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WHAT IS NETWORK ANALYTICS AND AUTOMATION?

Network analytics can be defined as the analysis of the data passing through a network that provides information that enables the identification of trends. The importance of analytics within a network cannot be underestimated. By being able to access analytical information network operators can get a far better understanding as to what is actually happening within their network. A key difference is that instead of getting just factual information analytics provides reasons and details behind why it is behaving in a certain way. By gathering details of this depth, a company's decision making around their network will become more accurate.

The process of network analytics occurs via a software engine that extracts and analyses intelligence from data collected from various sources. This may be from network devices such as switches and routers, as well as servers like DHCP and configuration database. Traffic flow details are also provided, a key instrument in the quality of user experience. Information around latency, wireless connection and data speeds are all key aspects of data analytics as they can affect productivity of workers as well as company reputation. When deciding upon whether to adopt an analytics system, it is important to understand that it is an automated process. By having an automated process network analytics are vastly more wide ranging. This allows for network analysis to be able to be scaled to many devices and applications, whilst also improving user experience and cutting operating costs.

ADVANTAGES OF NETWORK ANALYTICS AND AUTOMATION

Analytics and automation allow for optimised use of network resources, improving the understanding of the network and the more effective use of tools. Improving the network performance in addition to lowering cost is a driver behind the sure in analytics and automation.

• Analytics plays a critical role in the identification of new revenue streams, highlighting new revenue streams and creates a data driven business decisions model.



• Accelerated time to market – Through deploying analytics and automation, new products or services can be implemented quicker. This saves both time and money. Better preparation for the division of resources.



• Modernise IT via automation – Automation and analytics speed up transformation, traditionally hardware which is time consuming and requires manual attention.

SECURITY NEEDS

A great advantage of deploying analytics and automation is the essential security function that it achieves. The heightened intelligence gathered by analytics and automation can be used for several different tasks such as: spotting bottlenecks, evaluating health of devices, issue remediation, identifying connected endpoints, and constant analysis of security landscape. This provides a great sense of reassurance as the network is constantly being monitored without the needs of absorbing resources.

To improve operations, network analytics compares incoming data with programmed model and automates decision making. When a data source detects there is something wrong with the network, the analytics can find a solution that can improve performance. Having a system that both identifies a problem and provides a solution underline both a short-term benefit and true long term value as it enables your network to adapt parallel with your business. A growing concern within tech security is the increasing use of malware in cyber security breaches. However, by monitoring network traffic and behavior at end points to identify abnormalities that might indicate that the end point has been breached. Malware infections can be stopped and prevented from causing further disruption.

CITRIX MODEL – THE ROLE OF NETWORK ANALYTICS AND AUTOMATION

The Citrix model comes with the option of adding analytics for both performance and security. This prevents a backlog of complaints from users using the network if any problems arise, issues can be detected and solved straight away. You can create automated responses that analyse the landscape and adapt behavior accordingly. A policy of continuous risk assessment and real time notifications enables constant insights to keep assets and users secure. The Citrix model focuses around being proactive rather than reactive when responding to security threats.

HOW DO CITRIX SECURITY AND PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS SOLUTIONS HELP YOU TROUBLESHOOT FASTER?

Citrix analytics, designed to help both security and performance, provides a cloud-based platform that allows companies to be on top of all security threats. It reaches across the Citrix platform including the digital workspace solutions, virtualisation and collaborations tools in order to uncover insights into user behavior and security intelligence on a huge scale.

Individual risk scores are an important element of Citrix analytics and security. The purpose of calculating an individual risk score is that it helps monitor all traffic inside the network. This is opposed to solely focusing on external threats alone, whilst automatically applying policies as threats are being detected. The key aim of being able to gather this level of insight is to prevent malware attacks and any other forms of cyber security at bay. The key to a high quality solution is being able to do this without compromising user experience.

Citrix analytics is also important for measuring performance. Pulling data from resources such as Citrix virtual apps and desktops to create unique user experience scores. The intention of a user experience score is to isolate problems as they happen, without damaging user experience. Citrix are dictated to maintaining business operations whilst ensuring a great employee experience.