Blog de Paessler
All LPWAN players in one short overview
LoRa, Sigfox, MIOTY, and NB IoT (or LTE-M), so many names, so many LPWAN players, so many ways of connecting devices fast, reliably, and cost-effectively. There's an increasing demand for connecting simple devices such as sensors and actuators with as little energy consumption and the greatest coverage possible. Although LPWAN (low-power wide-area networking) is just one of several transmission technologies in the IoT (Internet of things) field, it is becoming increasingly important, for the private and the commercial sector, like industrial processes (IIoT), fully connected buildings (building state monitoring), and projects in the context of Smart City, Smart Agriculture, and Environmental monitoring. Specific requirements for building state monitoring that go beyond LPWAN will be covered in a separate blog article soon.
Monitor your entire Dell infrastructure with PRTG
Dell server and storage systems are not only used in corporate data centers, but also by cloud providers who provide their customers with various services such as IaaS, PaaS or SaaS. Ensuring that all systems function smoothly is a decisive criterion here. Disruptions or even failures can quickly result in financial losses. In this post, I'll explain how you can use PRTG Network Monitor to monitor your entire Dell infrastructure, and thus ensure continuity. By using the appropriate sensors, you will never lose the overview and you will always be informed about the status of the systems.
PRTG has embedded sensor types to monitor Microsoft Azure
Do you still have a classic server infrastructure at your company? With a stuffed server room and all data and applications on premises? I suspect not. Because cloud services that are affordable, easily configured and accessible from everywhere have finally arrived, and I'm sure at least some of your data infrastructure is already cloud-based. Which means you've surely come into contact with Amazon Web Services, the Google Cloud Platform or Microsoft Azure. Or all three.
Get more insights into your Veeam backup jobs with PRTG
As of version 20.4.64, PRTG Network Monitor can get more insights into your Veeam backup jobs. By using two native sensors, Veeam Backup Job Status and Veeam Backup Job Status Advanced (BETA), you can monitor the total number of backup jobs in the last 24 hours and get detailed information for specific backup jobs. Both sensors support IPv4 and IPv6 and they have a very low performance impact. You need to be running Veeam Backup Enterprise Manager and the Enterprise Plus edition of Veeam Backup & Replication. This article explains three easy steps to start monitoring your Veeam backup jobs.
Monitor digital business services with Paessler PRTG Enterprise Monitor
In this article, I will show you how you can monitor digital business processes using Paessler PRTG Enterprise Monitor. Basically, IT systems are always involved as part of a digital business process. On the one hand, there are servers and network distributors, in other words the infrastructure, and on the other hand the applications, for example: database management systems, programs or protocols. For the user, it is important to know if a certain service or process is running from an end-user perspective, like a web shop or a CRM system. In most cases, the user is not interested in the granular details of the application and infrastructure layer.
Deep Packet Inspection approaches to OT network security
In a recent article, I wrote about how cybersecurity is one of the top challenges that industrial IT faces over the next few years. Aside from the exponential rise in cyberattacks, such as DoS, ransomware and trojan attacks, IT/OT convergence places industrial IT networks at more risk than in the past.
Storage capacity planning with PRTG
Spending on storage is usually done much too reactively. Some companies end up buying storage capacity at the last minute, which is unwise. A good storage capacity planning tool helps to make sure that just enough storage is purchased to meet the needs of users and applications. PRTG Network Monitor helps to estimate the utilized capacity and helps to better understand capacity needs for the future. You get automated reports on individual storage utilization, so you can plan your storage expenditures wisely. This is part of a blog series about storage. Check out the first part on storage performance monitoring.
A packet too far: Passive monitoring for OT networks
One of the big differentiators between the worlds of IT and OT is their attitude to “active” network tools – those that actually place traffic “onto the wire”. In all but the most sensitive IT networks, this is almost never an issue. The typical IT network is literally awash with different protocols – DNS, DHCP, SMTP, HTTP; the list goes on. In a large, complex IT environment there could be literally dozens of different protocols flying about. So, introducing a new system, such as a network monitoring tool – PRTG for instance – with its reliance on SNMP, WMI and other protocols, is seldom a big issue.
What's up, Steve? – opinions from our CTO about deepfake, Industrial IT, and the coronavirus crisis
2020 is over but this awful year will haunt us anyway. First, there was the turbulent U.S. election, whose entanglement with pernicious technological possibilities was long debated. In the end, there was not the feared flood of deepfake news, but this should not lead us to believe that we are off the hook. And then, needless to say, there was the ubiquitous topic of the coronavirus pandemic, which, leaving aside the almost 2,5 million global deaths to date, has presented challenges, some of them existential, to just about every industry around the globe. In the wake of the crisis, we at Paessler have switched to completely new working models that will remain valid even in a corona-free future. And there is another piece of news: We at Paessler have made a quantum leap towards new solutions for different industries in 2020. It is clear to us that the manufacturing industry is losing out on a lot of potential with existing processes: convergence of IT and OT (operational technology) flows is the decisive key term here. In our weekly newsletter "What's up tech world? (which I strongly recommend you to subscribe to, because many subscribers make me very happy), Steve has his own regular opinion column called "What's up, Steve?" Below are the first three parts, published in late 2020.
New handling of beta sensors in PRTG Network Monitor
In the blog article about PRTG release 21.1.65, I promised to tell you more about the experimental features in PRTG. The introduction of experimental features is accompanied by a new handling of beta sensors. Let’s have a look at exactly what this means, and what has changed.
Useful command line parameters for PRTG setup
Our goal at Paessler is to provide you with a straightforward installation process. All you need is to download and run the latest PRTG installer (309 MB) from our website, add your email address and license information and enjoy your coffee while PRTG gets to work. PRTG will run an initial auto-discovery as soon as the installation of PRTG is finished. It will automatically add devices that are able to respond to ICMP in your network as well as suitable sensors for monitoring.
PRTG 21.1.65 contains beta sensors for HPE, Azure, Veeam and OPC UA
The first stable release of 2021 for PRTG Network Monitor is here! By the way: PRTG release 21.1.65 is the 8th version in a row that our developers have programmed completely while working from home.
Modular or all-in-one? Two different approaches in IT monitoring
The larger networks become, the more important it is to have an overview. IT decision-makers and IT administrators are faced with the question: "What is the right solution for my infrastructure?" This question cannot be answered in one sentence, because many factors play an important role. First, it should be considered which information a monitoring solution must provide and how high the level of detail should be.
6 Challenges for Industrial IT over the next five years
Industrial IT has seen many changes over the past decade, with IT/OT convergence, Industry 4.0, and increased digitization all shaping the way the production floor connects and interacts with IT. And while we’ve already seen a lot of transformation in the industrial sphere, it’s also clear that it’s not stopping any time soon: By 2025, the IIoT market will be worth $110.6 billion, and this will only further drive the digitization trends we’ve seen so far.
Rhebo Industrial Protector – keeping the lights on
Industroyer, NotPetya, EKANS, Triton, LockerGoga. If those five words just sent a chill down your spine, chances are you work in the industrial control sector. For decades the OT world relied on “security through obscurity” to guarantee its safety – it’s difficult to attack a network that you can’t connect to. Unfortunately, for most companies, completely isolating their ICS environments from the outside world is no longer an option. Increased need for IT/OT convergence, remote access support demands from equipment vendors, and the need to collect, analyze and store sensor data from IIoT applications all mean that industrial networks are increasingly connected to the outside world. Therefore, they are vulnerable to attack.
