In an increasingly complex IT environment with hybrid and multi-cloud infrastructures, it is no longer enough to simply take reactive measures. This is where the DX Spectrum, DX AppNeta, DX Observability and DX Operational Intelligence (DX OI) solutions come into play. Together, they offer complete end-to-end monitoring that supports the team from initial diagnosis through to predictive analysis and automation.
Phase 1: Network monitoring and error analysis with DX NetOps
Alarms across the entire IT infrastructure initially lead the team to a dead end. The source of the problem is unclear and the IT team is faced with a long list of possible causes.
DX Spectrum is activated to identify the source of the problem in the network. The solution automatically maps the entire network topology and creates a visual representation of all dependencies. DX Spectrum also recognizes that it is not just a single device - through Root Cause Analysis (RCA) it identifies an overloaded router as the central cause and shows which switches and devices are affected by this error.
The following additional functions are in use:
- Dynamic topology visualization: thanks to automated detection, the team immediately understands that the affected router and its downstream switches are affecting the entire network.
- Intelligent alarms: The alarms generated by DX Spectrum provide precise information and save time by only triggering relevant alarms with priority.
The IT manager breathes a quick sigh of relief - they finally have a lead.Knowing the root cause, the team can take targeted action and have the problematic router isolated within minutes. But even as they restore performance, the team wonders: has the entire root cause really been found? The next steps lead to remote and cloud monitoring to ensure the issue is fully resolved.
Extended network typology with leaf-spine architecture and multiple network segments
Distribution area topology with redundant connections between network areas
Phase 2: DX AppNeta for remote and cloud monitoring
Although the network appears to be stabilized, remote employees continue to report connection problems. The cause could lie in an external network area that is not fully covered by internal network monitoring.
This is where DX AppNeta comes into play as a technical solution, providing in-depth monitoring of the network paths connecting remote users to applications and cloud services. DX AppNeta analyzes key metrics such as latency, round-trip time (RTT) and packet loss along the end-to-end connection.
The following additional functions are used:
- Real-time path monitoring and performance measurement: DX AppNeta detects increased latency at its ISP node, affecting the connection of remote users. Thanks to this detailed insight, the IT team can immediately get in touch with the ISP.
- Network protocol-specific tests: AppNeta performs targeted tests and shows that traffic is particularly delayed on certain routes.
While processing the feedback from the remote users, the IT team finds out that the data congestion is caused by an external provider. A call to the ISP is initiated and the service is stabilized again after a few minutes. The remote employees are soon in touch with good news: The connections are running smoothly again.
With DX Spectrum and DX AppNeta, the team has isolated and eliminated most of the problem. But given the heavy reliance on the network and cloud performance, the need for a more proactive solution is growing - and that leads them to the next step.
AppNeta provides comprehensive, end-to-end visibility across internal and external networks, ISPs, and cloud environements
View end-to-end performance of network connections with continuous metrics like capacity, latency, and data loss as well as voice-specific metrics like loss jitter and MOS values
Application quality dashbaords present performance trends for business-critical apps
Phase 3: Overall monitoring with DX Observability
The problem of remote connections has been solved. Now the team is at a point where more comprehensive, correlated monitoring is required. A holistic overview that combines all applications, networks and infrastructure elements in real time is essential in order to identify bottlenecks more quickly in future. DX Observability offers a technical solution here: it brings together all performance data from DX Spectrum and DX AppNeta as well as other sources and creates a central platform for correlated analysis. It offers user-friendly dashboards and intelligent alarms that only bring really important problems to the surface.
The following additional functions are in use here:
- Correlated data analysis: DX Observability combines data from different areas and shows detailed correlations between network and application performance, allowing the team to target causes and effects.
- Customized dashboards: A centralized dashboard clearly displays key metrics and SLA-relevant data for IT.
The IT department breathes a sigh of relief when they see a complete overview of all relevant metrics for the first time. DX Observability manages to visualize the network as a whole in an understandable way and the team realizes that by combining DX Spectrum and DX AppNeta data, the state of the entire infrastructure can be transparently mapped and monitored.
With a complete overview of all critical metrics, the team realizes that overall performance is stable. But to make sure there are no surprises, they rely on predictive analytics and automation with DX OI.
Phase 4: Predictive analytics and automation with DX Operational Intelligence (DX OI)
Although the IT team has solved the acute problems, they are aware that the network load is expected to increase in the coming week. They want to predict possible bottlenecks and manage network traffic intelligently.
This is where DX Operational Intelligence (DX OI) offers a technical solution: DX OI uses advanced machine learning and analytics to detect anomalies in real time and inform the IT team of potential bottlenecks. In addition, DX OI offers automated workflows that independently resolve routine problems.
Additional functions are in use:
- Anomaly detection and predictive analytics: DX OI detects an anomaly in the historical data of the last week and determines that the CPU utilization of network nodes regularly increases at a certain time increases. Early warnings are generated so that the team can take action at an early stage.
- Automatic scaling and self-healing: DX OI triggers an automated workflow that automatically postpones certain tasks in the event of high CPU loads and thus distributes the load.
Thanks to DX OI, predictive analysis becomes a reality: the team is informed of the increase at an early stage and can plan the necessary resources to avoid an overload. At the same time, self-healing mechanisms run in the background to ensure that there is no drop in performance. The IT team finally has time for strategic projects - because they don't have to deal with daily firefighting operations.
DX OI Capabilities
Example DX OI Services Dashboard
Example DX OI Alarms Dashboard
Example DX OI Reports
A complete solution for IT transparency, automation and stability
Through the collaboration of DX Spectrum, DX AppNeta, DX Observability and DX Operational Intelligence, the IT team not only solved current problems, but also developed a comprehensive strategy to prevent future incidents. The story shows: Through these combined solutions, the team benefits from:
- End-to-end monitoring and in-depth error analysis - problems are identified more quickly and resolved in a targeted manner.
- Holistic visibility and proactive maintenance - a comprehensive overview ensures consistent performance and a less stressful working environment for IT.
- Automation and predictive maintenance - future problems are detected early, resolved automatically and the network remains stable.
At the end of the day, the IT team realizes that with predictive and intelligent monitoring, they can finally focus on designing and optimizing their IT infrastructure instead of getting bogged down in alarms and problems. Thanks to this complete solution, they can not only react in real time, but also plan for the future.