SolarWinds Knowledge Hub

An access control list is a list of permission rights used to assign roles and responsibilities.

Active Directory can be used for the management of user permissions and access rights.

Active Directory (AD) groups help keep a tab on the access permissions to various resources in your network, such as computers.

Advanced persistent threat (APT) is a planned, stealthy cyberattack that allows attackers to penetrate a company's network and stay inside for a prolonged duration to exfiltrate valuable information.

Agentless monitoring helps you monitor your overall network health without deploying any third-party agent software.

AI in IT Service Management (ITSM) is the use of artificial intelligence technologies, including machine learning, to automate and enhance IT service delivery and support processes. This includes employing AI tools to streamline tasks, improve efficiency, and provide better user experiences.

What you need to know about Apache Cassandra monitoring, its best practices, and more.

Your complete guide to APM concepts, capabilities, tools, and more.

Application infrastructure refers to all the software and hardware assets necessary for the smooth functioning of your application.

Learn about the significance of application logs in software development and how to conduct effective log analysis.

It’s a logical collection of websites or applications served by one or multiple worker processes with the same configuration.

AWS CloudTrail is a service that tracks activity within an organization's AWS environment. Learn about CloudTrail features and benefits.

Amazon CloudWatch is a monitoring, observability, and management service designed specifically for site reliability engineers (SREs), IT, and DevOps teams.

Bandwidth consumption happens when a node connects to and exchanges information over a network.

Learn about bandwidth management and bandwidth control.

Learn about brute-force attacks, their types, and how to protect against them with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Learn about the benefits and importance of centralized log management.

Discover the role of change agents in driving innovation and aligning IT with business goals.

Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) refers to the standard process of efficiently allocating and organizing IP addresses across networks and devices.

Cloud computing allows companies to rent software, data storage, and other IT resources instead of managing them in-house.

Discover cloud monitoring, its benefits, and the top solutions for keeping a close eye on your cloud infrastructure.

collectd is a Unix daemon written in C language, and it’s designed to collect metrics pertaining to system resources and application performance.

Learn about the process, challenges, and best practices of compliance monitoring.

Learn about computer hardware, including the importance of monitoring hardware in enterprise and data center environments.

Everything you need to know about configuration drift and more.

A CMDB is a crucial part of the ITIL framework. It enables organizations to manage, control, and configure assets.

A container is a lightweight package that includes code and dependencies together.

Traditionally, application code was developed in a specific computing environment. Relocating application code to another environment, such as from computer systems to virtual machines, often resulted in bugs and errors. Containerization removes this problem by isolating application code and dependencies in an isolated user space known as containers.

CPU utilization indicates the amount of load handled by individual processor cores to run various programs on a computer.

Serv-U FTP Server and Serv-U MFT Server can be integrated with third-party applications and shared databases. Check out more!

Learn about cyber risk management and its importance.

A complete guide on cybersecurity types and best practices to help you safeguard against common types of cyberattacks.

Cyberthreat intelligence provides critical knowledge about existing and evolving cyber threats and threat actors.

Learn about data observability’s benefits, importance, and more.

Learn how to streamline access to critical data by optimizing organizational data storage policies.

Database cardinality can be defined as the relationship between tables consisting of elements in a set.

Database concurrency is a unique characteristic enabling two or more users to retrieve information from the database at the same time without affecting data integrity.

An index helps in rapid access of database records by storing pointers to their actual disk location.

Database performance management system is designed to help admins more easily troubleshoot and resolve DBMS performance issues by monitoring performance and providing root-cause analysis of your database using multi-dimensional views to answer the who, what, when, where, and why of performance issues.

Learn more about the basics of database monitoring, including why monitoring, optimizing, and tuning database performance is crucial.

It's the process of ensuring smooth and optimal database performance by using varied techniques, tools, and best practices.

In everyday language, a query is simply a request for information. Similarly, the meaning of a query in database management is a request for data. If you need to access, manipulate, delete, or retrieve data from your relational database, you’ll need a database query written using a specific syntax.

A database schema is the structure or organization of data in a database management system. 

A comprehensive guide to database software concepts, types, examples, and performance monitoring.

Monitor, analyze, and optimize cross-platform database performance.

DDI is an abbreviated term that refers to the amalgamation of DNS, DHCP, and IP Address Management into a single service or solution.

