Professional Network Operations Center
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Network Operations Center initiatives:
Network Operations Centers and call centers are typically the highest risk
and most expensive projects to build next to the data center itself.
Your monitoring infrastructure is itself as mission-critical as the
equipment it is watching over. Your NOC will monitor and control
your companies' most valuable assets and data.
Easyrider LAN Pro has designed and deployed many, many professional
grade Network Operations Centers over the past 18 years. In fact, Frank was
one of the early pioneers of
remote diagnostic technology
Easyrider LAN Pro does!
How is Easyrider LAN Pro different?
Easyrider LAN Pro
has been in business since 1990... far longer than any other company we
know of that does this type of work. Also, unlike most of our competitors, we
work with pretty much any monitoring software that's out there. The
reasons why this is important to you will be explained shortly.Why can't I just buy the software and have one of my Admins install
it?: This is a fair question and a lot of IT Managers do exactly
that.... and come to regret it after the initiative eventually and
inevitably falls flat on it's face. As we will explain down the page,
purchasing software as a first step is a fundamental gaffe that frequently
spells failure for NOC deployment plans. And "volunteering" an overworked
Administrator who knows little or nothing about building a NOC
to drive this project in order to "save money" nails the
coffin shut. Just about every site I have ever been on has had tens of
thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of shelfware
or marginally deployed monitoring software that was purchased and installed
So what's the correct approach?:
The first step in deploying a successful NOC is to fully understand what
the monitoring objectives are. This involves detailed requirements gathering
from Managers, Administrators, IT service Customers and other Stakeholders.
Once this information has been gathered, a formal or informal design
specification proposal is put together that explains what will be monitored,
what will happen when abnormal events are detected and other various
policies, procedures and so on that will control the operations and best
practices of the NOC.
Easyrider LAN Pro
My VAR said that purchasing their software will solve all of our
SLA problems!
Well, with all due respect, I have a bridge for sale that you
might want to take a look at too. Most VARs and Vendors will try to convince
hapless managers that all data center monitoring problems will instantly
evaporate by simply purchasing their expensive technology solution. That if
a Customer just throws enough money at the problem(s), all of their
headaches will go away. Five 9's of availability will magically occur mere
seconds after their software is installed and you'll be able to let 90%
of your Sys Admins go before the week is out, things will be running so
swell. Right....
Easyrider LAN Pro is often approached AFTER a million or more
bucks have
been spent and for whatever reasons, the customer still has substantial
monitoring problems. I don't know how things are at your company, but
spending a couple of $million on software that ultimately does not
work as expected can often be a career limiting decision for the person
who authorized the expenditure.But won't Easyrider LAN Pro try to sell us software too?: NO!
Easyrider LAN Pro
is not a software reseller and we have no desire to
become one.
Easyrider LAN Pro
has absolutely no financial stake in any software purchase
decisions. We do have relationships with many of the bigger software
Vendors that may help you obtain information, demo software, attractive
pricing and so on. But we do not even accept free lunches from these guys,
much less commissions or kickbacks for our product recommendations. This
is a key differentiator between
Easyrider LAN Pro
and our competition.Then what is the Easyrider LAN Pro value proposition?:
First, we help the client understand their key NOC design requirements.
Then we identify which monitoring software products(s) would best
meet those requirements. Finally, we install, deploy, configure and
customize the monitoring software to meet the previously negotiated
design criteria. And lastly, if desired we can train your Monitoring
Technicians, document everything and then come back to do remedial
maintenance, upgrades and so on from time to time.
So why can't I just buy some software and
As explained earlier, unless you really understand what
you want to get out of your NOC, getting lucky and just happening to
Easyrider LAN Pro Easyrider LAN Pro Easyrider LAN Pro Anything else I should know?: Yep, afraid so. Most IT Managers
are under the impression (thank's to a lot of spinning by the Sales guys)
that all you need to do after you write that $250,000 check is just spin
up the CDROM and the monitoring environment will practically build itself.
Nothing could be further from the truth. With some products, you will need a
herd of Programmers to make this stuff actually do anything. Many of
the products out there use proprietary templates, knowledge modules,
programming languages and so forth. Even if your Admin does know how
to build a NOC, doing all of the programming required to create an
effective monitoring environment can be a daunting task. And the Vendor's
one or two week training courses, if they even offer any, barely scratch
the surface regarding how to build an effective monitoring environment.
Most of these products do very little "out of the box" so unless you happen
to have someone like Frank on staff, plan on having some very expensive
shelfware hanging around not long after your check clears.
