Another advantage for which we like Cacti is that it's much easier to configure than MRTG. First, the app comes with a load of preconfigured generic device templates that'll cover most of your bases out of the box. Then, configuration is managed via a friendly Web-based GUI, not the command-line syntax that often accompanies MRTG. Now for professional network geeks, the command line isn't a disadvantage. But it becomes a disadvantage when you hand it off to your customers. Either they eat the learning curve, or they flood your phones with configuration, modification, and interpretive requests. Cacti is easy enough that training is a one-day affair, and after that, the system can be handed off entirely.

Sure, they may eventually move to something more enterprise-oriented, such as SMS and MOM (Microsoft Operations Manager), but for companies that need a quick fix and introduction into why network and server monitoring data is so useful, Cacti is a great first step. After that, it's extensible via new device additions, scripting and even SNMP, so it can carry even medium-size businesses for quite some time.

Yeah, this is the Windows Enterprise column and I'm gushing about a Linux-based tool, but in my defense, Cacti does run on Windows. You just need to compile it appropriately and use Cygwin for part of the configuration. I think. To be honest, we've never set it up on anything other than Fedora Core. Hey, what can I say -- the Penguin has power.