Defining a Visibility Strategy

One of the most important aspects of implementing a monitoring and analysis solution in network environment is taking the time to develop a visibility strategy. In the modern IP network, complex multi-tier applications combined with stringent security, varying speeds and feeds, sprawling networks, redundant paths and other infrastructure challenges can impede access to valuable packet data. As a NetScout Professional Services consultant, one of the first hurdles faced in a typical Network or Application Analysis engagement is gaining visibility into the required packet flows. In some cases, the authors spend as much time figuring out how to access relevant packet data as they do actually identifying the customer's application problem.