Performance Reporting

Observer Reporting Server (ORS) offers a top-down approach that combines enterprise-wide views, macro and micro-level reporting, and deep drilldown for problem resolution. ORS serves as your performance management center by combining packet-based analytics and other sources such as flow-based data plus system health and status (SNMP, WMI, IP SLA, WAAS, NBAR) metrics to provide an overall view of network, system, application, and infrastructure health. Using solution-centric workflows, you can navigate quickly from high-level performance reports to the root cause.

ORS is a stand-alone appliance which simultaneously collects and aggregates data from Observer Probes, NetFlow devices, and other collection agents.

Only ORS fully integrates high-level monitoring with detailed problem-solving capabilities on a single platform. Combine ORS with GigaStor and OI to gain long-term views of network activities and to correlate network and infrastructure performance.

ORS connects to multiple Observer Suite analyzers and aggregates critical network performance metrics into an overall view of network health. Beyond providing an easy-to-access view of network performance, reports can be segmented by individual business units, user groups, or infrastructure types. This means you can quickly view bandwidth utilization or application use by department.

ORS works seamlessly with Observer consoles, Observer Infrastructure software, and the GigaStor appliance. It can be quickly deployed – either as a stand-alone or with Observer Suite.

In general, high-traffic installations should have a dedicated ORS system, resulting in a three-tier distribution of ORS functionality: Observer Reporting Server, Observer Suite analyzer(s), and probe instances that actually collect the data.

Best Practices:

• Install all probes or Observer Suites on systems with a static IP address.
• Create a unique probe instance on every probe to be used for the sole purpose of collecting network trending data for ORS.
• Where you install ORS, Observer Suite, and probes will depend on the size and traffic levels of your network.

Server configuration is fast and easy because ORS has its own web server, one that's shared with Observer. The web server starts automatically when the system starts, no matter how you have ORS configured.

What's New

Application Dependency Mapping (ADM)

Observer now automates discovery of application interdependencies. It generates maps that visualize app relationships, pinpointing tiers where degradation is impacting performance. The simplified clarity of this complex information provides intelligence when migrating apps to new environments like cloud, virtualization, and DCs. ADM also offers new levels of component interaction understanding – elevating network teams to new levels of efficiency.

Global Search

Our new expanded search capabilities are an evolution in the way Network Instruments offers access to information. Independent of data type, you can query for specific search criteria across application performance, transactions, or infrastructure health elements. Its enhanced flexibility functions like an online search engine, with prompt results for what you're looking for without the need for pre-defined workflows. Just go in with an idea in mind – like a server with reports of poor performance. By entering the server IP, you can review response time, protocol usage, top connections, and resource metrics like CPU and memory utilization. This instant visibility into relevant metrics provides clear paths to root-cause and user impact identification, creating well-defined routes to resolution.

Performance Correlations

Easily display multiple, seemingly disparate service variables on a single graph to capture operational correlations that impact end-user experience. This provides IT teams with the insight to see relationships between volumes of data and performance indicators like response and connection times. The correlation engine takes raw data and transforms it into useable information so you can immediately take action to resolve issues and optimize performance.

Performance Matrix

Use our new Performance Matrix to quickly triage application or network issues and determine breadth of impact – whether problems are widespread or in specific locations. Baseline anything so when problems like performance degradation occur, you can validate which sites or user-groups are affected and quickly move to resolution. Just choose the apps you want to investigate, add an application or service of concern in the row header, and then plot sites of interest in the column. Where the row and column intersect shows you how users at the given site are experiencing the application's performance.

Native IPv6 Communications

Get advanced support for IPv6 environments. As you shift to IPv6-based networks, our solutions provide native IPv6 communications options within pure IPv6 and mixed IPv6/IPv4 environments.

ORS Open Access

Leverage the powerful trending and reporting within ORS to strengthen complementary IT initiatives. ORS offers two ways to integrate with third-party tools. First, in a processed format; any ORS report object can be shared and dynamically linked via a URL. This makes it simple to build compelling views into disparate solutions for visual correlation of critical business metrics.

ORS data can also be transmitted in a raw XML format. This method enables ORS data to be presented flexibly in whatever manner desired with the added benefit of applying new analytics to the data. For example, ORS content as it relates to network bandwidth usage at a departmental level can be input into an accounting bill back system, ensuring more accurate alignment of resource consumption.