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the regular traffic of a server, service, or network.

DHCP intelligently manages IP address allotment and renewal activities in a network.

Distributed tracing is vital for managing the performance of applications that use microservices and containerization.

Dive into the details of the DNS hierarchy from root servers to subdomains and learn how it simplifies internet navigation and domain resolution.

Learn what DNS resolution is, how it works, the types of DNS servers involved, and why it’s essential for internet connectivity.

A domain controller is a server computer that authenticates and validates user access on a network.

A technique commonly used in phishing attacks and spam to trick users by sending emails from a forged sender address.

End-user network experience monitoring allows teams to assess the impact of network performance on end users' experiences.

Learn more about enterprise networking, including the components, architecture, and monitoring best practices.

Learn about ESM’s importance, objectives, and best practices.

A security mechanism that analyzes critical system files to check unauthorized modifications and cyberattacks.

File-sharing security is all about utilizing the right set of file security tools, transfer protocols, and procedures while exchanging sensitive business documents inside or outside the company network.

What you need to know about the FTP server process, types, benefits, and more.

File transfer protocol with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) definition.

Full stack observability involves monitoring and managing your entire technology stack’s performance, health, and security.

Learn more about help desk solutions, including why they’re important, the difference between a help desk and a service desk, and how to optimize help desk workflows.

High availability indicates a system's capability of being resilient to known or unknown failures.

HTTP is a standard protocol enlisting the recommended guidelines and procedures for exchanging information over the internet.

Learn about hybrid cloud solutions, architecture, and benefits.

Hyper-V is a Microsoft virtualization product allowing you to create and run multiple VMs on a physical host.

Learn more about IIS, including what it’s used for, benefits, and how to configure IIS web servers and virtual directories.

What you need to know about incident response, how it works, and more.

SQL Server index fragmentation is an overarching problem arising from an excessive number of alterations in the database.

Learn how IT infrastructure management optimizes business operations, security, and scalability.

An insider threat is a user with authorized access to sensitive company assets or data who may misuse their access rights to compromise the organization's security.

The network of smart devices embedded with sensors, software, or any other technology to exchange data over the internet.

IPv6 is the revised version of the Internet protocol designed to overcome the IPv4 limitations and address exhaustion problem.

Learn about IT assets, including information about managing IT assets and why IT asset management is important.

Learn about what change management is, its best practices, and the types employed by organizations.

Incident management is a process within IT service management (ITSM) aimed at restoring normal operations as quickly as possible when disruptions occur.

Learn about the role, importance, and best practices of ITOM.

IT risk management involves policies, procedures, and tools to identify and assess potential threats and vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure.

ITIL is a set of best practice guidelines focused on aligning the delivery of IT services with business goals.

ITIL service catalog is a systemic record providing visibility into your organization's active IT services.

IT service management (ITSM) is the set of processes and activities involved in planning, designing, delivering, managing, and maintaining IT services. ITSM ensures the appropriate people, technology, and processes are in play to strategically optimize service delivery, improve business processes, and enhance user experiences.

Learn about IT service management systems, including how modern ITSM platforms work and what features to look for to advance your service ticket support and delivery.

Learn about knowledge bases, including how to build and maintain a knowledge base.

Understand what knowledge management is and how it can benefit your organization.

Linux® server refers to a specific type of server based on the free, open-source, and modular Linux operating system.

A complete guide to log management best practices to help you collect, organize, and monitor logs effectively.

Learn everything you need to know about log monitoring.

Managed file transfer (MFT) protocol includes automation capabilities to help companies securely share various types of data over the internet.

MariaDB is a secure enterprise database system using pluggable storage engines to store and manage different types of data.

Find out about MFT vs. SFTP, including their key differences, common use cases, and which one is right for you.

MIB is an organized, up-to-date repository of managed objects for identifying and monitoring SNMP network devices.

MySQL is a popular open-source enterprise database solution that relies on the relational data model for data storage and management operations. Oracle, Amazon AWS, and other vendors offer proprietary commercial versions.

Network access control includes the security policies designed to control network access, such as authorization controls and authentication checks.

Network activity monitoring helps identify bottlenecks impacting overall network performance, health, and uptime.

Learn about network administration, including key areas of focus, what a network admin does, and differences between a network admin and a network engineer.

