Best Practices for Network Packet Brokers

Network Packet Brokers (NPBs) are critical components for ensuring network visibility and monitoring. By providing a central point for monitoring and analyzing network traffic, they can help organizations detect and resolve issues quickly, and improve overall network performance. However, deploying and managing an NPB can be complex, especially for large-scale networks. In this blog post, we will explore the best practices that organizations should follow when implementing NPBs, and how they can improve network visibility and monitoring.

1. Define Your Network Architecture: Before deploying an NPB, it is important to define your network architecture. This includes identifying critical network segments and mapping out the flow of traffic between them. By understanding your network topology, you can design an NPB deployment that provides the right level of visibility and monitoring. This is especially important for large-scale networks, where monitoring everything can be impractical and cost-prohibitive.

2. Ensure NPB Security: NPBs can handle a large amount of sensitive network traffic, so ensuring their security is paramount. This includes implementing secure access controls, hardening the operating system, and encrypting sensitive data in transit. In addition, it is important to regularly patch the NPB software and keep it up to date with the latest security patches. A compromise of an NPB could have serious consequences for an organization, so security should be a top priority.

3. Scalability: As the network grows, so must the NPB deployment. It is important to design the NPB architecture with scalability in mind. This means considering the number of network segments, the amount of traffic, and the number of NPBs required to monitor it. Using a modular approach to NPB deployment can make it easier to scale up or down as needed, and can help organizations avoid costly forklift upgrades.

4. Performance: NPBs can have a significant impact on network performance, so it is important to ensure that the deployment is optimized for performance. This includes selecting the right hardware and software and tuning the configuration to minimize latency and packet loss. In addition, it is important to regularly monitor the performance of the NPB deployment, and make adjustments as needed to ensure that it meets the organization's needs.

5. Visibility: The main goal of an NPB deployment is to improve network visibility, so it is important to ensure that the NPB is providing the right level of visibility. This includes monitoring network traffic for anomalies, such as network-based attacks or performance issues, and providing real-time alerts when they occur. In addition, it is important to have a comprehensive view of the network, including visibility into virtual environments and cloud-based services.

Implementing an NPB deployment can be complex, but by following these best practices, organizations can improve network visibility and monitoring. To simplify this complexity, Network Critical's Hybrid TAPs & Packet Brokers are the ideal solution for your organization. Network Critical's innovative solution is managed by the Drag-n-Vu™, an intelligent and user-friendly graphical user interface, which utilizes a sophisticated computational engine to enable fast, error-free configuration and simplified change management. With Network Critical's solution, creating filters and mapping data is as simple as dragging the cursor over a graphical port representation and clicking. A successful Network Critical NPB deployment can quickly detect and resolve network issues, reduce downtime, and improve the overall user experience.

Checkout our website for more information - Network TAP and Packet Broker Solutions | Network Criticalhttps://www.networkcritical.com/