Frequently Asked Questions

When you outsource your NOC services with iGLASS, we can monitor any IP-addressable network device or system. Even non-addressable devices often may be monitored via 3rd party transponders, contact closure devices, or integration with 3rd party systems. The majority of our monitoring is focused on network infrastructure, applications, URLs and synthetic transactions. If you have any questions about what can be monitored with our NOC services, contact us today.

Our smallest customer has fewer than 10 devices monitored. Our largest has more than 5,000. iGLASS is scalable to meet the needs of customers large and small. It isn't the quantity so much as the critical nature of the equipment to be monitored. If it's important to your business, it's important to iGLASS.

In a word, ownership. Our services are different because we own them. We own our company, we own the technology, and we own up to any mistakes we make and take responsibility. We believe in old fashioned values like integrity and honesty. We don't play politics or point fingers. This shows through in every facet of our business.

We bill our customers monthly based upon the total number of devices (IPs/hosts/nodes) and data metrics monitored. As you grow, iGLASS grows with you, but we only monitor what you believe is most important to you in your unique network. You may add or remove devices and data metrics to your monitoring plan at any time. The more we monitor, the less you pay per device. Contact us today for a quote!

No, iGLASS is strictly under a SaaS licensing model. we've found that stand-alone monitoring tools often become outdated and ineffective. That is, unless there is a dedicated staff of analysts, programmers and NOC staff who are fully trained to maintain and develop the network monitoring solution implemented. With iGLASS, the brains and brawn of our platform reside in our multi-million dollar network core. There is no cost-effective method of providing that core in a stand-alone product.

Since iGLASS is offered under a SaaS licensing model, all maintenance, updates, upgrades, new releases and 24x7 staffed NOC services are included at no additional charge. iGLASS provides a turn-key network monitoring solution. You pay one low fee per month for just those network devices you wish to have monitored.

iGLASS can monitor your network devices on most any operating system. While our polling servers usually run on a hardened version of Linux, they may also run under VMware, Citrix or a Cloud platform like Amazon's EC2. Monitored devices may run on UNIX, Linux, Windows, MAC and many others.

No. Some other network monitoring service tools are built on top of open source or commercial monitoring systems. We found those to be too restrictive and decided long ago to build iGLASS from the ground up. The greatest benefit of that choice has been our flexibility and adaptability to tackle the many different challenges our customers face. With iGLASS, you’re getting one of the most robust sets of monitoring tools for your network.

Prior to deployment, we would ask you for a static public and private IP for our dedicated use. iGLASS deploys onsite polling server(s) and SonicWALL firewall appliances with each installation. The server(s) have multiple NICs and the SonicWALL establishes and maintains an AES256-encrypted VPN tunnel back to the iGLASS NOC, providing a link to your private network while maintaining the highest level of security available. All user logins also utilize SSL encryption for added security. Optionally, iGLASS can be deployed on VMware, Citrix or a Cloud platform like Amazon's EC2.

No, you do not require a VPN connection to access our outsourced NOC center. iGLASS uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption on its Internet portal, eliminating the need for a VPN connection. SSL encryption is the most user friendly, as well as the most secure.

Yes, you may integrate our platform with existing tools such as an IVR or trouble-ticketing system. We offer an XML API, structured emails, and other potentially custom options. iGLASS may also receive and alarm on telemetry sent from 3rd party tools. These options allow you to customize your NOC to meet your exact specifications.

We are licensed under a Software as a Service (SaaS) model. As a result, all hardware, software, maintenance and NOC services are included. For most installations, we have an onsite data collection server or "probe". We'll need approximately 2RU of rack space in your data center or headend and a single 110 volt outlet, preferably on UPS. As an option, we may also run our probe on a VM or other cloud-based host, or even monitor your public IP space over the Internet.

In addition to monitoring your network, we also monitor our own network. If that connection is lost due to our network core, we'll know about it instantly and notify you or your data center provider. Our probe will continue monitoring your network performance, even when disconnected from the Internet, and will "sync" with our core once connectivity is re-established. Any queued alerts received will then immediately go out and historical data will be updated. In the event of a critical hardware failure, we'll ship a replacement server priority overnight.

Not long at all. We know that you're working on a tight schedule, so most installations can happen in 1-2 days. Full deployment can typically be accomplished in less than 2 weeks.

You don't need to install any additional software because our NOC services are Internet-based and therefore accessible from wherever you have a computer and Internet connection. The only software required for access is an Internet browser capable of supporting SSL encryption.

Words are nice, but as they say, a picture is worth 1,000 words. With that in mind, we'd love to show you a live WebEx of iGLASS in action at a real customer site. No smoke, no mirrors, just real live screens depicting the good, the bad and the ugly (depending upon the day and time we show it to you). Following the WebEx, we're also happy to offer you a 30-day onsite evaluation of the iGLASS service to experience the benefits yourself. Thus far, 100% of the customers who try iGLASS, buy iGLASS. Click on the "Seeing is believing" button to your left to get started.

SNMP is one of many protocols and methods used to monitor your network. iGLASS also employs Ping, XML, TL1, CLI, WMI and custom pollers amongst others.

Absolutely. As availability of IPv4 addresses began running out, it was clear we needed to prepare for the advent of IPv6. After a fork-lift upgrade of our core colocation facilities, iGLASS is proud to announce full support for IPv6.

We support both Syslog and SNMP traps from any monitored device. With our network monitoring services, in-bound telemetry is processed in real-time. We utilize a flexible rules-based engine to separate the important stuff from the "noise" so you can be sure that when we catch something, it's not a false alarm. Hundreds of rules will work out of the box, and our engineers will work with you to customize alert severity.

Absolutely! In addition to standard "observe and report" services, iGLASS offers optional Tier-1 remediation of certain types of network outages. We will work with you to develop a "run book" to troubleshoot and fix common issues affecting the proper functioning of your network.

Our NOC staff is second to none with an average of at least 10 years' experience in network engineering & operations. Our analysts and programmers have an average of 20 years' experience.

Our NOC services and network cores are built upon a warm-failover, fully redundant network architecture, which is hosted in carrier-class hardened facilities. Electronic access control, CCTV, multiple ISPs, UPS, raised floors and onsite backup generators provide for secure and uninterrupted operations 24x7. In the event of a true disaster, iGLASS may also be administered remotely.

Yes, we have an extensive trouble-ticketing system built-in to our Internet portal. Critical outages generate trouble-tickets automatically. Each time we have a touchpoint with you or a 3rd party (carriers, ISPs, vendors, etc.), we update the trouble-ticket. You can even opt for email alerts every time there is an update.

For some customers, where they don't have the staff to answer their phones 24 hours a day, iGLASS will take inbound calls forwarded from your toll-free number to a dedicated line in our NOC. Our IP phones tell us how to answer the phone, and we will typically take the call, open a ticket and then notify your personnel so they may follow up with the caller. We do not provide technical support services and in-bound calls are restricted to customer IT staff and/or vendor partners. There is a nominal upcharge for this kind of service.

Yes. User access may be restricted by individual login or group profile. Some customers create groups based upon the role of their end users (customer care, IT, management, etc.). Our NOC services can also restrict access to a group of machines, individual functions or even to a specific port on a router. This is handy for granting logins to commercial customers when connected to shared resources.

Absolutely. If you become an Affiliate Partner, you have the option of branding our Internet Portal with either your own logo or each individual customer's logo. Our Affiliate Partners also enjoy 24/7 US-based network monitoring services support, trouble-ticketing system, no annual program fees and more.