# Network Management Software Comprehensive enterprise **network management software** are to be preferred for large organizational networks, as they help reduce the complexity involved in depending on multiple tools to manage networks. With ManageEngine OpManager, proactively manage your network by reducing outages significantly and gain control over the network quickly. ![Network Management](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/network-management-banner.avif) ![Network Management](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/network-management-banner-screen.avif) ## What are the six critical aspects every network management tool should address? Since the options to choose a best network management software for your organization is endless, here is a quick checklist for you to help make your decisions better. The tool should be integrated enough to help you administrate, operate, maintain, provision, automate and secure your entire network infrastructure effectively. Choosing the right real-time network management software is revolutionary in your monitoring game. - [Administration](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-management.html#administration) - [Network Provisioning](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-management.html#network-provisioning) - [Maintenance](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-management.html#maintenance) - [Operations](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-management.html#operations) - [Security](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-management.html#security) - [Automation](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-management.html#automation) ## Administration ### Network Performance Management For all [network software](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-software.html?net-mngt-new), [performance management](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-performance-management.html?net-mngt-new) involves troubleshooting faults either through a manual or automated approach so that the network performance is restored to its original or improved condition. For this task, network admins rely on real-time network management solutions like OpManager. This network manager software's real-time [network management](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/tech-topics/what-is-network-management.html?nw-mgt-new) offers basic and advanced network management services to fix faults that degrade network performance. The huge list of performance monitors in OpManager helps you instantly add your device into its monitoring console and begin monitoring. #### Inbuilt tools OpManager, the [network monitoring software](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-monitoring-software.html?nw-mgt), offers a variety of tools such as ping, traceroute, MIB browser, remote control, and more to troubleshoot basic performance issues. Learn more: https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-monitoring-tools.html?net-mngt-new #### Network Configuration Management [OpManager](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/?nw-mgt) includes a network configuration management module to manage configuration changes. With this, it is easier to automate configuration backups, adhere to compliance policies, and detect network changes in real time. Learn more: https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-configuration-management.html?net-mngt-new #### Network Assessment Tool It helps you check if your IT infrastructure is aligned with the business goals and helps in framing a reliable network management strategy. Analyze the top network management tools and you will understand why OpManager stands out matching your expectations. ![tools](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/tools.avif) ![ncm-dashboard](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/ncm-dashboard.avif) ## Network Provisioning ### Network Provisioning An important aspect of network management is network provisioning. Every [network monitor](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-monitor.html?net-mngt-new) must have network provisioning which involves calculating the load handled by the network and future demands based on the current network trend. It also involves keeping resources in reserve so that when a need arises, it becomes easier to handle. A network control software would enable you to identify network trends and provision your network. Manage your resources effectively with OpManager's network management service. #### Capacity Planning Reports OpManager is pre built with 150+ network management reports that provide information on device upgrades, bandwidth usage, disk & memory utilization etc. These reports help in identifying network trends and assist in resource allocation. Learn more: https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-performance-reporting.html?net-mngt-new #### IP Address and Switch Port Management OpManager's IP address & switch port management console helps in managing IP addresses and switch ports for space and availability. OpManager tackles IP and switch port conflicts, audits user access and provides prompt notifications on status changes. Learn more: https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/ipam-spm-plugin.html?net-mngt-new ![capacity-planning-report](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/capacity-planning-report.avif) ![oputils](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/oputils.avif) ## Maintenance ### Fault identification in network management platform The biggest challenge with today's networking management tools is to proactively [identify faults](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-fault-management.html?net-mngt-new) before they impact end-users. Among numerous [network monitoring tools](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-monitoring-tools.html?net-mngt-new), [ManageEngine OpManager](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/?net-mngt-new), a trusted [network management system](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-management-system.html?net-mngt-new), detects, isolates and troubleshoots faults, raising alarms to remediate faults quickly. With ManageEngine OpManager, the integrated network management