Introduction
NetXMS is an enterprise-grade network management and monitoring system. It provides comprehensive visibility into your IT infrastructure, from network devices and servers to applications and business services.
What NetXMS Does
NetXMS continuously monitors your infrastructure and alerts you when something goes wrong. As an operator, you use the management console to:
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View the status of all monitored devices, servers, and services at a glance
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Investigate alarms and acknowledge or resolve them
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View collected performance data as graphs and charts
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Navigate network topology maps to understand device connections
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Work with dashboards that present key metrics and status information
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Search for specific objects across the entire monitoring infrastructure
How Monitoring Works
NetXMS collects data from monitored systems using several methods:
- NetXMS Agent
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A lightweight service installed on monitored servers and workstations. The agent collects operating system metrics (CPU, memory, disk, network), runs custom scripts, and monitors log files.
- SNMP
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Standard protocol for monitoring network devices such as switches, routers, firewalls, and printers. NetXMS queries SNMP-enabled devices for their operational metrics.
- ICMP (Ping)
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Basic reachability checking. NetXMS pings devices to determine whether they are up or down.
- Other Methods
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NetXMS also supports SSH-based monitoring, web service checks, Modbus for industrial devices, database monitoring, and more. These are configured by administrators — as an operator, you see the results in the console.
The collected data is processed by the NetXMS server, which evaluates thresholds, generates events, and raises alarms when conditions require attention.
System Components
- NetXMS Server
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The central component of the system. It processes events, evaluates thresholds, manages alarms, and serves client connections. All configuration and collected data is stored in the database.
- Database
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A relational database used by the server to store configuration and collected data.
- Management Console
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The application you use to interact with NetXMS. Available as a desktop application (Java-based) and a web interface. Both provide the same core functionality for viewing objects, alarms, graphs, and maps. See Management Console for details.
- NetXMS Agent
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Installed on systems that need detailed monitoring. As an operator, you don’t configure agents directly, but you see the data they collect.
What to Read Next
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Basic Concepts — understand the key ideas behind NetXMS before diving in
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Management Console — learn how to navigate the console interface