software this is a more complex problem.  Networks do not remain static, they get upgraded, reconfigured, physically moved and are under constant assault from new technologies and people with less than scrupulous motives.

Network Management is not a spectator sport.  It is not something you just install and let go and hope it will tell you if you have a problem. You need to work at it, understand how the components work, how all the pieces of your network work together.  You need to keep up with current technology and trends even if they are not currently deployed in your environment.  You need to get your hands dirty.

First, you need to define the goals for the Network Management solution.

• Is it just for alerting you to a problem?
• Do you want corrective actions initiated after problem detection?
• Will you want complex analysis on data collected?
• Do you want the ability to modify and customize the software to meet your specific needs?
• How much time do you have to spend on the problem?
• Do you want the system to pro-actively alert you to pending issues based on gathered Analytics?
• Where do you plan to be in the next 5 years with your network, the next 10 years?

All of these issues factor into the decision of what solution to use and how you will use it.

You may feel this is too daunting to think about, but the changes we see today are no greater than those seen during the Mainframe to “PC” revolution.  This is an exciting time in technology: tablets, clouds, research into new battery technology, new ideas in computer languages, and more sophisticated uses of technology driving for more innovative solutions.  Don’t let you Network Management solution hold you back from meeting the challenge.

NerveCenter 6.0 allows user defined commands to be executed by the OS.  You have the option of passing arguments to the command, including individual VarBinds returned from queries.