Aside from recently being blasted with swirling vortexes of terror in the form of tornoados (in New England?!), things here are going well.  We recently mentioned that we have entered the NetFlow probe arena by offering nProbes and nBoxes for your business needs.

But it did occur to me that we should at least offer a brief overview of what NetFlow is.

To put it in perspective, IT administrators could see how much traffic was on a network prior to NetFlow creation, but they couldn’t see what kind of traffic it was.  Cisco Systems created NetFlow and changed the world of technology.  NetFlow allows extremely detailed collection and measurements of network traffic.  This depth of data collection provides near limitless opportunities for business and network management, including the ability to monitor source and destination IP addresses, troubleshoot performance errors, and detect security threats.

In order to access NetFlow, you must have NetFlow capable routers or switches, or you can simply obtain Ravica’s nProbe or nBox to export the data you need.  You can add them to your existing network without the requirement of migrating data or traffic to new devices.  They are very easy to install directly to your existing setup, and they easily capture the network information and put it into a usable format.  You’ll be managing your network traffic in no time.

Some NetFlow collectors and reporting tools have even turned into virtual technological art forms, like Plixer International’s Scrutinizer tool which offers incredibly in-depth traffic reporting and presents it in clear, concise graphical formats.

If you have more questions about NetFlow, there are some network monitoring blogs available on Systrax.com.  You are also welcome to contact us with any questions about NetFlow, nProbes, or our environmental monitor probes.  Just like NetFlow, and unlike swirling vortexes of terror, we are here to help your business.

~Angela
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To support this business need, we recently expanded the Ravica product line to include new hardware and software.

The foundation of this new line is the software called nProbe.  Once installed, nProbe is ready to use without additional configuration required.  It is placed on a PC from which one can capture the desired traffic and send it to the specified collector.  nProbe is a high-performance probe designed for running on environments with limited resources.  The nProbe can support both flow and packet sampling.

For some users, however, running a network probe on a PC is not always the best choice.  A PC may require more physical space than is available.  PCs also require operating systems and maintenance, and multiple PCs would be required if a user needs multiple probes.  As a result, Ravica also offers nBox, a hardware device preloaded with nProbe.  nBox can be effectively used as a probe and collector at the same time.  It is easy to set up, immediately available with little configuration effort, and easy to administer using intuitive embedded web interface.  It is generally placed on a mirrored port or next to the border gateway.  Due to its low cost, web interface, and remote maintenance, nBox is the ideal choice for adding NetFlow support to your existing network without the need to purchase or replace your existing router/switch.

To further assist businesses by providing detailed views of network traffic, Plixer International developed Scrutinizer, an alternative flow capture tool with extensive reporting capabilities.  Scrutinizer is able to retrieve traffic details and present them in a dynamic, intuitive, and detailed graphical view.

With expansive varieties in network analyzing requirements, Ravica is pleased to offer you a variety of IT solutions.  If you have any questions about how we can help with your specific network, please contact us.

~Angela

That last statement was hitting below the belt.  I apologize.  There is no “I” in “team,” so I won’t make this all about me.

I’m taking it one game at a time at Ravica, but it’s already been apparent that the crew here is a great team.  We are all willing to go the distance to show you how we can help protect your home and business with environmental monitoring.  Please contact us if you have any questions about the SensorProbes or Intelligent Sensors or about customizing your equipment.

Also…You can also get a ringside seat and see our online demo to learn how the sensors can monitor your world.  The user password is “Ravica.”

Ravica offers great products and great service, and we are in your corner.  We welcome your feedback.  Leave it all on the field and tell us how we’re doing.  Also, let us know if you would like more information about any environmental system topics.

Thanks for letting me introduce myself.  I look forward to sharing Ravica news with you even more as the game goes on.  And I promise to throw in the towel on the sports clichés in the future.

Phew.  I’m saved by the bell.

~Angela
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I’ve wrote a lot lately about the expandability of the SecurityProbe line of products and getting the most out of your environmental monitoring system, but with the  idea of virtually unlimited expandability comes the problem of keeping track of the hundreds of dry contacts and sensors that are integrated into your monitoring system.  When you get a critical alert on temperature sensor 018, do you know where that is located?  This can be a be an especially big problem for larger facilities, like college campuses, where the sensors are gathering information from multiple buildings spread out over a large area.  Wouldn’t it be great to be able to see at a quick glance where individual sensors are located and if there is a problem.  That is exactly what the mapping feature on the SecurityProbe is designed to do.

The Maps Tab allows you to upload site plans, building floor plans, or diagrams and then locate your sensors on the map.  That way, you can instantly see that the critical problem being reported on Temp 018 is in the Math Lab and not in the cafeteria.  Below is a screen shot of what this looks like to the user.  Note that the sensor statuses are color coded, green=good, red=problem so you can pinpoint issues and their location at a glance.

The map feature is helpful if you are using sensors in more localized applications as well.  For example, if you are monitoring a data center you could upload a diagram of your server cabinet  layout and then locate the  sensors graphically.  This would be helpful especially if the responsibility for addressing certain issues falls to maintenance staff that might not be as familiar with IT equipment.   Below is a screen shot of the diagram we use for the sensors in the Ravica server room.