A network administrator proactively identifies and resolves a computer network's security, reliability, and performance issues.

Network automation is the process of automating the management of a network’s physical and virtual devices using software to maximize efficiency.

Network availability, also referred to as network uptime, denotes the overall duration for which the clients can seamlessly access the resources, such as servers and printers, available on a computer network.

Network Backup is the process of replicating business-critical data to ensure data is always available.

Find out what network bandwidth is and how to optimize and increase your network capacity.

Network capacity quantifies the maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network from one point to another.

Network configuration compliance refers to implementing the proper controls, policies, and device settings to safeguard your network from attackers and comply with the latest industry requirements for standards like HIPAA and PCI DSS.

Do you know what network configurations are and how to automate configuration management using tools? Learn how to start managing your network efficiently.

Network congestion refers to the reduced quality of service that occurs due to overloaded network nodes or links.

Learn more about identifying network devices, including how to identify unknown devices and identifying devices on wireless networks.

Network devices facilitate data transmission and manage digital connections on a computer network.

Network discovery refers to the identification of devices available on a network to ensure their validity.

Outage, human errors, failure of equipment, or ongoing maintenance can cause network downtime. Find out how to reduce and avoid it to minimize business losses.

Network infrastructure is the broader collection of fundamental components that work cohesively to run an IT network.

Network metrics are qualitative and quantitative ways to observe and determine network behavior.

Network monitoring is a critical IT process to discover, map, and monitor computer networks and network components, including routers, switches, servers, firewalls, and more.

Network nodes are the endpoints, communication, or redistribution points over a network that can receive, create, store, and send data along distributed routes.

Network optimization leverages a variety of strategies, tools, and programs to improve network performance.

Discover the nuances of network protocols, the OSI model layers, and the function of protocols in each OSI model layer.

A network sniffer is a tool that captures and analyzes data packets as they travel across a computer network.

Network topology offers a diagrammatic explanation of the logical and physical setup of different components, such as routers and switches, in a network.

Network traffic management is the practice of controlling and optimizing how data moves through a network to ensure smooth performance, avoid network congestion, and maintain overall network health.

Learn about the significance of network traffic monitoring for a more efficient IT environment.

Do you know how to troubleshoot network issues? Learn about network troubleshooting steps and best practices.

Network visibility means monitoring and understanding all network activities in real-time to ensure smooth, secure, and efficient operations.

Network visualization allows you to pictographically showcase the network architecture, including device arrangement and data flows.

Learn how to monitor NGINX with metrics, logging, and insights.

NoSQL databases store and retrieve information in a nontabular format, unlike relational databases.

Observability provides proactive insights, automated analytics, and actionable intelligence from collected data.

An observability pipeline, or a telemetry pipeline, is a system that helps gather, process, and send data from various sources to the right tools.

OpenTelemetry is an open-source observability framework for standardizing the collection and export of telemetry data.

Your complete guide to operating system concepts, types, features, examples, and more.

An Oracle database is a fully configurable and scalable enterprise database solution that uses a relational model for information management.

OSI layers enable standardized, reliable communication between two or more network devices.

Explore how to identify, analyze, and troubleshoot packet loss issues.

Simplify and automate patch management

Packet capture is a networking practice involving the interception of data packets traveling over a network.

Ping is a powerful TCP/IP command designed to help track and resolve connectivity issues between two or more networked devices.

Discover what PostgreSQL is, its features, functions, and more.

Learn how problem management enhances IT reliability and improves service delivery.

What you need to know about protocol analyzers, their benefits, and more.

A collection of technologies that help efficiently manage network traffic by setting priorities for critical resource-intensive applications within the network.

Real user monitoring (RUM), also known as end-user experience monitoring, provides visibility into real-time problems affecting the experience of users while navigating your website.

A relational database allows you to easily find, scan, and sort specific information based on the relationship among the different fields defined within a table.

What you need to know about remote access, protocols, benefits, key considerations, and more.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) enables users to remotely access and control physical and virtual devices running on Windows.

Remote desktop services (RDS) is a technology that enables users to connect to a remote computer's desktop and programs over a network connection. This allows users to work on a laptop far from the desktop as long as they have internet access and the right log-in credentials. With this technology, an IT department can manage, troubleshoot, update, and maintain various computers remotely and centrally.

