Auvik is a SaaS (Software as a Service) tool that allows IT departments to streamline network monitoring and security. It comes with a multitude of features that allow you to get deeper and more precise insights into how your network operates, how you can optimize it, and more.
It features real-time monitoring which allows for quick diagnosis since the information feedback is presented to you immediately. This way you can initiate remediation steps as quickly as possible, making sure that the end user is impacted as little as possible. This is all done from a clean, unified, and comprehensive user interface. The interface is often overlooked, but it is fairly important to consider. A good, streamlined user interface will present all of the relevant details that you need to see, rather than displaying you with clutter. If everything you need to see is always right in front of you, that means you need to spend less time opening up different tools, navigating through them, troubleshooting issues, et cetera. If you have a large network, something as simple as a good user interface can save you a lot of time and money.
Why Should I Use Auvik?
Overall, global network complexity is growing with no signs of stopping any time soon. Regardless of your business size, it is likely that you are using some sort of IT assistance to further benefit your business. Making sure that everything is safe and organized properly is therefore vital for steady business health and growth. If you are a smaller business, you will immediately enjoy the optimizations and efficiency that come with a tool like Auvik. If you are a larger business, you will need a tool that can scan your entire topography and present it to you in a comprehensive way.
Auvik presents you with many out-of-the-box features that allow you to start optimizing, monitoring, and securing your network, as well as automatically scanning your topology, saving your IT technicians a lot of time, money, and effort. Another important feature to consider is security. Strong security is imperative for a well-running organization. Auvik allows you to perform advanced security management in a multitude of ways. Some of these features are vulnerability scanning, password policy enforcement, content filtering, and protecting the network from outside security threats. This way you can minimize the risks of a potential security and data breach. It is important to consider the consequences of a breach, for example, you will not only lose money, your reputation will plummet as untrustworthy as well. Investing a bit into security pays off down the line.
Real-Time Monitoring
Real-time monitoring allows you to gather and process data continuously within the network. This data is then analyzed and utilized to help keep your network running more smoothly. This involves optimizing performance, reducing downtime, and root cause analysis. Auvik also offers secondary features such as a historical overview of your entire topology, including everything from device performance to config history. The data is stored for multiple years allowing for deep analysis. The alert system is also fully operational out of the box with over 50 pre-configured alerts. These alerts are naturally customizable so you can set up your notifications, custom-tailored to your network. Auvik also allows for real-time VPN monitoring, ensuring you can always see how many VPN sessions are currently in use. This allows you to monitor how close you are to your license limit, practically automating the process rather than having to get the data one device at a time. And lastly, Auvik allows you to quickly check your internet connection and immediately discern if the issue lies in your ISP or within your own network. This way you can manage multiple ISPs and multiple sites in a much easier and streamlined fashion.
Network Mapping
Auvik features automatic network discovery which gives you more clarity and comprehension over the physical, data-link, and network layer of your topology. The Layer 1 model is from multiple sources such as LLDP, forwarding tables, and CDP, while Layer 2 topology is sourced from ARP tables, IP assignments, and VLAN tables. Every individual endpoint within every VLAN segment will be far easier to monitor in an intuitive way from a unified view. Port mapping, wire tracing, and reverse engineering network connections are a thing of the past. Furthermore, Auvik automatically detects if devices require upgrades or replacements. It gathers lifecycle data to check for up-to-date software versions, security updates if they are running on current or expired support contracts, and more.
Security Monitoring
Auvik allows you to manage your IdP (Identity Provider) from sources such as Okta, Azure AD, OneLogin, and more. This way you can have a single sign-on making sure that every person has adequate access permissions, without any complications or tedious security steps. It provides full, granular control over your entire network, making sure that the right people have the right permissions. Monitoring and configuring this system is designed in a way that is very comprehensive and easy to use. Auvik also stores and creates a full history for every user. This way you can see all of the changes they’ve made to devices, alert definitions, sites, devices, and networks. This way you can monitor and track any potential malicious actors from inside the business, while also recognizing those that contribute the most.
TrafficInsights
Auvik TrafficInsights allows you to get deep visibility into the inner workings of your network on almost every device. It lets you identify top-priority applications within your network which allows you to assess the bandwidth requirements for each of them. Furthermore, if you ever have a network bandwidth spike, you can investigate this in either real-time or retroactively using this feature. TrafficInsights leverages machine learning, flow data, and metadata to accomplish these tasks. Auvik TrafficInsights also has geolocation which allows you to track sources and destinations for your data in real time. If your data is being sent to an unauthorized or unexpected country, you can find out if the reason is malicious or legitimate. Finally, if none of these measures are enough to solve your issue, you can use the sampled flow records to get all of the finely detailed information you need.