I read everything you had to say. Unfortunately, I have already
purchased a lot of software from a VAR just as you said, and no one
seems to be able to get it to work. Throwing the software away and
starting over is not an option. I found you guys on a Google search.
Is there any way you can help us get out of this mess?:
tier 1-4 rated data centers for many size organizations including the
fortune 500. Develop effective strategies for addressing issues of business
site location; your companys vulnerability to natural disasters,
terrorism or disgruntled employees; and associated loss of productivity,
data and revenue.
How we look at siting, securing and maintaining a data center.
The modern data center holds information, the fluid, quickly changing,
indispensable and valuable currency of the modern business world. However,
when we are asked to design a data center, we must consider and account for
many hard physical realities, including security, resistance to
destruction, temperature control and energy expenditure. Now, more than
ever, security and location drive data center development strategies.
Therefore, as a companys operations, fortunes and future can be wiped
out in an instant, continuity planning and redundant data centers are
central to our data center methodology. Our comprehensive look at an
organizations use, storage, retrieval and control of information
includes such areas as:
Location. This set of considerations includes issues such as
geographic setting and separation, local weather and incidence of natural
disasters, power grid capabilities, energy costs, even conspicuousness of
facilities.
Power, energy use and climate control, including airflow. We look at
applicable power grids and supply channels, capacity as well as liability
to interruption. A data centers cooling needs, including required
redundancy in such areas as power supplies or power lines, are ten times
that of comparable general or office space, while floors must handle
weight-loads of thousands of pounds per square foot.
Security. In planning a corporate data center, addresses physical
violation, as well as soft issues like access control or authority,
internal security systems, and electronic attacks from outside.
Data reconstruction. The ability to do this if necessary is impacted
by the design of redundant systems and how quickly they can be brought
on-line, in a secure, seamless and reliable manner.
works to understand the hard data needs of a client, as well as its
business model, organizational culture and philosophy, and how far along it
is in its understanding of modern data center design and data management.
Our goal is always to buy the best, meaning the right level, data
solution for a company or organization in the most economical fashion. For
example, we are often able to suggest siting in less expensive, yet more
secure locations or provide new generation technologies, which create
long-term economies. This approach allows clients to embrace sooner their
comprehensive information technology wish-list or goals, allowing
them to better compete in their industry or service sectors.
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provider
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HP Openview OVO Consultant resume, Boise, Idaho Vigilance Monitoring. A Portland, Oregon proactive frame relay,
application, network and server availability managed monitoring service
provider
(MSP)
Easyrider LAN Pro
Easyrider LAN Pro has designed and deployed many, many professional
grade Network Operations Centers over the past 18 years. In fact, Frank was
one of the early pioneers of
remote diagnostic technology back in the
late 1970's. There are very few companies or Engineers on Planet Earth that
have the breadth and depth of NOC design experience that Frank and
Easyrider LAN Pro does!
using this less than well planned out model.
purchase the right product(s) is pretty iffy. If
Easyrider LAN Pro
can help you avoid spending a few hundred thousand dollars on software
that won't do the job, just that benefit alone will more than pay
for any consulting fees we might charge. As we explained earlier, VARs
are motivated to sell you only the products that they represent and most
Consultants only work with one or two monitoring products. Their motivation
is to get you to make purchase decisions that will generate revenue for
them.
This is good for them and bad for you. At
Easyrider LAN Pro, we have a lot
of experience with most of what's out there. We know what will work best
in your environment and we know what won't. Contrary to what Vendors
would like you to think, there is no "holy grail" product out there.
We not only know about each product's strengths, we also know about
their warts, which Vendor has good support and good product quality and
which ones don't. You're going to spend a pile of money on whatever
software you purchase. If it was a bad decision, you are going to be stuck
with it for years.
Easyrider LAN Pro
has the experience to make this
process much less risky for you! If success is the desired outcome
of your NOC deployment project, you definitely want to be talking to us.
YES! This is a common scenario for us. Many of our engagements are to go
in and salvage a NOC deployment that someone else botched. Or to turn
shelfware into productive software. We cannot turn a sow's ear into a silk
purse but we do have a lot of knowledge and experience with most of the
stuff that's out there. If you just plain bought the wrong stuff for
your needs, we may never be able to completely architect what you
purchased into an optimal monitoring environment for your situation.
But chances are we can at least get what you bought
to run somewhat acceptably. We can also help you create a
reasonable and cost effective migration path so that you can eventually
wind up with the capabilities that you would have had if you had called us
first to begin with.