Monitoring QoS Solutions for Network Deployments - NetScout

Monitoring QoS
Using the nGenius ® Solution to Optimize Performance in QoS Implementations
NetScout's nGenius Solution can structure and track specific Differentiated Services Code Points (DSCP) that enterprises
and government agencies implementing QoS policies use to prioritize traffic flows. Additionally, NetScout's high-definition
CDM technology provides the framework for mapping these QoS classes and their associated applications to the powerful
real-time and historical analysis views and reports available in nGenius Performance Manager. This approach enables
nGenius Probes, when strategically placed throughout the enterprise network, to collect and deliver detailed information
on the application utilization for each code point category, for each virtual circuit, and/or for each network segment.
Networking professionals can then proactively manage faults, monitor quality of service categories, rapidly troubleshoot
configuration problems, and plan network bandwidth changes.
QoS Network Performance Management Challenges
Many organizations have developed Quality of Service policies
that define priority levels for optimizing the delivery of
networked applications, often giving voice and video the
highest priority, revenue-impacting applications the next
priority, and e-mail and web surfing the lowest priority. As
IT organizations evaluate and implement Quality of Service
policies throughout the network, the planning, testing,
implementation, and ongoing performance monitoring of
the traffic presents formidable challenges for every member
of an IT staff. The nGenius Solution provides IT with the necessary
visibility to determine that:
• QoS has been properly implemented to prioritize
the traffic and reduce bottlenecks. Are all the
routers configured correctly with the priority
choices?
• Quality of Service categories have been assigned
with a set of assumptions and goals. Are the priority
choices right to optimize overall network
performance?
• The QoS implementation has improved response
times. How will the network be re-evaluated for
future changes as new applications are added?
NetScout's nGenius Performance Manager leverages the rich,
actionable information collected by nGenius Probes to provide
high definition visibility and the control necessary to
monitor, troubleshoot, and plan bandwidth changes for
enterprises with QoS implementations.
TECHNOLOGY APPLICATION NOTE
Figure 1. nGenius Performance Manager provides real-time views of applications in QoS
categories and of groups of applications.
Figure 2. nGenius Performance Manager NewsPaper reports are available in daily, weekly, and
monthly views for informed traffic engineering and capacity planning decisions. This report
shows the most utilized QoS categories in the network based on highest in or highest out
utilization.
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Benefits of Network Performance Management for QoS Configurations
nGenius Performance Manager, combined with the in-depth details supplied by nGenius
Probes, offer the visibility and control necessary for managing QoS traffic throughout
the application fabric infrastructure — servers, networks, application flows, storage,
etc. — to ensure the optimal performance of all prioritized networked applications.
Specific nGenius Solution benefits include:
Summary
By leveraging the nGenius Solution, IT managers can more efficiently plan, implement,
validate and optimize DSCP-based QoS deployments within the context of their entire
network and application infrastructures. With a more comprehensive understanding of
the impact and effectiveness of QoS traffic on the total network environment, enterprises
can better ensure that their networked applications and services are meeting
business priorities.
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Features Benefits
Automatic identification of
Differentiated Services Code Point
(DSCP) in packet headers (as defined in
RFC 2474 and 2475)
Grouping of all applications within a
particular code point into single view
Single view of a monitored segment and
its virtual circuits with associated QoS
categories
Identification of DSCP in Web-based
data capture decodes
Historical reports that classify mostand
least-utilized segments and circuits
including those with implemented QoS
policies
Ability to send IP Ping test with a QoS
classification
Ability to baseline key business application
response times for QoS categories
Provides rapid recognition and monitoring
of QoS traffic network wide.
Provides visibility into the applications
assigned within a particular DSCP for
troubleshooting and pinpointing device
mis-configurations in large distributed
networks.
Analyzes QoS classes side-by-side for
each virtual circuit and as part of the
entire segment to help traffic engineering
evaluate the effectiveness of the
traffic policy as it relates to the goals
of the organization.
Aids in troubleshooting and rectifying
complex packet-level problems.
Tracks segments and virtual circuits with
QoS policies for identifying and recognizing
changes in patterns and trends.
Focuses troubleshooting by prioritizing
the test for the QoS class experiencing
the problem thus identifying and resolving
it more rapidly.
Provides the details necessary to confirm
that QoS implementations have
actually improved response times for the
select key business applications.
Preferred Arrangement
Space-Limited Arrangement
The nGenius Performance Management System
The nGenius Solution addresses the complex
requirements of network and application performance
management in today's converged, virtualized
environment and is comprised of:
• nGenius Performance Manager: Software
that analyzes the information collected by
nGenius Probes, Flow Collectors, Application
Fabric Monitors, and other intelligent network
devices and delivers integrated network and
application monitoring, troubleshooting,
capacity planning, and reporting in a single
product.
• nGenius Probes: Dedicated hardware monitoring
devices that passively identify,
collect, and analyze application-level traffic
data across the enterprise.
• nGenius Flow Collectors: Dedicated hardware
devices that collect application conversation
data via NetFlow records.
• nGenius Flow Recorders: Appliances that
continuously record all network and application
traffic for network audit trail and post-event
forensics requiring full packet probes payload
FLOW
details.
• nGenius Application Fabric Monitors:
Appliances that combine nGenius Flow Recorder
and nGenius Probe functionality for high
performance, high reliability, high capacity
recording and infrastructure monitoring.
• nGenius Analytics: Appliance-based software
that delivers automated, proactive early
detection and diagnosis of network and
application performance anomalies.
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logo, nGenius and Quantiva are registered trademarks of NetScout Systems,
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