Network Performance Toolkit: Using Open Source Testing Tools [Paperback]

Richard Blum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 18, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0471433012 | ISBN-13: 978-0471433019 | Edition: 1

• In these times of reduced corporate budgets, this book shows how to test for performance problems and how to install and run freely available tools, instead of buying costly new hardware and software testing packages
• Network performance is the #1 headache for network operators; this book gives IT professionals straightforward guidance
• Author is a troubleshooting practitioner, a hands-on networking computer specialist for the Department of Defense

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

All of the tools you’ll need to ensure that your network and its applications are performing properly for your environment

As a network administrator, you are the first person customers come to whenever there are performance issues with the network. You have to keep the customers satisfied, but the complaints don’t make your job any easier. However, once you’re armed with the techniques and options presented in this hands-on book, you’ll be able to identify and fix network problems before your customers even notice! Troubleshooting expert Richard Blum takes you through some of the basic elements that affect network performance and then supplies you with information about the Open Source tools used for monitoring the network to uncover any of these problems.

In addition, he shows you how to use application performance tools to analyze how network applications behave in different environments and determine potential conflicts. All of the tools discussed are freely available, eliminating the need to purchase costly new hardware and software testing packages. In addition, Blum provides you with clear instructions on how to install and properly use each one.

With this complete toolkit, you’ll discover how to keep your network running at peak performance. You’ll gain the necessary skills to:

• Determine the cause of network performance issues in the production network
• Uncover any bottlenecks in network traffic
• Install, configure, and use various Open Source tools, including Netperf, dbs, and ntop
• Monitor network performance using select programs
• Use emulators and simulators to see how network applications will perform

About the Author

RICHARD BLUM is a networking computer specialist for the U.S. Department of Defense. He is responsible for managing a 3500+ user network that contains Novell^®, UNIX^®, and Windows^® servers along with a remote mainframe connectivity. He has managed many types of network monitoring programs and has written network monitoring and client/server programs using C, C++, Java™, and C#. Blum is also the author of several computer books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (July 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471433012
• ISBN-13: 978-0471433019
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,255,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great tool-oriented tour of network troubleshooting, September 13, 2003

By 

Richard Bejtlich "TaoSecurity" (Metro Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Network Performance Toolkit: Using Open Source Testing Tools (Paperback)

I don't have a lot to say about "Network Performance Open Source Toolkit" (NPOST), other than I think it's excellent. We need more tool-oriented books to teach admins how to do real work on their networks. NPOST delivers chapter after chapter of practical, hands-on material applicable to the networking shop in any organization.

NPOST shines in three respects. First, the author ensures readers can properly install each tool he discusses. When dealing with open source tools, installation cannot be taken for granted. (The exception is using the FreeBSD operating system's "ports tree," which almost guarantees easy installation of any tool listed in the system.) Second, the author walks readers through the use of each tool, explaining what it does and how to best deploy it. Finally, readers are given mini-case studies demonstrating the use of each tool to solve real-world problems. This is just the sort of approach which helps readers understand the differences between network simulators and emulators, for example.

I found only a few minor issues. When providing command-line tcpdump options on pages 230 and 234, I believe the author should have passed a '-s 1514' option to change the default 68-byte snaplength to something more reasonable. I felt the FreeBSD kernel configuration advice in chapter 14 was insufficient, and didn't specify whether it applied to 4.x or 5.x FreeBSD systems. Last, the author's tcpdump command line for capturing FTP sessions on p. 230 will only capture "active" FTP sessions using port 20 TCP. It will miss any passive FTP data channels.

In summary, I give NPOST two thumbs up. Since so many other open source networking tools are available, perhaps we'll see a second volume?