Learn about remote monitoring and management, its benefits, and more.

A reverse proxy facilitates seamless communication in a client-server architecture with intelligent traffic routing, filtering, and distribution.

Learn about how RBAC can help with automating user access rights management, minimizing risk, securing data, demonstrating compliance, and improving cybersecurity.

Read about root cause analysis, its methods and benefits.

Learn the definitions of SCP and SFTP, their differences, common use cases, and more.

SD-WAN is a software-based network technology that offers a modern, flexible, and more effective way to administer wide-area networks.

Discover what secure remote access is, key strategies, and more.

Explore the essential role of servers, from web and email to database and application services, in supporting modern digital infrastructure.

Learn about server infrastructure, server types, and the importance of monitoring and identifying server performance issues in real time.

Dive into the essentials of serverless architecture, from its core concepts and benefits to the challenges and comparisons with other models.

A Service Desk is the central point of contact between IT and end-users within an organization. It supports the entire IT service management (ITSM) lifecycle, handling incidents, service requests, problems, and changes to ensure that IT services align with business needs. The ultimate goal of a service desk is to drive productivity and satisfaction across the organization by delivering high-quality IT services.

Learn about SLAs, including different types, how to manage them, and why it’s important.

Learn what service level objectives are, how they work, and why they are vital for ensuring reliable, high-quality IT services.

Learn about SFTP vs. FTPS, their differences, common use cases, and more

Learn about automating SharePoint permission rights, simplifying management, providing safe access to data, and demonstrating compliance.

Learn how to aggregate, correlate, analyze, and monitor security logs and events to prevent and mitigate security threats.

SNMP is a networking protocol used to monitor network devices.

SNMP traps are unrequested notifications an SNMP agent of a managed device sends to an SNMP manager in the network.

Know the value of each OID on a device instantly.

Learn more about software-defined networking (SDN), including how it works, implementation, benefits, and differences between SDN and traditional networking.

What you need to know about SQL database structure, types, benefits, performance metrics, and more.

SQL performance tuning, or performance tuning, is checking and resolving issues potentially affecting the efficiency of a SQL database.

SQL Server is a relational database management system used to store, manage, and retrieve data efficiently.

This Windows service executes scheduled jobs in SQL Server.

Your intro to a popular data analytics solution.

Learn about SSH, its history, key security features, and how to set it up for secure remote access and file transfers.

SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) allows for the secure transfer of files over remote systems.

What you need to know about Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SSIS packages, and SSIS monitoring.

SSL certificates are small data files designed to strengthen the overall website security through strong encryption and identity verification methods.

Track the performance and capacity of your storage arrays with Storage Resource Monitoring (SRM) to keep tabs on any storage-related issues slowing your system down.

Subnetting is the process of logically dividing an IP network into more subnetworks.

Learn more about synthetic monitoring, including different types of synthetic monitoring.

What you need to know about standard protocol enabling network devices to interact with a logging server and exchange event data.

Learn about the structure, types, and importance of the syslog format.

Explore syslog severity levels and their importance in log management.

Understand the difference between Syslog Server and SIEM solution.

What you need to know about T-SQL and its functions.

Uptime is a metric used to measure the availability of a website or business application.

Learn more about virtual machines (VMs), including what they’re used for, types of virtual machines, and differences between VMs and virtualization.

Virtualization technology creates simulated environments based on physical systems to enable optimal and flexible resource utilization.

Learn about VLAN, including the different types of VLAN, managing and configuring VLAN, and key differences between VLAN and LAN.

Vulnerability investigation or assessment is a systematic approach to identify the security loopholes or weak points in your IT infrastructure and take active measures to resolve them quickly.

Learn more about web servers, including how web servers work, what they’re used for, and key differences between web servers and application servers.

Your complete guide to website monitoring concepts, types, tools, and more.

A Wi-Fi heat map is a visual representation of Wi-Fi signal strength that provides visibility into your network and coverage.

The Windows event log records specific events related to the system, security, and applications on a Microsoft system.

Windows Server is a group of operating systems to support enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses with data storage, communications, and applications.

Learn more about workflow automation, automated workflow software, and the benefits to organizations after implementing such solutions.

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) definition, how WSUS works, and learn how to deploy it efficiently.

Learn more about Zero Trust, including how it works, its architecture, and the benefits of a Zero Trust security model.