Remote Access
Auvik has three distinct ways in which you can perform remote management, an in-app terminal, a remote browser, and a remote tunnel. With the in-app terminal, you can manage almost any network device from wherever you have internet access. It works with any SSH or Telnet-enabled device with just a single click. Alternatively, you can use the remote browser feature to connect to the web interface of a device in Auvik’s inventory by using HTTPS or HTTP. Finally, the remote tunnel feature allows you the freedom of being able to tunnel any network protocol so you can access it remotely using a network port.
What is an MSP?
MSP stands for Managed Service Provider. It is a form of a third-party vendor that works with companies to meet their needs regarding specific IT functions. This way you don’t need to have a dedicated IT team or dedicated tools to monitor and manage your network, you simply outsource it to someone who is guaranteed to be capable and effective. There are many reasons why you might want to get an MSP. There is a growing demand for cloud computing and businesses are transitioning from on-premises to cloud. Furthermore, you might simply be a small to medium-sized business that is unable to afford a dedicated IT department, making this the perfect solution. Whatever the reason is, MSPs offer a very wide array of IT services that will cover practically your every need. These include but are not limited to, cybersecurity, cloud computing, project management, data analytics, IT assessments, et cetera. This way businesses can optimize costs and increase efficiency while also not worrying about having to train or recruit more personnel to create a dedicated IT team. MSPs usually offer different plans and packages to custom-tailor their services to your needs. They may offer services such as on-site support, remote support, and support over the phone or online. In essence, you can achieve expert IT support with cutting-edge IT tools without any of the expense and hassle of managing your IT infrastructure.
Auvik as an MSP
Considering Auviks’ vast array of features and integrations, it is easy to see how it makes for a great MSP. If you wish to start an MSP business, look no further. With Auvik, you can make sure that all of your monitoring needs are met with incredible efficiency, both in terms of optimizing your network and cost efficiency. Furthermore, taking into consideration all of the features we’ve previously mentioned, you will have access to automated network discovery, TrafficInsights™ machine learning to analyze bottlenecks and security risks, customizable alerts, out-of-the-box device management, and many, many more features. Considering that Auvik has been designed by IT experts and that they use the best industry practices to create the tool, you can rest assured knowing that nearly every need you might ever have will be met with Auviks’ vast array of capabilities.
Auvik System Requirements
Auvik comes as SaaS meaning that it has no software requirements since it runs fully in the cloud. You will however need software to communicate with it, this is done through a collector which runs on your client’s network. It supports the following operating systems and browsers. The supported operating systems are Windows 7 or higher and Mac OS X. The supported browsers are Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. You will need a minimum resolution of 1280 x 720 to have a pleasant viewing experience. You will also need to make sure that in your browser settings, you have Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.2 enabled. Browsers usually have this auto-enabled by default, but if you run into some issues, it is worth checking. As far as the Auvik Collector goes, the requirements are as follows:
- Operating System – Windows, Ubuntu 18.04/20.04/22.04 Server
- One virtual CPU
- 2GB of RAM
- 8GB of disk space
Virtualization platforms such as VMware Fusion, VirtualBox, or VMware Workstation are fine to use but are not recommended for enterprise implementations. Auvik has three main types of collectors. These are OVA, bash script install, and Windows. The Windows version can be installed either via the installer or by running the executable through the command line. The collector must be run on an x86 or x64 processor. ARM-based devices like the Raspberry Pi are not supported currently. Let us dive deeper into each of the three main collector types.
- Windows The Windows service works on any Microsoft Windows desktop running either Windows 10 or higher, and any server running a 64-bit version of Windows Server 2012 or higher. You will need at least one CPU, 2GB of RAM, and 1GB of disk space. If you need to have a larger installation, you will need a minimum of 4 CPU threads, 8GB of RAM memory, and 2GB of free space. If your collector has to get data from more than 2,000 devices or 9,000 interfaces, you will need more CPU and RAM power. This applies to both physical and virtual interfaces.
- OVA File Import You need to first download an Open Virtual Appliance (.ova) file. Then you are ready to import your collector into your virtualization platform of choice such as VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V, and more.
- Bash Script Install This install type is for Ubuntu users. You just need to create a blank virtual machine and follow the steps.
Summary
Auvik is a well-rounded tool that allows you great coverage for many different types of needs. You can rest assured that everything from logistics to topography and security will be properly managed and maintained with ease. The comprehensiveness and user-friendly user interface help you deal with complicated and serious issues with far greater precision and understanding. All of the data presented to you is vital, contextually related, and important. Auvik is the ideal tool for anyone looking to branch into network management, and you can rest assured knowing that all of your needs will be covered.