Like anything in the server world, keeping things well watched, in addition to secure is always job one. Like my past review of IPMonitor back in 2005, the application remains strong. As a matter of fact, I would venture to say that it may very well be stronger than ever.

Installation:

The application installed much like I would expect, with the usual install wizard. But what I found helpful was the assistance in setting up my monitoring preferences right there during the install. Very slick!

One of the first steps was using the install wizard to setup my http server that I would use to manage the application’s handling of my server. Once this was completed, I moved on through the process to setting up an administrator account and then finally, making sure my monitors were in place. In this case, CPU, hard drive and memory.

Once this was wrapped up, it was time for that initial login to my localized http server.

All about the monitors.

Basically, you have the ability to monitor everything - seriously. SNMP, resources or simply custom monitors that you created yourself. It’s all here at your finger tips.

But it should be said that this allows you to monitor an entire network, not simply one server. And IPMonitor also allows you to react quickly as well. Here is a quick run down on the available monitors provided to keeping your network safe and secure:

Quality Assurance Monitor- Just how well are things truly running? Just as importantly, do you seriosuly have the time to run your own transactions to test the quality your network is providing? IPMonitor can help. It does it all for you, just set it and forget it. SNMP, mail and web server testing done on your schedule.

Windows Specific Monitoring- Let’s face it, generic network monitoring is fine, but Windows has very specific needs that simply must be addressed. From MS SQL to your Exchange server - IPMonitor has your back every step of the way.

System resource monitoring- I can tell you first hand that this feature pays for the app all by itself. Being able to receive a report of temp and humidity issues, notice of a sudden spike in CPU cycles or even a bandwidth surge. You need to be in the know, this program can help.

Uptime Monitoring- Another critical piece to keeping a healthy network has to be the basic ability to keep the network running and making sure it is running all the protocols as it should be. FTP, HTTP, DNS, ASP - they are all covered.

Staying informed- There is little doubt that all of the fantastic monitoring tools in the world do not do anyone any good whatsoever unless you are aware of a problem in real-time. Luckily, IPMonitor can reach you practically anywhere: Blackberry, network broadcast or even just SMS.

Recovery options- Let’s face it, even the best IT manager cannot be everyplace at once. This is again, where IPMonitor comes in. You can set the program to take the appropriate corrective action even if you are unavailable. Now that is a real life saver!

So what about the security?

In addition to more features than I could ever attempt to dive into (Live reports, graphs for spotting trends, etc), the security with IPMonitor is top notch. IP filtering, SSL certificates, IPMonitor really does a fine job at putting the administrator in control over the security of their network.

You need to take this for a test drive.

With the given free trial, you would be nuts not to try this. IPMonitor is Vista ready, Microsoft Certified and has remained a proven option for taking control over a run-a-away network. Detecting problems, keeping on top of uptime and doing all of this while you are sleeping sounds difficult at best. But I am telling you, IPMonitor has been a favorite of mine since 2005. I love it and still highly recommend IPMonitor as a way of keeping a tight leash on your growing network.

[tags]ipmonitor,security, monitoring, server, windows[/tags]