Network Instruments

Software Probes

Advanced Software Probe Overview
Monitor your entire network through a single console interface by deploying software probes throughout your enterprise. Whether you have many remote offices or multiple network closets, Network Instruments probes offer complete access to remote data without the time and expense of travel.

Software-based probes are installed on a LAN, wireless network, segment, or switch to collect data and report back to the Observer console. Appropriate for analysing speeds of up to 1000 Mbps or for low-utilisation gigabit networks via a SPAN port on a switch.

Advanced Single Probe
For a basic level of network analysis, the Advanced Single Probe permits you to:

• Continuously collect and store remote network information for baseline comparison
• Protect network data with passwords and data encryption
• Adhere to RMON and HCRMON standards with RMON probe option

Advanced Multi-Probe
Includes all the functionality of the Advanced Single Probe, plus:

• Monitor data from multiple network adapter cards simultaneously
• Collaborate across locations to solve complex network problems by analysing the same data concurrently
• Capture up to 24 GB worth of data with the industry’s largest memory buffer

Advanced Expert Probe
Includes all the functionality of the Advanced Single Probe and the Advanced Multi-Probe, plus:

• View remote Expert Analysis in real time for faster troubleshooting
• Perform packet captures and decodes at the individual probe level
• Conserve bandwidth by only transferring Expert screenshots, not raw data packets

Software Probes Report to Observer Consoles for In-Depth Analysis

• Over 590 protocol decodes
• Nanosecond resolution
• A graphical filter rule editor to easily create complex filters
• Triggers and alarms for immediate alerts on network activity or errors
• Application analysis statistics, including response time and total/failed transactions for common applications such as SQL, Citrix, MS Exchange, Oracle, VoIP, and DNS
• Over 570 real-time Experts
• In-depth VoIP analysis, including call detail records, aggregate call summaries, QoS, MOS, and R-factor
• Real-time statistics on network activity such as bandwidth utilization, Top Talkers, VLANs, and Internet usage
• Data stream reconstruction, including web pages, e-mails, and instant messages
• MultiHop Analysis tracks conversations as it hops through up to 10 network segments, showing packet loss along the way
• Automated and customised network trending and reporting
• Statistics and packet captures/decodes that adhere to RMON 1, RMON 2, and HCRMON standards.

RMON Support
All software probes can be turned into an RMON probe supporting all 21 RMON groups with full adherence to all RFCs. A probe running in RMON mode can report to any RMON or SNMP management console.