Server monitoring provides you with the ability to scan your servers and workstations and quickly identify potential problems, allowing you to quickly resolve issues before they affect the productivity of your users. However, recently this solution has made the jump into the cloud, providing system administrators with a new take (and some new benefits) on this software.
While regular server monitoring saves busy system administrators time, cloud-based server monitoring solutions get set-up faster, have some very interesting pricing models, and do not require changes in your existing IT infrastructure. That sounds pretty good, so let’s delve a little deeper and see how cloud-based server monitoring can really brighten up your day.
Cloud-based server monitoring improves efficiency and helps busy system administrators to optimize their network. But what other benefits does this solution offer?
We are going to peel back the layers and see just what cloud-based server monitoring brings to networks – and our investigation turns up several interesting advantages.
Let’s take a look at what cloud-based server monitoring solutions bring to the table and how this can provide your IT department with a new toolkit to work faster and smarter.
1. Device and location independence
You can’t always be in the office, so having access to a web-based management console allows you to track the current health of your network in real-time. Because this console can be accessed by any web capable device, including smartphones, you can log in and check on your network wherever you are.
Also, because cloud-based server monitoring solutions communicate directly with their agent software, you can check the health of remote workstations and servers even if they are not connected to the corporate network. This means you no longer have blind spots when optimizing your network.
2. Quick setup
Cloud-based server monitoring solutions are quick and easy to set up as they only require the deployment of agent software on the machines and servers they are going to monitor. There is no lengthy messing around with software or hardware – and no drastic changes to your network infrastructure. This also means there is no downtime when bringing your cloud-based solution on line.
3. Low Cost
Rather than standard software licensing costs, cloud-based server monitoring solutions have subscription-based pricing to keep costs low and predictable. This allows capital expenditure to be converted into operational expenditure. In addition, because there are no software or hardware purchases to make, there is a very low entry cost to this solution – making it within the reach of many organizations.
4. Easy Maintenance
Not only does a cloud-based server monitoring solution have lower entry costs, but the maintenance and overhead expenses are borne by the host too. Updates and upgrades to the software are automatically deployed from a central location, freeing up IT administrator time as individual machines do not have to be checked and updated manually.
5. Scalability and agility
Whether your network grows organically, or through acquisitions, your cloud-based server monitoring solution can keep pace. By dynamically provisioning licenses, you can increase your subscription levels with just a few clicks – and then rapidly deploy the agent software to new machines or servers. That makes this solution quick and efficient to respond to your requirements.
6. An outside view
Having a view of your system that is not dependent on your own system is important and cloud-based server monitoring solutions provide that. This has the added benefit of keeping your asset information server-side, meaning it is always ready to access in the event of a data recovery or critical business event.
Is it all sunshine?
Cloud-based server monitoring is a natural evolution and offers a variety of solid benefits to users. As well as the fact that it is easy to get up and running, the fact that this is software as a service, means that the development and release cycles tend to be faster than with traditional solutions and you’ll be able to tap into any new features immediately. In fact, cloud-based server monitoring solutions have the advantage of deploying updates and upgrades from a central location with no intervention required, so you are always running the latest version.
Cloud-based server monitoring offers IT administrators a great low cost solution to optimizing and monitoring their networks. Apart from saving you money, this solution also offers a number of time-saving features (such as its rapid deployment and auto-updating), as well as providing administrators with the ability to access the management console from outside the office. This combination makes cloud-based server monitoring a powerful solution for those looking to keep their networks in tip-top condition.
About the author: Jeff Smith writes for GFI Software Ltd, a leading software developer that provides a single source for network administrators to address their network security, content security and messaging needs.
All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Leave a Comment