Switches are integral parts of a network, as they dictate the flow of communication between servers, workstations, and all other network devices. As one of the major manufacturers of network switches, Cisco has provided organizations with a myriad of models that serve diverse hardware requirements and functions. Cisco switches, like any other network components, are predisposed to performance degradation and malfunctions, and many times, this can be attributed to the mismanagement of Cisco switch ports.

It's imperative to monitor Cisco ports for their availability, as it helps determine underutilized, overutilized, and disabled ports. Also, ports are potential hotspots for malicious actors to break into, so the traffic passing via these ports should be constantly monitored. Manual inspection of individual ports for availability and performance isn't feasible due to the enormous scale of networks. To eliminate these concerns and to streamline port monitoring, network administrators should invest in a dedicated Cisco port monitor.

OpManager: A fresh approach to Cisco port monitoring

OpManager is a comprehensive network monitoring tool with which network administrators can monitor their network infrastructure for performance, health, and availability. Cisco network monitoring allows the Cisco port monitor to check all your switch ports for availability, port speed, traffic, bandwidth utilization, etc. OpManager is compatible with almost all of Cisco's switch models and can integrate with them seamlessly.

Cisco port monitoring: The OpManager way

OpManager's built-in port monitoring module probes the target Cisco ports in your network by sending IP packets to each port. Based on the response from the ports, OpManager classifies ports as open, listening, or closed. This renders visibility into the availability of the ports, the services running on them, and the devices mapped to each port.

OpManager's Cisco port monitor's capabilities include:

End-to-end port-device mapping

OpManager's Cisco port monitor helps map the devices connected to individual ports virtually on its web console. For this, you'll have to upload the mapping of the physical ports and switch ports in a CSV file into OpManager. OpManager's Cisco port monitor automatically retrieves the VLAN details and the virtual IP addresses of a device and then detects all the devices connected to a port. Apart from this, OpManager also allows you to block or unblock a switch port from within the web client. This prevents unsolicited traffic from entering via those ports, bolstering network security.

Interface performance monitoring

OpManager's built-in Cisco port monitor module monitors interfaces for performance and availability. OpManager monitors critical metrics of interfaces like link speed, hop count, time delay, bandwidth utilization, traffic data, etc. OpManager presents this data in the form of graphs, dials, and tables on the device's dedicated snapshot page.

Port device mapping - ManageEngine OpManager

Multi-vendor and device support

OpManager possesses more than 53,000 vendor templates and 11,000 device templates. It's compatible with almost all of Cisco's switch series and models and integrates with them seamlessly. OpManager also has more than 230 predefined interface templates, which are associated with interfaces as soon as they are discovered. These templates associate relevant performance monitors with interfaces for performance and availability monitoring.

Multi-vendor support- ManageEngine OpManager

Cisco port fault management

OpManager detects anomalies in port activity and reports them via alert notifications. Using OpManager, configure multi-level thresholds for performance metrics and monitor for violations. The violations are depicted using color-coded alarms based on severity levels. These alarms can be escalated to concerned personnel if left unattended and can be acknowledged to avoid redundant examination. The alerts can also be broadcasted via multiple media like email, SMS, or Slack notifications.

Cisco Port fault management - ManageEngine OpManager

Cisco port activity history and audit

OpManager's Cisco port monitor logs all the events performed using the tool with the name of the user, and the date and time of the event. This helps administrators track and audit the changes made using OpManager. Administrators can also track the device that was previously connected to a Cisco switch monitoring port from the previous scan results saved in the history.

Cisco Port audit - ManageEngine OpManager

Port performance and availability reporting

OpManager's Cisco port monitor offers holistic reports on your Cisco switch port's availability. These reports can be scheduled or extracted on demand and can be exported as CSV, PDF, or XLS files. Apart from availability reports, OpManager also provides reports on:

  • Switches by Usage
  • Switches by Task Name
  • Switches by Vendor
  • Switch Ports by ifSpeed
  • Switch Port by ifType
  • Device with Virtual IP

Cisco Port performance and availability - ManageEngine OpManager

FAQs on Cisco port monitor

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Keep tabs on Cisco ports effectively with OpManager.

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Customer reviews

OpManager
OpManager - 10 Steps Ahead Of The Competition, One Step Away From Being Unequalled.
- Network Services Manager, Government Organization
Review Role: Infrastructure and OperationsCompany Size: Gov't/PS/ED 5,000 - 50,000 Employees
"I have a long-standing relationship with ManageEngine. OpManager has always missed one or two features that would make it truly the best tool on the market, but over it is the most comprehensive and easy to use the product on the market."
OpManager
Easy Implementation, Excellent Support & Lower Cost Tool
- Team Lead, IT Service Industry
Review Role: Infrastructure and OperationsCompany Size: 500M - 1B USD
"We have been using OpManager since 2011 and our overall experience has been excellent. The tool plays a vital role in providing the value to our organisation and to the customers we are supporting. The support is excellent and staff takes full responsibilities in resolving the issues. Innovation is never stopping and clearly visible with newer versions"
OpManager
Easy Implementation With A Feature Rich Catalogue, Support Has Some Room For Improvement
- NOC Manager in IT Service Industry
Review Role: Program and Portfolio ManagementCompany Size: 500M - 1B USD
"The vendor has been supporting during the implementation & POC phases providing trial licenses. Feature requests and feedback is usually acted upon swiftly. There was sufficient vendor support during the implementation phase. After deployment, the support is more than adequate, where the vendor could make some improvements."
OpManager
Great Monitoring Tool
- CIO in Finance Industry
Review Role: CIOCompany Size: 1B - 3B USD
"Manage Engine provides a suite of tools that have made improvements to the availability of our internal applications. From monitoring, management and alerting, we have been able to peak performance within our data center."
OpManager
Simple Implementation, Easy To Use. Very Intuitive.
- Principal Engineer in IT Services
Review Role: Enterprise Architecture and Technology InnovationCompany Size: 250M - 500M USD
"Manage Engine support was helpful and responsive to all our queries"
 
 

Case Studies - OpManager

OpManager

Hinduja Global Solutions saves $3 million a year using OpManager

Industry: IT

Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) is an Indian business process management (BPM) organization headquartered in Bangalore and part of the Hinduja Group. HGS combines technology-powered automation, analytics, and digital services focusing on back office proces

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USA-Based Healthcare Organization Monitor's Network Devices Using OpManager and Network Configuration Manager

Industry: Healthcare

One of the largest radiology groups in the nation, with a team of more than 200 board-certified radiologists, provides more than 50 hospital and specialty clinic partners with on-site radiology coverage and interpretations.

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Industry: Real Estate

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Global news and media company

Industry: Telecommunication and Media

Bonita uses OpManager to monitor their network infrastructure and clear bottlenecks

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Bonita

Industry: Businesses and Services

Bonita uses OpManager to monitor their network infrastructure and clear bottlenecks

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Thorp Reed & Armstrong

Industry : Government

Randy S. Hollaway from Thorp Reed & Armstrong relies on OpManager for prompt alerts and reports

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