What's New in Observer 14

Our newest Observer platform unites high-level application performance monitoring with deep-dive packet-level problem solving analytics. Explore our new completely customisable performance dashboards—designed for quick assessment of network and application health and a gateway to problem resolution. Use Observer's new baselining capabilities to better plan and optimise network and application performance and now set alarms for baseline deviation for more proactive problem solving.

Take advantage of these new features:

• Stay on top of mission critical applications with performance dashboards
• Reduce MTTR through new solution-centric workflows
• View baselines of all performance and time-based metrics
• Set immediate notifications to alert on degrading performance
• Monitor performance beyond response time of more applications
• Expand NetFlow's high-level visibility to any network device

Performance Dashboards

Observer 14 now includes customisable performance dashboards. The dashboards ensure that important applications and services are available by providing an up-to-date status of systems, applications, and servers. New Observer Reporting Server alarming functionality provides proactive monitoring for faster problem resolution.

• Quickly assess performance for critical application services
• Identify performance issues before they impact users
• Logically drill from dashboard to packets for expert analysis and problem resolution

Baselining Application Performance

Easily determine how your network and applications are performing and quickly drill down to review and resolve any network, application, or server problem.

Observer 14 automatically establishes performance baselines for all performance and time-based metrics (for example, response time, MOS, or network utilisation). Based upon retained data, Observer calculates the baseline defining normal performance as well as deviations indicating degraded and unacceptable performance. Compare performance by time of day, day of week, or day of month. Once optimal baselines are established, the feature now offers the flexibility to lock baselines to eliminate issues of baseline drift. Alarms can now be set to instantly notify the team of the degradation in performance or baseline deviation.

Auto-baselining is available in Observer Suite and Observer Reporting Server.

Alarms

In our newest version of Observer, instant notifications can be set to alert on network, application, or system degradation. Know immediately when performance has reached marginal or critical thresholds. This allows the network team to tackle issues before they impact the user.

Observer Reporting Server alarms can monitor for:

• Application performance changes
• Application transaction abnormalities
• VoIP/UC issues
• Infrastructure changes

Handling Sensitive Data

GigaStor now provides selective storage capabilities for data compliance and security which can be set to prevent the storage of sensitive payload content such as VoIP calls or PCI data. Use this functionality to exclude data by application or IP address, and leave performance metrics for the traffic intact.

Learn more about handling sensitive data in GigaStor.

Solution-Centric Workflows

Observer 14 offers a new approach to tracking and investigating performance problems. Currently, the network team's investigation is typically a single path determined by the analysis tool. Observer Reporting Server offers choices with each report allowing the network engineer to define the investigation course. The network team is able to view relevant reports and data in a logical order determined by the users, their specific problem, and their environment.

To easily locate relevant data, use the new search feature to find data related to the IP, user, or issue under investigation. This allows network teams to address and resolve problems quickly.

Solution-centric workflows are available in Observer Suite and Observer Reporting Server.

Unlimited NetFlow Scalability

Collect and aggregate a virtually unlimited number of NetFlow devices into a single Observer console for reporting and analysis.

Use Network Instruments' Expert Probe as a NetFlow collector to tap into flows from hundreds of devices simultaneously. Monitor high-level performance metrics, including real-time statistics like Top Talkers, bandwidth usage, and long-term network trends.

Available with Observer Reporting Server.

Track the User Perspective

Understanding end-user experience is key to improving overall performance. Observer 14 provides greater end-user detail with key end-user response metrics. For example, track total response time and individual server/network propagation delay by user stations.

User station metrics can be tracked within Observer Reporting Server and Observer Suite.

Enhanced Application Transaction Metrics

Sometimes response time is not enough to accurately troubleshoot performance problems. Observer provides in-depth application performance metrics unparalleled in the industry. Observer's application transaction analysis provides application-specific details for diagnosing issues unique to individual business protocols.

With Observer 14, all application protocols now provide greater error and transaction details. In addition, support and analysis for Citrix (CGP), DHCP, LDAP, and VoIP (H.323/225, H.323/245, H323/RAS, Megaco H.248, SCCP (Cisco Skinny), and SIP) have been added.

Application Transaction Analysis is available in Observer Expert, Observer Suite, and Observer Reporting Server.

Unified Communications

Companies continue to depend on Observer to monitor and optimise VoIP and Unified Communications (UC). Observer 14 offers several new features making troubleshooting VoIP/UC issues even easier.

Monitor SRTP Traffic
Most analysis tools are blind to Secure RTP traffic and unable to accurately monitor or diagnose SRTP issues. Observer can now show call quality metrics on SRTP without impacting the security of the traffic.

Aggregate Trace Files
Often different VoIP components like call setup and RTP streams are captured in separate capture files, making the analysis of these conversations difficult. Observer 14 can now aggregate trace files for more accurate and efficient problem resolution.

Available with Observer Expert, Observer Suite, Observer Reporting Server, and GigaStor.

Track NetFlow in Any Environment

Although leveraging NetFlow is popular for performance management, these analysis tools are limited to routed traffic. Use GigaStor to produce NetFlow from any device in any network environment, including servers and non-NetFlow capable routers and switches.

GigaStor captures and converts packets into NetFlow data flows, pushing them to reporting applications. This capability is especially valuable for Network Behavior Anomaly Detection (NBAD) and compliance monitoring devices.

The NetFlow Agent is a feature in GigaStor.

Financial Analysis

Observer 14 includes components designed specifically for financial organisations. The monitoring requirements of the financial sector are unique and pose challenges. For example, the effectiveness of a trade is measured in milliseconds, not minutes, necessitating drill-down capabilities to a finite moment of time.

Several new features have been added to address the sector's unique needs:

• In-depth FIX Analysis monitors trade-level errors and statistics as well as trade execution and performance
• Microburst reporting and analysis define duration and utilisation thresholds
• New options provide greater flexibility for investigating microburst and FIX analysis interference

Microburst analysis is available in GigaStor.

Fully Integrated ATM Support

For large organisations, Observer provides full decode and analysis of Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) over OC-3c and OC-12c. Observer offers 40 ATM-specific experts. In addition, Network Instruments now provides OC-3c and OC-12c hardware probes that support ATM.

Available with Observer Expert, Observer Suite, Observer Reporting Server, GigaStor, and WAN probes.