A Nimsoft Service Level Management Solution White Paper
Table of Contents Nimsoft for VoIP Solution Summary 3 Primary Features...3 Additional Features... 3 Optimized VoIP Network with Nimsoft for Cisco IP SLA 5 Continuous Call Processing with Nimsoft for Cisco CallManager 6 Cisco VoIP Service Level Compliance with Nimsoft 7 About Nimsoft...8
Nimsoft for VoIP Solution Summary The Nimsoft for Cisco VoIP (Voice over IP) solution monitors Cisco VoIP services and underlying infrastructure components in accordance with end-user s service level agreements. Components monitored include Cisco CallManager, Cisco Gateways and Gatekeepers, Cisco IP and ATA Phones, Cisco Routers and Switches, servers, firewalls, and more. All Cisco VoIP status data is analyzed and displayed in graphical alarm dashboards, performance reports, and SLA compliance reports. Today s successful VoIP deployments require incessant network availability and 360 degree transparency of the infrastructure. To achieve this requirement, it is crucial to proactively monitor end-to-end performance of all VoIP components for improved quality of service and problem diagnosis. The Nimsoft for Cisco VoIP solution provides full VoIP infrastructure monitoring with emphasis on continuous SLA compliance and end-user satisfaction. Primary Features Monitors the following end-to-end Cisco components as a unified VoIP service;» Cisco CallManager» Cisco Gateways and Gatekeepers» Cisco IP and ATA Phones» Cisco Routers and Switches Correlates VoIP infrastructure information into business service dashboards Reports for capacity planning, load balancing, and preempting degrading conditions Monitors VoIP SLA compliance with predictive trending and reporting Additional Features» Extremely quick to install and deploy with rapid time-to-value» Scalable to manage multiple sites using Cisco VoIP» Optimizes VoIP network performance with jitter, latency, and packet loss monitoring» Can be implemented in VoIP pre-deployment phases to assess network readiness 3
Figure below: The Nimsoft for Cisco VoIP solution delivers on the critical requirement of proactive and complete infrastructure visibility to assure uninterrupted IP telephony services.
Optimized VoIP Network with Nimsoft for Cisco IP SLA With the convergence of Voice, Video, and Data services on the network, it is becoming increasingly important to monitor network performance to ensure quality of service (QoS) and Service Level Agreement (SLA) compliance. These services are more susceptible to even the slightest network changes. It is imperative to understand the traffic characteristics of the network before and after deployment of network-based services such as VoIP in order to ensure successful implementations and sustained service level compliance. The Nimsoft for Cisco IP SLA probe awakens inherent network simulation capabilities within Cisco devices for proactive network performance testing. Embedded in each Cisco device is a software agent called IP SLA (formerly SAA). This Cisco agent is easily configured by the Nimsoft for Cisco IP SLA probe. The probe will setup the Cisco agent to run periodic traffic simulations for network performance analysis. VoIP service level killers, such as excessive jitter, packet loss, and high latency, are exposed with the Nimsoft for Cisco IP SLA probe. The probe activates the traffic simulations on Cisco devices then consolidates and analyzes the resulting test data to determine its impact on Cisco VoIP service level agreements. Figure below: The Nimsoft for Cisco IPSLA probe monitors and reports on VoIP service killers such as excessive jitter, latency, and packet loss.
