Monitoring a hybrid IT environment is a complex and high-stakes task. No matter how robust the monitoring system, there will inevitably be something that falls through the cracks. And the ramifications can be major, from data loss to network failure and everything in between. So how can IT administrators monitor their system in a proactive way, without the extra noise and stress that overmonitoring can cause?
According to Mission Critical Magazine, there are five essential things to monitor in order to maintain control of the IT environment. We’ll summarize them here.
Quality of Service
Quality of service, or QoS, allows you to examine the network as a whole. Standard QoS metrics include latency, bandwidth, error rates and uptime. Watching for sudden changes in these areas allows you to uncover breaches or other issues.
Quality of Experience
Not surprisingly, quality of experience, or QoE, monitors the enduser experience. The primary metric here is response times, because that’s really all the enduser cares about – how fast their data will load. The challenge is identifying exactly what is causing response times to lag.
Resource Utilization
The expectation that resources (such as servers and networks) should be fully and efficiently utilized is a constant challenge. It’s been made more difficult with the increasing popularity of the cloud. Ensuring that all resources are being utilized, wherever they are housed, can improve efficiency and boost the bottom line.
Error Logs
Don’t wait until a major breach to examine error logs. Check them regularly, watching for seemingly-innocuous errors, such as a sudden jump in login failures. This could signify that an attack is being attempted.
The Monitoring System
It may seem unnecessary, but think of it this way: if you lose the ability to utilize your monitoring system for any length of time, you’re vulnerable until it’s back up and running. A great deal of damage could be done during that time. A secondary monitoring system that exists solely to report the status of your monitoring system is essential.
If you need help reinforcing and protecting your hybrid IT environment, give Vaultas a call today.
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