Desktop Agent Features

  • Measure End-to-end performance directly to the User's desktop
  • Massively scalable to 1000's of Agents
  • No-fuss download & installation process via link on web page
  • Close integration with the ISP-I Broadband Reporting Platform
  • Allow users to self-test their connection and produce results that are immediately available to network management
  • Operating System support includes XP & Vista

Desktop Agent Benefits

  • Reduce Support Calls into the Call Center
  • Address Performance history on a per-user basis with historic graphing of Service Quality
  • Quickly identify configuration problems
  • Provides 'hard evidence' to end users and network managers to reduce finger pointing
  • Provide a real-time diagnostic tool that doesn't use historical data

Extending End-to-End performance visibility to the Desktop

The local loop, last mile and Customer Premises' networking are typically key sources of problems for Broadband performance. Epitiro has extended its Leading-edge ISP-I Broadband monitoring platform to include a Desktop agent software solution. The software, once installed, enables Telcos, Service providers and Enterprises to provide on-going, scheduled, active E2E network performance reporting directly from the end User's Desktops.

The agent architecture is closely integrated with Epitiro's flag-ship ISP-I platform and when combined with the ISP-I hardware-based probes, becomes a vital part of a complete 360-degree solution to monitor End-to-End Broadband service quality. Under the control of the ISP-I Management Platform, our Desktop agents can perform a comprehensive suite of real-time tests to help identify Last-mile and local network issues and potential CPE configuration or equipment failures.

How does it work?
Once deployed, via a single-click web link on your website, your users' computers communicate with central analysis & reporting Servers using a Windows taskbar-based application and based on a pre-defined schedule perform a series of finely configurable performance tests across the network to generate hard data on performance and client-side network configurations.

Installation
Installation of the desktop agent generally takes place via a standard step-by-step installer. The installer will install the agent and any dependencies. The installer supports both windows XP & Vista and includes a mandatory license agreement.

Client Identification
After installation, when the agent first runs, the user will be presented with a customized registration form. This form will be branded for your deployment and can, depending your customer’s requirements, capture any details relevant to your user-base. Typically this will include:

  • Email address
  • Phone number Area Code
  • ZIP/Post code
These details will then be bound to that installation and used as the basis for allowing customers to create custom views (groupings of agents) on the reporting database web site.

Empowering the User
A key benefit of the Agent is that it runs silently and unobtrusively in the background. This allows Network Management to test their network with real-data in a real environment 24x7x365. Other tests that replace the host with a well-known test machine may measure the network infrastructure, but they do not measure from the CPE or identify transient problems. This can lead to confusion and finger pointing when the network team says “no problem found” but the user is still in the dark about what problems exist and, more importantly, how they can be fixed. In addition, providing hard evidence is necessary to make the user feel that something can be done to improve their situation.

Operational Overview
Before performing any configured test the desktop agent will check the User's CPU and network traffic load. These tests are done to make sure that the agent does not influence your work/computer and makes sure that no tests are done when your internet connection is heavily used. When the client is running, it will perform the following tasks:

  • HTTP downloads across the network (Core, National & International locations)
  • Ping Tests to pre-defined hosts
  • DNS Lookup metrics
  • TCP or UDP based point-to-point 'Line Speed' tests to known end-point on or off-net
  • Additional bespoke testing can be engineered by arrangement

Result Reporting
The agent will periodically (as specified in the agent configuration) report monitoring results to the agent control server using secure HTTP-based transportation. Communication of configuration, results, and software updates between agent and agent control server uses MD5 encryption to ensure this secure transmission of data.

Software Update Management
A silent background mechanism is available to update the agent software so that updated versions & releases and support for additional functionality and network protocols can easily be deployed.

Optional User Interface
When running, the agent typically displays a customized icon in the system tray. User-based access, if desirable, on the context menu of the tray icon can be to launch a user interface associated with the agent. The user interface will provide the user with a means of visualizing service performance. This can be easily disabled if this functionality is not required.

Reporting & Data Recording Mechanisms
All results are stored in real-time in a server-side SQL database. Epitiro provide en extremely flexible reporting interface, via the ISP-I platform, to this data and can additionally develop a customized reporting specifically to futher meet the client's reporting requirements.