Continuous Call Processing with Nimsoft for Cisco CallManager Nimsoft for Cisco CallManager provides complete reporting and diagnostic capabilities for CallManager, Cisco s softwarebased call processing package for IP telephony. Featuring a simple, yet powerful user interface, Nimsoft for Cisco CallManager allows IT managers to easily define and manage virtually any CallManager performance metric or threshold. Users can also conveniently activate or deactivate checkpoints, designate hosts to be monitored, or view real-time graphs including hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly call summary information. Nimsoft for Cisco CallManager monitors all aspects of call processing activity in the VoIP environment. Its data gathering capability extends to Cisco CallManager services, H.323 calls, IP and ATA phones, gateways, ports, processes, memory utilization and much more. All critical CallManager metrics are analyzed with major checkpoints and thresholds pre-defined to simplify setup and operation. The probe does not require any software to be installed on Cisco CallManager servers to operate. Nimsoft for Cisco CallManager Monitors: CPU, Disk, and Memory Cisco Phones» Registered» Active» InActive H.323 Calls» Active» InProgress» Attempted» Completed Gateways» Active» InActive Ports»» Active InService Services» TFTP» CallManager» CTIManager» CTL Provider» Telephone Call Dispatcher And more... 6
Cisco VoIP Service Level Compliance with Nimsoft Nimsoft provides a graphical and text-based representation of Cisco VoIP performance contrasted against service level agreements (SLA). They are both historical, showing VoIP service compliance during prior periods, and forward-looking, showing the likelihood of achieving service level compliance during the current measurement period. SLA periods may be defined in day, week, or month increments. The Nimsoft SLA compliance calculation engine can generate alerts when trends suggest that VoIP service level commitments will not be met given the failures that have already occurred during the current SLA measurement period. Figure below: Nimsoft enables Cisco VoIP infrastructure components such as those discussed above to be defined and monitored as a unified VoIP service and against service level agreements. Nimsoft web-based service level reports display current VoIP SLA compliance with forecasted breach. In the example below, compliance has been achieved for the one week SLA period. The Nimsoft for Cisco VoIP Monitoring solution requires minimal effort for implementation, training, and will not require extensive ongoing maintenance. If you would like to request a free trial of Nimsoft or would like additional free white papers, please visit our website at www.nimsoft.com.
About Nimsoft Nimsoft is the fastest growing provider of next generation performance and availability monitoring solutions for the complete physical and virtualized IT infrastructure. The Nimsoft solutions redefine the standards for ease of use and speed of deployment - providing outstanding return on investment and unparalleled customer satisfaction. Over 800+ customers in 36 countries rely on Nimsoft solutions to monitor their IT based business applications and services. These customers include mid-market and global organizations, such as Barclays Capital and Amway Corporation, Bay Area Rapid Transit, Ladbrokes, MTU Aero Engines, TriNet, TRW Automotive, and hundreds of leading managed service providers such as CDW Berbee, Easynet and Rackspace Managed Hosting. For more information, visit www.nimsoft.com. National Toll Free 877 SLA MGMT (752.6468) Phone: 650.570.5401 info@nimsoft.com www.nimsoft.com United Kingdom +44 (0) 845 456 7091 Norway & Northern Europe +47 22 62 71 60 Germany +49 89 208 039100 Australia +61 (0)2 9236 7216 Nimsoft and the Nimsoft logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nimsoft Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. 2009 Nimsoft Inc. all rights reserved.
Advanced Managed Solutions specializes in network management, network design, and network infrastructure. Along with sales, support and management we offer IS support services, technical outsourcing, and 24 X 7 monitoring. AMS offers quick reliable services with our number one goal is to protect our client assets and ensure that their network is performing optimally. In today s world, the cost of a network being down in a company is greater than the cost of the equipment itself. And now with the convergence of voice and data networks, companies today need to emphasize network reliability in the work place. Whether it s at the office or on the road. AMS has a number of qualified support specialists and engineers available to insure that your needs can be meet rapidly in this ever changing network environment. Whether it s a network move or upgrade, cabling project, or data center design and implementation, we can provide the necessary people to ensure quality service and a commitment to excellence. Our Company works regularly on the latest networking technologies. This enables AMS to bring new and innovative solutions for improving reliability and performance. Our Managed Services solution allows us to monitor your network environment to protect against surprises that can lead to costly repairs. It also allows us to view the network performance and see where improvement is needed as your company evolves and make technology a pleasant experience. As a leading technology company, AMS can provide solutions for servers, systems, software, upgrades, service and support. We can also provide project management and design capabilities as needed for your office. Our customer specialists are very knowledgeable and are willing to assist in any way to keep each company s network performing optimally.