Techniche Statseeker NPM supports network performance monitoring through storms, heatwaves and in the most remote locations
Our client maintains the network for a nationwide tourism company focusing on eco and indigenous cultural destinations and learning experiences. The network they maintain is unlike any other, spanning vast distances with sites in some of the most remote locations and harshest climates in the country.
The organization’s operational headquarters is particularly remote, with primary network services brought into the site via 1300 km (800 miles) of fiber optic cable. The campus for this site is extensive, with industrial and commercial sectors, and a residential area housing upwards of 1500 people. Providing connectivity within this site is a further challenge, as the campus has grown to over 100 km2 (60 miles2).
Outside of the main operations site, the network team maintains communications across a range of destinations. Some of these sites are found in even more remote locations, locations with intermittent mains power backed up by UPS and on-demand generators.
“Statseeker NPM is an important asset to our business. It tells us exactly what node has gone down, at what time, and where.” – Network Manager
Statseeker NPM was brought in to help the team track the health of their network. Initially, there was a focus on monitoring the critical routers employed to keep sites and users operational across the WAN and on tracking the operational state of critical layer 2 nodes throughout the network. A combination of dashboards and alerts were employed to oversee the network state and assist with fault tracking.
“The alert system is great. We can set a syslog alert or an SNMP alert within a couple of minutes.” – Network Manager
In addition to the challenge of the remote nature of the sites, the network is subject to extreme seasonal weather conditions. The operations center and some remote sites commonly experience daytime maximums in excess of 40oC (105oF) during the summer months. For many sites, including the main operations center, summer also brings storms. The fiber connection into the operations site is particularly susceptible to lightning. The length of the connection requires signal repeaters every 80-100km (50-60miles), and lightning strikes knocking out a single node can bring the link down.
When this occurs, the site reverts to satellite connections where bandwidth utilization needs to be closely monitored and controlled to ensure that critical services are not adversely impacted. In this event Statseeker NPM dashboards and reports provide the team with the data needed to identify problematic bandwidth consumers by IP and application. Not only does Statseeker NPM inform their decision making around QoS rules, but also allows the real-time monitoring of the impact of their QoS implementation on all links and critical services during a major outage.
The company also uses Statseeker NPM to produce a selection of management reports which track the growth and performance of the network, identify problematic areas, prioritize maintenance needs and justify budget requests.
“Statseeker NPM has allowed us to respond to events so quickly, our efficiency has dramatically increased.” – Network Manager
Next steps…
Techniche Statseeker NPM helps MSPs, businesses and government organizations meet their real-time network performance requirements.
If you’d like to try Techniche Statseeker NPM for 45 days at no cost, request a trial here.