Key Features

Application Performance

With virtualized visibility, you can manage application performance across virtual and physical networks. Reduce downtime and increase productivity with in-depth, contextual application analysis. And get response time data for thousands of applications plus performance metrics, transaction detail, and predictive analytics that show the network impact of new application deployments.

Expert Analysis

Get immediate intelligence in both real time and post capture using Expert Events for TCP, UDP, VoIP, Wireless, and more. It tracks and organizes common services, flags response performance by severity, tracks port-based protocols for slow response, and differentiates between network and application problems with local traffic and WAN/Internet traffic distinction.

Conversation Analytics

Observer is the only analyzer that offers Connection Dynamics, which graphically breaks down individual network conversations piece-by-piece, pinpointing which request or response is causing the issue. Retransmissions and dropped packets are flagged for instant recognition of the issue source. Spaces between conversation sections identify latency and response time issues. TCP/UDP Expert Events show excessive retransmissions, and provide an explanation of the problem and possible causes.

Trending

Use network trending to forecast IT needs or justify upgrades with comparative reports. View and analyze network traffic stats over periods of time — from days to years. Trending metrics can be broadly applied to meet diverse challenges like translating web traffic into Internet usage data to appropriately bill departments on service use.

Troubleshooting

Perform in-depth troubleshooting with an interface that provides intuitive workflows for quick problem resolution. Deep drill-down capabilities with root-cause analysis pinpoint issues at the source with accuracy and ease. High-performance packet capture, decode, and filtering capabilities offer additional support.

Triggers & Alarms

Observer deploys ongoing monitoring of activity levels and immediately sends prioritized alerts when network fluctuations cross your pre-set levels. It gives you the following alert options: emails, paging, trouble tickets, or kick-starting an automated packet capture.

Features also include flagging activities or errors from a pre-defined list; setting custom notifications based on any filter; obtaining email with virus information (including source and destination); and placing triggers on any WLAN activity.

Packet Capture

The Observer's packet capture, decode, and filtering capabilities are second to none. Observer lets you view individual packets and decode for over 740 primary protocols and countless sub-protocols. Observer filters packets quickly and efficiently by address, address range, protocol offsets, and protocol presets using the intuitive GUI and by-command line.

Product Options

Observer offers three product options based on feature and functionality levels.

Compare Options

	Standard	Expert	Suite
Packet Capture/Decode [+]

Financial Protocol Support
Filters
Find Virus and Hack Signatures
Statistical Drill Down
Triggers and Alarms
Error Tracking
Real-Time Statistics [+]

64 & 32-bit applications
Network Trending/Reporting [+]

IPv6 Support
Trace File Aggregation
SRTP Support
Application Analysis Trending
Stream Reconstruction [+]

Expert Analysis [+]

Application Analysis [+]

URL-Based Tracking
VoIP Analysis [+]

VoIP Systems Supported [+]

MPLS Monitoring
SSL decryption
NetFlow Collector
Video monitoring
Video metrics
End-user experience monitoring
Third-party decode and analysis
LTE Support
SNMP Device Management
RMON Support
Switch Station Locator
Web Publishing Service
Automated Report Delivery
Baselining with Alarms

 

Platform Integration

The Observer analysis software is part of the Network Instruments integrated Observer platform where each product seamlessly works together to create IT management solutions for complex environments. Observer also connects with larger enterprise IT initiatives, including integration with IBM Tivoli and HP OpenView.

Observer is often connected with GigaStor, Observer Reporting Server (ORS), and Observer Infrastructure (OI) to increase management performance power.

• Use Observer with GigaStor for long-term data capture and in-depth analysis on historical events.
• Observer is also used with GigaStor for forensics analysis and stream reconstruction.
• Observer paired with ORS for high-level or aggregate reporting, enterprise-wide reporting, and global alerting.
• OI is a device visibility solution often used with Observer to filter captures on devices.

How is Observer Deployed?

Observer deployment is flexible, intuitive, and problem-free.

The Observer analysis software is most frequently deployed on a network engineer’s laptop and used for diverse purposes like connecting to GigaStor and probes; acquiring data via local interfaces like wireless and Gigabit cards; and providing advanced Expert Analysis to packet captures acquired by third party devices. Additionally, some organizations may choose a centrally deployed Observer (Suite) for ongoing trending-data monitoring and analysis or the processing of alarms and alerts.

What's New?

Observer 16.1 is the latest Observer platform. The wealth of data offers depth and breadth, with granular filters that quickly sort statistics, delivering actionable information to your desktop the way you want it. Added technologies streamline processes for migration, management, and troubleshooting services in multi-layered, virtual, and unified communications (UC) environments. New features provide customer-driven workflows and deliver advanced correlation, search, and data mining with streamlined technologies.

See descriptions of the latest features across Observer, GigaStor, and the entire Observer 16.1 platform.

Explore new features added to the Observer Console below.

Mobile Communications

Deploy comprehensive, in-depth analysis for high-volume, high-speed LTE networks. With a history of IP expertise, Network Instruments now facilitates resolution for the most complex mobile issues. Our mobile communications support promotes proactive control of the LTE infrastructure, preventing service degradation during times of rapid traffic and user growth. It offers widespread support of LTE elements, interfaces, and protocols to fully characterize overall resource health and status. This includes full VoLTE support, the next generation call and video technology for 4G networks.

Secure Access Protocols

Get powerful Application Transaction Analysis (ATA) with the added support of Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) and Diameter – two Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) secure access protocols. Verify AAA protocol effectiveness and assess underlying status and error messages via Observer's deep-dive packet payload analytics.

Fax over IP Support (FoIP)

Adding fax to your list of IP-based communications? Get comprehensive support for Fax over IP (T.38) through Network Instruments' existing VoIP Expert interface. This protocol allows conventional faxes to be efficiently transmitted across a VoIP environment. Health is fully quantified and in-depth packet analysis assesses status and error codes within the payload.

Microsoft® UC Support

Get in-depth support for the Microsoft® UC platform. Obtain summary views of UC/VoIP metrics and qualify user experience on a per-call basis. In conjunction with tracking VoIP, teams can monitor Microsoft Lync® server health by pairing Observer with Observer Infrastructure.

IPTV

End-to-end monitoring of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) provides a comprehensive view of IPTV health by tracking metrics that include MDI, latency, packet loss, jitter, and QoS settings on a summary or per-session basis. It sends instant alerts for degrading video transmission quality and providing network managers with proactive control.

Third-Party Analysis

Multiple tools to manage and investigate performance issues are no longer needed because Observer now has integrated support for third-party analysis and exporting captures for external analysis and security solutions. This means you can send captures to security devices, compliance and forensic tools, and other network analyzers.

System Requirements

As with any network analysis product, more RAM and faster processors improve performance. Network Instruments does not support configurations with less than the minimum stated requirements.

Minimum system requirements

• Dual core Pentium class processor
• 2 GB RAM
• Windows XP or newer

Recommended system requirements

• Quad core Pentium class processor
• 8 GB RAM
• Windows 64-bit operating system (XP/Vista/2003/2008/Windows 7)

Supports

• LAN – 10/100, 1Gb, 10Gb, 40Gb
• WLAN – 802.11a/b/g/n