Mac OS X Lion Server For Dummies®

InterMapper, a Network Monitor

Dartware's InterMapper (www.intermapper.com) is a tool for your entire network; at its base, it provides maps of your network. You can create a map to show the location of servers, clients, switches, and routers. And InterMapper shows the existence of notebook computers on your maps. You can create schematic maps and maps superimposed on a building floor plan or on a map of a city or school district. InterMapper even interacts with Google Earth for long-distance mapping. Other maps get you back into a building.

But InterMapper is also a problem-solving tool: It can point out problems before they manifest themselves in downtime or slowdowns. You can check router utilization and traffic at various points on the network. InterMapper can perform tests that target an area or a device. A traffic analyzer can show you exactly who (or what) is generating a large amount of network traffic. InterMapper stores its data in an SQL database, which lets you generate various types of reports.

You can receive alerts by e-mail and other methods. You can use InterMapper from a web browser or from an iPhone. InterMapper runs on Mac OS X, Windows, and several flavors of Linux and Unix.