Help Computers Help Themselves

If you're managing a network, you'd have to be crazy to try and manage it alone. Yes, you have other information technology professionals on your team, helping you to track down bugs and errors and repair the damage users on the network regularly cause. But this is the 21st century, and no job is so complicated that computer software can't give a helping hand. For the network professional, this is especially true.

If you find yourself overwhelmed, you might change management software to something a bit more effective. Pricier, perhaps, but the savings in labor and headaches – along with a more efficient, more resilient network – will be well worth it. Depending on your needs, you may be able to get free network management software that has all the tools you require. You should also make sure that you're using the best network software, like Exchange. Active directory management becomes a lot simpler with a program like  Exchange under-girding your network.

With a free network monitor on your new management software, you can keep track of all the actions of each active directory user on your network. This is a massively useful tool, allowing you to be proactive in tracking down the source of errors and prevent them before they ever become a serious problem. Event log monitoring software can even allow you to study the 'past' of a network or computer more closely, locating damaging actions taken by a particular user or in a particular directory.

Event log management is key to tracking down problems in your network system. With effective event log management software, sorting through that sea of information can be quick and painless, as the software can locate where serious errors are made without you having to eyeball each and every line of text.

Don't be afraid of letting the computers in! The best problem-solving is done when man and machine work in tandem with one another, using their particular talents to improve what each other does. Yes, management software can scan an event log for errors more efficiently, but you are far better at educating the network's users on their mistakes, and helping them to avoid those mistakes in the future. Through education you improve the user base, cause the network to become healthier, and free your time up for improving the network itself. That, surely, is a better use of your time – and your software's.