software, you can monitor the performance, availability and health of all your network devices. This network management system uses the SNMP/WMI/CLI [network protocols](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-protocols.html?net-mngt-new) to fetch performance data from network devices. This data is then displayed to the end user on the management tool's web console. #### Using OpManager network management solution you can: - Set multiple thresholds for performance metrics. - Stay ahead of network issues with adaptive threshold based alerts. - Keep an eye on monitored metrics with the network management dashboard. - Get proactively notified for threshold violations and faults through email and SMS. - Process SNMP traps and syslogs and raise alerts based on thresholds. - Automatically log alarms as tickets into a service desk software. ![alarms](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/alarms.avif) ![adaptive-threshold](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/adaptive-threshold.avif) ## Operations ### Maintaining QoS in network management It is common for network performance to degrade as years pass by. Therefore, it is essential to deliver quality IT services to end-users and meet the SLA month on month. OpManager, the automated network management tool, helps you adhere to [service level agreements](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/align-it-to-business.html?net-mngt-new) and achieve 99.9% availability for your network and business critical applications. With business level dashboards, it is possible to detect the factors affecting your business in real time. ![Real-Time Network Management Software - ManageEngine OpManager](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/maintaining-qos.avif) ## Security ### Fortified network security with a versatile network management software Today's network monitoring tools are equipped with AI - ML based smart alerting engine. However, when it comes to security, extra efforts must be taken to detect and prevent breaches early to help the user with a seamless network experience. Analyzing the network device activity logs and monitoring the network bandwidth should potentially expose any suspicious network activity. #### Firewall Security Management OpManager's Firewall Analyzer add-on helps gain insights on network attacks and security breaches. It also helps with real-time monitoring of VPN and proxy servers. Learn more: https://www.manageengine.com/products/firewall/?net-mngt-new #### NetFlow Bandwidth Management Perform bandwidth monitoring and network traffic analysis with OpManager's NetFlow Analyzer add-on. Get real-time visibility into the network and efficiently collect and analyze network bandwidth leveraging flow technologies. Learn more: https://www.manageengine.com/products/netflow/?net-mngt-new ![fwa-dashboard](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/fwa-dashboard.avif) ![nfa-dashboard](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/nfa-dashboard.avif) ## Automation ### Workflows in network management [Enterprise network management](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/enterprise-network-monitoring.html?net-mngt-new) involves on-demand and scheduled tasks such as [testing network faults](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/network-testing-tools.html?net-mngt-new) and executing backup scripts. Most of these network management tasks are repetitive and time consuming. Automating such tasks will help admins and technicians save time and effort. For example, whenever you get a device down alarm, you will ping the device and perform a traceroute to know if there is any packet loss, where it is happening, or if the device is actually down. These repetitive tasks can be automated with Workflows. OpManager supports around 80 actions that can be automated with [Workflows](https://www.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/it-workflow-automation.html?net-mngt-new). #### Some of the network management tasks handled by OpManager workflows include: - Automatically stop/restart a service or a process. - Shutdown/restart/suspend a VM. - Execute scripts and verify their output. - Backup network configurations automatically. - Detect the last changes done on a network device. ![workflows](https://cdn.manageengine.com/network-monitoring/images/network-management/workflows.avif) ## FAQs on Network Management Software ### What is network management? Network management is the process of managing a network for fault and performance using various tools and technologies to keep up with business requirements. The objective of network management is to achieve an error free network. In today's environment, multiple network monitoring solutions, network monitoring tools, or network management tools are employed, making the whole process complex. ### Why do we need network management software? Enterprise network management solutions play an important role in ensuring that an organization's IT infrastructure is available and without any issues. This network management software helps monitor and manage the four critical aspects of the IT infrastructure such as fault identification, performance management, network provisioning, and maintaining QoS. ### What are network management solutions? Network management solutions help network admins gain a comprehensive view into their network resources such as routers, servers, and access points. They help in monitoring, inspecting, and troubleshooting these resources to ensure constant network uptime and reduce network faults. This is aided by the network management solution's ability to alert users on network issues and maintain network QoS. ### What are network management tools? Network management tools assemble every networking component together, ensuring effective communication between them. A potent tool helps you visualize the whole network, giving clear insight into traffic within the environment. ### How does a network management tool work? A good network management tool monitors, configures, manages, administers, and secures the network. It simplifies monitoring for the network admin, helps troubleshoot network devices, and keeps the health of the network in check by sending signals such as ping to device ports and collecting required information.