There is no limit to the number of maps that you can load into you web interface, so you can use whatever formats work best for your application.

The number one tip is raising the acceptable temperature in your server room.   Old school IT wisdom says to keep server rooms between 55°-60°F, however more recent research has stated that equipment can operate without any risk of damage at much higher temperature thresholds, more in the 70°-79°F range.   Given that a conservative estimate of energy savings due to lower cooling costs is 4% savings in energy cost per degree Fahrenheit that the thermostat is raised, dollars saved can add up fast.

If you are currently using a Ravica Sensor Probe to monitor and control the temperature in your server room or data center, you can easily adjust the warning thresholds in your web-interface. Within your online Ravica control panel, click on the Sensors Tab and adjust the High and Low thresholds to reflect the new temperature norms.

So go ahead, raise the temperature bar in your server rooms, and then keep track of the energy bills to find out how much money is staying in your pocket.  You never know, it may be enough to reinvest in some new equipment, update your network monitoring software, or hire a new employee to get those business development ideas off the shelf and making some profits.

1) No more annoying low-battery beeping. When the smoke detector is connected to the SecurityProbe or BitSight via one of the (8) RJ-45 port, the main power source is the probe and not the 9v battery. Like a typical smoke detector, the Ravica smoke detector still takes a 9v, but it is a back-up and is only used in the case of a major power outage that takes the probe offline.

2) Ravica smoke detectors can be programmed to automatically make the emergency call for you. The smoke detector can be connected to dry contact inputs and be programmed to call 911 automatically when an alarm goes off. This cuts down on response time and can potentially save thousands of dollars in property damage.

3) View the situation from an easy-to-use web interface. With a Ravica SecurityProbe, you can view and control up to 4 cameras from the web. If a smoke detector alarm goes off, you can instantly see exactly what is causing the alarm and be better equipped to resolve the situation quickly.

If a web-based smoke detector sounds like a good addition to the fire/safety plan for your facility, check out the Ravica website or give us a call at 207.324.8173.

In the past, some of the SecurityProbe advantages included; advanced notification options, great video capabilities and the ability to connect up to 8 sensor probes per unit. The newest SecurityProbe retains all of these great features and adds four RJ-45 expansion ports to the front of the box which allows the connection of up to four expansion units. There are two expansion units options available: the E-opto16 and the E-sensor8.

With the E-opto16, you get 16 isolated dry contact inputs. A typical application for this expansion module would be to connect the dry contact to alarm panels and create custom alerts for each of the alarms. For example, one could have a dry contact connected to the fire alarm, another to the security alarm, and another to the AED cabinet. Each dry contact could then be set up to automatically call the respective emergency operator, in these cases the fire department, police, or paramedics. An unlimited number of E-opto16’s can be daisy-chained to accommodate up to 600 different dry contact inputs.

If you are more interested in increasing the number of intelligent sensors that can be monitored, there is the E-sensor8 that adds 8 sensor ports. Like the E-opto16, the E-sensor8 can be daisy-chained to allow the monitoring of up to 600 sensors through a single SecurityProbe. The two expansion units are also compatible with each other , giving the user complete control in designing the combination of dry contacts and sensors that works for their unique needs.

If you’d like more information on these new expansion modules, give us a call at 207.324.8173. We’d love to help you design an environmental monitoring system that does just what you need it to do.

From these two examples, it’s clear that there are options out there for designing sustainable HVAC systems that can meet the massive demand for cooling in data centers and server rooms. There is still a long way to go for data centers to be completely environmentally sustainable, but the industry is moving in leaps and bounds in that direction.

Ravica has always supported voice notifications, but in the past you would be required to purchase an external USB modem in order to utilize this notification method. Using Skype as a call-out device is an inexpensive alternative to purchasing additional hardware like the USB modem or an auto-dialer. Skype is currently available only on the SecurityProbe and the one other requirement for using this feature is a PC on the network that has a Skype account.

To set up Skype notifications, simply log on to your unique SecurityProbe URL and click on the Notification tab. Next, click on Begin Notification Wizard and select Skype Call/SMS as the action type.

On the next few pages, you will be able to enter the IP address or URL of the Skype account holding PC, select the sensors and statuses that you want to be notified about, customize the voice or text message, and enter in the phone numbers that are to be called. It is so easy; you’ll be set up with voice/SMS notifications in less than five minutes!

Most car dealerships have the unique problem of needing to store very expensive inventory in outdoor lots, therefore theft and vandalism are major security concerns.  Some larger dealerships can contract outside security firms to remotely monitor their lots, but what about small, local dealerships?  With new car dealerships all over the country being hit hard by the financial problems of the major car makers, an affordable security option that can be monitored successfully by existing dealership staff is in order.

With a Ravica SecurityProbe, several motion detectors set up at key locations, and 4 Pan-Tilt cameras the dealership owner or manager can be notified via phone, email, or text message when activity occurs on the lot.  Because all Ravica products are linked into an easy-to-use web-interface, the camera can be controlled and viewed from any computer with internet access; whether that is the desktop in your manager’s office, laptop at your home, or smart phone in your car.  You can be informed instantly of any potentially malicious activity on your lot—day or night—giving you the opportunity to assess the situation and call law enforcement before your valuable inventory drives into the sunset.